History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922

USA > New York > Clinton County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 71
USA > New York > Franklin County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 71

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).

In 1803 or 1804, Nathaniel Colver was ordained as an elder, the ceremony taking place in John Thurber's barn. About the same time " The First Baptist Church in Cham- plain" was regularly organized with Elder Colver for its pastor. The eldest Colver was also a member of this church. Other first members were Samuel Newell, who was chosen deaeon; John Thurber, who was appointed clerk ; Elizabeth Newell, Abigail Shute, and several others,

CALEB LEONARD.

MRS. CALEB LEONARD.

CALEB LEONARD

was of English origin. His father, Moses Leonard, had a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom were born at Athol, Mass. Moses lived and died at Athol.

Caleb Leonard was born in 1781, married Trip- hena Goddard, of Orange, Mass. She was born June 2, 1788, and died June 21, 1871.

They had a family of twelve children, viz. : Moses, Carlisle T. (deceased), Asa, David, William, Orrin, Lovica, Lucy (deceased), Austin, Lucena, Polly, and Nathan (deceased); all were born in

Champlain except the eldest, Moses, who was born in Athol, Mass. All of this large family lived to be men and women, except Lucy, who died at the age of three years.

Mr. Leonard settled in Champlain in 1803, on the place now owned by his son Austin.

He was a shoemaker by trade. In politics he was a Whig. He died Jan. 24, 1864.

The portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are here inserted by Omri Smith and wife, in memory of them.

EPHRAIM SMITH.

MRS. EPHRAIM SMITH.

EPHRAIM SMITH,

son of Caleb Smith, was born at Athol, Mass., Nov. 30, 1776. His father was of English extraction, and settled at Athol, Mass., before the Revolu- tionary war.

Caleb had a family of cleven children, nine sons and two daughters, all of whom lived to an extreme old age, several of them reaching ninety years and upwards. He was a farmer and brickmaker by oc- cupation, and his chief delight was in hunting, which occupied very much of his time. He died at Athol, Mass.

Ephraim was married to Lydia Mastern in 1804. She was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., Nov. 12, 1779. They had a family of seven children, viz. : Polly (deceased), Chaney, Sally (deceased), Emcline, Omri, Lyman (deceased), and James, all of whom were born on the farm in Champlain, N. Y., now owned by Chaney. Ephraim Smith settled in Champlain in the year 1800; remained a year, went back to Athol, spent onc winter, and returned the follow- ing spring.

He was a mason and farmer by occupation; in politics a Whig. ITis wife was a member of the

Methodist Episcopal Church. He died May 1, 1865, and Mrs. Smith died in September, 1874.

Chaney Smith, son of Ephraim, was born Dec. 9, 1807. He married Hannah Chapman for his first wife, by whom three children were borne, viz. : Ma- tilda (deceased), Augusta, and Alfred. He married for his second wife Samira Hayford, of Champlain, by whom four children were borne, viz. : Nettie, Franklin P., John, and Ella.

Mr. Smith is one of the influential farmers of Champlain, a man of strict integrity and respected by all. In politics a Democrat. He has held various official positions.

Omri Smith was born June 15, 1814; married Loviea A. Leonard, daughter of Caleb Leonard, of Champlain, Jan. 29, 1840. She was born July 14, 1818. They have reared one daughter, Isabella, who married Elisha Little, a merchant of Chazy.

Mr. Smith is a farmer. He settled where he now resides in 1845. No more honorable men can be found in the town or county than these two brothers, Chaney and Omri. Omri Smith is a Republican in polities.

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TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN.

now unknown, were also the first members. Subsequently the following persons became members, namely : Elias Ham- ilton, Doreas Hamilton, Esther Thurber, Thankful Thurber, John Smedley and his wife, Royal Converse and his wife, Ruth Colver, and some others. It is not known that any of these are now hving. Divine service was held in the house of Judge Pliny Moore and in various places, and the regularly monthly church eovenant gatherings established down to the breaking out of the war of 1812, when, Deaeon Newell dying, and Elder Colver deeming it his duty to re- move from the town to some more peaecful loeality, the little ehureh, after struggling on for a few years to maintain an existenee, was utterly broken up, and its integrity beeame. extinet. It is unfortunate that the church records of this period are lost, and memory alone furnishes this information. It is asserted that the early Baptists were rigid Calvinists, and boldly proelaimed from their pulpits the damnation of infants, their hearers sometimes just as boldly and openly contradieting them.

After an interregnum of some ten years, in 1822, on the 11th and 12th days of September, "The Second Bap- tist Church in Chazy," as it was termed, was organized at the house of Henry Cummings, in Chazy, the ordaining elders present being Rev. Henry Chamberlain, of Westport; Rev. Parker Reynolds, of Peru; and Rev. Jeremiah H. Dwyer, of Essex, with nineteen lay delegates from the various churches in surrounding towns. The first deaeons ehosen were 'Squire Ferris and Lyman Low, while James Luther was appointed clerk. Other first members were James Sweet, Mrs. Low, and Diadama Ferris. In the fol- lowing year, in August, the ehureh met for the first time in this town, the monthly gathering being in the house of William Shute. The old members of the First Church, sueh as remained, now connected themselves with the new, and aceessions were also made of residents of the town of Al- burgh, Vt. From this time on the meetings of this " Chazy" ehureh appear to have been mainly held in the town of Champlain, the majority of its principal members residing here. This year, 1823, one Elder Caryl was pres- ent as moderator at one of the covenant meetings.

In 1824, on the second Saturday in August, Elder Hol- land Turner beeame their first pastor, and, taking up his residenee at Rouse's Point, from that time forward no more church gatherings are put on reeord as having oeeurred in Chazy. Elder Turner preached the word and taught a common school, occupying with his family for a number of years the old Joel Smith dwelling, known then and sinee as " The Haunted House."

Henry Hoyle and Gen. Ezra Thurber were that year ad- mitted to fellowship, and beeame prominent members, At a covenant meeting held at Rouse's Point, Jan. 21, 1826, it is recorded that " Deacon 'Squire Ferris made a confession to the ehureh for having attended and taken part in a shoot- ing match, which is by the church considered gambling ; after his confession he was received by the church."

On Oct. 10, 1830, Elder Holland Turner, after a pastor- ate of six years, during which time twenty-four persons had been baptized and joined the church, removed from Rouse's Point to Plattsburgh, leaving the scattered flock destitute of a shepherd. For ten years they had but temporary sup-

plies in gospel work. Elders Dunham, Story, Clark, Safford, Palmer, and Gates are named as having held religious ser- viees with the body onward at various times. until 1840. Shortly after the resignation and removal of Elder Turner, a meeting was held at Rouse's Point to consult in common respecting the erection of a church edifiee, and a union house was subsequently built, but no denominational house of worship was ever built in town by the Baptists. By the year 1840 the branch churches in adjoining towns had so far withdrawn, leaving the church in Champlain by itself, that on the 12th of September in that year its membership was reduced to 22 only, consisting of 8 males and 14 fe- males. May 14, 1842, Ezra Thurber resigned his elerkship, which offiee he had filled acceptably for ten years, and on the 21st of the same month he died, aged sixty-one years.

During the years 1843-45 and 1846, Elder Conant Saw- yer, from Keeseville, preached the gospel and administered the ordinanees to the church, supplying them with eonsid- erable regularity one-third of the time in the years just named. Elder Dodge and the old pastor Turner also visited the place, the latter delivering his last and farewell dis- course here July 12, 1845, from the last verse of the last chapter of the Revelations. A conference of four or five days' duration was held by some half-dozen clergymen in the stone ehureh at Rouse's Point, in June, 1846, it being an earnest effort to revive the dying denomination ; but the effort met with little sueeess, and the church, becoming dis- couraged, was soon broken up, being unable longer to sus- tain separate meetings or represent itself in the Associations. On Feb. 21, 1846, the church records utterly eame to an end. As already shown on a previous page, the stone union house of worship at Rouse's Point had been completed and dedicated two years previously, and, as the Baptists had contributed in aid of its construction, they beeame entitled to its use one-third of the time (the Methodists and Pres- byterians occupying it the remaining two-thirds), and did so use it as a house of worship. But the difficulty of pro- curing a preacher, and the diminished membership and means to properly support one, rendered it impossible to continue regular meeting. In 1861, Elder Stephen Wright eame and held some meetings, but the attendanee tas small, and after an ineffeetual attempt to resuscitate things he left. We do not know of any regular preaching here by the Baptists sinee Mr. Wright's departure. Rev. Mr. Doug- lass, a Baptist elergyman and missionary from abroad, as- sisted during the revival effort made in the Congregational church in Champlain, in 1866-67, and immersed at their request twelve of the converts in the waters of the river. There are very many Christian people in town who are ardent believers in immersion, but the Baptist Church, as such, is extinet, whether for all time or only for a season it is impossible now to say.

From the organization of this ehureh in 1822 until its breaking up in 1846, a period of twenty-four years, there were 61 different individuals who became its members. They embraced some of our best citizens. In May, 1845, there were but 16 members belonging to it, 7 of whom were males and 9 were females. In 1862 there were but 10 of this number known to have been living, S of them being residents of this town. Their names were James

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Masten, Caleb Smith, Naomi Smith, Oliver Odell, Saman- tha Odell, Dorcas Hamilton, Mary Masten, and Julia Ann Masten. Of these the last named is the only one who has survived the ravages of the great enemy, Death, at the time of preparing this historical sketch. She lives at Rouse's Point. All the others " Time's hand hath swept away."

CONGREGATIONAL PRESBYTERIAN.

The original members of the Congregational Presbyterian Church in Champlain were Judge Pliny Moore, Ebenezer Dunning, David Savage, Martha Savage, William Savage, Jonathan Darrow, Robert Martin, Sarah Martin, Sarah Hamilton.

A number of these persons were on the ground previous to 1800, bringing their orthodox tendencies with them. A missionary of the denomination, named Miller, visited the town in 1802, and administered the rite of baptism to two of Pliny Moore's children, viz., Noadiah and Amasa. These were probably the first cases of baptism among this order. Shortly afterwards, Rev. Benjamin Wooster came, and another child of Pliny Moore, named Lucretia M., received the rite at his hands.

The same year, on the 13th of July, 1802, the church was permanently organized by Rev. Mr. Wooster, consist- ing of the 9 members above named. Of these, David Savage was chosen to the office of deacon, he faithfully dis- charging his duties for a period of forty-nine years, until his death, in 1851. In 1804, Pliny Moore was elected " Scribe."

The first trustecs named were David Savage, Pliny Moore, Samuel Ashman, Joseph King, Ebenezer Dunning, and Joseph Corbin.

Ministers from a distance, among whom are preserved the names of Taylor, Griswold, Chichester, Cook, and Weeks, came to the place and ministered in sacred things to the flock. By 1806 the church numbered 14 members.

That year Rev. Amos Pettengill first visited the town, preaching to the people with much acceptance. He again visited the churchi the following year, and, after making a tedious journey of one hundred and fifty miles through the wilderness to Lake Ontario and establishing several churches in those parts, he returned in March to Champlain to labor as a candidate for settlement, and on the 6th of April was invited by the church to take charge, which call he ac- cepted, and was installed by a council on the 8th of July, 1807.

A Memorable Event .- In " Memoirs of Rev. Amos Pettengill," 1834, on pages 123-24, is found the follow- ing interesting account of this occasion, supposed to have been from the pen of an esteemed clergyman-Rev. Mar- tin Powell, of Mooers-who afterwards became the pas- tor of a neighboring church. He says, "The church consisted of 14 members ; and the installation took place on a little island, which lies near the north bank of a beauti- ful river running beside the village. The stage was in the centre of a charming grove, in the midst of which stood here and there a tall, branching elm. This being the first religious service of the kind, I believe, in the country, Christians and others assembled in great numbers from every quarter. In the midst of the interesting exer-

cises a shower arose, and the loud, bellowing thunder, to- gether with the vivid flashes forking in every direction, while the rain was pouring in torrents, formed a scene of majesty and sublimity rarely witnessed, and scarcely sus- ceptible of an adequate description. What heightened its interest was the descent of the Holy Ghost, the fruit of which was an accession to the church of about 30 persons."

The people of Champlain will not fail to recognize this spot as their own elin-covered " Island," sacred in memo- ries of sixty-nine years ago. Alas, the fathers ! where are they ?

Mr. Pettengill's first text, after his installation, was " I seek not yours but you." (2 Cor. xii. 14.) In the revival that followed, two ministers were, among others, the fruits of his labors. Of these, one was Rev. Jehudi Ashman, cele- brated as the first agent and missionary of the Colonization Society at Liberia, in 1822, and whose lamented death oc- curred at New Haven, Conn., in 1828. Public worship in those early days was held in the new frame school-house and in the dwelling-house of Judge P. Moore. It may in- terest some men of swollen salaries to know that the hard- working pastor of 1807 was voted the sum of. $6 per week as the pecuniary compensation for his privation and toil in gospel work in a forest-bound frontier town. After a suc- cessful pastorate of about five years, Rev. Mr. Pettengill, in July, 1812, resigned his charge, there having been added to the church during his ministry, the records say, 54, but his memoirs inform us 63 persons, mostly on profession of their faith. He died at Salem, Conn., Aug. 19, 1830. A season of religious declension followed, consequent on the war of 1812-14. This scourge drove the frontier minis- ters from their posts and scattered their flocks. But the re- cent pastor continued as a traveling missionary to visit the church at intervals during the war, and his good services both to the church and people at large in those dark days are put on record elsewhere. Messrs. Halsey, Elliot, Row- ley, Kingsly, and Sorry are spoken of as having preached to the denomination in 1812-14. Reading-meetings and prayer-meetings, in which the deacons and young Ashman led service, continued to be held down to the year 1820, but in all these eight years only 7 new members were added, and from 1811 to 1819 no church doings are recorded on the books.

From July, 1819, to 1824, Rev. Joseph Labaree had the pastoral charge of the church, during whose ministry 26 members were added to the flock.

From 1824 till 1829 the church was only partially sup- plied with preaching by several different clergymen, when, in May of the last-named year, Rev. Horatio Foote began his labors with them, preaching with great success, and con- tinuing his pastoral relations with them until May, 1831. Mr. Foote was a preacher of much originality, possessing great spiritual power and impressiveness. During his min- istry the church was eminently blessed with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and, as the fruit of his revival, 105 new members were added while he remained, and between 40 and 50 after he had left.

Judge Pliny Moore having, by his last will and testa- ment, bequcathed one acre of land on lot 46 and $1000 to the church for the purpose of erecting a church edifice, in

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TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN.

1829, under the indefatigable exertions of Rev. Mr. Foote, one was erected. The acre given by Mr. Moore was ex- changed for a lot on the left bank of the river, on higher ground, and a building of comfortable and substantial dimen- sions was dedicated to the service of God. The congre- gation removed from the brick school-house, where they had assembled for worship most of the time since 1816, into the new quarters, much prosperity attending them at this time.

In 1831, on November 2d, Rev. Ezra D. Kinney was installed over this people, and continued as their pastor until January, 1835. From August, 1835, to August, 1836, Rev. H. Foote again supplied the pulpit. Success still attended the church, and the pastorate of Mr. Kinney saw 155 more persons added to the believers, with others under Mr. Foote.

In November, 1837, a call was extended to Rev. Abraham D. Brinkerhoof, which he accepted, entering upon his labors in January, the following year. His labors were protracted and successful, he continuing to exercise the office of pastor for a period of twelve years, until his health compelled him to resign his charge in June, 1850, bidding farewell to a people who universally respected and loved him. He fell asleep in Christ at Champlain, March 2, 1860. Thirteen clergymen acted as pall-bearers at his funeral. It was a solemn day. During his time as pastor, 162 persons were added to the church. It was during his charge that the house of worship, erected in 1829, was on the 17th of June, 1844, destroyed by fire, the work of an ineendiary.

The Present Meeting-House .- A new brick edifice was commenced to be built in the centre of the village, on the right bank of the river, which was completed and dedicated Jan. 18, 1849. Dedication sermon by Rev. John Mat- tocks, of Keeseville, from John iv. 21. Dedieatory prayer by Rev. D. Dobie, of Plattsburgh. In this building the church still worships. It is supplied with a bell weighing 800 pounds, that cost $300. Also a pipe organ costing $800. The land cost $900, and the edifice some $8000, making the total original cost over $9000. In 1873-74 repairs and alterations at an expenditure of $2100 were put upon the edifice. The main audience-room is 57 by 43 feet, and has sittings for 450 persons. A commodious vestry-room is situated on the first floor.

Rev. Nathan Leighton succeeded Rev. Mr. Brinkerhoof, commencing his labors in January, 1851, and continuing in charge three years, during which time 18 members were added. Through the winter following his resignation the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Byron Bosworth and Rev. A. Parmelee, D.D.

In July, 1855, a call was extended to the Rev. Seldon Haines ; which being accepted, he entered upon his labors the last Sabbath in September following. At this time the church had been somewhat diminished in numbers and strength by death and the tide of cmigration westward. The formation of the Wesleyan and Adventist bodies in 1843, as also the Episcopalians in 1852, all of whom had gained considerable foothold, no doubt assisted to ercate this diminution. Mr. Haines closed his labors Oct. 1, 1858, only 35 new members having been added during his ministry, while 16 were dismissed to other churches, and 11 removed by death.

In February, 1859, Rev. J. Copeland was installed as pastor, resigning on the 17th of September, 1866, but con- tinuing to supply the pulpit until the fall of 1867. During the winter of 1865-66 there was a very large ingathering of members, nearly a hundred being baptized and added on one single Sabbath in May. One of the old pastors, Rev. D. Kinney, returned, and, assisting Mr. Copeland, much success attended their united efforts. The whole number added to the church during the ministry of Mr. Copeland was 158 persons, no less than 107 being added in the year ending January, 1867. At this time the Sabbath-school in its entire force numbered 343 souls, with Hon. George V. Hoyle as superintendent.

In July, 1868, Rev. W. W. Whittaker became the resi- dent pastor, serving in such capacity until the fall of 1872. From the time of Mr. Copeland's leaving until the resigna- tion of Mr. Whittaker, the records show an addition of 22 new members.

July 1, 1873, Rev. E. A. Lawrence, Jr., took pastoral charge, resigning the same, and leaving the town in September, 1875. His resignation was much regretted. Church vacant until Dec. 1, 1876, when Rev. F. B. Make- peace became pastor, and is the present incumbent.

Old-Fashioned Discipline .- The church formerly had a commendable zeal for strict piety, as against vain amuse- ments and covetousness. In 1846 dancing was prohibited its members, in 1857 eard-playing was declared inconsistent and worldly, while in 1858 a refusal of its members to sup- port the gospel by paying one's due portion of the salary according to one's ability was pronounced a disciplinary of- fense. In the earlier days intemperance was made a ground of sharp but kind dealing, and the incorrigible were excom- municated from Christian fellowship.

The officers of the church, so far as can be known, have been as follows :

Clerks .- The first " Scribe" chosen was Pliny Moore, in 1804. Dan Beaumont was chosen clerk in 1806. In 1812, Silas Hubbell appears as clerk. In 1834, Joel Savage was elected clerk, and continued to faithfully serve in such capacity until his death, in 1872. His successor was M. V. B. Stetson, chosen the same year, who is still the church clerk.

Deacons .- David Savage was the first deacon, elected at its organization in 1802. He died in 1851. Hascall D. Savage was made deacon in 1851, and I find Cyrus Savage a deacon in 1860. Lorenzo Kellogg and F. D. Huntinton were chosen deacons in 1867. The present deacons are Lorenzo Kellogg, Thomas A. Selvey, M. V. B. Stetson, and Benjamin W. Nichols.

Church Committee .- R. H. Hitchcock, Harvey Bos- worth, Josiah Corbin, S. H. Dewey, James V. Douglass.

Trustees .- T. Hoyle, R. H. Hitchcock, John H. White- side, T. A. Selvey, B. C. Moore, and M. V. B. Stetson.

Treasurer .- R. H. Hitchcock.

Present membership, 150.

Time has wrought great changes in this ecclesiastical body. Of all its founders and first fathers not one remains ; death has swept them into the grave. Since its organiza- tion, seventy-four years ago, nearly 900 different persons have at various times been connected with the church. In

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, NEW YORK.

numbers the body is not so strong as in 1862, when therc were 204 resident members.

EARLY ROMAN CATHOLIC HISTORY.

Emigrants from France first settled all the country north of this point. The old name of Canada was New France. The first Governor, Capt. Samuel de Champlain, was an ardent Roman Catholic. All his associates were of his faith. The Jesuit Fathers came with the habitants. Up and down these waters and past these shores went the mis- sionaries of Cardinal Richelieu long before a Protestant ever set foot here. Priests accompanied the military expeditions against the Iroquois. Priests went among these hostile tribes to convert them to the faith. "The salvation of one soul," said Champlain, " is of more value than the conquest of an empire." Roman Catholics built a fort on Isle La Motte in 1665, and formed a small settlement about it. It was the earliest settlement by the whites in what is now Vermont or in all this region. Canada then had a popula- tion of 3418 souls, omitting the Indians, and New York (then New Amsterdam) was a little village of 150 houses, with 1500 people. As early as 1733, French settlers oc- cupied the east shore of the river Richelieu, now Cald well's Manor, P. Q. Ten years later a dozen families were living on Windmill Point (then Focault's Point), in what is now Alburgh, Vt. At the same date (1743) French settle- ments were made on the Chazy and Beekmantown shore, on the New York side of Lake Champlain. In 1763 the La Fromboise, who were Frenchmen, with their families, occupied the Chazy shore, and two years later scattered log houses containing Frenchmen could be seen on the west bank of the Richelieu, just below where now stands Fort Montgomery, in what is LaColle, P. Q. All these were Roman Catholics.

The town of Champlain, or " Champlain Town," as the old maps and postal authorities styled it, was organized in 1788. Four years previously came a body of Canadian and Nova Scotia refugees, to whom lands had been granted in Clinton County, and took up their residence on the Chazy shore (then a part of Champlain ), on the Rouse's Point shore, and on the Big Chazy River. From 1784 to 1793, Capt. Jacques Rouse, Capt. L. Oliver, and others were found at Rouse's Point ; Pierre Ayott, on Point au Fer ; Toussaint Lavarnway, at the south end of Rouse's Point Harbor; while on the Chazy River, one or two miles from its mouth, where now is the village of Coopersville, were settled Presque Ausline, Capt. A. Paulent, Amable Paulent, and others ; also, Lieut. Pierre Boileau, Amable Boileau, and Peter Boileau lived at King's Bay, on the lake-shore. These and their associate settlers had been soldiers in the war, had suffered the loss of all earthly goods, and were poor indeed. They came prior to any English-speaking settlers. They brought their religion with them, and many of them were devout and liberal-minded. It is related of the Boi- leaus and Auslines (now called Ashline) that they held meetings for prayer in the old log school-house early in this century, and with their children publicly sung hymns of praise to God. We have no facts on which to base the statement that missionaries from Canada sometimes visited them, but have no doubt that priests of the order from time

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 922

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922