THE FIRST 150 YEARS

The First United Methodist Church in St. Joseph, Michigan

PREFACE

The brief historical narrative which follows outlines the history of the First United Methodist Church, the oldest church in the community of St. Joseph, Michigan.  This church has its roots in the Methodist Church and the Evangelical Church which were merged in 1968.  This narrative outlines the histories of both churches.  A brief history of the area is included as background for the development of the church.

Historical Background

The early history of this region is closely tied to the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan.  The area grew and prospered because of this connection and the ease of trading during the early years of settlement.  John Burnett established a trading post in 1775 on the St. Joseph River near the site now marked on Langley Avenue in St. Joseph.  The traders originally did business with the Indians, then with the white settlers.  The Michigan Territory was a land of opportunity in the early 19th Century. The Erie Canal was completed.  The Territorial Road from Detroit to St. Joseph was open. Glowing reports of fertile soil, virgin prairies, congenial climate, and valuable forests appeared in New England newspapers. Settlers began arriving.

In 1834 the village of St. Joseph was incorporated by the act of the Legislative Council of the Territory.  Trade via the river and lake grew in importance as vast amounts of agricultural products were shipped from the port at St. Joseph. The decline of St. Joseph as a major Great Lakes shipping port was predictable with the growth of the railroads during the mid and late 19th Century.  (It was to be the automobile and subsequent fleets of trucks that virtually ended the lake-boat business.)  In the late 1800's the economy of the community began to change from total agricultural activity to industrial. Industrial growth has continued to the present.