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 44
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Rev. John Stuart was the first Presbyterian minister who preach- ed regularly in this place. He was the stated supply for about two years, commencing early in 1810. Rev. Francis Pomeroy was the first pastor. He was installed June 29th, 1814, and continued in the pastoral office till Feb. 1st, 1825, when he was regularly dis- missed. Ile was succeeded by Rev. Lucas Hubbell, who was in- stalled Sept. 21st, 1825, and continued in the pastorate till Oct. 1st, 1839, when the relation was regularly dissolved. Rev. Ira Ingra- ham, the present pastor, was installed March 10th, 1840. There have been several seasons of special religious interest, in which the church has received numerous accessions. Such seasons were enjoyed in 1821-2 under the pastoral labors of Mr. Pomeroy, in 1831 and 1834 during the ministry of Mr. Hubbell, and in 1842-3 under the labors of Mr. Ingraham.
This church has always supported its own pastor without foreign aid. It has a good house of worship, sixty-eight feet in length by forty-eight in width, constructed of brick, and erected in 1825. It is thought that one fourth of those who attend worship anywhere in the town, meet with this church. There are five other regular congregations which meet for worship in the village of Lyons,
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viz .- Methodist Episcopal, Protestant Episcopal, German Lutheran, Baptist, and German Methodist. The order in which they are here named, is probably the order of their comparative numerical strength. Each of these denominations, the German Methodists excepted, has an appropriate house of worship.
Newark .- The village of Newark is situated on the Erie canal, in the town of Arcadia. Its rise is in consequence of the construc- tion of the canal. The name of the Presbyterian Church is found on the reports of the Presbytery of Geneva for the first time in 1826. It was then reported as containing eighty-two members, and as vacant. In 1832, the number was two hundred and forty- four, one hundred and seventy-two having been added by profes- sion the preceding year. In 1843, the whole number of members was one hundred and forty-two, and, in 1846, two hundred and fourteen. Rev. Alfred E. Campbell was the first pastor, and officiated two or three years. He received a commission to labor with this church, from the American Home Missionary Society, dated November, 1826, which was renewed the next year. He was succeeded by Rev. Peter Kanouse, who continued about two years. In the years 1831 and 1832, the church is reported as statedly supplied. Rev. James Boyle preached here a part of the time during that, period. In 1833 and 1834, Kev. Joseph K. Ware officiated as stated supply. He was followed by Rev. George W. Elliot as pastor, who continued but a short time, and was succeeded by Rev. David Cushing, who continued two or three years, and was dismissed, Oct. 6th, 1843. During the ministry of Mr. Camp- bell, a measure of the converting influences of the Holy Spirit was experienced, and considerable accessions made to the church. In 1831-2, under the preaching of Mr. Boyle, a very great excite- ment prevailed, and a great number of individuals were added to the church. No doubt many of these were truly converted, but it is noticeable that in one year from the period of their reception the number of members in the church was diminished more than forty, and the diminution continued from year to year till from two hun- dred and forty-four members, the number was reduced to one hundred and forty-two. During the ministry of Mr. Shumway, the Spirit has been poured out in his converting influences, and a goodly number have been added to the Lord and to the church.
This church has received aid from the Home Missionary Society in the support of Mr. Campbell, but in no other instance. They have a commodious house of worship erected in 1828. The Methodist, the Baptist, and the Universalist denominations have each a house of worship in the village.
Port Gibson .- This is a small village on the Erie canal in the town of Manchester, and like most of the villages on the canal, of
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comparatively recent origin. The Presbyterian church was orga- nized in 1832, consisting at the time of making its first report of forty-four members, of whom forty-one were received by letter and three by profession. The church soon after its organization was received under the care of the Presbytery of Geneva. The village has not progressed in population like many other villages on the canal, and the Presbyterian church has not greatly progressed. In 1843, it reported fifty-eight members. Rev. Daniel Johnson, under the patronage of the American Home Missionary Society, ministered here one year from June, 1832, and Rev. Jesse Townsend, under the same patronage, for a season in 1836. In 1847, it is reported as having a stated supply, but it has generally been reported as vacant, and is in a feeble state.
East Palmyra .- The town of Palmyra including, as it formerly did, the town of Macedon, comprising Nos. 12 in the second and third Ranges in Phelps and Gorham's purchase, was purchased of Messrs. Phelps and Gorham, by Genl. John Swift and John Jen- kins, July 3d, 1789. In 1791, a company on Long Island formed for the purpose of making a purchase in the wilderness, and hearing of the "Genesee Country," so called, sent out as their agents Elias Reeves and Abraham Foster, who came to Palmyra and made a purchase of 5,500 acres of land in the north-eastern corner of the town. In the spring of 1792, the company moved on to their purchase. In that company were five persons who were members of the Presbyterian Church in Southampton on Long Island, and two of them, Stephen Reeves and David H. Foster, sustained the office of ruling-elder in the church. They arrived on the second day of May at their new residence, and the next Lord's day com- menced public worship. From that period public worship has been regularly maintained every Sabbath to the present time. The meetings at first were held in a private dwelling ; but in the autumn of 1793, they were moved to a school-house which had been erected that summer. Under the means of grace which had been enjoyed a few individuals had been hopefully converted unto God, and it was thought expedient that a church should be organized. This was effected in the year 1793, by the assistance of Rev. Ira Condict, a missionary under an appointment of the General Assembly. The church adopted the Congregational form of church government, and some years afterwards was connected with the Ontario Associ- ation. This was the first instance of the organization of a Congre- gational Church which remained permanent in the Genesee country, and the first in Western New York, if we except the church of Windsor. It is doubtful which of these churches has the priority. They were both constituted in 1793, but the precise date of the organization of the church of Palmyra is not known. The records for the first twenty years of its existence are mostly lost. Neither
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can it now be ascertained what was the number of members at the time of organization. In 1807, the church adopted the Presbyte- rian form of church government, and became connected with the Presbytery of Geneva.
After the organization of the church, it was occasionally visited and assisted by itinerating missionaries. In 1795 a Mr. Johnson was employed for a season to preach to the people. In 1800 Rev. Eleazar Fairbanks had charge of the congregation, and continued his services with them two or three years. After him a Mr. Lane, an Englishman, who had received a license to preach in the Wes- leyan connexion in England, but who had no connexion with any ecclesiasticał body in this country, was employed to preach for a season. In 1807 Rev. Benjamin Bell was employed to preach to the congregation, and continued for some time. He was minister- ing here in the latter part of the year 1808. In 1811 or '12, Rev. Hippocrates Rowe was engaged as a supply, and was ordained and installed pastor of the church, July 8th, 1813. He was dismissed May 2d, 1816. Up to this period the preacher or pastor had preached alternately in the east and west parts of the town, and the parish was considered as including in its limits the whole town, embracing what is now the town of Macedon. Mr. Rowe was succeeded by Mr. Stephen M. Wheelock, a licentiate preacher, who officiated as stated supply.
Feb. 13th, 1817, in accordance with the request of the church, the Presbytery divided it into two separate churches, the eastern one to be called the Presbyterian church of East Palmyra. As the original church was organized within the limits of this, and as it re- tained the church records, so far as any existed, it is proper that it be considered as the original church of Palmyra continued. Of what number of members the church was composed at the time of the division is not known to the writer. In 1825 the number re- ported was one hundred and six, but the next year it was diminished to eighty. In 1833 the number reported was only thirty-three. In 1846 it had increased to ninety-two. If those reports were cor- rectly stated the author knows not how to account for the great di- minution of members at times, unless on the supposition that other churches in the neighborhood were formed from this. For a short period after the division of the church Mr. Daniel S. Butrick, then a licentiate, now. and for many years past, a faithful missionary among the Cherokee Indians, supplied the pulpit of this church. On the seventeenth day of August, 1817, Rev. Benjamin Baily was in- stalled pastor, and sustained that relation till Sept. 5th, 1821, when he was dismissed. The next pastor was Rev. Francis Pomeroy. At what time he commenced his ministry is not known to the writer. He was pastor in 1825, and was reported as such for the last time in 1831. From 1832 to 1837, inclusive, the church was reported as vacant. In 1839 Rev. Benjamin B. Smith officiated as
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stated supply, under the patronage of the American Home Missionary Society. For several years past Rev. Eliphalet A. Platt has offici- ated as stated supply, and under his ministry the church seems to be rising from her state of depression to a more prosperous condi- tion. They have a house of worship which was erected in 1807. At a meeting of the Ontario Association, held in a school-house within the bounds of this congregation, June 9th, 1802, Rev. Daniel W. Eastman, a licentiate from Upper Canada, was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry. The ministers officiating in the ordi- nation were Rev. Joseph Grover, Rev. Reuben Parmele, and Rev. ` Eleazar Fairbanks. The writer, then a licensed preacher, was present on the occasion. This was the second ordination that had ever taken place in the Genesee country in the Congregational de- nomination, and years before any had taken place in the Presbyte- rian denomination. Mr. Eastman was a native of New Jersey, and had received a license to preach from the Morris County Asso- ciated Presbytery. There was no ecclesiastical body in Upper Canada to which he could apply for ordination. His location was in the vicinity of the Falls of Niagara. A few years since he was, and, for aught the writer knows, still is, laboring in his Master's ser- vice in that field.
Palmyra .- We have already, in the preceding article, notice l the purchase of the town of Palmyra, in 1789, by General John Swift and John Jenkins. The settlement of the western part of the town commenced the same summer by Gen. Swift. He was originally from the State of Connecticut, but immediately from Wyoming, in Pennsylvania. The next year several families moved in from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The commencement of religious worship, the organization of a church, and its history down to the time of its division by the Presbytery, Feb. 26th, 1817, have been already narrated in the preceding article. The por- tion of the church constituting the western division, were assisted in completing their organization by Rev. Francis Pomeroy, and were denominated the " Western Presbyterian Church of Palmyra." On the reports of the Presbytery since 1825, it has been designated the church of " Palmyra." The church, at the period of its or- ganization as a separate church, consisted of fifty-six members. In April, 1847, it enumerated three hundred and twenty members, of whom about fifty were non-resident. After the division, Mr. Stephen M. Wheelock, a licentiate preacher, supplied the con- gregation for a season. The first pastor was Rev. Jesse Townsend, who was installed August 29th, 1817. He continued about three years. In January, 1822, Rev. Daniel C. Hopkins became their stated supply, and continued two. years. Feb. 18th, 1824, Rev. Benjamin B. Stockton was installed pastor of the church, and con- tinued nearly four years. In October, 1827, Rev. Stephen Porter
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was employed as a stated supply, and remained nearly one year. In November, 1828, Rev. Alfred E. Campbell was called to be their pastor. and continued with them two years and eight months. In Sept. 1831, Rev. Samuel W. Whelpley was called to the pas- torate, and continued in the station three years and three months. He was succeeded in December, 1834, by Rev. George R. H. Shumway, who was soon after ordained and installed as pastor, and continued his labors till Oct. 14th, 1841, when he was dis- missed. Rev. Nathaniel W. Fisher succeeded, and was installed pas- tor, July 7th, 1842. He has within a short period been dismissed.
Several seasons of refreshing have been enjoyed by this church. In the year 1799, known for many years afterwards as the year of the " Great Revival," the extensive work of grace which prevailed under the labors of Messrs. Williston, Bushnell, and others, com- menced in this church. In 1817, under the labors of Mr. Wheel- ock, the congregation was visited by one of the most powerful revivals ever known in the town. Another copious shower of grace passed over this region in 1824, under the labors of Mr. Stockton, and a large number were gathered into the church, some of whom are now pillars in Christ's house. A precious re- vival, also, was enjoyed under the ministry of Mr. Campbell, in 1829. During the pastorate of Mr. Shumway there were two sea- sons of refreshing : one in the first year of his ministry, when about thirty were gathered into the church; the other towards the close of his labors in 1831, as the result of which about one hun- dred were added to the church. During the winter and spring of 1843, the Spirit of God again watered this vine, in connexion with the labors of the late pastor, and about sixty persons were added to the communion of the church.
This church has always supported its own minister without foreign aid. The first house of worship erected by this congrega- tion was in 1811. It was fifty feet in length, and forty in width, with a steeple. After standing several years, it was accidentally burnt to the ground. In 1832, the magnificent brick edifice in which the congregation now worship, was erected, at an expense of fourteen thousand dollars. It is eighty-two feet in length, and fifty-two in breadth, with a steeple and bell. About one thousand souls are connected with this congregation. The Baptists, Metho- dists, and Episcopalians, have each a house of worship in the vil- lage. The Presbyterian congregation is by far the largest, and the Episcopalian the smallest in the village.
Farmington .- This town formerly included Manchester. It was settled at an early period, mostly by Quakers. A church of the Presbyterian denomination was formed in the town as early as 1817, which was received under the care of the Presbytery of Geneva, Aug. 13th, of that year. In 1825 it was reported as con-
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sisting of eighteen members. Its name is uniformly found on the annual reports of the Presbytery to 1831. After that period it is not to be found. In every instance, with one exception, it is re- ported as vacant. Whether it has become extinct, is merged in some other church, or has changed its ecclesiastical connexion, is not known to the author.
Vienna .- The village of Vienna is in the town of Phelps, and the history of the church is embraced in that of the church of Phelps till the period of its separate organization. It was organized May 10th, 1831, by an act of the Presbytery, consisting of sixty members taken from the church of Phelps. Soon after the organi- zation, forty members more were added. Rev. Levi Griswold was employed as stated supply, and officiated as such about two years, when he left, on account of ill health. During his ministry, God graciously poured out his Spirit upon the congregation, and, as the result, eighty-eight persons were added to the church, on profession of their faith. Rev. Samuel A. Allen was ordained and installed pastor of the church in the year 1832. His ministry closed with this church in less than two years. He was succeeded by Rev. William L. Strong, who was installed pastor of the church, June 3d, 1835. He was dismissed from his pastoral charge in Septem- ber, 1839. Rev. Lucas Hubbell was his successor. He was in- stalled in the pastoral office, April 15th, 1840, and continued to sustain the relation, and faithfully to perform its duties till his death, which occurred in a very sudden manner, in 1846. Mr. Hub- bell was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Temple, formerly a missionary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, who was installed pastor of the church, June 24th, 1847. During the ministry of Mr. Hubbell, about fifty members were received on their profession of faith. The whole number of members in June, 1846, was one hundred and fifty-one, of whom thirty-eight were non-residents. This church has ever supported its own minister without foreign aid. The congregation have an appropriate house of worship, erected several years since.
In the spring of 1840, after the dismission of Mr. Strong, twenty members of this church, on the plea of difference in doctrinal be- lief, seceded from their brethren without asking for letters of dis- mission, were constituted a church by the Old School Presbytery of Caledonia, and were taken under the care of that body. On the division of that Presbytery at a subsequent period, this church was assigned to the Presbytery of Steuben. In May, 1846, this church consisted of forty members, and had for its pastor Rev. Edwin H. Reinhart. It has an appropriate house of worship. The Methodist denomination have also a house of worship in the village.
Phelps -The settlement of the town of Phelps commenced at a
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very early period, by emigrants principally from Massachusetts and Vermont, but some from States further south. At a very early period a religious society, organized according to the provisions of the law of the State, was formed, and, in June, 1803, this society, in connexion with one at Lyons, gave a call to Rev. John Lindsley to be their pastor. Mr. Lindsley declined the call. The next year, on the second day of December, Rev. Jedidiah Chapman organized a Presbyterian church, consisting of fourteen members, who engaged to set up public worship on the Sabbath. In what part of the town this organization took place is not known to the writer. It never flourished, and the church soon became extinct. In 1806, Rev. Howell R. Powell, a clergyman from Wales, was employed by the inhabitants of the place to preach to them. A blessing seemed to attend his preaching, and a church consisting of seventeen members was organized by him, August 7th, 1806. This church was formed on the Congregational plan, and all of its mem- bers, with one exception, were received on their profession of faith in Christ. The church became connected with the Ontario Asso- ciation, June 13th, 1809. In 1813, the church adopted the Presby- terian form of church government, and was taken under the care of the Presbytery of Geneva, April 21st of that year. In three years from its organization it numbered forty-four members ; in 1825, one hundred and eighty-seven ; and near this number it remained till 1833, at which period it reported eighty, the diminution having been caused by the organization of the church of Vienna. In 1846 it reported sixty-seven members. Mr. Powell continued with the church as stated supply a number of years, and was succeeded by Rev. Ambrose Porter, who continued till 1816. The first pastor regularly inducted was Rev. Charles Mosher, who was installed Sept. 12th, 1816, and dismissed Sept. 20th, 1819. In December of that year, Rev. Samuel W. Brace wasordained and installed pastor of the church, and continued until Feb. 8th, 1824. He was followed by Rev. Henry P. Strong, who was installed Nov. 10th, 1824, and sustained the rela- tion of pastor till May 10th, 1831. Rev. William R. S. Betts com- menced laboring in this congregation in November, 1831, was installed in February following, and continued till April, 1834. His successor was Rev. Ezra Scoville, who was installed Feb. 26th, 1838. He was dismissed, Sept. 7th, 1840, and followed by Rev. Ebenezer Everett, who was installed Feb. 15th, 1842, and dismissed Sept. 6th, 1843. Since Mr. Everett's dismission the church has been supplied by Rev. John R. Moser. Under the ministry of Mr. Brace, in 1820, '21, a powerful work of the Holy Spirit was witnessed, as the result of which sixty-two individuals united with the church. Several other seasons of refreshing have been enjoyed, under the ministry of Messrs. Strong, Betts, and Scoville.
This church was assisted by the, American Home Missionary Society in the support of Mr. Crabb. They have a house of wor-
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ship, sixty feet by fifty in size, with a steeple, which was erected in 1804, previous to the organization of any church. It has under- gone one or two alterations, and is now a very convenient edifice for the worship of God.
It is thought that about one fourth part of the population of this part of the town attend worship with the Presbyterian Church. There are about twenty individuals who are members of the Bap- tist church, and about sixteen who belong to the Methodist Church. A very large proportion of the community attend no public worship.
Junius .- The town of Junius, as has been stated in a preceding article, originally comprehended a large portion of the present counties of Seneca and Wayne. It is now of small extent. The settlement was begun somewhat prior to the year 1805 by three brothers of the name of Southwick. These were followed by Heman Swift, J. Hopkins, John Dryer, Luther Redfield, Nathaniel French, and others, "a mixture," says a correspondent, "I should judge of religious and irreligious men, though generally moral." The church was organized in the Congregational form, in the autumn of 1811, by Rev. Howell R. Powell. and consisted of twenty- two members. In the spring of 1814, with the assistance of Rev. Henry Axtell, it was re-organized on the Presbyterian plan, and was received under the care of the Presbytery of Geneva. April . 20th, 1814. It was denominated the "Second Presbyterian Church of Junius," that at Seneca Falls being the first. In 1825, the church reported seventy-four members ; in 1834, one hundred, having admitted by profession the year previous, twenty-two. In 18-16, the whole number was seventy-three.
In the early period of the history of this church, Rev. William Stone supplied the pulpit two years; Rev. Francis Pomeroy one fourth of the time for about five years ; and Rev. John C. Morgan one year in 1825 and 1826. Rev. Joseph Merrill took charge of the church and congregation in the autumn of 1827, and was in- stalled as pastor February 20th, 1828. The pastoral relation was dissolved in the spring of 1837. For two years afterwards the pulpit was supplied in part by Rev. Miles P. Squier, and partly by a licentiate of the name of Gibbs. Mr. Merrill was again employed in the spring of 1839, and continued to officiate as stated supply till the spring of 1843. Rev. George W. Gridley commenced preach- ing to the congregation at the close of Mr. Merrill's labors, and was ordained and installed pastor, February 29th, 1844. His labors were terminated by death 1847. A season of revival was enjoyed under the ministry of Mr. Pomeroy ; also under the ministry of Mr. Merrill in 1831, and again in the winter of 1812-3 ; again in the winter of 1837-8, in connexion with the labors of Drs. Lansing and Hopkins of Auburn. The church were aided two
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years in the support of Mr. Merrill by the American Home Mis- sionary Society. They have a comfortable house of worship, fifty feet in length and thirty-five in breadth, erected in 1824. A con- siderable proportion of the inhabitants of the town are not in the habit of attending worship very regularly, though the greater part meet occasionally at least with some denomination of professing Christians. The Presbyterian Church is intermixed with Methodists, Baptists, and some Quakers. In one part of the town infidelity has a considerable foothold. The Presbyterian denomination is proba- bly as numerous as any other single denomination in the town.
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