USA > Maine > Hancock County > Traditions and records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert island, Maine > Part 6
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Nicholas Thomas was the first person to be baptized by im- mersion and he was clerk of the Salisbury Cove church for more than thirty years.
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Burrage's History of Baptists in Maine says, "Elder John Tripp and Rev. Isaac Case set out for Mount Desert June 17, 1802", but no record of their experiences there is given. In a report of his missionary labors made February 10, 1803, Mr. Case includes Mount Desert among the places he had visited, and the church books say that he was at Eden in the autumn of 1805, which shows that the new churches were frequently visited and looked after.
As the population of Mount Desert increased, other settle- ments began to think of forming churches of their own and on September 11, 1816, the Baptist church of Tremont was formed at Pretty Marsh.
The record of that meeting reads as follows :
"The proceedings of the Counsel which convened at Pritty Marsh meeting house on September 11th, 1816, consisting of the following Elders and messengers from other Respective Churches by request viz :
The First Church in Sedgwick-Elder Eben Pinkham, Br. Jona- than Allen, Br. Samuel Herrick, Br. Joseph Herrick, Br. Jonah Dodge.
The Church of Eden-Elder Lemuel Rich, Br. Nicholas Thomas, Br. Gideon Mayo.
The Church in Bluehill-Elder John Roundy, Br. Andrew Witham, Br. Amos Allen.
The Church in Trenton-Elder Job Cushman, Br. Ephm. Haynes.
Elder Isaac Case being on a mission was on the Counsel. The Counsel proceeded as follows :
1st. Voted-That the Brethren present take seat with the Counsel.
2nd .- Chose Elder Isaac Case, Moderator.
3rd .- Chose Elder Eben Pinkham, Clerk.
4th .- The Articles of Faith and Covenant were then read.
5th .- Then the following persons came forward and related their Experiences for Baptism. Males-Francis Grindal, George Butler ; Females-Judith Grindal, Martha Reed, Polly Bart- lett, Hannah Page, Polly Milliken."
Rev. Lemuel Norton and his second wife, Sophronia Averill Norton. Mr. Norton was the first minister of the Baptist Church at Seal Cove.
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Another meeting was held on September 12 and five persons baptized. The records say, "After returning from the water the following persons were embodied by the Counsel into a church : Ezra H. Dodge, Simeon Milliken, Davis Wasgatt, James Reed, George Butler, Amos C. Lunt, Francis Grindal, John Billings, Judith Grindal, Martha Reed, Polly Bartlett, Polly Milliken, Polly Bartlett 2n, Apphia Bartlett, Lois Bartlett.
Davis Wasgatt was chosen clerk and Br. Ezra H. Dodge dea- con.
Many names were soon added to the list of members and it was voted to hold a Conference the last Saturday of each month "and if any member shall neglect to attend the monthly confer- ence they shall give reasons for such neglect." The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was first administered to this church by Elder Isaac Case."
Elder Case was one of the prominent Baptists in Maine. He was born in Rehoboth, Mass., February 25, 1761, and ordained to the Baptist ministry, September 10, 1783. He came to Thom- aston, Maine, to preach and there married Joanna, daughter of Elisha Snow of that town on June 26, 1785. It seems to have been Elder Case who persuaded Rev. Daniel Merrill of Sedgwick to change from the Congregational faith to that of the Baptist, which he did and his church for the most part followed his lead.
November 25, 1820, Elder Lemuel Norton was received into the church by letter and on July 31st of the same year, Sister Polly Norton was received into fellowship by a recommendation from the church in Brooksville, Maine.
Mr. Norton was the first settled minister of the Baptist church of Seal Cove and this church had members from all the settlements on the western side of Mount Desert Island.
Elder Norton was in many ways a remarkable man. He had visited Mount Desert Island as an itinerant preacher and in his biography, which he wrote in his later life, he describes the hard- ships of a traveler and says : ****** "I next visited Mount Desert where there had been some religious interest among the people and a goodly number had found the Saviour precious to their souls and a small Baptist church had been organized by Rev. Father Case and Rev. Bryant Linnen. In this place I stopped
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a number of Sabbaths and preached with much freedom. Here was a large Congregational church. Father Eaton was their minister and had been for many years, though, being rather illit- erate, he had never been ordained, because it was against their rules to ordain an illiterate man to the work of the ministry.
Quite a number of this church had left and become Baptists and joined the newly organized Baptist church. In the spring of 1819 the church at Mount Desert sent for me to make them another visit, which I accordingly did and preached with them a number of months to good satisfaction. In the fall of this year I was engaged to keep the winter school in one of their districts called the Cape district."
Mr. Norton then goes on to tell how he eked out his slender income by rigging ships that were built in the vicinity and for which he received "high pay." He worked at this during the summer, taught the fall term of school for twelve weeks and went home to Brooksville.
To resume his narrative : **** "A number of persons agreed to give me fifty dollars apiece if I would move to Mount Desert the next spring, which should have nothing to do with my salary, which would be about two hundred dollars a year. After con- sulting my family and friends in Brooksville with reference to this important step, I finally concluded to sell out what prop- erty I had in Brooksville and purchase a small farm in Mount Desert. This I attended to in the course of the winter and when the spring opened in the month of April, a vessel was sent in which two of the brethren came and took on board my goods and what cattle I had and myself and family arrived at Mount Desert in the month of April on Fast Day 1820, where the people all turned out, took all my effects on shore, and hauled them up and deposited them in our new house that I had purchased for our residence during our stay upon this island of the sea. I would here observe that this is a large island, perhaps twenty miles long and about twelve broad, containing at that time two towns, Eden and Mount Desert, with, say, about three thousand inhabitants. Here, in the spring of 1820, I commenced a stated labor in the Gospel ministry."
The path of the church was beset with the same difficulties of other churches. The records tell us that a sister was accused
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of "Disorderly conduct in partaking of the Lord's Supper in the Free Baptist Church." Special meetings had to be called to settle difficulties between members ; some were settled and others made worse by the public airing which they had received. Sev- eral members were reproved for partaking of Communion with other denominations. If they confessed that they were in the wrong they were forgiven, but if they did not their names were stricken from the rolls.
After a few years Elder Norton began to doubt the wisdom of the Close Communion and in his autobiography he states that "there was a large and somewhat wealthy Congregational church whose minister preached in our section of the town a part of the time. But when away, his people would attend our meeting, and especially would they be at our communion seasons." He says that it was hard to exclude these friends from the communion table but it had to be done. And so he became dissatisfied with the condition of affairs and began to preach accordingly express- ing his doubt of the wisdom of exclusion. This action occa- sioned much disturbance in the church and on June first 1828 Elder Norton, at his own request, was dismissed from the church. In his last sermon he was accused by one of the deacons of "publicly condemning the Calvinist Baptists, saying that they were a proud denomination-that he had been fettered or shac- kled by them fifteen years-that he never ought to have belonged to this church-that now he had got his fetters off, that he had tried times before to come out from them, but had not strength, that he never ought to have been the pastor or shepherd of this church, that they ought to have rejected him before now, but God had now given him strength and he had left them etc." The record goes on to say that "the committee would add more but do not wish to be too particular. Your committee are at a loss to reconcile the above stated conduct and declarations with the work of an under shepherd in feeding the flock with the milk of the word with consistency of profession or even with sincerity."
The Elder declared in open meeting that all these charges were correct and expressed his condition of mind.
As soon as he was entirely free from his connection with the
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church, he set about to organize a Free Will Baptist church and on September 20, 1828, a company met at "the dwelling place of a Mr. Thurston who was later a keeper of the light at Bass Harbor", adopted articles of faith, chose Bro. Francis Gilley for their deacon and Bro. Richardson for their clerk. He writes that "after a few years some died, others moved away into the country and finally the church became extinguished." Mr. Nor- ton went to Cranberry Island where he held meetings and made some converts and writes that "Sister Abigail Spurling, whose husband was master of a brig then on a voyage to Belfast, Ire- land, was the first person to be baptized by immersion at that place."
Meetings were also held at Otter Creek. When the Free Will Baptist church was discontinued it is said that their communion set was sent to Bates College.
In 1832 Elder Bedell visited Seal Cove and by his preaching so stirred the people that ninety-two persons were added to the membership in less than two years. It was in that year that Rev. Calvin L. Cary began his ministry there which lasted eleven years, during which time he served faithfully and well and the membership increased to one hundred and thirty-one.
During this time the church building was begun about 1802 and never quite completed, was burned in a forest fire. The old foundation stones are still in place. It was a great loss as the people did not feel equal to taking on the burden of building a new church. The Congregational membership had all but dis- appeared from the vicinity and the Baptists would have to do the work by themselves. About the time when they were most de- pressed, a freshet brought a quantity of lumber down from Ells- worth, which the men of the place salvaged and started a new building, feeling that Providence indeed had shown them the way. This building blew down before it was completed.
In 1837 a meeting house was built at Center to serve as a distinctly Baptist church. This house is still (1938) standing near the residence of Frank Hodgdon. In the gale of January 10, 1878, the steeple was wrenched off and never rebuilt. Inter- est began to decline, perhaps because of the financial burden which was put upon the people by building, and affairs grew worse until in 1853 Elder Cary returned to give them part of his
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time in an effort to build up the society. Mr. Cary's salary was paid in part by the Maine Missionary Society.
The center of interest had changed to Seal Cove and services were held there in the schoolhouse. When Elder Cary returned in 1853 the records say that he wished "to make one more effort to sustain preaching." In this attempt the church was substan- tially aided by Capt. Wills Carver and Capt. Ezra Reed who "took a deep interest in securing the services of Bro. Cary. Sev- eral other sea captains and respectable fellow citizens came for- ward and subscribed to his support."
Rev. Cary was induced to relinquish his place as a missionary and to act as pastor of the church. He investigated its standing, drew up resolutions regarding dealings with members who had fallen from grace, and made a list of those who were faithful. He offered pardon to any former member who should return to the fold. They purchased a new record book, appointed Deacon Benjamin Dodge clerk and the new book contains a list of all members with dates of their admission and also of all dealings with them.
The people took heart and began plans for building a church at Seal Cove.
On April 8, 1893, a church of twelve members was formed at Northeast Harbor and in 1895 the Southwest Harbor members withdrew and formed a church of their own at Manset. This body was organized December 9, 1897.
Thus the First Baptist church is the Mother of two other churches.
The little group of faithful workers struggled on through the years, often through difficulties, but never discouraged, and on July 28, 1914, the new building at Seal Cove was dedicated.
The pastor, Rev. Frank C. Dresser, read the history of the church, Scripture reading by Rev. Mr. Purington of Bar Harbor and prayer by Rev. Emma Harrison of the West Tremont Meth- odist church. The lot for the new church was given by Albert Ober and the society extended thanks to Capt. C. H. Robbins and sons of Atlantic for assistance and to Reuben Davis of Tren- ton for the gift of a handsome desk. Rev. I. B. Mower preached the dedicatory sermon and Rev. P. A. A. Killam of Ellsworth
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offered the dedicatory prayer. There was a supper at the home of Mrs. Angeline Powers and services continued in the evening.
The Manset Baptists in 1895 bought of William King his house as a parsonage. In 1935 this house was sold to Leslie S. King.
The history of the Baptist church would not be complete without additional mention of Elder Lemuel Norton, its first minister. He was born in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard and went to sea at an early age. His biography is quite a remark- able book with the true flavor of the sea reminding the reader of Dana's Two Years Before the Mast. It is a vivid picture of a sailor's life in the early part of the nineteenth century and shows that the men of Mount Desert Island, in common with those all along the Maine coast, visited far-flung ports of the world. He speaks of encountering his neighbors in Gibralter, in Calcutta, in ports of China and he tells of the cruelties practised by brutal officers on board ship in those days when there was but slight redress for the common sailor.
After several years of the sea the young man felt the urge for more education and then the call to preach. Many of his descendants are now residents of Mount Desert Island and among the most respected citizens.
He and his good wife spent their declining years at their home at Seal Cove and they sleep their last sleep in the little graveyard at West Tremont.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS
A letter written before 1830 says that the first Sunday Schools on Mount Desert Island were held at the schoolhouse at Seal Cove and at a log cabin in Goose Cove or West Tremont in 1823-4. The cabin belonged to a John Brown, familiarly known as "White Horse Brown" because he rode a white horse and to distinguish him from another John Brown. The organ- izer of these schools was Mary Wasgatt, daughter of Davis Was- gatt of Beech Hill. She was one of a large family and one deeply interested in religious work. These schools must have been under the auspices of the Baptist church which was organ- ized at the western side of Mount Desert in 1816 and to which Davis Wasgatt and family belonged.
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METHODISM ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND
At a Conference held in Leeds, England, in 1769, two preachers, Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmore, were sent to America. They landed at Gloucester Point, six miles below Philadelphia, October 24, 1769. These were the first regular itinerant Methodist preachers that ever came to these United States.
The first permanent Methodist settlement in America had been made at New York in 1766. The preaching was well re- ceived in the South from the first, but it was 1791 before it found its way to "the spell-bound North."
On August first, 1793, Jesse Lee says, "I was myself appointed to the Province of Maine, to travel through that country or form a circuit where I thought best. As there had never been any Methodist preaching there, we had no one to give us a particular account of the place or the people ; but it was commonly under- stood that they were in want of preaching, and that our manner of traveling and preaching would be very suitable for that part of the country." He further says, "I set out from Lynn in Sep- tember, 1793, for a strange part of the world and was the first Methodist preacher that ever went to that Province to preach."
Again he says, "Although I was a perfect stranger to the people and had to make my own appointments, I preached almost every day and had crowded assemblies to hear."
Jesse Lee was from Prince George County, Virginia. He was a tall, large man and always rode horseback leading an extra horse. It is said that he was ferried across the rivers in two boats; tying them together and standing the hind feet of the horses in one boat and the forefeet in the other.
On this journey into Maine he preached at Saco on Septem- ber 10, 1793, the first Methodist sermon ever preached in the State.
On Saturday, May 7, 1796, Jesse Lee came to Trenton where he preached. On Sunday he preached at "Mr. Joy's on Union River" and on Monday, May 9 "at Mr. Foster's on Jordan River."
On Tuesday, May 10, his journal says, "a young doctor went with me down the river and got into a canoe with some other
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people and went over to Mount Desert. We found many col- lected for training. Just after our arrival the captain dismissed his company.
Many women had also collected to see the men muster and afterwards to have a dance. But when they found out that I intended to preach they were at a loss to know what to do; some said, "we will have a dance", others said "nay, but we will have a sermon." The woman of the house said if they would not hear the gospel they should not dance. The man of the house spoke out aloud saying, "If the Lord has sent the man let us hear him, but if the devil has sent him let the devil take him away." "So I told them I would preach at another house at 4 o'clock."
He set off for the place, but had an encounter on the way with one of those sturdy theologians who so often crossed his path in New England. "He was brimful of religious talk, but I soon discovered that he was a strong fatalist; when he found out that I believe that Christ died for all men, and that the Lord called all men, he got into a violent passion and with abundance of fury, called it a damnable doctrine and appeared to be ready to swear outright. Poor man, how small a thing it is for a man to call himself a Christian while he is governed by wrath and an evil spirit."
Arriving at the appointed house he preached with his usual power and effect. "The Lord (says Lee) was very precious to my soul, and many of the hearers were melted into tears, and heard the word as though it had been for their lives. But while I was speaking, the fore-mentioned man and another of his party, kept shaking their heads at each other as much as to say, 'That is not true.' At last I stopped and said to one of them, 'I should be glad if you will try to keep your head still.' He behaved better afterwards.
Mount Desert is now divided into two towns; the one I preached in is called Eden. This was the first Methodist ser- mon ever preached in the town; and I feel a pleasing hope that a lasting blessing will attend it. I lodged with. Mr. Paine that night."
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Methodism seems to have been received whole-heartedly in Maine, perhaps due to the eloquent preaching and the magnetic personality of the remarkable and indefatigable Jesse Lee. The first Methodist meeting house in Maine had been built at East Readfield in the fall of 1794 and dedicated by Jesse Lee, June 21, 1795. The first quarterly meeting ever held in the State was in this meeting house October 20, 1795.
The Methodist Conference was organized in 1825 and as pop- ulation spread and churches increased, the Eastern Maine Con- ference was created at Biddeford in 1847 and the first session held at the Pine St. Church in Bangor.
Circuit preachers from Congregational and Baptist churches came and went to the Mount Desert villages in the years to come, but no Methodist preaching was heard on the Island from the time of Jesse Lee's visit in 1796 until 1828 when Rev. David Stimpson of the Penobscot circuit, with Rev. Rufus C. Bailey, came to look after the interests of their belief.
A class of thirteen was formed in the Beech Hill neighbor- hood which became the nucleus of a Methodist Episcopal church, and from this small beginning, at Beech Hill was built and dedi- cated in the summer of 1838 by Rev. John Wesley Dow, the first Methodist Episcopal church on Mount Desert Island. The foun- dation stones of this church may be seen now where the road forks, and one road leads to Beech Hill from the road around the head of Long Pond.
The Methodist church of Mount Desert Island owes much to the Maine Missionary Society as do all the other churches, for the assistance given in sending ministers to preach for a few months at a time and thus keep the religious life vital.
Following is a list of the preachers who served the Beech Hill church which was attended by people from all over the Island : W. S. Douglass, 1831-2; B. D. Eastman and T. B. Spaulding, 1834; B. M. Smith, 1835-6; Levi C. Dunn, 1835; John Wesley Dow, 1837-8; D. P. Thompson, 1839-40; Mark Tuell, 1840; H. C. Tilton, 1841; J. P. Hutchings, 1841; B. M. Mitchell, 1842-3; A. P. Battey, 1845-6; William J. Wilson, 1849-50; Ammi Prince, 1851.
Mr. Prince preached at Tremont in 1852. This is the first
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mention in any available records of Methodist preaching at Tre- mont although the ministers above mentioned must frequently have preached at the Manset church, and had some following in the town.
Daniel Staples is mentioned as preaching at Tremont in 1853 and Levi C. Dunn in 1854. Kendrick N. Meservey was at Mount Desert in 1856, Joseph King in 1857-8 and Irving A. Wardwell in 1859.
B. F. Stinson was settled at Southwest Harbor and preached regularly there in 1859-60, Percival G. Wardwell in 1861, Clark- son B. Roberts also in 1861, John A. Plumer in 1862-3 and in 1864-66 Mr. Plumer is recorded as preaching at Mount Desert.
This seems to have been the last of the preaching at the Beech Hill church and a few years later the building was torn down and the lumber, doors, windows, etc., divided among the people of the community who used them in the building or re- pairing of their own homes. Several of the old houses in that vicinity have doors and windows that once served in the church and in the house which John G. Richardson built for his own home the little brass buttons from the new doors were used as fastenings on the doors.
John Wesley Dow who was the minister at the time Beech Hill church was built and dedicated, served also the church at Manset and lived at Seawall. About 1885 his son, John Wesley Dow, Jr., visited Southwest Harbor and while here he presented to the Manset church the pulpit which is now in use there.
Mark Tuell is another minister whose short stay among the people seems to have been a memorable one. He was young, but an impassioned preacher, very earnest and very eloquent. It is recorded in Pillsbury's Methodism in Maine that a Mr. Free- man Maker of Cutler, Maine, had heard Mr. Tuell preach and was eager to have him come to Cutler. So he went in pursuit and found him holding meetings in Whiting. Brother Tuell hesitated when he heard the errand but told Mr. Maker that if he would wait fifteen minutes he would tell him. Soon his voice was heard in earnest prayer in the woods. He soon came back and told Mr. Maker that the Lord said he might go. A revival was the result of the labors of Mr. Tuell and Rev. James Thur-
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ston who was the minister at East Machias. This was in the summer of 1839.
In 1840 he came to Mount Desert Island where he took his first appointment as a settled minister to preach at the Manset church and at Beech Hill.
He always spoke in an extremely loud voice. Sailors coming in the Western Way often told of hearing him as he was speak- ing in the Manset church. He once called upon the family of Isaac Lurvey and suggested that he was willing to offer prayer. Mrs. Lurvey was a frail woman often in ill health and her hus- band told Mr. Tuell that he would like to have the prayer but that his wife was not able to stand the loud voice with which he spoke. If he could be more moderate in speaking they would be happy to hear him. The minister allowed that he could not speak with less fervor, but that he would step outside and offer prayer, which he did, going some distance from the house and the family inside had no difficulty in hearing him distinctly.
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