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 2
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The second pastor of the church was Rev. Evert J. Blekkink, who had served the churches at Lishas Kill, Cobleskill and Lawyers- ville, and who came to Amsterdam in 1894 and remained thro most of 1899, doing a splendid fundamental work in the field. Mr. Blek- kink went next to Kalamazoo, Mich., from which place he was called to Holland, Mich. in 1905, and after a brief pastorate here was made Professor of Theology in the Western Theological Seminary at Hol- land, Mich. Rev. Blekkink's son, Rev. Victor Blekkink is now pastor of the Canajoharie church (cf). Rev. Charles W. Van Zee came to the church from Freehold, N. J. in 1900, and after remaining a little less than three years went to High Bridge, N. J. in which pastorate he died, August 16, 1903. He was succeeded by Rev. Howard R. Furbeck, son of Rev. Philip Furbeck (cf Fonda), who was ordained by the Montgomery Classis and installed over the church in 1901. He remained but a year and a little more, going next to Rensselaer, and is now at Annandale, N. J.
The fifth pastor at Trinity was Rev. W. N. P. Dailey, who had had pastorates at Albany 3d and Athens before coming to Amster- dam. His first work had been as a missionary under the Presby- terian church in Utah. In his years at Trinity the church grew by bounds, the building was completed, the Board relieved from aiding in pastor's salary, the several organizations perfected, and the various work of the church established. Members of the consistory at the time of building the church were, besides the pastor, elders Harvey S. Vossler, Edward O. Bartlett, Levi M. Strong, H. O. Wilkie and John H. Wilkie, and deacons Fred W. Rogge, Jas. Lindsay, Charles McGovern, Wm. B. Greene, and Peter R. Van Valkenburgh. One of the members of the church, Charles E. Fick was the contractor, who wrought his best into the structure, an edifice of beauty and stability. Fred W. Rogge who administered the finances of this $25,000 addition deserves special mention. The cost of the addition was four-fifths met at dedication. The church is one of the finest of
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any denomination in the Mohawk valley, and its completion marked the dawn of a new era in its history. After a pastorate of more than eight years, the longest in the church to date, Mr. Dailey was per- suaded to take up the Missionary work of the Montgomery Classis, which he did in November, 1911, in which work he is still engaged. His successor was Rev. J. Harvey Murphy of Philadelphia, Pa., who came to the church in February, 1912, and has pushed forward the work of the organization, until today Trinity is one of the strongest of the churches of the Classis of Montgomery.
AURIESVILLE REFORMED CHURCH
Auriesville was for- merly called "Auries Creek," and there are many references to the place both in the coun- ty records as well as in the State's documents. Tradition tells us that the name is a corrup- tion of the Indian word "Ograckie," which is found in the Fonda records as a boundary line in the Shucksburg Patent of 10,000 acres which was on both sides of Auries Hill in the town of Glen. We are also told of an old Indian, by name "Aurie," which is the Dutch for Adrien or Aaron, who lived near the mouth of the creek, after whom the place was called. In N. Y. Doc. History in a list of King's County assessments, dated 1675, the name "Arie" appears as a Christian name six times, and "Ariaen" once. Doubtless the name came from some settler bearing the Christian name of "Arie," since changed to "Aurie" who lived near the place about the beginning of the eighteenth century. "Ograckie" has no meaning of itself, but is probably a corruption of the word Osarakie, which means "at the beaver dam." The word occurs in the John Scott Patent (1722) as a boundary point. Auries- ville is the supposed site of the lower Mohawk Castle, which Domine Megapolensis, in his visit in 1664 called, "Asseru," and which Father Jogues called "Osseru." When Arent Van Corlaer visited the place in 1655 he found the name of the ruling sachem to be "Adriochten." The word Aurie or Arie is the Dutch for Adrien or Adrianus, the meaning of which is the "sea." Here near Auriesville Father Jogues was killed by the Indians in 1646. Gen. John S. Clark after an ex- haustive study approved the location of this Papal shrine, but since this approval the Arent Van Curler Journal has come to light with much data that might change this determination. At Auriesville the Mohawks had their castle from 1635 thro 1666, at the close of the latter year being driven out by the French and settling across the
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river at Caughnawaga where they remained until 1693, when the French again drove them away, the tribe going to the west side of the mouth of the Schoharie creek.
The Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Auriesville was or- ganized March 19, 1839, under the title of "The Second Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the town of Glen, Montgomery County." The trustees elected on March 19 were John C. Servoss, Henry C. Cady, David Wood, Erastus Holmes, and Abraham V. Putman. Henry C. Cady gave the land for the church, adjoining the old ceme- tery and the edifice was built by Peter Wiles. The Dutch church of Albany gave a $100 toward this. The first consistory was John C. Servoss and Erastus Holmes, elders, ordained by Rev. Jukes in No- vember, 1839. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Chas. Jukes who was born in England in 1788 and came to this country in 1830. His first charges were in the Presbyterian churches of Edinburgh and the Fish House, and, later, he was pastor for five years of the Presby- terian church at Amsterdam. His first work in the Reformed church was at Glen to which he came in 1839, the year of the organization. He preached here for nearly five years, going in the latter part of 1844 to the collegiate pastorate of Ephratah and Stone Arabia, where he remained until 1850, in which year he entered the work of the Rotterdam church near Pattersonville, where he died in 1862. It was during Jukes pastorate that the church was built which was burned in 1876. Some of the descendants of Rev. Jukes are living in Fulton county. From July, 1845, to October, 1846, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Douw Van Olinda, pastor at Fonda (cf).
The second pastor at Auriesville was Rev. Garret L. Roof, who followed Jukes after an interim of a couple of years and was or- dained and installed over the church December 1, 1846. Leaving Auriesville in 1850 he became the first pastor of the newly organized church at Port Jackson, now the First Reformed church of Amster- dam. On the occasion of the fifty-sixth anniversary of the Battle of Stone Arabia (October 19, 1780), and the erection of a monument to the memory of Col. John Brown, who lost his life in that battle, Mr. Roof made a brilliant oration. This was on October 19, 1836. His pastorate at Amsterdam ended in April, 1855, and his next church was at West Troy (Watervliet) where he remained from 1855 thro 1864, when he accepted a call to the Lowville Presbyterian church which he served for ten years. He now retired from the active ministry, residing at Troy, where he died in 1891. The records speak of a Rev. I. P. Burnham being called September 30, 1851. When called to the ministry Mr. Roof had already been practicing law at Canajoharie for a decade or more. Nothing further is known of him except that he came to the church in some capacity. During his supply the church voted to quit the denomination and join the "Old School Presbyterian Church of Albany," but a later consistory repudiated this action. From 1854 thro 1855 Rev. Adam H. Van Vranken of Glen supplied the pulpit, and from 1858 thro 1860 the Rev. Ransford Wells of Fultonville did the same.
The next minister was Rev. John Nott, son of Rev. Dr. Nott (President of Union College for sixty-three years). Mr. Nott taught at Union for nearly a quarter of a century, and then, for more than ten years served the 2d Rotterdam ("Cobblestone") church, after
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which he spent some years in the south. Returning in 1861 he took up his residence at Fonda and began a supply work at Auriesville which lasted for upwards of seventeen years, or until 1878, the year of his death. In 1875 Hon. John H. Starin of Fultonville gave the church organ, and in 1876, when the church burned, be gave $500 toward rebuilding. The new church cost $3,180, and was dedicated December 6, 1876. Rev. Joseph P. Dysart of the Glen church (cf) began to supply the pulpit in September, 1878, continuing for three months.
Rev. Francis M. Kip was the next supply (cf Fultonville), com- ing in 1879 and remaining thro a part of 1883, serving for a while after he had resigned his charge in Fultonville. His next and last field of work was Harlingen, N. J., where he spent twenty years in the active ministry. He died in 1911. Rev. John C. Boyd of the Fonda church (cf) was the next supply. He began in 1884 and con- tinued until 1899. He died October 12, 1901. Mr. J. Abrew Smith, formerly at Fort Herkimer (cf) supplied the church in 1900, and Rev. J. H. Enders (cf Chittenango) in 1901, and Rev. John P. Faber, who had been a pastor at Stuyvesant Falls (1899-1901), and was pursuing a course of medicine at Albany, supplied the pulpit in 1902, while living at Auriesville. He is now a resident physician at Schenectady. Rev. Peter A. Wessels began a supply in 1903 which continued till 1909 when Rev. E. J. Meeker of the Glen church began to fill the pulpit and remained until November, 1914, when he accepted a call to the Lodi church. Mr. Wessels' first work was in the western missionary fields, followed by a two year pastorate at Columbia (cf). Next he went to South Glens Falls and in 1903 took up the work at Auriesville. W. H. Kroeger, a layman, now supplies.
CANAJOHARIE REFORMED CHURCH
The name of the town, often found spelled "Canajohie," is In- dian, and is said to mean "whirl- ing stone" or "stone in the pot." A writer of more than a half century ago speaks of seeing deep bowls at the foot of a cascade half a mile from the village where large stones were whirled around at a rapid rate. Other Indian names as Cayuga and Niagara are smoother of pronunciation but even Canajo- harie is preferable to Cato or Homer or Manlius or Pompey. The Dutch who clung to the In- dian outwitted the Yankee who copied the Roman and Greek. The Indians called the hill on which the Canajoliarie castle was built, "Ta- ragh-jo-res" ("hill of health"). The village was incorporated in 1829 and was locally known as "Roof's Village." At this time, and for
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many years, Judge Alfred Conkling (father of Senator Roscoe Conk- ling) was the leading legal light of the community. He was a Rep- resentative in the XVII Congress (1821-1823). While Canajoharie is not identical in any way with the old and former "Sand Hill" church (1750-1838) still it may be rightfully regarded as a suc- cessor to it. In the call to Rev. John Wack, the last of the "Sand Hill" ministers that church is called "The Canajoharie Church." But Canajoharie must share any such honor with Fort Plain, if, indeed, we must not put the latter first in the line of direct descent, even tho this church was organized a few years previously. The "Sand Hill" church is treated of under the "extinct" churches of the Classis. The first permanent religious work in this village was that of the Dutch church. Rev. John J. Wack of the "Sand Hill" organization raised funds with which to build what he called a "Union Church," but it was expressly stipulated that while all denominations might use this building for worship the Methodists and Universalists were forever debarred. Wack probably had some personal grudge against these two non-union denominations. The church was built on what is now the tow-path of the Erie Canal in the year 1808. Canajoharie at the time was a community of half a hundred houses. A Rev. George B. Miller, a school teacher in the village (afterwards a Hart- wick Seminary professor) used to preach in this Union church. This was during his residence here, from 1818 to 1827, tho Dominy Wack of the Dutch church at "Sand Hill" and others also held forth tor years before this.
When the Reformed church was organized in 1827 they began to use this building. Items of cost of repairs to the same appear in the records. The organization was effected at the house of Gerrit A. Lansing who with Silas Stillwell, Henry Loucks, and John Cornue were made the first consistory. Others present at the meeting were Jacob Hees, John Cooper, John W. Wemple, and Jacob Gray. Mr. Cornue, soon after this left the village and Simeon H. Calhoun, who later became a missionary at Mt. Lebanon, Syria, was elected in his place. After using this "Union Church" for ten years, while likely other denominations also used it, the Lutherans came into real posses- sion of it, and the Reformed church found itself compelled to build, as did likewise the Methodist church, both of whom built in 1841. The church built by the Methodists, near the modern Beechnut plant, was destroyed by fire January 2, 1915, and rebuilt the same year. The Reformed church was dedicated on March 10, 1842, Rev. Dr. Wyckoff of the Second Albany church preaching the sermon. The Sunday school work was begun with the organization of the church. Later there was a union Sunday school work carried on by the Dutch church and that of the Methodists who, until 1841 were on the south side of the river at Palatine Bridge.
The next record of incorporation is dated October 7, 1841, and herein are the names of John Frey, John A. Ehle, and Elisha W. Bige- low. John Frey was the grandson of Hendrick Frey, the first settler on the north side of the Mohawk in Montgomery county and who built a log house at Palatine Bridge in 1700. John A. Ehle was a decendant of Rev. Ehle (Oel) the missionary to the Mohawks who lived in what is now called Fort Ehle (near Fort Plain). The in- corporation record states that "the church was organized, establish- ed and in continuous operation since 1827."
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It is interesting to note the apparent religious awakening (not to say sectarian) about Canajoharie at this time, as evidenced in church organizations. The county clerk's records show the follow- ing incorporations,-"Second Methodist" (1838), "Methodist" (1840), "Dutch Reformed' and "English Lutheran" (1841), "German Luther- an" (1844), and the "St. Polycarp P. E." (1852), later changed to the "Good Shepherd." This was just prior to the erection of the stone edifice (1841) while the church was pastorless. John Frey (father of S. L. Frey) gave the land for the church. A third incorporation is found, recorded September 24, 1867, this patterned after that of the Second Dutch church of Albany, which a number of the churches in the valley in those days followed. After the building of the par- sonage by Rev. George Davis in 1912, a fourth incorporation was effected. In other places of this record mention is made not only of the old original Canajoharie church at "Sand Hill," but as well to the Canajoharie Seceding church (1822-1842), and the Canajoharie Inde- pendent church of 1816, which was finally merged into the "Wycko- fite" church, and also to the "Wyckofite" or "True Reformed" church which was incorporated May 26, 1825, and of the "Reformed Cal- vinistic" church which was incorporated May 8, 1806.
The present Canajoharie church was organized in 1827 when the town embraced a large area on the south side of the river. The church was gathered together by Rev. Douw Van Olinda (later pastor at Caughnawaga) who was also preaching at the same time at Maple- town and the original Sprakers church. He supplied Canajoharie for four years. Van Olinda was born near by, in the town of Charles- ton (1800), and spent nearly his whole ministry in the Montgomery Classis. After leaving Canajoharie he served New Paltz for a decade or more, then returning to Caughnawaga (1844-1858) where he died while pastor. In 1830 the Rev. Ransford Wells became the first pastor at Canajoharie. In the first year sixty members were received. Wells was called to the Nassau church in August, 1832, but declined, tho a year later, in October, 1833, he left the field for Newark, N. J. After an absence of a quarter of a century he returned to the Montgomery Classis for a ten year ministry at Fultonville (cf). He died March 4, 1889, at the age of eighty-four. Dr. Wells' son, Theodore W. Welles has been in the Reformed ministry for half a century, and is now living at Paterson, N. J. He was licensed by this Classis.
The second pastor was Rev. Richard D. Van Kleek (1834-1836) who had been a teacher for a few years, and after leaving this field returned to this work for the rest of his life. He died in 1870 in Jersey City, N. J. Rev. Samuel Robertson was his successor (1836- 1839) who went next to Schoharie and spent the last twenty years of his ministry in missionary work in the west. He died in 1869. At this time the village came into possible prominence thro the Cat- skill and Canajoharie Railroad incorporated in 1830 and built as far as Cooksburg at a cost of $400,000. But in 1842 it was abandoned and the track taken up.
Rev. Edward Osborne Dunning came from the Rome Congrega- tional church in 1842 and remained thro most of 1845. This with Rome (1840-1841) were his only charges. Leaving this field he be- gan a work of many years with the American Bible Society in the Southern states. During the Civil War he was a chaplain stationed at Cumberland, Md. During the last few years of his life he was
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interested in the exploration of ancient mounds in various parts of the south. Since leaving Canajoharie he had always made New Haven, Ct. (his birthplace), his residence. Here he died March 23, 1874. Rev. Jas. McFarlane of Rosendale was the next pastor (1845- 1848). After two other pastorates in the Reformed church he en- tered the Presbyterian ministry. He died in 1871. The bell was bought in 1846 but cracked with use, and in having it re-cast by the Meneeleys they were directed to change its tone so it could be dis- tinguished from the Lutheran or Methodist bell. Rev. John DeWitt was next installed as pastor in 1848 and remained thro the following year. On leaving here he went to Millstone, N. J., from which church he was called to a professoriate at New Brunswick Seminary which he held for thirty years. He was a member of the Old Testament Revision Committee.
Rev. Nathan F. Chapman came next (1850-1854), his first charge, and went from this field to Plattekill. He died in 1893 at Saugerties. He was followed in the pastorate by Rev. Eben S. Hammond who served the church as stated supply during 1854 thro 1856 in which latter year he went to the Columbia church for a few years (cf). He died in 1873, May 24. In 1856 a U. S. dime was officially de- clared the seal of the church. Rev. Alonzo Welton supplied the pulpit from October, 1856, to February, 1857, and then was called, but declined. Rev. Benj. F. Romaine who had been editor of the "American Spectator" (Albany) for fifteen years began a supply of the pulpit in 1857 and after a year or more accepted a call, was installed, and continued with the church until October, 1862. His last work was as secretary of the Colonization Society of Ohio. He died in 1874. During Romaine's pastorate (1858) the church was renovated through- out, the galleries removed, the pulpit changed from the south end to the north and the seats reversed. The cloth covering the pulpit, the gift of the North Dutch church of Albany (recently repaired) was originally given to the latter church by the family of Patroon Van Rensselaer. Venerable mantle! what theology, what sympathy, what Gospel, it must have supported thro a century or more of use. Following this pastorate of Romaine came Rev. Benjamin Van Zandt who had served Presbyterian churches for a few years. His mind seemed particuarly attuned to the letter of the constitution, and Canajoharie was truly "disciplined" while he was pastor (1862-1869). His next church was at Leeds, and the last seventeen years of his life he spent at Catskill. He died in 1895 at the age of 86.
Rev. Richard R. Williams was the next pastor (1870-1883), one of the few longest of the pastorates and one of the most successful. He came from Union Seminary and was ordained by the Classis and in- stalled over the church in 1870. He was forty-five years a member of this Classis. Leaving the field he took up literary work, becoming editor, as he was owner of Iron Age until his death in 1915. Rev. Dr. Pearse united in 1873, making these men long termers in Montgomery. Rev. John A. Lansing supplied the pulpit after Williams' leaving and until his death in July, 1884. Rev. Francis S. Haines, another Union Seminary man, was ordained by Montgomery Classis in 1884 and served the church for eight years. During his ministry two hun- dred and sixty-one members were received. Later Mr. Haines re- entered the Presbyterian ministry. On leaving Canajoharie he be- came pastor at Easton, Pa., and in 1903 began work at Goshen, N. Y.
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Rev. Mark A. Denman came to Canajoharie in 1891 from the Ganesvoort church and remained thro a part of 1896. For some years Mr. Denman has been engaged in business at Springfield, Mass. On leaving Canajoharie he became pastor of the Chatham church, then went to a Brooklyn pastorate, and next to the Springfield Memorial church. He has written an informing "History of the Republic of Honduras." Rev. Joseph D. Peters was called in October, 1897, and served the church for twelve years. Since leaving the field he has done fine work in the First Hoboken church (N. J.). Rev. George Davis came in 1911 and died while pastor, in March, 1914. Mr. Davis is remembered as a faithful pastor and a prodigous student. Follow- ing Mr. Davis, Rev. Victor J. Blekkink of Long Branch, N. J., came to the church in October, 1914. Mr. Blekkink is the son of the Rev. Dr. Blekkink, Professor of Theology in the Western Theological Semin- ary (Holland, Mich.), a former pastor at Trinity of Amsterdam.
CICERO REFORMED CHURCH
The town of Cicero, which is in Onondaga County, ten miles from Syracuse, near South Bay, was formed in 1807. A Presbyterian church was organized here (1819) of which Rev. Jas. Shepard was the pastor and from which at the inception of the Re- formed Dutch church work, members were received by letter. The first religious work done in the community was probably by the Dutch church, since Rev. Jacob Sickles while the pastor o f the Kinderhook
church (1801-1835) was sent by the Domestic Board to this community to arrange for gospel work. This was in September, 1803, and Sickles' destination was Fort Brewerton, four miles to the north of Cicero (then called "Cody's Corners"). But on the way he stopped at Trask's Tavern and services were held in Aaron Bellows' cooper shop. This place was about three miles south of Cicero. Services which resulted in the formation of the Dutch church had been held for some time in the village, the preaching being done by men of the Cayuga Classis as Yates of Chittenango, and Evans of Owasco, and Abeel of Geneva. Acting on the authority of Classis (Cayuga) the three mentioned met on November 12, 1835 and organized the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Cicero. There were thirty-one charter members, and these chose for the first consistory, Lot Hamilton, Peter Colyer, Henry Nobles, Elders, and Isaac Cody, Daniei Van Hoesen, Peter Dominic, Asher Smith, deacons.
At the organization a church was already in process of construc- tion for conveyance was given March 5, 1836. For sometime Rev.
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William Evans supplied the pulpit, for which he was paid $35 month- ly. His service was continued thro 1838. During 1839 a Rev. Oren Hyde supplied the pulpit. He lived at Fayetteville for thirty years. On November 29, 1840, Rev. Amos W. Seely, who later sup- plied Frankfort, came from the Hillsdale, N. Y. Presbyterian church to begin his pastorate, tho he was not installed until September 21, 1841. Mr. Seely did splendid work, his records being remarkable for their neatness and care. He remained five years. He died September 12, 1865, at Brooklyn, N. Y., after a retirement of ten years. Rev. William E. Turner, the pastor at Arcadia, supplied the pulpit and looked after the church during most of 1845. During 1846 and 1847, Rev. Truman Baldwin was the supply. At this time, tho the Board of Domestic Missions had aided the church, there was a movement to join the Onondaga Presbytery with the thot that a closer touch with a denomination that was strong in the vicinity, might relieve it of the financial distress. On the first Sunday of August, 1848, the Rev. John Liddell, who had just finished a decade of work in the Lodi church (cf), began to supply the pulpit and continued thro 1849. He died is 1850.
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