History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description, Part 55

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen, & Co.
Number of Pages: 894

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 55

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Mr. Egbert returned from his journey, which had included a tour in Europe, September 25, 1879, with restored health and to the great joy of his congregation. During his absence the pulpit had been occupied, from March 9th to September 21st, by the Reverend Messrs. John M. Allis, San Francisco; A. S. Fiske, San Francisco; H. H. Rice, Sacramento; C. I. Haley, Newark, New Jersey; S. Woodbridge, D. D., San Francisco; J. M. Newell, Santa Clara; A. W. Loomis, D. D., San Francisco; J. S. MeDonald, San Rafael; R. Wylie, Napa; L. Y. Hayes, Berkeley; C. C. Stratton, D. D., Pacitic University ; C. E. Babb, D. D., San José township; R. Mckenzie, Stockton; and Dunn and Todd, of the Methodist Conference. May 10, 1880, Mr. Egbert left to attend the General Assembly at Madison, Wisconsin, and returned July 30th, when he and his recently espoused wife, received a numerous and joyful welcome from the congregation. October 3, 1880, the present Elders and Deacons were ordained and installed. Elders-Frederick Field, Henry H. Reynolds, term of service to expire first Sabbath in April, 1881; Amos S. Evans, Thomas Douglas, term of service to expire first Sab- bath in April, 1883; China Smith, C. W. Breyfogle, term of service to expire first Sabbath in April, 1885; Delos G. Kent, James McG. Patterson, term of service to expire first Sabbath in April, 1887. Deacons-Elbert J. Wilcox, Wesley E. Hughes; George W. Mclellan, Edwin Mears; John Johnston, C. S. Crydenwise; David A. S. Eyster, Ezra B. Lewis, whose terms of service are in respective accordance with those of the Elders mentioned above. The Sabbath-school in connection with this church is well attended. We cannot close this lengthy notice without expressing a deep debt of gratitude to the pastor and Session for having placed their Records at our disposal whereby we have been enabled to give a history, complete in its salient points, of this the first Protestant Church organized in the city of San Jose.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- This church is situated on the west side of Second street, near the corner of Santa Clara Street. The organization of the society was effected in the Fall of 1849, at the residence of Mrs. S. Young, by the Rev. William Taylor, with the following members: William Campbell, Mark Williams and wife, Asa Finley and wife, John Jones and wife, Mrs. Nancy Young, and a French gentleman and his wife, whose names are for- gotten. Very soon after, a building on Third street, opposite Moody's mills, was purchased by them and dedicated to the worship of God by Rev. Isaac Owens, early in the year 1850. July, 1853, it was moved to the corner of Second and Santa Clara streets, enlarged, and in possession of a Sabbath-

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

school which already numbered forty-five pupils. The Rev. E. Bannister, Principal of the first incorporated San Jose Academy, was also the first Super- intendent of the Sabbath-school, and after a term of two years was succeeded by a no less successful educator than Freeman Gates. Notwithstanding the growth of the city had been retarded by its ceasing to be the capital of the State, this church widened its borders, and having purchased the lot upon which the present edifice now stands, erected upon it in 1868 a frame build- ing capable of holding six hundred persons. Then, as now, the anti-Chinese feeling passed through every grade of opposition and rancor. The Meth- odists, with a courage and love for souls worthy the Master who inspired them, had already shown their interest in the Chinese of San Jose, by trying to establish a mission among them. On the 22d of February, 1868, this church was theirs with not a dollar of debt against it; but ere the following morning the torch of a supposed anti-Chinese incendiary had been applied to it, and nothing of the material possessions so highly prized was left save the key which was in the possession of the sexton. The loss was eighteen thousand dollars.

Undaunted, however, the congregation proceeded to build another edifice on the site of the one destroyed, meanwhile, holding services in Murphy's Hall, on Market street, and in the Presbyterian church. Their present church, completed and furnished, at a cost of twenty-one thousand dollars, was dedicated on the 18th of July, 1869, Bishop Kingsley preaching the ser- mon. Since then its growth has been steady and rapid. The Sabbath-school numbers four hundred and fifty scholars, with Henry French as present Superintendent. There have been seventeen pastors appointed to the charge since its organization as follows: Reverends Charles McClay, William J. McClay (twice), - Brier, Robert R. Dunlap, William Hulbert, John Daniels, - Phillips, P. Y. Cool, Thomas Dunn (twice), P. G. Buchanan, Isaac Owens, D. A. Dryden, John R. Tanzy, E. S. Todd, C. C. Stratton, R. L. Horford, Frank F. Jewel.

Methodist Episcopal Church, South, San Jose .- In the latter part of April, 1850, Joseph Baring, D. D., Superintendent of the Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in California, came to San Jose, and preached there for two months, but he did not, at this time, organize a society, having no man at his command with whom to supply it as a pastor. One year later, in April, 1851, Rev. A. L. Wynne was appointed to the San José Mission, and on the twenty-fifth day of May, 1851, he organized a society of nine members. Their names are as follows: Charles Campbell, Nancy Camp- bell, Margaret Campbell, Elizabeth Ray, Alexander Hatler, Nancy Hatler, Marcus Williams, Susan Williams, and J. W. Powell. Such was the origin of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in San Jose. In April, 1852, the Mission in California was organized into an Annual Confer-

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ence, called the Pacific Annual Conference, and the Rev. Mr. Wynne was re-appointed to the San Jose charge. During this ecclesiastical year, the church erected its first building, which was a brick structure, situated on the corner of Second and San Fernando streets. This old brick building, as it is now called, when spoken of, was used by the church as a place of worship until the Fall of 1874, when it was removed to give place to the present wood structure, now used by the church as a house of worship, which now stands upon the same ground that was occupied by the old brick. The present frame building was erected during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Hopkins, whose pas- toral term embraced a period of three years. In April, 1853, the first Annual Conference, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was held in San Jose, in the old brick church, and Mr. Wynne was again appointed to the San José charge. Mr. Wynne was succeeded, as the pastor of this church, in 1854, by the Rev. Mr. Grayham. In 1855, Rev. B. F. Johnson was the pastor. In 1856 and '57, Rev. O. P. Fitzgerald, D. D., was the pastor. He was succeeded in the pastorate by the Rev. J. C. Simmons, who served the church, in that capacity, for two years. Rev. Mr. Rubel was the successor of Mr. Simmons, and served the church, as pastor, in 1860. Rev. Morris Evans was pastor in 1861, and Rev. Joseph Emory in 1862. Rev. O. P. Fitzgerald, D. D., was returned to this station in the Fall of 1862, and served the church, as pastor, . in 1863 and '64. Rev. George Sim was the pastor in 1865 to '67. Rev. W. F. Compton was pastor in 1868 and '69, and Rev. A. M. Bailey, in 1870. In the Fall of 1870, Rev. George Sim was again appointed to this charge as pastor, and served the church for two years. Rev. J. C. Simmons was again the pastor in 1873. Rev. Mr. Hopkins came to the charge as pastor in the Fall of 1873, and remained until the Fall of 1876. We have already said that the present church edifice was built under the supervision of Mr. Hopkins, as the pastor. Mr. Hopkins was succeeded, in the pastorate, by the Rev. E. K. Miller, who remained two years; and Mr. Miller was succeeded by the pres- ent pastor, Rev. H. B. Avery, who, at this writing (October 15, 1880), is closing his second year.

The membership of this church has never been unmercifully large at any one time, yet from the time of its organization to the present she has gath- ered within her fold more than a thousand members. These members have been morally educated by her institutions and ordinances, her solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise, and the gospel that has sounded out from her pulpit from Sabbath to Sabbath for all of these twenty-eight years of her organic existence. Many of her members have died in the faith, and have gone to join "the church of the first-born," and many more have moved off, and have become useful and honored members of the church elsewhere. Her present membership is one hundred and fifty-five. United effort upon the part of this present membership will enable them to be a moral power

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

for good in the Garden City as this church has been ever since its organiza- tion. The following Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, have visited San José, and preached to the church here, on their episcopal tours. Soul and MeTyeire of Tennessee, Andrew of Alabama, Kavanaugh of Ken- tucky, Pierce of Georgia, Wightman of South Carolina, Doggett of Virginia, Marvin of Missouri and Keener of Louisiana. It is a coincidence that may be a matter of pleasure to some of the members of this church that the original membership of this society was nine, and since that time exactly that num- ber of her Bishops have visited them, and dispensed unto them the word of life.

This church has had a Sunday-school in active operation nearly all the time since it had an existence, but its records do not show who was its first Superintendent, and who had been his successors in office. We regret that we cannot give the names of the original members of the school, and also of its officers from the time of its origin to the present, but the records are so meager that we can only glean the fact stated above, which shows that the church has never been wholly neglectful of the Sunday-school interest. The present statistical state of the school is as follows: Eleven officers and teach- ers, eighty scholars, one hundred volumes in the library, eleven magazines taken, forty lesson quarterlies, forty Sunday-school Visitors and forty Little People: The Visitor and Little People are papers published at the South- ern Methodist Publishing House, at Nashville, Tennessee, for the children of the church. John Selby is the present Superintendent; W. L. Courtney Sec- retary ; Henry Langhorne Librarian; and Miss Mattie Trimble Treasurer. Rev. H. B. Avery, Rev. J. M. Lovell, Mrs. Knox, Mrs. Curtis, Mrs. Stone, Miss Susie Crenshaw, Miss Norma Freschlage and Miss Lucy Woodson are teachers in the school. The school ought to be much larger than it is and if the members of the church would only interest themselves in it they could soon double its present membership.

Trinity Church (Episcopal) San José .- Rev. S.S. Etheridge began the regu- lar services of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in San Jose in November, 1860, occupying the old City Hall. Previous to this time, Bishop Kip had held service occasionally in San José, when the use of the Presbyterian church was courteously given him. The first organization of the parish of Trinity church was made in February, 1861. Trinity church was built in 1863, being completed in November of that year. The Rev. S. S. Etheridge con- tinued in charge of the parish until his death in February, 1864. After his death the Rev. T. A. Hyland officiated for some months. The Rev. D. D. Chapin was then called to the rectorship, and remained in charge until Jan- uary, 1866. During this period, the mortgage upon the church lot was removed, and improvements were made upon the church and grounds. In April, 1866, the Rev. E. S. Peake was called to the charge of this church

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and remained rector until December 1, 1870. On July 27, 1867, the whole debt of the church having been removed, or assumed by individuals in the vestry and congregation, the building was consecrated to the worship of God by Bishop Kip. In January, 1871, the Rev. Geo. Win. Foote was called to the rectorship of the church, and at this present writing (October, 1880), he still remains rector. In 1872 the present rectory was built. In 1876, the church was enlarged to nearly double its former capacity, and much improved. During the past year four stained windows have been presented to the church, and the Sunday-school was presented a chime of five bells. The congregation of Trinity church now numbers about five hundred persons, of whom about two-hundred and fifty are communicants. There are about one hundred and fifty pupils in the Sunday-school.

The First United Presbyterian Church of San Jose .- The First United Presbyterian Church of San Jose, California, was organized November 6, 1874, twenty-eight members uniting at that time. Messrs. James Black, James Kirkpatrick, and J. M. Fleming were chosen Ruling Elders, and still fill that office. Rev. A. Calhoun, by appointment of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, commenced mission- ary work in San Jose in the Fall of 1874, and remained missionary in charge until the Spring of 1879, when he was chosen pastor of the congre- gation, and regularly installed by the United Presbyterian Presbytery of San Francisco. Mr. Calhoun is a native of Ohio, born and brought up in Ashland county, near Savannah; graduated at Franklin College, New Athens, Ohio, in the Fall of 1856, and afterward studied theology in the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. He was ten years pastor of the Eleventh United Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, and five years pastor of the Fifth United Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, before coming to San José. Sickness in his family was the cause of his coming to California. The congregation which he organ- ized in San Jose worshiped for about four years in a little hall over the San José Savings Bank. In the Fall of 1878 the congregation erected a church on the corner of Fifth and Santa Clara streets, the lot and church costing them over twelve thousand dollars. The location is good and the church a model of neatness and comfort. W. C. Hamilton, of San Jose, was the architect and builder. Over one hundred have united with this congrega- tion since its organization, thirty-five of whom were on profession of their faith in Christ. The present resident membership is sixty-five. The Sab- bath-school numbers over one hundred and fifty, and is doing good work.

The First Congregational Church of San José .- Services were first held in connection with this church, April 11, 1875, and a Sunday-school organized on the 18th of the same month. On May 3d an Ecclesiastical Society was

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

formed, while on June 2, 1875, the church was organized with the following original members: Mrs. Eliza Brownwell, Warren C. Hart, Mrs. Mary C. Hart, John H. Henn, Mrs. P. Bernice Henn, Mrs. William J. Landers, Mrs. Harriet Kelly, Elizabeth Kelly, Cora Kelly, Thomas Slaughter, Mrs. C. C. Slaughter, Ebenezer Snell, Mrs. Rachel Snell, Clara B. Snell, Arthur B. Snell, Mrs. Frances Snow, Mrs. E. S. Stilson, Hiram M. Heflin, Mrs. Lorinda M. Heflin, Cora L. Heflin, William J. Hinds, Mrs. Mary I. Hinds, Maria Palen, Maria J. Palen, Treadwell Soper, Mrs. Nancy H. Soper, Mrs. M. L.Stani- ford, Robert E. Wilbur, Mrs. Emma Wilbur, Mrs. M. Woolaver, S. E. Ladd, Jesse S. French, Roger W. Ball, Mrs. James A. Ellis, Theodorus B. Hascall, Mrs. Amy E. Hascall, Mrs. Caroline Ball, Clementina Wirth, Edward Snell. The first officers were: Acting Pastor, Rev. Theodore T. Munger; Deacons, E. Snell, H. B. Norton ; Clerk, Charles H. Bryant; Treasurer, T. B. Hascall; Superintendent of Sunday-school, Robert E. Wilbur; Librarian, Edward Snell; Examining Committee, Rev. Theodore T. Munger, E. Snell, H. B. Norton, Charles H. Bryant, Treadwell Soper, and S. E. Ladd. To co-ope- rate with the church, a society called the First Congregational Society of San José was incorporated as above (May 3, 1875), formed of those persons who are habitual attendants upon the services of the church, and who contribute to its support, which is still in existence, whose first officers were: R. W. Ball, Clerk; T. B. Hascall, Treasurer; Edward Snell, Auditor; and E. Snell, S. E. Ladd, Treadwell Soper, W. C. Hart, H. M. Heflin, Trustees. The mem- bership is now one hundred and five; the pastor is the Rev. M. Willett, and the church is situated on the south side of San Antonio, between Second and Third streets.

German Methodist Episcopal Church .- This church was founded in the year 1861, by Rev. A. Kellner, but the first regular pastor was Rev. G. H. Bollinger, whose wife composed the original membership of the church, and he not forming a society, the doing so would appear to have gone with him and his spouse at the expiration of his term of office. After the lapse of several years the Rev. Hermann Brueck arrived in 1868, and preached to the Ger- man residents in the old City Hall, when a small society was formed and a Sunday-school organized. This fellowship was composed of the following original members : F. Kuchenbeiser and wife, William Fruehling and wife, Adolf Kocher, August Grube and wife, Frederick Theaerkauf and wife, and Rosaline Reinhardt, the first office-bearers being, Messrs. Kocher, Fuerhling and Theaerkauf, Trustees; F. Kuchenbeiser, Superintendent of Sunday- school. Mr. Brueck's term of service lasted three years, when he was suc- ceeded by Rev. C. H. Afflerbach. During the first year of this gentleman's administration the present valuable church property on Third street, between Santa Clara and San Fernando, was acquired, a bold undertaking when the paucity of members is taken into account, but indomitable courage and

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unprecedented liberality on the part of the pastor and members, carried the enterprise to a successful termination. At the close of Mr. Afferbach's four- year term the society numbered about fifty on the roil, while there remained only a few hundred dollars indebtedness on the church property. The next minister was the Rev. G. H. Bollinger, who served a term of three years, and was succeeded by Rev. F. Bonn, the residentiary pastor. The present mem- bership of the church is eighty; the Sabbath-school, of which R. Kocher is Superintendent, numbers one hundred and fifty children, and twenty-two officers and teachers, while there is a gratification in being able to state that the church and parsonage are free from incumbrance. Improvements which add to the attractiveness of the audience room have been made at consid- erable expense, and no aid has been asked from the missionary society since 1877. The officers for the current term are: Messrs. Kocher, Kuchenbeiser, Tantau, Theaerkauf, and Fuerhling, Trustees, the first-named gentleman being Superintendent of the Sunday-school. The church is steadily growing and is now in a most prosperous condition.

The Society of Friends .- The first religious meeting of the Society of Friends, otherwise known as Quakers, was held in the sixth month (June), 1866, in the building at the corner of Ninth and St. John streets, it being formed by Jesse and David Hobson who were the original promoters of the organization in San José, and with some others donated the land on which to construct the meeting-house. In the year 1873, these meetings were reg- ularly organized under the authority and discipline of the Iowa Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, the first Clerks being Jesse and Susan Hobson, who were appointed February 13th of that year. James Canney, now a resident of this vicinity, was next chosen on March 13th, and served until August 8, 1878. Elvira J. Ward being joint clerk with him, an office she still holds. On Mr. Canney's resignation John Bell was appointed and still holds the office. The first Elder was Stephen Hobson; the present ones are James Canney, Elvira J. Ward and Margaret J. Gregory. The Overseers at present in office are John Bell, Jesse Bowersock, Amanda M. Taylor, and E. E. Morris, Mr. Bell being also Clerk of Monthly Meetings and Keeper of Records. Jane M. F. Canney and Adonijah Gregory have been and are the only regu- larly organized ministers. The society numbers sixty-five members: relig- ious meetings are held on the first and fifth days (Sunday and Thurs- day) of each week at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and first-day (Sabbath) school at 10 A. M., while the monthly meetings for the transaction of business and discipline of the church, convene on the second fifth day (Thursday) of each month.

College of Notre Dame .- Notre Dame, San Jose, justly holds its place among the flourishing educational establishments of our country, as histori-

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cally: " First in her ranks of pioneers of mind," the existence of the institution being almost coeval with that of the State itself, with the rapid growth of of which the college has kept steady pace during the past thirty years, and stands to-day a noble and enduring monument to the memory of its zealous foundresses, and a convincing proof of what may be achieved by the God- aided energy, indefatigable industry and patient perseverance of woman, when, magnanimously devoting herself, heart, soul, and mind to a worthy cause, she sinks self and self-ease forever, into the abyss of heroic, yet unostentatious love of God and active Christian benevolence towards her fel- low-creatures.

The Sisters of Notre Dame are members of a society of ladies devoted to the education of youth, both in Europe and America. Namur, Belgium, is the centre of the organization, which, though not a century old, has already beheld the rise and progress, completion and successful working of upwards of a hundred flourishing academies, or colleges, and can count its teachers by thousands and its children by tens of thousands.

In England, such is the high estimate placed on their efficiency as educa- tors, that, for years, the government has intrusted to them the entire control of the important Normal and Training Schools of Liverpool; and the suc- cessful results, as brilliant as solid, have been convincing evidences that such confidence has not been misplaced.

The scheme of the society was the offspring of the troublous period of the French Revolution, and the two foundresses, one springing from the ranks of the people, and one from the nobility, by a happy coalition of faculties and advantages, means and aims, met on a golden level of Christian principles, and created a noble democracy of feeling that acknowledges inerit and virtue as the only true and solid basis of rank and distinction. It is universally conceded that the spirit of the Institute, with its motto, "Onward and Upward," is admirably adapted to the needs of the age in which we live. The form of government is eminently that of a republic, the members enjoy- ing equal rights, and the officers elected by a majority of votes, for varying periods of time.

Order and method, industry and energy not only economize every golden grain of " time the stuff of which life is made," but are and ever have been marked characteristics of the members of this Order; and their example has not been without its lasting and beneficial effects upon those who have come within the sphere of these stirring and elevating influences. The wise, firm, prudent measures of the President of the society at Namur, her Cœur de Mére, and Bras de fer as the French express it, her perfect blending of sweetness and firmness, are so many attractive forces binding all the houses under her control, into one harmonious system around a central sun. It seems almost incredible that so many women of almost every nationality

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under the sun, and of such varying characters and temperaments, could so cheerfully and peacefully pursue the even tenor of their way, whether ruling or ruled, but the fact that they do so is incontrovertible, and yet the world persists in saying that the days of miracles are past.

But we must return to our original intention, which was to give a brief outline of the circumstances which paved the way to the foundation of the first academy ever reared within our county limits, and, to do so understand- ingly, we must carry our readers back as far as 1843, and thus we shall better see and appreciate the motives that led those ladies to our Pacific shores.

The zealous Father de Smet after years of arduous missionary labors among the Indian tribes, west of the Rocky mountains, revisited Europe in 1843, and pictured so vividly the needs of that vast section of country, the utter deprivation of the advantages of civilization, the pitiable condition of the savages and their deplorable ignorance of the commonest arts of life, " fields white to the harvest, and the laborers so few," not concealing, however, the hardships attendant upon any undertaking tending to the amelioration of their condition, the privation of all convenience and comfort that must necessarily be undergone.

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History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description, Part 55

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P Publication date: 1881 Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen, & Co. Number of Pages: 894

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: San Francisco : Alley, Bowen, & Co.
Number of Pages: 894