History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 86

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time > Part 86

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"And whereas, at a meeting of the Church called in pursuance of the above direction, a majority of those present did refuse to re- verse their previous action, but, on the contrary, expressed their determination to abide by such action unless certain definite and prescribed action be adopted by the General Assembly. And whereas, it is manifest that this Church cannot remain together with edification to its members, or with advantage to the cause of Christ ; therefore, in order to prevent further strife and reproach to religion, it is desirable that an amicable division of the Church and its property be effected. The committee would therefore recom- mend the appointment of a committee to confer with members of the church in order to effect such a division."

I. M. Weed, H. Curtis and B. W. Raymond were ap- pointed the committee, and as such conferred with the members of the Church. The question asked each was, " Are you, under existing circumstances, in favor of a division of this Church at this time ?" The majority of the members were opposed to a division. The commit- tee reported to the Presbytery, expressing therein their opinion that there was no hope of effecting an amicable division. The Presbytery thereupon feeling constrained to afford relief to that portion of the Church which ad- hered to them and to the constitution of the Church, adopted the following resolutions:

"WHEREAS, Several members of this Church have passed a resolution involving secession from the constitutional Presbyterian Church of the United States; And whereas, such members have neglected at the direction of the Presbytery to rescind said resolu- tions; and whereas, all efforts to secure an amicable settlement of the difficulties existing in said Church by a division mutually agreed upon have failed, therefore

I. "Resolved, That those members of this Church who voted for said resolution, did, thereby, and by subsequently neglecting to rescind said resolution, disqualify themselves to act as members of the Presbyterian Church, and can no longer be recognized as such, while retaining their present position.

2. "Resolved, That the Session, consisting of the pastor and those elders who did not vote for the resolution referred to, im- mediately inform those who have thus separated themselves from the Church, that if any of them still wish to walk in fellowship with this Church under the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, that wish shall be granted.

3. "Resolved, That all who do not express such wish within two weeks, be regarded as adhering to their previous action, and the Session be directed to strike their names from the roll of the Church."

By reference to the first of these three resolutions it may be seen that it was only those who voted for the obnoxious fourth resolution of February 3 whose names were to be stricken from the Church roll, so that only a

309

PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

minority of the members were thus summarily excom- municated. Those who subscribed to it were given certificates of "good and regular standing," and letters of dismissal to enable them to join any Church of their choice. The reason for making this distinction wasthat the Presbytery, when directing the names of the voters for the resolution to be stricken from the rolls, had be- fore them in the Church records full official evidence of what they had done, but not of the act of those who privately signed the resolutions.

In this connection it is proper to introduce the fol- lowing paragraph from a history of the difficulties pub- lished in 1852, by the Third Presbyterian Church:

" The Presbytery were fully aware that this mode of dropping the names of seceders is not provided for in the constitution. Con- stitutions never provide for revolutions. But they followed a mul- titude of precedents which have been furnished in similar cases elsewhere. And the Session of the Church, in dropping the names of those who voted for the resolution in favor of secession only completed the unpleasant work which had been forced upon the Presbytery and upon them by the disorderly and disorganizing pro- cedure of their brethren."

Thus was the schism consummated, and the Third Presbyterian Church left in an enfeebled condition and with a clouded prospect for the future. The names of the members remaining faithful to the constitution and discipline of their Church were the following: Gustavus W. Southworth, Mrs. Susan Southworth, Mrs. Mehitable Graves, Lawrens Kent, Mrs. Lawrens Kent, Miss Au- gusta Kent, Dr. Eriel McArthur, Mrs. Harriet McArthur, Miss Caroline McArthur, Miss Rhoda McArthur, Na- thaniel Norton, Mrs. Sally Ann Norton, Nelson Mason, Mrs. Desire E. Mason, R. W. Downs, Mrs. Lydia E. Downs, Mrs. Henry Witbeck, Mrs. William Stow, Mrs. Sarah Aiken, Gilderoy McArthur, Miss Sarah McArthur. There were five others, whose names cannot now be ascertained.

THE WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH .- Some time during the year 1853, certain members of the First and Second Presbyterian churches thought that the necessities of Chicago required the organiza- tion of a New-School Presbyterian Church on the North Side, and in view of such proposed organization a few of the parties interested united and purchased a lot on Ohio Street, between Dearborn and State, fronting south, and eighty feet in width. Overtures were made looking toward the securing of the services of a min- ister to inaugurate the enterprise, but nothing took def- inite shape until in 1855, when the Rev. Ansel D. Eddy, D. D., of Newark, N. J., being in Chicago on a visit to a daughter, looked over the field, conversed with mem- bers of other churches, and with the pastors, and it was decided to organize. Accordingly a meeting was held at the house of B. W. Thomas. 206 Illinois Street, in July of that year, and there the necessary steps were taken. The two first elders elected were Colonel Henry Smith, from the Second Presbyterian Church, and W. W. Evarts, who had recently come to the city, Subsequently, but during the same year, Horace F. Waite was chosen Elder. The original members were Colonel Henry Smith, Mrs. Henry Smith, Miss Phebe Smith, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Evarts. Miss Sophia Evarts, afterward Mrs. Rev. S. E. Wishard. Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Thomas, Mrs. Mary E. Wilcox. Edward P. Wilcox, Mr. and Mrs. George Gee, Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Smith, Mrs. Nancy Pitkin, Miss Louisa R. Pitkin, Mrs. Andrew J. Brown, and a few others. Among the first who joined the church after its organization were Mr. and Mrs. Horace F. Waite. The Session of the Church was constituted of the three elders already named, to which were subse- quently added Henry W. King, J. McGregor Adams,

Dr. F. Crumbangh and Oliver H. Lee. Under the ministry of Mr. Eddy the Church made gratifying pro- gress as regards additions to its membership, both by letter and by profession, and there united with the church some who are now well known as Presbyterians in the city : Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. King, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin G. Page, Mr. and Mrs. William Sprin- ger, all from the Second Presbyterian Church. At first meetings were held in the lecture-room of Rush Med- ical College, which arrangement continued until about 1858. Some time during 1856, the lot that had been purchased on Ohio Street was exchanged for what is now known as the old Westminster lot, having one hundred and ten feet front on Dearborn Street, and one hundred and twenty-five feet depth on On- tario. A contract was entered into for the erection of a very large and expensive house of worship, the foundations of which were laid ; but the panic of 1857 intervened, the subscriptions that had been procured, and which were only partially sufficient to carry the en- terprise forward to completion, were found to be una- vailable, and it was deemed inexpedient to attempt to proceeed with the erection of so expensive an edifice. The foundations already up some feet were sold, and a small frame building was erected on the south side of the lot, capable of accommodating about two hundred and fifty persons. Rev. Mr. Eddy continued the pastor about three years, when he resigned, and the Church was without a pastor for a considerable time. But religious services were generally held on Sunday and always on Wednesday evening. The Sunday school was continued during the vacancy in the pulpit, which was, however, occasionally occupied by strangers vis- iting the city until October 14, 1858. At that time Rev. William H. Spencer came to this Church from the Pres- bytery of Rock Island, and continued to supply the pulpit until his death, February 17, 1861. During the period of his services as pastor the Church was converted into a parsonage, and a frame building erected on the cor- ner of the lot on Dearborn and Ontario streets, under the mechanical direction of Asher Carter. Although this was an inexpensive building, it was a model for conve- nience and comfort. After the death of Mr. Spencer, the Church was again without a pastor until December 13, 1861, when Rev. E. A. Pierce, having a short time previously come to Chicago as a licentiate from the seminary, was ordained and installed. Mr. Pierce

remained until December 22, 1865, when he received a call from Calvary Church, Chicago, and resigned his pastorate over Westminster. Under his charge the Church was blessed spiritually and materially. The Church was now for the third time without a pastor until in the spring of 1866, when Rev. David Swing was called. The call was accepted, and Mr. Swing was in- stalled pastor September 27, 1867, continuing as such until February 6, 1871, when the relation was dissolved as one of the steps preparatory to a union of the North Presbyterian Church with this Church, the union being effected on the date last above mentioned, and the new Church named the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. During Rev. David Swing's ministry the Westminster edifice was again enlarged. Upon the union of the two churches, the united Church was called the Fourth, taking the number four which Westminster would have taken had it been numbered when organ- ized instead of being called Westminster. Upon the union of the two churches, the united Church moved to the North Presbyterian building, corner of Cass and Indiana streets, in which it continued to worship until the building was destroyed by the great fire. Westmin-

310.

HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

ster stood until that time unoccupied, when it was also destroyed. A Sunday school was organized soon after the founding of the Church, but it is difficult to ascertain who performed the duties of superintendent previous to 1858. Probably it was W W. Evarts. Henry W. King was elected superintendent in 1858, and under his direc- tion, which terminated in 1862, upon his removal to Pennsylvania, the school was very successful. He was succeeded by Oliver H. Lee, who remained until the organization of the Fourth Presbyterian Church.

THE NORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. (O. S. - In the month of May, 1848, the initiatory steps were taken toward the organization of this society. The first serv- ices were held Sunday, May 28, in the hall of Rush Medical College, in accordance with the following notice published in the newspapers of Saturday, May 27:

"Divine service according to the usage of the Presbyterian Church may be expected to-morrow and every Lord's Day until further notice at 1012 o'clock A. M., and 215 o'clock r. M., in the hall of the Medical College, Dearborn Street. Preaching by the Rev. R. H. Richardson."

Religious services were continuede in the college building until in the fall of the same year, when their first house of worship was erected. The Church was organized Sunday, August 6, 1848, with twenty-six members, among whom were Mr. and Mrs. O. M. Dor- man, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Runyon, Mrs. Lucy Fitch Williams, Miss Lucy Maria Williams, Mrs. C. S. Wads- worth, Mrs. Jonas Clark, Mrs. Mindwell W. Gibbs, Miss Doggett, Mrs. Dr. Blaney, Derastus Harper, Mrs. R. J. Hamilton, Cyrus H. McCormick and others. During the fall of 1848, a neat edifice, in the Gothic style of architecture, was erected at the corner of North Clark and Michigan streets, at a cost of $2,000. It was a small frame structure, with a " pepper-box " steeple, and was sold in 1852, when there was erected a similar but somewhat larger building, at the southwest corner of Illinois and Wolcott (State) streets, fronting north. This edifice cost originally about $3,000; was after- ward enlarged, and finally sold at the time of the con- pletion of the large new brick church at the corner of Indiana and Cass streets, which was dedicated about February 21, 1861. The main tower of the latter build- ing was twenty-four feet square at the base, one hun- dred and four feet high, and was surmounted by an octagonal spire ninety feet high. The turret on the opposite corner was sixteen feet square and one hun- dred feet high. The building was seventy-one feet wide by ninety feet long, fifty-two feet high in the center and thirty-eight feet at the sides. The main audience-room would seat one thousand and one hundred persons. The lecture-room in the basement was forty-two by sixty feet, and there were in the basement in addition class-rooms, pastor's study, ladies' parlor, etc. The style of architecture of this church was the Romanesque, and it was furnished with an excellent organ.

Rev. R. H. Richardson was ordained and installed pastor of this Church November 19, 1848, by the Pres- bytery of Peoria. He remained until April 11, 1856,

and was succeeded by Key. R. A. Brown, who was ordained and installed December 14, 1856. Mr. Brown resigned July 21, 1857. after which there was no regular pastor until the installation of Rev. Nathan 1 .. Rice. D. D., October 20, 1858.

NATHAN L. RICE, D.D., was born near Bardstown, Ky., and won a national reputation in his famous debate upon " Baptism," at Lexington, Ky., with Rev. Alexander Campbell. Dr. Rice was soon afterward called to the Central Presbyterian Church, Cincin- nati, Ohio, where he remained several years, when he succeeded the eminent Dr. Potts at the First Presbyterian Church, St. Louis. Mo. In 1838, on account of his great ability, and at the advice of Cyrus H. McCormick, he was induced to come to Chicago and accept the pastorate of the North Presbyterian Church, to the majori- ty of the menibers of which he was acceptable. The Rev. Dr. Rice remained with this Church unti! 1861, in April of which year he resigned in consequence of a call to the pastorate of a Presbyte- rian Church in New York City, left vacant by the death of I)r. Alexander.

The Rev. Dr. Gurley, of Washington, D. C., was then called. but did not respond, and the Church was without pastoral direction until November, 1862, when Rev. J. B. Stewart was called and immediately entered upon his labors. He remained pastor-elect for nearly two years but was never installed. He was succeeded in November. 1864, by Rev. David X. Junkin, D. I)., who was installed on the 13th of the month. The pas- toral relations between Rev. Mr. Junkin and the Church were dissolved May 1, 1866. Rev. D. S. Mar- quis was then called, July 18, 1866, and shortly after- ward installed. Mr. Marquis remained with the Church until November 22, 1870, when he resigned, being the last pastor of the North Presbyterian Church. In Feb- ruary, 1871, in accordance with wishes of members of this Church and the Westminster Church, the Presby- tery of Chicago consented to a union, and named the united Church the successor of these two churches, the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago.

During the progress of the Civil War, differences of opinion developed among the members as to the atti- tude the North Church should maintain with reference to slavery, and various other questions relating to the conduct of the war. Harmony having departed, it was thought advisable by a large portion of the members to. withdraw and to organize a new Church in which there would be greater unanimity of opinion with regard to the political issues of the times. These differences cul- minated in the early winter of 1864-65, and led to the organization of the Central Presbyterian Church, the members of which were more radically in sympathy with the United States Government in the early sup- pression of the rebellion against its authority, leaving in the North Presbyterian Church those members who were more conservative in their views. The Sunday school in connection with the North Presbyterian Church was usually very largely attended. One of its first superintendents was Charles A. Spring, a brother of Rev. Gardner Spring, D.D., of New York. He was succeeded, in 1854, by John Woodbridge, who was su- perintendent continuously for ten years, and during this time the average attendance of scholars was one hun- dred and fifty. The library connected with this school was exclusively religious.

THE SOUTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH .- Movements preliminary to the organization of this Church were made by certain members of the North Presbyterian Church and others in November, 1854. On the 12th of that month a petition, signed by A. B. Newkirk, Mrs. L. M. Newkirk, Cyrus H. McCormick. L. J. McCormick, Mary A. McCormick and others, was presented to the Session of the North Presbyterian Church, setting forth that in view of the position which Chicago held to the Presbyterian Church of the whole country and especially of the West ; in view of the condition of the various quarters of the city and especially of the southern sec- tion, and of various other facts, it was deemed advisa- ble by the petitioners that an Old School Presbyterian

311

PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS.

Church be organized on the South Side, and asking that they be permitted and assisted to organize such a Church. After considering this petition the moderator and Elder Howe were appointed a committee to draft a minute expressive of the view of the Session, and re- port at the next meeting. The report submitted November 24 contained a series of three resolutions favoring the measure, which were adopted, the third resolution being as follows :

" That as a Session and as individuals, it will afford us much pleasure to give to the new enterprise our best influence and effort, as far as may be practicable and expedient."

The Presbytery of Chicago, pursuant to a call of the moderator, Rev. R. H. Richardson, met December 19, 1854, and upon receiving the request of certain persons to be organized into a Church, with their letters of dis- mission from the North Presbyterian Church, resolved that the request be granted, and that said Church be called the " South Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Ill." This request was signed by the following persons, who thus became the original members: Cyrus H. McCor- mick, Leander J. McCormick, Adamson B. Newkirk, Charles A. Spring, Sr., John Forsythe, John Stephens, Thomas H. Beebe, Mrs. Catherine Beebe, Mrs. Mary A. McCormick, Mrs. L. N. Newkirk, Mrs. Anna M. Gibbs, Mrs. Ellen M. Spring, Mrs. Sarah C. Stephens, Mrs. Frances E. Dickson. Charles A. Spring and Thomas H. Beebe, who had been members of the Session of the North Presbyterian Church, were elected elders of the new Church. Soon after its organization, the Church made its Session, with Cyrus H. McCormick a committee of correspondence and supply, with a view to procuring a pastor. After long and patient effort, the committee was directed to Rev. R. W. Henry, of the Associate Re- formed Church, at Belle Brook, Ohio, who having expressed his willingness to become pastor, was regularly installed October 16, 1855.

On March 11, 1856, the following persons were received into the Church: William S. McCormick, from the North Presbyterian Church; Mrs. Henrietta M. McCormick, from the Methodist Episcopal Church, Lexington, Va .; Mrs. Annie T. Forsythe, from the First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Ill .; William E. Myers, from First Presbyterian Church, Georgetown, D. C .; Mrs. Mary Emma Henry, from the A. R. Presbyterian Church, Sugar Creek, Ohio; Alexander and Mrs. Isabella Bain, from the Free Church of Scotland, Ros- lin, Scotland; Philander W. Stubbins, from the Bowling- green Presbyterian Church, Ky .; and on profession of faith, George H. Spring. At this time, Thomas H. Beebe presented a form of confession of faith and covenant, for use in reception of members, which was afterwards adopted at a meeting held Saturday, March 17,1856. Previous to the completion of the church edifice on the lot at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Con- gress Street, religious services were held in Metropolitan Hall. The Rev. R. W. Henry remained pastor until April 2, 1860, when he resigned to accept a call from the Scotch Dr. McElroy's Presbyterian Church of New York City. During his pastorate. the Church increased rapidly in membership, especially during the earlier and later portions. Among those who became mem- bers in March, 1856, was John H. Doane, superintend- ent of the Illinois Central Railroad. He was elected elder May 14, 1856, and was killed by the cars within the year. The numbers of those who joined un- der Mr. Henry's pastorate were as follows: In 1854. the original members, fourteen ; in 1856, fifty-one; in 1857. thirty-three ; in 1858, twenty-nine ; in 1859. six- teen. and in 1860, previous to the resignation of Mr.

Henry, twenty-five. The limited number which joined in 1858 and 1859 is in part to be accounted for by an unfortunate misunderstanding of certain of the mem- bers and of the pastor, with reference to the attitude of Cyrus H. McCormick toward the Church, regarding the property, ownership of which was divided between him and the Church. At the time of the organization of the Church Mr. McCormick purchased a lot at the southwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Congress Street, eighty feet on Wabash Avenue and one hun- dred and seventy-five feet on Congress, the purchase- price being $18,000, and the payments to be made one- fourth cash down, the balance in three equal annual in- stallments. Mr. McCormick made the first payment, and agreed to pay the first installment at maturity, with the understanding that the society should pay the third and fourth installments ; and, having done so, to have from Mr. McCormick, who at the time of purchase be- came responsible for the whole amount unpaid, a deed to the lot. A similar understanding was had also be- tween Mr. McCormick and the society with reference to the building to be erected on this lot. The under- standing with respect to the building was substantially carried out, the society erecting it, paying nearly one- half the cost of construction, and thus becoming owner of it. The edifice as first constructed was a one-story frame fronting on Wabash Avenue, and capable of seat- ing about four hundred people. Connected with it to- ward the west was a small one-story frame, occupied by the pastor as a study. Still further to the west was the parsonage. The congregation continued to assemble here until March, 1859, when the building was removed to the southwest corner of Jackson Street and Edina Place, now Third Avenue. This removal, seen in the light of subsequent facts, was not wise, but it was made in consequence of a misunderstanding. Rev. Nathan L. Rice, one of the oldest and ablest Old School Pres- byterian divines in the West, was called to the North Presbyterian Church early in 1858, and was installed pastor October 20, of that year. Dr. Rice was a pro- slavery man, in so far as denying that the relation be- tween master and slave is necessarily sinful, constituted him such. Rev. R. W. Henry was an abolitionist, which fact was well known to the South Church when they called him to the pastorate. But neither Dr. Rice nor Mr. Henry preached politics in the pulpit. So that the question as to what were the senti- ments of these gentlemen with reference to the slavery question, should not have been permitted to modify the conclusions of church members regarding the relations of the two churches or of the two ministers. But when certain members of the South Church suggested that Dr. Rice and Mr. Henry should alternate in occupying the pulpits of the respective churches, with the view of building up Old School Presbyterianism in Chicago, feeling as they did that the New School Presbyterians were exercising an undue influence in the city, and when Dr. Rice signified his readiness to exchange pulpits with Mr. Henry on the plan suggested, certain other mem- bers of Mr. Henry's Church thought they discovered in this willingness of Dr. Rice, a design on the part of the former to "set a trap for the latter and thus on account of his anti-slavery sentiments, accomplish his discharge by and from his Church." This view of the case looked very plausible to him, for which reason he declined the courtesy of the exchange, and it was not made. The North and South Presbyterian churches were thus made to assume toward each other an attitude of quasi an- tagonism, which was unjust to both. It was much easier to introduce trouble into the Church than to expel it,

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 86

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340