USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > New Marlborough > History of New Marlborough : 1735-1944 > Part 2
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Before accepting his call, Mr. Alexander presented a "Con- stitution of Church Government" which was thoroughly Congre- gational, a Confession of Faith, and a form of Church Covenant, all of which was adopted by vote of the church, September 28, 1780. Mr. Alexander was dismissed June 28, 1782.
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The Rev. Jacob Catlin, D.D., of Harwinton, Connecticut, graduated at Yale College in 1784. He was ordained July 4th, 1787. We wish we knew why the Fourth of July was chosen for his ordination. Both the day and the year seem important. The day must have been revered then, as now, because, just elever years before, the Declaration of Independence had been signed by Massachusetts' own John Hancock, President of the Congress. The year, 1787, was that of Shays' rebellion, which means that Mr. Catlin came to town at the height of the severe depression which followed the Revolutionary war. Since Shays' rebellion was but lately over, and since the South Berkshire region had played such an important part in it, could it be that the day was purposely chosen to suggest to the new parish that Mr. Catlin was a friend to the Federalists, the party of Hamilton, Washington and Adams, rather than to those who followed Patrick Henry? Did Mr. Catlin, in other words, wish to show his disapproval of the deeds of Shays' followers?
History shows that the Congregationalists were the chief prop of the Federalist party, whereas the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians supported Patrick Henry. Shays' rebellion was merely an active manifestation of policies Patrick Henry was at- tempting to bring into being by legal methods. The clash of the Sheffield and Great Barrington volunteers with Shays' insurgents near South Egremont had stirred up much trouble. The minister of the Congregational church in Egremont openly sided with the Federalists. His parishioners included many of the soldiers of the Revolution whose notes were so greatly devalued. These men were among Shays' followers. As a result the minister at Egre- mont was dismissed, as was also the minister at Alford. The church at Egremont remained destitute of a pastor for the next thirty years, feeling ran so high. So Mr. Catlin came to his parish at a touchy time. Perhaps he wished to identify himself with the forces of law and order (the Federalists) and chose to do so at a moment when the upsurge of patriotism resulting from the cele- bration of the Declaration of Independence would give him the best chance of doing so with the least resentment from his parishioners.
It has been written of Doctor Catlin that "his characteristics were industry, patience, frankness, meekness, and that his
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intellect was adapted to reasoning and investigation rather than to description. His religious views were Calvinistic. He preached on 'doctrines of grace' with much success." We are inclined to think that the writer should have added that the doctor was a smart, practical psychologist, in view of his choice of the Fourth of July for his ordination. The quotation continues: "Dr. Catlin published a work on Theology entitled Catlin's Compendium, which does honor to his understanding and to his heart. During his ministry 250 persons were added to the church."
One of Dr. Catlin's first acts was to prepare another creed and covenant which were adopted in place of those presented by his predecessor. He remained the pastor thirty-nine years, until his death, April 12, 1826. During his ministry the first United States Congress met in New York; the French Revolution was fought; Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Adams had served as Presidents; Ethan Allen had probably been to New Marlborough to visit his first-cousin of the same name; Paul Revere had formed Cincinnatus Lodge of the Masonic order; Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had fought a duel; the second United States war with Great Britain had been fought; the first American steamboat had crossed the Atlantic. Those were famous times.
The Rev. Harley Goodwin had been ordained as a colleague of Dr. Catlin, January 4, 1826. At the death of Dr. Catlin, Mr. Goodwin became the pastor. Mr. Goodwin wrote the first his- tory of New Marlborough, for which the present author is greatly in his debt. During his ministry 61 persons were admitted to the Church. He remained pastor eleven years and was dismissed July 5, 1837.
Other pastors have been Rev. Chester Fitch, Rev. Richard T. Searle, Rev. C. C. Painter, Rev. S. Gale who was dismissed in 1879. From that time until June, 1884, the pulpit was supplied by Principal S. T. Frost of the South Berkshire Institute.
We are indebted to Mr. John Searle, now living in Norfolk, Conn., for this interesting sketch of his grandfather, Rev. Rich- ard Thurston Searle, born April 2, 1814, died June 30, 1880. He was the son of Stephen and Mary Jewett Searle of Rowley, Mass. He graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, in 1832; from Union College in 1836; from Andover Theological Seminary
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about 1838. On December 22, 1847, he married Emily A. Put- nam, the daughter of Col. Jesse and Elizabeth Merian Put- nam. Rev. and Mrs. Searle had three children: Walter Jewett, February 10, 1851; Charles Putnam, July 21, 1854; Alonzo Thurston, September 13, 1856. The above-mentioned Charles Searle was a trustee of the New Marlborough cemetery, and was the father of John.
The church records indicate that the pulpit was "supplied" by various preachers between 1884 and 1893, at which time Rev. A. W. Field began preaching regularly, but it does not appear that he was ever "settled" as minister. In 1898 Rev. E. C. Gil- lette became the pastor and served until 1902. He was followed by W. E. Streeter. In 1907 the church was being "supplied" again.
In December 28, 1910, the New Marlborough church be- came incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts, under the name of "The First Congregational Church of New Marlborough, Mass." As there was a tie vote, the deciding vote for incorpor- ation was cast by the moderator, Mr. Henry P. Comstock. Since that time pastors have been Rev. Lewis J. Spooner who resigned in 1913; Rev. Asa Stanley Goodrich, 1915; Rev. M. J. B. Fuller, 1919; Rev. Ralph B. Edwards, 1919-1934; Rev. Clarence Carr, - 1935-1943. Here are appended a list of the names of some of the early deacons of the New Marlborough Church:
Nathaniel Harmon, elected December, 1749, re- moved to Bennington, Vt .; Seth Strong, elected June, 1756, removed to Egremont; Jesse Taylor, elected about 1761, died November, 1782; Caleb white, elected May, 1772, died January, 1815; Ephraim Guiteau, elected May, 1772, removed to Norfolk, Conn .; Samuel Sheldon, elected 1780; Artemus Brigham, elected 1797; Ezra Knapp, elected 1799; Abner Hitchcock, elected 1806; Seth Sheldon, elected 1808; Zenas Wheeler, elected 1812; David Walker, elected 1817; Nathan Chapin, el- ected 1826; Moses Shepard, elected 1827.
The first meeting-house was erected in 1743, nearly on the ground where the present "North Meeting-house" stands. The expense of building was defrayed by the Proprietors of the town- ship. The second meeting-house, which is the present New Marlborough village church building, was built in 1793. (If anyone reading this report can provide information as to the
NEW MARLBOROUGH CHURCH ALTAR "One Pillar for each Apostle"
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architect and builder, the present writer will be very grateful.)
When it came to the choice of a location for the second meeting-house, a great deal of dissension arose. The town had grown since the establishment of the first building, and for many it was a long trip to church. The Howes lived near "East Indies" pond. The Smiths and the Keyes lived on the Connecticut line. These and other families wanted the church to be located in the center of the township. A vote on the subject resulted in the de- cision to build the second meeting-house on its original location. Disgruntled members living in the southerly part of the town im- mediately asked to be allowed to form a second society of their own. The Southfield parish was organized April 25, 1794. By action of the General Court the town was divided by a geograph- ical line, running East and West, into two parishes as nearly equal as possible in territorial extent. According to an early writer, "the first parish meeting was held April 28, 1794, in the new meeting-house, which, in their zeal they had completed and com- menced to occupy before the meeting-house in the North Parish, whose location had so displeased them, was finished." The church was organized by a council, April 25, 1794, with 21 members.
Of the formation of this South Parish church, Mary S. (Haw- ley) Rhoades wrote: "The Colony (town of New Marlborough) grew until the first meeting-house was not large enough. All legal voters, by whatsoever name or creed, were taxed for the sup- port of the established church. With rare exception all were church-going people, so that it meant a hardship for those in the south part of the town to go, sometimes four to six miles, to church." The quotation continues: "When, in 1793, it was de- cided to rebuild at New Marlborough Center, the people of the south part of the town started a subscription paper for a meeting- house of their own. A force of strong, stalwart men surprised the people of the north section by passing through their village with twenty ox-teams on their way to Dry Hill to quarry stone for the foundation of another house of worship."
Although some early records were lost, yet the First Church had this record: "April 20, 1794, Sabbath. The church was called to attend a petition from John Gillette, Bazaleel Rice and wife, Nathan Smith and wife, Amost Smith and wife, Ebenezer Smith, Joseph Fitch and wife, Reuben Bryan and wife, Nathan Butler
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HISTORY OF NEW MARLBOROUGH
and wife, Elizabeth Harmon, Esther Ward, Miriam Beeman, Reuben Clark and wife, Gideon Canfield and. wife, Phineas Nor- ton and wife, Elsee Butler, Lorein Ward; said petition being that the church would recommend them to be formed into a distinct church in the South Parish and that on condition of their forming on the Gospel plan, they might be dismissed from their particular relations to this church. Voted: to grant their petition. Attest, Jacob Catlin."
Mrs. Rhoades' account proceeds: "Until recent years every Congregational church had its Ecclesiastical Society which held the property and transacted all business. The warrant for the first meeting of South Parish was dated April 18, 1794, and below is the first clause of the warrant:
'Whereas, the General Court of the Commonwealth, at their sessions in the month of February, last, did pass an act that the Southerly part of the town of New Marl- boro should be set off as a separate parish, to be called South Parish in the Town of New Marlborough, and in said act authorizing me, the subscriber, to issue a war- rant to call a parish meeting to choose parish officers and transact, in said meeting, any business which shall be found necessary, according to law, Therefore to Major Jedidiah Ward, Greeting.
"At the first meeting, Phineas Norton, Dr. Benjamin Smith and Elihu Ward were appointed a committee for taking subscrip- tions for a permanent fund for the support of orthodox ministers. There are the names on record of 82 persons who gave notes to the Society for this purpose to the amount of 800 pounds, an average of nearly ten pounds each, or roughly, fifty dollars per person," writes Mrs. Rhoades.
Another vote was "that Ralph Ward be the person to keep the key, sweep the meeting-house and dig the graves in the bury- ing-ground near Mr. Lovett Taft's place. Walter Deane was elected Clerk."
Twenty-one members of the North Church made up this first organization. With the coming of Mr. Stevens, first minister, eight more persons from the North Church joined the South Church.
The Reverend John Stevens was a native of Danbury, Conn., and a graduate of Yale College, 1779. He was installed October
THE SOUTHFIELD CHURCH
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22, 1794. He had previously settled in Chatham, N. Y. He died January 6, 1799, aged forty-eight. During his last illness he wrote an address to his people and delivered it to the Rev. Dr. Catlin, pastor of the North Church, to be read at his funeral. It is said `that the effect of this reading was deep and solemn. He received eight persons into the church during his ministry. In the inter- val between his death and the ordination of his successor nineteen persons were received to the communion.
On July 10th, the same year, Rev. Nathaniel Turner was called as pastor. The Society voted to give him seventy pounds a year. He continued in the pastor relation until he died, May 25, 1812. During his pastorate a strong effort was made to divide the town, but proved unsuccessful. The Rev. Harley Goodwin of the North Church wrote of Mr. Turner that "he was cheerful, sociable, prompt, active, uncommonly easy of utterance and pre- pared, as by intuition, for all occasions. Few of his sermons were written but many are graven on the memories, and some of them on the hearts, of those who heard them." He admitted 52 to the church.
Nathaniel Turner had two brothers, Bates and Isaac. Bates Turner started the first law school in Vermont. Once when the Rev. Nathaniel Turner was visiting his brother in Vermont they started crossing Lake Champlain in a small boat. Suddenly a storm came up. Bates Turner noticed that his brother seemed frightened. To calm him he said, "You have nothing to be wor- ried about. If we capsize you will surely go to Heaven." "Yes, I know," replied the Rev. Nathaniel, "but I don't want to go by water."
Mr. Turner's house, built probably in 1799, is owned by his great, great grand-nephew and is the second house north of the Turner & Cook factory in Southfield. The old iron knocker and great hinges and latch on the front door are very interesting. Most of the H and L hinges still remain on the doors. In places some of the original chair-rails are still in place.
Because his salary was meagre, Mr. Turner taught school. Three different authorities apply the adjective "ready" to him. Mr. Turner was twice sent to Vermont by the Berkshire and Co- lumbia Missionary Society as a Home Missionary.
At its annual meeting, the General Association of Massachu-
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HISTORY OF NEW MARLBOROUGH
setts, convened at Bradford, June 29, 1810, organized the Ameri- can Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and appointed the Rev. Nathaniel Turner to preach the sermon at this meeting.
It was at New Marlborough that Paul Revere organized the Cincinnatus Lodge of the Order of Masons. [See footnote 11.] The Rev. Mr. Turner had the honor of delivering their anniver- sary discourse on St. John's Day.
The Rev. Nathaniel Turner was a graduate of Williams Col- lege, class of 1798. Since the college was founded, or at least started classes, in 1791, it seems reasonable to believe that Mr. Turner may have been its first representative as a preacher and pastor in Southern Berkshire.
After the death of Mr. Turner, the Rev. Sylvester Burt was settled on a salary of four hundred and fifty dollars. You will notice the change from pounds to dollars. Nothing occurred to disturb the harmony between pastor and people, until Mr. Burt, feeling he could be more useful in another field, asked for a dis- missal, which was granted December 31, 1822. He had been pastor nine years and eight months.
The pulpit was supplied till the settlement of Rev. Alvin Somers, who was installed January 11, 1825. He was pastor three years, dismissed May 26, 1828. After an interval of one and a half years, Rev. Erastus Clapp was settled, October 15, 1829, and continued for four and a half years.
On March 13, 1829, it was "voted, that there may be annexed a steeple and bell to the meeting-house if done by subscription." The following year the steeple and bell were added. Mr. James Cook, grandfather of Palmer J. Cook, stated that the steeple was built on the ground and raised up through the box-like structure which supports it.
Rev. Thomas Fletcher next occupied the pulpit, hired by the year at four hundred dollars. He was discharged in March, 1836. The church was without a pastor until March, 1838, when the Rev. Samuel Utley was installed. For nine years he ministered to the people. He was dismissed January 8, 1847. The Rev. Mr. Lombard took his place June 14, 1849. Mr. Lombard lived in the house now owned by Miss Katherine Sheeran. He gave much time to revising the records and printed the list of mem- bers.
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HISTORY OF NEW MARLBOROUGH
During the interval between the settlement of Mr. Lombard and the dismissal of Mr. Utley the meeting-house was thoroughly repaired. The "high pulpit," the suspended sounding-board and the side galleries were removed, the ancient high-backed pews were exchanged for slips, and the old, antiquated, box-stove, which had stood for nineteen years raised in the air above the pews, was thrown aside. At the same time that the side galleries were taken down, the rear gallery, where the choir sat, was sealed off from the main part of the church. (And wouldn't we like to have those things back as they were!)
Mr. Lombard, after eleven years of faithful work, was dis- missed March 30, 1860. The following year Rev. Irem W. Smith was settled on a salary of five hundred dollars a year, and the use of a parsonage. The records, March 6th, 1861, show the follow- ing: "Voted, to choose a committee of three to circulate a sub- scription paper to raise funds to build a parsonage, and also to furnish a place for the pastor while one is being built."
Mr. Smith remained till the spring of 1866. During his pas- torate occurred the War of the Rebellion. Many young men of this parish enlisted in the service of the government. Writes Mr. Ellis: "Some lost their lives in the service, willingly sacrificed in defense of their country. Some returned and we hailed their return with joy, but disease, contracted in their army life, had fastened upon them and in a few weeks they passed away. Some lived to see the triumphant issue of the war, the re-establishment of the Union, the abolition of slavery and peace and good-will prevail, and are here present today." [See footnote 6.]
Rev. Thomas Crowther was hired for one year at a salary of seven hundred dollars and the use of the parsonage. This was later raised to eight hundred dollars a year. He was also granted "four Sabbaths a year for relaxation and other purposes." (Look- ing back to the "three sessions a day; morning, afternoon and evening," of a hundred years previous, these new innovations seem quite startling.) In 1869 his salary was increased to one thousand dollars. The next year we find in the record that the society voted "that the Second Congregational Society in New Marlborough do vote to accept the meeting-house now building in Mill River, as their place of worship, when completed and fur- nished to us free from all incumbrances." This vote was subse-
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quently reconsidered. For his part in bringing about the above vote, Mr. Crowther was dismissed. He and the western part of the town formed a new society in Mill River. [See footnote 9.] After Mr. Crowther left, the Rev. Samuel F. Free was pastor from February 4, 1873, to May 13, 1879.
In the early days of the church, during a very serious drought, services were held to pray for rain. A great crowd gath- ered in the church, jamming not only the nave but the side gal- leries and rear gallery as well. In the middle of the service thunder was heard, and soon the heavens poured out the stored- up deluge. But only one man went home in triumph and justi- fied faith. Deacon Nathan Butler, who lived just east of "Sun- set Rock," of all that throng, was the only person who had brought an umbrella!
Mr. L. B. Scott, a young Methodist minister of Hartsville, supplied the pulpit for two years. The Southfield Congrega- tional "Young People's Meeting" was organized by Mrs. L. B. Scott during the pastorate of her husband (1883-1885) and later became the Y. P. S. C. E. This "Christian Endeavor" group continued unbroken through the years until 1907. Since that time a lack of young people in the community has made this group somewhat sporadic. Then Mr. Frank Nule, a Congre- gationalist, preached for another two years. These were fol- lowed by Rev. William Woodwell for one year, and the Rev. Mr. Sleep of Hartsville, Methodist, who, after five years of faith- ful service, exactly rounded out the first hundred years of the church.
Fifty years ago, Deacon William Ellis wrote a church history for the hundredth anniversary of the Southfield Church. At that time he drew a picture of the village of Southfield as it had been fifty years previous, i. e., in 1844, one hundred years ago. Wrote Deacon Ellis: "Some of us can remember South Parish as it was in 1844. Rev. Samuel Utley is pastor; Augustus Turner, attor- ney; Steven Sage, merchant; Doctor Tremaine, who, when the roads were badly drifted, shouldered his saddle-bags, put on his snow-shoes, and took a bee-line to visit his patients in the remote parts of the town. Commencing at the north end of the village, we find John Norton, clothier, sawyer and manufacturer of satin- ette; Deacon Gideon Canfield, brick-maker; Daniel Shepard and
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son, Frank, wagon makers; Reuben Pettis, hatter; Miner Loring, blacksmith; Joseph Foskit, cooper; Henry Whitman, shoemaker; Star Brush, tailor; Captain Adam Kasson, wheelwright; Phineas Pettis, carpenter; and a soap and candle manufactory where the parsonage now stands. When this church was erected, and for thirty years afterwards, there was no chimney, no steeple, no bell, nor any adornments whatever. Cushions and carpets were un- known in country churches. All the material used for light and illuminating purposes was the tallow candle.
"The pastors then preached two sermons on the Sabbath and usually held a third service in some part of the parish in the even- ing, besides preparatory lecture once in two months. I do not learn that they had a vacation or any time for relaxation from their arduous duties. There were no organized Missionary So- cieties, Bible Societies, Tract Societies, Temperance Societies, or Sabbath Schools. In fact, no organized benevolent societies for humane or charitable purposes. I do not know of any restric- tions on the sale or use of alcoholic liquor. It was considered indispensible in nearly every family and was freely used in haying and harvesting, and the man was highly censured who refused to furnish spirits at raisings, weddings, bees, and so forth. Dis- tilling and trafficking were not inconsistent with a good Christian character.
"In every household were found the family Bible, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Baxter's Saint's Rest, Dodridge's Works, Watt's Divine Hymns, but the greatest educator, one that had the great- est influence in moulding the thoughts and opinions in that day, was the New England Primer and Catechism combined. It was the spelling book, reading book and catechism together, and every Christian mother felt in duty bound to instruct her children in the catechism and their duties to themselves, to their parents, to those about them and to God, and even in the district school every other Saturday afternoon, the catechism must be recited and the Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments committed to memory."
Thank you, Deacon Ellis, for that picture of the past.
The next minister, after Mr. Sleep, was the Rev. Aaron W. Field of New Marlborough. Just a hundred years from the time of their separation saw the North and South churches united
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HISTORY OF NEW MARLBOROUGH
under one pastor, but still using their two "meeting houses," source of the original separation. .
Then, in 1897, it was arranged that there should be two associate pastors for the three Congregational churches in the town. John B. Lewis and Albert. H. Plumb were the first two associate ministers, Mr. Lewis living in Mill River and Mr. Plumb at Southfield. Mr. Plumb was succeeded by Edwin C. Gillette, who remained for four years. Mr. Gillette later became State Secretary of the Florida Congregational Conference.
These men were followed by Willard E. Streeter, Arthur Clements, Garret V. Stryker, George N. Karner, E. J. Hanford, Puzant S. Levonian, Ivan Benedict, Monte Fuller, Dudley Snow- man, Ralph B. Edwards, Clarence Carr, and the present pastor, Arthur Simmons.
Mr. Dudley Snowman started the first Vacation Bible School held by the Southfield Congregational Church, with Mrs. H. K. Turner as his assistant. Without other help, they carried out a simple program. This school grew under the Rev. Ralph I. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards. Under Rev. Clarence Carr and Mrs. Carr the school grew still further, so that it was necessary to hold the sessions in the Central School building in Mill River. Dur- ing several years, trained workers from the Hartford Theological Seminary helped with this program. During Mr. Carr's pastorate a separate church service was held for the children in the Ladies' Aid Society building at the same hour as the regular church ser- vice. The children's services were in charge of Mrs. W. T. Dun- ham, with help from Mrs. Elmer Bohman and others. Many people helped as teachers in the Sunday School from time to time . but Mrs. Robert Rhoades took the greatest responsibility during most of these years. Under Mr. Carr the post of "Parish Visitor" was filled by Mrs. W. T. Dunham. Both Mrs. Dunham and Mr. Carr held many cottage prayer-meetings and worship services in the parts of the town somewhat removed from the church build- ings. Buses were employed to bring the children to Sunday School, Junior Church and to Vacation School. Mr. Carr also preached at South Sandisfield, usually before his service in New Marlborough, and turned all the money which he received for that work over towards paying the salary of our "Parish Visitor." Mr. Carr's contributions towards this work averaged about $300
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