USA > New York > Orange County > Montgomery > The history of Montgomery classis, R.C.A. To which is added sketches of Mohawk valley men and events of early days, the Iroquois, Palatines, Indian missions, etc > Part 10
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China, in being the founder of the colleges for women in America, and of starting the movement for Christian education and theological study in Japan. Corwin's Manual gives a most interesting account of Mr. Brown's life. It was while he was princi- pal of a school at Rome that Dr. Brown accepted the call to the Owasco Outlet church. He bought a farm near by and on it establish- ed a school in order to increase his stipend for living. The school flourished, the church waxed strong, a new edifice was built in 1855, a movement was started by him which resulted in the founding of the "Elmira Female College," the first of its kind in America. Rev. Dr. Griffes has written biographies of both Brown and Verbeck. John Garretson, who from his graduation at New Brunswick in 1826, devoted himself to the missionary movement and who served the Board of Domestic Missions for ten years (1849-1859) as Correspond- ing Secretary, succeeded Dr. Brown in the Owasco Outlet church in 1861 and remained thro 1864. The present parsonage ground was bought in 1862 (the old property having been sold in 1854 for $1,400) for $1,250, and a new parsonage built for $1,100. The church cost $6,000. Under his secretaryship the Holland immigration took place (1847-1852), and Mr. Garretson's leadership enabled the Board to make great progress in the west. His last service was as Rector of Hertzog Hall in which position he died in 1875. Rev. John V. N. Schenck came in 1865 and after three years went to Pompton Plains, N. J., in which pastorate he died in 1874. He was followed in the church by Rev. Henry S. Huntington, a Presbyterian minister who filled the pulpit in 1870 and 1871. On leaving the Owasco Outlet church Mr. Huntington became pastor of the Calvary Presbyterian church of Auburn, later going to Caldwell on Lake George. In 1881 he entered the Episcopal church. He died December 22, 1895. A son, George, is rector of the Niles (Mich.) P. E. church, and a younger son, David C. is archdeacon of Western Michigan.
Rev. W. A. Rice preached here during 1871-1873, and Rev. Artemas Dean from 1873 thro 1875. Mr. Dean's previous ministry of twenty-five years had been in the Congregational church. After leaving Owasco Mr. Dean had two pastorates at High Bridge, N. J., and at the Palisades church. He resides at Mt. Carmel, Pa. Rev. G. A. Mckinley supplied the pulpit from 1886 thro 1887 and Egbert C. Lawrence (cf Thousand Isles) during 1878 (both Auburn men), and Rev. Charles Anderson, a Presbyterian, from 1879 thro 1883, after a pastorate of thirty years in Sennet Presb. church; he died in 1900; and Rev. R. R. H. Dexter (Presb.), 1884 thro 1887, and who died in 1890, and Rev. Hervey D. L. Leland from 1888 thro 1889. Mr. Leland was allowed to demit the ministry by the Montgomery Classis in the Fall of 1912. Rev. Charles Maar became the pastor of the Owasco Outlet church on his graduation from Auburn, and was ordained by the Montgomery Classis and installed over the church in 1892, and remained until 1893 when he took up the work in the new Second Reformed church of Syracuse (cf). Rev. Frank A. Force was called to the church from Gallupville in 1895 and remained about four years, going to the Cortlandtown church at Montrose, N. Y. He is at present pastor of the Gallatin church at Mt. Ross, N. Y. Rev. Ephraim W. Florence succeeded Mr. Force, coming in 1899 and re- maining thro 1902, going to the Currytown church (cf) in that year, from which he went in 1905 to the Philmont, N. Y. church. He has been
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living in Canada for some years now, serving the church of England. Rev. Ira Van Allen, who has served the Montgomery Classis at Mo- hawk (1892-1898-cf) was pastor of the church during 1890 and 1891, just before the coming of Mr. Maar. After leaving Mohawk, Mr. Van Allen gave up the work of the active pastorate, and now for more than ten years he has been supplying the vacant pulpit of the Owasco Outlet church. Rev. Mr. Dean in 1875, and Rev. Mr. Maar in 1893, wrote histories of the church.
SPRAKERS REFORMED CHURCH
In Revolutionary times this place was called "Keder's Rift" but about the year 1800 it became known as "Wester- lo." Still later, because of the prominence in the community of Major Yost Spraker, it re- ceived the name of "Sprakers Basin," which has for many years been abbreviated into its present form. The people of the community were in the habit of going to "Sand Hill" for service until about 1790 when meetings began to be held in the homes of the people by the nearby pastors. On October 29, 1796, at a pub- lic gathering a Reformed Protestant Dutch church was organized under the direction of the pastor at Fonda, Rev. Abraham Van Horne, who installed these officers: Elders, Andrew Michel and Daniel Cornue, and Rynier Van Evera, and Deacons William Bell- inger, Jacob Ehle, and Joseph Van Ingen. In 1803 John Roseboom and Peter Quackenbush were the elders and William Bellinger and Wessel Cornue were the deacons. In 1805 Rev. John C. Toll had come into the work. In 1806 Andrew Mitchell gave land for the building of the new church contemplated. But just as soon as plans were laid for Westerlo then Currytown wanted a church too, unless Westerlo would build at Currytown. The division was unfortunate at the time to both communities. But Westerlo went ahead and the new church was built in 1807. In 1814 it was proposed to move the church to Canajoharie-a geographical term which included a large area, sometimes on both sides of the river. The minutes extant of the Westerlo church are not carried beyond 1824, but Rev. Isaac Labagh, a later supply and pastor, recorded many statistics in the Lawyersville church of which he was at the same time pastor. The period was one in which the "Wyckofites" were eager to do battle, and Rev. Toll and others were drawn into the secession, and when they could not take their church with them they went off and started a "True Reformed Church."
For nearly a score of years the Sprakers church was supplied, Rev. Douw Van Olinda who had nearby fields, often preaching here.
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It was not until Mr. Romaine came to Canajoharie that definite plans were carried out for the reorganization of the church in 1858. It was incorporated April 9, 1858. The first pastor, Rev. E. Vine Wales (1859-1861) came from the Otsego Presbytery. He died in Oneonta where he had lived since 1865. Succeeding him in 1861, Rev. Nanning Bogardus remained until 1866. This was his last pastorate. He had been in Fort Plain twenty-five years before this. Rev. Benjamin Van Zant of Canajoharie supplied the church for two or three years. In 1869 Rev. David K. Van Doren was called and remained until 1873, preaching also at Currytown. He went to the Third Reformed Church of Albany and had later pastorates at Schuylerville, Scotia, Middle- burgh and New Salem. He died in 1908. The next pastor was Rev. Edward G. Ackerman (1874-1878), who also served Currytown. He died in 1899. Rev. James M. Compton supplied the pulpit from 1878 thro 1883 (cf Ephratah). Rev. John Minor came in 1884 and remained a couple of years (1884-1885). Rev. John Thomson was ordained by the Classis in 1887 and installed over the churches of Sprakers and Stone Arabia, and was here for five years (1887-1902).
Rev. James B. Campbell was called to the church in 1903 and staid until 1906. Tho a New Brunswick graduate, Mr. Campbell had about equally divided his ministry between the Reformed and Presby- terian bodies. He came to Sprakers from the Shawnee (Pa.) Presby. Church and on leaving went to the Raritan, Ill. church, and next to Port Jervis, where he died in 1911, as pastor of that church. A man of rare spirit, evangelistic, and of great power of prayer. His son, Rev. Donald Campbell, became a Congregational minister and when pastor of the Schodack Reformed church, demitted the ministry. Rev. C. V. W. Bedford was the stated supply at Sprakers and Curry- town in 1909, and served the church for nearly four years. He went next to Hagaman (cf). The present pastor of the church is Rev. Harry A. Eliason, who supplying the pulpit for a year or more, was licensed and ordained by the Classis and installed over Sprakers and Currytown on July 14, 1914.
ST. JOHNSVILLE REFORMED CHURCH
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St. Johnsville was, doubtless, settled as soon as Stone Arabia of which it was originally a part, that is in 1725. For a long time the place was called "Timmer- man's" after the first settlers. Simms say the present name comes from Alexander St. John, a pioneer surveyor, but this is conjectural since the church was called "St. John" long before the village was named St. Johnsville. The date of the or- ganization of the church has al- ways been placed as 1770, but inasmuch as a church Said to be as early as 1756 (N. Y. Doc. Hist.) we are inclined to give
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the date as 1750, while there is no reason to think that the Germans who settled here in 1725 did any different from those who settled at the same time at Stone Arabia or German Flatts who organized the church as soon as they settled. We are indebted for much of this history of St. Johnsville to the orderly type written transcript of the church records by R. W. Vosburgh, archivist of the. New York Genea- logical and Biographical Society, who has illuminated the story. by research in the county and state records concerning the same. St. John's church was within the limits of the Palatine (Stone Arabia) district of Montgomery county, a part of which in 1838 became the town of St. Johnsville. The Francis Harrison patent of 12,000 acres was obtained of the Indians in 1722, and a year later the entire tract was partitioned off, the first church having been built on Lot. No. 13, owned by George C. and Jacob Klock (cf Bk. Deeds 48, 213). There are traditions that both Christian and George Klock built the first church in 1756. The Capitol fire destroyed priceless historical documents which would verify and illumine much of the history of the Mohawk valley churches. This George Klock is often mentioned in the Sir William Johnson correspondence but always for his in- terference with the church services and work, and particularly for his inimical attitude toward Domine Lappius, and his deceit toward the Indians. The earliest written record extant of the church is in the form of a receipt bearing date of January 4, 1805. Jacob G. Klock who gave this receipt was the son of George Klock the elder, owner of lot 16 of the Harrison patent, thro which Klock's Creek flowed. Letters of administration of this George Klock were granted October 19, 1795 to his two sons, Jacob G. and George G. Klock. What is known as "Klock's Church," probably erected in 1786 in the Klock private burying ground, was the work of George Klock (the son of George Klock, the elder) and Col. Jacob Klock. It was built after the Indian raid of 1780, the church being incorporated March 13, 1787, the title being, "The Reformed Calvinist Church." The burying ground of this so-called "Klock's Church" occupied the central por- tion of the eight acre lot shown on the inap dated 1842. Undoubtedly the first services at St. Johnsville were conducted by the nearby pastors, Schuyler of Stone Arabia and Weiss and Rosencrantz of German Flatts (cf). The usual belief is that the first church was built in 1770, but we know of the 1756 building, probably the initial structure. The first settled pastor at St. Johnsville was Rev. John Henry Dysslin. He was a Swiss, born in Burgdorf, Canton Berne, of the nobility. Gathering his "goods" together he left home, was shipwrecked and lost all but his life which he vowed to God if saved from the sea. Brot to New York City he then returned home, was educated for the ministry, and came back to New York and served the German churches at St. Johnsville and Manheim (1788-1812). Local tradition says that Mr. Dysslin was buried (died in 1812) be- neath the pulpit of Klock's church, but this can hardly be since the Klock church was taken down long before Mr. Dysslin's death, and had not been used since the organization removed to the village. About a hundred graves are still visible in the old cemetery, the last in- terment taking place in 1847. One stone is supposed to mark the grave of Hendrick Klock the pioneer settler who died in 1760, aged ninety-two. Rev. John Taylor mentions the church in recounting his missionary travels in 1802, and speaks of Mr. Dozly (Dysslin) as
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the German pastor. For the first two years Mr. Dysslin's salary was $117, with use of glebe lands, etc. The third year he was paid $119, and a receipt dated June 12, 1810, shows that for two years they paid him $120. Additional payments were in wood, wheat, and labor in plowing the land. Mr. Dysslin married a daughter of Col. Jacob Klock, by whom he had five daughters and two sons whose descendents still live in the community, among whom are the Dysslins, Beekmans, Klocks, Bauders, Nellis, et al.
St. John's church in St. Johnsville is one mile west of Klock's church site. The old church was torn down in 1818. Originally there was a glebe land of seven acres connected with the present property, the burial grounds of the church being the westerly end of this glebe and extending on both sides of Zimmerman's creek. References to this church land at Fonda are plentiful. The land originally belonged to Jacob Zimmerman (written also Timmerman), and as far back as 1792 payments were made on it. The work had not progressed on the new church in the village until 1803, at which time John L. Bellinger became treasurer. In 1804 the seats were sold, among the buyers being W. I. Walrath, Andrew Zabriskie, Wm. Shaver, Fredk. Bellinger, Jacob J. Failing, Fredk. Getman, Peter Storms, Conrad Hellecoos, John Euker, Henry Beekman, Catharine Windocker, John C. House, Peter Kels, and John Kring. The church was completed June 1, 1804, during the pastorate of John Dysslin (who was al- so the pastor at Canajoharie Castle (Indian Castle). The first par- sonage stood near the center of the glebe lot, and Rev. De Voe was the first pastor to occupy it. Mr. Dysslin remaining in the Klock church parsonage, or house, which Mrs. Dysslin had inherited from Col. Jacob Klock. Prior to February 11, 1829, St. John's church was an independent German Reformed body, tho served by a member of the Classis of Montgomery, which Classis had installed Mr. De Voe over the churches of St. John's of Oppenheim and of St. Paul's at Manheim (received by Classis in 1822). After Mr. Dysslin's death the church was supplied for a while by Rev. John J. Wack (cf "Sand Hill") who was then at Stone Arabia. Rev. David De Voe came to St. John's in 1816 and remained until 1830. Mr. De Voe joined the Montgomery Classis in 1813, and preached at Beaverdam and Middleburgh. While pastor at St. Johnsville, Mr. De Voe organized churches at Fayette, Seneca county, and at Le Roy, Jefferson county. His last work was at Columbia (cf) and Warren (Herkimer county) during 1834 thro 1837, tho he did some missionary work in Lewis county (Turin) until 1841. He died in 1844.
Rev. Abraham H. Myers came to St. Johnsville in August, 1830, from the Seminary and remained a year. He also supplied Man- heim (cf) later (1848-1852). Rev. Herman B. Stryker was the next pastor who came in February, 1833, remaining thro May, 1834. On his graduation from the Seminary in 1822 he had done some mission- ary work at Johnsburgh and Warrensburgh (Warren county). He was also in the Union church, Amsterdam (1827-1832) from which he went to Glenville. After a retirement from the active work for twenty years he died, December 11, 1871, following a decade of work at the Huguenot church of Staten Island. Rev. James Murphey succeeded, remaining from June, 1834, to July, 1837, when he went to the dual pastorate at Herkimer (cf). He died while supplying Frankfort (1854- 1857). Rev. A. H. Myers returned for a second pastorate and re-
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mained seven years (1837-1844). He died at the age of eighty-five in 1886 and was buried at Port Ewen. Rev. Joseph Knieskern came next in May, 1845, and remained until September, 1872. In 1848, $2,000 was spent in repairs on the church. Mr. Knieskern also supplied Manheim and Indian Castle. For some years after leaving this field he supplied the Virgil Presbyterian church. A cold caught at a funeral at St. Johnsville so affected his voice as to render him almost unfit for pulpit service. He died at Cortland, September 7, 1895. Rev. Edward Lodewick was the eighth pastor, remaining a little over three years (1872-1875). He was ordained by the Montgomery Classis. His next charge was in the Pascack, N. J. church. He died at Bound Brook, N. J., September 14, 1909. During this pastorate the glebe land was sold, several acres, on both sides of the creek, for $6,025. The church debts were paid and the rest of the proceeds went into the new parsonage which cost $3,400. The bodies were removed from the glebe land to the village cemetery. Rev. George Van Neste came in September, 1875, and remained a little more than three years. He died in 1898. He had been pastor at Lodi (cf) for a dozen years. Other pastorates followed this field at Kiskatom and Flatbush, and one at Pottersville, N. J. He was the father of Elder Abra Van Nest who gave Van Next Halt w Rutgers College. He was of the seventh generation from Peter Van Nest, who came to Long Island from Holland in 1647. The pulpit was next filled by Rev. Albert Dod Minor (1879-1888), who went next to Mohawk (cf) During Minor's pastorate the present church was built in 1881. Mr. Minor preached an historical sermon, as did his successor, Rev. Philip Furbeck, who gave a great deal of study to the old documents. We have been unable to locate either of these investigations. Mr. Furbeck came in 1888 and remained thro a part of 1893. His brother, George, died October 18, 1851, the year of his graduation at New Brunswick Seminary. Rev. Furbeck's first charge in the Classis was at Fonda (cf). Rev. Charles W. Kenney took up the work in 1893 and left in 1899 to become pastor of the Hobart Presbyterian church. He was later in the Mohawk church (cf). Rev. Orville J. Hogan was next called. He had been at Rocky Hill, N. J. when he came to this field in 1899 and remained here ten years, going to his present charge at Closter, N. J. The present pastor, Rev. Fred- erick Perkins was already in the Montgomery Classis at Lodi, when called to this field in 1909.
Three churches were continuous and collegiate with St. John's at St. Johnsville, the pastors of the latter preaching statedly at Youker's Bush, Canajoharie Castle ("Indian Castle"), and "Snell's Bush (Manheim). Of Youker's Bush it is sufficient to say that it was organized by De Voe in 1821, and from 1830 to 1887 was collegiate with St. Johnsville. The building was erected in 1830 and stood about a mile and a half east of Crum Creek, and half a mile north of the county line. The spot is two and a half miles north of Upper St. Johnsville church, tho never mentioned in the minutes of Classis. In 1857 a new church was built, a mile and a half east from the first Youker's Bush church, and is about three miles north by east of St. Johnsville, and was controlled by the Dutch Reformed church. It paid $225 of Van Neste's salary, and $150 of Minor's salary. About the year 1887 the Reformed services ceased, and later the Grace Christian church of St. Johnsville assumed direction of the services.
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The Canajoharie Castle church was the present Indian Castle church (cf) now standing in the town of Danube. It was erected in 1769 by Sir William Johnson who is said to have personally paid for the whole cost of the same, which was $1,147.50. The church was built for a church of England mission to foster religion among the Indians of the Upper Mohawk castle. Thro the years the Dutch Reformed and German Reformed and Lutherans and Presbyterians have all held services here. The Reformed Dutch church of the Castle was in- corporated about 1800. The Snell's Bush church, called now the Manheim church (cf), is situated in the town of Manheim, midway ated under between St. Johnsville and Little Falls. Before the revolution Suf- lawheim frenus, Peter, Joseph and Jacob Snell of Snell's Bush gave seven acres for. church and twelve acres for school purposes. A church was built but burned during the revolution, and later rebuilt. It stood until 1850 when it was taken down and the present church built. These churches are historically considered elsewhere in this record. 7
STONE ARABIA REFORMED CHURCH
Stone Arabia is sphinx-like in the origin of its name. None of the fanciful theories Stone Arábia about it satisfy. That some of the Palatines had traveled in Arabia Petrae and saw a re- REFORMED CHURCH. STONE ARABIA, NY. semblance in the "Nose" and the low lying hills of the country to that place is mere ORGANIZED ABOUT - 1725- conjecture. The name is variously spelled and misspelled in the church and other records Old Stone Church built in ~17880 thro the nearly two hundred years since the men of the German Palatinate first settled in the valley. One hundred and twenty-seven names are among the first settlers to whom the land was parcelled out. At this time the road on the north side of the Mohawk ended at Cayadutta creek, not far from Fonda, access beyond being only by Indian paths. In 1726 a new road was undertaken, to be built as far as Utica. The land upon which the original Stone Arabia church was built (a log struc- ture) and which stood where the present Lutheran church is now erected, was purchased of one William Coppernoll of Schenectady, the contract being dated Juntary 7, 1729, the deed to be given by April 9, 1731. The deed, however was dated May 29, 1732. It con- sisted of 50 acres for which £100 was to be paid, the other parties to the transaction being Andrew Fink, Warner Diegert, Johannes Schnell, and "all the rest of the proprietors and owners of the Stone Raby patent." In the following year (1733) the people, German Lutherans and German Calvinists, began to build a frame church, on the site of the building now occupied by the church. The foundation had been laid when a controversy arose as to the name by which the church should be known in the future. The Lutherans withdrew from the project and returned to the old log church, while the Re- formed people continued to build. Johannes Schnell and Johannes Krembs were the contractors, having given bonds for £400 to finish the building according to the plans. Five years were spent in build-
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ing, but no record is given of the cost or size of the edifice, nor any view exists of the church, unless, perchance, the ancient, seal illus- supplymg
trates this first church. Rev. Wm. C. Berkenmeyer, pastor & the Patatine Stone Church (1733-1743), Lutheran, writes under date of August 11, 1734, that he had visited Stone Arabia and held services in a church jointly built by the Reformed and Lutherans. This must have been the original church. Under date of February 17, 1745, Rev. Peter Nicolas Sommer in his Journal writes that he had held a service of communion for the Lutherans of Stone Arabia in the barn of Wilhelm Nellis. This shows that the old log structure had already been abandoned, but as yet no Lutheran church had been erected to take its place. Ten years later the Lutherans and the Re- formed people divided equally the 50 acres of Glebe. The release given by the Luthern church to the Reformed church is dated "Twenty-seventh day of March in the seventeenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Sec- ond, over Great Britain, France and Ire- land, King, Defender of the Faith, etc., and in the year of our Lord Christ, one
AN ERST ENTRANCE EXISTED UNTIL 1840
thousand seven hundred and forty-four." It is the oldest and most valuable of the very few papers or records, outside of the books, in. nause the possession of the church. It is signed by Jacob Schnell, Kirk grautore Loux, Wm. Brouer, Laverinus Deigert, Peter Suits, Hendrick Loux! Nicholas Horning, William Coppernoll, Peter Diegert, Harris Schnell, Andreas Fink and Johannes Krems. Each name is differently "sealed" and six are "marked."
This old stone church, and the one at German Flatts (Fort Herkimer) whose foundations were laid almost half a century before it, are among the most remarkable and rarest ecclesiastical buildings to be found in the United States. The elements of time and innovation have not changed their form, except slight improve- ments made necessary within. The same simple but substantial lines of craftsmanship that the builders wrought into these stone Houses of God abide to this day. Ardently we hope that for ages to come they will remain to teach other generations, many yet unborn, of
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