As before stated, the meetings were at first held in a private house, but as the congregations increased, a public building was rented near the foot of Main Street. After the school house was built, the meetings were removed to it, and it was at this latter place the writer attended a service during his first Sabbath in the State. Soon after the first Church was built, to which we shall have occasion to refer hereafter. Racine District was created in 1847, and Rev. Chauncey Hobart was appointed the first Presiding Elder. Dr. Hobart entered the Illinois Conference in 1836, the Conference then including Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. His appointments before coming to the District had been: Rockingham, Iowa, Monmouth, Macomb, Quincy, Rushville, Peoria, Jacksonville, Springfield, and Clark Street, Chicago. After leaving the District, in 1849, he was appointed Presiding Elder of Minnesota District. At the end of his term he was stationed at Spring Street, Milwaukee, and next served one year as Presiding Elder on the Milwaukee District, when, on account of the infirm health of his wife, he returned to Minnesota. Since his return, he has continued to labor on both stations and districts with great acceptability up to the present time. Dr. Hobart is a man of superior abilities, and his labors have been in special demand. He has been elected five times to the General Conference, and has been seven times appointed to Districts. As a Preacher he is always acceptable, but at times he delivers extraordinary sermons. It requires a great occasion to take the full measure of the man. At such times he has been known to move audiences with overwhelming power. Especially was this the case under the sermon he delivered at a Camp-Meeting held two miles west of Big Foot Prairie, in 1849. On this occasion the tide of feeling rose to such a height that great numbers of the congregation unconsciously left their seats and stood entranced, while the saints shouted for joy, and sinners cried out in the anguish of their souls for mercy. Having thus spoken of the Presiding Elder of the Racine District, it is fitting that we should now glance briefly at a few of the early charges. Kenosha, as we have seen, was included in the Racine Mission in 1837, and shared the labors of Brother Curtis. The first class was formed during this term probably by either the Pastor or Rev. John Clark, the Presiding Elder, and consisted of Rev. Reuben H. Deming, Austin Kellogg, Hon. and Mrs. Charles Durkee, Mrs. Harvey Durkee, John W. Dana Martha E. Dana, and Susan Dana. The Presiding Elder, Rev. Salmon Stebbins, held a Quarterly Meeting in Kenosha, then called Southport, November 24th, 1837. The meeting was held in a small log school house standing near the present site of the Simmons Block.