The collection includes reports and meeting minutes of the Board of Trustees and the Quarterly Conference, various legal papers, the pastor’s quarterly reports, birth records, 1839-1880, and other materials related to the establishment of the church.
Organizational History:
The First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, started with the “Chippewa Circuit” formed in 1861 by the Methodist-Episcopal church to minister to the Isabella County, Michigan, area. The first minister was Rev. R. P. Sheldon. Rev. George Bradley was the first presiding elder.
The Chippewa Circuit was later divided into smaller units, one being named the Mount Pleasant Circuit in 1870.
The first church building was dedicated in 1866, Rev. Dr. George B. Jocelyn (or Joslyn), President of Albion College, addressed the congregation with Rev. F. B. Bangs of Lansing, Michigan. In 1881, the church was traded for a new site. A new church was built on the corner of Main and Wisconsin streets. The cornerstone laying was held on July 1, 1882. The first services were held on May 6, 1883 with elder Sprague and Rev. D. F. Barnes. The church was known for its large size, acoustic properties, and bell.
The congregation originally joined a union Sunday, but later organized its own church school in 1868. (This information is from Brief Histories of the Churches of Mount Pleasant (1958).
The church is now called the First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant. The current church was built in 1961 at 400 South Main Street.
