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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 257
It was built of limestone and stood about where the east end of the
factory of The Hinde & Dauch Company, on Water Street, now stands.
It was built under the chaplaincy of Rev. E. R. Jewett and lost its hold
when the growth of the city carried the drift of the population away
from the bay. t
In 1843 there was a Wesleyan Methodist Churchy which stood south
of the northwest corner of the Public Square facing on Jackson Street
on the site of the original little "brown church," which was the original
Methodist Church. The Wesleyan society Avas originally formed
out of the secession from the Methodist Church in 1836. Reverends
Jones, McEldowny, Huniiston, Smith, and Royce were its pastors, but
it ceased to hold services about 1858.
THE GERMAN METHODISTS
The Sandusky City Mission Avas authorized by Ohio Conference, held
at Chillicothe, Ohio, on September 25, 1850. The first missionary was
Rev. E. Riemenschneider, who Avas sent out in 1841 to North Ohio
Mission, which covered the ground from Marietta to Lake Erie.
The first chureh was built in 1852; services were held previous to
that in the "German Settlement" in the house of J. Fisher. The mission
extended from Thomson, Seneca County, to Ahiherst, Lorain
County, and Lacarne, Ottawa County.
The first minister stationed in Sandusky was Rev. G. A. Reuter,
1850-51. When the mission Avas organized there were twenty-one families.
In 1852 they bought "the little brown church" on the West
Public Square. This Avas occupied by their society until in 1880 the
old "little broAvn church" AA'as removed to the south side of Jefferson
Street, nearly opposite the neAV Congregational Church. Some years
since 1896 the society sold their church lot and building to the Zion
German Lutheran Church and built a neAV church building and later a
parsonage on the corner of Shelby and Tyler streets.
In the year 1913 the church and parsonage were sold and the-congregation
disbanded, most of them joining Trinity Methodist Episcopal
Church.
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The folloAving is taken from the church manual in 1871 in regard
to the early period: .
"In 1828 several members of the church having returned to the
place and there being others, not members, AVIIO favored the Congregational
order, the Rev. Wm. M. Adams was employed to preach for
several months. During his labors, Mrs. Lovina Maria Jennings, then
the wife of R. J. Jennings, Avas received into the church by letter.
During the next year (1829) the Rev. John IT. Ruse ministered in the
church, and in August there Avere added to the church by letter, Mrs.
Catherine Darling, wife of the late Joseph Darling, Isaac Booram and
Vof. I.—17