History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 123

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 123

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Under the lead of Rev. Mr. Obear, on May 13, 1885, " The Belmont Union Church " was organized with eight members. It was organized, as its name indicates, as a strictly undenominational, though evangelical, church, and this in honest fulfillment of pledges made to the donor of the land, and vir- tually also to all the donors of money. Mr. Obear labored successfully with this society and church for three years. During this period thirty-six persons were added to the eight original members of the church, a large portion of whom united by confession of Christ, making a total of forty-four members.

The church and society then invited Rev. John E. Wheeler to serve as pastor one year. He entered upon his duties November 1, 1887, and labored about nine months. During this time nine persons united with the church, five of them by confession of Christ. The members of the Sabbath school numbered nearly 200.

In July, 1888, a warrant was posted for a meeting of the society to be holden on the 24th of that month. The second article in the warrant was as follows : " To hear a proposition from the Methodist Episcopal, Church in Malden, and to take such action on the same as may be deemed advisable." The society ae- cordingly met July 24th, and, after the meeting was organized, voted to hear the propositions sent from the Methodist Episcopal Church in Makten. It was presented in writing and was in substance, that, "The Belmont Christian Union Society shall sell or convey to Trustees of the Belmont Methodist Episcopal Church

when organized " all the property real and personal " of said Union Society, and that the said Trustees of the Belmont Methodist Episcopal Church will, in such case, assume the mortgage outstanding on said real estate, and also all the floating debts of said Union Society, amounting to about $1000. It was also added : "This proposition is upon the under- standing that Mr. John P. Russell will release to the said Trustees of the Belmont Methodist Episcopal Church all right and title and interest he may have at law or equity by reason of the conditions con- tained in his deed of said real estate to the Union So- ciety, dated June 29, 1882."

After hearing this proposition read, the Union So- ciety, in violation of one of its own "Standing Rules," and also of its solemn contract and promise to remain forever a Union Society, upon the basis of which contract and promise money had been raised to build a chapel, voted-though not unanimously-" to anth- orize the selling or conveying of all the real and personal property " in its possession to the trustees of the Belmont Methodist Church, " whenever such Board of Trustees shall be organized." It was under- stood that Mr. Russell had given his assent to this. arrangement. Whether the questions of his legal right to authorize such a transaction, and of the legal- ity and morality of all these proceedings, were prop- erly considered, the records of the society do not in- form us. The presiding elder, however, was present, and read to the meeting the written proposition from the Centre Methodist Episcopal Church.

Two days later, or on July 26, 1888, some thirty members of the Belmont Union Church met at the chapel. No public notice of the meeting had been given. A minority of some eighteen or twenty mem- bers had no knowledge that such a meeting was to be held. The thirty members thus assembled voted to give to themselves letters of dismission from the Bel- mont Union Church, and recommendation to the Belmont Methodist Episcopal Church, soon to be con- stituted. They then voted to authorize the clerk of the Union Church to give letters of dismission and recom- mendation to such absent members as should desire him to do so. These thirty persons were then and there constituted and declared to be by the presiding elder, who had been present through all the proceed- ings, a Methodist Episcopal Church. The pastor ot the Centre Methodist Episcopal Church-the Rev. Willis P. Odell-was also present, and was declared by the presiding elder to be the pastor of the new church. Such was the origin, according to the records and the testimony of competent witnesses, of the Bel- mont Methodist Episcopal Church in Malden. No comment is needed.

The Belmont Union Church never by vote declared its own dissolution, and therefore still exists as a true Church of Christ, with all the rights, liberties and possessions which belonged to it at the time when thirty of its members thus left it. The fact that this

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church does not at present maintain public religious services does not render it non-existent.

The second and present pastor of the Belmont Methodist Church is Rev. Oliver W. Hutchinson. He began his labors September 15, 1888. The church was organized with thirty members and a Sabbath-school with 130 members. The church now (1890) has eighty- six members, and the Sabbath-school about 250. The chapel has been moved to a larger lot on the corner of Boston and Fairmont Streets, and has been en- larged, the whole at an expense of about $3000. The entire property is now valued at about $6000. "The church is entirely free from debt. The congregation and Sunday-school constantly grow. The people feel encouraged; they believe they are laying the foundation of a large and prosperous church."

THE FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH AND FIRST PARISHI .- Some account of the origin of this church on May 22, 1828, of its connection with the First Parish, and of the installation, July 30, 1828, of its first minister, Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, has already been given. Mr. Cobb continued in office until August 28, 1837, when the parish accepted his resignation. His successor was Rev. J. G. Adams, of Claremont, N. H., who was installed February 28, 1838. The Universa- list Church the same year, or ten years after its organization, under the ministry of Mr. Adams through its Deacons, Artemus Cutter and Abraham T. Neally, made a formal demand upon Silas Sargent, deacon of the First Church, for "all the property" then " in his possession belonging to the First Church of Christ in Malden." The property referred to in- cluded the communion service and probably a small trust fund. Deacon Sargent refused to surrender this property without the consent of the First Church. The Universalist Church then began a suit at law against Deacon Sargent, and the case was brought be- fore the Supreme Judicial Court. But representa- tives of the two Churches, after two meetings for conference, both parties being desirous of avoiding the vexation and expense of litigation, on October 25, 1839, signed an agreement according to which the Universalist Church was to withdraw the snit at law then pending before the Supreme Court, and forever waive its claim to the property in dispute, yet without admission that that claim was unfounded or unjust, and the First Church was to pay to the Universalist Church one hundred dollars, yet without "at all admitting that their claim to the property in dispute is or can be invalidated." This agreement was ratified by the two churches.

It is worthy of record that in subsequent years the two pastors of these churches, McClure and Adams, united heartily in promoting temperance, and in other labors for the welfare of the town. " Antago- nistic," says Mr. Corey, " as they were in their re- ligious beliefs, with the memories of the recent con- flicts of their societies still alive, they stood shoulder

to shoulder and hand in hand in the many reforms which they instituted or promoted, and cemented a friendship which time did not destroy, which is still green in the heart of the surviver, and which may make more joyous the meeting on the shores of life."

Mr. Adams' ministry with the Universalists con- tinued fifteen years. His resignation was accepted by the parish with much reluctance, Feb. 2, 1853 ; the members of the Parish at the same time putting on record expressions of their high esteem and warm affection for him as their pastor and friend.

The next minister of this people was Rev. D. I'. Livermore, who was installed Dec. 18, 1853. After a ministry of nearly two years his resignation was reluctantly accepted, to take effect Nov. 1, 1855. His successor was Rev. W. C. Brooks, who probably was installed in September of 1856. He resigned Dec. 31, 1857, and the dissolution of the pastoral relation took place April 1, 1858. He was followed by Rev. Thomas J. Greenwood, who " entered on his labors as pastor of the First Parish, May 2, 1858." He labored in the pastoral office with marked fidel- ity for five years, bringing an unusually large num- ber of persons into the church. Yet his official relation was terminated by the parish in August, 1863. His successor was Rev. Thomas Gorman, who accepted a call, and entered upon his duties, but after a few months' labor, resigned the pastorate.

Rev. J. F. Powers was the next minister. Ile began work on the first Sunday in April, 1866; and, after a pastorate of five years and seven months, re- signed on account of exhaustion from overwork, preaching his last sermon on the third Sabbath in October 1871. Rev. William S. Bell was then invited to become the pastor. He was installed in October, 1872, but as early as March 10, 1873, the parish voted to accept his resignation.

The parish next called to the pastorate Rev. Wil- liam H. Ryder, of Arlington, who began labor July 1, 1873, but was not installed in his office until Oct. 5th of that year. Mr. Ryder, by his eloquence in the pulpit, and by his efficiency and popularity as a minister, largely promoted the prosperity of the church and parish. After serving in this posi- tion about nine years, he received a flattering call to become the pastor of the Universalist Society in Cincinnati, Ohio, and accepted the call. Upon his resignation, his pastoral relation to his people in Malden was dissolved July 15, 1882. A series of resolutions expressive of deep regret at parting with him, and of sincere esteem and gratitude, were unau- imously adopted by the parish.

Rev. G. F. Babbitt was called to be the successor of Mr. Ryder, and was installed Feb. 29, 188.1. After some two years of service, not being able longer to believe in the distinctive doctrines of Universalism, and having accepted the evangelical faith as held by the Baptist denomination, he resigned his pastorate and was dismissed May 1, 1886, and is now success-

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fully laboring as the pastor of a Baptist Church in Westboro', Massachusetts.

The present pastor is Rev. W. F. Dusseault, who was called from Marlboro', Mass., and was installed May 5, 1887. Mr. Dusseault is the eleventh pastor of the Universalist Church and Parish in Malden.

It is worthy of notice that there appears to be but one record of any action on the part of this church in calling or dismissing a minister. The parish ap- pears to have assumed the entire authority and re- sponsibility in every instance-save in the settlement of Mr. Cobb-of electing and dismissing the chief officer of the church.

The brick meeting-house, built by an orthodox church and parish in 1802, is now occupied by the Universalist Church and Parish. The house, how- ever, has been repeatedly remodeled and renovated. The change in its structure was made in 1836, during the ministry of Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, when the build- ing was " divided into two stories, the upper being used for public worship and the lower containing a large hall and other rooms for public purposes." This ancient meeting-house has been well preserved by the First Parish. It "seems," as Mr. Corey justly re- marks, " to bear an ever-present air of youth."

THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEP- TION .- The following sketch of the history of this church is taken, in an abbreviated form, mainly from an elaborate and interesting historical article pub- lished in the Sacred Heart Review, July 12, 1890.

Malden had existed as an incorporated town two hundred and four years before any Roman Catholic Church was established within its limits. Previous to 1853 the few Catholics in Malden were obliged to hear Mass in adjoining towns. But during that year Rev. John Ryan was appointed the first Roman Catholic pastor in Malden, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Fitz- patrick. His pastoral care, however, was not con- fined to Maklen, but extended over Medford, Melrose, Wakefield, Stoneham, Winchester and Everett. The Review presents as follows the early history of Catholicism in Malden :

" The first Mass was celebrated in Green's Hall, now known as Dowl- Ing's Block, corner of Plensant and Middlesex Streets. There were about 200 Catholics assembled on that occasion. The Sundny-school in the beginning numbered about sixty children. For some time Father Ryan residled with a parishioner on Jackson Street, then purchased the house which is now the convent. In this dwelling the Holy Sacrifice was offered until the basement chujul of the church was ready for divine service. Among the prominent parishioners of early days inny be men . tioned Denis Grimes, in whose house Father Ryan resided ; John Raf- ferty, Arst sexton ; and John James Mahoney, who had been American Consul to Algiers; in passing we may may that the beautiful residence and grounds now occupied by Mr. Dutton, of the firm of Houghton & Duttoni, of Boston, was in those days the home of Mr. Mahoney.

" The progres of the church was extraordinary, not withstanding the fart that Mulden, like many another city, held within its boundaries a fow desperadoes whose threats and deeste proved them valldly entitled to the namo in which they gloried, 'Know-nothings,' and made them aliens, Iwerd, to the great lundy of enlightened Americans.

" Within one year the fow Catholics in Malden purchased a lot of land for u church on Sommer Street, ind the Catholles of Medford,

equally zealous, purchased a lot in Medford. But it was found that their united strength was necessary and the land was seld, and the Catholics of both places united and purchased the present site, between Medford and Malden, and built a church thereon. This wasie 1854, the year ever memorable as that which saw proclaimed the degma of the Immaculate Conception, in honor of which the newly-erected chorch was named. The first Mass was offered there on Christmas day. As it first stood the little church accommodated three or four hundred peo- pie.

"Father Mcshane succeeded Father Ryan; Father Scully labored there as pastor later on ; Father Glensen became pastor in 1868. During his pastorate the church was twice enlarged, a parochial residence sed a school-house boilt, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame infreduced into the diocese -the former parochial residence becoming their coa- vent."

In 1884 Rev. M. F. Flatley was appointed pastor of the parish in Malden, and is now its permanent rector. At that time Wakefield, which, at first, was a mission attended from Malden, had a parish, and Father Flatley had been its first pastor. Winchester had been set off with Woburn and Everett with Chel- sea. Stoneham had a distinct Catholic parish, with a mission in Melrose, and there was a separate parish in Medford.

"Father Flatley was born in Ireland in 1843. After making his early studies there in a private classical school, he came to Anierica, gradu- ated ie 1865 from Holy t'ross College, Worcester ; received the first honors of his class, carrying off the gold medal. His theelogical studies were made in St. Mary's Semioary, Baltimore, aod there he was or- dained a priest, Dec. 28, 1868. He theo turned to the diocese of Boston, for which he had studied. It was in St. James' Chorch, Boston, ef which Father James A. Healey (new Bishep of Portland, Me.) was then pastor, that Father Flatley spent the first five years of his ministry in the holiest of callings. In June, 1873, he was sent to Wakefield."

His pastorate in Wakefield is represented to have been laborious and successful. During the business panic of 1873-78, with the co-operation of his people, he paid off a debt of $14,000. Having been trans- ferred, in 188-4, to the parish in Malden, he was made, in 1888, its first permanent rector.

"During his short pastorate here he has renovated and beautified the church, so that it will now compare faveraldy with many of the churches of the Archdiocese. He has purchased three acres ef land, known as the Coburn estate, in the east end of Malden, and there he has opened a new mission, and in the near future he will build there a church and school.

" Near the Parochial School on Highland Avenue, is another beautiful lot of land which he has secured, and will devote to parish purposes. He is about to open a new cemetery of seventeen acres which is now being laid out into Ints, With the enormous running expenses of the parish he has paid nearly $25,000 of the debt."

Father Flatley is assisted by three curates-Fathers Curran, Sullivan and Cunningham :

" Rev. F. J. Curran . . . was born in Randolph, Mass., Feb. 14, 1852. Ile made his early studies in Randolph, graduated from the High School March 10, 1871, being the first Catholic to receive a diploma. The fel- jowing September he entered St. Charles' College, Md., gradanted there- from in 1874, and in September entered St. Joseph's Seminary, Troy, N. Y. He was ordained priest Dec. 21, 1878. His first appointment was to St. Peter's, Cambridge, where he labored a year and a half, being as- signed to Malden June 8, 1880. During his ten years in this parish he has been Identified with every good work.

" Rev. D. F. Sullivan was born in Boston May 3, 1855 ; graduated from Holy Cross College, Worcester, June 2, 1876 ; entered St. Joseph's Semi- unry, Troy, N. Y., 1876; ordained priest Dec. 20, 1879. After errviog

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in Cambridgeport and Winchester two years, he was appointed to Malden Dec. 27, 1881.

"Rev. F. A. Cunningham was born in Roxbury in 1863; he graduated in Boston College in 1884. A post-graduate of 1885, he received the de- gree of B.A., went to the American College, Rome, the same year ; was ordained there in 1889. 1Ie merited the honor of writing the poem, 'America's Greeting,' upon the occasion of the golden jubilee of our IToly Father, Leo XIII."

" The Catholic Church of Malden is finely sitnated on Pleasant Street. It is built of brick, ie cruciform, has a capacity of seating 1300. The basement chapel is plain, yet very devotional. The main church is beau- tiful. The paintings are worthy of special note. . . . It was during the renovation of the church effected in the present pastorate that these paintings were added. The statue of the Sacred Heart, which stands within the sanctuary, is the most beautiful in this country. It is the very statue that took the prize at the Paris Exposition of 1×89. . . . The sanctuary ia lit by an arch of thirty gas jets ; the body of the church by sixteen upright candelabra each containing twenty-two lights. There are forty altar-boys and a sanctuary choir of forty members attached to this church."

The "School Sisters of Notre Dame " constitute a teaching order, which is distinct from that of the "Congregation of Notre Dame," and from that of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and was originally founded in France in 1598.

" The first house in Amorica was established at St. Mary's, Pennsyl- vania, io 1847, but was subsequently transferred to Baltimore, where Mother Mary Clara is Superior. Ia 1850 a house was established in Milwaukee, Mother Mary Caroline, Superior. This is the General Mother-Honse for America, and is the special head-house and novitiate for all the western houses, Baltimore being the same for the eastern province. . . . Their parochial schools are attended by 56,222 children. In academies there are 2610 pupils ; io asylums 1713 orphans. " Their firstschool in the north was opened in September, 1881, io Mal- den ; the second in Canton, 1885, Rev. John Flatley, now of St. Peter's, Cambridge, then rector ; the third in Roxbury, 1889, Redemptorist Fathers in charge."

It is reported, that in the parochial school in Mal- den-

" There are 750 pupils, boys and girls. Their ages range from five to fourteen years inclusively. The school embraces three departments-the primary, preparatory and grammar, each subdivided into two grades, each grade composed of two divisions.

" The course of study is as follows : Elementary or advanced, accord- Ing to the grade of the pupil ; Christian doctrine, embracing Catechism, HIoly Scripture and Church History ; object lessons, introducing phys- iology, botany, geology, etc. ; spelling, reading, combining elocntion ; arithmetic, mental and written ; book-keeping and algebra, geography, history, grammar, rhetoric, composition, both of lettere and essays, and natural philosophy."

It is stated in the last report of the superintendent of schools, that in the year 1889 the number of children between five and fifteen years of age in the parochial school in Malden was 605, and that the number in the public schools was 2317. The Review, from which we have so freely quoted, makes no allu- sion to our public schools, nor to the education of any children in the city, except those in the parochial school. This would have no special significance, if the Catholics in this city, as in all northern cities and towns, were not greatly indebted to our system of public schools. Many Catholics, educated in our public schools, are well aware, that neither they nor their children would have received any school education whatever, had it not been for our system of free

schools. These educated and intelligent Catholics would doubtless be much gratified if their church authorities and publications would gratefully and courteously acknowledge this large indebtedness.

We have not been able to verify the statement of the Review, that Catholicism in its early days in Malden suffered from "a few desperadoes, whose threats and deeds " "made them aliens indeed to the great body of enlightened Americans." But even if the state- ment be true, it is but fair to say, that the citizens of Malden have no sympathy with anything that tends to interfere with the fullest freedom in the worship of God.

ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- Previons to the organization of this church, another Episcopal Church, known as "Grace Church," had existed for a brief time in Malden. The following historical account of these two churches is mainly an abbreviation of written documents which have been kindly furnished by pres- ent officers of St. Paul's Church :

On Sunday, September 27, 1861, evening service, according to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church, was held by Rev. William 11. Munroe (then rector of Trinity Church, Melrose), for the first time in Malden, in a small ball on Irving Street. Even- ing services were continued in this hall until Decem- ber 1st, when a larger hall, over the Boston and Maine Depot, was secured. In this hall evening ser- vices were conducted until June 1, 1862, when both morning and evening services were held. A morning service, however, was held on Christmas, 1861, on Sunday after Christmas, and on Easter Sunday, 1862. During all this time the church was dependent upon clergymen from neighboring towns to conduct the services.

On October 17. 1861, at a meeting held in the evening, the following document was presented and signed :

"The undersigned, citizens of Malden, hereby associate ourselves to- gether as a Religions Parish and Society, under the name of Grace Church, for the worship of Almighty God, in accordance with the Canons and Liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Oct 17, 1861.

"G. W. Clark, J. S. F. Cushiog, William Umbley, John P. H. Cash- iog, James Hamnett, Samuel II. Woods, Mary C. Clark, Mary P. Cox, Abbie W. Woods, J. A. Woods."

A subscription list was also made up for the support of a rector, amounting to $99.

During the first five months of 1862 a series of ser- mons on the doctrines and polity of the Episcopal Church was given in this hall, on Tuesday evenings, by Bishop Randall, Drs. Bolles and Lambert, Rev. Mr. Palmer, Dr. Wells, Rev. William R. Huntington, Rev. F. D. Huntington and Dr. John Cotton Smith.

On May 3, 1862, a petition for a warrant to call a vestry to organize Grace Church was signed. This petition was granted by B. G. Hill, justice of the peace, and a warrant was issued May 5th. The mect-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ing thus legally called was held May 12, 1862. Prayer was offered by Rev. William II. Munroe, of Melrose, J. S. F. Cushing was elected clerk, and G. W. Clark, moderator. J. S. F. ('ushing and William Embley were elected wardens. G. W. Clark, William A. Herrick, James Hammett, William Linderby and Thomas M. Kaulback were elected vestrymen. J. S. F. Cushing, S. H. Woods and G. W. Clark were elected delegates to represent the church, and to ask its admission to the Diocesan Convention to be held in Boston, June 4, 1862.

From the number of votes cast it would appear that ten persons were present at this meeting. The Rev. Joseph Kidder officiated as rector from May to October of 1862, giving his services as a labor of love. December 30th the Rev. Dexter Potter was invited to become the rector of Grace Church. He accepted the invitation and remained with the church until February 3, 1864. During this period the church and congregation appear to have been quite small, as on November 3, 1863, the number of communicants in the church was twenty, and the number of Sab- bath-school scholars from thirty-five to forty.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 123

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278