USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Fredonia > Centennial history of the Fredonia Baptist Church, Fredonia, New York, organized October 20, 1808 > Part 1
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1808 - 1908 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE FREDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH FREDONIA, NEW YORK
ALLEN COUNT !! 3 1833 01888 0317
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FREDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH
1808-1908 -
Centennial History of the
Fredonia Baptist Church Fredonia, New York (Organized October 20, 1808)
The Matthews-Northrup Works Buffalo, N. Y.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/centennialhistor00fred
INTRODUCTION
I N the preparation of the Centennial His- tory of the Fredonia Baptist Church, the underlying and it is believed the con- trolling purpose of the compiler has been to be accurate, sympathetic, and in a proper and reverent sense, dignified.
As to accuracy, preference has been given to the printed records. Access has been had to the thirty-two minutes of the Erie Associa- tion; to the forty-one minutes of the Har- mony Association (kindness of Rev. A. D. Bush) ; to the twenty-eight minutes of the present Chautauqua Association. Of the minutes of the first (or old) Chautauqua Asso- ciation, 1823-1847, have had all except two years, 1844 and 1846.
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On the point of a sympathetic appreciation of the work, if a greater relative amount of space has been given the period 1808-1823, it is because it was felt that the time had fully come to give for that early pioneer period a fuller statement than had heretofore been made. The only regret is, that instead of a few chapters, an entire volume could not have been given to the story of devotion, fidelity, and self sacrifice of the nine constituent mem-
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bers. The first pastor and officers who in the wilderness, laid the foundations and kept the ordinances of our noble Church - the first Baptist Church in all Northern Chautauqua.
On the point of a reverent and dignified treatment of the subject, the sketches of the several pastors and individual members are the work of almost as many hands, as are the number of historic sketches given. We believe them to be worthy to be regarded as the care- ful, painstaking result of, in most cases, an intimate acquaintance - a conscientious and loving appreciation.
As to certain controverted questions, it has not been thought best at this distance, to give any full discussion, much less, any attempted settlement on topics in regard to which, at the time (three-quarters of a century ago), good men differed, but differed as Christian breth- ren.
For the kindly sympathy of many of our citizens, both in Fredonia and elsewhere; for the many instances of material aid in the se- lection of suitable material, and especially for the generous and noble gift, which greatly relieved the church of a financial burden, sin- cere thanks and a grateful acknowledgment is hereby rendered.
S. S. CRISSEY.
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PARTIAL LIST OF SUBJECTS
1. Holland Purchase and Early Missions.
2. Biographical Sketch of Judge Zattu Cushing and Mrs. Sophia Williams, two constituent members, and sketch of Ebenezer Webster, deacon.
3. Biographical and professional sketch of each pastor from 1811 to 1908.
4. Complete lists of all officers-Church clerks, dea- cons, Sunday School superintendents, and personal notice of some prominent members.
5. Meetings of all Baptist Associations ever held in the county. Place, date, and name of moderator.
6. Date of organization and name of first pastor, of each Baptist Church in the county.
7. Fredonia Baptist Sunday School work from 1848. Details by years from 1860.
8. Home and Foreign Missionary work of the church. Sketch of Cyrus A. Chilcott - missionary baptised at Fredonia and educated in our schools.
9. Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. Offi- cers from organization in 1889.
10. Fredonia Baptist Church and temperance work. Sketch of memorable crusade.
11. Obituary record past fifty years and earlier.
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HISTORY FREDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH
THE HOLLAND PURCHASE AND EARLY MISSION- ARY WORK
T HE original charter of Massachusetts gave to that commonwealth a title to all the land between its north and south boundaries west, with a subsequent charter granted New York, at a conference December 16, 1786. It was agreed upon that Massachu- setts should have the pre-emption right to a tract of 6,000,000 acres west of a line on the meridian of Washington, passing through Seneca Lake and Geneva to Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario. In 1787 Massachusetts sold this tract of land, 6,000,000 acres, to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Graham for $1,000,000.
Two-thirds of this purchase was abandoned by Phelps and Graham, and reverted to Mas- sachusetts.
Subsequently this was sold to Robert Morris and excepting a strip on the eastern border, was by him transferred to the " Holland Pur- chase." This comprised all lands west of a line running north and south through the State, near the eastern border of Orleans County. .
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EARLY MISSIONS IN WESTERN NEW YORK
In 1800 Rev. Elkanah Holmes was sent to the Tuscarora and Seneca Indians in Western New York by the Missionary Society of New York.
Mr. Holmes was a Baptist minister of great zeal and tactful in his methods. He lived among the Indians several years.
In September, 1806, Elder Roswell Bur- rows of the Mystic Church, Connecticut, was sent by the Groten Union Conference on a missionary tour to " The Northwestern Fron- tier." Reaching Batavia he was entertained by Deacon Rice, whose wife was a sister of Rev. John Leland. At Buffalo - " Inquir- ing for Baptists, he learned that there were none in the village, nor anyone who made a profession of religion." He preached to a large assembly in Crowe's tavern. From Buffalo he passed on to Eighteen-Mile Creek where he found about sixty families within a circuit of ten miles. There had never been a sermon preached nor religious meeting held in the place.
Here he found six or eight professors and united them by covenant for worship and watchcare.
His next place for labor was Canadaway Creek, now Fredonia. This had been but re- cently settled. He was cordially welcomed
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and on Sunday, the day after his arrival, preached to a deeply interested assembly; some of whom came six or eight miles on ox-carts. Before he returned he visited Elder Holmes and reported the Mission with the Tuscaroras as a success.
In the fall of 1809 Elder Hezekiah East- man made a tour of " The Holland Purchase." He got lost in the " Nine-Mile Woods " and after considerable suffering at last came to a house. "On the next day came to the lake (Erie) and with great difficulty passed around the point. The wind and waves were so high, and I got so wet and cold, and I thought I must perish, but after riding eight miles in this condition I came to a house, got some re- freshments and then rode to Canadaway (Fre- donia) and met Elders Butler and Handy."
On the tenth of October Elders Eastman, Roots, Butler, and Handy met as a council with a church (West Ellery) on Chautauqua Lake. This church presented Brother Jones as a candidate for ordination.
After due examination the council agreed to set him apart to the work of the ministry and he was ordained.
No reference to the early missionary work in this part of the Holland Purchase should omit one missionary of whom we give a pen picture, drawn by one who had often heard him preach.
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From 1810 to 1820, or later, Rev. John Spencer, a Congregationalist, was the pio- neer minister. Priest Spencer, as he was called, entered all parts of the county where could be assembled three or more families, and preached nearly every evening. He was at that time probably over fifty years old, of middle stature, silver-gray locks, well trimmed, black eyes, prominent nose, and well formed fea- tures. His dress was ancient - knee and shoe buckles, short breeches and long stockings - a dress which at that period attracted attention, as it had nearly passed out of date. Inde- pendence in thought, word, and deed, was characteristic. He was remarkable for the sharp twinkle of the eye, which always pre- ceded some witty reproof. His sermons were short, practical, correct, and impressive. His manner of delivery was singular - commenc- ing short sentences, he would speak the first words slowly and very distinctly, and hasten the close, accenting strongly the last words. Especially was this the case in his prayers. Children noticed the set formula with which he closed every petition. His toils over, the rough ways of a new country ended only with his heavenly summons he soon finished his course, and his earthly remains quietly repose near the roadside in the town of Sheridan.
The Holland Purchase Baptist Conference
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was organized in 1810. The first minutes were published in 1812. In 1817 the name was changed to the Holland Purchase Baptist Association. From 1810-1820 much missionary labor in this county was done by Elder Handy and also by Judge Cushing, who had been licensed to preach.
Mr. Hollis Thompson in the history of the Stockton Church (1876) says:
" These meetings thus early established were regularly maintained, Samuel Crissey taking an active part, and often taking texts of Scrip- ture, though he would not call it preaching. Deacon Sylvester Higby of Ellery and Judge Cushing of Fredonia visited them and preached greatly to the acceptance and edifica- tion of all, for there were judges and deacons that preached in those days."
On the 19th of January, 1817, there were the first baptisms, the candidates being Heze- kiah Vial, Horace Thompson, Patty Thomp- son, Elder Joy Handy administering the ordi- nance. On March 12th the church in Stock- ton was recognized, the Pomfret delegates being Elder Joy Handy, Thomas Bull, Eliph- alet Burnham, and Ebenezer Webster.
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FREDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH PARSONAGE
1808-1819
I N the year 1808 all of what is now Chau- tauqua County was divided into two towns, Pomfret and Chautauqua.
The year 1808 was a notable one in its rec- ord of important events. In that year the Central Park of Fredonia, the gift of Heze- kiah Barker, was cleared of stumps and de- bris and made ready to become a thing of beauty and joy for the peoples of coming generations. In that year two Baptist churches, one in Chautauqua and one in Pom- fret, were organized. With the single excep- tion of the Presbyterian church of Westfield, they were the first churches of any denomina- tion in the county.
On the 20th day of October, 1808, nine per- sons were by a council duly called recognized as the Pomfret Baptist Church. Their names were Zattu Cushing, Rachel Cushing, Eliph- alet Burnham, Rhoda Burnham, William Gould, John Van Tassel, Benjamin Barrett, Sophia Williams, and Silence Barton.
The council met in a barn. They met there for the reason that a barn was then the best, most commodious room.
Frame dwellings, church edifices with spires
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pointing heavenward, cushioned pews, organ music, were things yet to be. Indeed, it was some years before the village, nestled on either side of the Canadaway, was to be christened Fredonia.
In both a material and a spiritual sense, the year 1808 became historic. That year our East and West Park, now surrounded by churches, hotels, library, and stores, was cleared of trees and stumps.
That year the first religious organization in the town was to have its birth. Surely it is fit- ting that the church and the park, thus united in their birthday, shall remain inseparable, the one as a spot of physical beauty, the other a place of worship of the Most High, a guiding star to wanderers seeking the celestial city.
Two years later, 1810, the first Presbyterian Church was organized. Religious meetings had been held for nearly three years before the formal organization of the church.
In November, 1805, is this record:
" A number of Baptist brethren having re- moved to this wilderness, where we have no knowledge that there was ever a religious as- semblage before, whose number was small, con- sisting of five brethren and four sisters, thought proper to meet on Sunday to recom- mend the cause of Christ and confirm each other in the faith." The next entries are:
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" 1806, the Lord blessing their labors, one more was added to the church."
" March 14, 1807. The members agreed to meet every last Saturday in each month to renew the covenant."
" October 12, 1808. At a meeting at Brother Zattu Cushing's the brethren agreed to send for a council to see if they could fellowship us as a church in sister relations. Accordingly, a letter was sent to Elder Joel Butler, Elder Hezekiah Eastman, and Elder Joy Handy."
A volume would be none too much to give the life history of this little band of nine dis- ciples of the Master; truly, there were giants in those days. Mr. O. W. Johnson gives the following:
"I cannot in this connection omit several incidents of Mrs. Sophia Williams, whom I have before mentioned as one of the first mem- bers of the Baptist church. She will illustrate the character of the women of that day. Dur- ing the year 1813 her husband carried the mail weekly between Erie and Buffalo. He ar- rived with it from Erie, sick and unable to sit upon his horse. She gathered hemlock boughs and gave him a sweat, then took the mail and set out on horseback with it for Buffalo."
It was in breaking up in the spring, when all the streams were swollen by the freshet far beyond their natural limits. She plunged her
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horse into the angry flood, swam it across the Cattaraugus, the Eighteen-Mile and the Buf- falo creek, holding the mail above the water, and delivered it at Buffalo in
time. She passed through the territory of two tribes of Indians suspected of hostility. Wild beasts still hovered around the path she traveled. A few years later a daughter of hers, who had married a Doctor Whaley and had emigrated to Southern Indi- ana, wrote home that she and her husband and children were all sick; that there was no chance for them there but death. This brave woman took a span of horses and a lumber wagon, and set out alone to rescue them. Her journey was hundreds of miles through an almost un- broken wilderness. Sometimes she found a house at night, sometimes she slept in the wil- derness with no shelter but the heavens, with no protector but the God who always watched over his saints. She crossed rivers where the horses had to swim and draw the wagon after them, but she returned safely with her idols. When the names of the heroines of history are collected and assigned their places, high on the roll justice with a pencil of light, will write the name of Sophia Williams, the Chautau- qua heroine.
ELDER JOY HANDY
The church was greatly blessed in the labors
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- 1811-1822 - of the first pastor, Elder Joy Handy.
While the official records are few, and there is no portrait in existence, enough appears to enable us to frame a picture of the most happy and long-continued relation between pastor and people.
On the one side we see the faithful, untiring, loving service of the man of God-on the other side a hearty, loving appreciation by the people of his charge. As moderator at the As- sociational meetings, as corresponding secre- tary, as preacher and pastor, it is always-"Our beloved Elder Handy." As indicating the regard in which he was held by the entire com- munity, Rev. C. Burgess (Presbyterian) in a paper relating to the early religious history of the times, quotes this remark as having been made :- " It does one good to see Elder Joy Handy walk the streets of Fredonia."
Two of his sons became Baptist ministers - Rev. Jairus Handy and Rev. Alfred Handy. A granddaughter, Mrs. Harriet Daniel is now a worthy member of this church.
Meetings of the Holland Purchase Associa- tion were held: 1815, at Hamburg; 1816, at Middlebury; 1817, at Hanover; 1818, at Eden; 1819, at Hamburg.
The meeting of 1817 at Hanover was the first association ever held in what is now Chau-
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tauqua County. The delegates from Pomfret were Joy Handy, pastor; Ebenezer Webster, and Martin Eastwood.
Hanover delegates were Samuel S. Burdick, Joseph Lull, Christopher McManus. Dele- gates from Chautauqua were John Putnam, Sylvester Higbie, Henry Walker.
Joy Handy was chosen moderator and Wil- liam Pattison, clerk.
Omitting the statistical table, we give in full the minutes. Capital letters are as in the orig- inal.
MINUTES.
HANOVER, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1817.
At 10 o'clock, A. M., the Holland Purchase Baptist Conference met agreeably to appointment: and
1. The Meeting was opened by prayer, by Elder Ebenezer Smith.
2. Made choice of a Moderator and Clerk.
3. Letters from the several Churches were called for, and the following List taken, in which Ordained Ministers' names are in Italic, and Churches not represented are marked thus f
4. Came forward from the Ontario Association - Elder Jeremiah Irons, and Elder Elnathan Finch -Letters from the Ontario Association, brought forward and read with the minutes. From Cayuga, Deacon James Stancliff, with minutes and letter, the letter being read, the Brethren from the aforesaid Associations, together, with the aged Elder Ebenezer Smith, late from Massachusetts, and Brother Jesse Brown, from Ontario, were invited to a seat with us.
After a few moments intermission, we were solemnly ad- dressed by Elder Jeremiah Irons, from I. Thessalonians, v. 12 and 13.
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5. Appointed Messengers to Corresponding Associa- tions .- To the Ontario, Elder Titus Gillet, and Brother John Grover.
6. To the Cayuga Association, Elder Elias Harmon, and Brother John Grover.
7. We cordially acknowledge the reception of the minutes of the Madison Association, and wish to open a correspondence with them as soon as may be convenient.
8. Having received a friendly letter from, and the minutes of, the Beaver Association, in the state of Ohio, and finding it inconvenient to send Messengers to them at present- Voted that our moderator send them a friendly epistolary reply, accompanying the minutes of our Association.
9. Appointed our next Annual Meeting to be holden with the first church of Eden, in the county of Niagara, at a Schoolhouse, near Esquire Stannard's on the 2d Wed- nesday of June next, at 10 o'clock, A. M.
10. Adjourned till to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock.
11. Thursday morning, 8 o'clock, met according to adjournment opened by singing and prayer.
12. Elder Andrew Sherburn, a missionary from the District of Maine, being present, was invited to a seat with us.
13. . Voted that our Conference in future be known by the name of the "Holland Purchase Baptist Association."
14. Voted that Elder Joy Handy be appointed to superintend the printing of our minutes the present year.
15. Voted to adopt the Confession of Faith and Plat- form of the Ontario Association as ours, and that it be printed with our minutes.
16. Voted, to accept of the Circular and Corresponding Letter, which was presented and read.
17. Appointed Brother William Pattison, to write the Circular and Corresponding Letter, for the next year.
18. The object of Foreign Missions was brought to view, and the following sums were contributed :
1 Church in Sheldon, . $2.00
1.00 Attica,
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Hanover, Church and Society
$4.00
2 Middlebury,
3.06
Hamburgh, .
2.87₺
Willink, .
2.00
Pomfret,
3.62₺
Isaac Hall,
.25
Elder E. Smith,
.25
$19.06
18. Delivered the monies contributed into the hands of our beloved Brother Elder Joy Handy, to be forwarded by him to the suitable Board of Reception.
19. Dismissed about 12 o'clock a short time, when we again returned to the duties before us.
After singing and addressing the Throne of Grace, we were pleasingly entertained with a solemn and animating Discourse, on the great points of Christian Duties, from I. Cor. xvi, ch. 13, 14 ver. by our aged and venerable Father, Elder Ebenezer Smith, which was followed by a soul-strengthening and comforting discourse by Elder Andrew Sherburn, a Missionary from the Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Society, from Heb. 11. ch. 1. ver.
Closed by Exhortation Prayer and Praise.
On the last page of the Minutes for 1819 is the following : JOHN A. LAZELL,
Has just published and for sale, at his BOOK STORE and BINDERY, center of the village, Buffalo, a
SERMON,
Preached at the Lal Bazar Chapel, Calcutta, on Lord's Day, September 27, 1812, previous to the administration of the ordinance of Baptism. With many quotations from Paedobaptist authors.
By ADONIRAM JUDSON, A. M. To which is added,
A LETTER,
Addressed to the Rev. Enoch Pond, of Ward, Mass. on the Insinuations and Charges contained in his Reply to Mr. Judson's Sermon on Baptism .- By the Rev. Samuel Nott, Jr., late Missionary to India.
July 16, 1819.
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HON. Z. CUSHING
Under date of November 9, 1813 is this record - "At a meeting at brother John Van Tassell's, Elder Handy, moderator - 1st, voted that brother Zattu Cushing serve the church as deacon." At a church meeting March 5th, 1816, Ebenezer Webster was elected a deacon, and Aug. 3, 1816 Judge Cushing was licensed to preach, which he did at Canadaway or Fredonia, also at Bull's Mills now Laona and in other neighborhoods.
In December 1816 Elijah Devine was elected deacon, and April 14, 1821 Nathaniel Crosby was elected deacon.
ZATTU CUSHING
Judge Zattu Cushing was born at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, in 1770, and was one of thirteen children born to Nathaniel and Lydia Cushing. He received but a meager educa- tion, the schools of that day being primitive and their course of study limited in extent, but his natural industry, energy, self-reliance, and integrity were of more value to him than schools. At an early age he was apprenticed to a ship carpenter, and when he mastered that trade, he followed it for some time at Boston. The work, however, was not congenial to his nature and he decided to exchange it for a farmer's life and for the purpose moved to Balston, Saratoga County, where he married Rachel Buckingham and then removed to Paris, Oneida County, and took up a tract of land in the forest, from which he made a farm. In 1799 he was employed to go to Presque Isle, adjacent to Erie, Pennsylvania, for the pur- pose of superintending the construction of a
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ship. When it was completed it was chris- tened the " Good Intent," and was the first ves- sel of noteworthy size built on Lake Erie. She was lost with all on board in 1805. In return- ing from the scene of his labors, one of his horses strayed, and while attempting to secure it, night came upon him and he passed the night upon the lands where twenty years later he built him a home. Having had excellent oppor- tunities for examining the lands of that locality, he determined to locate there, and in February, 1805, he moved his family to the site where now stands the town of Fredonia. Two yoke of oxen, each drawing a sled, were the convey- ances used and it took three weeks to perform the journey that may now be made in twice as many hours. At the time Mr. Cushing had eight children: Walter, Lydia, married Dr. Squire White; Milton B. Zattu, Catharine, married Philo H. Stevens; Lucinda, the widow of William Barker; Alonzo, and Rachel, who married Mr. Tupper.
Zattu Cushing was eminently a pious man, a Baptist of unswerving devotion, and his first thought upon reaching here was to establish a church. In 1811, when the organization of the county was completed, Mr. Cushing was ap- pointed the first judge and he wore the ermine until 1822. At the battle of Buffalo he served as a private and was highly indignant,
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feeling that with a competent commander, the result might have been different. On the fourth of July, 1812, a celebration was held at Judge Cushing's farm, he himself being the orator. Ere long the report of a cannon and the rattle of musketry showed the presence of an enemy at the mouth of the creek. Jumping from his high rough rostrum, the speaker was the first at the scene of action ready for de- fense. In August, 1816, a great sorrow fell upon his household, the mother of his children, who had been the light of his home and shared his trials, his joys, his sorrows, and his hopes,
was called away. Never before in the history of the village had so large and sorrowing a funeral been known. In 1817 he married Eunice Elderkin, a native of the town of Bur- lington, Otsego County. In 1826, just after the Erie Canal was opened for navigation, in company with Joseph Sprague, Mr. Cushing built a canal boat. It was built on the flats at the foot of Fort Hill, and was named the " Fredonia Enterprise." To draw the boat to the water required one hundred yoke of oxen, and after it was launched, they loaded it with wheat, and the steamer "Lake Superior " towed it to Buffalo. In 1823 he was foremost in establishing the Fredonia academy and until his death, was one of its most liberal support- ers. January 13, 1839, after a long experi-
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ence of physical suffering which he patiently endured, Judge Zattu Cushing passed peace- fully away.
When the battle of life was over, his peace- ful triumph commenced. At the next term of court, upon the motion of Judge Wallace, the bar of this county procured his portrait to be suspended in the courthouse above the bench where judges sit. Guarded with tender care, it still remains there and will for ages to come, as a proper memorial of as pure a man and up- right a judge as ever dispensed justice in any tribunal. By his second marriage Judge Cushing had four more children. The only daughter, Sarah M. L., died. The oldest boys were living in the west and his daughters by his first wife were happily married and lived near him. The youngest sons, Judson E. Addison C., and Frank, were at home, the pleasure of his declining years. All of them are now passed away.
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