USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Fredonia > Centennial history of the Fredonia Baptist Church, Fredonia, New York, organized October 20, 1808 > Part 2
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Zattu Cushing was the grandfather of Alonzo Cushing, who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, who, although twice wounded, was standing by his gun until the fatal leaden missile struck him down; and of Lieutenant Commander William B. Cushing who by .re- peated and successful deeds of valor and patri- otic devotion, stands breast to breast with Paul Jones and Commodore Perry, and whose name
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MRS. SOPHIA WILLIAMS
will stand bright and fresh in the hearts of the American people as long as marble and metal hold their shape and this great Republic re- mains intact.
MRS. SOPHIA MORTON WILLIAMS
Of this remarkable woman, one of the con- stituent members of the Fredonia Baptist church, through the kindness of friends in Buffalo, the following is given:
Sophia Morton was born September 25, 1776. She died April 13, 1854.
The Morton family was distinguished. A brother, Rev. Salmon Morton, " preached in a small log schoolhouse in Madison, N. Y., and was one of the thirteen who afterward founded and secured the charter of Madison University (now Colgate University)."
Another brother was Elisha Morton (Bap- tist) of Adams, N. Y. Mrs. Samuel Berry (Baptist) was a sister. Rev. Charles Morton was a nephew. Richard Williams was born in East Hartford, Conn., in July, 1773; he died September 20, 1822, and was laid to rest in the Fredonia burying ground (in East Main street), a place he helped to select in 1807, when the first death occurred - his little niece of six years, Hannah Woodcock, daughter of Oliver Woodcock.
Richard Williams and Sophia Morton were
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married in Sangerfield township, Oneida County, November 1, 1794.
Richard Williams and family and Oliver Woodcock and family (Mrs. Asenath Wil- liams Woodcock) both came at the same time from Sangerfield to Fredonia, June 1, 1807. Each family had six children.
The annals of pioneer history rarely show so worthy and noble a record as does that of the family of, as a writer puts it, "Our Sophia Williams."
The historic story of her carrying the mail during the sickness of her husband is told on another page.
Of her daughter, Mrs. Eliza Williams Morgan, a note says, "Mrs. Eliza Morgan was 'the babe' carried by her mother, Mrs. Sophia Williams, when she carried the mail from Erie to Buffalo."
Of this daughter and another daughter Mrs. Sophia Williams Harris, the record is that " they were devoted and beloved members of the Washington Street Baptist church in Buffalo for over half a century."
Thus the grown-up daughters of this sainted wife and mother, moving with their husbands (one a deacon) to another field, helped make it possible for Dr. John Gordon, in an address, January, 1886, to say -" Six churches have been planted by the membership of the old (Washington Street) church."
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EBENEZER WEBSTER
Ebenezer Webster was born March 16, 1767. He died April 20, 1863. He was buried in Webster Street Cemetery. His early home was in Connecticut, where he was married to Roxy Ann Benjamin, sister of David Benja- min. He was chosen Deacon of the Baptist church, August 3, 1816. Ebenezer Webster and Martin Eastwood were the two lay dele- gates to the " Holland Purchase Baptist Con- ference " held at Hanover, August 27-28, 1817. The original deed of the land on which the present house of worship stands, was given by Stephen Savage to Zattu Cushing, Ebenezer Webster and Nathaniel Crosby, as trustees.
The descendants of Ebenezer Webster in- clude a large number of prominent families and business men of Fredonia and vicinity.
The following biographical sketch by Albert N. Colburn.
Ebenezer Webster who was living in New Hartford, Conn., in 1790, came here prior to the War of 1812, with his brothers, Joseph, Horace and Eli and David Benjamin. Another brother, Ezekiel started with them but died on the road with small pox. Ebenezer Webster was a shoe- maker and carried on a shop, located on Main Street, in the Village of Fredonia, on lands now owned by Anna Jones, part way up the
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West Hill, and when the principal settlement was on the west side of Canadaway Creek. He, with his brothers, took up lands on Webster street. His farm was the one now owned by J. Erskine Webster. Joseph located on the L. Slade Barber place; Horace on the Fox place, latterly known as the Sage farm; Eli on the Champlin Barber place.
Ebenezer had the following children: Nancy, Benjamin Barlow's mother; Electa, who was born September 16, 1799, at Farm- ington, Conn., and married James Norton, and died February 16, 1862, grandmother of Albert N. Colburn; Russell, grandfather of Will Webster; Amelia, unmarried; Emily, who married Edward Howard, Frank W. Howard's mother; Esther, who married Rev. Allison, a Baptist minister, located in Han- over; Benjamin,- J. Erskine Webster's father, and Fidelia, who married Timothy Newton, and died at Nauvoo, Ill."
The above was copied from the Family Bible and does not show the exact time of their ar- rival here, but Ebenezer took the place of his younger brother, Horace, when called upon to defend the frontier in the War of 1812, and the fight at Buffalo, between the British and Indians and our forces.
Apropos of this affair, is the well authenti- cated " potato incident." The soldiers, who in
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1812, were called from this section to the de- fense of Buffalo (then only a small village) had no commissary stores, except such as they carried with them or were able to forage by the way. When Buffalo was burned and the American forces had to fall back, Ebenezer Webster found himself with a knapsack full of potatoes. Being rather a small man, he found his load of this valuable food product a decided hindrance to his efforts to keep pace with his valiant, but just then, hastily fleeing neighbors. Calling a comrade to his aid, he ordered him to rip open the knapsack, which was done and the potatoes were prudently abandoned to the enemy.
James Norton, who married Electa Web- ster, was a carpenter and joiner by trade and assisted in building the first Baptist church building, built in 1823-1824, also the present Colburn Bros. grist mill built in 1827-1828. He also built the first barn in Buffalo after Buffalo village was destroyed by fire in the War of 1812.
Ebenezer Webster's father was a Revolu- tionary soldier, and the son, Ebenezer with his brother, crossed the mountains on foot, to carry some commissary supplies to their father there in winter quarters.
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IN PIONEER DAYS WHAT PERRY'S VICTORY (1813) MEANT TO A FREDONIA HOME
(Written by Mrs. Sophia Harris, daughter of Mrs. Sophia Williams) (Fredonia Censor)
I N the spring of 1807, my father changed his farm for land on the Holland Purchase, then thought to be the farthest place mor- tals could ever go. The man father ex- changed lands with, had been out and selected his land in Chautauqua County, (now Fre- donia) and had cleared a few acres, and got part of it into wheat, and part into corn and potatoes. " Father started to move June 1, 1807." My uncle, Oliver Woodcock, also came.
The ox teams and our goods and stock were in charge of my two eldest brothers, and Uncle Oliver Woodcock and his two sons. My Aunt W. and her four little children rode with father's family in their carriage, father driv- ing the horses. We reached Buffalo and waited some days for the ox-teams.
At that time there was a vessel that ran from Buffalo to the mouth of Canadaway Creek, and the goods were sent by water, as it was almost impossible to get through from Buffalo to Fredonia. We were nearly a week getting through. (We stayed all night at Hezekiah Barker's who then kept the tavern there.).
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My father was a benevolent, persevering man, and he soon saw there was much to be done, before the new settlers could have even the most common comforts of life. First, they must have bread, and to have it, a mill must be built. My father and Hezekiah Bar- ker joined to build the mill and selected a site where the bridge now crosses the creek, in your beautiful village, and what few men and boys there were, turned out to build the dam. My father, Richard Williams, then lived two miles down the creek, from where they decided to build the mill.
When the road was laid out through the vil- lage, my father built a house and moved into it, and commenced keeping a public house, on the West side of the creek, as Mr. Barker kept on the East side.
My father carried the mail from Buffalo to Erie, before and during the War. My oldest brother used to carry it on horseback. He en- listed in Buffalo as a recruiting officer, and a number of young men went with him. He went with Commodore Perry to battle, and never returned. He was killed on the ship " Lawrence " and his mangled body found a grave in Lake Erie. Till then, my father stood the hardships and privations of a new country, bravely. Possessed of a noble nature, he was ready to help the stranger, the poor
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and afflicted, and none sought his aid in vain. But, my poor brother's death broke his spirits and crushed life's prospects. He never re- covered from the shock of the irreparable loss. He lived on, but an altered man.
After the war of 1812 was over, my father exchanged his farm in Fredonia, for a farm in Portland -9 miles from the village (Part of it was owned in 1873, by Lincoln Fay). There he remained till Sept. 20th, 1822, when death released him from his life's labors, and his lifeless clay was laid to rest in Fredonia burying ground (on East Main St.), a place he helped to select in 1807, when the first death occurred.
Another sad scene is engraven on memory's page. It was the day my brother brought the news of Perry's battle and victory. We knew there had been a battle, for we heard the report of the cannon; although so far away and every man and woman was all anxiety as to the re- sult. Mother had been very busy all day with her work - she seemed to be in such a hurry. My aunt said to her " What makes you hurry so? You don't stop a moment." Mother answered, "I want to get through before the mail comes, for it may be, I can't work then." She seemed to have a presentiment of my brother's death.
Towards evening most of the neighboring
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men had collected on father's platform, to be in time for the news. Soon my brother was seen coming, and the news was spread. "The mail is coming " was enough. Mother ran to the door, as he rode up, and said, " Elijah, is Abner killed or wounded?" "He is not wounded, mother," was the reply, and he handed her a letter from Commodore Perry, telling of his bravery in fighting, after he was wounded; till finally he was cut in two by a cannon ball. The scene that followed, I can- not attempt to describe. It was a house of mourning and rejoicing. My father and mother, hand in hand, walked through the house; out the back door; through the garden into his peach orchard, and sat down on a log. There they gave vent to their pent-up grief. I followed them and stood by my mother, and such a prayer as she prayed to her God, that he would give them strength to bear up under that crushing blow, I never heard before. How many times that peach orchard, my father and mother sitting on that log, and her prayers, have come up before me, with all the clearness of yesterday. I feel that I cannot do justice to her memory, for when I look back, all through her life, she was always the same persevering woman - always doing good; visiting the sick; helping the needy, and giving of her substance to the poor and needy,
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wherever she found them. How many times, have I known her to get her work done, and then go to take care of some sick one through the night, and come home in the morning to get breakfast. I have known her, when father was sick, to go with the mail from Fre- donia to Buffalo and back home, riding on one horse and carrying the mail on another, and swimming her horses through Cattaraugus and Eighteen-Mile Creeks. I heard her tell of, once, when she got to Buffalo Creek, it was almost dark, and the water was high, and she did not know what to do. She saw some In- dians in a canoe, and calling to them, they carried her over, and she made her horses swim, holding on to their bridles.
I need not say more for most of her life was spent in Fredonia and vicinity and she was known to most of the early inhabitants. She was a good mother; a conscientious, pious Christian, and her end was peace.
She died April 13th, 1854 and was laid by the side of my father, in Fredonia's " old burying ground."
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THE FIRST DEATH AND FUNERAL IN FREDONIA: FIRST SCHOOL: FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION
(From Fredonia Censor, June 18th, 1873)
From Mrs. Ursula H. Ashley, of Savannah, Mo. in 1873, a niece of Mrs. Richard Williams.
M RS. URSULA ASHLEY joined the Baptist Church in Fredonia; Rev. Joy Handy, pastor; Thomas Ball,
clerk. She was then 17. She moved to Ohio in 1819. Her letter, dated June 1873 says :- " My mother, Asenath Williams, was mar- ried in Whitetown to my father, Oliver Woodcock. They remained on a farm in Sangerfield till they had six children, then started for the Holland Purchase, then called " The great Eldorado of the West." (My father exchanged his cart and oxen for 700 acres of land in the Wilderness). It was said, there were only six families in Pomfret Town- ship (then comprising our 2d. Assembly Dis- trict) when they arrived in 1806."
Richard Williams and family; Oliver Wood- cock and family and James Morgan and fam- ily, were all related and all came together to Chautauqua County. When they stopped in Buffalo in 1806, they could stand on one spot, and count every house in that village. Were four days from Buffalo to Fredonia. After the oxen were rested, Mr. Woodcock was dele-
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gated to go to LeBoeuf, sixty miles distant, in Pennsylvania, to buy grain and get it ground.
Our house was built of logs; one door of plank, hewed out with a broad-axe; no window, low roof; stone fire-place, hemlock bark roof, and the floor of hemlock bark - the whole only 18 feet square. It was chinked on the outside with clay, and the family of eight, considered themselves quite snug that winter.
In the Fall of 1806, Father joined Heze- kiah Barker in building a grist mill.
THE FIRST DEATH AND FUNERAL IN FREDONIA
In Oct. sister Hannah, six years old, was killed. The children were out for nuts, where a man was clearing, and a tree fell on little Hannah, crushing her head. The horror of that day, nearly killed poor mother (Mrs. Oliver Woodcock.) The hands at the mill, made a coffin and painted it black with pulver- ized charcoal, mixed with grease. They car- ried the little one, through dense woods to our present burying ground, where she was laid to rest under a large hemlock tree.
THE FIRST SCHOOL IN FREDONIA
The neighbors requested Mrs. Woodcock to teach the children that Winter, and she did so. It was the first school in Pomfret, and had 16 children.
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The spring of 1807, Mr. Woodcock went to Batavia Land Office and entered 100 acres, a mile and a half west of Fredonia, and built a log house on it (20 x 24)' with a good floor and window and stone chimney, and second story reached by a ladder. (Mr. Woodcock and his son, cleared three acres that Winter, and had land ready for wheat the following Fall.)
THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY IN FREDONIA
The country settled so fast, that in 1809, they made a raise to celebrate the 4th. of July. Oliver Woodcock and Hezekiah Bar- ker provided for the dinner in a long bower, so that all who could attend, (less than 200) could sit at table. A stage was erected, on which were 13 ladies, dressed in white, with blue sashes; the clergy; orator; all the revolutionary veterans, and the music, which
was a fife and drum. The bill of fare was beef, baked in stone ovens; light bread; pump- kin pies; loaf cake sweetened with maple sugar, early peas, potatoes, and stewed gooseberries. (The seasons were earlier then.)
(As Wm. Risley has recorded; no cellars were needed - only four inches of earth over vegetables, to prevent freezing, and two crops could be grown and ripened on the same land in one season.)
The matrons had their pewter plates scoured
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as bright as silver, and sent in to set the table with. That was the best that could be done in those days, and I defy the globe to produce a happier set than we were, scattered around in Chautauqua county.
(Solomon Chadwick was the only resident of Dunkirk, then. Most of the goods that came, being landed at the mouth of the creek, in charge of Mr. Barney Cole.")
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THE FIRST WOODEN CHURCH. 1823
1820 -1829
Pastors-1820-21, Elder Joy Handy.
1822-1829 -Elisha Tucker D. D. Clerk - Name not in minutes.
Meetings of Association.
1820 -Second church in Hanover.
1821 -
1822-Eden ; 1823-Laona ; 1824 Fredonia ; 1825 -North East, Pa;
1826 -Stockton ; 1827 -Forestville;
1828- Fredonia ; 1829-Forestville.
List of delegates for 1823 - Elisha Tucker, Joy Handy, Pearson Crosby, Zattu Cushing, Nathaniel Crosby, Reu- ben Buck, Benjamin Randall.
Additional names of delegates at other meetings - Jairus Handy, Charles Morton, Levi Tucker, Rufus Lang- don, Loring Crosby, Ebenezer Webster, J. Douglass, David J. Matteson, James Hull, John Z. Saxton. Total membership by years- 1822-63; 1823-102 ; 1824 -117; 1825-124; 1826-123; 1827-153; 1828 -160; 1829-169.
K ROM 1820 to 1829 was a period of com- paratively rapid settlement of the county. In the eight years 1822-29, the church received by baptism 33 - by letter, 63.
In 1828, the association was represented by 23 churches; in 1829, 13 of the churches were not represented.
This division of the churches lasted until 1834, when at the meeting in Ashville 30 churches sent delegates with a total member- ship of 2167.
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Mr. Madison in his history says -
" Aug. 12, 1822, Rev. Elisha Tucker was called to be the second pastor of the First Bap- tist Church of Pomfret."
July 22, 1823, he was sent by the church to New York, Boston, Salem, Providence etc., to solicit " Material aid " for the finishing of the meeting house - the old frame edifice - The first church built in the county. This was taken down about 1851-52 for the purpose of erecting the present brick church on the same site.
A copy of the original deed of the land on which the first church building stood reads as follows:
" Stephen Savage by John Crane his at- torney. To Zattu Cushing, Ebenezer Web- ster and Nathaniel Crosby Trustees, etc.
Certain piece or parcel of land on the road leading from said village (Fredonia) to Dun- kirk, and being the corner opposite the "Acad- emy."
" Beginning at the stake standing in the line of said road, four rods southwesterly of the southwest corner of the old schoolhouse, thence running northwestwardly, on the line of said road, eight rods to a stake: thence, southwest- wardly at an angle of ninety degrees with the last mentioned line, fifty-six feet to a stake, thence southeastwardly on a line parallel with
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Know all men, by these presents,
1
That for and in consideration of the sum of Fourteen ----- dollars to them in hand paid, the Trustees of the first Baptist Society in the town of Pomfret, county of Chautauque and state of New-York, have bargained and sold, unto Benjamine Wallwork of Fredommar Chanitanque Com
his heirs and assigns, the Fa certain Slip in the Baptist Meeting-House, in the village of Fredonia, known and distinguished by No. 28 for the term of My own proper use and benefit.
Given under our hands and seals, at Pomfret, the Seventeen May of Anie in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty Sex ...
Martin D. Harmon
TRUSTESS.
the first mentioned line, eight rods to a stake standing in the line of the commons: thence, northwestwardly on the line of the commons fifty-six feet to the place of beginning.
" Being the southeast corner of a lot of land of about two acres heretofore conveyed by Joseph Plumb and Deborah his wife to the party of the first part."
The slips in this first meeting house were sold as witness the following:
" Know all men, by these presents. That for and in consideration of the sum of Four- teen dollars to them in hand paid, the Trustees of the First Baptist Society, have bargained and sold, unto Benjamin Walworth of Fre- donia, Chautauqua Co., his heirs and as- signs, the certain Slip in the Baptist Meeting- House, in the village of Fredonia, known and distinguished by No. 28 for his own proper use and benefit.
Given under our hands and seals, at Pom- fret, the Seventeenth day of April in the years of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty-Six.
MARTIN D. HARMON
JOHN Z. SAXTON Trustees."
ELISHA TUCKER
Rev. Elisha Tucker D. D., pastor of the Fredonia Baptist Church, 1823 to 1829, was, during this formative period, in the early his-
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ยท
tory, an influential, and even a commanding figure. He was Moderator at the formation of the first Chautauqua Association. He was also, Moderator for 1825, 1826, and 1827. He was a man of fine personal appearance, In
pleasing address, and an able preacher. the early, and sometimes troublous times with the first Baptist churches, the counsels and help of Dr. Tucker, were greatly valued. His next pastorate, after leaving Fredonia, was with the Washington Street Baptist Church in Buffalo, 1831 to 1836.
C. W. Brooks, in the " Century of Missions in the Empire State " says :- " The growth of our resources, both physical and moral, has more than kept pace with the increase of our numbers. Why such growth? It has been very largely due to the character of the first and second generations of our Baptist minis- ters." Of the ministers of the second gener- ation, he says :- " They included such ministers as Alfred Bennett, Nathaniel Kendrick, Daniel Hascall, John Peck, Caleb Douglass, John Blodgett, Lewis Leonard, Cornelious P. Wycoff, Elon Galusha, John Smitzer, Bar- tholomew T. Welch, Stephen H. Cone, Oliver C. Comstock and Elisha Tucker."
Rev. Elisha Tucker D. D. died December 29, 1853.
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IN THE OLD (MAIN STREET) CEMETERY
I T lies on a slightly rolling elevation of ground; soil, dry typical main road gravel; overlooking to the South and West, a large part of the Village.
A
When, by the accidental fall of a tree, a young life of only six years was crushed out, and the settlers, for the first time, were brought to the fact and necessity of a burying ground, little wonder that they made choice here; Nature made this a beautiful spot. What- ever other place in Fredonia may be omitted, let no visitor fail to visit the Old Cemetery.
Reverently let us enter. What names are recorded here ? The list includes such names as: - Handy, Cushing, White, Adams, Rood, Risley, Abell, Williams, Barker and many others.
Not to all men is it given to become " Build- ers of Empires." For these men, who simply did what they could, impartial history records that from the foundations wisely laid by their labors and sacrifices time has developed great results. "If you would see his monument, look around you ". In all that goes to make the streets, parks, public buildings, schools,
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churches and homes healthful, attractive, quiet, beautiful - all honor to these first builders of the Village that is, perchance, the City that is to be.
SOME EPITAPHS IN THE OLD CEMETERY
"Rev. Joy Handy, died July 5, 1838. Aged 66 years. During 36 years teacher of the Bible and for 15 years pastor of the Baptist Church in Fredonia. " For he was a good man " Acts 11-24."
" Sacred to the memory of Hon. Zattu Cushing, who departed this life Jan 11 1839 in the 69th year of his life.
" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord "
"Dr. Squire White 1785-1857. His wife Sally Barker 1795-1823. His wife Lydia C. Cushing 1798-1886."
" Abner M. Williams - " His life he gave to his Country, his body to the deep."
NOTE - This was the young man, son of Richard and Sophia Williams, who was killed 1813 in the battle of Lake Erie.
" Richard Williams Born July 6 1773
Died Sept 20 1822 Sophia Morton, his wife, Born Sept 25 1776 Died April 13 1854 "
" In Memory of Hezekiah Barker who died July 5 1834 in the 78th year of his age." "
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NOTE: - this was the donor, to the Village, of Lafayette Park.
" Levi Risley 1805-1889. Elijah Risley Died Jan 8th 1870 Aged 82 yrs 8 months."
NOTE: - These two, with William Risley, were the founders of the first seed gardens in Fredonia.
" The grave of Rev. Jairus Handy Born April 30 1803; baptised June 1st 1825; Or- dained August 30th 1826; Died Nov 7th 1831. " Let the Judgment pronounce his worth ".
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1830-1839
Pastors-1830-Rev. David Bernard; 1831-33-no names given in the minutes; 1834-35-Rev. Jira D. Cole; 1836-37 Rev. B. N. Leach; 1839 - Rev. John F. Bishop.
Meetings of the Association-1830-Carroll; 1831 - Laona; 1832-Portland; 1833-Stockton; 1834 - Ash- ville; 1835-Mayville; 1836 - Harmony; 1837-Forest- ville; 1838-Forestville; 1839 -Leon.
1832- Delegates-Zattu Cushing, J. Adams, Thomas Morton, J. W. Couch.
1833- Delegates-Zattu Cushing, Thomas Morton, Caleb Ward.
I N the first half of the period,- 1830-1839, nearly or quite all of the churches of the Association were the subjects of dissen- sions on a topic then uppermost in the public mind. Mr. J. A. Parsons of Forestville, a Baptist brother of a judicial temperament in his history (1872) of the Forestville church says:
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