USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Rochester > History of the town of Rochester, New Hampshire, from 1722 to 1890, Vol. I > Part 29
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On the first of May, Ezekiel True, Larkin B. Moulton, Eben S. Dyer, Gershom D. Plumer, Amos Tufts, Lewis A. Chesley, George W. Hurd, and Charles E. Varney signed articles of agree- ment assuming the corporate name of " The Rochester Village Free Will Baptist Society." Legal notice having been published, the society was thus enabled to transact business as a corporated body.
Meetings were well attended during the summer, and on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 1871, a church was organized with a membership of sixteen persons. In a few weeks several more were added by baptism and letter. The original members were as follows : - Ezekiel True, George W. Whitney, Sylvia M. True, Angelina H. Whitney, James T. Nichols, Charles E. Varney, Daniel McDuffee, Lydia S. McDuffee, Ezekiel Ricker, Lorinda Ricker, Eben S. Dyer, Maria E. Dyer, Francis C. Hayes, Mary Johnson, Larkin B. Moulton, Eveline Moulton. Of this number, seven have crossed the valley of death, two have been transferred to another church, and seven still remain members here.
The society worshiped in Wentworth Hall about a year, and then went to McDuffee Hall for Sunday services, holding their prayer-meetings in Hook-and-Ladder Hall.
Rev. Ezekiel True retired from the pastorate after three years' efficient service, and May 1, 1874, Rev. E. C. Cook of Steep Falls, Me., was settled and remained here till April, 1877.
The church and society had been steadily gaining, and felt deeply the necessity of owning a place of worship for themselves. A committee was appointed to see what could be done. After overcoming many obstacles with much labor, they purchased of the Eastern Railroad Company a lot of land on Hanson street for
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$1,400. On this lot a plain white building for a vestry was com- pleted in October following. The entire cost of the building and its furnishing was a fraction less than $1,100. It was dedicated on Thursday, Nov. 12, 1874, Rev. E. True preaching the sermon. The pastor, Rev. E. C. Cook, together with the venerable George W. Whitney, Rev. Mr. Tracy of Gonic, and Rev. H. M. Stone, pastor of the Congregational Church, also took part in the services.
Rev. B. A. Sherwood of Richmond, Me., succeeded Mr. Cook July 1, 1877, and continued his pastorate till September, 1878. Mr. Sherwood made great exertions to build a church, and at one time had four thousand dollars pledged for that purpose, but the undertaking proved too large for so small a society. Debts had been gradually increasing till the vestry and lot had to be sold, and the society found itself without property and $200 in debt.
In October Mr. True again took the helm as pastor, and Chase's Hall was hired as a place of worship. Greater efforts were made and a season of prosperity followed. Mr. True was desirous that a younger man should take up the work, and introduced Rev. E. P. Moulton, who began here in October, 1879. Mr. True did not ยท abate his interest, but with the new pastor and the church acting in perfect harmony, continued to labor with unselfish devotion, unflinching courage, and untiring energy. During the next four years the old debt was paid, a lot at the corner of Liberty and Charles streets purchased for $1,435, and a very handsome church built at a cost of $7,346.51. It is a matter of wonder that so beautiful and commodious a church could be built for so small a sum. The church debt was less than $1,500. The dedication took place Jan. 23, 1884, Rev. C. A. Bickford of Dover preaching the sermon. Rev. Messrs. Wood, Quimby, Moulton, Eakins, of the Methodist Church, and Kimball of the Congregational Church took part in the services. Rev. E. True, to whose efforts so much was due, had been suddenly called to his heavenly home, Feb. 18, 1883. Very appropriately the front of the building bears the clear cut inscription, " TRUE MEMORIAL CHURCH," thus perpet- uating the memory of him who was faithful even unto death.
June 1, 1885, Mr. Moulton resigned to take charge of a strug- gling church at Pittsfield. He was at once succeeded by Rev. J. B. Davis of Meredith, the present pastor. The church mem- bership has been of a steady and sure growth, and now (1887)
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numbers one hundred and thirty. The Sunday School, which in its beginning consisted of four teachers and twenty scholars, had, in 1886, a membership of 264, with an average attendance of 155. It has been steadily increasing since then, and an attendance of over 200 is frequent. The ladies of this church have been efficient and untiring workers in the cause of the Master, and have ren- dered valuable service in upbuilding the church and sustaining its worship. The present condition of the church is prosperous, and the outlook hopeful.
UNIVERSALISTS.
It was more than forty years after the introduction of Univers- alism into this country before it gained any considerable foothold in Rochester. The first record is the following notice : -
" Be it known that on the twenty-seventh day of March, 1841, Benj" Hayes, Silas Wentworth, and others, their associates agreed to form themselves into a religious Society to be known by the name of the First Universalist Society of Rochester, and have organized said society as the Statute of the State in the case provides.
WILLIAM JACKSON, Clerk."
A constitution was adopted and signed by the following per- sons : - Edward Tebbets, Paul Libby, William Jackson, Silas Wentworth, Jonathan H. Henderson, Jacob J. Garland, James M. Garland, Joel Varney, Lemuel B. Ham. Others whose names are not on the records are known to .have taken a very active part in sustaining meetings of this society, among whom were Asa P. Hanson, Charles G. Giles, N. V. Whitehouse, James H. Place, Noah Place, Richard Cross, and Charles W. Edgerly.
For more than thirty-five years there are recorded only two meetings of this society, and the only business was the choice of officers, William Jackson remaining clerk. There were doubtless informal meetings of which no record was kept, as enough money was raised and expended to secure preaching by the following persons during a part of each year named : - Rev. R. O. Williams, 1841; Rev. Eben Francis, 1842; Rev. George C. Strickland, 1843 and 1845; Rev. Mr. Cilley, 1844; Rev. E. Coffin, 1844; Rev. G. Anderson, 1845; Rev. E. H. Lake, 1847 and 1848; Rev. Thomas J. Greenwood, 1850, 1855, and 1865; Rev. A. A. Miner, 1850;
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Rev. Mr. Pettee, 1852; Rev. Mr. Hicks, 1859; Rev. Mr. Eaton, 1862; Rev. Mr. Patterson, 1862. In 1869 this society received $36.70 as its share of the parsonage fund.
In the summer of 1877, at a meeting held in the counting-room of E. G. and E. Wallace, Charles W. Edgerly and Albert T. Colton were chosen to solicit funds to establish meetings once in two weeks. Many responded, and the first preacher was Rev. E. L. Conger, followed by Rev. James Gorton of Nashua, Rev. Mr. Ralph of Columbus, Ohio, and Rev. Mr. Powers from Vermont.
Sept. 11, 1877, a call was issued signed by Paul Libby, James H. Place, Edward Tebbets, and Silas Wentworth, for a meeting to re-organize the Universalist Society. The meeting was held Sept. 22. Charles W. Edgerly was chosen clerk, and it was "voted to hold meetings every other Sunday for the present, and to hire McDuffee Hall." The society was for a time aided by the New Hampshire Convention of Universalist Churches, who sent from time to time the following preachers as supply : - Revs. G. L. Demarest and L. F. McKinney of Manchester; E. M. Grant, W. S. Vail, Benton Smith, George W. Quinby, and Dr. Sawyer of Boston; Mr. Spalding of Peabody, Mass .; W. S. Perkins and H. W. Smith of Tufts College; Mr. Eddy, Mr. Bowles, and Mr. Magwire.
Dec. 8, 1878, the society voted to accept and adopt the consti- tution recommended by the General Convention, and from this time the name of Ira Doe appears as clerk.
" Dec. 20, 1879, it was voted to hire Rev. W. S. Perkins to supply till June next."
Sept. 19, 1880, a call was extended to H. W. Smith, then a student at Tufts College, to settle as pastor, with the offer of $800 salary. This call was accepted and Mr. Smith began his work Oct. 3, 1880. A Council called for his ordination met in McDuffee Hall. The following ministers conducted the services : - Prof. Leonard of Tufts College ; Rev. E. M. Grant of Portsmouth; Rev. Benton Smith of South Newmarket; Rev. G. L. Demarest and Rev. L. F. McKinney of Manchester.
Mr. Smith's pastorate ended July 9, 1882, and the records for that date close with these words : - " When we shall have another meeting, time alone will tell; the want of unity now existing does not seem to warrant one very soon."
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In 1882-83 the Unitarian Convention of New Hampshire repeat- edly sent its emissaries with offers of aid to induce this society to employ one of its preachers. But their offers were rejected "as our parish thought we had been known as Universalists for over forty years, a time too long to think of now making the change." Aside from these Unitarian meetings for five Sabbaths, there were only three preaching services for two years and a half after Mr. Smith left. These were conducted by Revs. S. H. McCollester of Dover, G. H. Shinn of Plymouth, and H. S. Fiske of Newmarket.
Mr. Shinn supplied the pulpit about four months, beginning Jan. 1, 1885, and an unsuccessful effort was made to secure his services as permanent pastor.
J. S. Cutler, then of Tufts College, began to supply in May, 1885, and accepted a call to become pastor. "Having been duly exam- ined by the Council at South Newmarket, and being approved by them he was duly installed " Dec. 17, 1885. Sermon by Prof. Leonard of Tufts College, Charge by Dr. Demarest of Manchester, Address to People by Rev. W. S. Vail, and Right Hand of Fel- lowship by Rev. James Eastwood of Kingston.
In June, 1886, the parish committee were instructed " to investigate the different lots named by persons in the meeting," with the idea of " building a church on the same." Thus far nothing has come of this movement. In the summer of 1887, Mr. Cutler accepted a call to Marblehead, Mass., and the society has since remained without a pastor.
SECOND ADVENTISTS.
Ever since the ascent at Bethany there have been those in the churches who have been looking for the speedy return of the Lord. From time to time in the history of Christianity have arisen those who by their earnest zeal on this topic, and espe- cially by fixing a definite time for the advent, have aroused wide- spread excitements. The first extensive movement of this kind in America was produced by the preaching of William Miller, who had served as a captain in the war of 1812, but about the year 1833, by a carefully studied and very ingenious and plausible interpretation of Scripture, announced the very day of the Lord's coming in April, 1843. Traveling from place to place his preaching " moved the people mightily." "Farmers, mechanics, teachers,
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and many ministers of various denominations left their homes and scattered through the country preaching this doctrine, and converts were made everywhere." Many yet remember the great excitement of those times. The immense comet which appeared in the winter of 1842-43 added to the flames. People deserted their homes, and gave away their property, so that not a few who had been in comfortable circumstances found themselves reduced to actual want, when the set time passed, and the world still went on. Other times were set, but as one day after another failed to bring the promised glory, still a remnant clung to the faith. No longer setting the exact day, they still proclaim the very speedy " coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to raise the dead, to judge the world, to cleanse the earth by fire, to give his saints immortality, to set up his kingdom, and to fill the earth with his glory."
Rochester, like almost every other town, had its share of those who accepted this doctrine. Meetings were first held in the school- house at East Rochester. Earnest believers, prominent among whom were the present church elders, John C. Shorey and James Quimby, procured preachers, and after a time " quite a company were drawn together." About 1867 a chapel was built, and reg- ular meetings have been kept up since that time. There is " quite a thrifty church," and a Sabbath School, of which George Mc- Crillis is superintendent.
Another company of Second Adventists held their meetings for a time in the house of Moody Smith, about three miles below the village. About 1867 a small chapel was built on the back road to Dover, where meetings have been held ever since. Among the prominent members here are J. W. Whipple, Ira Bickford, and Mr. Ramsbottom. Preaching is kept up by Elder Joseph T. Libby, Elder Enoch Morrill, Elder Charles Willand, and other occasional supplies.
Still another company of Second Advent believers, prominent among whom were J. H. F. Varney and Jonathan Horne, both of whom became preachers, held meetings at the house of Wells Pinkham, and afterwards at the school-house on the Ten-rod road. In 1854 Elders James G. Smith, Jonathan Cummings, and others held a tent-meeting in that neighborhood, which brought in quite a number of converts. In 1866 "a missionary spirit got into them for labor in Rochester Village," and Elders J. H. F. Varney,
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Jonathan Horne, and Joseph Pinkham of Dover held a protracted meeting in the Town Hall. Among the converts at this time were Mary Anna Sanborn, a prominent school teacher, and her sister Sarah, both of whom went to Virginia with Mrs. H. L. Hastings to labor as missionaries among the Freedmen.
From this time the interest was moved from the Ten-rod road to the village, and meetings were held in the Town Hall until the fall of 1868, when Elders Daniel Leavitt of Ashland, Mass., and HI. L. Hastings of Boston, with others, held a tent-meeting in the rear of the Mansion House. Among the converts was a young infidel by the name of Parsons. While sitting in his room reading a novel, he heard the preaching from the tent, and became a firm believer. Having both education and natural ability he became a successful Advent preacher. After this meetings were held in different halls of the village with fair success for a few years, when divisions arose and two meetings were established. Both were soon suspended, though prayer-meetings were still held in private houses.
In 1875 Elder Varney invited Elder Enoch Morrill, then of South Deerfield, to hold a protracted meeting with him in the Town Hall. A public discussion followed between Elder Morrill and Rev. Mr. Tebbets concerning conditional immortality and the state of the dead. As a result of these efforts the mectings were revived and continued till a church was organized in 1879. Under the faithful and earnest labors of Elder Varney, followed by Elder Smith, a fair degree of prosperity was enjoyed. In 1884 Elder Morrill removed to Rochester and devoted a part of his labor to this church. The next year he pitched a large tent near the rail- road station, where historical and prophetic lectures were given by Elder and Mrs. Mckinstry. Again in the fall of 1887 Elder Morrill pitched a large tent at Cold Spring Park, where he with Elders Warren, Tenney, Stevens, and others held meetings which resulted in strengthening the church, and converting others to the Advent faith. Since then the "Advent Christian Church " has held meetings in Odd Fellows Hall, with regular preaching by Elder A. A. Robinson of Dover, Elder Mark Stevens of Ossipee, Elder Morrill and Elder J. E. Clough of Dover. George T. Dem- ming is superintendent of the Sabbath School, and a fair degree of prosperity is enjoyed. The Second Adventists received $72.57 from the division of the parsonage fund in 1869.
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ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Irish. 9
In 1860 there were only eight or ten families of Irish Catholics in Rochester. These were visited occasionally by the Rev. Father Lucy of Great Falls. As their numbers increased the Rev. Father Walsh of Newmarket held services in some hall regularly once a month. He was followed by the Rev. Father Dumane, who acted as curate for the Rev. Father Canovan of Great Falls. Then the latter attended the charge himself for a time. After a few years Father Walsh returned with orders to build a church. He suc- ceeded in erecting a wooden building 30 by 50 feet, with a vestry, at a cost of $2,100. This was called St. Mary's Church. Mass was first celebrated in it Dec. 25, 1868. Father Canovan was again in charge for a time. There were at this time about four hundred and eighty persons belonging to the parish, including a few Canadian French. The next pastor was the Rev. Father Pugh, who died here after about a year and a half, and was buried at Dover. After him came the Rev. Father Carnes, who was followed by the Rev. Father Louis Wilde. In the spring of 1884 the Rev. Father John T. McDonnell took charge, and under his direction the new church was built on Charles street at a cost of $10,000. The corner-stone was laid in August, 1885. This new St. Mary's Church has a seating capacity of four hundred, and is a beautiful edifice, second to none of its size in the State. It contains a fine new pipe organ, and a bell weighing 1,965 pounds, which was consecrated Nov. 25, 1886. Services were held in the new church for the first time by Bishop Bradley of Manchester, Dec. 5, 1886. Two days later Father McDonnell died and was buried here. Jan. 1, 1887, the Rev. Father John I. Bradley took charge of the parish, which now numbers about six hundred.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
French.
The French Catholics worshiped with the Irish till the Rev. Father Urbain Lamy was appointed their pastor, who held his first service in McDuffee Hall, March 22, 1883. A subscription was
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at once started to build a church, and $4,500 was raised for that purpose during the year. In May a lot was bought for $640, and the foundations were laid in June. The building, 75 by 45 feet, was finished in December. It affords four hundred and fifty sit- tings, and is furnished with an organ, three altars, and the statues of St. Mary, St. Ann, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The cost was $8,000, most of which has been already paid. The Rev. Father Lamy celebrated the first Mass in this church on Christmas day, 1883. The church is called " Notre Dame du Saint Rosaire," and was dedicated in May, 1886, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Bradley of Manchester. A fine bell of 1,600 pounds was consecrated by him at the same time. When Father Lamy first came his congrega- tion numbered about two hundred and fifty, but has now increased to six hundred. It is expected that a parochial school will be opened in the summer of 1888. The building, containing four rooms, is located near the church, and will cost about two thou- sand dollars. Both French and English will be taught.
CHAPTER XIII.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.
" The wings of Time are black and white Pied with morning and with night."
" Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whosoever erreth thereby is not wise."
IT is proposed in this chapter to treat of intemperance, crime, and reform. From the early days down through the first third of the present century, the drinking habits of the people were deplorable. Every store and tavern sold rum. Not a temperance man, as we understand the term, could be found. The most respectable church members, men who afterwards became conspic- uous for their temperance efforts, would get more than merry, and to be assisted home at night was only a subject of playful banter the next morning, and then forgotten. The minister drank with the rest, and it was a source of deeper mortification to a family to be out of rum when he called, than to be out of meat or flour. It was customary for the deacons and other male mem- bers of the congregation to spend the Sabbath noon at the store, drinking, or sometimes to repair to the spring near the church to mix their grog with the cool water. Rum was always used at funerals, and it was common for the neighbors to get merry and talkative coming back from the grave. A bearer has been known to tumble into the grave from intoxication, and the bottle has been set on the coffin of the dead. Boys drank with their fathers at home, with the minister at the parsonage, with officers on the training field. No frame could be raised without rum. The town accounts show that thirty-four gallons of rum and a barrel of cider were bought for the raising of the Congregational Church in 1780. Even as late as 1825, when the corner-stone of the Methodist Church was laid, punch was made by tubfuls in the stores near by. According to the custom previously mentioned (p. 131), the
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frame was christened by an effusion of doggerel, with an effusion of rum on the ridgepole. No Thanksgiving or Fourth of July could be properly observed without intoxicating drinks, and on no occasion were they more freely used than at ordinations of ministers, when a large company of people assembled from neigh- boring towns. School-masters would be drunk at school. One Junkins, who taught at Gonic some sixty to seventy years ago, often got drunk and slept it off sitting in his chair. The boys once tied him into his chair, and hung a dead puppy about his neck. On the farm rum was indispensable. It took a barrel of "West India " for some farmers to get through haying. Beginning to use it regularly in the field at hoeing, when haying commenced the hands must have their " bitters " before grinding their scythes in the morning. At ten or eleven o'clock rum was sent to the field, when they would seat themselves in a circle on the grass and drink. The same thing was repeated in the middle of the afternoon. Sometimes the " second corner " was turned, as it was called; that is, the bottle having passed around one way, was turned in its course and passed back the other, the men laugh- ingly clasping as much of the tumbler as they could in their hands so as not to show how deep were their potations. The boys who spread the hay were expected to drink with the men. When the traders came home from Boston, whither they went twice a year to buy goods, it was an event of great consequence. All over town, weeks before they started, it was known and excited much talk. When they returned, the best judges of liquor went around and tasted the Jamaica and Santa Cruz, and reported who had the best liquors, and to that store the trade was sure to go.
In 1829 the trouble was taken to ascertain how much liquor was consumed in town yearly. It was found from the statements of the merchants themselves, that about eleven thousand six hundred gallons had been consumed, costing $8,000, being more than five gallons for every man, woman, and child in town. This fact was stated in a Fourth of July address by Mr. Towner, principal of the Academy, and although it excited some comment, its truth- fulness has never been questioned. Nor was Rochester worse in this respect than other towns. Wherever the facts were investi- gated similar results were obtained.
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Many specific accounts might be given to illustrate the condi- tion of society. About 1822, there lived in a small house close to the river bank, just above the bridge, a hard drinker, who, while intoxicated one winter night, lay so exposed that his limbs were frozen, and he nearly perished. The event caused consider- able excitement. People felt that something ought to be done about it; at least that there should be an investigation. Some of the citizens accordingly held a meeting at the Barker tavern, just below where the Methodist Church now stands. We can imagine the meeting, probably the first ever called here to deal with such a subject. It comprised the wisdom and enterprise of the town. There were present business men well known for energy and ability to carry through whatever they undertook. Of course from such a gathering great things might well be expected. It was voted to prosecute all violations of law. A committee was appointed to report at an adjourned meeting the next Saturday night. When Saturday evening came, the chairman of the com- mittee, Squire Upham, arose to excuse himself. He said it was known he was a trader, and of course sold liquor, and it would not look just right for him to be prominent in such a movement. Every member of the committee was a rumseller, and one after another followed his example, asking to be excused. The meeting itself was being held in a rum-selling tavern. It would seem that there must have dawned on the minds of these men some feeling of inconsistency between the business they were pursuing, and the welfare of the community which they were supposed to have at heart. However this may have been, nothing came of the effort.
Soon after this it was found that the young men of the village were frequenting the house of this same drunkard, whom they would send to the stores for liquor, and spend the night in ca- rousals. The house becoming disreputable in other respects besides rum-drinking, the people resolved to endure it no longer. A private invitation was sent round to many of the principal citizens to meet at the saw-mill, just below where the upper factory now stands. One prominent man tried to avoid any share in the proceedings by going to bed early, but he was called up and rather reluctantly joined the company. Meeting at the appointed place, they armed themselves with bars and levers, and chose William Hurd as captain. He was an active, public-spirited man,
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