USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Early Owego, N.Y.; some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 37
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
William. H. Corning, who was the first settled pastor of this church, was
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born at Hartford, Com., Dec. 15, 1820. He was graduated in 1842 from Trinity college and later from Yale theological seminary. From 1848 to . 1851 he was pastor of the Congrega- tional church at , Clinton, Mass. He came to Owego in January, 1854, and preached here three years until May, 1857, when he resigned on account of in. health. He died : at Saratoga Springs Oct. 9, 1862.
William Alvin' Bartlett .was one of the brightest and ablest of the young sensational preachers of his day. He was born Doe. 4, 1832, at Binghamton und was a son of Joseph Bartlett, of that city, who had been a resident of Owego several years previous. He was graduated from Hamilton college in 1852. He studied theology at Union seminary and then went to Germany and studied in Berlin. He was matri- culated from the university at Halle in 1857. Hle came to Owego the same year and was ordained pastor of. the Owego church Sept. 12. He was im- mensely popular and the church was crowded to listen to his eloquent ser- vices, particularly" Sunday evenings. Hlis reputation extended beyond Owe- go, and a year later he received a call to the pastorate of the Elma Place Con- gregational church in Brooklyn, N. Y. He preached there ten years, from Sept. 5, 1858, until Nov. 30, 1868, when he accepted a call to the pastorate of Plymouth Congregational church of Chicago with a salary of $5,000 a year, succeeding Rev. Lewis Matson, who had died. Mr. Matson was born at Owego and'was a son of Newell Mat- son, one of the organizers of the Owe- go Congregational church. In Septem- ber, 1876, Mr. Bartlett resigned the
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pastorate of Plymouth church to ac- cept a call to the Second Presbyterian · church of Indianapolis, Ind., of which Rev. Henry Ward Beecher had some time previously been pastor, refusing to accept any increase in salary from the Indianapolis church. To accept this pastorate he was subjected to a rigorous examination of the Presby- tery and was installed according to Presbyterian forms and usages. mi April, 1882, Mr. Bartlett received and accepted a unanimous call to the New . York Avenne Presbyterian church at . Washington, D. C. He was installed: as pastor of the church October of . that year .. In October, 1894, after hav- ing been thirty-seven years in the ministry and for twelve years pastor of the New York Avenue church, Mr. Bartlett resigned on account of ill health and travelled m Europe: Since leaving Washington he has had no settled pastorate, having permanently retired from active church work.
Samuel Mclellan Gould was born at Gorham, Mass., Jan: 24, 1809. He en- tered Bowdoin college, but did not graduate, and studied theology after- . ward with clergymen at East Hart- ford, Con., and Troy, N. Y. From 1837 to 1851 he preached at Norris- town, Pa., and from 1853 to 1857.at Biddeford, Maine. The next year he came to Owego, but remained only four months. He afterward preached at Allentown and Emporium, Pa.
Moses Coit Tyler was one of the most hoted of all the pastors of this church, He was born Aug. 2, 1835, at Griswold, Conn. He was graduated from Yale college in 1857 and from Andover theological seminary in 1859. He came immediately after his gradu-
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ation to Owego; assuming the pas- torate of this church May 1, 1859. He remained here until June 24, 1860, when he resigned his pastorate on ac- count of ill health. Soon afterward he became pastor of the Congrega- tional church at ,Poughkeepsie, where he preached until 1862, when his health again failing he went abroad in 1863, where he remained four years, .pursuing his studies in literature and history, writing for American journals, and lecturing in Great Britain on America. From 1867 to 1873 he was professor of English language and literature in the university of Michi- gan at Ann Arbor. In January, 1873, he' became literary editor of the Christian Union in' New York city. He was ordained a deacon in the Prostestant Episcopal church in 1881, and priest in 1883. In 1881 he was appointed professor of American his- tory at Cornell university, which posi- .tion he held at the time of his death on Dec. 28, 1901. He was the author of many works on history and litera- ture.
But little is known of Rev. William W. Page. He is supposed to have come from Fairfax Court House, Va., to Deposit, N. Y., and thence to Owe- go in 1860. He remained here only a year.
Rev. Charles Hall Everest, who at- tained considerable prominence, was born at New Lebanon, N. Y., Feb. 14, 1837. He was graduated from Will- iams college in 1859 and from Union theological seminary in 1861. He was ordained Dec. 30, 1861, in Plymouth church, Brooklyn, by his cousin, Rev: Henry Ward Beecher, whom be re- sembled in face and figure. He came
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at once to Owego to assume the pas- torate of the Congregational church, which he held three years. In Jan. uary, 1865, he became pastor of the church of the Puritans in Brooklyn, then recently formed, and preached there twelve years. In February, 1877, be accepted a call to Plymouth church in Chicago. Thus Owego furnished three pastors to Plymouth church in succession --- Mr. Matson, Mr. Bartlett, and Mr: Everest. Jle became pastor on trial of the First Congregational church of Meriden, Conn., in Septem- ber, 1884, at a salary of $8,000, Nine months afterward he had some trouble with the church organist, who re- signed. As seven-tenths of the church supported the organist, Mr. Everest terminated his connection with that church. . . He was afterward pastor of churches at: Norwalk, Conn., and East Orange, N. J., and of the First Con- gregational church at Washington, D. 0. He died June 10, 1908, at his home. in Brooklyn.
Charles H. A. Bulkley was born at Charleston, S. C., Dre. 22, 1819. He was graduated from New York uni- versity in 1839 and from Union theo- logical seminary in 1842. From 1842 to 1861 he was pastor successively of churches at New Brunswick, N. J .; Janesville, Wis .; . Mt. Morris; and Ithaca, N. Y .; West Winsted, Con., and Paterson, N. J. in 1861 he went as a chaplain in the union army and remained in the service seventeen · months. He came to Owego in May, 1867, and preached. at the Congrega- tional church until January, 1867.
James C. Beecher, a half-brother of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, was the youngest child of Dr. Lyman Beecher
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and was born in Boston, Mass., Jan- nary 8, 1828. He was graduated +from Dartmouth college in 1848. He was for five years thereafter an officer on a clipper ship plying be- tween New York and China in the tea trade. He afterward studied theology at. Andover seminary and was, grad- uated therefrom in 1857. Then he went to China as chaplain of the Sea- man's Bethel at Canton. Returning home at the breaking out of the civil war he became chaplain of the famous Brooklyn regiment, principally raised by Plymouth church .: At the close of the war he was mustered out with the brevet rank of brigadier-general. He had charge of Park church at El- mire while his brother, Thomas K. Beecher, was absent on a trip to South America. In May, 1867, he be- came pastor of the Owego church, re- maining here four years. He went from here in the spring of 1871 to Poughkeepsie, where he preached five years. : In 1876 he purchased a farm containing a mile square of land in the town of Hardenberg, Ulster county, N. Y. High up in the hills and in the woods on the margin of a large lake, he built a house. He bought lumber and with a chest of tools built the house with. his own hands, completing it alone. There he lived with his wife and adopted daughter. Sundays he preached to the backwoodsmen. His eccentricities became so marked that his brother, Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, believing that his mind was affected, prevailed upon him to voluntarily en- ter the state Homoeopathic asylum for the insane at Middletown, N. Y. He remained there a year and was after- ward from October, 1881, to August, .
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1882, in charge of the Bethel mission in Brooklyn, an adjunct of Plymouth church. He committed suicide at the Ehnira water cure August 25, 1886, by shooting himself through the head with a rifle.
Rev. Dwight W. Marsh was born at Dalton, Mass., Nov. 5, 1823. He was graduated from Williams college. in 1842, and studied theology at Andover semmary in 1842-3. He taught school in St. Louis, Mo., in 1843-1847. Then he resumed his studies at Union theo- logical seminary, graduating there- from in 1840. In December, 1849, after his ordination, he sailed from Boston to Mosul, Turkey, as a missionary. After his return to this country, in 1860, he preached successively at Hinsdale, Mass, and Godfrey, Ill. From 1862 to 1867 he was in charge of the young ladies' seminary at Roches- . ter. In 1867 and 1868 he preached at Monticello, Ill, and in 1869-71 at Whit- ney's Point. He came to Owego in Ang., 1871, and preached here nearly five years. In April, 1876, he went to Amherst, Mass, where he was pastor of the Congregational church until his death on June 19, 1896.
Rev. William C. Schofield came to Owego from Salisbury, N. H., in the spring of 1877. He was pastor of the Congregational church from June of that year until October, 1880, when he resigned, with the understanding that he would consent to supply the pulpit for an indefinite period.
Rev .. . Miles Gaylord Bullock came from Syracuse to Owego in April, 1881. He was originally a Methodist minis- ter, and an independent thinker. In 1878-9 he preached a series of eight sermons while pastor of the M. E.
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church at Oswego, to which sermons the Northern New York, conference took some exceptions. He came to Syracuse and was admitted to Con- gregationalism at Plymouth . church. He preached at that church dur- ing the temporary absence of the pastor and while . thus . engaged received and accepted the call to Owego in April, 1881. He remained here five and one-half years, resigning his pastorate in October, 1886, for the purpose of entering Yale college and in order to continue his studies in theology. Subsequently he lived at Ansonia, Conn. In the summer of 1891, while living at Little Falls, N. Y., he went to Chicago to fill the pulpit of Rev. A. L. Smalley, who was away .on nis summer vacation, While thus en- gaged he was stricken with heart dis- ease and died suddenly on July 27. He was about 45 years old at the time of his death.
Rev. D. W. Teller came to Owego from Sherburne, N. Y., December, 1888, and preached here five years. In August, 1893, he received a call to the First Presbyterian church at Fredonia, N. Y. He preached his farewell ser- mon at Owego on Sunday evening, Sept. 3, 1893, and the following Tues- day afternoon he was received into the Binghamton Presbytery as a member. He died at Fredonia March 23, 1894, aged 58 years.
Rev. C. M. Bartholomew came from Niagara Falls in January, 1894, and has ever since been the pastor of this church-a longer period thus far than any of his predecessors in the pas- torate. He was born at Augusta, Oneida Co., N. Y., June 10, 1849; was graduated from Hamilton college in
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1874, and from Auburn theological seminary in 1877. His first pastorațe was at Rushville, N. Y., where he preached six years, from 1877 to 1883. From 1883 to 1885 he was pastor of the Congregational church at Reed Corners, N. Y., and from 1885 to 1894, at Niagara Falls. He came to Owego Jan. 1, 1894.
The Congregational society did not own a parsonage until November, 1893, when it purchased of Joel A. Hamilton for $2,700 the house on the south side of Main street, the second house east of Academy street, which house it still owns.
The Methodist Episcopal Church in the Days of the Circuit Preachers and Its History from Its Organiza- tion in 1816, together with Some Ac- count of Its Ministers and Its Meet- ing Houses.
Dr. George Peck's "Early Method- ism," published in 1860, contains the diary of William Colbert, a circuit preacher, who on Nov. 6, 1792, was or- dained an elder at the general con- ference of the bishops, elders, and deacons of the M. E. church at Balti- more, Md., and appointed to fill the station of Wyoming and Tioga, Pa. His work was mostly in Bradford, Luzerne, Northumberland, Columbia, Tioga, and other counties in Pennsyl- vania, and he came into Chemung, Tompkins, and Tioga counties in New- York. Tioga county, Pa., was then a dense wilderness. The only reference . to Owego in this diary is under date of January 14, when he says he 're- ceived a letter from a man living at "Awaga," in which he was requested to come here and preach. He did not
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preach here, but did come to Nichols the same month .. A paragraph in his diary reads as follows:
"Friday, 25. It was with difficulty that I got through the Narrows on ac- count of ice. I preached at one Ben- nett's, near Mahontowango; with free- dom, on I. Cor. vi, 19-20. If any good is done, to God be the glory. These peo- ple are very willing to hear. This locality is now known as Nichols, where ` live the Shoemakers and Coryells, and has many years been famous for Methodism."
Another reference to Owego is made in Mr. Colbert's diary in . November, 1793. He says:
"Saturday, 23. I had a very cold . night's lodging last night. I got very little sleep, so that I was obliged to rise early, especially as I had a long ride before me of more than thirty miles without an inhabitant [from the head of Cayuga lake, now Ithaca] to Andrew Alden's at Owaga [Owego] on the northeast branch of the Susque- hanna. I was fortunate in finding two fires on the road this cora morning."
"Sunday, 24. Felt unwell last night, but through mercy was enabled to preach with a degree of life and power at Andrew Alden's."
Andrew Alden lived at Tioga Cen- tre. He and his brother, Prince Alden, and Samuel and William Ransom were the first settlers there. They came from the Wyoming valley about the year 1785. Andrew Alden lived a short distance south of the mouth of Pipe creek in a log house, which is sup- posed to have been the first structure . of the kind built in the town of Tioga.
An interesting contribution to Mr. Peck's book, relating to the first ser- vices held at Owego by the Metho- dists, is made by Mrs. Fanny Thurs- ton, wife of David Thurston, who came here from Massachusetts about the
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year 1812 when she was 24 years of age. Mrs Thurston was a daughter of David Darling, a Congregational minister of Keene, N. H. Mrs. Thurs- · ton was a member of the first class formed here. She says:
"The first Methodist preacher that preached m Owego was a Brother Fid- dler, in 1813; he preached once, and an objection being made by an old man, who said, 'We hain't go any Methodists about here, and for my part I don't want any,' he did not l'e- turn. There was no praying person in' Owego at that time. Soon a local preacher, Hiram G. Warner, came in and kept the ferry; he soon joined the conference and travelled away from home. Brother E. Bibbins preached occasionally. About 1815 Brother J. ' Griffing came. In 1816 there was a re- vival on the south side of the river, six were converted, and the first class formed, consisting of seven members: David and Fanny Thurston, Polly Warner, Abigail .Thurston, . Maria Thurston, her daughter, (now Mrs. Daniel Shoemaker,) David and Patty Darling. Brother J. Griffin formed the class and established regular preach- ing at the house of D. Thurston; who was appointed lender and steward. Soon Brother Griffing sent a young man by the name of Scovell. Then a man by the name of Cole came a few times; next a Brother Doolittle in the same year. Brothers Griffing, Judd Bibbins, and Agard preached till the church was built. In those days our class was small and persecuted. Our meetings were neld in a little school house near the spot now occupied by the Methodist Episcopal church in Owego. The appointment was for Brother Doolittle to preach; when our people came to meeting the house was. well lighted up with candles in large silver-plated candlesticks, and shortly a smart dashy Episcopal minister, who had lately come into the place, came in preceded by a martial band, and putting his hat on the bass drum took mis place in the desk. After a while
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Brother Doolittle arose and said that it was publicly known that this was the evening for a Methodist meeting, and we had feelings as well as other people, and he did not understand the present appearances. Mr. Camp came forward in defence of the Methodists. The Episcopal minister read his cre- dentials, and proposed to preach first and have Brother Doolittle preach af- terward; he preached and dismissed the congregation, and left with the band and his friends, after. which Brother Doolittle preached and our people had a good meeting and got home about twelve o'clock.
"On another occasion the school- master and others got up an exhibition with the representation of grotesque characters. .The Methodists were compelled to remain and witness the performance or quit the ground; they remained and held meeting after the clowns had left.
"The last interruption of our meet- ing was the appointment of a writing school upon the evening of preaching. Brother Warner was to preach; the house was divided into two apart- ments by a swing partition. In the centre of the room usually occupied for preaching sat the writing master surrounded by twelve or fourteen lit- tle lads. Brother Warner asked him to retire, for it was public meeting night; he said he would not, for it was a public school. He said to Brother Warner: 'Go on with your preaching and we will with our writing.' Brother Warner would not, but he and the con- gregation went into the little room. As soon as he began meeting the urchins would snap a rope that ran through both rooms, making a noise like the discharge of a pistol; then they would run and kick against the partition, but Brother Warner kept on praying. Then a troop would scamper out doors and set up a shout, when the master would rap on the window and they would come thundering in again; but some of the mothers of the boys were at meeting and carried home the news; the fathers were in- censed, and some of the boys were
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punished. In the morning Brother Warner went to Judge Burrows to get a warrant for the schoolmaster. The judge went with Brother . Warner to see , the young man, who confessed that he was urged on by others and promised to do so no more, so he was released. Since that time the Metho- dists have worshipped in peace."
In the "Thurston Genealogies," page 72, Mrs. Thurston's daughter, Mary Almeda (Mrs. . Anson Garrison) says of her parents:
"Tle and my mother were among the seven united to form the first Metho- dist church in . Owego. My mother was a superior woman, endowed with a superior mind, and through her early ' advantages were limited yet amid all her cures she never ceased her efforts for improvement by reading, writing, etc., and her poetry frequently graced " the village newspapers."
Hirami G. Warner, mentioned by Mrs. Thurston, conducted a licensed . ferry across the river. His ferry house was on the south side of Front street, a little east of Paige street. This was before the first bridge was built across the river in this village. The boat was poled across the river, and it also had vars. A rope was afterward strung over the river, which rope sagged nearly to the water, and the boat was fastened thereto by smaller ropes and pulleys, which pulleys ran on the large rope, and the boat was carried across by the current. David Darling, brother-in-law of David Thurs- ton, tended the ferry in 1823. In 1826 Mr. Warner was a licensed preacher on the Spencer circuit.
Rev. John Griffing came to Berk- shire from Guilford, Conn. His father, Joseph Griffing, was a master mariner. Rev. John Grifling was a preacher on the Candor circuit. He purchased a
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farm on the west bank of the Susque- hanna river, below Owego, where he - lived.
Rev. Horace Agard was a man of more than ordinary ability. He was received on trial in the Genesee con- ference in 1819 and preached nineteen year's. He was eleven years presiding elder. He was sent on this circuit in 1824. The next year he purchased a few acres of land below Hooper's Val- ley, in the town of Nichols, and settled there with his family. He was com- pelled to abandon active work in 1838, on account of ill health. He died there in 1840. William F. Warner says of Mr. Agard:
"Rey. Horace Agard in his. day. was almost as widely known as the late Rev. Peter Cartwright. He was not, however, notable for any eccen- tricities, but rather for mis dignified character and solid worth as a mau and minister of the church in which he was a leader for many years."
The Methodist congregation held its meetings in the old Main street school house until 1821. March. 21 of that year James Pumpelly deeded to the M. E. society thirteen square rods of land at the southeast corner of Main and Academy streets for $100, to be the property of the society so long as it should be occupied for church pur- poses, and to revert to Mr. Pumpelly or his heirs when it should cease to be so occupied.
The framework of the church was erected in the fall of 1821, but it was not enclosed and completed until the next year. It was a large church painted white, and similar to all the country churches built at that time. The front was on Academy street, which. street had been known as Mc-
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Master street until this time, when the name of the street was changed to Chapel street, the edifice being com- monly known as the Methodist chapel. In those days all the other churches were known as meeting houses.
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. "The high pulpit : was between. the two doors at the entrance of the build- ing, and people coming in faced the congregation. In September, 1855, re- pairs were made to the church and changes made. The pulpit was re- moved froni between the entrance doors at the west end of the church to the east end, and the choir placed where the pulpit had been. The floor. was lowered, so that the high steps outside were removed, and a new portico was added. The pews, which had faced to the west, were turned to face to the east, where the pulpit had . been placed. A new spire was raised on the church. It was 116 feet high from the level of the street and was the highest one in Owego. These im- provements cost $3,000.
The church as reconstructed was dedicated . Jan. 9, 1856, by Rev. Jesse T. Peck, of New York city. The church was occupied forty-eight years. The congregation had so. greatly increased in 1866, that it was decided by the trustees to build a new and larger chúrch on sonre more central location. . April 16, 1868, the M. E. society pur- chased of Dr. Theodore S. Armstrong the lot on the north side of Main street, east of Spencer avenue, for $3,750, but did not build. thereon until two years afterward. The present brick church, as shown in the engrav- ing, was built - on a contract . for $35,000 by Jonathan S. Houk and Al- bert. Harrison Keeler, of Owego. The
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work on the foundation was begun. in April, 1870, and the basement story walls were completed in June. The . corner stone was laid by Rev. H. Wheeler in the afternoon of June 22, and the address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Love, of Auburn, editor of the Northern Christian Advocate.
The arches over the doorways were the first stone ones ever built in Owe- go. In December the building . had been enclosed for the winter and the slate roof finished. The next spring the steeple was erected. It is 155 feet high and 30 feet higher than the steeple 'of any other church in the vil- lage.
The new church was dedicated Wed- nesday morning, Dec. 20, 1871. Rev. Dr. Jesse T. Peck, of Syracuse, preached the sermon. In the evening Rev. B. I. Ives, of Auburn, preached .. At the two services . $25,000,the balance required for building the new church, was pledged by the congrega- tion.
The old church building was sold to Charles A. Ward for $500. It after- ward passed through the ownership of various persons and finally became the property of James Hill, who tore it down and used the material in the con- struction of other buildings.
In the fall of 1875 A. H. Keeler made a contract with the trustees to build an extension to the back part of the new church, to, be four feet deep, seventeen feet long, and forty feet high, to give more room for the pulpit and organ. In the winter of 1885-6 the ceiling was lowered several feet and a new steel ceiling was put in.
The first parsonage of the M. E. church was in McMaster street. It
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still stands on the west side of that street, and is the first house south of the Champion wagon works. Aug. 15, 1840, James Pumpelly sold the lot to the society for $200 and built the par- sonage thereon. June 5, 1871, the property was sold for $3,000 to Mrs. Hannah A. Kingsley. On April 1, 1893, the society purchased of Mrs. Catherine B. Deming for $3,000 its present parsonage on the south side of . Main street. It is the second house · · west of Paige street and was built in 1849 by Timothy P. Patch. It was af- terward owned and occupied several years by James Bishop.
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