A high order of civilization was introduced into this new country by the early settlers. They came from a land of churches and schools and brought with them a high appreciation of the worth of a Christian intelligence. The first echo of the woodman's ax had scarcely died away before the itinerant preacher arrived and the notes of prayer and praise ascended from a place of worship. The denominations first represented here were the Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian. The first religious service in the county was held by the Rev. Abel WARREN, of the M. E. Church, who preached a funeral discourse for an infant son of Mr. Bezahel BRISTOL, of the township of Almont. Rev. Mr. WARREN was the pioneer preacher of this and several other counties. He was a man of large heart, and his labors were crowned with great success. His memory is still green in the hearts of the old pioneers and their children. He also performed the first marriage ceremony, that of Mr. Cullen BALDWIN and Miss Nancy ELDERKIN, at the house of Mr. Oliver BRISTOL, of Almont, Jan. 15, 1832. No church was organized here however until 1834, when a class was formed by Rev. L. D. WHITNEY, who, however, did not remain here long. This was known as the Newbury appointment, and was the nucleus of the present M. E. Church of Almont. About the year 1832 an M. E. minister by the name of SWAZIE, came from Flint to Lapeer. He was a man of rough speech and assumed the high prerogative of judge of the living and dead, which aroused the spirit of the pioneer young men to such a degree that he hastily left and did not return. His successor was a cripple named Washington JACKSON, who came from Farmington. In 1835 Lapeer circuit was formed, with Rev. O. F. NORTH as pastor. The same year the Hadley church was organized by Mr. NORTH and was composed of four members. The first sermon in Hadley was preached by Rev. James HEMINGWAY. The first M. E. love feast and communion was held by Rev. E. H. PILCHER, the presiding elder, some time in 1835. The M. E. Church having organized a circuit with its headquarters at the county seat, the preachers in charge organized classes in almost every settlement in the county, meeting with these classes once a month perhaps. The history of much of this heroic labor and self-sacrifice will never be written, the very names of many of the pioneer preachers having been forgotten, as the policy of this church is a continual change of pastors. When Lapeer was first made an appointment, in 1834, it was attached to Detroit district, with Rev. James GILRUTH for presiding elder, who was succeeded in 1836 by Wm. HERR; he in 1838 by Geo. SMITH; he in 1842 by Elijah H. PILCHER. In 1813 Lapeer was attached to Shiawassee district, with Larman CHATFIELD for presiding elder. In 1845 Larman CHATFIELD was still presiding elder, but the district bore the name of Grand River. In 1846 the appointment was again placed on Detroit district, with Elijah CRANE for presiding elder, who was succeeded in 1848 by James SHAW.

In 1850, it was embraced in Flint district with George Bradley for presiding elder, who was succeeded in 1852 by George SMITH, who in turn was succeeded in 1856 by Samuel CLEMENTS, Jr., who was succeeded in 1858 by James S. SMART. In 1862 Hadley was placed on the Romeo district, with John RUSSELL for presiding eider. At the present time Lapeer belongs to the Flint district.

Contemporary with the labors of Washington JACKSON, O. F. NORTH and L. D. WHITNEY, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, were the labors of Rev. Mr. RUGGLES, of the Congregational Church, who was a man of unbounded zeal and energy. He resided at Pontiac, and preached wherever he could gather an audience, making his missionary tours mostly on foot. He planted several churches in the wilderness, some of which are extinct, but most of them remain a monument of his arduous labors. Presbyterian and Congregational churches were organized at a very early date in Lapeer, as many of the first settlers there were adherents to the "Westminster" creeds. The First Congregational Church of Lapeer was organized in July 1833, by Mr. RUGGLES. This society was after wards known as the Congregational and Presbyterian Church, and still later the Congregational part was dropped altogether. Subsequent to the organization of the Lapeer society one was organized in Hadley.

The Congregational Church has long since been merged with other religious bodies. The Presbyterian Church still remains one of the oldest and wealthiest religious bodies in the county. Rev. Mr. SLY was, we believe, the pioneer Presbyterian home missionary. In 1838 a Congregational society was formed in Almont, the result of the labors of Rev. Hiram SMITH, who ministered to the church for three years, then was succeeded by Rev. Mr. PARKER, to whom the county is largely indebted for his noble educational efforts. His successor, Mr. James R. TAYLOR, was also a prominent educator in early times. Indeed we can scarcely appreciate the good done by these men who went into the wilderness preaching and teaching, sharing the scanty fare of the pioneer, and forming the mind and tastes of the youth then growing into manhood and womanhood in these wild forests. If they did not plant as many churches or gain as many converts to their peculiar creed as did their Methodist brethren, we can but think that their influence on society was even greater, for they were men of liberal culture, of which the circuit rider of those days possessed far too little. But the present generation cannot be too thankful for the services of both home missionaries and circuit riders in those early days. Both classes did their work, and did it well. True we smile at many of the questions which produced theological disputes, in which there was too much of the spirit of the world, the flesh and the devil, but these were the errors of the times. Among these early home missionaries who were also teachers, were Rev. E. W. TRUE, who for a long time taught the Lapeer academy, and Rev. Charles KELLOGG, of Almont, who was tried for heresy while pastor of that church. He was acquitted and soon after resigned his charge and we believe left the sacred desk. Presbyterian and Congregational Churches were also formed at Farmer's Creek in 1838 and 1840. The Presbyterian Church was founded by Rev. Abijah BLANCHARD, who was its pastor for two years, but his New England Puritan ideas were far too rigid to suit the free life of the wilderness, or the untamed spirit of Young America. Indeed some of the prosecutions brought before the church were of such a trivial character as to lead us to wonder what manner of spirit could possess the pastor and church. Of course a church a prey to intestine broils is but short lived, and after the removal of Mr. BLANCHARD we hear nothing more of it. The Congregational Church, formed upon its ruins, flourished for a number of years, but being decimated by death and removals was disbanded.

The United Presbyterians have for years had a flourishing society among the Scotch in the town of Almont, and the Congregationalists a few years since built neat churches at Imlay City, Metamora, and several other points. There is also a large church at Oakwood, just over the line in Oakland County, which numbers some of Lapeer's best citizens among her members.

In the year 1837 the Baptist Church in Almont was organized by the Rev. C. CHURCHILL, with sixteen members. He was its pastor for seven years, leaving in 1844. In 1846-'47 they built a church, which we believe they still occupy. The usefulness of this church was at one time greatly crippled by dissensions with their pastor, the Rev. Mr. PATTON, who, after his expulsion from the ministry for heresy, founded a Christian Advent Church of which we believe he is still pastor. The Baptist Church of Hadley was also founded in 1837, with seven members. Its first pastor was Rev. W. D. POTTER, who remained with them for several years. In 1854 they built and dedicated a church, and soon after the Rev. Mr. POTTER resigned his pastorate. Since then this worthy man has been engaged in various religious and benevolent enterprises, and identified with almost everything calculated to raise the standard of moral or religious culture. For years he was a missionary of the American Sunday school Union engaged m organizing Sunday-schools in destitute neighborhoods, and his early labors in the causes of education and temperance will not soon be forgotten. Nor will the sufferers of the forest fires of 1871 soon forget his disinterested and zealous labors for their relief. Some time previous to 1840, a church was organized in the eastern part of Metamora, with Rev. Ezra TRIPP pastor for a time. A few years after they erected a church at Thornville, but the organization long ago became extinct and the building passed into other hands, and is now called the Free Church. A church was also formed at Lapeer at an early day and prospered for a time, but difficulties between the members and the pastor, which led to the exclusion of the latter from the ministry, ruined the church. Subsequently a new church was formed, which has since prospered greatly.

The Baptists have also church edifices at Imlay City and North Branch, and a flourishing church organization at GARDNER's school house, which is taking measures to erect or procure a house of worship. There are also other societies in the county connected with this denomination.

Although a great deal of pioneer labor was done by ministers of the Christian denomination, very little fruit is apparent at present. Rev. Mr. CANNON founded several societies, all of which are now extinct. But the labors of such men as the Revs. CANNON, MCINTYRE and OVIATT cannot be lost, although they did not succeed in establishing their particular tenets here. The Protestant Methodists in some cases followed the Christians, but owing to some peculiarities in their old discipline, their labors were mostly confined to the uneducated class at first. They have two churches at Lapeer, one in the city—the building formerly owned by the Baptists—and one a few miles east of the city, and two or three church edifices at other points. They are increasing quite rapidly of late years.

The Free-will Baptists did some good work at an early day, but the violent opposition of some of their pastors to all secret societies of whatever name or character, and the political sermons preached by others weakened their influence and destroyed the good effect of their labors, so that at present their numbers are very small. Indeed the preaching of political sermons seems never to have any other effect than to destroy the influence of the pastor and break up and scatter churches.

The tour of the Seventh Day Adventists, with their cotton tent, the organization of the church at Lapeer, the building and burning of the first church and the subsequent erection of their present brick edifice, the organization of the large and influential Catholic and Universalist Churches, and the advent of the Lutheran, First Day Advent and Free Methodist Churches are of comparatively recent date.

[HRP, pp. 20-1]