USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 50
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Parish Filled with Gladness .- On Christmas day, 1853, gladness filled the hearts of the Urbana flock, because on that day the holy sacrifice of the mass was offered up in the new church. To quote the Telegraph: "What did it matter if the walls were unplastered, if there were neither bench nor chair, unless the worshippers brought them? It was their own, their church, and they remembered the lowly crib at Bethlehem."
The issue of the Telegraph, July 7. 1855, has this concerning Urbana : "There were twenty-six persons confirmed on Monday last in the church of the Immaculate Conception, Urbana. This church is not yet dedicated. It is a handsome and substantial structure, and was much wanted. The pastoral residence is under the same roof, and quite convenient. An efficient teacher has been secured for the school, which will be held in the church until the completion of the school house."
The spring of 1856 saw the dedication, three years after the cornerstone of the church, an account of which is in the Telegraph of June, 1856: "The church of Urbana was dedicated to the Almighty, in honor of the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. by Very Rev. Joseph Ferneding. The archbishop preached. There were thirty persons confirmed. A steeple, the pews and a gallery are yet to be built-all of which will be done with as little delay as possible. The congregation is steadily increasing."
On February 19. 1859. St. Mary's lost its pastor, by the death of Father Grogan. He was succeeded by Father Kearney, who, having recovered his
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health, was appointed to his former mission charge. He remained pastor until his death, February 10, 1878. Father Kearney is inseparably con- nected with the history of Urbana's Catholic church, and is remembered and revered as the "Father of the Parish." His pastorate was a most fruit- ful one as well as the longest. Esteemed by the Urbana citizens, regardless of creed or color, as a scholar and a true Christian minister, his own people looked up to him as a father, strict and on occasion "cross and able to use the stick"; but withal kind, faithful, self-denying and true. As a tribute to his memory the spacious auditorium in the school building has been named "Kearney Hall."
The Telegraph tells us of a wonderful mission given in May, 1863, by Father P. Hennbury, C. PP. S .: "The church was crowded almost to suffocation at the high mass celebrated by the pastor, Father Kearney. Box platforms were extemporized outside the windows, and every space within hearing distance was packed. The congregation is to build a new school house, and the mission made clear that the church must soon be enlarged. The number of communicants will fall little, if any, short of seven hundred."
An item in the issue of November 27, 1867, states: "A considerable improvement has been made in St. Mary's church, Urbana, under the pastoral charge of Father Kearney. It has been lengthened; a new and commodious presbytery (now the convent ) has been erected, and a neat, well-aired and well-lighted school house. The school is attended by one hundred and fifty- six boys and girls, who, when examined by the archbishop, gave satisfactory evidence of intelligence and application. There were one hundred confirmed. Persons had come from distances of seventeen, eighteen and twenty miles to receive their share of the great spiritual grace. About five hundred and thirty received holy communion."
Increase in Catholic Population .- The remarkable increase in the Cath- olic population of Urbana is indicated by the mission given in February, 1876, when "two thousand communicants approached the holy table, eleven being converts." In June of the same year three hundred and twenty-two were confirmed; three hundred children attended the Sunday and day school. "All that was wanted was a good school house, the present one being too small."
But Urbana's priest had concluded his work and in the thirty-third year of his ministry Father Kearney on February 10, 1878, laid down the burden of his pastorate. Father James Henry (who, in December, 1912, celebrated the 37th year in the ministry and the 25th of his pastorate of St. Patrick's, Cincinnati ) took charge until the appointment in March, 1878, of the most
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eloquent priestly son the Cincinnati archdiocese has ever known, Father Martin Walsh.
His pastorate was short, but brilliant, being closed by his sudden and untimely death, March 31, 1880. He will be remembered as the pastor who brought the good Sisters of Mercy, October 5, 1878, to teach in the school and to visit and comfort the sick and take charge of the women and girls' sodalities. How well the Sisters have advanced the interests of religion, the present condition of the parish demonstrates. This same year (1878) Father Walsh purchased the Young Ladies' Academy, a large four-story brick build- ing and now used as a tool and die factory. The price paid was twelve thou- sand dollars. On the first day of school three hundred and sixty pupils applied for admission. This building, familiarly known as "the convent," was used as a school until the end of the school year of 1904-1905.
For the second time within two years a deep gloom was cast over the parish by the death of the pastor. Father Walsh, wonderfully gifted, was only twenty-seven years of age. By one of those strange coincidences, the present pastor is the only person in the parish who was present at Father Walsh's first mass, he being a lad at the same time, living in the same town, Glendale, where Father Walsh had his home.
The archbishop, having sent the orator of the diocese to Urbana, now selected the "saint of the diocese" in the person of Father Michael Donoghue. Father Michael, as both priests and people fondly remember him, in his humility considered the parish too big and too rich for him; and he asked the archbishop to send him to a poorer and more humble parish. Accord- ingly Father P. A. Quinn succeeded him in the Urbana pastorate in July, 1880. Again the archbishop showed his predilection for the Urbana parish by sending this time "the business man", the financier, of the diocese. His coming was timely, as the financial affairs had become more or less involved. Father Quinn remained long enough to straighten out matters. He greeted his successor, March, 1883, in the person of Right Rev. John B. Murray, who celebrated in October, 1913, the fiftieth anniversary, or golden jubilee of his ordination. Father Murray won his way at once into the hearts of the Urbana people, a place which he has always kept. Under his adminis- tration the debt incurred by the purchase of the Academy, was liquidated. During his pastorate, as a personal mark of honor to the pastor, Urbana was made one of the newly created "irremovable parishes." Father Murray was also appointed dean of this part of the diocese.
Relinquishing his Urbana charge in obedience to the call of his superior
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to assume charge of St. Edwards, Cincinnati, Father John M. Bonner suc- ceeded him in July, 1889. During Father Bonner's pastorate of fourteen years, many improvements were made. Again the church was enlarged, refloored, frescoed, stained-glass windows and fine new oak pews put in. Father Bonner, the son of an eminent physician of Cincinnati, was a man of culture, highly gifted by nature and endeared to all by his courtly, gentle and winning ways. The parishioners sincerely mourned his demise on March 16, 1903.
The Present Pastor of the Parish .- Fathers C. J. Conway and John Cogan had temporary charge of the parish until the arrival of the present incumbent on June 24, 1903.
The new pastor found the people dissatisfied with the "convent" as a school. It was at quite a distance from the church, two railways and a trac- tion line went past it. On the one hand, the railroad crossing, where through- out the day freight trains were almost continually passing, not to speak of the limiteds that went whirling by, made it dangerous for the children. On the other hand, the noise and smoke from the switching locomotives and trac- tion cars and passing trains interfered seriously with the teaching.
Ascertaining this desire of the parishioners to sell the convent to be general, and personally favoring the sale himself, the pastor placed the con- vent on the market for sale. Through the efforts of the capable and energetic wardens, a sale was negotiated in the fall of 1904 and the convent was sold for eight thousand three hundred dollars; seven thousand three hundred dol- lars in cash and one thousand dollars taken in stock in the purchasing com- pany, later known as the Niles Sanatorium Company. In the following spring some adjoining ground to the church property was purchased, and on May 24. 1905, the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, the first spadeful of earth was dug by the pastor. On July 2 the cornerstone of the new school was laid by the only living ex-pastor, Monsignor Murray, then rector of the Seminary. Father Simon Ryan, S. J., a son of the parish, preached. The school was dedicated by Archbishop Moeller on September 9, 1906. Father William D. Hickey, brother of the pastor, delivered the dedicatory sermon. Besides the new school building, the former parsonage was moved to another part of the church ground, remodeled, and enlarged into a commodious resi- dence for the devoted Sisters. It is situated most conveniently, both to the church and school. A substantial rectory of pressed brick was built on the site occupied by the old one before its removal. The school is a large, pressed brick structure, having eight large and two small rooms, besides a
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spacious auditorium. One feature of the new building is the heating system. A separate boiler house was built and a large boiler installed. This boiler, by means of underground conduits and an automatic air-pump, heats the four buildings comfortably, cleanly, safely and economically, as a ten years' test has demonstrated.
The school was designed by a competent architect firm of Columbus, Ohio, and has been highly praised by the Sisters and others engaged in the work.
On the first Sunday of January, 1913, the pastor was able to state the the parish was free of all debts and financial obligations, and had a little money in the treasury.
In September, 1905, owing to unavoidable delays, the school building was far from being ready for occupancy. The children, with the Arch- bishop's permission, were sent to the four public schools, including the high school of Urbana. It was an interesting test of the comparative efficiency of the two systems, with the advantage if any, with the public schools. The Catholic children had the disadvantage of new and unusual surroundings. strange teachers and a different method and system of teaching. The school is recognized today as being one of a very high standard. Five Sisters have charge of the school work, not including a special music teacher. The enroll- ment for the past school year was one hundred and sixty. For several years prior to 1915 the need of a larger play ground became urgent, a circumstance which led to the purchase of the Downey property, directly across from the church and school.
The parish has enjoyed a gradual growth from year to year, and today has approximately two hundred and seventy families.
FRIENDS CHURCH, URBANA.
In the summer of 1906, Walter Malone and Edward Mott, representatives of the Ohio yearly meeting, conducted a tent meeting in Urbana the result of which was the ultimate organization of the Friends church. Among the persons who were active in starting the church and aided in the organization were, Paul Esmond and wife, William Huffman and wife, Newton Brown- ing and wife, and Mrs. Lillian Hamilton. With the organization perfected, the next important question was a house of worship. After considering sev- eral locations the Howard Weaver Mission, located on Dugan street, was purchased, and services held there until September 21, 1911. About thi time the old church building of the First Baptist church, and later used as a
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place for holding a mission Sunday school, was bought and is used as the house of worship at the present time.
The first pastor of the church was Charles Stroup, who preached to the little flock about two years. He was followed by Henry Johnson, and he in turn by Mrs. Ida Allen, who was really responsible for putting the church on its feet. Her successor was Mary Martin, who served as pastor one year. She was succeeded by Charles Cary, the present pastor who has been with the church as pastor about two years.
The Sunday school work in connection with the church is perhaps the most important feature. An active Sunday school has been maintained from the beginning, and the superintendents who have in a large measure been responsible for the good showing are, Paul Esword and William Huffman. The church is out of debt, and is growing in strength and spiritual life and if present conditions are indicative, it will be a power for good in the future. This church is the infant society in point of years in the Goshen quarterly . meeting, but is recognized as the most spiritual of the body. One of the old time Quakers who gave liberally of his time and money for the upbuilding of this church was Joseph Townsend.
MT. CARMEL FRIENDS CHURCH. By Cynthia H. Cowgill.
The Friends society, located in the western part of Wayne township, organized about 1825 with the following families constituting the original membership: Thomas Cowgill, Sr., W. H. Baldwin, John Robinson, John Miller, Henry Cowgill, Lydia Gray, Jesse Baldwin, and a few others. Until the erection of a meeting house in 1832, services were conducted in the homes of Thomas Cowgill, Sr., W. H. Baldwin and John Robinson.
For a limited time the society worshiped in a small building known as Ryan's place in Salem township. The first house of worship was occu- pied until the early seventies. In 1873 a neat and substantial building was erected on a site of the old church. Beginning with 1866, Eli Cowgill and wife, Abarilla, preached to the little flock until they removed to their farm at Camp Chase in 1879. Joseph Townsend then became the resident pas- tor for nine or ten years. He was followed by J. Calvin Stratton, who remained seven or eight years. During the next seven years, Henry R. Johnson was the pastor, and was succeeded by Howard E. Watkins, who remained six years. After his removal, Henry R. Johnson, Mary E. Mar- tin and Mary E. Sipe served brief periods as pastors. The present pastor
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in charge is Charles M. Cary. Preaching services, during the greater part of these years, has been held every other Sunday; but regular devotional services are held every Sunday, with or without a preacher. It is the estab- lished order of the Friends church not to depend solely on a minister to conduct its meetings.
The Mt. Carmel meeting belongs to the Weatland monthly meeting, Goshen quarterly meeting, and the Ohio yearly meeting of the Friends church. A monthly meeting was established here in 1876, to be held every three months; and the quarterly meeting has been held here once, during the year since 1882.
Many changes have come to this little church in recent years. Death and removals have depleted and changed the membership very greatly. However, with these adversities, it has always been an active and earnest church, keeping a good attendance of its membership, maintaining an active Sunday school, and a Christian Endeavor society for several years. The church has a membership of one hundred, of which number only three are descendants of the original members of the Mt. Carmel meeting, and only one who has been a lifelong member of the Friends church.
The first burial ground for Mt. Carmel church was donated by Thomas Cowgill, Sr., in 1832, at the time of the building of the first meeting house. In 1882 his son, Dr. Thomas Cowgill, bought an adjoining lot of two acres, which he set apart and gave as a public burying ground. In 1904 this tract was formally transferred to the trustees of Salem and Wayne town- ships by the trustee of his estate, Thomas A. Cowgill. In 1913, the trus- tees of Mt. Carmel church, having bought of J. H. Wilkins a small addi- tion to make the grounds symmetrical, also transferred the church bury- ing ground to the trustees of Salem and Wayne townships. The last tract, together with the former, is known as Mount Carmel Cemetery.
THIE FRIENDS CHURCH, NORTH LEWISBURG.
Among the earliest settlers in Rush township were many Friends who came from the eastern states, principally from Pennsylvania and North Carolina. No sooner had a sufficient number come into the vast wilder- ness than religious services were conducted in the homes of these faithful and devout Quakers. A meeting house, however, was not erected until 1842, when a small frame structure was erected on nearly the same site as the present one. The present church building was erected about 1879. and.
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although it is very substantial, it bears a simplicity which is so character- istic of the Friends denomination.
At one time a large percentage of the families living in and near North Lewisburg were either Friends or adherents to the faith. In order that their posterity might be trained not only in the general rudiments of edu- cation, but also in their church discipline, select schools were conducted from year to year. In so far as can be ascertained at this time, the Friends have never conducted a select school in the present building ; and it is gen- erally supposed that these schools were discontinued about . 1875 or 1876. Although this old-time school has been out of existence for many years, the results that have been brought about through their influence continue to bear fruit.
Among those who have in the past been very closely identified with this church are Thomas, James, Joshua and John Winder, Griffith Lewis, Stacey Biven, Joseph Fell and William Townsend. The church has had no regular pastor for several years, and its future is by no means certain. At the present time the membership is composed of only six or eight families who are regular in their attendance. These few faithful families, however, maintain an active Sunday school, hold their regular prayer meetings in their own homes, and give their share to the general support of the church. As no permanent records can be found. the many names of persons who have acted as pastors of the society cannot be given. During the early history of this church, everyone felt free to consider himself as the pastor, and not until within the last decade did the society hire their minister. Those who are remembered as acting as pastors within the last twenty or twenty- five years are Wallace Johnson, Mary E. Sipe and Frederick J. Cope.
THE HOWARD WEAVER MISSION.
The Howard Weaver mission was organized in Urbana as a Sunday school in 1867. Services were held in different places until 1875, when Lemuel Weaver built and donated to the society a brick house in the north part of the city. When the building was opened on Christmas day, 1875. the mission association was organized and the deed given the trustees, Milo G. Williams, C. F. Colwell and David H. Hovey. The little building was a very fitting memorial of Howard Weaver, son of Lemuel Weaver, who was one of the earliest missionary workers in the city among the poor and the destitute.
The society was under the control of no religious sect, but managed and
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controlled by persons of all the various denominations of the city. For many years the Sunday school and the mission was under the general direc- tion of Rev. Josiah G. Talbott, a most worthy man, during whose service much good was accomplished. There were scores of people who received religious instruction at this place that otherwise could not have been induced to attend divine service in the regular churches. The mission ceased its active existence in 1880.
CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.
On the corner of Reynolds and South Main street is a beautiful stone church which is the result of much toil and struggle on the part of the followers of the New church. This edifice, which is considered one of the most beautiful in Urbana, is a fitting monument to the devoted efforts and unselfish endeavor of early Swedenborgians in Champaign county.
Before presenting the history of the local church, it is well to trace that of the Swedenborgian church from its beginning. The New church com- prises a body of Christians who hold to the religious doctrines set forth in the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg, a learned and pious Swede, who lived from 1688 to 1772. In 1784, James Glen, a stanch member of the New church and one of its zealous missionaries, came from London, Eng- land, to Philadelphia where he lectured on the Swedenborgian doctrines, of which he was the first avowed advocate in America. When he had finished his missionary campaign in the United States, he went to other fields to sow the seed of the creed, leaving several volumes of Sweden- borg's works behind. These afterward fell into the hands of Francis Bailey, a Philadelphia printer, who, with his wife and Miss Hettie Barclay, became ardent supporters of the doctrines of the New church. Since Mr. Bailey was a printer, he could very effectively spread the new teachings, and in 1789 he took from his press the first volume of the New church doctrines printed in America. In the same year Miss Barclay was the moving force in organ- izing a New church society at Bedford, Pennsylvania.
It is of peculiar interest that the New church in Urbana can be traced directly and distinctly back to the church at Bedford, Pennsylvania. Some- time before 1826 there came to Urbana, Thomas Gwynne, a member of the New church, who had received the teaching of the creed through Josiah Espy, of Bedford, Pennsylvania, where the New church society was started. Josiah Barclay, a nephew of Miss Hettie Barclay, married Isabella Mur- doch, a sister-in-law of John Gwynne, and also came here to live. In 1826
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John H. James came from Cincinnati to live in Urbana. His wife, Mrs. Abbie James, was the daughter of Francis Bailey, of Philadelphia, the printer from whose press issued the first volumes of the Swedenborgian philosophy in the United States. By 1836 a little group of believers had been gathered together, and were visited by ministers and missionaries of the New church from time to time, some of whom were Rev. M. M. Carll, 1831 ; Alexander Kinmont, 1836 and 1838; Rev. T. O. Prescott, 1842 and 1845; Rev. Sabin Hough, 1847; and Rev. James P. Stewart, 1848 and 1849.
ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL SOCIETY.
Soon the little group of Swedenborgians grew to such proportions that the subject was broached of establishing a, New church college in Urbana to co-operate in the organizing the work of the church. On November 8, 1850, the society of the New church was organized in Urbana, and an act of the General Assembly of Ohio incorporating it was passed on March 20, 1851. A constitution was adopted on December 28, 1851, and on January 3, 1852, the first board of trustees was elected as follow: John H. James, David Gwynne and William Murdoch. Milo G. Williams was made sec- retary. The incorporators were Milo G. Williams, James P. Stuart, William M. Murdoch, David Gwynne, John H. James, Edward U. Blake, Thomas M. Gwynne and John Murdoch.
The families constituting the New church community were wont to meet in their homes on Sunday evenings to hold a simple service, which consisted of a chapter from the Bible, a passage of scripture chanted, the Lord's Prayer repeated and a sermon selected from some Swedenborgian writer. Since the numbers in the society had reached sufficient proportions and a resolution had been passed in 1852 looking to the purchase of a building lot, a site for a church edifice was purchased on the corner of South Main and Reynolds streets in 1855. In the same year a plain wooden structure, thirty by fifty feet, known as New Church Hall, was erected. It was opened for service on January 3, 1856. On that day Rev. James P. Stuart con- ducted the worship and Willard G. Day, a student in Urbana University, delivered a lecture on the "History and Character of the Word."
On May 14, 1856, Rev. James Stuart was elected pastor of the church and served until he resigned in 1858. Since that time the University has furnished the pastors from its professors and students who considered this as a part of their regular duty. The intention of the arrangement is that the society co-operate with the university in the support of public worship
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