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 6
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Between Weiss' pastorate and the coming of Rev. Abraham Rosencrantz in 1752 was the brother of the latter (given name un- known). Abraham Rosencrantz' refers to his predecessorWas being his brother, while Rev. John A. Wernig who supplied Stone Arabia
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(1751-1753), attributes his coming to America to the influence of this brother, and further states that this brother had just died (1752), and that Abraham Rosencrantz ·had taken up his work, which also included a sort of itinerant missionary work among the German families scattered along the Mohawk between Schoharie and Utica. Excepting a two year pastorate in the German Reformed church of New York (1758-1759) Rosencrantz was at German Flatts (includ- ing his itinerant preaching at Canajoharie, Stone Arabia, etc.) from 1752 to the time of his death in 1796, a period of forty-four years. Rosencrantz was a graduate of a German University and during his time here was justly regarded as the foremost and most learned divine west of Schenectady. The Stone Arabia records show that he served that church at least twelve years, and we are inclined to think many more. From 1760 to 1766 he preached at Middleburgh and Schoharie. From 1765 to 1796 his permanent residence was at German Flatts. His wife was Anna M. Herkimer, a sister of the General, to whose influence it is said that he owed his life, since he was suspected of having Tory feelings. Rev. Rosencrantz had four sons and some daughters. The names of his sons were Henricus J., Georgius, and John Jost Hergheimer, and Nicholas. Nicholas' son Henry had a son, Nicholas, whose daughter, Mrs. Josephine Rosen- crantz is living (1915) at Ogdensburg, N. Y., aged eighty. During the last year or two of the Rosencrantz pastorate, and until the coming of Rev. Pick, the pulpit was supplied by the Rev.Fish, Romax of Queide Rev. D. C. A. Pick was the pastor of German Flatts' for four years May1 799 8017. Before he became pastor, Pick
visited the church and ordained the consistory (1796) for which he received four pounds and sixteen shilling, plus six shilling for re- cording the same. Rev. Caleb Alexander, who visited the valley in 1801 (November), refers to the stone chapel and its Dutch clergyman, who preached every other Sunday (cf Stone Arabia for Pick). At this time Philip Peter Cowder was the schoolmaster and also chorister at the church. From 1798 thro 1803 the name of the church is omitted from the General Synod Minutes.
In the year 1802 the Rev. John P. Spinner assumed the pastorate of German Flatts and continued thro forty-six years. Excepting for the brief stay of Pick this church had had but two pastors in a century. Spinner was born at Werbach, Germany, January 18, 1768, and at twenty-one became a priest in the Roman Catholic church, which office he held for eleven years. He left the Papal church in 1800 and in the following year came to America. Thro the influence of John Jacob Astor he came to German Flatts where for nearly a half century he proved to be the most commanding figure in the community. During Spinner's earlier years the membership of the church was around four hundred (in 1813 he reported three hundred and sixteen), his congregation numbered a thousand, but with changed conditions at Herkimer and other contiguous places the audiences fell off until in the early forties he reports but a few over a hundred. Spinner filled three large books with statistics, aside from the con- sistorial records, LAsomett In 1815 Spinner offered himself to the Domestic Board for Canadian missionary work, but was not accepted owing to his inabiltiy to preach English fluently. The church was almost always in debt to him, and the minutes show constant friction ensuing. In 1836 the church owed him $1,324.10,-
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so exactingly calculating were the financiers of those days, and this indebtedness was minutely detailed showing a pitiable unconcern for the minister's comfort which spirit, is prevalent today in too many churches. The domine offered to donate half of the debt if they would but pay the rest. They gladly accepted his offer and paid him the rest out of the sale of lands that were deeded to the church for the sole support of the ministry. Toward the end of his ministry, so oppressed was he, that he took up outside work, as, for instance he taught German in the Utica High school for a year and a half. He was the father of F. E. Spinner who was the treasurer of the United States under Lincoln, a statue of whom is in the Herkimer Park. Spinner died at Herkimer in 1848 (cf Herkimer in re Spinner). In addition to Fort Herkimer and Herkimer, Spinner often looked after work at Indian Castle, Columbia, Warren, Manheim, Schuyler, Deer- field, Manlius, etc.
For some years after Spinner's death the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Jedediah L. Stark of the Mohawk church (cf), who became the pastor in 1862 and died in 1863. He had already regularly sup- plied the church thro the years 184/1853, after which it was vacant for nearly four years. He was the last resident pastor over German Flatts. An old subscription shows that Stark gave his salary for one year (1861) to the repairs of the church, which thing was later done by both Revs. Brandow and Kinney. The income of the church glebe lands could not be diverted from the pulpit but the financiers at German Flatts were keen on administering the ministers' salary.
The men who have been in the pulpits of Mohawk, Herkimer, Canajoharie and Columbia have thro most of the years since Stark's pastorate kept the church going. Among these men have been Rev. Jeremiah Petrie of Herkimer (cf) 1864-1865, the Rev. John J. Quick (1867-1868), who had been at Currytown (cf) and Mapletown; Rev. Gansevoort D. W. Consaul of Mohawk and, later, of Herkimer (cf); Rev. Wm. N. Todd, who became a Presbyterian in 1892. Dr. Todd is now at McAlistersville, Pa .; William H. Hoffman, a student of New Brunswick for the summer of 1874, who is now in the Deckerville (Mich.) Presbyterian church; and William Johns who supplied dur- ing 1873-1875 and who died 1895. After this and for five years, only summer services were attempted. During the summers of 1880 thro 1885, the Rev. Daniel Lord supplied the pulpit, driving over from the Henderson church. Dr. Lord was at Henderson and Jordanville for nearly thirty years of his life (1851-1856; 1860-1864; 1878-1899). He died September 10, 1899. He was a grandson, third removed of Rev. Dr. Benj. Lord, who was for sixty-seven years pastor of the Nor- wich (Cong.), Ct. church. He pursued a course of medicine in order to increase his usefulness among the people of his parishes. Rev. John H. Brandow of Mohawk supplied thro 1886 and 1887, and Rev. Albert D. Minor was pastor from 1888 thro 1891. Rev. Ira Van Allen (cf Mohawk) from 1892 to 1896, and Mr. J. Abrew Smith, a layman, from 1896 thro 1899. Rev. E. J. Meeker supplied from June, 1900 to 1903, and Rev. J. Dyke of Herkimer (cf) for a year or more from June, 1905. Rev. C. W. Kinney of Mohawk (cf) from 1909 to 1911.
In 1912, following work done by the Classical Missionary, Rev. W. N. P. Dailey, the church property came into the possession of the Classis of Montgomery, since which time it has been supplied by the Missionary and also by Rev. O. E. Beckes of the Mohawk
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church. The Rev. J. H. Brinckerhoff and the Missionary also un- dertook to restore the rights of the church in the glebe rentals and have been successful in the main. For more than a century the church has depended altogether for the pulpit support on the income of the glebe rents, that is, the perpetual liens on lands sold many years ago. At first this revenue could not have been far from $500, but thro mismanagement the profits now will not reach more than $150. The membership records of the church are extant from 1763 (excepting the years 1865-1885). There are some financial books, and papers, etc., all of which are in the keeping of the Herkimer church. The oldest ministerial signature extant follows:
Find. Then April Habe von einera thomsentages Kitchentatt vor eine Kall fa huge beforeun empfangen 3 !?.
Abroken (fan 2.8.11.
1761 the first of April have received from reverend consistory for half year's salary 31€
FULTONVILLE REFORMED CHURCH
In Revolutionary days the place was known as "Van Epps Swamp." From the establishment of the inn in 1795 by John Starin the place began to develop. The Re- formed Dutch church of Ful- tonville (named after Robert Fulton) was organized No- vember 24, 1838, eight mem- bers of the Caughnawaga church being among the charter members. The Rev. James B. Stevenson, at the time pastor of the Florida church, presided at the or- ganization and installed the first officers. The first build- ing was erected in 1839, Rev. Charles Jukes of the Glen church conducting the dedi- catory exercises. This build- ing was burned in 1852, and for four years the congregation had no place of worship. A solu- tion of the problem was found in the election of a Board of Trustees, who set to work and built a structure, which was dedicated in 1856,
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Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff of Albany preaching the sermon. The par- sonage had been built in 1844, during the pastorate of John M. Van Buren. In 1882 it was enlarged. At the incorporation in 1838, the trustees were, Evert Yates, Isaiah DePuy, Adam Bell, William A. Smith. The first pastor of the church was Rev. David Dyer (1841-1843), of whom nothing further is known. His successors were, Rev. John M. Van Buren (1842-1851), who next went to New Lots for a twenty years' service, afterwards retiring from the active ministry, he wrote for the religious press, and died at Nyack, N. Y., May 12, 1892. Mr. Van Buren united with the Kinderhook church in 1831. He aided Simms in the preparation of his Schoharie County History. He married a sister of Rev. J. C. F. Hoes (cf). (A son, Peter Van Buren, born at Fultonville, graduated from New York University in 1864, and from New Brunswick in 1867, but died in July of the same year). Rev. Ransford Wells (1857-1868), who had been Canajoharie's first pastor (cf); Rev. Henry L. Teller, a Presby- terian minister, who supplied for half of the year, 1868; Rev. Francis M. Kip who came in December, 1869, and remained twelve years, going to Harlingen, N. J., where he spent twenty years, and died at Neshanic, N. J. in 1911; Rev. Francis V. Van Vranken, the fifth pastor of the church who came in 1882 and remained thro 1892, and . is now retired at Albany, N. Y .; Rev. Wm. Schmitz, who was pastor for nine years, or until 1901, and is now at work in Pennsylvania; Rev. Isaac Van Hee (1901-1905), who is at present doing social work in the Ford factories in Detroit, Mich .; Rev. James Edward Grant, who began work in 1906 and completed a pastorate of six years on January 1, 1913. Rev. Edward B. Irish came from the seminary to the church in the Spring of 1913, and was ordained and installed by the Classis of Montgomery.
GLEN REFORMED CHURCH
The village was first called "Voorhistown," and, later, and until 1860, "Voorhees- ville." Its present name came from Jacob S. Glen. who owned most of the land where the village is now situated. In 1740 Sir William Johnson brot eighteen Irish families to settle at Glen, but they remained only a short time, returning to their
native land. The first permanent settlers were from New Jersey, and were Hollanders or of Holland descent. Originally the church stood in a dense forest. The earliest consistory or congregational record is dated July 5, 1794, while the first consistorial book was begun in 1804. In those early days one reads often the names of Conover, Ostrom, Mount, Van Derveer, Hoff, Voorhees, Edwards, Vrooman, Vedder. Pruyn, Wood, Enders,
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Putman, etc. It is difficult to decide on the date of the organiza- tion of the Glen church, but inasmuch as a congregation existed as early as July, 1794, and on February 6, 1795, it was agreed to buy an acre of land for the church of Daniel Lane, it would seem as if we might put the organization of the church as early as 1793, tho we are disposed to think that the New Jersey folks who settled here, especially being of Holland extraction, did not long wait to organize their church. On July 15, 1797, the consistory appointed a committee to meet with another committee appointed by the villagers to arrange for a new church building, thus evidencing the fact that a congregation and church had already had a long time existed if it required a new building. The church committee consisted of Pearly Brown, Timothy Hutton, and John Ballard. After a brief time the committee were successful in erecting a new edifice at a cost of $2.800, which served 2,880 the congregation for seventy years. There is a record that on March 15, 1806, John and Mrs. Ann Ostrom deeded the land on which the church stood to the organization, which deed is recorded at Fonda, November 28, 1839. Ezekiel Belding's survey of this church lot, which was a part of Lot No. 14 of the Glen Patent, and, contained an acre and a half, is dated, Charleston November 18, 1800, and it. is specified on this survey as the lot that John Ostrom and his wife, Nancy, have deed to the church. A parsonage was soon added to the church property, built sometime prior to 1814 when repairs were made to the same. The church, too, was repaired in 1814. The first pastor of the Glen church was Rev. Henry V. Wyck- off (1799-1803) who, later, became interested in the "Wyckofite" movement, or "True Dutch Reformed Church" as those who seceded from the Dutch church styled themselves. One of the Notes gives a brief history of this defection from the denomination. Following Wyckoff, who went to the newly organized Second Charleston church, came Rev. Peter Van Buren (1804-1814), who at the same time was preaching in the First Reformed church of Charleston (cf). He was ordained by Montgomery Classis and was installed over Glen, February 19, 1805. He remained more than ten years, going to Schodack in 1814. He died in 1832. The next to occupy the pulpit was Rev. J. R. H. Hasbrouck (1814-1826), who was, also, the supply of the First Charleston congregation, and what was known as the Canajoharie field which embraced Mapletown and Westerlo (Sprak- ers). Revs. Hasbrouck and Wyckoff in time went to extremes over their varying opinions and this resulted in weakening both the churches at Charleston and the Glen church. From Glen Rev. Has- brouck went to the Root (Currytown) church (1826-1830). For ten years the church felt the influence of this enmity between Has- brouck and Wyckoff. Hasbrouck died in 1854.
Rev. Jonathan F. Morris whose name is frequently met with in the annals of the Classis of Montgomery was the Classical Mis- sionary for his day, serving in this capacity the churches of Ovid, Fayette, Poultneyville, Amsterdam, Stone Arabia, Ephratah, Asquach, Herkimer, and for two or three years the Glen church (1827-1829). He died July 11, 1886, aged eighty-five. He was followed in this work by Rev. Alanson B. Chittenden (1831-1834), who had previously supplied the Glen church occasionally. Chittenden's last pastorate was at Sharon. He died in 1853 at Schenectady. During 1836 the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Adam M. Leckner, of whom we know
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nothing further. Rev. Charles Jukes followed (1838-1844), going next to Stone Arabia (cf) and Ephratah. Rev. Jas. P. Fisher, a Union Seminary man, supplied the pulpit during 1845 and 1846. Mr. Fisher died in 1865.
It was during Rev. Juke's pastorate that the sheds were built and extensive repairs made on the old church. The entrance faced the highway, and in the vestibule were stairs leading to the galleries, extending round the three sides of the auditorium. The west gallery was for the older youth of the church. In the eastern gallery were reservations for the colored folks. In the west gallery behind parted scarlet curtains were the choir and chorister, the music of which was led by a bass viol for which the church had paid $18. Box family pews with doors were on the three sides, and so built that a portion of the family had their backs to the preacher during the services. A central section of pews was built higher than the others. The pulpit was built for one person, reached with a long flight of steps. Original- ly there was a sounding board over the pulpit, as in the German Flatts church of today.
Rev. Garret L. Roof was the next settled pastor at Glen. He had been a practicing attorney at Canajoharie before entering the ministry. This was Roof's first charge, to which he came in Decem- ber, 1846, and remained thro October, 1850, when he accepted a call to the recently organized church at Port Jackson (Amsterdam). He was followed by the Rev. Adam H. Van Vranken (October, 1851- 1865), who was ordained by the Classis when installed over this church. After another pastorate of equal length at Centreville, Mich., Mr. Van Vranken died in 1880. A brother of the pastor, Rev. Francis V. Van Vranken next took up the work in January, 1866, and re- mained thro a part of 1874. He, later, became pastor at Fultonville (cf), and is at present living at Albany, N. Y. It was during this pas- torate that a village lot was bot for $500, and a new church, the present one, was built at a cost of $13,000. The frame of the 1795 church is being used as a wagon house. Mr. Van Vranken was followed by Rev. Josepli P. Dysart who was a United Presbyterian minister, and who was installed at Glen, November 11, 1874, remaining on the field until June 1, 1879, when he entered the Troy Presbytery. Rev. Richard L. Schoonmaker succeeded Dysart (1880-1882). He was the son of Rev. Jacob Schoonmaker (1777-1852) and grandson of Rev. Henricus Schoonmaker (1739-1820), two of the most renowned min- isters of the Dutch church. Richard L. Schoonmaker died while pastor at Glen in 1882. Rev. Sydney O. Lawsing became pastor in January, 1883, and staid thro 1888. Mr. Lawsing was born in Am- sterdam. He has been pastor of the Kiskatom church since 1910.
After Mr. Lawsing came Rev. Joseph B. Thyne, who supplied the pulpit from December, 1888, thro May, 1894. Mr. Thyne spent his last years at Broadalbin where he died November 10, 1910. Rev. Jasper S. Hogan, now of New Brunswick, N. J., was called to the pastorate in 1894, and was ordained and installed over the church by the Classis. Here he remained for three years, going next to Pomp- ton Plains, N. J. and later to the Lafayette church in Jersey City, N. J. Rev. Hogan published a history of the church in 1905, one chapter of which gives a succinct account of the "Wyckofite" movement, which still clings to the Glen field. Rev. Raymond A. Lansing was ordained by the Classis and installed over the church
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in 1897. He died in 1903. Rev. Henry Smith came to Glen in Sep- tember, 1901, and resigned in November, 1903. Rev. Louis F. Sauer- brunn was installed pastor (1904-1905), going to Ghent in October, 1905, then to Schodack Landing in May, 1908, and in December, 1902, to the Presbyterian church of Chester, N. J. Rev. Edward J. Meeker was installed in May, 1910, and resigned in November, 1914, to enter the work at Lodi (cf). During the interval between Rev. Sauerbrunn and Rev. Meeker, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Chas. A. Conant of Schenectady (November, 1905-April, 1909). After Mr. Meeker the pulpit was occasionally supplied by the Classical Missionary, Rev. W. N. P. Dailey, and Rev. Henry G. Dean (Presb.) of Schenectady.
HAGAMAN REFORMED CHURCH
The Reformed Pro- testant Dutch Church of Hagaman's Mills (as the village was at first called) was received into the Montgomery Classis in October, 1855, though organized five years previously as an Independent Pres- byterian church. A por- tion of the congrega- tion of the 1st Presby- terian church of Am- sterdam asked the Presbytery of Sarato- ga to divide the church, giving to them the right to be known as the Amsterdam Pres- byterian church. Tho a majority of the mem- bers opposed the me- morial, still the Presbytery yielded to the minority. Two-thirds of the congregation withdrew and formed the United and Independent Presbyterian Church of Hagaman's Mills. The village was first settled by Joseph Hagaman in 1770, who came from Dutchess county. and was of Holland descent. It is interesting to note that the session of the original church became the first session of the Independent Church,-Aaron Marcellus, Gilbert Conner, Joseph Hageman, Francis M. Hageman, and Myndert Pauling being the elders, and Jeremiah W. Hageman and Henry Rowe being the deacons. The act of Pres- bytery was the first Tuesday of January in 1850, but before the month was out the other church was formed, David W. Candee being the moderator, and John W. Thatcher the clerk of the meeting. There were a hundred members at the start. The church called Rev. Charles Milne to become their pastor. He was the pastor of the church be- fore the division. This church was independent of the Saratoga Presbytery. In February, 1855, the congregation voted to change
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their name to the Hagaman Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, and a committee was appointed to go to Classis with such petition which was favorably acted upon. In its first report to Classis the church numbered fifty families and sixty-one members.
The first pastor of the Hagaman church was Rev. J. Lansing Pearse (uncle of Rev. R. A. Pearse of Minaville, cf), who was ordained, and installed over the church in the latter part of 1856, by the Classis of Montgomery. After leaving this field in November, 1859, Mr. Pearse went to the Delmar church, which he served for about forty years, dying there in the pastorate in 1908. For the most of this time he was the. stated clerk of the Classis of Albany. Rev. Elbert Slingerland, who had previously held pastorates at Chit- tenango and Mohawk (cf) was installed in August, 1860, and re- mained thro most of 1862. He was the sixth pastor at Scotia, N. Y. (1857-1860). Later he was pastor at Mohawk for the second time for several years before his death which occurred in 1876. The next pastorate was the longest in the history of the church (1863-1887). and was ably filled by Rev. Andrew J. Hageman, who was ordained by the Montgomery Classis in this church. After another pastorate at St. Thomas, D. W. I. (1887-1890), Mr. Hageman de- veloped a throat trouble which kept him for a quarter-century out of the active work of the pastorate, tho he occasionally supplied pulpits until his death in 1912, at Somerville, N. J.
Rev. Maurice G. Hansen succeeded Hageman at Hagaman in 1887 and remained here thro 1893. This was his last pastorate. He died in 1904. Mr. Hansen was a voluminous writer for the religious press, and also translated much from the Dutch, especially of the old prints and documents of the church at its foundation in America. Rev. William A. Wurts followed Rev. Hansen in 1893 and staid thro 1901. Mr. Wurts had already been in the Canastota church for eight years, and also at Lysander (cf) for six years. After leaving Hagaman he took up work at Sharon, N. Y., in which field he spent about eight years, next supplying the church at Lawyersville, N. Y. for a few years. He is now living at Sharon Springs and occasional- ly supplies vacant churches.
Rev. David C. Weidner was the third pastor at Hagaman to be ordained in the church by the Classis of Montgomery. This was in 1902, and Rev. Weidner remained about four years, going next to Schuylerville, N. Y., from which field he went to the Park church of Jersey City in 1913. Rev. George G. Seibert came to Hagaman from the Helderbergh church at Guilderland Centre in 1906, and resigned in 1911 to take up the important work at the Owasco field. Mr. Seibert was followed in the pastorate by the present pastor, Rev. Charles V. W. Bedford, who had already had charges in the Classis at Johnstown, Currytown and Sprakers. During Mr. Seibert's pas- torate the church was extensively repaired, and during the present pastorate a new chapel has been erected, the gift of one of the mem- bers of the church, Mrs. Caroline Yates.
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HERKIMER REFORMED CHURCH
The history of the Herkimer church and that of Fort Herkimer ("German Flatts") is to be read together. at least from about the coming of Abram Rosencrantz to field in 1752 down to 1841, the time of the cessation of the dual pastorate. Some thirty years ago Rev. x Henry M. Cox, then pastor of the Herki- mer church wrote an interesting his- tory of Herkimer and of the Palatine migration to this country, of which we speak in detail in a separate chapter herein. The number, however, who came with Rev. Joshua Kochertal in 1708 numbered fifty-one-not forty, as Cox writes. In our story of Fort Herkimer we show, also, that the date 1767, found roughly cut in a stone on the west side is not, necessarily, the date of the building of the church, as Cox says, since record books still extant show that the subscriptions were be- gun as early as 1740, and the building was started as early as this, if not earlier, and while a second appeal was made in 1746 for more funds, the entire sum sufficient was raised and the church was used for services (as well as a means of refnge by the settlers) as early as 1751. Mr. Cox says that there is no record of any sort to show the religious condition of the community (Herkimer, originally called "Stone Ridge"), until 1757. He refers to a will made by Nicholas Feller in 1734 in which a bequest is made of the testator's seat in his church,-but whether this church was in what is now Herkimer or was at Fort Herkimer, Mr. Cox cannot say, tho he is inclined to think it was in the church of which he was the pastor at Herkimer. However, the name of the legatee, Han Nicholas Crisman, is among the pew holders and members of the German Flatts congregation. We have shown in our Fort Herkimer history that Rev. George M. Weiss was the first known pastor at German Flatts, being there as early as 1736. Mr. Cox makes no mention of Weiss but refers to a Lutheran minister as the first pastor at Herkimer. Weiss came to America about 1720, and then returned to the Palatinate on the Rhine, to come back for permanent residence here in 1727. But he was a "Minister of the Reformed Palatinate Church" (as he signed himself) and not a Lutheran. Undoubtedly Weiss often supplied the Herkimer congregation, if, indeed, there was any congregation during the decade (1736-1746) that he was settled at German Flatts.
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