St. James: History: Thru the Years

The United Church of Canada was formed in 1925 when Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists joined in an Act of Union. By then roots of our congregation went back almost 100 years...

The nomadic tribes of natives that were Norfolk County's first residents left no written record. Norfolk's first permanent residents began clearing the Long Point Settlement's Carolinian forests and building log cabins here in the 1790s.There were no permanment churches; only nomadic clergy for several years. Upper Canada officially recognized only the Church of England, and only Anglican clergy were authorized to baptize and marry citizens.

Jabez Culver founded a Presbyterian church at the north end of  present day Simcoe before the town existed. Anglicans built the forerunner of St. John's Woodhouse four miles south of Culver. In 1805 Woodhouse Methodist Church was established two miles south of St. John's. About 1819 Windham Methodist Church was built at the now historic site of Old Windham Pioneer Cemetery. With two Methodist churches established only six miles apart, and only scattered villages, variously named Culver's Mills, Birdtown and Thersaville inbetween, there was no great push for another Methodist church..

The village of Simcoe formally began in 1829 when the post office was established. As the village continued to grow, so did the desire for a more local Methodist church.