USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Fredonia > Centennial history of the Fredonia Baptist Church, Fredonia, New York, organized October 20, 1808 > Part 6
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S. S. Superintendents-1900-03-Chas. O. Mason; 1904-08 - Chas. L. Goulding.
Meetings of the Association - 1900 - Frewsburg; 1901 - Brocton; 1902 - Fredonia; 1903 - Forestville; 1904 - Jamestown; 1905- Westfield; 1906 -Cherry Creek; 1907 -Dunkirk; 1908 - North East, Pa.
DAVID LEE 'JAMISON
D AVID LEE JAMISON first saw the light of day among the hills of West Virginia, October 15, 1867.
He was born of Scotch-Irish parentage. At the age of twenty years he completed his college course, receiving the degree of A. B. at the University of West Virginia. A few years later he completed the law course at the same institution of learning and was given the degree of LL. B. He then spent one year in special studies in the Columbia Law School, of New York City. Returning to his native state he practiced law in the city of Parkers- burg, W. Va., three years, winning recogni- tion in his profession.
He took an active interest in politics being an ardent Democrat. During one campaign
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he " stumped " the Congressional district for his party. After he had been in the practice of the law for two years, his name was pro- posed in the Democratic County Convention for the office of District Attorney. He lacked only two votes of receiving the nomination, and the nomination by the Democratic party insured election.
He was also active in church work, and when the " State Union " of the "Baptist Young People's Union " was formed, he was chosen its first President, which office he held until he left the state.
In 1894 Mr. Jamison decided to quit the practice of the law and enter the gospel min- istry. He therefore entered the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. After a year spent in theological studies, he was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist church of Gas City, Indiana.
Before entering upon the pastorate he re- turned to West Virginia and was ordained to the ministry by a council called by the First Baptist church of Parkersburg, of which he was a member.
Shortly after being ordained, Mr. Jamison was united in marriage to Miss Janet Browse, daughter of Hon. Robert H. Browse, of the same state.
The Indiana pastorate continued for three
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REV. M. J. WINCHESTER
years. During this pastorate a new church building was erected and dedicated, the former building having been destroyed by fire; and the membership of the church was more than doubled.
He resigned to complete his theological studies at the Rochester Theological Seminary. He entered that institution in the fall of 1898 and finished the course in May of 1900. Af- ter graduation Mr. Jamison supplied the pul- pit of the Second Baptist church of Rochester, N. Y., for three months, the pastor being ab- sent on account of ill health.
Having in the mean time, accepted a call to the pastorate of the Fredonia church, he came to Fredonia September first, 1900, and entered upon the pastorate which continued through a period of five years. In that time one hundred and ninety-four members were added to the church, one hundred twenty-two of whom were received by baptism. Seventy new families became identified with the church in member- ship.
September first, 1905, Mr. Jamison closed his work with this church, to accept a call ex- tended by the first Baptist church of Albion, N. Y., where he is at the present engaged.
MERRITT JOEL WINCHESTER
The subject of this sketch was born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vt., April 23,
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1868. His father's name was Horace Win- chester; the maiden name of his mother was Maria Simons. The father died when the son was seven years old. Three years later, the mother and her brother, removed to a farm near Truthville, Washington Co., N. Y. The family attended the North Granville Baptist Church. It is worthy of note that this church, though possibly never exceeding two hundred in membership, and generally much smaller, in its more than a century of life, has sent twenty- two young men into the ministry of our de- nomination. In the Winter preceding his thirteenth birthday, the lad gave his heart to Christ and united with the church. He at- tended the district school, and the Granville Military Academy at North Granville. He was graduated in June, 1885 as valedictorian of his class.
A year was spent in teaching and in various work. In September, 1886, he entered Wil- liams College and graduated from there, four years later. In a class of seventy-four mem- bers, he was the eleventh man in standing, and was elected to the local chapter of the ยข.B.K.
A position was secured as teacher of Mathe- matics in an institution known as the Alabama Military Academy, at Huntsville, Ala. The year after graduation from college was spent
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in teaching. During the Autumn, the Hunts- ville Baptist Church became pastorless and Mr. Winchester was invited to supply in the pulpit for several Sabbaths. He was licensed to preach by this church. In the Summer of 1891 he was appointed Associational Mission- ary of Liberty Association, in which, the Huntsville Church is located. His work con- sisted of visiting the small country churches of the Association, both in Alabama and Ten- nessee, and assisting the pastors in evangelical services. It was thought that he might be re- quired to perform the duties of a fully or- dained minister; accordingly a council was called by the church in Huntsville and he was set apart to the Gospel ministry, on August 14, 1891. The balance of August and a portion of September, were spent in the work, with good success. Over one hundred persons pro- fessed conversion, and were baptized into the membership of the churches.
In October, Mr. Winchester went to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ky., to pursue his theological studies. At the close of the scholastic year, he became the student pastor of the church at Hemlock, N. Y. In September 1892, he entered the Middle Year class of Rochester Theological Seminary, but continued to supply the church at Hemlock until November of the
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next year. During that period the church re- ceived fourteen members by baptism.
He was graduated from the Seminary in May 1894, and went at once to Elbridge, N. Y. to become the pastor of the church in that village. A pleasant pastorate of nearly twelve years followed. Unity prevailed throughout the entire period. One hundred and fifty-eight persons were baptized and the membership increased, in spite of a diminish- ing population, from one hundred and seventy, to more than two hundred and fifty.
On December 3, 1895, Mr. Winchester mar- ried Miss Ella Cynthia Brown of Elbridge. A daughter was born to them November 23, 1897, to brighten their home. The Summer of 1905 was spent in foreign travel.
Mr. Winchester was unanimously called to the pastorate of the Fredonia Baptist Church in February and began work on April 1, 1906. The relation happily continues in this the cen- tennial year of the church. United and hope- ful pastor and people anticipate the future.
REV. G. O. KING
Rev. G. O. King prepared for college at the Connecticut Literary Institution, Suffield, Conn .; graduated at Brown University and Rochester Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was at Jamestown, N. Y. He was
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at three different times, acting pastor of the Ninth Street Baptist Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, and acting pastor also, for two and one half years, of the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio, and for six years, pastor of the Willson Avenue Baptist Church, and for seven years, pastor of the Logan Ave- nue (now Cedar Ave.) Baptist Church of that city. During these Cleveland pastorates, he was a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Cleveland Baptist Union, the Ohio Baptist Convention, and Denison University; and was for three successive years, President of the Ohio Baptist Convention. He also served as chairman of Building Committee and Superin- tendent of Construction, for four Baptist Houses of Worship, and one W. C. T. U. Friendly Inn, while pastor in Cleveland.
After leaving Cleveland, he was, for one year, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Springfield, Ohio.
Mrs. King graduated from the Connecticut Literary Institution of Suffield, Conn. For several years she was a teacher in Massachu- setts, and since her marriage, has always been intimately associated with her husband in his work. .
During his pastorate with the Willson Ave- nue and Logan Avenue churches, she was, in each of them, Assistant Superintendent of the
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Sunday School, and President of the Women's Missionary Society.
She was, for several years, also President of the Women's Missionary Society of the Cleve- land Baptist Association, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Women's Baptist Missionary Society of Ohio, and actively en- gaged in Associational and State Sunday School, and missionary enterprises.
REV. J. J. KEYES
Rev. J. J. Keyes, after many years of serv- ice, retired from the pastorate in 1902 and has since resided in Fredonia. He and Mrs. Keyes are members of the Fredonia Baptist Church.
Mr. Keyes has held pastorates in Elmira, Dunkirk, Buffalo, Cazenovia and other towns in the State. His last pastorate was in Caze- novia. Since his retirement, he has served as permanent supply and acting pastor, in Hor- nell and Ithaca, besides preaching often in cities and villages contiguous to Fredonia.
FRANKLIN SMITH LYON
Franklin Smith Lyon was born at Buck- land, Mass. Feb. 27, 1819, and died at Fre- donia, New York, March 16, 1906. His early life was spent in Western New York. He was the son of Aaron Lyon and Armilla Alden
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Lyon, and eighth in line from John Alden. He was a nephew of Mary Lyon, founder of Mt. Holyoke; the educator whose talents and constructive genius, have deservedly placed her name in the Temple of Fame.
Aaron Lyon was a man of sterling worth, a deacon in the church, a pioneer in the reli- gious and civic life of Chautauqua County. Of his eight daughters and two sons, several were noted for ambition and persistence in gaining an education. Four daughters attended Mt. Holyoke and Lucy, the oldest, a woman of re- markable attainments, taught there. She was married to Edward Lord and went as mission- ary to China. After her death, he married a younger sister, Freelove, who also went to the missionary field. Nancy Lyon married Jesse Purinton, once pastor of the Forestville Bap- tist Church. Six sisters married preachers.
Franklin Lyon attended Fredonia Acad- emy, Madison (now Colgate) University, and Rochester University, where he was graduated in 1852. His Aunt, Mary Lyon, was a help and inspiration to him in seeking an education. He taught, first in the Indian Territory, fitting Cherokee boys for college. After teaching eight years in Albion Academy, he resigned the principalship to care for his parents. Elected to the West Virginia University chair of English, in 1867, he was active in building
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up what is now a large institution; serving also as Vice President, and acting President. He remained there until 1885, with three years of absence. One was spent in Michigan, in charge of a Baptist school, founded by his sister, Rosina Dayfoot, and for two years, he was agent to the Creek Indians - years of interest and valuable service. In 1885 he was ap- pointed president of Broaddus Female Col- lege, a Baptist school at Clarksburg, West Vir- ginia, and in 1888 he retired to Fredonia, New York, near his early home. He married in 1853, Harriet Amanda Johnson, a woman whose beautiful life was spent in quiet, unselfish work for others. They had
four daughters.
Harriet married Prof. F. N. Jewett, head of the Science Department, Fredonia Normal School. Florence married Rev. D. B. Purinton, formerly President of Denison University, and now Presi- dent of West Virginia University. Mary married Prof. G. B. Foster, professor of Com- parative Religions in Chicago University. Elizabeth the youngest daughter, unmarried, making her home with her sister Mrs. Jewett in Fredonia.
Professor Lyon was always a great church worker, helping to build up churches in Stock- ton and Cassadaga; also in West Virginia. He served the Fredonia Baptist Church as
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DR. FRANCIS B. PALMER
teacher of a Bible class, Sunday School Super- intendent, trustee and deacon; attended serv- ices faithfully, even during his last nine years of total blindness. His character was marked by fearlessness; a strong sense of right, duty, justice, and his influence over students, for good, was wonderful.
FRANCIS B. PALMER
Francis B. Palmer was born in the town of Parma, Monroe County, N. Y., of parents who came from New London County, Conn., about the close of the first quarter of last century. His paternal grandfather was a Baptist minister, as were several of the sons and sons-in-law. His mother's father was Cal- vin Bolles, a business man, of Montville, Conn., related to the Bolles family of Mass.
Dr. Palmer attended a country district school the summer and winter terms from his fourth to his eighth year, and after that winter terms only, with one exception, until his seven- teenth year, but in this school he took all the work necessary to fit him for college - except Latin and Greek. Summers were spent on his father's farm as were all his vacations except one until he was graduated from college. One term was spent in Brockport Collegiate Insti- tute, and his preparation in Latin and Greek was made under private instruction.
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He entered Rochester University the last term of Freshman year 1854-1855, and was graduated from the arts course in 1858. He afterward received the degrees of A. M., and Ph. D., in his junior year, although he had studied Greek less than three years, he took the first junior prize in Greek for an examination in Plutarch's De Sera Numinis Vindicta, Bishop McIllvain of Rhode Island, being the examiner. In his senior year a second senior prize, for an essay on the Classical Element in the poetry of Milton was divided between El- well S. Otis, now Major General Otis of the U. S. Army, retired, and himself, Ex-Presi- dent Fillmore acting as one of the judges. In 1861 he was graduated from the Rochester Seminary.
He united with the Baptist Church in Parma in his eighteenth year and was ordained to the ministry by the same church in 1862.
From 1861 to the close of 1905-6 he was con- tinuously engaged in teaching and served a hundred days of the summer of 1864 in the army. He was principal of High Schools in Menasha and Appleton, Wis., was Professor in Lawrence University in Appleton two years, having the Natural Sciences one year during the absence of the President who had those subjects, and having the Greek the sec- ond year. He continued the Greek the next
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two years in Wayland University Wisconsin. For eleven years he was principal of the Aca- demic Department, first of the Normal School of Fredonia and then at Brockport, having the Pedagogics and Practice in charge two years, and teaching Greek and Latin the rest of the time. From November 1878 to the close of the year 1905-6 he was Principal of the Normal School at Fredonia.
Since graduation from the Theological Sem- inary he has preached occasionally, sometimes acting as stated supply but he has never had a settled pastorate. While in Brockport he was asked to lead the Student's prayer-meeting which he did the last years of his teaching there, and during the last four years not a class went out that did not number every graduate from the Normal Department as a professed Chris- tian. And the lives of the many who made profession during those years have shown a constancy and sincerity that have seldom been equalled for universality in any similar body of Christians. Among the most cherished remi- niscences brought out in letters from former pupils in Brockport and Fredonia alike, are the expressions of gratitude for the lessons learned in the Student's Prayer-meetings.
On coming to Fredonia with his family he united with the Church here and has served most of the time as Superintendent of the Sun-
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day School, as Sunday School teacher, as Trus- tee, or as leader of a Teacher's Bible Class.
Besides writing much for educational and religious journals and reviews he is author of Science of Education and Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer.
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Y. P. S. C. E. OF THE FREDONIA, N. Y. BAPTIST CHURCH
T HE Young Peoples Christian Endeavor Society of the Baptist Church of Fre- donia, N. Y. was organized in 1889. As far as can be seen, the Christian Endeavor Society, during the earlier years of its history, does not differ greatly from its present method of working. It has ever been on the outlook, to keep in touch with the young people of the Church and to get them interested. The prayer meeting committee arrange for the Sunday evening meetings. The calling com- mittee have, and do endeavor to call on the sick and elderly people in the church. The society has always contributed to the work of the State Conventions, and to missions. Last year, 1907, February was set apart as a month of self denial, and boxes were given to individual members. Together with what was taken from the Missionary fund of the Society, something over thirty dollars ($30) was sent away for mission work (The largest sum ever given at one time to missions). Ten dollars ($10) was raised two or three years ago for the quarter century centennial of the Christian Endeavor Society. For some time, the soci-
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ety has paid half of the expenses of the weekly bulletins of the church. But, this present year they are meeting the entire expense.
THE PLEDGE
"
FOR CHRIST AND THE CHURCH "
Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for strength, I promise Him that I will strive to do whatever He would like to have me do; that I will make it the rule of my life to pray and to read the Bible every day and to support my own church in every way, especially by at- tending all her regular Sunday and mid-week services, unless prevented by some reason which I can conscientiously give to my Saviour; and that just so far as I know how, throughout my whole life, I will endeavor to lead a Christian life. As an active member, I promise to be true to all my duties, to be present and to take some part, aside from singing, in every Chris- tian Endeavor prayer meeting, unless hindered by some reason which I can conscientiously give to my Lord and Master. If obliged to be absent from the monthly consecration meet- ing of the Society, I will, if possible, send at least a verse of Scripture to be read in response to my name at the roll call.
" We Are Laborers Together With God "
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LIST OF OFFICERS
October 1889 Pres't -E. J. Crissey, Sec'y - Matie Sackett. April 1890
Pres't -E. J. Crissey, Sec'y - Matie Sackett. October 1890 Pres't - E. J. Crissey, Sec'y - Matie Sackett. March 1891 Pres't - Jay Willard, Sec'y - Ella Davis. October 1891
Pres't- Julia Harris, Sec'y -Anna Nourse. October 1892 Pres't -Anna Nourse, Sec'y - Ruth Perrin. September 1893 Pres't - Miss Jessie Morian, Sec'y - Mr. Brooks. April 1894 Pres't - Mr. Raynor, Sec'y - Jessie Morian.
October 1894
Pres't - Miss Lyon, Sec'y - Mr. Ellsworth. April 1895 Pres't - Lena Potter, Sec'y - Julia Harris. October 1895
Pres't - Lena Potter, Sec'y - Julia Harris. April 1896
Pres't - Lena Potter, Sec'y - Julia Harris. October 1896
Pres't - E. J. Moran, Sec'y - Mrs. Florence Raymond. April 1897 Pres't -O. W. Fargo, Sec'y - Mrs. Raymond. October 1897 Pres't - Lena Potter, Sec'y - Clara Britton.
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May 1898 Pres't - Lena Potter, Sec'y - Watee Shaw. November 1898 Pres't -Anna Nourse, Sec'y - Ella Bronson. April 1899 Pres't -D. G. Sackett, Sec'y - Watee Shaw. October 1899 Pres't - Wesley Taylor, Sec'y - Dora Barker. April 1900 Pres't - Carrie Dailey, Sec'y - Hattie Huff September 1900
Pres't - Carrie Dailey, Sec'y - Hattie Huff. April 1901 Pres't - Mrs. Florence Raymond, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. September 1901
Pres't -Mrs. Florence Raymond, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. February 1902
Pres't -Albert Colburn, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. September 1902
Pres't - Bertha Holcomb, Sec y - Alice Munger. March 1903
Pres't - Michael Gerres, Sec'y - Mrs. Geo. Blood. August 1903 Pres't - Michael Gerres, Sec'y - Margaret Sadon. March 1904
Pres't - Michael Gerres, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. September 1904
Pres't - George Moran, Sec'y - Nellie Hough. March 1905 Pres't -R. C. Wells, Sec'y - George Britton. September 1905 Pres't - R. C. Wells, Sec'y - Benna Vincent.
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March 1906 Pres't - R. C. Wells, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. August 1906
Pres't - Mary Cranston, Sec'y - Elizabeth Poate. March 1907
Pres't - Mary Cranston, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. August 1907
Pres't - Charles Fargo, Sec'y - Anna Haskin. March 1908
Pres't - Charles Fargo, Sec'y - Martha Husted.
For 1904, the Society of Christian Endeavor report total membership, 65; average attend- ance, 23; expenses $18.30. Junior Superin- tendent, Mrs. D. L. Jamison.
For 1905, Corresponding Secretary, Miss Hattie Blood; average attendance, 35; ex- penses, $15; benevolence $3.00.
For 1906, average attendance, 29; expenses $33.00; Benevolence, $10.00.
For 1907, average attendance, 30; expenses $30.00; benevolence $40.00; total membership, 60.
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SUNDAY SCHOOLS
R ECORDS as to the first Sunday Schools in the Baptist Churches of the county, are singularly deficient. The brief his- tory given of each of the following :- Olivet, Mayville, Sherman, Panama, and Busti churches, gives no data.
At a church social held at the home of Mr. A. C. Guild, Fredonia on Christmas Eve 1858, Mr. A. Z. Madison, on behalf of the Sabbath School, made a presentation of Olshausen's Commentaries, to the Superintendent. This was the first American, revised from the fourth German Edition, by Dr. A. C. Kendrick. The books were inscribed -" These six volumes Olshausen's Commentary are respectfully pre- sented, this 25th of December, 1858 to Mr. John Hamilton Jr., Superintendent of the Baptist Sabbath School, Fredonia, as a slight acknowledgment of their regard and apprecia- tion of his services for the last ten years, by a number of the teachers and friends of said school."
The records show that Mr. Hamilton suc- ceeded his father, John Hamilton Sr., as Superintendent. The early methods, both in Sunday School, as also in church worship, were
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very plain and simple. It became a necessity, owing to the widely scattered membership of the early days, to have the preaching service fore- noon and afternoon, with the evening meeting, a prayer meeting. The Sunday School would be held at the noon intermission, between the two preaching services.
The regular, unvarying program for the classes, was to commit to memory seven verses each week, which would be repeated to the teacher. The lesson was never read by, or be- fore the class. Scholars who could not, or pos- sibly would not (unaided) learn the lesson, were aided by their parents. Lessons were not selected at random, but a certain book, as for example, the Gospel of St. John was gone through with, chapter by chapter, from the first verse to the last verse.
During the long term in which Mr. Hamil- ton was the Superintendent, the Fredonia school greatly prospered. For his service, the church and Sunday School gave him a life membership in the American Baptist Home Mission Society, in 1851 and another life membership in the American Sunday School Union, in 1855.
Prior to 1861 the minutes give no statistics of the work of Sunday Schools. At the an- nual meeting of the Association in 1860, Rev. Emerson Mills, Rev. H. H. Phelps and
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Harlow Crissey were appointed a committee to take into consideration the subject of the in- terests of Sunday Schools. The committee re- ported at the Semi-Annual meeting of the As- sociation at Cherry Creek, Feb. 1861 and the " Sunday School Convention of the Erie Bap- tist Association " was organized with the usual Constitution formula.
Art. 4, says - " No person shall be a dele- gate to this convention unless he is in- terested in the cause of Sunday Schools at home".
At the first meeting of the Convention at Nashville Tuesday evening Sept 3, 1861, the officers chosen were President D. Barrell, Fre- donia; Vice President Rev. O. Putnam, Clear Creek; Secretary, Rev. E. Mills, Forestville; Treasurer Hollis Thompson, Stockton.
Fredonia reported John Hamilton Jr., Superintendent and 100 scholars.
Dunkirk, L. Parsons Superintendent, 54 scholars. Cassadaga, Charles Phillips, Super- intendent, 50 scholars. Regarding Fredonia a note says -" This school raised $12.80 for missions, $11.36 for Young Reapers, $25, to replenish library, $10, of mission fund sent a library to Kansas. One hundred volumes were sent to Warren Pa., three bible classes." J. Hamilton, Superintendent of Laona Mis- sion School, 60 scholars. The second annual
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meeting of the sunday school convention was September 2, 1862 at Stockton.
Fredonia reported 225 scholars, 15 teachers, 100 volumes in library. Another Mission school was reported at Cordova, Thos. B. Sweet, Superintendent, 30 scholars, 5 teachers. J. Hamilton Jr. was elected president, Chas. Phillips vice-president.
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