from Elyria into the untamed woods along an old surveyor's cut looking for a site for their colony. Stopping to pray under an elm tree, they were moved to select this spot. This was the "Historic Elm", located on Oberlin's Tappan Square, that lived until 1965. In October, Shipherd left his family and Steward in Elyria and traveled throughout the East for about eight months, securing a donation of the land for Oberlin, raising money, and recruiting teachers and students. In September 1833, Shipherd, with his wife and four sons, joined the other colonists and moved into the basement of the first college building, rustic Oberlin Hall. They shared their basement apartment with another family. The first Oberlin classes began in December 1833. Shipherd led the first church services in Oberlin Hall. From the beginning, Shipherd planned for the college to educate both women and men. Oberlin was the first co-educational college in the United States. Both Shipherd and Stewart served as Trustees, after Oberlin was incorporated by Ohio in March 1834. Church services were an integral part of the Oberlin colony. Led by Shipherd, the Congregational Church of Christ at Oberlin, was organized in September 1834. The church immediately applied to become part of the Cleveland Presbytery. Shipherd was unanimously called to serve as the first pastor, which he did until June 1836, when he resigned due to ill health and his desire to establish other schools. Oberlin faculty Financial difficulties plagued the colony and collegiate institute into 1835 when the Lane Rebels left Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio and came to Oberlin to form a solid core of students and teachers. These included both Asa Mahan, first president of Oberlin (Finney had been asked first, which Theodore Weld recommended to Arthur Tappan, but declined); and John Morgan, professor and fervent abolitionist. The expansion of the faculty at Oberlin was initiated by Shipherd's solicitation of additional financial support from Arthur and Lewis Tappan. One prerequisite of the Tappan brothers was that Oberlin also accept students "without regard for race". After Shipherd's forceful persuasion, the Oberlin trustees adopted this policy. The support of the Tappan brothers brought the evangelist Charles Grandison Finney to head the Oberlin Theological Department. The charismatic Finney became the religious leader of the community, centered on First Church. This church, modeled on the Tabernacle in New York City, was the largest auditorium west of the Appalachians