USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 53
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First Presbyterian Church of Sun Jose .- Early in the Spring of the year 1849, there arrived in San José the Rev. John W. Douglass, who was imme- diately appointed to the position of Town Chaplain; and from that date an interest in ecclesiastical matters may be said to have taken hold upon the people who were then gathered together in the pueblo. On the evening of Saturday, October 6, 1849, there assembled at the residence of James Math-
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THY FULL. L.WARY
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ers, besides the Rev. Mr. Douglass, James Mathers and his wife Sarah, Warren Dutton, S. W. Hopkins, Oliver Crane, Austin Arnold, and Dr. James C. Cobb, who after engaging in prayer, followed by conversation, formed the resolution to organize a church on the morrow, after the Presby- terian form. To this end the following memorial was prepared by Mr. Math- ers and presented to the above-named clergyman :-
" To Rev. John W. Douglass-
" Dear Sir: The undersigned, impressed with the belief that the organ- ization of a Christian church in this place would tend to promote a greater unity of action in the cause of Christianity, would respectfully invite you to meet the undersigned and others of like religious sentiments, at such time and place as you may please to designate, for the purpose of organizing a Presbyterian Church agreeably to the usages of said church.
"JAMES MATHERS, SARAH MATHERS,
" WARREN DUTTON, AUSTIN ARNOLD.
" S. W. HOPKINS, OLIVER CRANE.
"Pueblo de San José, October 6th, 1849."
The following day being the Sabbath a sermon was preached by Mr. Douglass, the words of the text being: "Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the house- hold of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." [Ephesians 2: 19-21.] And on that afternoon, October 7, 1849, a church was organized under the name of the Independent Presbyterian Church of San Jose, while a Confession of Faith and a Covenant previously agreed upon were read, together with the names of those uniting, which are the same as those appended to the memorial quoted above. This organization was perfected in the Juzgado, or Judgment Hall of the Alcalde's court, where services were first held; however, after a short time the Hall of Legislature became the place of worship. On October 14th we find that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was first administered, and a subsequent communion was held in February, 1850, in " a blue tent which Rev. S. V. Blakesly built for a school-room, situated on Second street." Mr. Blakesly is now a resident of Oakland, Alameda county. In the month of July of this year, 1850, it was contemplated by Mr. Douglass to remove from San Jose, and, on August 20th, a society was organized to take charge of the secular interests of the church, the following resolution being then carried, and a copy directed to be handed to Rev. Isaac H. Brayton, who had become the locum tenens of Mr. Douglass: " Resolved, That in the event of Rev. J. W. Douglass leaving us for another field of labor, now in contemplation, we desire the Rev. Isaac
30
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H. Brayton to become our stated preacher, and that we do hereby extend our invitation to him to labor among us in that capacity." Meantime, Mr. Brayton was duly inducted into the duties of the church and first admin- istered the sacrament, October 6, 1850, in the State House, on the first anniversary of the church's organization. He was on the occasion aided by Rev. Mr. Brier, while the preparatory lecture had been preached in the after- noon of the preceding Friday, October 4th. Up to this time, as has been shown, the State House had been used, in conjunction with the Baptists, as a place of worship. In the course of a few months, precisely how many we are unfortunately unable to specify, a neat building of wood had been con- structed, capable of seating about one hundred and eighty people, on a fifty- vara lot, purchased for the purpose at a cost of five hundred dollars, situated on the east side of Second street, between Santa Clara and St. James streets. This edifice, the first Presbyterian church built in San José, constructed at an expense of about three thousand dollars, was duly dedicated February 9, 1851, by Rev S. H. Willey, just sixteen months after the little coterie of six earnest Christians had appealed to the only clergyman this now prosper- ous city could then boast; from these small beginnings, have such noble works sprung. With the influx of residents members were added to the church, the congregation became larger, and its affairs required more methodic care. Therefore, April 13, 1851, James Mathers, Sherman Day, and Thomas Douglas were elected Elders, while the pastor, Mr. Brayton, was requested to keep the records. Prior to the period of which we now write it had been in contemplation to alter the designation of the church to that which it now bears, but at the meeting of 13th April, where the question of the form of government was mooted, it was unanimously decided to leave it unchanged, their position being that of an Independent Presbyterian Church; while, the subject of connection with any ecclesiastical body of the State remained for decision whenever such union might be deemed desirable by any member of the church. In the latter part of 1851, owing to his associ- ation with the religious periodical, The Pacific, published in San Fran- cisco, Mr. Brayton was compelled to absent himself from his charge for indefinite periods, therefore judging it expedient to enter upon this new field of labor entirely, he tendered his resignation, which took place about January 5, 1852. On the 13th of that month there arrived in San Fran- cisco under appointment of the American Seamen's Friend Society the Rev. Eli Corwin, the appointee to the Chaplaincy of that port, but finding on reaching his destination that the position had been filled while he was jour- neying around Cape Horn, he acceded to the solicitation of the Presbyterian Church at San José to become their stated supply until he could obtain a release from the Society which had sent him to California, or could learn their will as to his future employment. Mr. Corwin first visited San José
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and preached February 22, 1852, and about March Ist made an agreement to supply the church for six months, but not arriving until the last Sabbath in March, the 28th, Mr. Brayton in the interval occupied the pulpit and preached his farewell sermon on the 21st. Meanwhile the Seamen's Friend Society had released Mr. Corwin from any bond which he thought might bind him to them, therefore the request for his labor as stated supply and the subscription for his support were renewed for another half-year com- mencing September 1, 1852. On March 6, 1853, one year after his engage- ment as stated supply of the church Mr. Corwin preached an anniversary sermon at the conclusion of which he informed the congregation of the receipt by him of an urgent solicitation from the American Seamen's Friend Society to become their Chaplain at Callao, Peru, which he would regard as his duty to accept if it should not appear that the wants of the then field of his labors were of paramount importance. On learning of this proceeding a meeting of the church and congregation was convened on that same after- noon when it was unanimously resolved, "That the members and congrega- tion of the church entertain the highest appreciation of the services of the Rev. Eli Corwin and desire by all means to secure his services as permanent pastor of the church." The care of communicating the resolution to Mr. Corwin, with the request that he signify his willingness to accept the pas- torate of the church was committed to Messrs. Ryland and Smith, and action being at once taken, the preliminary arrangements were duly ratified and on Wednesday evening April 20, 1853, the call having been perfected by the church, approved by the Presbytery, and accepted by Mr. Corwin, he was installed as pastor, the inaugural services being conducted by Revs. F. Buel, I. H. Brayton, T. D. Hunt and S. H. Willey. On April 3d of this year, James Mathers, Sherman Day and Thomas Douglas were unanimously re-elected Elders, while on May Ist, Mr. Corwin preached his initial serinon as permanent pastor, taking his theme from Ezekiel 13:12, "Lo, when the wall is fallen shall it not be said unto you where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?" On August 19th, Mr. Corwin was the victim of a most serious accident by being thrown from his carriage, indeed so severely injured was he that it became necessary to amputate his right leg below the knee, while, during his illness the pulpit was regularly supplied by various clergymen who considerately had volunteered their services, but it was not until the 30th October that Mr. Corwin was enabled to resume his duties. Nothing of particular moment in the history of the church would appear to have taken place during the remainder of 1854 and the early months of 1855, save that on April 1st of that year Elijah S. Ruggles, Sherman Day and Dr. J. C. Cobb were elected Elders; indeed, the same remark applies to the year 1856, when April 16th Sherman Day, Thomas Douglas and James M. Cutler were preferred to the position of Elders. On November 5th of
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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
this year Mr. Corwin, with the approbation of the officers of the church and society, left San Jose on a visit to the Eastern States for a period of twelve months, during which time worship was conducted by Rev. Messrs. Freer, Daniels, Dr. Scott, Buell and Hunt, each on one Sabbath, and Dr. Bushnell on two Sabbaths, after which there were no regular services, until March 1, 1857, when Rev. I. H. Brayton was engaged to minister to the devotional wants of the congregation, up till such time as Mr. Corwin should return, but only officiating for a few Sabbaths he was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Pier- pont. On April 5th, at the annual election for Elders, Messrs. Day, Cutler and Douglas were again chosen to fill these responsible offices. At the end of eleven months Mr. Corwin returned to his care of the church and preached on the morning of October 10th an appropriate sermon from 2 Cor. 2:21, "But I determined this with myself that I would not come again to you in heaviness."
From the middle of November, 1857, to January 3, 1858, no services were held on account of the church undergoing repairs. It may be remembered that at a meeting held April 13, 1851, the advisability of changing the name of the church had been discussed and laid over for some future time. It would appear that the question was again raised in 1858, as the following excerpt from the church records will indicate: " At a meeting of the church held at the house of worship on this third day of June, 1858, and duly con- stituted with prayer by the pastor, it was unanimously resolved, that whereas, that certain informalities have been observed in the making and recording of a certificate of incorporation of the Ecclesiastical Society connected with this church, rendering it desirable to re-organize the said society and file a new certificate of incorporation, therefore it is resolved at this time to change the name of this church from that of the Independent Church of San Jose to The First Presbyterian Church of San Jose, by which style and title it shall hereafter be known." This resolution, however, did not take effect, except in the name of the church, until some years later, [March 19, 1865.] In the month of October (there are no means of arriving at the correct date on account of a discontinuity in the records), Mr. Corwin would appear to have severed his connection with the church, for we find that after a vacancy of seven months, the Rev. L. Hamilton in due form entered upon his labors as pastor, May 1, 1859, but he was not regularly installed into the spiritual charge and oversight of the church and congregation until August 5, 1860, when the sermon was preached by Rev. E. S. Lacy, of the First Congrega- tional Church, San Francisco; Charge to the Pastor by Rev. A. W. White of Gilroy, and the Charge to the Church by Rev. W. W. Brier of Alvarado. Mr. Hamilton's incumbency continued until the end of 1864.
On January 5, 1865, it was decided to extend a call to the Rev. William Wisner Martin, of San Francisco, which was accepted by that gentleman
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January 10th. We may here notice that the Elders who signed the call to Mr. Martin were Thomas Douglas and James M. Cutler, while appended to the document are also the names of five trustees, viz .: J. C. Potter, James C. Cobb, A. J. Houghton, Levi H. Hare, and M. Leavenworth. Mr. Martin was duly installed and entered upon his duties with much fervor. At a meeting over which he presided held March 19, 1865, the rule in respect to the election of Elders, passed April 13, 1851, was repealed and the following order substi- tuted : " Resolved, That we now proceed to elect by ballot two Elders to serve for four years, and two others to serve for two years; and that from this time onward the number of Elders in this church shall be four, two to be chosen at the expiration of every two years, and the term of office for each to be for four years; and if at any time this biennial election should be omit- ted, those previously chosen, whose term of office was then to expire, shall be considered as having been re-elected and shall continue to discharge the duties of the position in the same manner as if chosen in full form." Upon the adoption of the foregoing, Thomas Douglas and James M. Cutler were chosen for the period of four, and Levi H. Hare and F. A. Bancroft for two years. These proceedings ended the pastor addressed the meeting at considerable length, upon the position of the church as an independent organization, and earnestly requested them to unite with the Presbytery of San Jose, and thus connect theirs with the General Assembly of the New School Presbyterian Church. In the course of his remarks Mr. Martin read a letter from Rev. L. Hamilton, his predecessor, strongly urging the same measure. The fol- lowing resolution was then offered by Mr. James Cutler: "Resolved, That we connect ourselves with the New School Presbyterian Church through the Presbytery of San José, and that our pastor be appointed a committee of one to present our wishes to the Presbytery in proper form." A discussion, indicating on the part of some to have the matter postponed, then ensued, when the resolution was put to the assembly and carried by a vote of forty in favor to five in opposition. Thus it was not until March 19, 1865, that the present name of the church was assumed. In this month the Rev. Mr. Martin was taken ill, so much so that he was obliged to leave his church and congregation for the purpose of obtaining the best medical advice possible, while such was the esteem in which he was held that he was accompanied in his journey to San Francisco by several of his parishioners. During his illness and absence the pulpit was supplied by different clergymen, among them being Rev. J. H. McMonagle, Hospital Chaplain, U. S. A., who, April 16, 1865, the first Sabbath after the assassination of President Lincoln, preached a memorial sermon admirably adapted to the occasion though with but a very few hours for preparation; while among others who officiated were the Rev. W. M. Martin, the father of the incumbent, and the Rev. Messrs. Tay- lor, Bannister, Tuthill and Webber. We cannot do better in this place than
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quote the sympathetic lines of Thomas Douglas, the Clerk, as recorded on New Year's day, 1866. He says: "The history of our church during the past year is one of mingled joy and sorrow. At its commencement the Rev. William Wisner Martin, a graduate of Yale College and of the Union Theological Seminary of New York, a young clergyman of great promise, had just entered upon his pastorate amongst us with the highest prospects of usefulness. He had been invited to labor amongst us with great cordiality and unanimity. From the very first his preaching seemed to be attended with the special influences of the Spirit. A deep religious interest was soon manifest in the congregation, especially among the children and youth connected with the Sabbath-school. The regular church prayer-meet- ings soon became full and interesting, and other meetings were appointed which were equally well attended."
Mr. Martin never returned to his parish, but was succeeded by Rev. James S. Wylie as stated supply. On June 10, 1866, on the congregation learning that he had calls from the Presbyterian Church in Napa and that in Port- land, Oregon, a meeting was held, when it was proposed by Josiah Belden, that a request be extended to Mr. Wylie to become the permanent pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose. On the following day a call was addressed to Mr. Wylie by Elders Thomas Douglas, James M. Cutler, and Levi H. Hare, and Trustees James C. Cobb, China Smith, A. J. Hough- ton, Levi H. Hare, and Mark Leavenworth, and by him accepted, under date July 20, 1866, but ere commencing his duties he received six weeks' leave of absence, during which the pulpit was occupied by the Reverend Messrs. George Pierson; McLaren, Chaplain of the United States steamer Lancaster; S. T. Wells; and Professor Tuthill, of Santa Clara; Mr. Wylie resuming his labors, meanwhile, and preaching July 22, 1866. The only other item of importance to note, as having occurred in the year 1866, was an invitation to the Rev. A. B. Earl, the Evangelist, to give the city of San Jose the benefit of his labors; such a request was not matured, however, without several conversations between the pastor and members of the church, as well as with those of other churches, and the proposition being accepted, he commenced preaching January 23, 1867, the meetings being held, principally, in the edifices of the Methodist, North; Presbyterian; Baptist; and Methodist, South ; the members of the church, now under notice, joining in all the numerous and varied services, with much unanimity and cordiality. These meetings, it is said, were crowded during the two weeks of Mr. Earl's sojourn, not alone by church members, but by numerous citizens unconnected with any denomination, while the impression made was solenm and lasting. As a result, about two hundred subsequently united with the different churches. Owing to the departure of F. A. Bancroft from San José, an election for one Elder to fill the vacancy, was held, April 13, 1867, when also it was recom-
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mended that Deacons should be elected to attend to the wants of the poor of the church. In accordance with these, the following rule amendatory to that passed March 19, 1865, was adopted: "The officers of this church shall hereafter consist of four Elders and four Deacons, two of each class to be chosen at the expiration of every two years, and the term of office for each person so chosen to be for four years, and if at any time this biennial election be omitted, those, whose term of office was then to expire, shall be considered as having been re-elected, and shall continue to discharge the duties of their position in the same manner as if re-chosen in full form. Said biennial election hereafter to take place on the first Sabbath in April, and the term of those now in office, and of those now to be chosen, shall expire on that day instead of on the 19th of March, as formerly." A ballot was then taken which resulted as follows: Edward Percy Reed, Elder for four years; John B. Price and Elbert Joseph Wilcox, Deacons for four years; Isaac Bird and A. J. Houghton, Deacons for two years.
May 23, 1867, consequent upon the intention of Mr. Wylie, expressed at a meeting held April 1st, of that year, to withdraw from the Old School Pres- bytery and unite with the New School, the reverend gentleman was installed by the Presbytery of San José as pastor, the following clergymen taking part in the inductional services: Reverends Charles Wadsworth, D. D., of San Francisco; J. M. Alexander, of San Leandro; W. W. Brier; G. Pierson, of Brooklyn, and L. Hamilton. On October 10, 1868, Mr. Wylie started over- land to the Eastern States, on leave of absence, for the benefit of his health; while, on the 21st, the following note is recorded: "This morning about eight o'clock, occurred the severest earthquake that has been known in Cali- fornia, since its occupation and possession by citizens of the United States. Our church edifice was greatly damaged. The brick tower in front, upon which rested the tall spire, was badly cracked and shattered, the small orna- mental turrets standing upon the corners, excepting one, were all thrown down; one of them passing through the roof, swept along with it the frame-work of the ceiling, with the lath and plastering over the orchestra, filling it with rubbish and broken timbers, breaking with its weight, and almost covering up the melodeon with a mass of ruins; at the same time communicating such a shock to the entire ceiling of the audience room, as to throw down a large portion of the plastering and of the thicker and heavier cornice work, there- by damaging the seats, cushions and carpet, thus rendering the whole build- ing unsafe and unfit for purposes of worship, without thorough, extensive, and expensive repairs." After this catastrophe, prayer-meetings were held in the hall of the Young Men's Christian Association.
In reference to the leave of absence granted to Rev. Mr. Wylie, that gen- tleman returned to California at the end of four months with his health unimproved. He therefore proceeded directly to Napa, and from there under
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date March 15, 1869, tendered his resignation to the Elders and Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of San José, which was duly accepted in meeting assembled, March 25th. We have said above that after the earth- quake the usual prayer-meetings were held in the Young Men's Christian Association's building; it should also be mentioned that no separate denom- inational services were held, but the congregation, according to prefer- ence, worshipped with the other religious bodies in the city, but on April 4th the repairs to the building being then in the course of completion, Var- ney's Hall was secured and the assistance of Rev. P. V. Veeder of the City College, San Francisco, engaged. At the regular biennial meeting held on this day the following elections took place: James M. Cutler and Thomas Douglas to be Elders for four years, (re-elected); and Isaac Bird and China Smith, the latter of whom was chosen in the place of A. J. Houghton, who was so ill that it was thought he would be unable to live, to be Deacons for a like term. Let us for a moment take a retrospective glance at the affairs of the church. It will be unforgotten that the Rev. James S. Wylie tendered his resignation after a journey to the Eastern States, March 15th-such retire- ment to take effect from the first of that month-which was accepted on the 25th. On the 8th of April the Presbytery of San Jose approved the same and appointed Rev. F. L. Nash to officially declare the church vacant, a duty which was performed by him at a meeting held April 18th, in the school- room over Armory Hall. The Elders and Trustees then commenced the labor of procuring a fit successor; prominent clergymen in San Francisco and elsewhere recommended various ministers, conspicuous amongst them being Rev. Dr. Cunningham of Philadelphia. Meantime the necessary repairs to the church caused by the earthquake, were completed at a cost of about five thousand dollars, and the Rev. Eli Corwin, one of the earlier pas- tors, engaged to preach the re-dedicatory sermon on Sabbath, May 16, 1869. An attempt was made at this time to obtain the services of Rev. J. P. Moore, who had occupied the pulpit on several occasions, for six months, on a regu- lar salary, but owing to pre-engagements in San Francisco he was unable to fulfill their desires, thus the church was without a regular pastor until the engagement of Rev. James A. Skinner as stated supply for two months, pending the fruition of their labors. All hopes of obtaining Dr. Cunning- ham as pastor were for the while abandoned, and September 2, 1869, it was voted to call the Rev. Jesse W. Hough, of Jackson, Michigan; this, however, was declined by telegram. While the pulpit was without a permanent min- ister, vacant by the resignation of Rev. James S. Wylie, intelligence was received of the untimely death of that gentleman at Napa, October 28, 1869. At a meeting of the Session held October 31st, the Rev. James A. Skinner, acting as moderator, was requested to prepare resolutions expressive of their feelings in view of the death of their late pastor, these being adopted
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