A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262

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THE CONGREGATIONALISTS.

The early occasional missionaries who visited Cleveland from 1801 to 1810 were of that band of devoted pioneers in the wilderness whom the Connecticut Missionary society sent out, beginning in 1800, to carry the gospel to the sons and daughters of Connecticut in New Connecticut, and most if not all of these men were Congregationalists. The earlier Presbyterian churches of Cleveland were founded by these Congregational missionaries of a Congregational so- ciety, and the Connecticut Missionary society before 1825, and the American Home Missionary society after that year aided in their support.

The Archwood church, organized in 1819 as a Presbyterian church, is the first in order of Congregational churches. Thomas Barr was pastor of the Presbyterian church at Euclid (now East Cleveland) from 1810 to 1820. Wil- liam Hanford, a missionary of the Connecticut Missionary society, was pastor at Hudson from 1815 to 1831. This church seems to have been the first of any denomination on what is now the territory included within the city of Cleve- land, except Trinity Episcopal.

Second in the present list in Cleveland is the First church, organized 1834. Until this date the people on the west side had worshiped with the First Pres- byterian church in this city, of which at this time Rev. John Keep was stated supply (1833-1835). Of the preliminary plans for the west side organization no record remains.

Third on the list today is the Euclid Avenue church, at its organization out- side the city on the east, as Brooklyn was on the south, and the First church on the west; and like them in its beginnings, Presbyterian.

This church is the outgrowth of a Sunday school started in 1841, in an old stone schoolhouse on Euclid road, between what are now Doan and Republic streets. Horace Ford, one of the organizers of that school, was connected with it for a half century. On November 30, 1843, a Presbyterian church of nine- teen members was formed, eighteen of whom were Congregationalists by birth and training.

Plymouth church originated in the Old Stone (First Presbyterian) church, March 25, 1850. At that time Rev. Edwin H. Nevin was conducting revival meetings in the Old Stone church. He was a reformer and a pronounced aboli- tionist. Certain of his converts enlisted members of the church of like con- victions on the subject of slavery to go out and found a new church, with Mr. Nevin as pastor. The church was called the Free Presbyterian church, and later the Third Presbyterian church. As a Presbyterian church it was inde- pendent, with principles and a statement of faith of its own drafting.

Fifth of the churches is Irving Street, originally of the Bible Christian de- nomination, and affiliated with a conference in Canada. The denomination, which is English, while substantially Methodist in doctrine, is distinctively lib- eral in policy, and grants equal rights to the laity. The "Orange Street Society"

PILGRIM CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Corner Jennings and Starkweather avenues. The first large institutional church built in Cleveland.

Courtesy Rev. Caspar W. Hlait

EUCLID AVENUE CONGREGATIONAL CHERCH Corner Enelid avenue and Doan (East 105th) street. Built. 1849. Torn down. 1908.

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

-- later "Ebenezer Bible Christian Church"-was organized in October, 1852, with ten members, and occupied first a frame structure and then a brick, at the corner of Orange and Irving streets. It recently moved to Kinsman Road.

The sixth is the Jones Avenue church, often spoken of as the Welsh church of Newburg, but naming itself from the year of erection of its present house of worship, Centennial church. As before noted, this is the first of the list of Congregational churches now within the city of Cleveland which was organized as a Congregational church.

Welsh people began coming to Newburg early in the '50s, and two of the number started what has now become the Cleveland Rolling Mills Company. As more came, a Sunday school was started, cottage prayer meetings were held, and at length in the fall of 1858, a church was organized with fifteen mem- bers. A house was built and occupied in June, 1860; this was enlarged in 1866, and in 1876 the new and larger house of worship was erected. The church is the leading religious and social force among the Welsh people, not only of Newburg, but of the city. The Welsh are religious, passionately devoted to their mother tongue, and loyal to the church.

Seventh, comes what is now Pilgrim church, known at first as University Heights, and later as Jennings Avenue. Like many another, this church began in a Sunday school, out of which, in a quiet and ideal development grew the church. About the year 1854, in the old university building, on what was then known as University heights a Sunday school was started as a mission school to the little brick schoolhouse on the site of the present Tremont school, and in 1856 it became independent as the "University Heights Union Sabbath School." In 1892, under the leadership of Dr. Charles S. Mills, a structure costing one hundred and fifty thousand dollars was erected and a fully equipped and endowed institutional church was launched which has grown to a member- ship of eleven hundred. Its Sunday school numbers twelve hundred.

For the purposes of church extension in the rapidly growing city, the Cleve- land Congregational City Missionary society was organized in 1892 with Hon. H. Clark Ford its chief promoter and president from the beginning. It has fostered six churches and gathered a property of over seventy-five thousand dollars. In 1882 Rev. H. A. Shauffler, a missionary returned from Austria, began work among the large colony of Bohemians who had settled in the vicinity of Broadway. He built a church under the auspices of the Bohemian board, which was an auxiliary of the National Home Missionary society, and called the church Bethlehem. A school for training young women was also launched under his supervision, and a department organized at Oberlin for the prepara- tion of ministers for Bohemians and other Slavic people in America. Dr. Schauffler died in 1894, but his work has gone strongly forward. The training school for young women on Fowler street has valuable property worth seventy- five thousand dollars. The one Bohemian church has colonized three others, and the Slavic department at Oberlin is steadily training many men for the min- istry among Slavic immigrants.

In 1909 Congregationalists numbered over eight thousand communicants in thirty churches with property exceeding one million dollars organized in the Cleveland association, with headquarters in the Plymouth church.

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METHODISM.

Before 1812 the Baltimore conference extended over this lake region. No official mention is made of this tract of country in connection with the Metho- dist church until 1820, when it has place in the minutes of the Ohio conference. Some idea of the extent of the last named may be found in the fact that West Wheeling, Chautauqua, Erie and Detroit were included within its limits.

The Cuyahoga river vicinity was embraced in New Connecticut circuit, Ohio district. In 1824 was formed the Pittsburg conference, in which were located the lands east of the Cuyahoga, and the west side allotted to the Michigan con- ference until 1837. James B. Finley being presiding elder of Ohio district, it is said that early in 1818 a circuit rider drew up to a double log farm house built on a quarter section in Brooklyn, our present forty-second ward, and say- ing that he was looking up the lost sheep, gathered a class of eight members, four of them named Fish, the other half Brainard. It is also quite certain that our gospel was heard in Newburg the same year, but we have of this no abso- lutely reliable record. In August, 1818, Cuyahoga circuit was made and to its round appointed Ezra Booth and Dennis Goddard. In 1819, the Rev. Wm. Swazy succeeded to Ohio district-a man of extraordinary fervor, abounding in labor.

Thorough research proves that in 1821 a class was formed in Euclid creek, numbering at least ten persons. Our services were held in the cabins of the pioneers, in barns, and later in log and frame schoolhouses. These ministers of the period were men of work, eminent in sacrifice; sleeping at night by forest fires of their own kindling with flint and tinder; saddlebags for pillows, and their camlet cloaks for covering; anon, arising to scare away the prowling wolf. Without bridges, they and their intelligent ponies forded swollen streams. With pole in hand, these itinerants picked their way among ice floes, drying themselves in the wigwams of Red Jacket and other friendly Indians.

It is expected that in this Centennial we are specifically mindful of the pio- neers, and personally, I have become much interested in the clergymen herein named, and in the Rev. Ira Eddy, who organized a class in Hudson, Ohio, in 1822. In 1823, Cleveland was a remote and insignificant point upon Hudson circuit, Portland district, brave Ira Eddy in charge. His circuit embraced six hundred miles of travel. My interest is deep in the Rev. John Crawford, the organizer ; in Milton Colt, eloquent and powerful; Francis A. Dighton, talented and of great promise, dying at twenty-six; earnest Mr. Prescott, whose name is found in Brunswick cemetery; nor shall be omitted young Mr. Bump, the schoolmaster and local preacher-afterward drowned in a bridgeless river of Arkansas during the performance of almost superhuman labor.

What of our church in the city proper? There is a tradition that a New England gentleman wishing to see Methodism planted here in 1820, sent the deed of a lot corner of Ontario and Rockwell streets, but no one was found sufficiently interested, nor with money enough to pay the recorder's fee.

Through the agency of Grace Johnston, wife of a lake captain, preaching was heard here in 1822, and occasionally from that time to 1827, in which year the Rev. John Crawford formed the pioneer class of the first Methodist Episcopal

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Courtesy Rev. J. H. Goldner

EUCLID AVENUE DISCIPLE CHURCH

Euclid Avenue and East 100th Street. Torn down 1907 and replaced by present stone structure.

From an old cut

FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Corner Euclid Avenue and Erie Street. Chapel built in 1869, main building in 1874. The Cleveland Trust Company now occupies the site.

Courtesy of Rev. Arthur C. Ludlow

CENTRAL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Willson avenue (East 55th). In this church the Epworth League was formed, May 14, 1SS9. The Epworth Memorial Church now occupies the site

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

church numbering nine persons; Andrew Tomlinson, leader. Elijah Peet, re- siding in Newburg, used to bring cut wood in his wagon from his distant home over almost impassable roads, and with his wife came early on Sunday morn- ings and made the fire to keep comfortable the handful of Methodist people at the class meeting.

John Crawford organized another class in 1827, enrolling fourteen, at Hub- bard's, on Kinsman street, that being a central point for members residing at either extreme of the settlement. Those at Doan's Corners traveled thither up the present East Madison avenue, over an Indian footpath.

Let us for a moment trace the fortunes of the pioneer First church. From 1827 to 1841, the members worshiped in halls and rented rooms. Unmoved by indescribable adversity, under the pastorate of F. A. Dighton, 1836, the trus- tees chose the site for old St. Clair, corner of Wood street, then quite in the suburbs of the city. Nearly all of the ground north to the lake shore and east of Erie street was covered with oak and hazel, beyond which lay a vast quag- mire partly cleared. Not until several years later, April, 1841, was their edifice complete and dedicated.

A class was permanently established at Doan's Corners, now Euclid Avenue M. E. church, in 1831, by the Rev. Milton Colt who organized also the first Methodist Sunday school in the village of Cleveland, in a building known as the infant school room, on the west side of Academy lane, half way from St. Clair to Lake street.

At Newburg, our present Miles Park church, a class of nine was formed early in 1832.

Hanover Street, now Franklin Avenue, saw the light in 1833, at a private house on Pearl street.

We have, then, five original churches: Brooklyn, First, Euclid Avenue, Miles Park and Franklin Avenue.

Mothers are they of Sabbath-schools and missions, developing into thirty de- nominational centers.

In 1836, our territory east of the Cuyahoga became a part of the Erie con- ference which was formed that year. In 1840, by a revision of boundaries, the North Ohio conference was formed, and that portion lying west of the river boundary was included in it. By another revision in 1876, the East Ohio con- ference was made and the part of Cleveland known as the East Side became a part of it. Franklin Avenue church, a strong center in the North Ohio divi- sion, vigorous and alert, takes high rank among city churches of all denomina- tions.

Epworth Memorial church commemorates the unification of all our young people's associations throughout the world into the Epworth League; these so- cieties were consolidated May 15, 1889. This church was once called Erie Street, having been colonized from First church in 1850. Upon its removal to the corner of Prospect and Huntington streets, it was named in 1875, "Christ Methodist Episcopal Church." In 1883 it was combined with Cottage mission and became Central church, corner Willson avenue and Prospect street. This historic building is now a Salvation Army barracks, giving place to a structure

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

whose architectural symmetry and exquisite arrangement make it celebrated. -(From an address by Mrs. W. A. Ingham.)

The Methodists of Cleveland constitute the largest single body of Protestants, are divided by the Cuyahoga river, those churches east of the river belonging to the East Ohio conference, the scholarly Dr. Geo. K. Morris being the pre- siding elder of the district, while those west of the river are members of the North Ohio conference with Rev. P. D. Stroup as district superintendent. There are thirty-three churches and eleven missions within the city limits with ten thousand members and property worth one million two hundred thousand dollars. The largest church is Epworth Memorial with twelve hundred mem- bers, organized to do institutional work.

BAPTISTS.1

The denomination of Christians known as Baptists began their work in Cleveland in 1800, when the Rev. Joseph Badger preached the first sermon ever delivered on the soil. He was the earliest missionary to the Western Reserve, was born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, in 1757, and graduated at Yale College in 1786. He was a man of learning and ability. He served in the war of the Revolution, and was ordained to the work of the ministry in the year 1787. Prior to the year 1800, the Western Reserve was a land where might gave right, and where every man was a law unto himself. The tone of public sentiment and morals was very low. Even in 1816, when the population was about one hundred and fifty, there were only two professing Christians in the place, namely, Judge Daniel Kelly and Mrs. Noble H. Merwin. And Moses White, who af- terward became a useful citizen, and who died in Cleveland at an advanced age, in September, 1881, long hesitated about settling here because the place was so godless. The religious destitution was so great that he called it a "heathen land."

But Judge Kelly prevailed upon him to bring his Christian wife and strive with them. by prayerful and godly living, to secure the town from the ascen -. dency of sin. With the growth of the town, the influence of Christianity was . more and more felt, and gradually church organizations were formed. The first was Trinity Episcopal, in 1816; the First Presbyterian, in 1824; the First Metho- dist, in 1827; and the First Baptist, in 1833. At this latter date the population was about one thousand three hundred, but there were only six or seven Bap- tists among them, and not many of any other name. Deplorable darkness per- vaded the settlement. In all the place there was but one meeting house and that an inferior wooden structure. They were few in number and financially poor. But they were loyal to their distinctive beliefs, and they sought to prac- tice them. And while it might seem to a superficial observer that, in the cir- cumstances, the number of Christians of all names being so few, and all of tbem being poor in material substance, all so-called minor differences in belief should be obliterated for the sake of union, these Baptists would have ac- counted themselves essentially and absolutely dishonest before God had they failed to keep intact the "faith once delivered to the saints" as they understood

1 From an address by Dr. H. C. Applegarth.

From an old cut First Baptist Church, 1835, corner Seneca and Champlain streets

From an old cut

First Baptist Church in 1870, corner Euclid avenue and Erie street. This building, without the steeple, was built by the Congregational Society and sold to the Baptists in 1855.

From an old cut

Second Baptist Church, Euclid avenue and Huntington street, built in 1871

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

it. Like their brethren in all times and climes, they claimed for themselves a separate denominational existence and they justified their claim by avowing beliefs which distinguished them from all other peoples.

In April, 1834, the church felt the necessity of a meeting house adapted to their needs, and to the growing demands of the community. The population of the town had now increased to about five thousand. Congregations were crowd- ing the audience room of the house. They prepared a subscription paper and set about soliciting pledges for a building. The people gave liberally and cheer- fully. Many made great sacrifices in order to be able to help. Deacon Pelton, then living at Euclid, mortgaged his farm for two thousand dollars that he might contribute that amount to the project. His neighbors thought him to be demented, so completely astounded were they at his action. But in the end the Lord blessed him and restored the money many fold. Nor was he alone in his devotion to the work of the Lord. It was said of John Seaman that he gave more thought to the finances of the church than to his own business. One morning, coming into his store, he said to his partner, Mr. William T. Smith : "Smith, you go to the meeting tonight and put me down for a thousand, and you put down a thousand, and go to Sylvester Ranney and tell him to put down a thousand." The thousands were put down and paid. Soon a suitable loca- tion was found, on the corner of Seneca and Champlain streets, and there, finally, was finished the meeting house of the First Baptist church.

Out of this early planting came the twenty-nine churches and missions of the Baptist order, constituting one of the most aggressive and numerous bodies of Protestant people in Cleveland.

In 1846 a Sunday school mission of the First Baptist church was begun on Erie street. In 1851 a church was organized with Rev. J. Hyatt Smith as pas- tor. In 1871 the present edifice on Euclid avenue and East Eighteenth street was built and the church called the Euclid Avenue Baptist church. In 1883 one of the trustees of the church was John D. Rockefeller. As the development of business in the downtown district pushed the residents away from the church it continued to work aggressively, keeping an open door, establishing missions, and maintaining a high grade of preaching, thus avoiding the necessity of mov- ing into the residence district further east. This church has raised and spent more than forty thousand dollars in a single year.

The twenty Baptist churches of Cleveland have a membership of five thou- sand communicants and a property worth five hundred thousand dollars. They own a home for old people located on Prospect street, and are organized into a city missionary society for church extension, and especially for doing work among Hungarians, Slavonians, and Polish immigrants. They spend in this work about seven thousand dollars each year.

DISCIPLES.

In the year 1827, Ebenezer Williams first preached and gained some converts in Newburg. He was then preaching Restorationism, but was afterward turned from that speculation and became an efficient and faithful preacher of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In 1832, under the preaching of Wm. Hayden,

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

the first convert to primitive Christianity was gained in Newburg. Through all the trials and changes of more than forty years, Brother Hopkinson remained faithful to his profession, serving the church acceptably for many years as elder and deacon successively until July, 1874, when he entered into the rest that remains for the people of God.

In 1835 the "yearly meeting" was held in Newburg. This was a historic occasion long to be remembered, for Alexander Campbell was present in all the prime of his magnificent powers, as the principle speaker of the meeting. A. S. Hayden, in "History of the Disciples on the Reserve," page 405, says: "The brethren assumed the duties of a church at this time." At this time in the history of the churches, few of them had any settled pastoral care, and many of them suffered greatly. The little band in Newburg shared in the general decline, and their light was nearly extinct. In their extremity they appealed to Brother Jonas Hartzell who came in April, 1842, and during this meeting re- organized the church with twenty old and fifteen new members, now called the Miles Avenue Church of Christ.

The following is the list of names of charter members, as given in the hand- writing of Brother Y. L. Morgan, who was one of them. May 1, 1842: John Hopkinson, Betsy Hopkinson, David L. Wightman, Adaline Wightman, Caro- line Morgan, Caleb Morgan, Mary Morgan, Eliza Morgan, Eliza Everett, B. B. Burke, Theodore Stafford, John Healy, Dota Healy, W. W. Williams, Mrs. W. W. Williams, Henry Nelson, Hosea Wightman, Lucy Wightman, Julia Rathbon, Harriet Rathbon.

The church thus organized began its career by electing John Hopkinson and Theodore Stafford elders, and David L. Wightman and John Healy deacons. There is no record of the church having regular preaching during the inter- vening years until 1864. But we learn from other sources that the work was carried on by able hands, for in these years there appear the names and pres- ence and therefore the ministry of A. B. Green, Jonas Hartzell, A. Burns, J. D. Benedict, J. P. Robinson, L. Cooley and James A. Garfield.

In 1851 the trustees of the church, Thomas, Garfield, John Hopkinson and Y. L. Morgan, contracted for the building of a house of worship for the con- gregation. The house was to be fifty-two feet long, thirty-five feet wide and twenty feet high to the square; to be a frame house built and finished of the best material, and in the best style of the times, the entire cost to be one thou- sand, one hundred dollars. The contract was faithfully fulfilled, for the old house at this present writing forms part of the modern house of worship. Through the years from 1842 to 1859 there is nothing in the records to tell the story of the life and struggles of the church, save the entry of the names as they came into the fellowship, and the usual record of letters, deaths, removals and withdrawals. In 1859 the church was under the ministry and leadership of the lamented James A. Garfield.

The Franklin Circle Church of Christ, in Cleveland, was organized with twenty-nine members on the 20th day of February, 1842. John Henry, an ex- ceedingly brilliant Bible student and fluent orator, held the prior evangelistic meeting and directed in the organization. The church first met in Empire hall

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

at the east end of Detroit street. Dr. J. P. Robinson and A. S. Hayden alternated in the ministry of the Word to the church. For a time they met in Abell's hall east of the river. J. H. Jones, Wm. Collins, Wm. Hayden, and other able pio- neer preachers visited them at intervals. Soon after 1846 the small church house on Franklin avenue and the Circle was built, and L. Cooley elected as pastor.

In the early years of the church the membership was made up of lake captains and seamen and their families. Later the membership included law- yers, teachers and artisans of all trades. The church has had prolific but trans- itory membership. It has sent many members to the Euclid Avenue church and to the west. It furnished the nucleus of the membership of the West Madison Avenue church, and dismissed about forty in one year to constitute the Jen- nings Avenue church, and has been a feeder of Dunham Avenue and other churches in the city. The present membership is eight hundred, and under the leadership of W. F. Rothenberger they are growing in numbers. From the first, the Lord's Supper has been observed every first day of the week. During the fifty-six years' existence of the church, offerings for the poor have been taken every Lord's day. To defray the expenses of the church, build up the cause in the city, and for benevolence, education and mission work, the church an- nually raises six thousand to nine thousand dollars.

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 45

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262