History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 38

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762

USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

*Compiled from the History of the Cayuga Baptist Association and from an article from Mr. O. F. Knapp, published in the Auburn Daily Advertiser, December 2d, 1876.

205

CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

with the society is taught by the Sisters of Mercy. It has ten teachers and five hundred scholars.

THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN SOCIETY OF AU- BURN was organized at the Western Exchange, January 2d, 1829, by persons who were formerly members of the First Church, and who were ir- reconcilably opposed to the demonstrative meth- ods which characterized the spiritual ministra- tions of Rev. Dirck C. Lansing, who was then, and for thirteen years previously, pastor of the First Church. The name then adopted was The Second Presbyterian Society of the Village of Au- burn, and the following named trustees were duly elected :

First Class -- Bradley Tuttle, John Patty and Stephen Van Anden ; Second Class - Walter Weed, John M. Sherwood and Abijah Fitch ; Third Class-Wm. Brown, James Little and Hor- ace Hills.

The reasons for separating from the parent church and forming a new society are set forth in the following resolutions, adopted at a meeting of a part of the First Presbyterian Society of Au- burn :

" Resolved, That, in the opinion of this meeting, the organization of a second Presbyterian church and society in this village would, under the pres- ent circumstances, conduce to the advancement of the Presbyterian interests and to the promo- tion of real and genuine religion ; for the follow- ing reasons among others :

"First -- In any large community like ours, there will, from the nature of the human mind, be such a discordance of taste and opinion on religious subjects, as that no minister can be ex- pected, for any great length of time, to meet the views and feelings of the whole.

"Secondly-The course pursued by our present minister under the sanction of a part of his ses- sion for the last two or three years, (whether right or wrong we pretend not to decide,) has produced a complete division in the public opin- ion. To a portion of the Church and Session and to a portion of the sober and respectable members of the society, that course has seemed ill-advised, and calculated in its very nature, to sow division in the church, and to banish peace and charity, and to excite in the breasts of young or weaker and less experienced and less informed brethren, the feelings of spiritual pride and spir- itual domination.

"Thirdly-In consequence of the above, so many have been grieved, so many have been prejudiced, so many have been disgusted, that the number of those who assembled with us to

hear the preaching of the Gospel has greatly diminished, and is constantly diminishing, while at the same time the population of the village has been constantly increasing.

"Fourthly-By the organization of a new church and society, and under the administration of a second minister, we would hope to arrest the minds of the wandering, and bring them again un- der the influence of the true Gospel, preached with power and accompanied by the Holy Spirit ; that so their souls may be saved.

"Fifthly-By the organization of a new church and society we would further hope to lay the foundation of permanent peace and brotherly love among ourselves, by placing the two great divisions into which a diversity of taste and judgment has divided us, each under their own chosen minister; so that all occasion of collision and crimination shall be removed ; and the only strife shall be, which shall best exemplify the re- ligion we profess, and most advance the King- dom of our Redeemer, and the salvation of our fellow men."

At a meeting of the citizens of Auburn, friend- ly to the formation of a second l'resbyterian So- ciety in this village, held at the Western Ex- change, December 11th, 1828, the following pre- amble and resolution were adopted :

" WHEREAS, The public sentiment in favor of organizing a second Presbyterian Society in this village has been clearly expressed by a subscrip- tion for purchasing a site and building a church, to the amount of $8,000; and

" WHEREAS, Most of the leading members of the first society, who do not join us, have ex- pressed themselves in favor of said object ; there- fore,

"Resolved, As the sense of this meeting, that a second church and society be organized with all convenient speed; and that the chairman and secretary of this meeting be requested to give the necessary notice of the time and place of holding a meeting for the purpose of organizing a Second Presbyterian Society under the statute in such cases made and provided."

In conformity with this action the meeting of January 2d, 1829, at which the organization was perfected, was held. March 2d, 1829, a plan for a church, presented by Messrs. Tuttle & Hagerman, was adopted, and the trustees agreed to raise on their joint security the balance necessary to com- plete the house, not exceeding $3,000.

Aug. 12th, 1830, a call was extended to Daniel C. Axtell, who was ordained and installed pastor Nov. 10th, 1830, by the Cayuga Presbytery, met at the church of this society, which then came under its care and recognition. Mr. Axtell re-

206

CITY OF AUBURN.

quested the church to unite with him in asking a letter of dismission Jan. 2d, 1836, which the church assented to Jan. 4th, 1836. A call was extended to Leonard E. Lathrop, D. D., Aug. 29th, 1836. July 7th, 1851, the resignation of Dr. Lathrop was accepted, to take effect Sept. Ist, 1851. Jan. 26th, 1852, a call was extended to Richard S. Dickinson of New York city, but declined. May 12th, 1852, the services of Edward D. Morris were engaged for one year from June Ist, 1852. His ministry proved satisfactory, and a call was given him Jan. 6th, 1853, to become their settled pastor. He continued to discharge those duties with ability and fidelity till Novem- ber, 1855, when his pastoral relations were dis- solved. The church enjoyed the ministrations of Ezra A. Huntington, D. D., from 1855 till 1858. July 12th, of the latter year a call was extended to Henry Fowler, of Rochester, and Sept. 6th, 1861, the church decided by a vote of forty-one to thirty-six to ask the Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relations. June 16th, 1862, a call was extended to S. W. Boardman, D. D., of Westboro, Mass., whose pastorate covered a period of more than fifteen years, the longest the Church has enjoyed, and was marked by a " sys- tematic,and unflagging industry," "deep, warm and heartfelt sympathy with the sick and afflict- ed," and an "ardent zeal for revivals of religion and for the conversion of sinners." Sept. 17th, 1877, at his request, the church united with him in asking the Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relations. Rev. Herrick Johnson, D. D., sup- plied the pulpit during the six months ending May 27th, 1878, since which it has been supplied by casual comers. In the summer of 1878 a fund was raised sufficient to pay off an indebted- ness of $5,000, and to make repairs on the church to the amount of $1,500. Their house of worship is situated on South street, between Lincoln and Genesee streets. The present membership of the church is 320; the average attendance at Sabbath school, about 130.

THE FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY IN AU- BURN .- The Universalists in Auburn first be- came an organized body April 12th, 1821, at which time a meeting was held in the school- house on Academy street, and was attended by Lyman Paine, Azer Brown, Geo. Standart, James Francis, Michael Nicholson, Jacob Chrysler, Jar- vis Swift, Aaron Clough, Benj. Wright, Geo.

Crowl, Joseph Dresser, Geo. Church, Daniel Shields, Jno. Follet, Matthias Calkins, Jno. A. Brown, Wm. Paine, Elijah Swift, Noah Taylor, Henry Roberts, (afterwards a preacher,) Samuel Hunter, Francis Hunter, Rodman Sargent, Wilder Pierce, Michael Bowers, Chancey Howe, Nathan Webster, Wm. G. Burr and Ulysses F. Doubleday, now nearly or quite all deceased. Another meeting was held Dec. 18th, IS22, at the house of Jarvis Swift, to devise ways and means for obtaining funds to obtain a lot and erect a house of worship. Another meeting was held for the same purpose Jan. 11th, 1823, but it was not until ten years later that this wish was consummated. During this interval the society, which for some time held meetings in the court- house, academy and various other places, had practically disbanded or ceased to have a recog- nized existence. Tuesday, April 9th, 1833, a preliminary meeting of Universalists in Auburn was held at the school-house occupied by Josiah Underhill, to take steps to organize a religious society. Wednesday, April 24th, 1833, the or- ganization was perfected at the Western Ex- change, under the statutes of New York for the organization of religious societies, and the follow- ing named trustees were elected : Allen Wor- den, Ezekiel Williams and Wm. H. Coffin, first class ; Josiah Barber, Salmon Tyler and John G. Paul, second class, and Stephen Lombard, Jr., Ethan A. Worden and Jarvis Swift, third class. May IIth, 1833, the church bought of Capt. Geo. B. Chase, the brick building at the junction of South and Exchange streets, formerly occupied by the Baptists, the consideration being a due- bill for $ 1,000, and a bond and mortgage for $3,400, to be paid within two years. It was repaired, repainted and re-dedicated in the spring of 1833, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Rev. Dolphus Skinner of Utica.

There were services conducted by ministers of this denomination as early as 1821, among whom were Revs. Whitnell, Flagler, Miles and Root. The first settled pastor of whom there is any ac- count was Rev. L. S. Everett, who came here from Buffalo in 1827, and remained about a year, returning to Buffalo in December, 1828. He was followed by Rev. O. A. Brownson, whose ministry terminated in 1829.

The first pastor employed under the organiza- tion of 1833 was Geo. W. Montgomery, D. D.,

207

CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

who commenced his labors in September, 1833, and closed them in 1843. He was succeeded in October, 1843, by H. L. Hayward, who served them one year, when, in September, 1844, failing health compelled him to leave, and finally to leave the ministry and seek a home in the far west, where he is still living, though in feeble health.

J. M. Austin assumed the pastoral care of this church in October, 1844, and discharged those duties till June 29th, 1851, when he re- signed and became editor of the Christian Am- bassador, a denominational journal of this per- suasion, then published in Auburn, in which du- ties he was engaged twelve years, till 1863, when he became United States Paymaster. At the close of the war he returned to Auburn, where he now resides, and has been engaged until re- cently in missionary labors.

The next pastor was W. R. G. Mellen, who served them from July, 1851, till July, 1855, and was succeeded by D. P. Livermore, who re- mained from November, 1855, to October, 1856. His accomplished wife, who has since become so distinguished as a public lecturer, was here with her husband during that period and removed with him to Chicago.

Rev. D. K. Lee, D. D., took the pastoral charge in July, 1857. He remained eight years and removed to New York in 1868. He was succeeded July 7th, 1865, by Richmond Fisk, D. D., who remained till the fall of 1868, and is now in charge of the church in Syracuse.

Rev. J. G. Bartholomew, D. D., commenced his labors with this church October 29th, 1868, and, after a very eminent and successful minis- try of three years, was released September 17th, 1871, at his own request and that of the church in Syracuse, which represented that his presence as pastor was necessary to harmonize difficulties which then existed in that society.

November 27th, 1871, a call was extended to J. J. Twiss, who commenced his pastoral labors February Ist, 1872, the pulpit having been sup- plied from October 1st, 1871, by C. B. Lombard, L. W. Price, G. W. Montgomery, E. J. Canfield, J. H. Himes, J. J. Twiss and Brothers Mont- gomery, Saxe, Crane, Goodenough and Barber successively. Mr. Twiss' resignation was ac- cepted October 16th, 1872, to take effect Novem- ber 11th, 1872. A call was extended to J. W. Keyes, February 3d, 1873. He entered upon his

duties as pastor in April following, and continued them till the last of September, 1876, when ill health compelled him to resign. The pulpit was supplied from October Ist to December 31st, 1876, by Revs. Allen P. Folsom, of Boston ; O. A. Rounds, of Bridgeton, Me .; G. S. Weaver, D. D., of Akron, Ohio; L. L Briggs, of Bos- ton ; S. L. Beals, of Brockton, Mass .; T. F. Dean, of Afton. N. Y .; G. W. Montgomery, D. D., of Rochester, and Mr. Pullman, of New York city.

A call was extended to L. L. Briggs, D. D., the present pastor, December 22d, 1876, and he commenced his pastoral labors February Ist, 1877.

Mr. Montgomery may be called the founder and builder of this congregation. For ten years helabored with zeal and faithfulness, and suc- ceeded in laying its foundations deep and endur- ing. His good work was perpetuated by Mr. Lee, whose kind deeds, piety and Christian fideli- ty are still remembered by a grateful people. Mr. Keyes came in a time of greatest need. Through his instrumentality to a good degree the church has been remodeled, rejuvenated and beautified at great expense, in the midst of a financial crisis of an intensity unknown in many years. Messrs. Lee and Bartholomew are dead.

Their present church edifice was erected in 1846-'7, and was dedicated July 21st of the latter year. In 1876, the front portion and the steeple were added, and the interior of the old portion repaired. The Sunday School room and parlor were built in 1870, at a cost of $6,727.81.

The Sunday School connected with this church was started in 1834, by Rev. G. W. Montgom- ery, in the old red brick church, opposite to where they now are. Mr. Montgomery was su- perintendent during his pastorate of ten years, and had with him as teachers Mr. and Mrs. Ethan A. Warden, Ira Curtis, Miss Angeline Warden, Mrs. Bacon, Mrs. Sheldon and others. The first Sunday Schoolexhibition occurred December 24th, 1844, and consisted in speaking and singing by the children, led by Olive Drake, the chorister, and accompanied on the piano by Miss Winnifred Coffin, the present efficient organist. Among those who took part in the former were Misses Cornelia Barber, Margaret and Elizabeth Robin- son, the daughters of Messrs. Backus, Fosdick, Standart and Austin ; and among the boys were

208

CITY OF AUBURN.

Horatio and Wm. Robinson, Amos, Charles and John Underwood, Henry and Clement Austin, B. B. Snow, now superintendent of public schools in Auburn, Rufus Sheldon and Charles A. War- den.

The Sunday School has not only sustained it- self, but in many instances it has contributed lib- erally toward supporting the church. Rev. W. R. G. Mellen was made the recipient of a gold watch by the teachers and scholars of the Sun- day School.

Following Mr. Livermore's pastorate there was an interval when there was neither pastor nor church services, and few if any gentlemen at- tended the Sunday School. Its fate was left to the faithful and persevering women of the society, who carried it through its trials, until D. K. Lee was called to the pastorate and revived the former interest in it; an interest which, through the persevering efforts of the successive pastors, su- perintendents and others interested, has contin- ued to the present time.

THE A. M. E. ZION CHURCH, on Washington street, between Genesee and Orchard streets, was organized about thirty-five years ago, by Rev. Mr. Johnson, with only two or three families. Their house of worship was erected about thirty- two years ago. It is a wooden building, and has thrice undergone slight additions and repairs. Their first pastor was Rev. Mr. Johnson. They have since enjoyed the ministrations of Revs. Joseph P. Thompson, John Thomas, Inskipp, Anderson, Wm. Cromwell, James Green, Bosley, Solomon Jones and Singleton H. Thompson, each of whom served them three years, and G. W. Lacey and H. R. Phoenix, each one year. Rev. James A. Wright, the present pastor, commenced his labors with them September 12th, 1876. At an early period in the history of the church its membership had been reduced to a single indi- vidual. The present membership is thirty-six. Sixty members are enrolled in the Sabbath School, which has an average attendance of thirty. Their church will seat about two hundred. The con- gregation are improving in everything pertaining to their mode of worship, and quite an interest is manifested in Sunday School work.

THE FIRST CONGREGATION OF DISCIPLES IN AUBURN was organized December 11th, 1849, as The First Congregation of Disciples of Christ of Auburn and Clarksville, at the stone school-house,

which occupied the site of the present brick school house on the corner of Van Anden and Division Sts., and D. C. Goodrich, J. C. Worden and Wm. Allen elected trustees. Immediate steps were taken to build a church edifice, and the present wooden structure on Division street was erected in 1850. December 19th, 1865, the name was changed to The First Congregation of Disciples of Auburn, and January 14th, 1873, the trustees were authorized to change the name of the church, as recorded in the clerk's office, to The First Con- gregation of Disciples in Auburn. The records of the church, which are very meagre, do not give the names of the successive pastors who have served them, but we have been able to obtain them from those at present belonging to the church. The church is at present without a pastor. Their last pastor, Rev. James Hart, commenced his labors among them October 1st, 1876, and closed them October Ist, 1878. The present number of members is about two hun- dred.

The pastors have been as follows : Rev. J. M. Bartlett, from 1849-'50 ; Rev. W. W. Clayton, from 1854-'5 ; Jesse H. Berry, from 1861-'2 ; J. C. Goodrich in 1865; D. C. Calderwood in 1866; L. F. Bittle, from 1866-'8 ; A. B. Chamberlain, 1871-'4; John Encell, from 1874-'5 ; W. H. Rogers and James Hart, from 1876-'8. During the intervals between these pastorates the pulpit has been supplied.

ST. ALPHONSUS' GERMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, located on Water street, near North, was organ- ized in 1853. The first meeting was held in May of that year, at Frank's Hotel, Water street, and was attended by Wm., Henry and Max Kosters, Prof. Stupp, B. Schmienk, Aug. Kern, Wm. Vanderboush, Johannes Kirst, Matthias Linen- bach, Edward Phillipson, Martin Gallvan, - Mahoney, - McGarr, Peter Shields, - Mc- Guin, and J. H. Frank. They were attended first by the Redemptorist Fathers of St. Joseph, Rochester ; their meetings being held on Wall street, in a building previously occupied as a cooper shop, and bought in 1853 for the use of the church for $400.

The first regular settled priest was Rev. Zacharia Kunze, who entered upon the duties of pastor in August, 1854. He was succeeded by Rev. M. O'Laughlin, who served them from June, 1855, to November of the same year ; by

209

CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

Rev. Dominick Geymer, from November, 1855, to November, 1856; and by P. J. Byrne, till Oc- tober, 1857. From this time to 1868, the church was attended monthly by Rev. Fathers I. De- Dycken, Joseph Wissel, N. Van Emstede, M. Schaffler, Thaddeus Alexander, Michael Dausch, T. Majerus, M. Steissberger, L. Holzer, C. Wenscerski, Julius Kuenzer, Bernard Beck, B. Klaphaka and P. Cronenberg, all from St. Joseph's, Rochester. November 12th, 1865, Rev. Father Xavier Kofler was sent by Rt. Rev. Bishop Timon, but changed the next Sunday. During this time, March 26th, 1861, they bought for $1,900 the house formerly occupied by the " Millerites," erected in 1855, and owned by Eras- mus Curtis, who gave that society its use, and gave in part pay the property on Wall street, val- ued at $1,100. Rev. Charles Vogel became their pastor in August, 1868. He built the pres- ent parsonage in 1869, the site having been bought the year previous for $1,200. He also greatly improved the church by the addition of a steeple, new roof and gallery, in which he was aided by the kindness and liberality of the citi- zens generally. Rev. C. Ulrich, the present pas- tor, commenced his labors with this church Au- gust 6th, 1873, in which year he bought the building afterwards used as a parochial school by this society, for $2,400. Mr. Ulrich · also bought a new organ for $650 and started a so- ciety for improvement in church music.

The membership, which at first comprised about thirty families, has increased to 130 or 140 families, with an average of about fifty baptisms per annum, and 380 to 400 communicants. The attendance at Sabbath School is about 100.

The first canonical visitation by the Bishop took place September 3d, 1878.

THE WALL STREET M. E. CHURCH, located at the corner of Wall and Washington streets, was organized August 26th, 1856, with about twenty members, prominent among whom were Rev. R Berry, class leader and local preacher, Wm. Jones, Supt. of Sabbath School, Alonzo Munsell and wife, Hannah Berry, Esther M. Cook, Elizabeth Goodsell, Emma Godden and Mary A. Wills. The application was made by Alonzo Munsell and F. M. Wilson. The following named persons were elected the first trustees : Wm. H. Barnes, A. Munsell, Wm. H. Halliday, T. I. Francis, and John W. Haight. This society is 36-2

an offshoot of the North Street M. E. Church, and its first meetings were held during the pas- torate of B. I. Ives, then pastor of that church, in the school-house on the corner of Washington and Seymour streets. After a while, meeting with opposition from some of the neighbors whose sympathies were not with the church, the building was bought, and used until the erection of the new church in 1860, during the pastorate of Rev. E. C. Curtis, at a cost of $3,500, exclu- sive of lot.

This church has enjoyed the ministrations of the following named pastors : B. I. Ives, from 1856-'8 ; E. C. Curtis, from 1858-'60; L. M. Kern, from 1860-'2; Wm. N. Cobb, from 1862 '4; R. Townsend, from 1864-'6 ; S. Stocking, from 1866-'7; S. M. Fisk, from 1867-'8; J. H. Bar- nard, from 1868-'9; T. B. Shepard, from 1869.'72, T. R. Green, from 1872-'5; U. S. Beebe, from 1875-'7 ; and Thomas Stacey, the present pas- tor, who commenced his labors here in 1877. During these years all these ministers have been assisted by Revs. Wm. Hosmer and Wm. Searls, who have filled vacancies and in many ways aided the church, which, from the beginning, has worked earnestly, and enjoyed revivals of religion in almost every pastorate, notably in those of B. I. Ives, R. Townsend, T. B. Shepard, T. R. Green and U. S. Beebe. During the present pastorate their house of worship has been re- paired and beautified at a cost of $800 ; and the spiritual condition of the church is very satisfac- tory. The present membership is 200; the number of Sunday school scholars, 279, and the average attendance of the latter during the past year has been 180.

One of the members of this church, Miss Mary A. Priest, has just gone to Hakodadi, Japan, as missionary of the " Woman's Foreign Missionary society of the M. E. Church."

This Church has an honored past, and a pros- pective future of usefulness, honor and success.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, (Prot. Epis.,) on East Gen- esee street, between Hoffman and Fulton streets, was organized April 13th, 1868, the meeting to secure the incorporation having been held in the school-house of Dist. No. I, where services were also held until the completion of their present edi- fice in December, 1869. The meeting was pre- sided over by Rev. John Brainard, then rector of St. Peter's Church, from which this is an off-

210

CITY OF AUBURN.

shoot, and Harvey Wilson and Wm. Lamey were elected wardens, and Wm. F. Gibbs, John M. Hurd, Rufus Sargent, Henry Hall, Edward C. Marvine, Isaac L. Scovill, Charles M. Knight and George F. Brown, vestrymen.

Previous to this, in 1854, efforts were made at the instigation of Rev. E. H. Cressy, then rector of St. Peter's Church, to establish a church of this denomination in the eastern part of the city. Rev. John M. Guion, relying for a portion of his support upon the chaplaincy in Auburn prison, which Mr. Cressy was able to obtain for him, came to Auburn and conducted services some five months in a large room over Kerr & Devitt's store, the rent of which was paid by Mr. Cressy and A. Hamilton Burt ; but he removed to a more promising field of usefulness, and the project was, for the time being, relinquished.

Their first pastor was Rev. James Stoddard, who commenced his labors with them in Octo- ber, 1868, and remained till February, 1869, ser- vices having previously been held, until Mr. Stoddard took charge, and conducted by Mr. Brainard, rector of St. Peter's. In 1869, their house of worship was erected at a cost of about $2,200, and was first occupied in December of that year. The lot on which it stands, 200 feet on East Genesee street, and 110 on Fulton street, was donated to the society, June Ist, 1868, by Gen. John H. Chedell, who also bequeathed them $10,000 for the erection of a new church edifice, which has already been begun, on the site of the present structure, the estimated cost of which is $17,000. It is to be built of stone, 84 by 52 feet, and when completed will be a sightly structure.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Cayuga County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 38

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 762

Author: Storke, Elliot G., 1811-1879. cn
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 762