History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 136

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 136

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An exceptionally interesting event occurred in this town in September, 1824. It was a no less occasion thau the "reception " given to the Marquis De Lafa- yette as he passed through the town on his return to New York by way of Worcester and Hartford.

From the moment Lafayette landed at New York on the 15th of August, after an absence of nearly fifty years, the whole country was aroused to the greatest enthu- siasm to do all honor to the great and good man who had rendered such distinguished service in the hour of the country's greatest need. The circumstances attend- ing his visit to Sterling were briefly these. Soon after his arrival at New York he set out on a journey north as far as Portsmouth. N. H. His route lay through New Haven, New London, Providence and Boston. Returning from Portsmouth, he left Boston, passing through Lexington, Concord, Bolton, Laucaster and Sterling on his way back to New York, by way of Worcester and Hartford. Hespent the night at Bolton at the hospitable mansion of Hon. S. V. S. Wilder. At all places he received the most patriotic and flattering demonstrations of respect-the whole country ringing with salutes and applause. The citizens of Sterling were not behind in patriotic emotion or in enthusi- asm to pay due homage to the distinguished guest of the nation. Suitable preparations were made. A tri- umphal arch was raised in front of Mr. Bartlett's store, bearing the words-"The . Nation's Guest." " Welcome Lafayette." A broad platform, about four feet high, was erected nearly in front of the Congre- gational Church, neatly covered by a carpet and reached by a flight of stairs. There were then no trees or other obstructions upon the Common to obstruct the view. There was a military display consisting of the " Sterling Light Infantry," a fine volunteer company, recently organized, with new and beautiful uniforms, under command of Captain Phineas B. Dana; the "Princeton Light Infantry," another equally splendid volunteer company, commanded by Captain Amos Merriam ; the old militia company, and the artillery company, belonging partly in Sterling and partly in Lancaster, and commanded by Captain Daniel F. Maynard, of Sterling. Promptly in the morning, men,

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women and children came flocking to the village, eager to feast their eyes upon the venerable hero, who had early espoused the cause of American free- dom, and had hazarded his life and shed his blood for its consummation. At about eleven o'clock A.M. the general and his suite arrived, preceded by a body of cavalry and followed by a long line of carriages from the towns below. Alighting from his carriage and as- cending to the platform, he was received by the Board of Selectmen, who, through the chairman, Isaac Goodwin, Esq., made a felicitious address, to which Lafayette happily and appropriately responded. After a little time spent in hand-shaking with the ladies, the general again entered his carriage and proceeded on his journey amid the waving of handkerchiefs, the huzzas of the multitude and the salutes of the artillery.

ECCLESIASTICAL .- The first church in Sterling was organized December 19, 1744, and on the same day the Rev. John Mellen was ordained pastor. The pastorate of Mr. Mellen extended over a period of thirty-four years. From all the accounts we can gather ofhim it would seem that he possessed in an emi- nent degree the essential qualities necessary to a suc- cessful minister of the Gospel. In average ability he was at least the equal of his professional brethren in the towns around him. Mr. Goodwin says of him that he "probably stood at the head of the clergy in the county."

Under his ministrations the affairs of the church and town appear to have advanced prosperously for many years. But those that are at all familiar with the history of these early times are not surprised that a day of fiery trial was near at hand for both minister and people alike. Questions of greater freedom in af- fairs of church and state were everywhere agitating the public mind. People had become extremely jealous of their rights and every attempt at encroach- ment upon them was met with bold and determined resistance. On the part of Mr. Mellen and his peo- ple it was a question of high church and prerogative on the one side and larger liberty on the other.

We of the present generation can have but a faint idea of the bitterness of the controversy that prevailed. in New England for a score of years following 1760. Mr. Mellen was formally dismissed November 14, 1774, but continued to hold meetings and administer the ordinances with his faithful adherents at his own house and at the school-house for a number of years afterwards. But through all the unfortunate disa- greement the moral and Christian character of the minister was but slightly assailed. And it is pleasant to remember that after his removal from town and resettlement over another society, he occasionally re- turned and occupied the old pulpit from which hehad been, some years before, forcibly excluded, and where, by the impressiveness of his discourses, he won the favor of those who had once been his malignaut foes.

After these few troublous years the churches had rest.

A season of quiet having now been restored and all asperity of former feeling having subsided, the people united in calling to the ministry, as the successor of Mr. Mellen, the Rev. Reuben Holcomb. He was or- dained June 2, 1779. Rev. Mr. Holcomb's pastorate continued thirty-five years, and was noted forits reign of peace and prosperity throughout.

During all these years no dissatisfaction appears to have been expressed with regard to the minister or any loud, vociferous complaints uttered against him. But, all on a sudden, at the commencement of the year 1814, a petition was drawn up and signed by a hun- dred or more of the citizens, asking the selectmen to insert in the warrant for March meeting an article "to see ifthe town will choose a committee to converse with the Rev. Reuben Holcomb to see on what terms, if any, he will relinquish his pastoral office in this town." To the pastor and to those not in the secret this movement was a complete surprise.

The vote upon the article passed in the affirmative and a committee of seven of the leading citizens way appointed accordingly. The following are the names of the gentleman composing the committee: Luther Allen, Joseph Kendall, John Porter, Moses Thomas, Thomas H. Blood, Samuel Sawyer and Aaron Kim- ball.

Immediately after the official interview of the com- mittee with the pastor, Mr. Holcomb addressed a lengthy communication to the church and town, in which he reviewed the events of his ministry, and declared that, in view of the hitherto harmonious rela- tions between himself and his people, the above pro- ceeding on the part of the town " was a sudden and unexpected event." But he at once preferred a request for dismission on the ground of " want of health, want of affection among you towards me, and as a result of all, the want of a prospect of usefulness and comfort." A mutual council was called and the request for dismissal was granted. It does not appear that any serious alienation of feeling was caused by the separation on the part of Mr. Holcomb and his friends and the society. Mr. Holcomb continued to reside on his beautiful hillside farm, regularly attending church services in the place of his former labors until his death, which occurred, October 18, 1826, at the advanced age of seventy-five years.

The successor of Mr. Holcomb was the Rev. Lemuel Capen, who was ordained March 22, 1815. Mr. Capen was much beloved by the people of the town, and his ministry, though short, was in all respects a happy one, abounding in great good to the community among whom he was called to labor. The annual salary of Mr. Capen was six hundred dollars. But this sum being inadequate to meet the expenses of his family, and desiring not to seem burdensome by asking additional compensation, "and thus (to use his own words) endangering that unusual degree of harmony and unanimity which now so happily subsists among you as a religious society and as a

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town," he felt it his duty on the 4th of January, 1819. to ask a dismission. An ecclesiastical council was cailed, and a separation took place. On the 21st of January a town-meeting was held, and the following vote was unanimously passed : voted, "that after ma- ture deliberation on the communication of the Rev. Lemuel Capen of the 4th instant, and the consequent result on that communication, we cannot with honor to ourselves and justice to him, but declare, that we received his communication with extreme regret and concern ; that the manner in which his request was disposed of was not the result of dissatisfaction as to his acquirements as a scholar, his deportment as a man, or his attainments as a Christian ; but the con- viction that an addition to his salary at this early period might materially endanger the universal harmony which now so happily prevails among us." And after some further expressions of "confidence in his char- acter for purity of heart and rectitude of life," the vote concludes : " It now only remains for us to wish him all the joys and hopes of the good man, the polished scholar, the sincere friend and the real Christian."

The next minister in regular succession in the an- cient church was the Rev. Peter Osgood, of Andover. He was ordained June 30, 1819. Mr. Osgood was never blessed with a strong physical constitution and his labors were frequently interrupted by ill-health. Previous to his settlement and for some years after- wards there was no other religious society in the town, and the number of inhabitants was larger by some hundreds than at the present time. Custom, more- over, required two elaborate sermons every Sunday. Consequently the duties of a minister, iu those days, were far more laborious than now ; and besides, by virtue of his office, he was expected to be in a mea- sure the guardian of all the children of the town and the chief supervisor of its schools. Mr. Osgood was heartily interested in the education of the young. He labored faithfully and earnestly to promote the highest welfare of the schools. He exercised a watchful care over them and his frequent visits to them were gladly welcomed by both teachers and pupils. In this regard especially he is now held in grateful remembrance by many of the elderly people of the town.

But his strength was not equal to his day. Under his pastoral and ministerial labors he felt that his health was gradually, but surely, giving way and that his " only hope of enjoying comfortable health " was iu relief from the cares of a parish and the labor of study. In the spring of 1839 he felt himself com- pelled to ask a dismission ; but so strong was the attachment of his people to their minister that they were unwilling that a separation should take place until some effort for his restoration should be made by means of entire rest and freedom from care. Ac- cordingly, at the parish-meeting which followed, a committee was appointed to converse with the Rev. Mr. Osgood respecting his request for a dismission

from his ministerial office. It was also voted unani- mously " that the Committee be instructed to offer to the Rev. Mr. Osgood a suspension of his ministerial duties to the Parish for one year, then to resume them, in case his health should warrant it."

With this proposal Mr. Osgood complied; but at the year's end it was found that his health had not sufficiently improved to render it prudent for him to resume his labors, and a release from further connec- tion with the society was granted, according to his renewed request, March 9, 1840. The vote of the parish granting a dismissal concludes as follows: "And having enjoyed the benefit of his faithful min- istry and witnessed his exemplary deportment for twenty years, do most cordially declare our fullest confidence in his character for purity of heart and rectitude of life."

Shortly after Mr. Osgood removed to North An- dover, his native town, and spent the remainder of his life in the quiet pursuits of agriculture on his ances- tral farm. But infirmities at length grew upon him and disease so impaired his mental faculties that he became insensible to all about him, even to the pres- ence of friends. He died August 27, 1865, in the seventy-fourth year of his age.

Since the termination of Rev. Mr. Osgood's pastor- ate, the ministerial and pastoral office in the First Congregational Society has been held successively by the following clergymen, to wit: Rev. David Fosdick, Jr., ordained March 3, 1841,-dismissed December 8, 1845; Rev. T. Prentiss Allen, ordained November 18, 1846,-dismissed September 19, 1853; Rev. William H. Knapp, installed February 14, 1856,-dismissed May 5, 1858; Rev. Edward B. Fairchild, ordained January 19, 1860,-dismissed September 22, 1863; Rev. Alpheus S. Nickerson, installed July 27, 1864,- dismissed February 2, 1869; Rev. Harvey C. Bates, ordained June 30, 1869,-dismissed March 11, 1873; Rev. Henry P. Cutting, installed September 1, 1873, -dismissed April 5, 1881.

Rev. J. H. Whitmore tock charge of the parish December 1, 1884, and continued his services to the church and society until July 1, 1886.

On July 1, 1888, Rev. William S. Heywood, by the unanimous desire of the society, assumed charge of the pastoral and ministerial affairs of the parish, and on the 1st of September moved into town with his family, and took possession of the parsonage be- queathed to the society by the late Mrs. Emily Wilder.

The present house of worship was built in 1842, immediately after the destruction, by an incendiary fire, on the night of the 14th of March of the same year, of its predecessor, built in 1799, and dedicated on the first Sunday of January in 1800. The present house is on the same site of the two former ones. In 1886, under the direction of a committee ap- pointed by the society, it was remodeled, improved and beautified, Mrs. C. A. Freeman generously pay-

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ing nearly the whole of the expense, amounting to some two thousand dollars, in memorial of her de- ceased sister, who was a constant and devoted attend- ant upon the religious services of the church. The church organ was procured in 1853. It was built by Stevens, of Cambridge, and was paid for, partly, by a legacy bequeathed to the society by the late Jacob Conant, Esq., and partly by voluntary subscriptions of the members. Its total cost was $916.38.

A ministerial library was purchased in 1846, for the use of the minister of the First Congregational Society, at a cost of one hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars. This library contains, among other standard works, the American Encyclopædia, and, as far as it goes, is a valuable collection. Owing to the organization of other religious societies, the de- cease of many of its prominent members and other causes not easily explained, this ancient society has become, like many another, reduced in numbers and power of its influence. It still exists, however, in a tolerably strong and healthy condition, doing its share in sustaining and promoting the intellectual, moral and religious culture of the community. Down to a period as late as 1830 this was the only religious society in the town, and it is a singular fact that nearly every family was regular and more or less constant in their attendance upon church services on Sunday. The long processions of wagons, square- topped chaises, and persons on horseback and on foot at the conclusion of the afternoon service, wending their way homeward on all the roads diverging from the meeting-house, is well remembered by many of the elderly people. It must not be supposed, how- ever, that the people were entirely united in religious sentiment or were satisfied with the state of things in regard to religious worship. There were those who conscientiously held to the doctrine of Universal Salvation, first proclaimed in this country by Rev. John Murray, and which had begun to be preached by many clergymen of ability in New England; and there were those of Baptist proclivities, and those also who entertained more distinctively the senti- ments of John Calvin.

At the date mentioned above, or immediately sub- sequent thereto, the Universalists began to hold oc- casional meetings in the old town-house.

The preachers on these occasions were the Rev. Hosea Ballou, Rev. Thomas Whittemore, Rev. Thomas Greenwood, Rev. Charles Streeter, Rev. Mr. Harriman (since Governor of New Hampshire) and others. These meetings were quite numerously at- tended, and such an interest was awakened that a society was soon formed, under the name of the " First Universalist Society in Sterling."

The precise date of the formation of the society, as well as the settlement of its first pastor, the Rev. Rufus S. Pope, is not known, as the early records ap- pear to have been lost. Under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Pope a church was organized, and cer-

tain articles of faith, as given below, were formulated aud adopted, with the preamble as follows :

Preamble (io part.) As Christians we acknowledge the sacred Scrip- tures to be the only infallible rule of faith and practice, regarding them os given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for iostruction in righteousness-and discardiog all linman authorities and creeds, we select the following, as expressing the general outlines of our belief, aod of the Christian religion :

Article first. We believe there is one God and one Mediator hetweeo God and man; the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.

Article second. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Soo of God.

Article third. We believe the Father seot the Soo to be the Saviour of the world.

Article fourth. We believe that, by the grace of God he tasted death for every man.

Article fifth. We believe that God will render to every man according to his deeds.

Article sixth. We believe that we ought to adoro the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God, that hringeth salva- tion to all men, hath appeared. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteonsly and godly io this present world.

The church was publicly recognized July 13, 1836, the Rev. Thomas Greenwood, of Marlborough, de- livering an appropriate discourse on the occasion.

It is to be regretted that the records of the society were not more carefully preserved. It appears, however, that under the charge of its first pastor, the Rev. Mr. Pope, which continued somewhere from five to eight years, the society increased in numbers, and in its influence for good in the community. Its meetings for religious services were held in the town- hall until 1838. In that year the society built itself a neat and commodious house of worship-the same now owned and occupied by the Orthodox Society. Rev. Mr. Pope removed in 1840 or '41 to Hyannis, on Cape Cod, and became pastor of the Universalist Society in that town, and there spent the remainder of his life.

The successors of Mr. Pope were as follows: Rev. George Proctor, from 1841 to 1847; Rev. Quincy Whitney, from 1847 to 1848; Rev. Samuel A. Davis, from 1848 to 1852.

The society continued to hold services by supplies for a time after Rev. Mr. Davis closed his labors. But owing, in part, to the death of some of the older and wealthy members and the removal from town of others, and, perhaps, not a little to indifference to the cause on the part of some, the society soon began to languish, and finally, in 1853, sold its house of wor- ship to the "First Evangelical Congregational So- ciety," which had been recently organized. Very soon after this the society disbanded and such of the members as chose went back and connected them- selves with the Unitarian Society, from which many of them had gone out scarcely a score of years before. But it is just to say that the Universalist Society did some good work during the comparatively short period of its existence.

During the last fifty or sixty years there has been a great change in the religious elements of most churches and in the religious sentiments of a great

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majority of the people. Much of the old theology is discarded. Creeds have been shortened and simpli- fied. Men are judged less and less by the articles of their religious faith and more and more by the uniform tenor of their daily life. The Universalist ministers of forty years ago, among whom were many very able and talented men, did their full share in establishing more rational and liberal views.

For several years prior to 1837 there were in town several families of Baptists and others entertaining similar views, who occasionally held meetings at private houses and at the school-house in the Leg District. In the year above mentioned it was found that the number of these persons had so increased that " it was felt that a church to conduct the affairs and bear the responsibilities of this gospel enterprise was a necessity." Accordingly, a church was thereupon organized, and the Rev. Cyrus P. Grovesner was called and became its first pastor. Mr. Moses A. Brown was chosen clerk, and Levi Stuart the first deacon of the church, Preaching services were held in the town-hall. Rev. Mr. Grovesner closed his pastorate at the end of the year and the Rev. George Waters was called to succeed him. Mr. Waters re- mained with the church three and a half years. The Rev. John Allen followed Rev. Mr. Waters in 1841, and continued his labors until the close of 1843.

Rev. Mr. Allen is remembered as a genial, large- hearted man, and was held in high esteem by his fellow-townsmen. Under his ministry the work of the church was effectively carried on, and the moral enterprises of the town received his constant support. A society was organized embracing a goodly number of the town's most esteemed and influential citizens, and the present house of worship, beautifully located under the shade of the majestic elms on the north end of the Common, was erected. The mode of pro- cedure in the building of the church shows that the members had courage as well as faith. An instru- ment was drawn up and signed by twelve of the leading members, to wit:

"Know all men hy these presente, that we, the subscribers hereby agree to associate together iu equal shares, by deducting out so much as may be subscribed by other individuals, for the purpose of building a meeting-house for the First Baptist Society in Sterling.

"And we bind Ourselves, our Heirs, Executors, and Administrators to the performance of the above nudertaking."

The object of the above Plan is to relieve and to promote the Interest of the said Society, and so dispose of the Pews as best to gubserve their Interest and keep ourselves harmless for building said house of Wor- ship.

Sterling, January 16, 1843.

(Signed) Benjamin Stuart, Jesse Curtis, Alden Bailey, Levi Stuart, Asa Hoppin, Amos Breck, James P. Patten, Elisha Smith, Abel F. Good- now, John Allen, John B. Pratt, Jonathan Nichols.

The site of the meeting-house was purchased of the late Mr. Helon Brooks for the sum of one thou- sand dollars.

The whole expense of the building, including site, was $4727.93.

other improvements made, which swells the expense to nearly seven thousand dollars, all of which the so- ciety has promptly met, in addition to the yearly cost of supporting the ministry nearly all the time since the first organization of the church.

The ministers who have had pastoral charge of the society since the Rev. John Allen are Rev. Orlando Cunningham, six and a half years; Rev. Ira F. Ken- ney, a little over one year ; Rev. William M. Guilford, two and a half years; Rev. John H. Learnard, two years and eight months; Rev. Gilbert Robbins, two years ; Rev. William Carpenter, three and a half years ; ¡ S. H. Record, a Newton theological student, six months; Rev. John H. Learnard, again, two and a half years ; Rev. Samuel Cheever, nine months ; Rev. G. O. Atkinson, one year ; Rev. C. H. Hickock, one year; Rev. S. B. Macomber, one year and four months ; Rev. I. C. Carpenter, two years and nine months ; Rev. A. H. Estee, nearly two years, residing in West- borough ; Rev. D. B. Gun, nearly three years. The church was also supplied a short time by Deacon W. A. Holland and by Mr. W. B. Parshley, a student of Brown University. It has had other supplies from time to time, whose names do not appear on record. The present pastor is Rev. S. H. Whitney, who com- menced his services 1888.

The clerk of the society is Mr. Thomas O. Patten, and the clerk of the church is Miss Elizabeth R. Bailey.

In 1851 it was deemed needful that another branch of the Christian Church should be built up iu the town. There were several highly respectable fami- lies who could not find a congenial religious home with either the Unitarians, Universalists, or the Bap- tists, and who, by reason thereof, were in the habit of attending church in the neighboring towns of West Boylston, Boylston and Bolton. On the 23d of September, 1851, by request of Mark Bruce, For- dyce Wilder, Luther Stone, Rufus Holman, Jones Wilder, Silas M. Wilder, Charles H. Loring, Charles M. Bailey, Luther Peters and Daniel L. Emerson, a warrant was issued by William D. Peck, Esq., a jus- tice of the peace, within and for the county of Wor- cester, to Silas M. Wilder, directing him to notify and warn the above described Inhabitants to meet at the Town Hall on the 9th day of October next, to act on the following articles, viz .:

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 136

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1576

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576