First Baptist Church & Fort Howard Memorial Park

~ Researched & written by Barbara Hook

First Baptist Church began in 1851, and called the Rev. Thomas Symonds from Reading, Massachusetts to be their first pastor. On April 3, 1851, Rev. Symonds was married, and on May 6th he and his new wife started on their trip to Wisconsin.  They arrived in Green Bay on Sunday, May 25, 1851.

Church services began in June, and were held in a school room on the northeast corner of Adams and Doty Street. Three months later the church was organized with 7 charter members.  During the first year 20 members were added to the church. The services were well attended, and the future looked promising.

Tragedy occurred when, after a brief illness, Rev. Symonds died on July 5, 1852 at age 31;  just 10 months after becoming the pastor.

He was buried in Baird Place Cemetery located between Mason, Clay, Cass and Webster Streets.  His coffin was made of cast iron (thought to preserve the body).  It was very expensive and typically used for important individuals.  These coffins were manufactured near Boston in 1850 and used until the end of the Civil War.  Unusual features included a glass face piece and a brass name plate.

In 1860 the majority of coffins were moved to Woodlawn Cemetery in Allouez, and the Baird Place Cemetery became Baird Place Park.

On July 13, 1875, Joel Fisk and Joseph Tayler, Trustees of the First Baptist Church, purchased 20 plots in 'section G' in Fort Howard Cemetery.  These plots were never used and in 1938 Mr. George Dickenson of 1st Baptist church) bought 10 of the plots.

When Mason Street was widened, between Webster Ave and Clay St, in preparation for the new Don A. Tilleman bridge (around 1971), Rev. Symonds' coffin was excavated and moved to Fort howard Cemetery in one of the plots owned by First Baptist.  Because the coffin was so unusual the Green Bay Historical Society took photographs of it - a colored photo of the coffin, taken during the excavation, in in our historical collection.

The 1875 Deed of purchase for the remaining cemetery plots was filed in a bank vault owned by the church and was discovered just a few weeks ago!  There are 6 plots remaining in 'section G' (a "desirable location" according to the cemetery's office manager) and are currently available for purchase.  For more information about purchasing a plot (or plots) contact Derek Mills (dmills4208@aol.com), Mitch Hein (mjhein@msn.com) or Corey Hook, Trustees.

Historic note:  Former members and their families who are also buried in section G:  Thomas Bailey (a deacon for 40 years and clerk for 35), his son, Henry Bailey (deacon 32 years), Joseph Tayler (deacon 37 years), his son, JH Tayler (deacon 23 years) and Joel Fisk, who was generous in helping financially.