USA > New York > Steuben County > Wayland > Directory of the Village of Wayland, N.Y, 1901 > Part 12
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thus had greater early advantages in the deposits of sediment, and in the petri- fying of inundated forests. And though the sea has given us our marl deposit from the cast off clothing of its shell fish, our soil is from gravel, sandstone and shale, and is deficient in the ferti- lizing proprties of alluvial lands.
Though Nature has dealt sparingly with us for the most satisfactory agricul- tural results, she has compensated us with a commanding position for com- merce in this commercial age. From the valleys surrounding us, all roads lead naturally to Wayland, and it is believed that while our sister villages are apologizing for shrinking census fig- ures, Wayland's destiny is onward and upward. And though, heretofore, in their bounteous harvests from teeming soils, they have jeered at the leanness of our graneries, and pointed to us as being truly forsaken of God, they for- get that it is the men who win out against obstacles, and wring from a re- luctant Nature her toll, that breed the strength to do, and the courage to dare. And when this new century has run its course, it is our confident prediction that Wayland will demonstrate the truth of the saying that "a city set on a hill can- not be hid."
I 34
HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
CHAPTER XI.
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES. .
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
For a number of years following the building of the Erie Railroad, in 1852, the date that really marks the birth of the present village, the people were, as is usual in new communities, dependent on private hospitality and school houses
John Hess, 2 year.
William Rosenkrans, 3 year.
Chauncey Moore, 3 year.
Mr. Rosenkrans declining to serve, William M. Northrup was afterward chosen in his stead.
The committee appointed to solicit subscriptions raised $1332.80 for the building fund, and the Hess brothers donated the lot on which the present edifice stands, and on which the original church was built. The roll of contribu-
RESIDENCE OF HENRY V. PRATT,
No. 10 Hamilton Street ..
for places of worship. April 19, 1858, a meeting was held in the school build- ing "pursuant to previous notice, for the purpose of organizing to build a church in the village of Wayland," and at which it was resolved; "First: the house shall be called the First Methodist Episcopal church of Wayland," and, Secondly: that we appoint five trustees," the fol- lowing being the successful candidates:
Wesley Doughty, I year.
David Poor,
2 year.
tors is interesting not alone as including the names of many of the earlier citizens but also from the liberality of their do- nations which must be measured by the fact that the country was barely emerg- ing from the period of lowest financial depression it has ever seen. The list follows :
William M. Northrup, S100; Henry H. Hess, $100; Chauncey Moore, $100; John Hess, $125; Warren Patchin, $ 100;, Moses Poor, $90; David Poor, $50; Dav-
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
id Herrick, $50; James Totten, $50; Franklin E. Day, $50; Wesley Doughty, $50; Levi Rosenkrans, $38; Hiram C. Hess, $25; S. F. Hess. $25; Daniel Marts, $25; William Rosenkrans, $25; James H. Begole, $25; James Ryder, $20; A. K. Parmenter, $15; Joshua G. Doughty, $13; Josiah and Davis Gray, $15; Daniel Wilcox, $10; Sophia Wil- cox, $5; D. D. Wilbur, $10; Gilbert Tot- ten, $2.50; Harvey Farley, $10; Edward Whiteman, $10; Reuben Snyder, $10; Hiram Ingraham, $10; Christian Hartz, $10; M. Penston, $16 30; B. B. Hess, $5; Joseph Carpenter, $5; T. J. Smith, $7; Alfred Ingraham, $5; William H. McDowell, $5; Harris Curtis, $3; James Redmond. $4; A. J. Miller, $3; Mrs. G. Miller, $2; Mr. and Mrs. Hiscock, $2; Lewis Clayson, $20; Mary A. Granger, $5; Andrew Granger, $5; John R. Hicks, $7; Jacob Hicks, $8; Adin Parmenter, $3; R. M. Patchin, $9; George Bill, $5; Charles Thompson, $5; William New- man, $6; Isaac R. Trembly, $4. The collection at the dedication amounted to $17.
The Rev. Stephen Brown was ap- pointed to the new charge for the con- ference year 1859-60, and Rev. David Nutten was the Presiding Elder of the Hornellsville District in which the charge was included. Mr. Brown has resided in Washington, D. C., for many years, and is now 83 years of age, being one of the oldest members of the Con- ference.
Rev. Thomson Jolly, who followed Mr. Brown in the fall of 1860, was the first resident pastor. In his contribu- tion to the History of the Late East Genesee Conference, (F. G. Hibbard, D. D., 1887,) Mr. Jolly says of the Wayland charge, "I found five appoint- ments and took in one more, making three each Sabbath. But while there was plenty of work there was no house for the preacher.
lived in Dansville the preceeding year, because there was no house to be had on the charge. I went with a heavy heart, and searched it over faithfully to find a home. Just before starting back after my family I stepped into a store. The merchant asked me if I had got a house. I told him no. He told me a doctor in the place was talking of board- ing, and, if he did, his house would be to let. He went to see him and came back shortly saying we could have it. I went home thankful. We were soon moved and settled. I made a strike for another parsonage, but had hard work to get it started. By working one hun- dred and three days, besides much more that I did not keep account of, we built a parsonage, and moved into it the 19th of the next May. During the summer we also built a barn. This was the year the war began. We stayed two years · had a few conversions; but it was hard work to secure the attention of the peo- ple to the subject of salvation, being pre-occupied by the exciting topics of the war."
The pastor for the year 1862-63 was probably the Rev. Woodruff Post, who served the following year, 1863-64. He was succeeded by the Rev. John B. Knott, whose term lasted three years, to the fall of 1867. The Rev. J. C. Hitchcock was the next incumbent, 1867-68, and of this period, Dr. Hib- bard's History says: "Wayland was a two weeks' circuit, as it was called, con- sisting of Loon Lake, East Wayland, Patchinsville and Doty's Corners, in Steuben County. * * The vil- lage church at Wayland was used suc- cessively by the Methodists, the Wes -. leyans, and the pastor of the Albrights
The preacher had or German Methodists. Rev. C. G.
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
Curtis, the Albright, afterward joined our Conference. He was a worthy and useful man, since deceased. A sçore or more souls embraced religion as the fruit of a protracted meeting in which Rev. Amos Hard and his band partici- pated, and from that time the church building came entirely under the con- trol of the Methodist Episcopal pastor."
The Rev. Charles Bush, 1868-69, Rev. L. T. Hawkins, 1869-71, and Rev. James Duncan, 1871-73, labored effi-
ized at a cost of nearly $1,000. Finan- cially the society has ranked high in its grade in the conference, and has never been oppressed with an unmanageable debt, and has always paid its pastors. The membership has averaged about ninety-five, which number includes the class at Loon Lake. The Sunday School and societies of Christian Endeavor, Son Dau, Pastor's Aid, Ladies' Aid and Women's Foreign Missions are flourish- ing auxiliaries to the great work of the
RESIDENCE OF HON. WILLIAM W. CLARK, No. 20 Hamilton Street.
ciently during their terms and were tol- lowed by the Rev. John R. Cathin, 1873- 76, during whose pastorate occurred the greatest in-gathering of converts in the history of the church. The old building was rebuilt on an enlarged scale, at an expense of about $5,000. Ten years later the church was again refitted at an expense of $1,000. In 1892 the build- ing was damaged by fire and imme- diately repaired. And the same year the parsonage was rebuilt and modern-
church.
Pastors subsequent to those mentioned have been : Rev. S. M. Dayton 1876- 79 ; Rev. Charles J. Bradbury, 1879- 82 ; Rev. William Bartle, 1882-85 ; Rev. Phineas T. Lynn, 1885-87 ; Rev. John W. Barnett, 1887-89; Rev. Julius F. Brown, 1889-90 ; Rev. W. H. Hen- derson, 1890-91 ; Rev. W. O. Peet, 1891-95 ; Rev. Ira K. Libby, 1895-96 ; Rev. Irving B. Bristol, 1896-98 ; Rev. W. Irving Janes, 1898-00.
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
REV. JOHN M. KING.
Rev. Washington Irving Janes, the present pastor of the Methodist church, was born at Newstead, N. Y., June 8, 1853, and received his education at the public schools and at the Genesee Wes- leyan Seminary, Lima, from which in- stitution he was graduated in 1879. He was licensed to preach in 1877, and ad- mitted to the Genesee Conference as a probationer in 1879, and to full mem- bership in 1881. The several charges he has served have been, Henrietta, 1877-78; Custer City, Pa., 1879; Belmont, 1880-81 ; Machias, 1882-83 ; Hinsdale, 1884-85-86 ; Avoca, 1887-88- 89 ; Addison, 1890-91 ; Westfield, Pa., 1892-93-94 ; Hammondsport, 1895-96- 97 ; North Cohocton, 1898 ; Wayland, 1899-00.
THE ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH. (Contributed by Mr. John J. Morris.)
The Advent Christian church of this town has but a brief history. Although
some work had been done in the village by individual representatives of the church at various times, some of which date back to the early days of the de- nomination, and even before the denom- ination was actually organized, yet it was not until recently that efforts were made to crystalize into an actual church body.
Perhaps the earliest work done here by any representing the particular views of the church, at least the earliest of which we are cognizant, was in 1859, when one, Samuel Chapman, . from Massachusetts, assisted by Humphrey B. Ilyde, who was at that time teaching the village school, rented the hall in the old Hess block and held a series of meetings, awakening some interest in the particular views of the denomina- tion, but as that was before the days of the organization of the body as a church, and as the efforts were not continued, they were not permanent and lasting in their effects. Others at various times did some work here, and some converts were made to the belief, but as there was no organization, and as the work done was by individual representatives and without any definite system, the converts naturally became members of other churches, or drifted out of active work.
Although such efforts had been made in the earlier days of the church, not until Mr. John J. Morris, who had been associated with the business interests of the place for several years, made his residence here in 1893, did the work assume anything like a definite or per- manent aspect. Mr. Morris being a member of the church, soon began the work of establishing a branch of the denomination here. In October, 1894,
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH, Fremont Street.
Rev. M. A. Bates, of Massachusetts, was engaged to hold a series of meet- ings in the Christian church building, which at the time was unoccupied. These meetings resulted in a few con- versions, and from that time to the pres- ent the work has continued.
After Mr. Bates left, Rev. W. H. Jackson, pastor of the church at Spring- water, took up the work as a supply, which was continued by him and his successor, Rev. Warren Tefft, until Dec. 1896, when a church was organized with but seven members. For a few months Mr. Tefft had charge of the work, and in November, 1897, Rev. Lauren Dillon was secured as the first pastor and remained until October, 1899.
He was succeeded by Rev. George J. French and his wife, Rev. Mrs. Ella J. French, both ministers, and at the writing of this article they are both with the church.
From the few original members the list has increased to twenty. A Sunday school has been organized, which from a small beginning has grown to a mem- bership of about fifty. There is also a Ladies' society in the church, as well as a Young Peoples' society, all of which are growing and working with the church.
For some time it was thought that the society should secure a permanent place of meeting, and an effort was made to purchase the Christian church
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
property, which was finally accomplished, and the church now owns its place of worship, and at the present writing ar- rangements are about completed to enlarge and improve the building.
It is a work from a small beginning, but with the same steady, determined and sacrificing effort put forth in the future that has characterized its promo- ters in the past, it is destined to be a permanent factor in the history of Way- land.
The Rev. George J. French was born in Cass county, Mich., May 23, 1852, his early life being spent on a farm, ex- cept during terms devoted to schooling and teaching. He was licensed to preach by the Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan Advent Christian Conference at Buchanan, Mich., in 1882, and ordained by the same Conference at Sumptious Prairie, Ind., in 1885. He has held successful pastorates in New Albany and Bridgeport, Indiana, and in central and northern Illinois, and in Rochester, N. Y., and assumed the pulpit of the Wayland church in Octo- ber, 1899. His wife, Mrs. Rev. Ella J. French, is his able and graceful associate pastor.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
From early times there have been many members of the Christian denom- ination in this vicinity, and classes have been organized in several school dis- tricts, that at East Springwater dating from 1830. The creed of the denomi- nation is set forth in the record book of this class as follows :
October the 16th, 1830.
We, whose names are underwritten, being assembled at one place in the Town of Springwater, and professing to be the Disciples, ofour Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, viewing it our duty, as
much as in us lics, to come out from among and be separate from the world, and to do all that in us lies for the up- building of our Redeemer's Kingdom in this world, we, therefore, cheerfully give ourselves up to the Lord in church government, and to cach other to walk together in love, and to watch over each other for good.
And in preference to all sectarian names, cheerfully take upon us the name of "Christian." Taking the scrip- tures of the Testament as our rule of faith and practice, and to be governed by the same. Amen.
The method of discipline is also illus- trated in this same record book :
"At a Church Meeting of the Breth- eren on the Sixteenth day of June, 1832, the case of Br. was taken into Consideration for Braking the Sab- bath and withdrew the hand of fellow- ship from him.
"Also withdrew the hand of fellow- ship from Br Also from Bro.
-for intoccication and Stubbern- ess. Also from Br. --- for not con- fessing his rongs."
In 1864 the members of several classes, and those scattered throughout this vicinity were brought together, and a church organized in this village, the work being accomplished through the untiring efforts of the Rev. A. J. Wel- ton. A church building was erccted, and for a number of years the society flourished, but with Mr. Welton's remo- . val from town, about 1874, it lost its cohesive power and declined. The building was used for occasional reli- gious meetings for a number of years, and in 1900 passed to the ownership of the Advent Christian society.
ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. (Facts Contributed by Rev. J. B. Stemler.)
Sacred Heart church of Perkinsville is the pioneer Catholic church of Steu- ben county, having been organized on
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
STEUBEN CIGAR, FACTORY. Na. GIS ...
POST - OFFICES
POST OFFICE BUILDING, No. 8 N. Main Street.
Sandy Hill in 1851. It may fairly be called the "mother of churches," as from it have sprung both of the Dans- ville churches and those at Hammonds- port, Wayland and Cohocton.
The separation of the thirty-five fam- ilies that withdrew to form the St. Jos- · eph's congregation came with reluctance and some heart-burnings, as is usual in all home-leavings, but it was evidently a wise course for both people and church, and one takcn only after a most careful investigation of the matter by the late Bishop Ryan. Most of the families from Wayland wcre obliged to walk to church, and their children to school, and the growth of the congregation made a new church edifice a ncccssity either at Perkinsville or Wayland.
The consent of the Bishop having been gained, work was begun during the summer of 1880, and the church building, 76 feet by 42 feet, erected and the parsonage built and furnished at a total cost of nearly $4,000. The dedi- cation was held on January 26, 1881. The Bishop being snow-bound at Avon, telegraphed the visiting clergy to pro- ceed with the services, and when he arrived for the evening service he was so well pleased with the appointments of the church and parsonage that he immediately sent a resident priest.
The Rcv. George Zurcher was the first pastor, and remained about a year and a half, during the latter part of the time supplying Cohocton in addition to his work in Wayland. He was succeed-
HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
141
COHN & FRIEDMAN, CLOTHIERSAND TAILORS.
CLOTHIER'S
CLARK BUILDING, No. 6 N. Main Street.
ed by the Rev. Theodore Voss, in Oct- ober, 1882, during whose pastorate the school house was built and the pipe organ purchased.
In March, 1885, the Rev. Joseph Fischer succeeded to the care of the parish, and he, in turn, was followed by the Rev. Joseph M. Thies in September, 1888. Father Thies was especially gifted in financial management, and during his encumbency the church building was enlarged to 108 feet by 42 feet, the church debt was entirely paid, the parochial school placed under the care of the Sisters of St. Francis, of Buffalo, and the pastor's salary raised to $800 per annum.
The Rev. C. Kaelin was assigned to
the parish February 1, 1894, and during his pastorate many minor improvements were made in the church property and at the Cemetery.
When the Rev. J. B. Stemler, the present pastor, came to Wayland in September, 1896, it seemed that his pre- decessors had left him little to do in the way of improving the property, but in many ways he has found it possible to repair and embellish the buildings and furnishings, and has fully sustained the record of his predecessors.
The Rev. J. B. Stemler is a native of Ellenhauser, Germany, where he was born September 7, 1863. He received his education at the Montabour and Paderburn College, and at the Eisstaedt
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
Seminary, and was ordained for the and leaving Wayland, East Springwater Diocese of Buffalo in the city of Mainz. and Carney Hollow as the "Wayland Station" circuit. His several assignments have been at Dunkirk and at Elmira as Assistant, and at Strykcrsville, Bennington and Wayland as Rector.
THE UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH. (Facts Contributed by Rev. L. M. Dice.)
In 1875, the "Dansville circuit" of the Evangelical Association of North America, in which the Wayland charge was then included, was transferred from the New York Conference, which was largely a German speaking body, to the Central Pennsylvania Conference, which was composed of English speak- ing adherents of the denomination, and under this regime the following pastors were appointed to the circuit : Rcv. J. F. Shultz, 1876-78 ; Rev. J. H. Peters, 1878-80 ; Rev. 'V. N. Wallis, ---- Rev. J. H. Welsh, Assistant,-1880-83 ; Rev. J. M. Price, 1883-87 ; Rev. B. F. Keller 1887-89 ; Rev. W. E. Brilhart, 1889-91; Rev. S. E. Koontz, 1891-94.
At the division of the denomination that occurred about 1894, the circuit remained with the English branch and bccame attached to the resultant United Evangelical denomination.
The Rev. J. W. Thompson, who was appointed to the circuit in the spring of 1894, at once began a movement for a church building in this village, and so successful were his efforts, that in Scp- tember of that year the present edifice was dedicatcd by the Rt. Rev. W. M. Stamford, D. D., one of the Bishops of the Church. The building had cost in round figures, $4,000.
The circuit was divided in 1896, by making Brown Hill, South Church and Dutch Street a circuit by themselves,
The Rev. John M. King succeeded Mr. Thompson in the spring of 1897, and during his pastorate did a great work for the society socially and finan- cially as well as spiritually.
The number of members enrolled in 1880 was sixteen, which had increased to about one hundred in 1900, and the church supports active societies of Christian Endeavor, Gospel Gleaners, Ladies' Aid and a large Sunday School. The building debt is being rapidly ex- tinguished.
The Rev. John M. King is descended from an old Cumberland county, (Pa.), family, and was born at Springfield, Pa., in 1839, and received his education in the common school of his town, the Cumberland County Normal School and the Big Spring Academy. For twelve years he taught, during the latter part of the time as principal of the Leesburg school, ranking among the foremost teachers of the county. In 1869 he entered the ministry of the Evangelical church, his charges having been : Boals- burg Circuit, 1869-70 ; Madisonburg, 1870-71 ; Nittany Valley Circuit, 1871- 72; Liberty, 1872-74 ; Grover, 1874- 77 ; Milesburg, 1877-80 ; Grover, 1880- 83 ; Williamsport, 7th Ward, 1883-86 ; Center Hall, 1886-88; Clintondale, 1888- 90 ; Warrenville, 1890-93 ; Jersey Shore, 1893-97 ; Wayland, N. Y., 1897- OI. When the civil war broke out he enlisted for three months, and in 1863 enlisted again for six months as a pri- vate in Co. I, 21st Pa. Cav., being pro- moted to the rank of second sergeant. Re-enlisting in the same regiment, Co. G, for three years, he served until May
143
HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
1864, as commissary sergeant, when he house of John Branch. It was the final succumed to camp fever, and was sent resting place for the pioneers of this end of the town, and it was here that the Perkins, the Begoles, the Karachers and their neighbors came "with dirges due in sad array" to entomb the mortal remains of their beloved dead. to a hospital, from which he was dis- charged at the close of the war. In 1865 he married Miss Hatton, of Ship- pensburg, and of three children, two daughters, are living. Mr. King is a member of Bald Eagle Subordinate Soon after the Messrs. Hess planned the village, a cemetery association was formed, of which James G. Bennett was secretary, and which, in 1858, purchased of William Rosenkrans what is now the Lodge, I. O. O. F. of Nilesburg, Pa .; of the Canton, Pa., Encampment ; of the Reno Post, Williamsport, Pa., G. A. R. He has been a constant contribu-
RESIDENCE OF MR. GEORGE FOX,
No. 45 S. Main Street.
tor to the religious press, and his pro- fessional career as teacher and clergy- man has been remarkably successful. A gentleman of great earnestness and of affable disposition, he wins friends wherever he goes, and his influence is felt in lines of work outside of his own congregation.
THE WAYLAND CEMETERY.
The first cemetery in the village of Wayland was situated on West Naples street on the site now occupied by the
central part of the present cemetery. Many citizens at once removed the re- mains of their dead from the old ceme- tery to lots in this new one, and in 1870 a bill was passed by the legislature that provided for the removal of those that remained.
The southern portion was added to the cemetery by John Hess, and a few years ago Warren Frazer purchased lands from the Rosenkrans farm which he added to the north side.
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HISTORY OF WAYLAND, N. Y.
The cemetery question is an impor- tant problem for Wayland people, and one that demands immediate considera- tion. The expanding limits of the vil- lage render the present location extreme- ly undesirable ; a growing village means a corresponding growth of its necropo- lis, and the topography of the adjoining lands is unsuitable for its future exten- sion ; the original plotting was on too contracted a scale to permit of ever making it the beautiful resting place for the "ashes of our fathers," that love and reverence require and an efficient and continuing management is needed to care for the grounds. These reasons, combined with the fact that every month's delay means an added expense seem to make immediate action an im- perative necessity.
THE WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE
UNION. (Facts Contributed by Mrs. Lucinda B. Avery.)
For several years prior to the forma- tion of the local branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union there had been no organized effort, outside of the churches, to counteract the baneful in- fluence of the liquor traffic in the village of Wayland.
The Independent Order of Good Templars had, at several different per- iods, maintained an active and aggres- sive branch in the town, but had as often lost its cohesive power through the withdrawal of its leading members, either by removal from Wayland or by the increased demands on their time of other interests.
The Saloon element, though numeri- cally weaker, was as strongly intrenched as it ever had been in a town particu- larly noted for its traffic in this line.
When, therefore, Mrs. Clara O. Had- ley came to deliver an illustrated tem- perance lecture at the opera house, Feb. 19, 1897, she found the sentiment of her hearers ripe for renewed warfare against the arch enemy of home and society, and with the assistance of Prof. H. P. Van Liew, organized the Way- land Branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union with the following charter members :
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