USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our County and Its People A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts > Part 8
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church home of this society until 1885, and many people now living remember it with interest and pride. Mr. Knight re- signed the pastorate March 29, 1855, and on November 8, of the same year, Rev. James B. R. Walker was installed in his place.
In 1857 the church had increased to only sixty-nine mem- bers, but in 1858, a year memorable for religious activity throughout the land, eighty-seven additions were made. In the report of the annual meeting of the church, in January, 1863. it is announced that "nine of the members of the church have gone to the war."
Mr. Walker resigned February 7, 1864, and was succeeded by Rev. Lucius R. Eastman, jr., who was installed August 30, 1865. Mr. Eastman and all the subsequent pastors are still liv- ing. In 1866 a new organ was purchased at a cost of $3,000, and the pastor was especially active in raising the money for it.
After only two years' service Mr. Eastman resigned to the regret of all, to accept a call to Somerville, and on December 4, 1867, Rev. John L. R. Trask was ordained and installed pastor. having just graduated from the Andover Theological seminary. During this pastorate, which lasted fifteen years, the church had a steady growth, the number added in 1870 being ninety-two, and in 1879 seventy-seven were admitted. The membership in- creased during Dr. Trask's service from 163 to 405. In the fall of 1881 it was voted to secure plans for a new church, and the work of raising funds was begun with great zeal. Dr. Trask was very active in this and other labors connected with the church, but was obliged by ill health to give up work and take a year's rest. Not having fully recovered by the following fall, he re- signed November 23, 1882, to the great sorrow of the church and society. Dr. Trask is now the well-known pastor of Memorial church, Springfield.
On March 19, 1883, a call was extended to Rev. M. W. Stryker, of Ithaca, N. Y., who is now Dr. Stryker, president of Hamilton college. Dr. Stryker was installed May 17, 1883, and filled the office of pastor for two years, when he accepted a call to the Fourth Presbyterian church of Chicago.
An important move was made when the society bought a lot on the corner of High and Appleton streets for a new house
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of worship. The old site was too small for a new church and was, moreover, too near the center of business, but the society should have gone away from High street, since the new location, where stands the present church, is, to-day, surrounded with the noise and bustle incident to the busiest street in the city. The new church was dedicated January 29, 1885, the cost of land, building, organ and furniture being $104,000.
After the resignation of Dr. Stryker the church secured the services of Rev. William H. Hubbard, of Concord, N. H., but after serving a year without being settled, Dr. Hubbard decided to accept a call to the First Presbyterian church of Auburn, N. Y., where he is still laboring. The present efficient and well beloved pastor, Dr. Edward A. Reed, was called November 5, 1886, and was installed December 28 of the same year. Dr. Reed was formerly pastor of the First church in Springfield, and also of the Collegiate Dutch Reformed church of New York.
An important department of the activities of the Second Congregational church is the work in South Holyoke, long known as Grace chapel. This was started as a Sunday school as early as 1879, by the young men of Mr. J. S. McElwain's class. A building was erected on Main street and good missionary work was done in it for ten years, mainly for the children. But in 1891 preaching services on Sunday were begun, and next year Rev. A. W. Remington was engaged as pastor. The work grew under Mr. Remington and he was mainly instrumental in secur- ing funds for the erection of a small church building on the corner of Cabot and Race streets. Here the work is still pros- pering. Mr. Remington resigned in 1898 and was succeeded by Franklin P. Reinhold, who has also recently resigned to take a church in Windsor Locks, Conn. For many years Mr. Joseph A. Skinner was superintendent of Grace Sunday school and was very instrumental in furthering the movement.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
On the fifth of October, 1803, a council met at the house of Caleb Humeston, in what was then a part of West Springfield, and advised the organization of the First Baptist church with
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the following among the membership: Thomas Rand, Caleb Humeston, Peresh Hitchcock, Benjamin Bassett, Asahel Chapin, Jedediah Day, Joseph Ely, Sarah Humeston, Anna Hitchcock and Bede Gill. Thomas Rand, one of the members, became the first pastor and proved a faithful one. The meetings were held in the little house on lower Northampton street, which the Bap- tists and Congregationalists had for some time occupied jointly.
Mr. Rand's pastorate lasted twenty-five years, a period of much interest to the infant church. In connection with his preaching he carried on a farm, and when the academy was built he taught every day during the school season. Several of his pupils became very useful men, among them being Rev. Justin Perkins. D. D., missionary in Persia ; Rev. Hazen Howard, missionary in Burmah; Rev. Asahel Chapin, and Rev. Dwight Ives, for thirty years pastor in Suffield, Conn.
The membership of the church at first increased slowly, at the end of twelve years the number being sixty-three. Then in 1816 there was a great revival which brought in seventy-three new members, and another revival in 1826 added sixty-three more.
Soon after the latter year of increase the two denominations, which had been worshiping all this time in the same house, separated, and each built a new church. The Baptists erected theirs on the site of their present church.
After the close of Mr. Rand's quarter century of service there followed a number of short pastorates, some longer than others, but as a rule uneventful except that the church was gradually gaining in strength. These are the names of the pas- tors and their terms of service: Rev. Elder Taggart and Rev. David Pease labored as supplies for a short time; Rev. Henry Archibald, 1830-1832: Rev. Ira Hall (after he and several others had supplied). 1835-1838; Rev. Horace D. Doolittle, 1838-1842; Rev. William L. Brown, 1842-1846; Rev. Joel Kenny, 1846-1847; Rev. Asahel Chapin, 1847-1850; Rev. Mark Carpenter, 1850-1858; Rev. George W. Gorham, 1859-1862; Rev. J. H. Kent. 1864-1866 ; Rev. J. L. A. Fish, 1868-1871; Rev. W. H. Evans, 1871-1879.
In June, 1850, the pastor, Rev. Asahel Chapin, and fifteen other members were dismissed to assist in forming the Second
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church in the growing settlement of Ireland Depot, so-called. near the river.
The present church edifice was built in 1880, and on the first Sunday of the following year began the successful pastorate of Rev. E. M. Bartlett. The church grew with the growth of the city and Mr. Bartlett left it in a flourishing condition when he resigned in June, 1892. The beginning of the following year brought the present pastor, Rev. M. A. Willcox, D. D., who is a ripe scholar and one of the most universally popular ministers Holyoke ever had.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH
We have seen in the history just preceding that, in the year 1849, a number of persons were dismissed from the First Baptist church for the purpose of forming a new society in the growing settlement of Ireland Depot. These, with others, to the number of forty-two in all, organized the Second Baptist church, June 24, of that year, which has since far surpassed the mother society, on account of the rapid growth of population about the new center. The first place of worship was Gallaudet & Terry's hall, corner of High and Lyman streets, and the first pastor was Rev. Asahel Chapin, who was one of those coming out of the First church. Prominent in the new organization was Deacon Edwin Chase, for many years an honored citizen and father of the present postmaster of Holyoke.
On account of business depression the gain in membership was at first so slow that at the end of two years the church numbered only three more than when it was organized. This was occasioned by removals, because in the meantime there had been twenty-five additions.
In 1852 Rev. Mr. Chapin resigned and, nine months later, Rev. James French became the pastor. Under his charge the society prospered so that they began to think of building a church, and on November 23, 1855, the lecture room of the new structure was ready for occupancy. The next month Mr. French closed his term of service and was succeeded by Rev. George W. Gorham, who remained with the church for nearly three years. The last year of this period there was a revival which
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added thirty-nine persons to the membership. Mr. Gorham re- signed in 1859 to go to the First Baptist, and Rev. A. J. Bing- ham followed him, remaining but one year. The next to take charge of the church was Rev. C. H. Rowe, who remained less than a year.
On July 2, 1862, Rev. A. M. Averill was installed pastor, and in the next year the church edifice was burned to the ground, less than five years after its completion. The second day after the fire a new building committee was appointed, and their work so promptly done that in a year and a half a larger and more convenient church was ready for use.
Mr. Averill resigned in December, 1867, and after an in- terregnum of a little more than a year, a call was accepted by Rev. Edwin Burnham, whose preaching and work were so ef- fective that during the nine months of his stay sixty-one members were added to the church by baptism.
Rev. Dr. R. J. Adams came next and his pastorate proved to be a long and eventful one. In the year 1870 there was a notable revival, lasting into the next year. In thirteen months 108 persons were baptized, and during the first four and a half years of Dr. Adams's pastorate 262 were added to the church. In 1871 the society built a parsonage on the corner of Appleton and Chestnut streets, but a more important event was the change in location for the church itself, from the noisy, crowded site near the railroad to the quiet locality of the residence district on the hill. In 1882 a lot was bought at the corner of Appleton and Chestnut streets and the present beautiful and commodious edi- fice was dedicated October 20. 1885, Rev. Dr. A. J. Gordon of Boston preaching the sermon. The ruling spirit in this building enterprise was the pastor himself, but very soon after the church was opened for use Dr. Adams presented his resignation and in- sisted on leaving against the urgently expressed wishes of his people that he should remain with them.
In September of the same year Rev. C. H. Kimball began his pastorate and continued in service three years. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. J. W. T. Boothe. D. D., of Wilmington, Del., who was installed on New Year's day. 1890. Dr. Boothe proved to be
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a strong man and was influential far beyond the bounds of his parish.
Dr. Boothe resigned January 1, 1899, and was followed by Rev. Charles B. Turner, who came in February, 1899, and held office until his melancholy death, August 5, 1900.
The present pastor, Rev. John S. Lyon, began his duties January 1, 1901, and from all that appears the church has every reason to expect a long and eminently successful pastorate.
During the pastorate of Mr. Kimball this church was instru- mental in building a chapel just across the river in the village of Willimansett, and during the same period the Ward One mission was established.
The latter was first started in 1888, in the vestry of the old Baptist church on Main street, beginning as a Sunday school with 97 members. Soon a Wednesday evening prayer meeting was begun, and in 1899 a new chapel was built for the work on the corner of Mosher and West streets. The money came largely from the young people's efforts and the building is therefore now well known by the name of Christian Endeavor chapel.
The pastors engaged directly in this work have been Rev. G. E. Nichols, Rev. F. F. Thayer, Rev. James Nobbs, Rev. H. H. Hallowell and Rev. Louis J. Bamberg, the last named being now in charge.
FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Methodists were late in starting in Holyoke, but they have now two large congregations.
In 1853, Rev. Thomas Marcy, who was superintendent of schools in Northampton at the time, began holding services in Lyceum hall on High street, and in May of that year a society was formed with twenty members. In the fall the church was moved into Galladet & Terry's hall and remained there till 1857, moving then into Chapin hall, where they continued until the vestry of their church was ready in 1869. Mr. Marcy preached a year and was followed by Rev. Rodney Gage, who also remained one year. Rev. Philander Wallingford succeeded for another year and Rev. M. E. Wright for two years. During the latter's pastorate so many removed from the city that the condition of
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this society was brought very low. Indeed, it came to the point where Mr. Wright advised that the church should be disbanded and the members unite with other churches. A few accepted the latter part of the advice, but the majority clung to their organ- ization and proved in the end that there was plenty of room for a Methodist church in Holyoke.
Help came to them in their need, for Rev. Martin Chapin of Florence offered to preach for them without charge, and did so for two years, very acceptably, too. Courage returned and with it financial strength enough to pay a regular salary. From this time the growth was steady and sure.
The further list of pastors with their terms of service is as follows :
Rev. Nathaniel Fellows. 1860, 1861 : Rev. William J. Ham- bleton, 1862: Rev. William D. Bridge, 1863; Rev. John Peter- son. 1864, 1865, 1866: Rev. Samuel Roy, 1867; Rev. I. B. Bige- low, 1868-1870: Rev. I. J. Abbott, 1871-1872 : Rev. W. N. Rich- ardson, 1873-1875 :: Rev. C. A. Merrill, 1876, 1877: Rev. Will- iam Gordon. 1878. 1879; Rev. E. A. Titus. 1880-1882: Rev. E. P. King, 1883-1885: Rev. G. C. Osgood. 1886.
The church on the corner of Main and Appleton streets was begun during Mr. Peterson's pastorate, in 1865, but the work lan- quished until the officers of the church sent a request to the con- ference for a "Man who could build a church whether he could preach or not." In response to this petition Rev. I. B. Bigelow was sent and he proved to be not only the man for that work, but a good pastor besides. The walls of the church were soon seen to be rising and the building was dedicated in March, 1870. Sixteen years after this, when Mr. Osgood had become pastor, only a year after the Second Baptists had dedicated their new church on Appleton street. the Methodists found the people all moving up the hill district, and the same question the Baptists had grappled with began to trouble them. Once begun the agi- tation would not be kept down. and the end of the matter was that a lot was bought and a church edifice begun on the corner of Appleton and Elm streets, only one short square from the new church of the Baptists. This was an unfortunate choice of a
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site, because two squares east is the Second Congregational and one square north of that the Episcopal church, while only a little farther to the south is the Presbyterian church. Nevertheless the Methodists were well pleased to be so near the center of popu- lation and they soon completed a handsome and convenient church edifice in the summer of 1890. The land, building and furnishings cost $42,000.
Mr. Osgood was appointed to another church in April, 1891, and the pastors since that date are Rev. W. E. Knox, 1891 to 1896, Rev. W. B. Fisk, 1896 to 1898, and Rev. H. L. Wriston, who came in April, 1898, and is still in service.
THE HIGHLANDS METHODIST CHURCH
Rev. E. P. King, pastor of the First Methodist church, started a mission on the Highlands in 1885. A lot was bought and a chapel built so expeditiously that the house was dedicated in March, 1886. A Sunday school of 80 members was organized and preaching services were held by Mr. King and after him Mr. Osgood. In March, 1889, a separate society was formed and Rev. Wilson S. Fritch became the first pastor. The new church is in a section of the city which has had a rapid growth and its pros- perity has been continuous. Rev. O. R. Miller, the present pas- tor, has made his influence felt in the community by aggressive temperance work.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The first steps toward organizing a Presbyterian church in Holyoke were taken May 7, 1886, when the Presbyterian board of home missions sent their New England field secretary, Rev. Dr. J. W. Sanderson, to look over the ground. He met a few persons who gave him to understand that there were a good many Presbyterians in the other churches, Scotch to great extent, who would delight to have a church of their own where they would be more at home.
The outlook was encouraging enough to induce the board to send a licentiate from the Hartford Theological seminary, named William Gardner, to spend the summer in Holyoke and gather a congregation if possible. The first service was held May 16 in
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the Y. M. C. A. reading room on Suffolk street, the audience numbering 49 in the the morning and 63 in the evening. Soon the Y. M. C. A. moved to the Women's Union Temperance build- ing on High street and there the Presbyterians held their meet- ings for seven weeks, but removed to the Foresters new hall on July 25.
In response to a request by 148 petitioners the Boston pres- bytery granted permission for the organization of the First Presbyterian church of Holyoke, and the formal business was transacted Thursday evening, August 26, 1886. Barak Wilson and George P. Bill, M. D,. were installed as ruling elders and William Scott and Alexander Paul as deacons.
The first pastor was Rev. J. M. Craig, who entered upon his duties the last Sunday in October of the same year. Mr. Craig soon saw the desirability of having a permanent place of worship and began agitating the question of building a church. A com- mittee of fifteen was appointed, with the pastor as chairman, and the work was soon in progress.
Mr. Craig was very active and efficient in raising the neces- sary money and in superintending the construction of the build- ing, doing much more in the latter direction than a minister of a parish usually undertakes. In all his labor he was conspicu- ously assisted from beginning to end by his faithful senior elder, Mr. Wilson. The house was dedicated March 5, 1889.
Mr. Craig remained two years after the new church was opened and then Rev. Mr. Augier supplied the pulpit until May 18, 1892, which was the day when Rev. G. A. Wilson began his duties as pastor. Mr. Wilson was a young man who put a good deal of enthusiasm into his work and the church grew under his care. He resigned in September, 1899, and the present pastor, Rev. Alvin R. Pennell, entered on his duties December 1, 1899.
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
An Episcopal parish under the name of Trinity church was established in Holyoke as early as 1849, of which Rev. Henry W. Adams was rector. But the population was small and the finan- cial support so meagre that the effort was abandoned, not to be
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renewed again until 1863. In that year, acting on the advice of Bishop Eastburn, steps were once more taken to form a parish. This time the name of St. Paul's church was selected and the organization was effected October 12, 1863. The next December the first rector, Rev. James Kidder, was called. Jones S. Davis, one of the vestrymen, gave the society the use of a chapel and parsonage on Maple street, and this chapel was occupied for two years.
Mr. Kidder resigned in 1864 to go to another parish and Rev. O. H. Dutton succeeded him. Mr. Dutton was a popular rector. That he was a good orator is shown by the fact that he was selected from the clergymen of the town to preach the memorial sermon on the death of President Lincoln.
At the annual parish meeting in 1865 a committee was ap- pointed "to procure plans and obtain subscriptions for a church." They selected a lot on the corner of Suffolk and Maple streets, where the church now stands, but nothing further seems to have been done until the next spring, when building opera- tions begun and the corner-stone was laid July 5, 1866.
In the meantime the society had removed from the chapel to a pleasant room in the Lyman mills, and Mr. Dutton had re- signed to be succeeded by Rev. Mr. Holbrook. The latter re- mained sixteen months and was followed by Rev. Dr. Peet, who came from New York city and held the office four years and eight months. During Dr. Peet's term of service in 1868 the church edifice was completed, the first sermon in it being preached by Bishop Lee of Iowa. Dr. Peet's work did not end here. however, for he undertook the task of raising money to clear the incumbrance on the church. He was entirely successful in this and proved himself, also, in many other directions one of the best and most useful clergymen the city ever had. During his stay the number of communicants was nearly doubled. In March, 1872, Rev. John Leech was engaged for six months, at the end of which period Rev. Charles H. Lester became rector and remained three years. This was a successful pastorate, the number of communicants increasing from 80 to 160.
Rev. William P. Tucker became rector in May, 1876, and
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was succeeded, the next year, by Rev. Amos Skeele, who held of- fice until April, 1881.
Three months later Rev. H. L. Foote began his ministry and for eight years served the parish very acceptably and was a use- ful and highly respected man in the community. At the very beginning of his term he raised money to pay off the indebted- ness on the church and then enough more to build a handsome rectory on a lot just south of the church on Maple street.
In 1887 a gallery was put into the church to increase the seating capacity and at the Easter meeting in 1888 a building fund was started for the erection of a new church, the necessity for which was clearly foreseen. When Mr. Foote resigned. in May. 1889, the church membership numbered 300.
In September of that year Rev. J. C. Wellwood accepted a call to the parish and filled the office of rector seven years. He was followed by Rev. George S. Sinclair, who remained from April. 1897, to November, 1899. After that Rev. C. W. MeCully served as rector in charge for a few months, and on the first of October, 1900, the present rector, Rev. H. Morrill, entered on his work.
THE UNITARIAN CHURCH
An effort was made to form a Unitarian society in Holyoke in 1857, but failed after a trial of a few months. The present church was incorporated June 27, 1874, when the constitution was signed by 55 persons. Rev. W. S. Heywood became the first pastor, the call being given September 21, 1874. Services were first held in Parsons hall and afterwards in St. Jerome hall, on Maple street. In 1875 the water power company, following their custom with so many of the other denominations, gave the Uni- tarians a lot of land on Maple street, and the society took imme- diate steps toward building a house of worship, the chapel being completed in the spring of 1876.
Mr. Heywood resigned February 2, 1883, and in June Rev. Granville Pierce was called and remained as pastor for three years. His successor was Rev. James W. Carney, who was or- dained and installed January 11, 1887. In the summer of 1889 a large addition was built to the church, which more than doub- led its capacity.
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Mr. Carney was a young man who was liked by his church and made many friends, also, outside of it, but after a dozen years of preaching he decided to try something else. Accord- ingly, he resigned the office of pastor and took up the study of law, remaining in the city until he was admitted to the bar.
He was succeeded in the Unitarian pulpit by Rev. T. E. Chappell, a bright and active man, who remained with the society two years. Rev. A. G. Singsen, the present pastor, began his duties September 1, 1901.
THE FRENCH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
This society was organized July 2, 1886, the mission from which it sprung having been started two years earlier by Rev. Mr. Cote, general missionary for Massachusetts of the French Congregational work. The first pastor was Rev. J. L. Morin, but before the first year had passed he had a call to a larger parish in Lowell and resigned the Holyoke charge. In September, 1887, Rev. Samuel Vernier was called to the pastorate and remained about a year. After that the pulpit was filled for short periods by Rev. J. A. Vernon and Rev. Mr. Ameron, president of the French college at Springfield. On June 30, 1899, Rev. I. P. Bru- neault was called and installed December 3.
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