USA > New York > A history of the purchase and settlement of western New York : and of the rise, progress and present state of the Presbyterian Church in that section > Part 40
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Elbridge .- The town of Elbridge is a part of the old military town of Camillus, and was incorporated as a separate town in 1829. The first settlers who came into the town to reside permanently were, William Stevens, Nicholas Michles, Moses Carpenter, Robert Fulton, and Josiah Buck. The church was organized with seven members, by Rev. Seth Williston, Oct. 30th, 1800. Hezekiah Freeman, Moses Fulton, John Healy, and Isaac Freeman, were leading members of the religious society for many years. The church was organized as a Congregational church, and for a number of years was denominated the Congregational church of Camillus. It is still Congregational in its form of government, though connected with the Presbytery of Cayuga on the accom- modating plan. It was originally connected with the Middle As- sociation, and on the extinction of that body, by the formation of the Presbyteries of Onondaga and Cayuga, it was united to the Presbytery of Cayuga, which connexion it still retains. From the organization of the church till 1810, the church was small and feeble, and irregularly supplied with preaching, enjoying but little more than that furnished by itinerant missionaries. But in 1810 and 1811, Rev. Benjamin Bell officiated as stated supply, and in connexion with his ministry a few members were added to the church. In the year 1817, the church enjoyed a season of revival, under the ministry of Rev. Jabez Chadwick. How long his ministry with this church was continued is unknown to the writer. Rev. Stephen Porter supplied the church from January, 1824, till Feb. 8th, 1826, on which day he was installed by a committee of the Presbytery as its pastor. The pastoral relation was dissolved on the eighth day of March, 1827. During the period of Mr. Porter's ministry a blessed revival of the work of the Holy Spirit was enjoyed, in consequence of which a goodly number was added to the church, so that the number of members reported for 1825 was
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one hundred and twenty-six, a greater number than was reported afterwards for several years. On the seventh day of February, 1828, Rev. Timothy Stow was installed pastor of this church by the Presbytery, and continued in the pastorate till Jan. 15th, 1833, when the relation was dissolved. During the first two years of his ministry a considerable addition was made to the church of members by profession ; but in the year 1831 the greatest work of grace was experienced, as the result of which sixty-six members were added to the church, on a profession of their faith in Christ. In consequence of this addition, the church numbered one hundred and fifty-nine members, a greater number than had ever before been reported. Rev. Medad Pomeroy succeeded Mr. Stow, and was installed pastor of the church on the seventh day of August, 1833. The pastoral relation was dissolved Sept. 2d, 1840. During his ministry, in 1834, a considerable revival was experienced, but the number added to the church as the result is unknown to the writer. Rev. Sidney Mills was the next pastor, and was installed Sept. 1st, 1841, and continued till the eighteenth of April, 1843, when the relation was dissolved. He was succeeded by Rev. Lemuel W. Hamblin, who was ordained and installed pastor of the church, Nov. 15th, 1843. He continued in the pastorate till his removal by death, which took place on the twelfth day of October, 1846. A revival of the work of the Holy Spirit was granted in 1843, but whether it was previous to the commencement of Mr. Hamblin's ministry, or subsequent, is not known to the writer. As the result of this work of grace, a very considerable addition was made to the church, which numbered, on the twenty-fourth of November, 1845, one hundred and sixty-five members. Messrs. Levi Clark, Jacob Campbell, and Hiram F. Mather, are the present deacons of the church. The church has always supported its own pastor, without any aid from any missionary society. They have a house for worship which was erected in 1825, and removed to another location and enlarged in 1845. It will now seat a congre- gation of eight hundred persons. The Baptist Church have also a house of worship in the village.
Jordan .- The village of Jordan is situated on the Erie canal, in the town of Elbridge, and became a place of some importance, as the result of the construction of the canal. The church was orga- nized by a committee of the Presbytery, probably in the year 1829, and was received under the care of the Presbytery, Jan. 20th, 1830. Rev. John Ingersoll received a commission dated August 22d, 1829, from the American Home Missionary Society, to labor in this place. He continued his labors with them for one year. He was succeeded by Rev. William Page, who is supposed to have discontinued his labors with this church in the spring of 1832. The church is reported in 1832 and 1833 as furnished with a stated
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supply. On the seventh day of August, 1833, Rev. Washington Thatcher was installed pastor of the church, and sustained this re- lation till Nov. 24th, 1841, when he was dismissed from his charge by the Presbytery. The first report of the number of members on the statistics of the General Assembly is in the year 1836. The number then reported is ninety-six, a greater number than has at any other time beenreported. In 1846, the number reported was ninety- five. For several years past, Rev. Aaron Judson has ministered to the church in the capacity of a stated supply. What revivals, if any, have been enjoyed, is not known to the writer. The church has a commodious house of worship, and some other denomina- tions have houses of worship in the village.
Marcellus First Church .- The settlement of the village of Mar- cellus commenced in the year 1795. A few families had come in and located in different parts of the original town, a year or two before. In the autumn of 1795, Hon. Dan Bradley and Deacon Samuel Rice commenced the settlement of the village. Deacon Rice came directly from Connecticut. Judge Bradley was origi- nally from Connecticut, but immediately from Whitestown. He was a liberally educated man, and had with honor sustained the office of a gospel minister. The following winter Dr. Elnathan Beach removed from Connecticut into the place. Public worship on the Sabbath, by prayer, singing, and reading a sermon, was set up at the commencement of the settlement, and has never been in- termitted. A church of the Congregational order, consisting of eighteen members, was organized, Oct. 13th, 1801, by Rev. Caleb Alexander, who was then laboring as a missionary in the region. The Religious Society was organized according to law, in 1802, and the next year a house of worship, fifty-five feet by forty-eight, was erected and enclosed. The house was enlarged by the ad- dition of twenty feet to the length, with a steeple, and completed in 1815.
In the infancy of the settlement, the people, to a greater or less degree, enjoyed the occasional labors of itinerating missionaries. Rev. Messrs. Williston, Bushnell, Cram, and Hays, performed im- portant labors in the place. Under Mr. Williston's labors a season of revival was enjoyed, and a number were hopefully converted. They likewise enjoyed for short seasons the labors of Mr. Thomas Robbins, Amasa Jerome, and Caleb Atwater, licentiates. Rev. Pe- ter Fish preached to the congregation for some time, and received a call for settlement, which, however, proved abortive. Until 1805, this congregation was associated with that of Skeneatoles, in the support of preaching. In the month of September, 1806, Mr. Levi Parsons, a licensed preacher of the gospel from Massachu- setts, came into the place, and was engaged to supply the pulpit for a season. In the event he received a call to settle with them
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as their pastor, and was ordained and installed to the pastoral of- fice by an ecclesiastical council, convened for the purpose, Sept. 16th, 1807. The church at that period consisted of eighteen mem- bers, the same number with which it began, though not all the same individuals. The pastoral relation between Mr. Parsons and the church was dissolved, Jan. 15th, 1833, having continued more than twenty-five years. On the eighth day of January, 1811, the church became connected with the Presbytery of Cayuga. This was its first connexion with any ecclesiastical body. During the ministry of Mr. Parsons, three seasons of revival, though not very extensive, were enjoyed, viz .- In 1820, in 1826, and in 1831. At the period of his dismission, the church numbered one hundred and thirty-six members.
Soon after Mr. Parsons' dismission, Rev. Levi Griswold was em- ployed as a stated supply, and continued with the church two years, after which Mr. Parsons was invited to resume his labors, which he did, and continued to perform the parochial duties for six years, till May, 1841, though he was not reinstalled. Soon after the cessation of his labors, Mr. John Tompkins, a licensed preacher, was employed to preach to the congregation, received a call for settlement, and was ordained and installed as pastor, Feb. 22d, 1842. Mr. Tompkins still continues in the pastoral office. In the year 1844 a measure of divine influence was experienced, resulting in the addition of a considerable number of members to the commu nion of the church. In the report for 1836 the number of members is stated at one hundred and forty-eight, thirty-four having been added since the previous report.
It is estimated that about two-thirds of the village and vicinity may be called stated attendants on public worship, about one half of whom attend with the Presbyterian church, and the others with the Methodists or Episcopalians, the Methodists being about twice as numerous as the Episcopalians.
Marcellus Second Church .- The location of this church is about four miles and a half south-east from Marcellus village. It was or- ganized with twenty-eight members, by Rev. Levi Parsons and Rev. Benjamin B. Stockton, March 4th, 1819. The members were dismissed from the first church of Marcellus for the purpose of a new organization, on account of locality. Its present number of members is about fifty. It has at times numbered above eighty. The church has never had a pastor regularly installed, and at times has been without the stated ministry of the gospel. When they have enjoyed a stated ministry, it has much of the time been in connexion with another church. As stated supplies they have en- joyed the labors of Rev. Messrs. A. Conkey, William Wilcox, Eli- phalet B. Coleman, Hiram Smith, Absalom K. Barr, Alfred C. La- throp, Robert Brown, and Levi Parsons. They have received
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much aid from the American Home Missionary Society in the sup- port of their ministers. They have enjoyed some seasons of spe- cial revival, especially in 1831 and 1838. They have a house of worship, erected in 1825, which is in size about forty feet by thirty, and is well finished. The congregation upon the Sabbath may number eighty or ninety hearers. They are intermixed with other denominations of professing Christians, but no other house of wor- ship is in the immediate vicinity.
Skeneatoles .- The town of Skeneatoles was originally a part of the town of Marcellus. It is situated on both sides of Skeneatoles lake, and includes the village at the northern end of the lake. The settlement of the place commenced about the year 1794 or 1795. At what period stated public worship commenced, is not known to the writer. A church consisting of sixteen members was orga- mized. July 20th, 1801, by Rev. Aaron Bascom, a missionary from the Hampshire Missionary Society, Mass. Within a short period after the organization of the church five additional members were added, making the whole number twenty-one. As this church was the first organized in the town of Marcellus, it was denominated " Marcellus First Church," and held this appellation for a consider- able period. At the formation of the Middle Association this church became connected with that body, and was transferred to the Cayuga Presbytery on the dissolution of the Association. It retained its original Congregational mode of church government till January 10th, 1818, at which period the Presbyterian form of government was adopted, and ruling elders were elected. The church in its infancy, like other churches in the region, was visited by itinerating missionaries, particularly by Rev. Messrs Williston, Bushnell, Je- rome, Cram, and others. Rev. Thomas Robbins, then a licentiate, preached here for a season in connexion with Marcellus east. Rev. Benjamin Bell, Rev. Andrew Rawson, and Rev. Ira M. Olds, severally supplied here for a season. Their first pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Swift, was ordained and installed September 11th, 1811. His con- tinuance as pastor of the church was but a short period. He was dismissed. October 27th, 1812. At a subsequent period he was deposed from the ministry and excommunicated from the church. July 7th, 1813, Rev. Benjamin Rice was ordained and installed pastor of the church, and continued to hold the pastoral office till August 20th, 1817, at which date the pastoral relation was dissolved. Their next pastor was Rev. Benjamin B. Stockton, who was installed, March 4th, 1818. His dismission took place April 30th, 1822. Mr. Stockton was succeeded in the pastoral office by Rev. Alexander M. Cowan, whose installation occurred, December 4th, 1822. He retained the station till October 14th, 1828, when he was dismissed. Soon after Mr. Cowan's dismission, Rev. Samuel W. Brace was engaged as stated supply, and on the 17th day of February, 1830,
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he was installed as pastor of the church. In this relation he con- tinued till October 18th, 1843, when the relation was dissolved. On the 20th day of March ensuing, Rev. Samuel W. Bush was installed pastor of the church, and as yet continues to sustain that relation.
Respecting revivals of religion in this congregation, the author has received no very definite information. The converting influ- ences of the Holy Spirit have been repeatedly shed down, and the church from time to time has been enlarged. This was more par- ticularly the case during the ministry of Mr. Brace. Almost every year a considerable number were added to the church by profes- sion. The greatest number reported in any one year, was thirty- six. This was for the year 1833. The next year eighteen are reported as added by profession, and the whole number of mem- bers who have been connected with the church since its organiza- tion, to October 18th, 1847, is 646. The number remaining at that date was 124; from which it appears that the church has of late greatly decreased in numbers.
In 1807, the Society erected a house of worship on the hill a little east of the village, which for that day was large and elegant. In 1830, they erected a new and commodious one in the village. The congregation who attend worship in this church are more numerous than any other in the village, numbering, in favorable weather, from two hundred and fifty to three hundred persons. Besides the Presbyterian congregation, there are three others in the village of Skeneatoles, viz. an Episcopal, a Methodist, and a Baptist, each of which has a house of worship, and enjoys preach- ing regularly upon the Sabbath.
Borodino .- This is a small village, situated on the eastern bank of Skeneatoles lake in the town of Spafford. A Presbyterian Church, consisting of seventeen members, was organized October, 1830. The church at one time consisted of ninety-eight members, but by removals and deaths is now reduced to the number of sixty- four. At the period of the organization of the church, Rev. A. B. Corning was laboring as stated supply to the congregation, and continued in that capacity two or three years. He was succeeded by Rev. B. B. Drake for one year. Rev. Lemuel Dady was his successor for a similar period. Rev. Asa Lyman followed for a season. During his continuance a house of worship was erected. After his departure, Rev. H. S. Redfield supplied the congregation in connexion with that of Scott for one year, and after him Rev. Absalom K. Barr also one year. Rev. Joseph S. Lord was or- dained and installed pastor of the church, April 21st, 1840. He was dismissed from his pastoral charge, October 2d, 1844. During his ministry a considerable revival took place, and fifty-three mem- bers were added to the church. Since the dismission of Mr. Lord
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Rev. Hiram Harris has supplied the congregation a part of the time for one year. In the support of all these ministers they have been aided by the American Home Missionary Society. Rev. Levi Parsons, of Marcellus, is at the present time preaching as a stated supply to this congregation.
Sennett .- The town of Sennett was formerly the southern part of the original military township of Brutus. The settlement of the place in the vicinity of the house of worship or village of Sennett, commenced in 1796. The first families were those of Daniel Shirts, - Atwell, Silas Goodrich, Thomas Morley, Ebenezer Healy, Rufus Sheldon, Daniel Sennett, Hezekiah Freeman, and Moses Treat. Public worship on the Sabbath was set up in the year 1800. The few professors of religion of the Congregational Order were connected with the church of Aurelius, but were at too great a distance to attend worship regularly with that church. In the year 1805, a religious society, with trustees, was organized according to the law of the State, and on the 8th day of January, 1806, a church consisting of sixteen members was organized by Rev. David Higgins, of Aurelius. The church at its organization was composed of those who had been members of the church of Aurelius in part, and partly of others, and was denominated the Congregational Church of Brutus. By this name it is known on the records of the Presbytery, down to a late period. The church soon after its organization became connected with the Middle Association, and on the dissolution of that body, was assigned to the Presbytery of Cayuga, with which it has continued in connexion to the present time. It now numbers about one hundred members. In the year 1825 nearly one half of the members were dismissed to form the church of Weedsport.
In the month of April, 1806, Mr. Francis Pomeroy, then a licensed preacher of the gospel, was ordained and installed pas- tor of the church, whether by the Association or by a special ecclesiastical council, is not known to the writer. Mr. Pomeroy's labors were continued to Dec. 28th, 1813, when the pastoral rela- tion was dissolved by the act of the Presbytery. Rev. Jephthah Pool was the next pastor. He was installed, Sept. 10th, 1817, and the pastoral relation was dissolved on the eleventh day of Feb., 1823. Under his labors a great revival was enjoyed in the year 1821. Rev. Charles Yale officiated as stated supply two years from 1824 to 1826 ; and Rev. Asa K. Buel from 1826 to 1827. Rev. Abner Morse succeeded Mr. Buel as a stated supply for one year. In 1830, Rev. Henry Boynton took the place of stated supply to the church, and continued his labors for four years. During his ministry in 1833 a revival of the work of God's Spirit was enjoyed. After the cessation of Mr. Boynton's labors, Rev. Samuel Marsh succeeded and ministered to the church about three
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years. He was succeeded by Rev. D. C. Lansing, D.D., whose labors were continued about a year, during which period a work of God's grace was carried on in the hearts of the people. Rev. Levi Griswold succeeded Dr. Lansing, and continued from 1838 to 1842. A revival occurred under his ministry in 1841. Nov. 14th, 1843, Mr. Charles Anderson, licentiate, who had been for some time ministering to the church, was ordained and installed as pas- tor, and still continues in that relation. With the commencement of his ministry a precious work of the Lord commenced, and souls were brought home to God. This church has been aided by the American Home Missionary Society, in the support of Rev. Abner Morse, Rev. Jephthah Pool, and Rev. Henry Boynton. They have a house of worship, which was erected in 1816, and which is still in use, though not as good as desirable. It is forty-eight feet in length, and forty-four in breadth. It is estimated that not more than one sixth of the population attend worship with this church. The other denominations intermixed are the Baptists, the Metho- dists, and those calling themselves Christians. The Baptists are the most numerous denomination ; the Presbyterians next in number, - and the Methodists next.
Auburn First Presbyterian Church .- The village and town of Auburn are a part of the territory which constituted the original town of Aurelius. The first settler on the site of the present city of Auburn, was Col. John L. Hardenburgh, who came in the year 1793. He was an officer of the Revolution, and settled on the land assigned him as compensation for revolutionary services. He was from the county of Ulster. A church of the Congregational order was organized at an early period in the town of Aurelius, embracing the professors of religion of that order throughout the town. Rev. David Higgins from Connecticut, who had visited the place as an itinerant missionary in the autumn of 1801, and again in 1802, received a call to take the pastoral charge of the church, in compliance with which he removed his family to the vicinity of Auburn, and was, by an ecclesiastical council, installed pastor of the church of Aurelius, Oct. 6th, 1802. The congregation was extended over so large a territory, and having no appropriate house of worship, the meetings upon the Sabbath for public worship were held alternately at Auburn, Aurelius, Cayuga village, and Grover's Settlement. On the eighth of January, 1811, Mr. Hig- gins was dismissed from his pastoral relation to this church, and was engaged as a stated supply in the village of Auburn, which was then beginning to rise to some measure of importance. On the Lord's day, July 14th, 1811, the church of Auburn was organ- ized by Mr. Higgins, and consisted of nine members. It was organized as a Congregational Church, but on the fifth day of August, 1814, the church by a unanimous vote adopted the Presby-
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terian Confession of Faith and Form of Government, which have ever since been retained. The church, within a few days after its organization, became connected with the Presbytery of Cayuga. Mr. Higgins continued to officiate as stated supply about one year and nine months. Rev. Hezekiah N. Woodruff was his successor, and was installed as pastor of the church, June 22d, 1813. In August, 1816, the pastoral relation of Mr. Woodruff to the church was dissolved, and in November of the same year the church gave a unanimous call to Rev. Dirck C. Lansing to be their pastor which call was accepted, and on the twentieth day of April, 1817, he was installed as pastor of the church. His relation was dissolved June 16th, 1829, he having accepted a call from the Second Presbyterian Church of Utica. The church remained without a pastor till July, 1830, when Rev. Josiah Hopkins was unanimously elected, and on the twenty-eighth of September following, was installed pastor of the church. The pastoral relation between him and the church was dissolved in April, 1846. For some time previous to this event the health of Dr. Hopkins had been such that he had been wholly unable to preach, and the pulpit was supplied by Dr. Lansing, the former pastor. On the twenty-ninth of July, 1846, Mr. Henry A. Nelson, a licentiate, was ordained and installed pastor of the church, and still sustains that relation.
This church has been distinguished for the number and extent of the revivals which have been enjoyed. During the ministry of Dr. Lansing and Dr. Hopkins, embracing a period of twenty-nine years, not less than twelve or fourteen seasons of general religious attention were experienced. Of the character and results of these some notice has been taken in another part of this work. The church in this period received more than sixteen hundred members, making an average yearly addition of about sixty persons.
Three colonies have gone out from this church, and have formed other churches, viz. the Second Presbyterian Church of Auburn, the church of Fleming, and the present church of Aurelius. The pre- sent number of members in the church is about four hundred and twenty. The average number of persons attending worship on the Sabbath is not far from five hundred. The church has an appro- priate house of worship, the erection of which was commenced in 1816, and completed the following spring. It has since been en- larged by the addition of several feet to its length, and is now se- venty-two feet in length, by fifty-five in breadth. It is capable of comfortably seating about one thousand persons.
Auburn Second Presbyterian Church .- This church was orga- nized by an act of the Presbytery of Cayuga, and received under its care, Nov. 10th, 1830. The number who united in the first or- ganization, by letter from the First Presbyterian Church and other churches, was sixty-six. Among the reasons assigned for the for-
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