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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY , 269
Sandusky being Miss Hannah Matthias and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Walker.
Other members having left the city being Mr. and Mrs. Howard C.
Frederick, Mrs. Henry S. Moore and Mrs. Oliver W. Marble. Miss Lottie
Loomis, Mrs. Kate Inman and Olivet W. Marble have since passed*
over.
On November 28, 1902, they moved to the Masonic Temple, and in
December, 1908, moved to the Carnegie Library Building, Avhere services
are held tAvice each Aveck. They have a membership of eighty-five, with
an average attendance of 125. A free reading room is kept up in connec-
• tion Avith the church in the Stone Block. The society is the OAvner of a
lot at the nortlnvest corner of Monroe, Lawrence and Central Avenue,
where, in due time, a suitable edifice will be erected.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES OP ERIE COUNTY
About 1830 the first Catholic immigrants arrived at Sandusky. These
Catholic pioneers Avere first visited in 1834 by Rev. F. X. Tschenhens,
C. S. R., AVIIO came from Peru, Huron County. Redemptorist Fathers,
Avho established themselves at Peru from 1829 to 1839, came at irregular
intervals to Sandusky, attended to the spiritual needs of the few Catholics
and said Mass in private houses. From 1839 Sandusky Avas attended by
priests coming from Tiffin riding on horseback, a distance of thirty
miles. Among these was Rev. P. J. Machebeuf (the late bishop of
Denver), Avho became resident pastor in December, 1840. A room in the
old Customs House, rented for the purpose, AA'as the place where religious
services were held.
HOLY ANGELS' CHURCH
The cornerstone of Holy Angels' Church Avas laid October 13, 1841.
The building of this church is thus described by Father Machebeuf, AVIIO
afterwards became bishop of Denver, Colorado. In a letter to his father
dated February 28,1842, he says: '' You will remember when I told you
of my appointment as pastor of Sandusky City and LoAA'er Sandusky,
T said that I had no church in either of these places. The first step,
then, in organizing my congregations Avas to get subscriptions for Sandusky
City, Avhere I fixed my residence. For that it was necessary to,
scour the forests and cross the Lake to the Peninsula and little islands
near by to find the Catholics. Then I had to look out f6r a location for
the church. TAVO rich property OAvners of Sandusky City, neither of
whom is Catholic, Avere anxious to donate ground for that purpose. Mr.
toilette offered us a magnificent Jot in the, eastern part of the town, and
Mr. Mills Avould give us three lots in the Avestern part of the-tOAvn and
$100 in cash. I Avaited for Bishop Purcell to come before deciding the >
question, and Mr. Mills greAv so apprehensive that Ave Avould accept the
proposition of Mr. Follette, that he offered the Bishop five lots, Avith $530
and all the stone and timber necessary for the building. You may
imagine that Bishop Purcell did not hesitate long in his choice.
"Immediately after the Bishop's departure our people began to AA'ork.
Some of them set to hauling stone, others to cutting and preparing the