USA > New York > Wyoming County > Warsaw > History of the town of Warsaw, New York, from its first settlement to the present time; with numerous family sketches and biographical notes > Part 14
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).
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
At the annual meeting in February, 1819, it was resolved, as the sense of the meeting, that it was expedient to dispose of the meeting-house to " one or the other society being prin- cipal owners," and the Trustees were instructed to carry the measure into effect. And on the 9th of March, a meeting of the "proprietors of Warsaw Meeting-House " was held, at which it was voted " that the house be sold," and that Simeon Cumings be the auctioneer. Mr. Cumings declining, Oliver Lee was appointed ; and the sale was ordered to take place in the evening. The house was struck off to the Presbyterian Society at seventy-six cents on the dollar of its nominal value or cost. The Baptist Society being the only other "principal owner," a number of the members of that Society, at the same time and place, executed to the Trustees of the Union Society an assignment of their individual rights, and a bond of indem- nity against all claims of any member of the Baptist Society to any interest in the house.
October 24th, 1820, a special meeting was held at which it was " voted that the Society proceed to complete the meeting house;" and "that any sums signed and paid towards the completion of said house, to be paid in grain or any other article, may be paid at an average price equivalent to wheat at seventy-five cents per bushel."
February 13th, 1821, at the annual meeting, "the Trustees of the Society having made a report of their proceedings, in making a contract with Nathan B. Lee for completing the meeting-house, the present season," the report was approved.
The building was used, as completed by Mr. Lee, except the lowering of the pulpit at different times, until 1841, when the old square pews with their straight backs gave way to
----
181
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCII.
modern improvements, and the inside was painted, never hav- ing had a coat of paint before. Thus improved, it remained unaltered until it was removed from the spot where it had stood for nearly fifty years, to give place to the present edifice. A picture of the " Old Church " is inserted in its proper place.
FIRST CHURCHI BELL.
Previous to 1825, there was no church bell in Warsaw. At the meeting of Union Society that year, it was voted to " cir- culate a subscription for the purpose of raising funds to pur- chase a bell for the meeting-house."
The movement for procuring a bell may have been promp- ted, in part, by a rather amusing incident. The year of its occurrence we can not determine. Deacon Munger, then carrying on the tanning business half a mile south of the village, had in his service a nephew, John F. Clark. He was a harmless, " clever " young man, and remarkably facetious withal, bearing the familiar soubriquet of "funny fellow." He had a bugle, which was his favorite companion, and with which he gave many an evening's entertainment to the in- habitants for several miles along the valley. The only meeting house in town was that of the Presbyterians; but it had no bell. It was suggested that the want of one might be supplied by John's bugle; and it was done. He would take his stand at the brink of the hill near the old burying-ground, and give for the " first bell " one or two of the old tunes sung in those days, Mcar, Coronation, Sherburne, Exhortation, etc. The call to worship, or " second bell," was given from the steeple, within the railing of the belfry. Such was his love of playing, that his services might probably have been had gratis; but he had been encouraged to expect some compensation. He played a long time; but no pay came. He was at length advised by a friend to play from the steeple a piece of secular music, either as a mild expression of resentment, or as a means of bringing the Trustees to a sense of justice. Accordingly, John, the next Sabbath, struck up the tune of a popular song. The
182
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
Deacon happened to be within hailing distance, and, by signs and words, ordered the music stopped. John complied, came down, and took his seat, as usual, with the choir in the gallery. After their arrival home, the subject was introduced by the Deacon, who wished to know the reason for playing so im- proper a tune. John promptly answered, but was told that his services were no longer wanted.
The following is a copy of the original subscription:
" We, the subscribers, being anxious that a good church bell should be procured for the Meeting-House in Union Society, in the village of Warsaw, and in consideration that the Trus- tees of said Society have agreed that such suns as shall be paid towards procuring a Bell for said Meeting-House, shall be appropriated and applied in payment for a slip or seat in said Meeting-House, in the same manner as if the same money had been expended in building said house, do therefore prom- ise to pay John Munger, Chauncey L. Sheldon, Angustus Frank, Gideon Johnson, William Webster, and Peter Young, Trustees of said Society and their successors in office, the sums of money annexed to our names respectively for the pur- pose of procuring a Bell for said Meeting-House.
" Dated December 25, 1824."
Augustus Frank, . $25 Gideon Johnson, . $2
A. Stevens, . . $10
C. & A. Rumsey, . 25
John Truesdell, . 5 A. C. Lyon, 5
John Munger. . .
10 Orson Hough, 5 Jonas Cutting, 5
20 C. Z. C. Leonard, 2 Hiram L. Norton, . 2
Daniel Rumsey, . . Seth G. Bodfitch, 5 Cyrus Tanner, .
1 Luther Foster, 5
Peter Young, . Andrew W. Young, 5 Francis Newton, 2 James Crocker, . 5
Matthew Hoffman, . 10 Hezekiah Wakefield,
3 Timothy Whiting, 1
Lyman Morris, . 5 B. Shaw. .
2 Levi Walker,
1
Isaiah Kenyon,
3 Silas Kidder, 5 Zera Tanner, 2
Ephriam Beebe,
3 C. L. Sheldon, 25 Welcom Arnold,
1
Lot Marchant,
10 Elijah Norton, 10 S. McWhorter,
10
Elizur Webster, 30
Cyrus Rumsey, 15 E. C. Kimberly, '5
Wm. Patterson, . 10 B. Shaw, .
5 Paul Richards, 2
John Wilder, 10 Wm. Walker, 5 Frank Miller,
1
Linus Warner, 2 Nehemiah Fargo, 5 David Martin, 2
Ira Wilcox, 1 J. A. McElwain,
5 Josiah Marchant, . 2
10 John Frayer, 5 Leonard Rich, 2
183
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
John Crocker, .
5 James Gregg, 2 Hiram Giddings, . 50c
A. M. & W . D. Barnett, 12 Cyrus Rice,
5 Wm. Fluker, 50c
R. A. Kidder, 2 B. L. Watkins,
2 Owen Marchant, . 50c
Nathaniel Moss, . . 3 J. L. Palmer, 1
The amount subscribed being insufficient, Dr. Frank pur . chased the bell on his own responsibility, a few individuals having promised to assist in making up any deficiency there might be.
Of the sixty-four persons whose names are embraced in this list of contributors, eighteen only are believed to be liv- ing. The number may be still less, as some of these eighteen long ago removed to western states, and have not been lately heard from. Of those who in 1825 resided within the pres- ent limits of the village, only four remain in it, viz .: E. Norton, J. A. McElwain, Wm. Walker, Frank Miller.
For a long time this was the only bell in the village, and rendered partial service to other congregations. Each of the five churches here has now a good bell of its own.
The old bell, after about thirty-five years' service, failed. A new one of nearly double its weight was put in its place, and is now suspended in the belfry of the new church edifice.
184
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
METHODIST CHURCH.
OF the organization of this church and society, no record is to be found. Nor is there, probably, one of its early mem- bers living to give any information respecting it, except Mrs. Hovey, (now eighty-three years of age,) widow of the late Simeon Hovey. Her recollections, and a brief sketch commu- nicated by the late Josiah Hovey, son of Josiah Hovey, Sen., to the Hon. Seth M. Gates, at the time of the formation of a county Historical Society, are the only sources from which we have been able to get any knowledge of the early history of this church.' And of its later history, there has been found a record of only ten or twelve years, from and after the year 1833. The list of circuit preachers was obtained from the records of the Genesee Conference.
Mrs. Hovey says, that in 1808 or 1809, Rev. Mr. Ness, (probably Van Nest,) an itinerant missionary, formed a class in the south part of the town, among the members of which were Solomon Morris, Sen., and John Morris and their wives, and others. About a year afterwards, John Kimberlin, from Baltimore Conference, formed a class in the north part of the town, of which Mrs. Josiah Hovey, Sen., Simeon Hovey and Josiah Ilovey, Jun., and their wives, and several others, were members. A year or two afterwards, Anson A. Perkins and his wife, and after another year or two, Elam Perkins and his wife, Lyman Parker and others united. She thinks the first regular preachers on this circnit were Loring Grant and Mar- maduke Pierce, each preaching once in four weeks, thus giving the people a preacher once in two weeks. The extent of the circuit was such as required about a month's time to compass it. Elder Grant's circuit was about three hundred miles round, extending from some place in Pennsylvania into Can- ada. Mrs. Grant, also on horseback, sometimes accompanied him as co-laborer. Her horse was a gift from her father.
Elam Parking.
1 1
185
METIIODIST CHURCH.
The sketch by Josiah Hovey gives some additional facts, but does not conflict with the statements of Mrs. Hovey. He says: "The first Methodist preachers in Warsaw were Cyrus Story, Joseph Gatehell, and James Mitchell, as early as 1805 or 1806, and before a church was organized. In 1809, Wm. Brown and John Kimberlin organized a Methodist society; and I believe my brother Simeon was the first class-leader appointed under that organization. Shortly after, myself and Shubael Morris were appointed class-leaders, and held our meetings at my house in the north part, and at the house of Solomon Morris, Sen., in the south part of the town."
Mr. Hovey mentions the following as among the early mem- bers of the church: Josiah Hovey, Jun., Simeon Hovey, John Morris, Shubael Morris, Elam Perkins, Anson A. Perkins, Solomon Morris, Sen., Carl W. Flower, Simeon Gibson, and the wives of all of them; the wife of Josiah Hovey, Sen., Moses Perkins, Joseph Miller, Lyman Parker, and the wives of Nehemiah Park, Simeon R. Glazier, and Daniel Knapp. Ile presumed there were others, whose names he did not recollect. As the Perkinses did not come into the town until some years after the year in which the church or society is said to have been organized, they, though "early members," could not have been among the earliest.
The Methodist Society was not legally organized until about the year 1820, at the time of the proclamation of Paul Busti, general agent of the Holland Land Company, announcing that in every township, six miles square, with a legally organ- ized church and society, such society should be entitled to one hundred acres of land. "The First Methodist Episcopal So- ciety of Warsaw " was accordingly organized in compliance with the requirements of the act of the legislature; and the papers were recorded in the office of the County Clerk. Union Society, formed by the Presbyterian church and con- gregation, had been organized in 1812; and the land was divided equally between the two societies.
186
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
The first Trustees of the Methodist Society were, Simeon Hovey, Chester Hurd, John Morris, Anson A. Perkins, Nathan B. Miller, Lyman Parker, Josiah Hovey, Roderick Chapin, Jun., Eleazar Smith.
The first Methodist house of worship was built in 1824, at the corners three-fourths of a mille north of the center of the village, on the south corner. Chester Hurd was the architect. In 1835, it was removed to the place where the present house stands. And in 1853, to make room for a new and larger one, it was sold to Rev. J. W. Hines, and by him removed to the south side of Buffalo street, near the bridge, to be fitted up for dwellings. It was sold by him to George W. Morris, by whose heirs it is still owned. The new church, which was completed in 1854, was, in 1868, thoroughly repainted out- side, and tastily frescoed and otherwise improved inside, at an expense of about $1,300. It is now probably the largest and best framed church edifice in the county.
We present here the views of the churches in this District concerning certain subjects which have at times been intro- duced in the Quarterly Conference:
At a Quarterly Meeting Conference for the Warsaw and Wyoming District, held at Wyoming, December 17, 1836, the following resolutions were adopted:
" Whereas, Alcohol is a poison, and is always injurious to persons in health; and whereas, it is the fruitful source of crime, disease, and death; therefore,
" Resolved, 1. That, in the judgment of this Conference, to manufacture, vend, or use the article, except for mechanical or medicinal purposes, is immoral.
" 2. That, since such is the nature of the traffic in and use of ardent spirits, and since its direful effects are so numerous and so great, extending to life, death, and eternity, we, the members of this Conference, feel ourselves called upon by the high impositions of patriotism, humanity, and religion, to give our precept and example against its manufacture and use as a beverage; and we feel ourselves further called upon to use
187
METHODIST CHURCH.
all lawful means to bring its manufacture and sale into dis- grace and disuse.
"3. That a copy of the above resolutions be sent by Rev. M. Seager to the editor of the Christian Advocate for insertion.
" LEVI MASON, " Secretary."
At a Quarterly Meeting Conference held at Warsaw, July 12th, 1845, the following resolutions were adopted:
" 1. Resolved, By the members of the Quarterly Conference of Warsaw Station, that the connection of church members and ministers with secret societies or associations, is incompati- ble with their Christian and ministerial relations and duties.
" 2. Resolved, That we seriously regret that any of our trav- eling preachers have become members of the society of Odd Fellows.
" 3. Resolved, That we respectfully request the presiding elder of this District to present a copy of the above resolu- tions to the ensuing Genesee Annual Conference.
" R. JACKSON, " Secretary."
At the same place, October, 1845, the Conference adopted the following resolutions on the subject of Missions:
" Resolved, That there be a committee of five.on missions, and that A. H. Tilton, Hiron J. Reddish, George Snyder, James Gilmore, and Lyman Parker, be said committee.
" Resolved, That we deem it our duty to engage, at the earliest convenience, in the work of forming a Missionary Society, and carrying out the design of the Discipline on the subject of Missions."
At the Quarterly Meeting Conference of Warsaw charge and station, July 22, 1848, the subject of Odd Fellowship was again acted upon, and resolutions were adopted, of which the material part is as follows:
188
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
Whereas, we believe that secret societies are contrary to the gospel, the practice, and the teaching of our Savior, that they have a tendency, or may be used, to subvert govern- ment, and that it betrays a want of Christian fidelity and of a firm reliance upon the promises of God in the members of the church who unite themselves to such societies ; and whereas, many of our brethren in the ministry belonging to the Genesee Conference have united with the Society of Odd Fellows, and have not heeded the resolution of Conference advising them to withdraw and not become members of said society, and our presiding elder, by his own confession, retains his membership in that society, thereby giving his influence to the societies of Odd Fellows; and although he stated that he did not meet with them, and did not know anything about their proceedings, but belonged to them only to secure a fund that might be available in time of want; yet, believing that the reason here urged is insufficient when it comes in contact with the gospel ministry; therefore,
Resolved, That we request our presiding elder to withdraw from the society of Odd Fellows.
Upon what other subjects than those mentioned the Quar- terly Conference has taken action, we have no means of knowing, for the reason already stated, the absence of later records of the society.
After a long and unceasing effort to procure a list of preachers and presiding elders in the District and Circuit to which this church has belonged, and after this sketch had been written, we have obtained such list, furnished by Rev. Carlos Gould, of Parma Centre, and Rev. S. Hunt, now preacher at Batavia. Mr. Gould is son-in-law of the late Simeon Hovey, of this town. His letter supplies some omis- sions in the account of the early history of the society, given from recollection by Mrs. Simeon Hovey and Josiah Hovey, and corrects some slight errors. He writes as follows:
"I have the bound ' Minutes' of all the Conferences from the first, (held in 1773, 10 preachers, and 1160 members in
189
METHODIST CHURCH.
all,) till 1857; so that I can give you all the information that can be gathered from the Minutes; but as there was no Gene- see Conference till 1810, or no Warsaw Circuit or Station till 1827, I have, with the help of my wife, (who remembers all the Warsaw preachers since 1810,) gleaned the names of all the presiding elders and preachers as correctly as possible.
"The first and only appointment in this state west of the Genesee river, was, in 1807, in Philadelphia Conference, Genesee District, J. Jewell Presiding Elder; Holland Pur- chase Circuit, P. Van Nest and A. Jenks, Missionaries. Doubtless these were the first regular Conference preachers in Warsaw.
"I now give you a list of all the Districts, which are fre- quently changed; all the Circuits, which are more frequently changed; all the Presiding Elders and Pastors, till 1850."
* * The names in the following list are the names of Preachers in Warsaw in the Circuits mentioned. Presiding Elders of the Districts are distinguished by the initials, P. E.
1808. Warsaw was in Susquehanna District, of which James Herron was Presiding Elder. In Holland Purchase Circuit, George Lane was Mis- sionary; in Caledonia Circuit, Thomas Elliott, Missionary. Although there was in 1812 a change of District, Mr. Draper was retained as Presiding Elder until 1815.
1809. Holland Purchase and Caledonia Circuit, James Mitchell and Joseph Gatchell, Pastors. These are believed to have been the first regular preachers in this Circuit.
1810. GENESEE CONFERENCE Was formed this year. Holland Purchase Cir- cuit; only appointment west of Genesee river, John Kimberlin, William Brown, Preachers.
1811. Loring Grant, Elijah Metcalf.
1812. Genesee District, Caledonia Circuit, Renaldo Everts.
1813. Elijah King, Ebenezer Doolittle.
1814. William Brown, Elijah Warren.
1815. James H. Harris.
1816. Jonathan Huestis, P. E. Caledonia Circuit, Robert Menshall, Thomas McGee.
1817. Eden Circuit, James Hall.
1818. Clarence Circuit, Aurora Seager, Jetar Foster.
1819. Gideon Draper, P. E. Ava Williams.
1820. Batavia Circuit, James Hall, Zachariah Paddock.
1821. James Gilmore, Jasper Bennett.
190
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
1822.
Goodwin Stoddard, P. E. John Arnold, Asa Orcutt.
1823. Asa Orcutt, John Beggarly.
1824. Andrew Prindle, J. B. Roach.
1825. Buffalo District, Loring Grant, P. E. Benajah Williams, Andrew Prindle.
1826. Benajah Williams, Asa Abell, Jonathan Huestis.
1827. Warsaw Circuit, (formed this year, ) Morgan Sherman, Robert Parker.
1828. Warsaw and Batavia Circuit, Glezen Fillmore, Micah Seager, Chester N. Adgate. [G. Fillmore, it is believed, was stationed at Batavia, and did not preach at Warsaw.]
1829. Asa Abell, P. E. Warsaw Circuit, John Cosart, Joseph Atwood.
1830. Hiram May, Joseph Atwood.
1831. Mifflin Harker, George Wilkinson.
1832. Genesee District, again, Mifflin Harker, Sheldon Doolittle.
1833. Sheldon Doolittle, Merritt Preston.
1834, 1835. Reeder Smith.
1836. Warsaw and Wyoming Circuit, Micah Seager, P. E. Richard Wright, E. O. Hall.
1837. Warsaw Circuit, Richard Wright.
1838. John B. Alverson, P. E. James Hall.
1839. Iliram May.
1840. Nelson Iloag.
1841. Salmon Judd.
1842. John Copeland, P. E. Salmon Judd.
1843. Israel Chamberlayne, P. E. Chauncey S. Baker.
1844. Joseph Pearsall.
1845. John B. Jenkins.
1846. Buffalo District, Samuel C. Church, P. E. John B. Jenkins.
1847. Charles D. Burlingham.
1848. John B. Alverson, P. E. David Nichols.
1849, 1850. Thomas Carleton, P. E. King David Nettleton.
1851. Philo E. Brown, P. E. J. W. Hines.
1852. Wyoming District, P. E. Brown, P. E. J. W. Hines.
1853. Zenas Hurd.
1854. Richard L. Wait. P. E. B. F. McNeil.
1855. Griffin Smith.
1856, 1857. William C. Willing.
1858. Sumner C. Smith.
1859, 1860. Allen P. Ripley, P. E. E. M. Buck.
1861. Schuyler Parker.
1862. E. E. Chambers, P. E. Schuyler Parker. 1863, 1864. J. H. Bayliss.
1865. G. De La Matyr, P. E. Rollin C. Welch.
1866. II. II. Lyman.
1867. M. H. Rice.
1868. O. S. Chamberlayne.
191
BAPTIST CHURCHI.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE people of this religious organization, like the Congre- gationalists, have had the misfortune to lose the greater portion of their records. The portion lost covers nearly the entire period of the church's existence. Consequently our history of it must necessarily be brief and imperfect. The facts given are chiefly gathered from a " History of the First Baptist Church of Warsaw," by its late pastor, Rev. Abner Morrill, presented at the annual session of the Genesee Baptist Association, held at Wyoming in June, 1867.
The members of this church, at the time of its formation, resided chiefly in the south and south-eastern part of the town. Very naturally, therefore, that place was for several years the center of the society and the place for holding its meetings for worship, which were held much of the time in John Truesdell's barn. The first convert in town among the Baptists, Mr. Amos Keeney says, was Hannah Stearns, a daughter of Sterling Stearns, and afterwards the wife of Jacob Hurd, brother Chester Hurd.
The first preacher mentioned in the sketch before us, is Elder Irish, a missionary, who visited these people in 1810, and on the 25th of November, organized a church of fourteen members. A list of the names of the first members, obtained from another source, makes the number eighteen, as follows: Joseph Porter and wife, Josiah Boardman and wife and daughter, Noah Wiseman, John Truesdell, Levi Stearns, Hannah Stearns, John Brown, Wm. Brown, Miriam Brown, Levi Rice, Hannah Rice, Jeremiah Trucsdell, Elijah Ham- mond, Rhoda Reed, Joanna Beardsley. A Baptist church having been formed in Middlebury, then a part of Warsaw, this church was called the "Second Baptist Church of War- saw." After the town of Middlebury had been formed into a separate town, this church was called the "First Baptist
192
HISTORY OF WARSAW.
Church of Warsaw." The first Deacon of the church was Joseph Porter, chosen in April, 1811.
The church soon received large accessions to its member- ship; and in the autumn of 1811, Elder Jeremiah Irons was engaged to preach one-quarter of the time for one year. After him, Elder David Hurlburt served the church one year, and was succeeded by Elder Jabez Boomer, who was the first settled pastor of the church. He was ordained August 19th, 1816, and labored acceptably for several years. The next year ( 1817,) a house of worship was erected in the village, principally by the joint efforts of the Baptists and Presbyte- rians. It was only inclosed, however, and could be occupied only in the summer season. In March, 1819, the Baptists sold out their interest to the Presbyterians, by whom it was finished in the spring of 1821.
In 1818, the Rev. William Pattison became pastor of the church, and served several years. During his pastorate, the number of members, which had been greatly reduced was largely increased. Among the members added was Robert E. Pattison, son of the minister, who has since become highly distinguished as a scholar and a preacher. After Elder Pat- tison had closed his labors, Rev. Leonard Anson supplied the church a short time, and was followed by Rev. Anson Tuthill, who labored with the church a number of years.
In 1827, Rev. David Bernard became pastor, and con- tinned three years. A large number of members were dismissed this year to form the church in Gainesville. We give from Elder Morrill's sketch, the following extract, ver- batim:
"During the pastorate of Elder Bernard, the church dedi- cated its first house of worship, which they occupied twenty years. Previous to this, the church had worshiped in barns and in school-houses. Here were achieved some of the most glorious victories of Divine grace recorded in its history; and the memories of these humble sanctuaries of the Lord are cherished by many hallowed associations.
David Largo. Sketch.p.258.
193
BAPTIST CIIURCII.
" During his pastorate, too, the church was greatly agitated by the Masonic troubles, with which many of the churches in this region were disturbed. The difficulty, however, was finally settled by the adoption of the article on Free-Masonry inserted in the Minutes of the Genesee Association for 1828.
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.