USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > History of Athol, Massachusetts > Part 12
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Millerism was the sole topic of conversation in Athol early in 1843. One William Miller had declared that by computa- tion of the Prophesies especially in the Book of Daniel, he had arrived at the conclusion that Christ's second coming to the world would occur in the later months of 1843.
Many accepted this statement and prepared for the end of all things terrestial. Elder David Goddard, a Baptist minister from Wendell, had come here about 1843 and secured the use of the Baptist meeting house as a Miller Evangel. Soon the regular services of that church were all but suspended while Millerism meetings were largely attended.
Elder Goddard wore himself out by his exertions and died here among the people to whom he had often declared "No coffin shall encase my form but I shall be caught upon a cloud to meet my God without being subjected to the pains of death."
It is related that at one of these meetings Mr. Samuel Mann spoke at some length upon the certainty that the Lord would come upon the appointed day and announced that he had a large field of potatoes planted which he should never need and anyone who cared to might help himself to them. The fol- lowing day Freeman Chase took his ox team and his boys up to Mr. Mann's and dug a full cart load. On his way home he met Mr. Mann who inquired where he got his potatoes. "I was up to the meeting last night and heard what you said about your not wanting your potatoes and so as my crop is
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
not turning out very well I thought I would replenish my stock. It's all right, isn't it?" asked Mr. Chase. Mr. Mann's feeble reply, "y-y-yes, it's all right, but if you see any of your n-n-neighbors coming, you can tell them I ain't quite as f-full in the faith as I was."
One of the doctrines of Miller was that a church organiza- tion was un-Christian and he advised his adherents to sever their connection with religious bodies. Fifteen members with- drew from the Baptist Church and a few from the Congrega- tionalists. For twenty years these people remained disorganized and then formed the Second Advent Christian Church of Athol.
Even in June, 1949 a gentleman in Long Island "brightened the public prints with the assertion that the world was about to tip over because of the weight of the polar ice caps." While the words of prophecy are different, the voices are the same, and it is a strange coincidence that the scientific warning of earth's doom should come of all years in 1949, for it was on December 20 just a century ago that William Miller died.
Methodist Episcopal Church 1851
(Starrett Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church-1918)
The first Methodist class meeting continuing into a regular church was held in Athol on November 22, 1851. Organized by Rev. W. A. Clapp of Phillipston, it was held in a house long since demolished which stood between the railroad and School Street just south of the footway underpass. Those who gath- ered together in this faith were George Gerry as leader, Ephraim W. Weston, Roxanna C. Weston, Sophia Gerry, Wil- liam R. Battles, Cynthia Battles, James Giles, Parthenia Giles, Sumner R. Morse, Mary T. Morse, Edwin J. Decker, Roswell Graham, Sylvester Davis, and Catherine Young.
Methodism in Athol actually dates back to the very first years of its introduction into New England. Only four years after Jesse Lee, the pioneer and great Methodist apostle of New England, stood on a July day in 1790 beneath the old elm on Boston Common and preached for the first time in Boston the glad tidings of a free salvation, he visited Athol and Orange to leave a series of appointments for other preach- ers on a circuit which was formed for this section of New England.
Five years later the Orange Circuit was formed. It had its be- ginning from the enthusiasm of Mr. Elijah Ball when he heard
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
Rev. John Hill preach in Milford, and one half of the first class were members of the Lord family: Thomas Lord, Aaron Lord, Joseph Lord, Asa Lord, Leonard Lord, Lydia Lord. The others were Nathan Goddard, David Legg, Abigail Ellis, Lois Hill, Jemima Tully, Hannah Legg, and Alice Holden.
Situated on a road leading from Orange to North Orange, the first house of worship was erected in 1802. It was a plain square structure, clapboarded but never painted, with a square roof from the top of which a square timber stood perpen- dicularly, about six feet in the air. The inside of the house was never finished off by ceiling or partition. Resting on blocks or stools, the seats were planed boards. It never had a stove and the pulpit was a plain board front with a narrow strip on the top.
To this crude building, the only Methodist meeting house within a radius of about seventy-five miles, came Bishop Asbury, the pioneer Bishop of America, and a host of other noble preachers. What tireless energy this Bishop Asbury had for he ordained upward of three thousand preachers, preached seventeen thousand sermons, travelled three hundred thousand miles, and had the care of one hundred thousand souls. Most truly was it said of him "On the Methodism of this broad continent, from the region beneath the Northern Bear to that which sees the Southern Cross, from the crowded cities on the Atlantic to the far off lonely regions, where rolls the Oregon and hears no sound save his own dashings, he has impressed the stamp of his powerful mind, his mighty faith, and his unconquerable will."(28)
Until 1842 the name of the Circuit to which the Orange Society belonged was changed several times-to Ashburnham Circuit in 1803, to Orange Circuit in 1829, and to Northfield Circuit in 1830-and it had eleven preachers. The year 1843 marked the end of the old Orange Society for its meeting house was sold to Mr. Elbridge Foskett who took the building down and removed it to Athol Depot. where it long stood in the rear of 145 School Street occupied as a barn and owned by Mr. Richard Fry.
How early and to what extent the Methodist itinerants of the early part of the last century preached in the village of Athol Depot is not definitely known, but it was probably quite often. We know of occasional services as early as from 1815 to 1830.
(28) L. B. Caswell's "History of the Methodist Church" pub. 1902, p. 9.
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Three men, one, Sylvester Davis, from Orange East Road, and two from our Depot Village, James Giles and George Gerry, in the fall of 1851, became impressed with the need of holding Methodist services here. When George Gerry of- fered his house as a meeting place it was accepted. Three persons formed the congregation that first evening. Thus the background for the first properly organized class which met in November, 1851.
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METHODIST CHURCH 1861 - 1918
For some months the class met at Mr. Gerry's house under the leadership of Rev. Mr. Clapp until the spring of 1852 when Rev. Charles Heywood of Gill became pastor. He did not reside in town but came here every week to preach and visit his people. At this time the place of meeting was moved to a room known as Hill's Hall in the "Arcade," which stood where St. Francis Church now stands, and later in Houghton's
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
Hall where the Savings Bank is now located. The upper part of this latter building was incomplete when our people first used it.
Following the policy laid down by the Methodist Episcopal Church its local organization had a change in ministers almost every two years, sometimes more frequently, and at other times the three years' tenure was allowed. The names of these good men are all recorded at the end of this story. Rev. John Good- win-who made shoes during the week and preached on Sun- day, Rev. Gardner Rice, Rev. Nathaniel H. Martin-our first minister appointed by the New England Conference, Rev. Linus Fish, and Rev. Wm. J. Hambleton are names familiar to us in our church history. Representing this church, it was Rev. Hambleton who spoke briefly at the re-consecration of the ancient cemetery of Athol on July 4, 1859.
When Rev. Increase B. Bigelow took over the pastorate in 1860, it marked an interesting epoch in the history of the church for it was during this time that the church building was erected. David Smith gave the land at the corner of Main and River Streets, and Sylvester Davis devoted himself earnestly to the enterprise, pledging his property to pay monies that were due on the building. Under the direction of Rev. Bigelow, Sylvester Davis, Sumner R. Morse and George Gerry as a building committee, the construction was successfully carried out at a cost of $4,000 and on the 5th of November, 1861 the completed house of worship was dedicated. Rev. David Sherman, D.D., then presiding elder of the Worcester District, preached the sermon from John 11:11 "This begin- ning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." Seventeen Methodist preachers were present.
Civil War days upset the religious interest here generally for many from all Athol churches left as soldiers. Azor S. Davis, leader of our choir, enlisted. It was Rev. John M. Coolidge, Rev. Bigelow's successor in 1862, who was our minister during those trying months.
A new parsonage at 91 Cottage Street was erected during Rev. C. L. McCurdy's pastorate at a cost of $3300, and $200 worth of furniture placed in it. The church was enlarged and painted, an excellent organ was installed, and a large, fine toned bell still in use replaced the old, badly cracked one.
Mrs. Van Cott, so well known as a successful evangelist, held a series of meetings here with good results. It was during
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Rev. A. F. Herrick's three-year pastorate in which he secured no less than eighty-eight probationers.
There is another name familiar not only to all Athol Metho- dists but to New England men and women of this faith as well -Rev. John N. Mars, a colored Methodist preacher, a powerful evangelist, and a former slave who resided here for twenty years. Though born of slave parents on June 22, 1804, he
REV. JOHN N. MARS 1804 - 1884
never felt a slave as his father and mother had escaped from bondage, or had committed "An Exodus" as he called it. In any event John Mars located in Athol before the Civil War. He enlisted here and was assigned as Chaplain of the First North Carolina (colored) Regiment. After the war he was pastor of a large negro Methodist Church in Philadelphia.
He had a considerable number of friends here. One day in March, 1874 some of them gathered at the home of Frank G. Lord at No. 488 Main Street to present him with a gold- headed cane. He retired in Athol and his negro wife having died, he married a white woman and spent the closing years of his life with her at their home, 107 Spring Street. At the age of eighty, he died on September 18, 1884.
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
When Rev. Wellen N. Richardson became pastor in 1887 he found the outlook for Methodism in Athol most discourag- ing. Not only were the congregations small but the church building was in a most dilapidated condition. The church was settling, the belfry was rotten, and the plaster was hanging from the ceiling. With heavy heart Rev. Richardson took in the situation at once and courageously made plans. The people both in the church and out of it responded nobly and so successful were his efforts that the church, repaired and renovated throughout at an expense of nearly $4000, was re- dedicated on January 25, 1888. Rev. Frederick Woods, D.D. of Boston preached the sermon. Memorial windows of English cathedral glass replaced the old windows and assembly chairs took the place of the old pews. Every part of the renovated structure was so beautiful in appearance that it brought about a new era in the church.
Forty years in the history of this church had passed when Rev. Wm. W. Baldwin came to the pulpit in 1891 in time to preach the anniversary sermon. For his text he used "I have set before thee an open door." In June of 1892 a new corner tower was erected under the direction of Contractor C. Burdick, to replace the steeple which had become unsafe. The "rooster" weathervane, put in place some thirty years before, was in- stalled atop this tower.
The longest save that of Rev. Avey, and one of the most successful pastorates in the history of the church was that of Rev. John H. Mansfield who came in 1894 and served for five years. We learned that during his pastorate in Westfield, Massachusetts, 1868-70, that town experienced the greatest revival in its history. Here in Athol a spirit of harmony and spirituality prevailed, and at the close of his ministry the church was in a very prosperous condition both spiritually and finan- cially. Church members numbered 284 and probationers 10. He had received 152 into the church, one half from probation and the other seventy-six by letter.
Extensive improvements were made in the church vestry at a cost of about $600 during the pastorate of Rev. L. P. Causey.
For only two short months in 1901 was Rev. Charles A. Shatto our pastor, when he was suddenly called by telegram to the sick bed of his father in Ohio. Mr. Caswell writes: "It was on a Monday morning that we bid him farewell as he left us on his sad journey. On the next Sunday evening, June 23rd, as we had just assembled in our prayer meeting, the startling news was brought us that Brother Shatto had died
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
suddenly that morning at the home of his father." Rev. Shatto, a most brilliant pulpit orator, was the first pastor to die while in active service as pastor of the church. In loving memory of him a memorial window was placed in the front of the building.
At the half century mark in the history of this church, a three-day celebration was of special significance and interest to Methodists in Athol and Orange as well as to those of other denominations. The program began on Sunday, December 1, 1901 at the morning service. Through the efforts of Leslie Hewitt, the auditorium was decorated with evergreen and laurel. Mrs. Florence Beebe was at the organ and the music during the entire program was under the direction of Charles H. Davis, choir leader. Widely known, Prof. M. D. Buell, then Dean of Boston University School of Theology, gave a scholarly address in which he emphasized the fact that all should let their lives count for Christ. In the evening Rev. (later Bishop) Edwin H. Hughes, long pastor of the Centre Methodist Church of Malden and one of the best speakers ever heard in town, held the close attention of these people when he spoke about "Christ is all and in all." The pastor, Rev. T. C. Cleveland, who had been appointed in September, 1901, took a humble place in the activities as he desired that "other faces shall ap- pear before you and other thoughts shall be given expression." Mr. L. B. Caswell gave the historical address and W. Scott Ward served as toastmaster.
Work began in September, 1917 on the present church building, known as the Starrett Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church on Island Street. In preparation, the old Fish black- smith shop was torn down, and the Athol Granite Building and the former Sawin Carriage Shop were removed to Fish Circle to be fitted up for tenements. When the corner stone was laid in November, all the Protestant ministers of Athol participated in these exercises as well as Roy N. Berry, Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. and Mr. L. S. Starrett, the major contributor to the enterprise. Rev. C. Oscar Ford, District Superintendent, pre- sided and the address was given by Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes, who had so acceptably preached the 50th anniversary sermon.
Little more than a year after the work started, the new building was dedicated on December 15, 1918. Again Dr. Ford was with us to preach the morning sermon. Bishop John W. Hamilton of Washington, D. C. gave the dedicatory sermon, and in the evening the sermon was delivered by Rev. James M. Gage, once of this church, a native son of Athol. This beautiful church building which cost considerably more than $100,000
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
to erect is in memory of the wife of Mr. L. S. Starrett, who himself died on April 23, 1922 within a few days of being eighty-six years old.
In the spring of 1919 Bishop Hamilton returned to our town as principal speaker at the New England Conference held here in April. This was a great event in the life of the church and the town as well.
The Church School which dates back to 1826 has been an important auxiliary of the church. From the beginning of its history the church has also been noted for its choir. The music has been enriched by the beautiful new organ given at the time of the fiftieth anniversary by Mr. L. S. Starrett in mem- ory of his good wife who did so much for this church.
PASTORS
Rev. W. A. Clapp
11-30-1851
1852
Appointed by Presiding Elder
Rev. Charles Heywood
1852 (few months)
Rev. John Goodwin
1852
1853
Rev. Gardner Rice
1853
1855 J
Rev. Nathaniel H. Martin
1855
1857
1 st appoint- ed by N. E. Conference®
Rev. Linus Fish
1857
1859
Rev. Wm. G. Hambleton
1859
1860
Rev. Increase B. Bigelow
1860
1862
Rev. John M. Coolidge
1862
1863
Rev. Frederick T. George
1863
1865
Rev. John Capen
1865
1866
Rev. Charles H. Hanaford
1866
1867
Rev. Charles R. Harding
1867
Supplied a few months
Rev. Wm. T. Harlow
1868
1869
Rev. C. L. McCurdy
1869
1872
Rev. John Peterson
1872
1875
Rev. A. F. Herrick
1875
1878
Rev. L. A. Bosworth
1878
1881
Rev. Wm. Full
1881
1883
Rev. A. R. Nichols
1883
1884
Rev. P. M. Vinton
1884
1887
Rev. Wellen N. Richardson
1887
1891
Rev. Wm. W. Baldwin
1891
1893
Rev. James H. Humphrey
1893
1894
Rev. John H. Mansfield
1894
1899
Rev. L. P. Causey
1899
1901
Rev. Charles A. Shatto
1901
Two months
Rev. T. C. Cleveland
1901
1906
Rev. Ralph T. Flewelling
1906
1909
Rev. Harry H. Payne
1909
1911
Rev. T. C. Cleveland
1911
1914
Rev. Charles F. Schaffer
1914
1916
Rev. Edwin V. Hinchliffe
1916
1923
Rev. Fred M. Estes
1923
1927
Rev. Wellington C. Pixler
1927
1932
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Rev. Everett E. Jackman
1932
1937
Rev. Arthur A. Pitman
1937
7-1-1939
Supply
1939
1940
Rev. Clarence F. Avey
2-1-1940 To present
St. Catherine's Catholic Church 1855
(Church of Our Lady Immaculate-1904)
Previous to 1850 there were no regular Roman Catholic services in Athol, but with the coming of the railroad several families of that faith located here. Rev. M. W. Gibson of Worcester began making regular visits about this time and soon had sufficient adherents to warrant establishing a church.
One historian says that Rev. Gibson bought the old Baptist building in 1853, but the records show that it was not deeded until 1855, when on April eighteenth of that year the Catholic Diocese purchased the property at 1782 Main Street. Here the adherents to this ancient faith worshipped for thirty years until their numbers far surpassed the capacity of the building.
Rev. Fr. Bannon used to come to Athol frequently to hold services before closing his pastorate in Otter River. Following him were Reverends William Orr, two by the name of Mc- Manas, R. J. Donovan, and Robert Welch. Rev. Joseph Coyne for several years held services three times each month until 1882 when Athol became a parish and Rev. Edward F. Martin was appointed as the first resident priest. Born in Barre, Massa- chusetts, Rev. Martin was a veteran of the Civil War before entering St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York where he was ordained.
These people worshipped in the Town Hall temporarily until acquiring the Drury Park lot where they began to build at the corner of Park Avenue and Allen Street in 1884. Cramped for funds, they built only the basement, roofed it over, and occupied this incompleted building for years, holding the first service there on March 9, 1884.
In 1885 Father Martin built a rectory soon after the base- ment of the new church was erected. After removing to School Street, they exchanged with Judge Field who took over the rectory only, and they, in turn, took over for a rectory Field's house which he built in 1869 at 192 School Street.
Soon after this the town acquired the west half of the Drury Park and built thereon the Riverbend School. Subsequently the
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
town bought for $4000 the remaining part of the east half of the Catholic Church and the Field House, thus bringing it all into the ownership of the town. The Ellen Bigelow School now stands where the old basement of the Catholic Church stood.
Eventually the church abandoned its former plans of further construction on the basement and on Sunday, October 9, 1904 the corner stone was laid for its present Church of Our Lady Immaculate on the new School Street site. Rev. D. F. Feehan of Fitchburg, a native son of Athol, gave the address.
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PRESENT CATHOLIC CHURCH CHURCH OF OUR LADY IMMACULATE
In recent years this church has broadened its activities ma- terially. It purchased the Frank Starrett House at 925 Main Street where the Sisters of Mercy have been located since 1847. Later it acquired the C. M. Sears house adjoining this property on the west designating the renovated dwelling the House of the Queen of Peace. There a Boy Scout Troop meets organized in 1950. In 1952 both the Catholic Women's League and the Holy Name Society were organized.
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS
Rev. Edward F. Martin
1882 9-6-1903
Rev. James J. Howard
1903
1916
Rev. Michael J. Curran, D.D.
1916
1941
Rev. James P. Costello
1941
1950
Rev. Francis J. Warburton
3-1950
To present
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Adoni Shomo Corporation * 1861-1898
In the years following the mid-way period of the nineteenth .century there gathered together over New England a consid- erable number of groups holding religious views quite in var- iance with those taught by the established church of Massa- ·chusetts.
One of these was a company which came together on the Fuller Farm at 1847 Pleasant Street, eventually becoming in 1876 the property of this Adoni Shomo Corporation. These people had either participated in or been strongly influenced by the Millerism excitement of a third of a century before. Their leader, Mr. Leonard C. Fuller, had advised them that he had several revelations of special truths which had come to him, and they willingly followed his leadership. Gathering more adherents to themselves, their wants outgrew the capacity .of the Fuller Farm and they removed to the northerly part of Petersham where they purchased in 1864 the John Sanderson Farm, which in 1845, after Mr. Sanderson's death, had been deeded to William Mann, 2nd, and by him to Peter Moore and Chandler Wetherbee. By these latter it was conveyed to the Community of Fullerites. Here they erected a large three- : story mansard-roofed dwelling, a community house, and other buildings necessary for the operation of a large farm. Here they practiced their peculiar faith for over thirty-years.
At different times one F. T. Howland of New Bedford and John C. Howe were accepted as the leaders of the community. All adherents were expected to turn into the common treasury all of their earthly possessions, and they lived and labored to- gether as one family with one common object in view. They were sure that many revelations came to them and that there were many answers to their prayers.
The men industriously carried on the farm which yielded bounteously and the women spun and wove, and produced dairy products, butter and cheese and the like, all of which found ready market in Petersham and adjoining towns. One . of their very lucrative products was the making of wine from elderberry, grapes, and other fruits. This was sold for strictly · medicinal or curative purposes to a large clientele. Their un- fermented wine was in demand for communion services in strictly temperance churches.
* Being translated: Adoni-Adoration; Shomo-Revelation.
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
They did not escape the brunt of scandal. There was even criminal charges against some of the members for immoral conduct. But regardless of all this they carried on and pros- pered for a goodly number of years.
One revelation decreed the style of bonnets which the women should wear and they were ever after arrayed in the peculiar headdress which was prescribed by that disclosure.
But a new generation was not attracted to the rigorous con- fining life of these people, and the ranks were slowly depleted. The last leader of the group was one Asa F. Richards, a Civil War veteran and a man of rather strong personality. Some men in advanced years today remember going to the farm to buy a bottle of wine, of course for the benefit of a sick mother, when Mr. Richards would urge upon him instead of the one bottle which he had intended to buy, one or two extra bottles to be sure that he would have enough so that the sick mother would surely recover.
Eventually a liquidation of the institution was inevitable. Their tenets did not seem to provide for any such emergency and it was a problem to know how their affairs should be closed. The final determination of proper procedure was to petition them into bankruptcy which was done in 1898, with Roswell L. Doane of Athol appointed as assignee. The few remaining members found homes with their freinds and relatives, and Mr. Doane made an auction of their entire effects. Those ac- quainted with usual bankruptcy procedure and know the small percentage that the average bankruptcy case yields for cred- itors can understand the novelty of the statement that this liquidation of the affairs yielded something like 110% of all liabilities and expenses. The courts decreed that the small surplus should be paid over pro rata to the living members and thus the incident was closed.
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