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 47
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Canandaigua .- Of the settlement of this place, the organization of a Congregational church, the ordination and installation of Rev. Timothy Field as its pastor, and his dismission June 12th, 1805, we have spoken in a former chapter. The church was, for a sea- son, connected with the Ontario Association, but, in 1810, gave notice of its secession, and declared itself independent of all human jurisdiction, and, as an independent Congregational church, it has continued to the present time. In 1829, it numbered two hundred and sixty members ; in 1833, three hundred and ten ; and in 1846, two hundred and nineteen. For some time after the dismission of Mr. Field, the church had no regularly settled pastor, but was furnished with stated supplies. Of these, Rev. Messrs. Channing and Torrey were the most conspicuous. They were gentlemen of extensive erudition and respectable talents, but had embraced the sentiments of the New England Unitarians. Mr. Torrey, it is said, previously to his leaving Canandaigua, had entirely changed his views respecting the person, character, and mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus Christ, embraced the orthodox sentiment, and professed a hope of salvation only through the atonement of Christ.
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This change in the views of Mr. Torrey, probably, prevented the establishment of Unitarianism in Western New York. Soon after the departure of Mr. Torrey, Rev. Evan Johns was installed pas- tor of the church. He was succeeded by Rev. Ansel D. Eddy (now Dr. Eddy of Newark, N. J.) in 1823 or '24, who continued in the pastorate, about ten years, and was succeeded by Rev. Matthew L. R. P. Thompson. Mr. Thompson officiated in the pastoral office several years, and was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Daggett, the present pastor. Messrs. Johns, Eddy, and Thompson, were mem- bers of the Presbytery of Geneva. During the ministry of Dr. Eddy several very extensive revivals of religion were enjoyed, as the result of which large accessions were made to the church, and the standard of morals in the community considerably elevated.
This church, in a pecuniary point of view, has always been strong, and has never needed foreign assistance in supporting the ministry, but has been able to do much to assist those that were needy. In the infancy of the church and for a number of years, public worship was held in the old court-house, but for many years past the church has had a large, elegant, and commodious house, in which the worship of God has been maintained. The Methodists, the Episcopalians, and the Baptists, have respectable congregations in the village of Canandaigua, and each denomination has an appro- priate house of worship.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
Presbytery of Ithaca :- Peruville, West Groton, Ludlowville, Trumansburgh, Hector, Burdett, Mecklenburgh, Enfield, Ithaca, Varna, Dryden, Caroline, Derby, Newfield,
PRESBYTERY OF ITHACA.
Peruville .- This is a village in the town of Groton. The church was received under the care of the Presbytery of Cayuga, Jan. 26th, 1820. On the minutes of the Presbytery, and in the reports to the General Assembly, it is named Peru, until it was transferred to the Presbytery of Ithaca, on the organization of that body in October, 1839. The author believes that when taken under the care of the Presbytery it had been recently constituted. It has always been small, and comparatively feeble. In 1827 it numbered but thirteen members. In 1832 it had increased only to eighteen. The next year it reported twenty-eight members, ten having been received on profession. In 1843 it reported sixty-one members, the largest number ever reported. It is constantly reported as vacant till 1830. Rev. John Alexander was at that time stated supply, but death terminated his ministry in about nine months from the time of his commencing labor with the church. In 1833, Rev. Marcus Harrison statedly supplied this church, in connexion with Groton West. Rev. Daniel C. Hopkins supplied the two churches one year, from May, 1835, and Rev. Samuel Scott, from June, 1836, to December, 1837. Rev. Moses Jewell was installed pastor of the church, April 10th, 1839, and was dismissed Sept. 7th, 1841. In the support of all these ministers, the church has been aided from the funds of the American Home Missionary Society. What minis- terial aid the church have enjoyed since Mr. Jewell's dismission is not known to the writer. They have an appropriate house of wor- ship.
West Groton .- This part of the town of Groton was settled in 1797. James Henshaw, Seth Curtis, Ichabod Brown, and John Guthrie, were the first settlers. Public worship was first set up in 1800. The church, composed of five members only, was constitut- ed in 1816 by Rev. Seth Smith and Rev. Joshua Dean, and receiv- ed under the care of the Presbytery of Cayuga, Jan. 28th, 1817. It was transferred to the Presbytery of Ithaca, on the organization of that body. In 1825, the number of members reported was twenty-five ; in 1832, forty-four, seventeen having been added by profession the previous year ; and in 1837, fifty-seven, twenty-two
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having been added by profession the previous year. This was the largest number ever reported. They have never had a stated pastor, but have the most part of the time enjoyed the labors of a stated supply, in connexion with some neighboring church, gene- rally aided by the Home Missionary Society. Rev. Messrs. Cyrus Hudson, Marcus Harrison, Daniel C. Hopkins, Samuel Scott, Spencer S. Clark, and Peleg R. Kinne, have severally in succes- sion labored here as stated supplies, the last of whom still continues his labors. The church has been blessed with several interesting seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, though no very great number has been added to the church at any one time. The church has an appropriate house of worship, forty by fifty feet in dimensions, with a congregation on the Sabbath day, vary- ing from one hundred to one hundred and fifty persons. They live intermixed with Baptists, Methodists, and Christians, all of whom have societies of considerable strength and influence.
Ludlowville .- This village is situated on Salmon Creek, in the town of Lansing, formerly a part of the town of Milton. The set- tlement commenced in March, 1791, by the Ludlow family, which was the third family of white settlers in the military township of Milton. The Ludlows, in connexion with the Wheelers and Tracies of Poplar Ridge (Scipio), in coming to their place of location, brought their effects in a hand-sled on the ice from the head of the Cayuga lake to Salmon Creek. The Ludlows consisted of three families, viz. Silas and Henry Ludlow, brothers, and Thomas Ludlow son of Henry, with the members of their respective fami- lies. Henry Ludlow bought a military lot of 600 acres. They put up shanties and built a tub-mill the first season, in which their grain was merely ground without bolting. The next year they obtained a small bolting-cloth, and on a reel hung on two barrels, the customers who chose it bolted their flour. The next season they built a saw-mill, and thus boards were obtained for the doors, floors, and roofs of their buildings. No public worship was held till about two years from the commencement of the settlement. A church was organized in this place about the year 1805, which has already been noticed as the Third Church of Genoa, and which was dissolved in 1812 or '13. The present existing church of Ludlow ville was organized as a strictly Presbyterian Church, by Rev. Dr Wisner and Rev. Samuel Parker, in December, 1817, and was taken under the care of the Presbytery of Cayuga, January 27th, 1818. On the erection of the Presbytery of Ithaca it was assigned that body. The church, at its organization, consisted of eighteen members, some of whom were from the church of Lansing, but nearly half of them had never before been members of any church. At the first communion season five more were added to the church. In 1818, seventeen members were added by profession ; in 1819,
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twenty-six; in 1820, nine : and in 1821, fifteen. All these years might with propriety be denominated years of revival. In. 1831, ninety-six, and almost all by profession, were added to the church, and the next year, twenty-two more mostly by profession. These were peculiarly years of the right hand of the Most High. In 1835, between thirty and forty were received to the church. Also in 1843, an interesting work of grace was manifested, as the result of which thirty-eight individuals were added to the church, and as many or more gave in their names to the Methodist class. Previous to this the church had become much reduced by deaths and remov- als. It now numbers about one hundred members.
Rev. Wm. M. Adams was the first pastor of the church. He was ordained and installed, April 21st, 1819. The church pros- pered under his ministry, which continued till June 19th, 1827, when the relation was dissolved. Rev. Asa K. Buell commenced ministering to the church as a stated supply, in 1827, and continued three years. After his departure the church for a season was sup- plied by licentiates from Auburn Seminary, and then by Rev. Marcus Harrison. February 16th, 1832, Rev. Abner P. Clark was installed pastor. He was dismissed August 19th, 1833. Mr. Har- rison returned in November, 1833, and supplied till June following, when he was succeeded by Rev. Homer Adams, who continued one year. Mr. Harrison then supplied again for six or seven months. August 30th, 1836, Rev. Frederick H. Brown was or- dained and installed pastor of the church, and continued about three years. He was dismissed, April 15th, 1839. Rev. George H. Hastings was ordained and installed pastor April 2d, 1840, and was dismissed September 7th, 1841. The present pastor, Rev. Levi Griswold, commenced ministering to the church in May, 1842, and was installed September 27th of the same year.
Many of the members of the church have from time to time re- moved to the Western States. One church in Michigan has thirty of its members and three of its elders. The church have always supported their own minister without foreign aid. They have a respectable house of worship, fifty feet by forty, erected in 1823 ; also a good session house in the same yard erected in 1844. There is a Methodist house of worship in the village, but the congregation is not equal in number and strength to the Presbyterian. The Metho- dist denomination have a large church and Society four miles south- east from the village, and another in Lansingville. There is also a Baptist church about five miles east of the village. The Methodists are the most numerous denomination in the town of Lansing.
Trumansburgh .- This village is situated in the town of Ulysses, the settlement of which commenced at an early period. A church of the Presbyterian order was organized in this place by Rev. Jedidiah Chapman, about the commencement of 1803. It consist-
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ed, at its organization, of eight members, and was designated in the reports of the Presbytery down to the period of 1837, as the church of Ulysses, or Ulysses first church. The church, soon af- ter its organization, was received under the care of the Presbytery of Oneida, and on the division of that Presbytery, in 1805, was as- signed to the Presbytery of Geneva. In October, 1839, on the erection of the Presbytery of Ithaca, it was assigned to that Pres- bytery. As the church was organized by Mr. Chapman, so it seems to have been fostered by him in his capacity of missionary for a season. In his journal for 1803 and 1804, he speaks of his visits to this church, and of a blessed outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that the church, in about one year from its organization, had increased to the number of near fifty members, almost exclu- sively by profession. Nov. 5th, 1805, Rev. Gerrit Mandeville was installed as pastor of this church, in connexion with the second church of Ulysses. He was dismissed from his pastoral charge of the first church, Oct. 31st, 1810. From this period till 1820, the history of the church is unknown to the writer. July 19th, 1820, Rev. Manassah M. York was installed pastor of the church. The writer believes that he was dismissed in 1824. In the report to the General Assembly for 1825, the church is reported as vacant. In 1826, or the beginning of the succeeding year, Rev. John H. Carle was installed pastor of the church, and continued in the pas- torate till 1833. In 1834, the church is reported as furnished with a stated supply, and the next year, Rev. Hiram L. Miller is re- ported as pastor, and the following year, Rev. John H. Carle as stated supply. Oct. 3d, 1839, Rev. Hutchins Taylor was installed as pas- tor of the church. He was dismissed October 23d, 1844, and suc- ceeded by Rev. David H. Hamilton, who was ordained and in- stalled pastor, Sept. 3d, 1845.
This church has been repeatedly visited with the reviving and converting influences of the Holy Spirit. We have already noticed the precious season enjoyed the first year of the existence of the church. During the ministry of Mr. York, some measure of divine influence was experienced, and additions made to the church, so that in 1825, the church numbered one hundred and thirty-five communicants. During the ministry of Mr. Carle, re- peated visitations of the Divine Spirit were granted. Of additions of members by profession, thirty-two were reported in 1827; twenty-two the succeeding year; ninety-two in 1831, and thirty- five the succeeding year. In 1832, the whole number of members was two hundred and twenty. Under the ministry of Mr. Taylor, the church was again visited in a measure, and enlarged by the ad- dition of hopeful converts from the word. In 1843, the church re- ported two hundred and seventy-three members.
The church have a commodious house of worship, and have always supported their own minister without foreign aid. The
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Baptist and Methodist denominations have houses of worship in the village, and large and respectable congregations.
Hector .- The town of Hector still includes an original military township of one hundred square miles, and on the territory three Presbyterian churches are located. That which is denominated the Church of Hector, is located in the north-western section of the town, and is sometimes spoken of as " Peach Orchard," a name derived from the circumstance that, when the place was first visited by white men, an Indian peach orchard here existed. The settlement of the town commenced at a very early period. Among the earliest were Mr. George Fawcett, Captain Richard Ely, Hon. Grover Smith, and his brother Reuben Smith. A daughter of Mr. Fawcett's was the first white child born in the town of Hector. She was carried on horseback soon after her birth into the region of Northumberland in the State of Pennsylvania, to receive the ordinance of baptism. She is now a worthy member of the church of Hector. A son of Capt. Ely, named Hector, was the first white male child born in the town. The name of Smith has been a very common name in the town of Hector. In taking the census, some twenty or thirty years since, it was ascertained that more 'than three hundred persons in the town bore that name. The Presby- terian church was organized about the year 1810, and was received under the care of the Presbytery of Geneva, Oct. 30th of that year. On the constitution of the Presbytery of Ithaca, it came under the care of that body. Rev. William Clark was installed pastor of the church in connexion with that of Ovid, April 17th, 1811. The author believes that his labors for one fourth part of the time were to be appropriated to Hector. He was dismissed, Feb. 14th, 1816. He was succeeded by Rev. Stephen Porter, who was installed, Sept. 10th, 1816, over the two churches, his services to be divided between them in the same proportion. He was dismissed, Sept. 6th, 1820. From this period for several years the church was sometimes vacant, and sometimes supplied. Rev. Richard Andrews supplied about three years, after which the church was vacant for a considerable period. Rev. Leverett Hull supplied for a season in 1826 or '27. Under his peculiar style of preaching, a high religious excitement prevailed, and, no doubt, a goodly number were converted to God. The church reported in 1826, nineteen members added by profession the preceding year, and the next year, twenty-seven. In 1827, Rev. Erastus N. Nichols was constituted pastor of the church, but remained but one year. After Mr. Nichols' departure the church was supplied for a short period by Rev. Mr. Campbell, a Presbyterian minister from Ireland. Rev. James H. Hotchkin commenced ministering to this church in January, 1830, and was installed as pastor, April 20th of the same year. He continued about three years in the pastorate, and was
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dismissed, Feb. 5th, 1832. During Mr. Hotchkin's ministry a sea- son of refreshing was enjoyed of which mention has been made in a former part of this work. As the result of it about twenty-five persons were admitted to the church on a profession of faith in Christ. Rev. Ebenezer Everett succeeded Mr. Hotchkin as a stated supply, and continued three years. He was followed by Rev. Adams W. Platt, who, after ministering as stated supply two or three years, was installed as pastor, Dec. 8th, 1839, and still continues in that capacity. During most of the year 1839, an interesting state of things existed in the church, the converting influences of the Holy Spirit were felt, and as the result, the church was enlarged by the addition of thirty-three new members. In 1840, the church reported one hundred and five members, the largest number ever reported. In the support of Messrs. Nichols, Hotchkin, and Platt, they have been aided by the funds of the American Home Missionary Society. They have an appropriate house of worship, much larger than is needed by the congregation. The Baptist Church, which is respectable in numbers and strength, have a house of worship in the near vicinity of the Presbyterian house. The Methodists also have a house of worship within the bounds of the congregation, and constitute, perhaps, the most nu- merous denomination in that quarter of the town.
Burdette .- This village is situated in the south-western part of the town of Hector. This part of the town was first settled about the year 1801, by William Martin, Joseph Carson, and Mowbry Owen. Joseph Gillespie held the title to the land from the State for services rendered in the Revolutionary war, and moved on to his land in 1799. In religious concerns, the inhabitants who be- longed to the Presbyterian denomination were connected with the congregation of Hector, and shared in the same ministry. A sepa- rate church, composed principally of members from the church of Hector, was organized, February 14th, 1826, by Rev. Isaac Flag- ler, Rev. Thomas Lounsbury, and Mr. Peter Le Conte elder, acting as a committee of the Presbytery of Geneva. The church at its organization consisted of eighteen members, and was attached to the Presbytery of Geneva, from which it was removed on the organi- zation of the Presbytery of Ithaca. Rev. Jabez Chadwick labored here as a stated supply from the time of the organization of the church till September, 1828. Rev. Robert Campbell preached here for a season in 1829 and 1830. Rev. William P. Jackson officiated as stated supply during the year 1833. But for a considerable period the church was in a very low state. Stated public worship was intermitted. They were aided to some extent by the ministers who officiated in Hector. But the church seemed verging to disso- lution. In 1836, they reported but twenty-five members. But God appeared for them in their low estate. Rev. Joseph K. Ware
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commenced preaching as stated supply in January, 1838, and con- tinued till April, 1842. Under his ministry the church experienced some reviving. In 1810, sixteen are reported as having been added the previous year by profession, and the church then numbered fifty-eight members. Rev. J. Parsons Hovey succeeded Mr. Ware as stated supply in July, 1812, and was installed as pastor in July, 1843, in which station he still continues .* During the autumn of 1842 and winter following, the church experienced a season of refreshing from on high, and about forty professed to indulge a hope in Christ. The church at the last report numbered eighty-nine members. In the sup- port of Messrs. Jackson and Ware they received aid from the Ame- rican Home Missionary Society. They now support their pastor with- out foreign aid. They have a convenient and pleasant house of wor- ship, which was erected nearly twenty years since, and was enlarged and finished in 1814. It is in length sixty-eight feet, and in breadth thirty-eight. Nearly two-thirds of the families in the village attend the Presbyterian Church. There is an Old School Baptist con- gregation which meets in the village for worship, varying in num- ber from fifteen to thirty persons. These are hostile to all the benevolent operations of the day. There is a Methodist Church, but small and weak, and a Baptist Church at Bennettsville, two miles east of Burdette, nearly as large as the Presbyterian Church. They have a house of worship.
Mecklenburgh .- This village is situated in the town of Hector, near the eastern line of the town. It was first settled by Calvin Treman, in 1800. Public worship was set up by the Baptists at an early period. The Methodists soon after established a meeting. The Presbyterian church, consisting of thirty members, was organized, in 1833, by Rev. Henry Ford, who at that time was laboring here and at Enfield under a commission from the American Home Missionary Society. The members who composed the church at its organization were mostly taken from the church of Trumansburgh ; some from Burdette, and other places. The church was first connected with the Presbytery of Geneva, but on the erection of the Presbytery of Ithaca, was assigned to that Presbytery. Mr. Ford continued to minister to the church for a season, after its organization. Others followed him for short periods, but no steady ministration of gospel ordinances till 1839. At that period Rev. Isaac Crabbe commenced ministering to the church, and under the patronage of the American Home Mission- ary Society, continued until 1843. In that year, the present pas- tor, Rev. Solomon R. Scofield, commenced his ministrations, and was ordained and installed pastor of the church, Oct. 23d, 1844. The church has from time to time shared in the effusions of the Holy Spirit, as a consequence of which, additions have been made
* Dismissed since this was written.
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to it, though not in great numbers at any one time. In 1840, eighteen are reported as having been added the preceding year by profession. Considerable additions were made in 1842, '44, '45, and '46. In the last of these years the church numbered eighty- nine members. They have an appropriate house of worship, erected in 1842, which is fifty-six feet in length, and forty in breadth. The Baptist and Methodist denominations have likewise appropriate houses of worship in the village. At all these places of worship, congregations, respectable for numbers, convene.
Enfield .- This town was formed from the south-western part of the town of Ulysses, and its settlement probably commenced nearly at the same time with the other parts of the original town. But, though other denominations had a standing in the town from an early period, the Presbyterians had no organization till com- paratively a late period. About the year 1831 or'32, Rev. William Page, then officiating as a stated supply at Ithaca, visited the place occasionally, and preached to the people, and was instru- mental in organizing a church, principally from members of the church of Ithaca. The number of its members is not known to the author. The church was taken under the care of the Presby- tery of Cayuga, Feb. 14th, 1832. Its relation has several times been changed : first to the Presbytery of Geneva ; next, to Tioga ; and, lastly, to Ithaca, on the organization of that Presbytery. The largest number of members reported is sixty-five. This was in the year 1840. At the time of the last report on record, the number was forty-one. Rev. Henry Ford, under the patronage of the American Home Missionary Society, labored here and in Mecklenburgh one year from November, 1833. Rev. Royal West, under the same patronage, labored here one or two years, and Rev. Daniel Washburn nearly one year. In November, 1837, Rev. Warren Day commenced ministering to this congregation, and was installed pastor, Feb. 28th, 1838. He continued till Feb. 6th, 1844, when he was dismissed. In his support the church were aided by the American Home Missionary Society. Rev. Moses Jewell labored, under the same patronage, one year from April, 1844. The present condition of this church is not known to the writer. Seasons of partial revival have been enjoyed, but they have not been extensive. The church has an appropriate house of worship, which was completed in 1835 or '36.
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