USA > Indiana > Johnson County > Franklin > History of the half century celebration of the organization of the First Presbyterian church of Franklin, Indiana > Part 11
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from I Corinthians ii. 3: "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." The severing of the ties which bound pastor and people together in this his first charge of ten years' duration was deeply affecting, and father often spoke of this change as the great mistake of his ministerial life.
From Millville we removed to Oxford, Ohio, where we remained about one year, and then to Terre Haute, Indiana, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles, through an almost unbroken forest. Father, mother and the two youngest children rode in a one- horse dearborne, as such conveyances were then called, and my sister (now Mrs. J. C. King) and my- self rode alternately in the carriage or ox-wagon, or walked, as circumstances required. In passing over the same region of country within a few years past, the change to me seems truly wonderful; and it also appears strange how ministers then could endure the exposure and fatigue necessary in the performance of their ministerial functions. I think we left Oxford on Monday morning, and after a hard week's travel, all weary and worn, late on Saturday night, we reached the place near which now stands the village of Pleasant View, in Shelby County, Indiana, expect- ing to remain until Monday morning. But for some reason, best known to himself, on Sabbath morning the landlord informed father that he could not keep us till Monday morning, and he could not be induced to reverse his decision. So the parson and his family were forced to proceed on their journey, Sabbath as it was. The distance to Indianapolis being only about thirteen miles, father thought we might reach
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there at least for the evening service; but when within about six miles of the Capital, and a mile or two from a habitation, we were swamped in the mid- dle of a deep mud-hole or pond. Leaving mother and the two little ones in the carriage, after a long walk father found the cabin formerly known as Bell's Tavern, on the old Michigan road. Mr. Bell very kindly brought a team and soon drew us out of the mud and gave us a comfortable room in one end of his double cabin, where we remained until Monday morning. One thing I well remember while stop- ping at Mr. Bell's, which I must relate. On Sabbath afternoon several hunters came in, bringing with them an owl and some venison which they had just killed. Our landlord very kindly gave us some of the nice venison, and conscientious scruples of father and mother to the contrary, notwithstanding, as the least of two evils you know, mother prepared it and it was truly delicious, especially to us children. Leaving Mr. Bell's next morning, we passed on to Indianapolis, then a village of perhaps eight or ten hundred inhabit- ants, where we were kindly entertained at the house of Caleb Scudder, Esq. My impression is that there was then no church building, as father preached that night in Mr. Scudder's cabinet shop. After a night's rest we started again on our journey westward. The roads were in a terrible condition and the settlements far apart.
I well remember our stop at Stiles' Tavern (now Stilesville). The accommodations being very poor, and exposure being consequent, mother caught a
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severe cold, which brought on the disease (consump- tion) which caused her death within one year.
We were well supplied with meat, while at Stiles', from a pigeon-roost, where great numbers could be captured at night with torches. I do not mention this with any desire to go from the sublime to the ridiculous, but as an evidence that even in early times ministers and their families could enjoy the luxury of a good "pot-pie."
Passing on from Stiles' through the then almost uninhabited forest, on Saturday evening of the second week we arrived at Otter Creek Prairie, within six miles of our destination, where we were kindly entertained until Monday morning, by a family whose name I do not now recollect. On Monday morning we soon came in sight of Terre Haute, then a fron- tier village of about six hundred inhabitants. Father commenced his labors with a good prospect of use- fulness in God's vineyard ; but our days of sunshine soon passed and a time of deep affliction came.
Mother was soon laid upon her dying bed, father was prostrated with fever and ague, my sister and lit- tle brother were both at the point of death, and care- fully cared for by kind friends of whom I will speak again. Oh, how vividly [ remember the day on which our little sister Harriet died ! Father, mother and myself were all that were in the room at the time, I believe. Father removed her cradle to the foot of mother's bed, so as not to excite her unnecessarily. Just as the child expired mother noticed a change in father's countenance, and said : " Is my child dead ? Do not deceive me!" Father replied : " Yes, my
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dear ; your child is in heaven." From that time mother failed rapidly and died in two or three days afterward, rejoicing in hope of a blessed immortality. There were but eight or ten persons at mother's burial. There was so much sickness in the village that it was exceedingly difficult to get assistance. The only relative able to attend the burial was my- self, and I can assure you that, young as I then was, the feeling of sadness and loneliness was terrible. I did not go all the way to the graveyard but fol- lowed alone for a short distance and then returned to our desolated home, to stay with my father, who was then suffering with a terrible shake of ague. No blame could be attached to any one for lack of at- tention. I must speak in the highest praise of a few who ministered to our wants even beyond their abil- ity. Among the number were Mrs. Sinton, who took my sister and cared for her during a severe sickness ; Mrs. Cruft, who performed the part of a mother to my infant brother Lawrence, when given up by the physicians, and who still survives, deserve honorable mention ; also Miss Lucia Cruft, afterward wife of Rev. Wm. Holliday, of Indianapolis, who remained with my mother to the last, and performed the last act of kindness, will never be forgotten. I fear I am occupying too much of the time, but without previous preparation I could scarcely leave the chain of mem- ory. Yet it is only a part of my father's severe afflic- tions, out of all of which God delivered him. After mother's death father was taken to the country, where he lay sick for several weeks. As soon as my sister and brother were able to travel, we were sent back
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to our friends in Ohio. Father remained, unable to travel for some time. During his sickness he con- tracted the disease, rheumatism, which, after many years of suffering, was terminated by death. After returning to Ohio, father missionated for about one year in the region of Wilmington, and then removed to this place. In a very short time after coming here our second mother was taken from us by death, and we were left again lonely and desolate. Although among strangers, we were treated with the utmost kindness in our new home. Did time permit I would rejoice to express our thankfulness to these dear old friends who still remain and are here to-day, and to the children of those who have passed over the river, for their tender sympathy and kindness in our deep affliction. Were I to do so, I would address our dear old Aunt Lydia, now sitting here by my side, whom we all know only to love and respect, as chairman of this host of friends.
With my father's faithfulness and ability as a min- ister, many now present are acquainted, and the rest of you have been told by him who preceded me. I will now close by telling you something of his last days, which were spent at Macomb, Illinois.
For several years before his death he lost his sweet voice for singing. It also became difficult for him to speak in public. The last time he ever preached I believe was either from this pulpit or at Hopewell. I regret exceedingly that I have not with me now the last letter I ever received from him while making you his last visit. In this letter he spoke very tenderly of the many kind greetings of his old parishioners
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and friends, and especially so of the blessed privilege of once more (for a few minutes) standing up in the name of Christ before those to whom he had so often proclaimed the gospel of salvation.
During his last years father was especially fond of the society of his old brethren in the ministry, and I am sure that those who enjoyed his Christian inter- course would testify that while they were imparting religious comfort, they were also receiving the same. The day before his death I called to see him and found him unusually happy and cheerful. He said he felt so much better than common. He insisted on my remaining to tea, which I did, and then returned home, feeling rejoiced at the expectation of his pro- longed life. But our hopes were soon to be blasted. The next morning, about nine o'clock, a messenger came to my house with the word that father was dying. He was struck with paralysis about eight o'clock in the morning and lingered insensible until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when no doubt his long- cherished hopes were realized. His remains lie buried at Macomb, Illinois, and on his tombstone is the in- scription : " Rev. David Monfort, D. D., died October 18, 1860, aged 70 years, 7 months and II days. Forty years a faithful ambassador for Christ."
Father Kent, one of the earliest ministers of the gospel in this part of the State, still residing at Shel- byville, was next called for. He said :
I am neither a lawyer nor a judge, and have been a very poor minister. My remarks with regard to the church would be merely a repetition of what Judge Banta has so well said.
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He then gave a brief account of his pastorate and early missionary labors in Johnson, Shelby and Bar- tholomew Counties. He had received three hundred dollars a year as salary, half in money and half in produce. He had been able to live comfortably, and make provision for old age. His salary was supple- mented by the services of his wife as teacher. He said that congregations were somewhat different in those days from the present. The women all wore sun-bonnets, and parents brought their children to church, varying in age from the lads and lasses of fifteen down to the nursling in the mother's arms. He warmly commended the custom of bringing the children to church, as it produced beneficial results upon the children, and was no embarrassment or det- riment to the children. He never was annoyed by the music of crying babies.
At the conclusion of Mr. Kent's remarks the pastor of the church said: I am about to introduce to you a lady who was one of our first Sabbath-school teach- ers. She came to our town in very early times, bring- ing her buttery in one end of a sack and smoke-house in the other, which she hung in the crotch of a tree, and then commenced housekeeping on the back side of a large fallen tree, lying near the place where Mr. Thomas Jeffery now resides. Allow me to introduce to you Mrs. Lydia Herriott.
Mrs. Herriott came to the stand, and, without a tre- mor, with a full clear voice, standing as straight as on the day when she became mistress of that little cabin referred to, said :
My friends, I am unprepared to come before you to
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speak, but I will talk a little of my early experiences in coming here. We came through much tribulation, and stopped over here in the wilderness. Before we settled in town we stopped on Sugar Creek, where some men had put up a cabin. Mr. Herriott got permission for us to move in. We did it. There was neither door, floor nor chimney. I took the ax and chopped forks, and drove them in the ground ; placed poles on the forks, and laid clap-boards over the poles for my bed. I hung the wagon cover around for a curtain, and felt well fixed. We had our fire built by a stump in the center of the cabin. We had one big pot and two split-bottom chairs. We staid there six weeks, and then moved on the west side of Sugar Creek, where Mr. Herriott put up a cabin of his own. There was a snow six inches deep, and I had the snow to rake out. I don't think that at that time I ever murmured or grieved because we were so poor, but was always contented. When we got our puncheon floor, I would cook dinner and the men would sit on the edge of the puncheons and eat out of the pot. Mr. Herriott made a crop there. While we were living on Sugar Creek I took a horseback ride to the State of Ohio. My father had given each of his children eighty acres of land. Mr. Herriott proposed to me to go and sell the land. He saddled me a horse and put me on it. I took the old trace through Connersville. I do not remember having any company going, but my sister returned with me. I sold the land, got the money-all in silver-and brought it home in my saddle-bags. It took me seven days to go and seven days to return.
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After that we came and bought eighty acres of land, where the Widow Forsyth now lives. The brush was so thick that we could not ride through it. Mr. Herriott had engaged two hands to come and get out logs to build us a cabin. I cooked for them over a fire built beside a big log, near Thomas Jeffery's present residence. In the evening I got on my pony and rode over to Mr. King's, in town, and staid all night, while Mr. Herriott and the men slept on the ground. When we got up the cabin we went right in and commenced "livin'." (Laughter.)
We had no need for a door, for there were no chinks between the logs, and our good farm-dog could go in and out at his pleasure. But Mr. Herriott got into office (laughter), so we moved into town. We had plenty to eat and good health, until the ague came- that shook us some. (Laughter. )
I have been blessed, have enjoyed good health, and the Lord has provided.
In the first settling of this town I visited all the sick, and helped lay out all the dead. I will not name the rest. I was at one time without bread, and lived three weeks on boiled corn.
Col. Simon Covert, of Hopewell, being called out, responded by giving an account of the first Sabbath- school celebration ever held in Franklin. He said : The Sabbath-schools of Hopewell and Franklin met here in Franklin. We formed a procession at the old court-house, and marched east on Jefferson Street, the distance of two or three squares. But the brush was so thick that we could not march very well. Aunt
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hymn that was sung. It was one of Watts', and be- gan thus :
"Our souls by love together knit."
After our Sabbath-school procession had returned to the court-house, we had not quite finished our cele- bration, for we had not yet had a speech. But we proceeded to arrange for that deficiency, by sending a committee of two, myself being one, over to the hotel where Robert Wood's drug-store now stands. Mr. James Havens, a young Methodist minister, had arrived at the hotel. We were to bring him over to talk to us. We went to him and preferred our re- quest, to which he very gruffly replied : " No ! I'll not go; you Presbyterians are going to be in our way in this country."
We returned, made our report, and dismissed the children without a speech.
I remember some things earlier than the Sabbath- school celebration. I remember sitting as grand jury- man before we had any court-house. To the ques- tion, "Where did you sit?" Col. Covert replied, " We sat on a log in the woods, and had a bailiff to keep the public away from us."
Mrs. Nancy Rutherford, a pioneer settler, and one who became a member of this church soon after its organization, being in the audience, was called for. She declined coming to the platform, but from her seat in the audience said she remembered the first court ever held in the county, which was at Mr. Smiley's, on Sugar Creek. She was invited to help cook. In answer to the question, "Did you cook for the court?" she replied, "We cooked for all that
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Lydia Herriott led the singing. I remember the came-they had nothing to drink stronger than water."
Mr. John Herriott, Sen., replied to an invitation to present any early incidents: I do not think I have anything to say that would be of interest to this meeting. I came here in May, 1827, and helped to cut the brush out of the public square. We met every evening for two or three weeks, to burn logs and brush. The county commissioners donated the pres- ent church lot and the one east of it for church and school purposes. I helped to clear off these lots. I don't know how the Presbyterians happened to be sharp enough to get the deed to these lots in their name .* I helped to clear off the grounds of the Bap- tist Seminary (now a college), and the old graveyard.
Mr. Herriott told a humorous story about his at- tempt to split rails out of elm, also of the first tem- perance society. He said further : I spoke of meeting every evening. I think there were seven or eight of us, and we all turned out at these meetings but Mr. King, who was postmaster, and Samuel Herriott, who was clerk of court. They were excused. One of our men got too much strong liquor on a certain occasion, so it was proposed that we have some regu- lations about the matter. We drew up a constitution saying that any man who got drunk should dig up a stump-for a big drunk he was to dig up a large stump; for a little drunk, a little stump.
One morning, on going out, I observed near where
*It is probable that the lots were to become the property of the church that first organized, and in that way they fell to the Presbyterian Church. S. E. W.
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Henry Service's shoe-store now is, a very large stump dug up. I understood the joke. Some of our com- pany had been drunk, and had paid the penalty.
Judge F. M. Finch, being called, responded :
I have very little to tell this audience. I came here in 1831. I have been thinking, and can not recog- nize one gentleman who was a member of the church at that time, except Major John Herriott. Mrs. Lydia Herriott was here; all the others have gone. Now it is a sad reflection that all that great number are buried. Not one remains to tell the story. So we are all passing away.
I came here to practice law, got my license after I came, and had to travel on horseback to Decatur County to get the judge to sign my license. I re- member the old court-house (pointing to a pencil sketch of the same, which hung before the audience). The diagram is not exactly correct. It had a rickety stairway upon the outside. The end that you entered stood to the south. Here I attended the first two courts after I came. The brick walls of the new court-house were nearly up. Mr. Hall was the con- tractor.
The judiciary was then composed of a judge and two associates. Some said it was a hundred-one and two ciphers. I remember that old court-house. It was a very rude structure. There justice was administered without delay and without favor. I was a judge before the new constitution and do not believe there has been much improvement in the way of ad- ministering justice. I talked with my brethren on the bench frequently and found it to edification.
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As to the recollections of this place they are too many to speak of. I had my share of the hardships, not here, but elsewhere. I am a little old, fogyish, and can not help thinking there was as much enjoy- ment then as now. There was not as much enlight- enment. I don't think they understood the plan of salvation as well as now; don't think the Rev. Jas. Duncan* would pass muster now; not with Chicago Presbytery at least.
There is a gradual upward tendency. There is more vice than there was fifty, or even thirty years ago (more even in proportion to the population ) ; but there is also more virtue. There is more philanthropy of feeling now than then. I know there were some notable exceptions. There was nowhere the cry of sickness and suffering that Mrs. Herriott did not go, and there were a few other such cases.
This church has everything to hope for. Though only a few remain who planted the cross here, others have been raised up to carry the standard.
I removed the other day, and looking over my books (for I found I could not carry everything with me into my new house any more than I can into that upper house), I came across a volume of discourses by Rev. Jas. Duncan, published in 1828. In regard to its Calvinism it is sound as a roach. That any man should ever be converted under such preaching is a miracle, but that the faithful should be confirmed in their faith is not strange. I now present this
"Mr. Duncan was a Presbyterian minister of the early days in this region, and was particularly noted for his severe way of putting what are called " the hard doctrines" of the Presbyterian Church. He published a volume of sermons, which Judge Finch presented at this meeting.
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volume (handing it to the pastor), as a relic of the past, of what Presbyterian preaching once was. I think it is worth preserving as a curiosity.
Dr. James Ritchey, formerly a citizen of Franklin for many years, prominent in his profession, and for some time representative of the county in the State Legislature, being present, was called upon to address the audience. He responded.
My friends, I am glad to be here. I am glad every time I come to Franklin to meet my old friends. I am sorry that I have to leave town with- out shaking hands with all my old acquaintances.
I attended a Presbyterian meeting held in the woods, about where my brother (Lawrence P. Ritchey) lives, in 1829. I remember seeing Mrs. Rutherford there that day. I came here to practice medicine, did not remain long, but went to Columbus. In 1833 I returned here, where I lived more than thirty years.
Ten years ago I knew almost every face, now I know but few. I always was a New School man. The Rev. Jas. H. Johnson, still living at Crawfords- ville, was in the habit of stopping at my house. The feeling between the Old and the New School was not the best at that time.
Though not a member of this church, I have been a very constant attendant. We had a New School church, but the members were removed by death and otherwise, until only Judge Finch, his wife, myself and Mrs. Cummins remained. So Judge Finch and I sold the church and transferred the funds to the
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brethren at Edinburg. My wife was a member of this church, her father Tunis Vannuys, an elder in it. I am glad to have met you all here. May your progress for the next fifty years be greater than in the fifty years past.
In connection with the reminiscence meeting the following letters have a most interesting place and most naturally have a place in this volume.
LETTER FROM REV. JAMES A. MCKEE.
THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA, November, 1874. To the Friends assembled in Memorial Meeting of Franklin Presbyterian Church.
DEAR BRETHREN : Absence from you on this occasion I regard as one of the greatest privations of my life. It only remains in complying with the re- quest of your committee to address you in a few lines by letter. Twenty-four years ago I took the charge of the church of Franklin and continued in it for nine and one-half years of the best portion of my life; and I think also it was a very interesting portion of your life.
David Monfort, D. D., of precious memory, was my only predecessor as pastor. He had been for several years an invalid, and surrendered the charge because of impaired health and increasing infirmi- ties. I found a bench of five ruling elders. All of them were substantial men, as Geo. King, Cornelius Hutton, Samuel Mckinney, Harvey Sloan, and last, but not least, Allen McCaslin. The last-named only remains as a connecting link between that generation and the present.
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No death occurred in the existing eldership during my pastorate. As places were made vacant by re- moval, others were brought into the session, as John Banta, Samuel C. Dunn, Hampton Terrell and G. M. Overstreet.
At first my call to the charge of the church was for three-fourths of the time at a salary of $400 per annum. Before the pastoral relation was formed this was changed to $500 for the whole time, and no par- sonage.
In those days this was considered no mean salary. To a small family using economy it furnished a com- fortable living. Then rents were low, fuel cheap, flour $3.50 per barrel, pork from $2.00 to $3.00 per hundred, dry goods and groceries in about the same proportion. After two or three years the salary was increased to $700 per annum, at which it remained until the close of the pastorate, and I may add that it was always all paid.
I found the church worshiping in a large, low frame building of very primitive appearance, after- ward used as a cooper-shop on the railroad. It may be there still for aught I know.
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