USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 25
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 25
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That it would please God by his grace to preserve me from falling again into sin .- I remain Dear brethren your unworthy brother, but sincere in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel.
JEREMIAH GRAY."
.282
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
RECORDS OF CHURCH AT PELHAM CENTER FROM 1822 TO 1897. CALVINISTIC CHURCH ORGANIZED IN 1822.
From recently discovered records of the church at Pelham Center during the pastorate of Rev. Winthrop Bailey.
RECORD OF CHURCH MEETING APRIL 4, 1822.
At a meeting of the church, notified and held for the purpose the following measure was unanimously adopted.
" As the members of this church entertain different views of some doctrines which all regard as important ; and as some of the Members are desirous on this account of constituting a church by themselves, that they may enjoy christian ordinances in a way consistent with their own views of truth and Duty : therefore-Voted that with feelings of Friendship and Goodwill towards each other, and without aspersing or implying any censure on either part, we do now separate into two distinct and independent churches : the one to be known as the Congregational church and the other as the Calvinistic Church in Pelham, and we request so to be regarded by our sister churches ; and also the Table furniture shall be held in common and be equally for the use of both.
Attest, WINTHROP BAILEY, Moderator. A true copy of Church Records, Attest, W. BAILEY.
Pelham, April 11, 1822."
" At a meeting of certain members of the church not adhering to the change of sentiment taken place in the Rev. Winthrop Bailey " action was begun.
Letters Missive were sent out by John Rankin Jr. and William Oliver to Rev'd Messers Crosby of Enfield, Perkins of Amherst and Woodbridge of Hadley to " meet and take into view our situation, and if they think proper, to organize us into a church by the name of the Calvinstic Church in Pelham."
These letters were sent out May 21, 1822.
On the 28th of the same month the three ministers met at the house of John Rankin Jr. A statement of facts was made by the "Independent Brethren " to the above named elders, and upon the statements made to the elders, they judged it expedient to advise that a church to be known as the Calvinistic church of Pelham be organized. At 4 o'clock of the same day they proceeded to the old meeting house and organized the church agreeable to the vote. Rev. Joshua Crosby was Moderator and Rev. Nathan Perkins Scribe.
PELHAM CENTER FROM THE SOUTH.
DAISIES AMONG THE GRAVES .- OLD BURYING GROUND.
283
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
Articles of Faith and a form of Covenant were drawn up and adopted.
ORGANIZED MEMBERS OF THE CALVINISTIC CHURCH OF PELHAM.
Ebenezer Gray,
Agnes Gray,
William Oliver,
Anne Rankin,
John Rankin,
Betsey Gray,
James Rankin,
Hannah Millen,
Ezra Lee,
Mary Lee,
John Gray,
Diana Ingalls,
John Millen,
Mary Cook,
John Rankin Jr.,
Mary Dunlap,
Oliver Hamilton,
Samuel Ingalls,
John Dunlap, Levi Crafford,
Polly Rankin, Patty Crafford.
The following persons were admitted after the church was organ- ized as per dates :
June 30, 1822. Sarah Gray, Cynthia Rankin, Anna Hamilton, Betsey Hamilton.
May 18, 1823. Silas Rankin, Sally Rankin, Susanna Cowan, Margerett Thompson.
Jan. 1, 1823. Clarissa Boyden.
Nov. 6, 1825. Thankful Turner.
July 6, 1825. John Gray 2ª, William Oliver.
Oct. 28, 1827. Sylvia Hamilton, Hannah Conkey.
With the above records of admissions the history of the Calvinistic church as organized in 1822 ends.
It seems the Rev. Winthrop Bailey was charged with a " change of sentiment," by those that organized the " Calvinistic Church," which probably means that Mr. Bailey had become a Congregationalist, or more liberal in his views than was pleasing to those who took the name of Calvinists. Who preached for the Calvinistic church does not appear from the record, but it is certain that Mr. Bailey was not dismissed until 1825 and must have preached to all that were left after the organization of the Calvinistic church.
During the period from 1827 to 1837 there was a great decline in religious observances; there seems to have been no stated preaching in the old meeting house by any church organization. It was during this period that the Methodists under the preaching of Rev. John Stoddard gained a standing in the town by holding services in the old meeting house in 1831 and later.
284
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
Possibly Rev. Luther Smith and Rev. L. A. Spofford may have preached sometime previous to 1837 but no records are found.
The state of affairs, as pretaining to religious organization and observance is stated in a record of Oct. 26, 1837.
"The original Congregational and Calvinistic churches in this Place having been disbanded for years, and the regular ordinances of the Gospel not enjoyed."-
Rev. William Tyler, a relative of Prof. W. S. Tyler of Amherst, and settled at South Hadley, became interested in Pelham and was instrumental in organizing the church and society.
An ecclesiastical council was called at the house of Nathaniel Pratt at Pelham on the 25th of October, 1837 in response to letters missive from John Gray, Henry Walker, Jonathan Turner and others. Churches in Amherst, Belchertown, Prescott, and Enfield were represented by pastor and delegate. The council deemed it advisable to organize a church and the name adopted was the Evangelical Congregational church of Pelham.
Articles of faith and covenant were adopted. The following person subscribed thereto and were duly organized into a distinct church :
John Gray,
Sarah Thompson, Clarissa Boyden,
Jonathan Turner, Livia Gold,
Charlotte Eaton,
Betsey Gray,
Nancy Packard,
Hannah Conkey,
Eliza Turner, Mary Dunlap,
Francis Eaton,
Sally Kingman,
Mary Walker,
Lydia Wood,
Anne M. Kingman,
Betsey Smith,
Mary Conkey,
Mary Hayden.
After the council had organized the church,-there being no settled pastor it was proposed that a standing moderator be chosen, and Rev. Nathan Perkins of Amherst Second church was chosen, and John Gray was also chosen to act when Mr. Perkins could not be present. Rev. L. A. Spofford was acting pastor for a year or more after the organization of the church and Daniel Packard was clerk and treasurer in 1838. It was in connection with this renewed interest in religious matters at Pelham the Rev. Frederick Janes was settled. How long he preached is not known. Then the movement was made for a new church building and the work was begun in 1839, Rev. Nathan Perkins laying the corner stone. The first child baptized in the new church was Frances Atessa Eaton. From the records of the Hampshire East Association it appears that Rev. A. C. Page of Pelham was a member of that body in 1842, but there
285
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
is no record of his installation at Pelham, yet it is highly prob- able that Mr. Page was installed in 1842 or 1843, and continued in charge of the church until 1850, perhaps longer. In 1851 a new confession of faith and covenant was adopted. Rev. Samuel Wolcott was moderator at the meeting.
In 1855 Rev. Zenas Bliss was acting pastor. Rev. Mr. Witherell was preacher at one time, also Rev. Mr. Howard.
The above is nearly all there is of record concerning the church at Pelham center for some years. There was another period during which there was little religious zeal, and the organization of the church was again broken up. Not until after 1860 was much interest manifested in church and parish matters.
July 1, 1861, Rev. W. H. Dowden came to Pelham and began his labors as acting pastor of the church.
In March, 1862, James M. Cowan, a native of the town, then in business at the hollow, and on the board of selectmen, interested himself in the reorganization of the society. A petition, addressed to Judge Ithamar Conkey of Amherst, was drawn up and signed by the following persons, asking for a warrant under which to hold a meeting for organization :
James M. Cowan, Lemuel R. Chapin, Gilbert G. Hunt,
Russell Hildreth, Wm. B. Downing, Joseph R. Hunt,
W. H. Dowden,
Albert A. Grout, Charles H. Taylor,
Nathan Canterberry, Moses L. Ward, Frederick Dane,
E. S. Richardson, Milo W. Field, John Dane,
John B. Davis, Horace Stacy, Lyman Jenks.
April 8th, 1862, the organization was effected with the following officers : Clerk, M. W. Field ; Treasurer, W. B. Downing ; Executive Committee, J. M. Cowan, M. L. Ward, L. R. Chapin, E. S. Rich- ardson ; Collector, W. B. Downing.
April 15th, it was voted to engage Rev. W. H. Dowden to supply the pulpit for the year ending April 1, 1863.
In September 1862, a move was made to secure a bell for the: church. The bell was purchased and presented to the society "for its use so long as the society sustains evangelical preaching in the meeting house, but should the society fail to do this for the term of two years, the bell may be disposed of as the donors may direct."
Names of doners :
Ladies' Sewing Circle, $25.00,
E. S. Richardson, $26.79,
20
286
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
James M. Cowan, $15.00,
Luther Chapin, $5.00, Samuel Williston, $15.00,
J. P. Williston, $25.00, J. H. Gamble, $10.00, Wells & E. Southworth, $20.00,
L. M. Hills'& Son, $10.00,
Wm. B. Downing, $5.co.
The bell which Lord Pelham is said to have donated to the town in response to the honor paid him in giving the town his name never was received, but the new steel bell from the above named donors still hangs in the church belfry, and its clear tones can be heard across the great hollow, on Prescott Hill, and when the wind is favorable it can be heard at the western border of the town.
Rev. W. H. Dowden was very successful in his work at Pelham, from the first, and a goodly number were received into the church by letter, and May 6, 1862, sixteen persons were received on pro- fession of faith ; these additions were the result of religious interest the previous winter.
Nov. 5, 1863, Rev. W. H. Dowden was ordained and installed over the church, Rev. Dr. Eddy of Northampton preaching the ser- mon. First church at Northampton, Amherst Second and College church, Prescott, Belchertown, New Salem, Enfield and Greenwich churches being represented.
August 6, 1864, Rev. Mr. Dowden received and accepted a call to the Congregational church at Carlyle, Mass. Was dismissed from the church at Pelham and began his labors at Carlyle, Sept. 1, 1864.
From 1864 to 1871 there was no settled minister. On the 2 Ist of March, 1865, instructions were given to employ Rev. R. D. Miller for a year, and for two years after Mr. Millers' service, Rev. Matthew Kingman supplied the pulpit. Rev. William K. Vaille was settled over the Union Church at Packardville on the 28th of June 1871 and an arrangement was entered into by the churches whereby Mr. Vaille was to preach Sunday mornings at Packardville and in the afternoon at Pelham center. Mr. Vaille preached to both churches until 1887 when he resigned, but the arrangement has been continued until now under various acting pastors, being for the most part students from Amherst College. Their names will be found in the notice of the Union Church at Packardville.
.
OHN
ADAP
30.
DIED
August 1823 Æ. 70 Yrs.
Exested by the Trustees fimherst College intestimony of Their gratitude for.
The Johnson Chapet
GRAVE OF
ADAM JOHNSON, ESQ. PELHAM, MASS.
287
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
QUAKERS OR FRIENDS.
Pelham was settled by Presbyterians of the straightest sect, and the Church they established was the only Church organization in town until the second parish was incorporated in 1786 and the " East Church in Pelham " was organized, and this church also was pledged to " maintain, support and defend Presbyterian govern- ment and discipline "
A few Baptists had moved into town as well as a few Universalists and Unitarians,-just enough to complain about being taxed for the support of the Gospel as preached by the Presbyterians, and not enough to support a church organization of either creed. Eseck Cook, a Quaker, came to Pelham from Cumberland R. I. in 1806, and he was instrumental in gathering together a small society of his faith and erecting a plain one storied building at the westerly part of the town for use as a house of worship, and it was always known as the " Quaker Meeting House." The building stood upon the edge of a somewhat level tract of land bordering upon the " highway leading from Amherst to Boston. " as expressed in the deeds of the property, and was purchased of Samuel Arnold and deeded by him and Rhoda his wife " to William Bassett of Richmond, Cheshire County, N. H. Alice Turner and Benjamin Dexter of Orange in the County of Hampshire, Massachusetts, for, and in behalf of the Monthly Meetings of the People called Quakers, Known by the name of the Richmond Monthly Meeting." There was about four acres of land sold to the Quakers March 12, 1808. On this lot the plain Meeting House was erected, and there the Quakers worshipped in their quiet way for many years, until there were but few left, and the society was broken up. The " Monthly Meeting " continued to hold the property until "fourth month, fourth day, eighteen hundred and fifty five " when it was sold to Ziba Cook for $86.50 by the Uxbridge Monthly Meeting. Edward Earle of Worcester, Clerk, acting as agent. The four acres of land had one small plot in which the Quakers buried their dead, and the deed to Ziba Cook contains the following reservation.
" Reserving for ever a right of passage way in and over said land to the graveyard belonging to the said society situated in the rear of said lot of land, which graveyard is to be retained for the use of said society, and is not intended to be conveyed by this instrument. "
288
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
The Quaker Meeting house, brown with age and the absence of paint stood on the brow of the hill long years after services were entirely suspended, as through patiently waiting for the plainly dressed demure worshippers to return but they never came. The property was sold as already described and the Old Meeting house was turned to use as a barn, and is still standing.
BAPTISTS AT PACKARDVILLE.
In 1831 a petition signed by a number of persons in the north part of Belchertown, the south part of Pelham and the north-west part of Enfield was addressed to the First Baptist church of Belcher- town asking permission to organize a district society of the Baptist denomination at Packardville, the distance from Packardville and vicinity being too great for the people to go to the first church at Belchertown.
The request of the petitioners was granted and a society organized, and a meeting house was built at Packardville not long after. The society was quite prosperous for perhaps thirty years under the charge of the following pastors: Rev. Messrs. Bigelow, Burt, Vaughn, Smalledge, Snell and Emerson Hill, and then there was a decline in the work and services by the Baptists were almost if not entirely sus- pended for some years, or until there was a movement to organize a society that should include those of every evangelic faith who might be living in the neighborhood from which the Baptists had come, which was started in 1868.
THE METHODISTS.
In the early part of the year 1831 Rev. Isaac Stoddard, a member of the New England Conference was invited to Pelham to preach, and he came. Other Methodist preachers had occasionally preached in town before Mr. Stoddard came but had not succeeded in making much impression in favor of Methodism. Mr. Stoddard was well received, as at that time there was no stated preaching in the old Meeting House of the Presbyterians except now and then by a few Unitarians, and Mr. Stoddard held meetings there. As a result of his visit to Pelham the New England Conference saw fit to appoint Mr. Stoddard to the town for the year 183 1 and he was reappointed for the year 1832. During the first year of Mr. Stoddard's ministry in Pelham there was a notable revival and as a result Methodism secured
UNION CHURCH, PACKARDVILLE.
METHODIST CHURCH, WEST PELHAM.
289
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
a permanent hold upon the people of the town, and the members of the society numbered about one hundred and twenty-five at the close of Mr. Stoddard's labors.
Rev. John Case was the successor of Mr. Stoddard in this field of labor and was with the new society one year, and in 1834 Rev. Eras- tus Otis and Rev. William Gordon was appointed to take charge of the work. Pelham and Greenwich being connected by the confer- ence. In 1835 Rev. O. Robbins were appointed to take charge of the Pelham church which continued to increase and extend its use- fulness, but in the second year of Mr. Robbins pastorate and for several years following there was a visible decline in the prosperity of the society, owing to prominent members leaving town for more enterprising places of business.
Up to 1836 the Methodists had occupied the Old Meeting House, -built by the original settlers of the town soon after purchasing the tract of land in 1738-9. It was in 1836 that the first movement was made towards erecting a church for themselves, but it was not suc- cessful, and they continued to occupy the old meeting house.
In 1837 Rev. James O. Dean was appointed to labor with this people. He was continued in the work for two years. Mr. Dean was an earnest worker and gave his best efforts to build up the church. He reported 77 person's names on society or class papers when he commenced his labors and that fourteen or fifteen persons joined the society during the two years of his labors, yet the net gain was small on account of deaths and removals from town.
Rev. Mr. Dean was a much beloved pastor of the Methodist church of Pelham and was greatly respected by the people of the town gen- erally. The earnestness and zeal of Mr. Dean, and the work he accomplished for the society over which he had been appointed as pastor for two years led to the expression of an earnest desire for a reappointment and the conference returned him to the Pelham field in 1843 and 1844. It was while giving his best service to the Meth- odist society that he was stricken with lung fever and died. He died on the 10th of October 1844, and was buried in the Valley Cemetery. Perhaps no pastor of the Methodist church was more sincerely mourned, or was held in more grateful remembrance than Mr. Dean.
The effort to build a meeting house once abandoned or postponed
290
HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
was renewed in 1838 and during the following years the project was pushed as fast as the limited means of the society would permit.
Augustus Webster donated a site on which to build and through the efforts of Rev. Mr. Dean the building of the meeting house was hastened. The work was accomplished and the church was dedi- cated in the autumn of 1840. Deeds of the pew holders were sub- scribed by Thomas Buffum, Zadock Presho and Pliny Hannum, being a committee of proprietors, and the church property has never been under control of the conference.
The society did not secure a parsonage until 1857 when the origi- nal parsonage was deeded to the following trustees : Rufus Grout, David Newell, Lemuel C. Wedge, Horace Gray, Zadock Presho, Ansel A. Rankin and John Sisson, and as stated in the document, "for the benefit of such men as shall be employed by the Methodist Episcopal Church to preach in the west part of Pelham." The original house was used by the various Ministers sent by the conference until Aug- JI, 1875 when the building was sold and a new one erected on the old location.
In 1865 during the pastorate of Rev. John Cadwell the church was repaired, a pulpit after the more modern style built, and the vestry finished in the basement, with adjoining kitchen, added later. In 1891 while Rev. J. O. Dodge was pastor a new barn and sheds were added at the parsonage. In 1866 during the pastorate of Rev. O. W. Adams 70 persons united with the church, and in 1868 36 mem- bers took letters to the newly organized Methodist church at Amherst, and to other churches.
The Ministers who have followed Rev. James O. Dean's pastorate in 1837 are as follows: Rev. Joseph W. Lewis for the year 1839 ; Rev. John Cadwell 1840 ; Rev. William P. White 1841 and '42 ; Rev. James O. Dean 1843 and '44 ; Rev. Winsor Ward 1845 and '46 ; Rev. Increase B. Bigelow 1847 and '48 ; Rev. William Bardwell 1849 ; Rev. Judah Crosby 1850 and '51 . Rev. R. W. Wright 1852 and '53 ; Rev. Franklin Fisk 1854 ; Rev. John Jones 1855 to '57 ; Rev. John W. Lee in 1858 and '59 ; Rev. J. L. Esty and Lorenzo Bosworth 1860 ; Rev. L. A. Bardwell 1861 ; Rev. Gilbert R. Bent 1862 ; Rev. John H. Gaylord 1863 ; Rev. John Cadwell 1864 and '65 ; Rev. O. W. Adams 1866 and '67 ; Rev. John Noon 1868 and '69 ; Rev. George Hewes 1870 ; Rev. N. H. Martin 1871 and '72 ; Rev. W. H. Adams 1873 ; Rev. Nathan A. Soule 1874; Rev. Jona-
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
than Neal 1875 and '76 ; Rev. George E. Chapman 1877 and '78 ; Rev. John Noon 1879 and '80; Rev. Joseph Wood 1881 and '82 ; Rev. Lorenzo White 1883 ; Rev. E. P. Herrick 1884 ; Rev. Henry A. Jones 1885 and '86 ; Rev. F. S. Miller 1887 ; Rev. W. H. Dockham 1888 ; Rev. E. H. Turnecliff 1889 ; Rev. W. P. Blackmer 1890.
Mr. Blackmer did not accept the appointment and the society was supplied by students from Wilbraham part of the year and Rev. Isaac Yerkes came during the latter part of the year.
Rev. J. O. Dodge 1891 ; Rev. George Hudson 1892 and '93 ; Rev. Sherman Meracle 1894; Rev. Eaton B. Marshall 1895, '96, '97 ;
During the first pastorate of Rev. John Cadwell in 1840 the Meet- ing house was finished and dedicated; and the year was also notable as the year the camp-meeting of the Springfield District Conference was held in Pelham. The ground selected was perhaps a half mile from the new meeting house ; a grove on lands of Savannah Arnold and not far from Mr. Arnold's residence. There were great crowds in attendance during the whole week, and as none could come by railroad there were many horses to be cared for. Long processions of teams loaded with visitors came daily from Amherst and other towns. There were no hotels nearer than Amherst and no cottages on the camp grounds in those days, so that all visitors who spent the night slept in the tents, which were ranged in a circle around the grounds; the preachers stand being on the western edge of the circle, and within the circle of tents the seats for the audience were placed ; advantage being taken of the general slope of the camp ground to the west to give all a chance to see the preachers on the stand and to hear them more readily by having the preachers placed at the lowest point in the circle.
UNION SOCIETY AT PACKARDVILLE.
The following are the names of those who signed the call for the organization of the Union Congregational Society Dec. 4, 1868.
Albert Firman, Asahel B. Shaw,
Horton B. Ward,
Oren Sykes,
David Randall,
George W. Knight,
Philander S. Knight,
Ansel C. Shaw,
A. A. Howard,
Lorenzo W. Miller,
George S. Calkins,
Ziza A. Hanks.
The meeting was held Jan. 4, 1869.
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HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
FIRST OFFICERS OF THE UNION SOCIETY.
Albert Firman, Clerk; Ansel Shaw, Treasurer ; Lorenzo W. Miller, Auditor ; Prudential Committee, Albert Firman, Ziza A. Hanks, Philander S. Knight.
"Voted that the prudential committee be empowered to appoint three disinterested persons to appraise the pews in the Meeting house and sign vouchers in behalf of the society for complying with the condi- tions required in asking aid from Congregational Union, and to make such repairs in and about the Meeting house as are judged necessary."
The Society having completed its organization, found in 1869 that the old meeting house that had been in use by the Baptist society, which preceded them, was in a somewhat dilapidated condition and must be repaired or a new one built in its place. It was while repairs were in progress on the old Baptist meeting house that it caught fire and was burned.
At a meeting March 26, 1869 a committee was chosen to estimate the cost of a suitable house of worship after having inspected churches and houses of worship in other places. Lorenzo W. Miller, Aretas J. Cadwell and Albert Firman were the committee, and after due consideration reported that a building 36 x 45 feet would be large enough for the needs of the society and the committee were instruc- ted to go forward and erect such a house as they thought for the best good of the people. The present church was built at a cost of about $6,500 and was first occupied in 1870 for the funeral of David Randall.
The society were without a settled pastor for several years, after the organization, the pulpit being supplied mostly by Professors of Amherst College or students from that institution.
April 29, 1871 the society voted to join with the church in calling Rev. Wm. K. Vaille of Shutesbury to settle over the church and society, and it was further voted to pledge Mr. Vaille $450 as an annual salary-this sum to include the aid promised by the Mass. Home Missionary Society, which was $300 annually.
Letters missive were sent to the following churches ; First, Second, College, North, and South Congregational churches of Amherst, Congregational churches in Enfield, Belchertown, Granby, Green- wich, Pelham, Prescott, Shutesbury, Sunderland and South Hadley, and the Methodist Episcopal church at West Pelham.
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