History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 45

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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On Tuesday the crowds in and outside the building, still increasing, and not less than twenty-five hundred persons being within the walls, and nearly two thousand in the street adjacent, a general disturbance was expected. But the mayor and police had been called on, and were upon the ground and distributed through the crowd. The clear moon- light rendered it difficult to commit any excess irresponsibly; and above all, Father Reese, venerable for his age, erudition, and skill in theology, and his magnificent beard, occupied the great mass outside the doors, as a safety-valve to let off the superfluous excitement. At nine o'clock the Millerites adjourned-as it proved sine die-going home to watch at their respective dwellings for the expected advent. They held no tabernacle meeting on Wednesday evening, to the disappointment of the crowd, which assembled as usual, and to which, by way of solace, Reese again held forth. At nine o'clock the out-door assembly dis- persed, also without day. Wednesday evening having dissipated the last hopes and confounded all the calculations of the Adventists, they have since, to a great extent, resumed that position in the community which they previously held. The carpenter has again seized his jack- plane, the mason his trowel, and the painter his brush. Eshelby has tied on anew the leather apron, and Brother Jones again laid hold of the currying-knife. The clerk in the bank, whose post was kept in abeyance until he should recover from his delusion, is again at his desk,

and John the Baptist, by which well-known sobriquet one of the prin- cipal leaders is designated, has gone back to his houses and his farms, content to wait, as other Christians are waiting, for the day and hour to come, as the chart has pointed it out.

A GREAT DEBATE

on theological questions was opened February 24, 1845, in this tabernacle, between the Rev. Dr. N. L. Rice, of the Central Presbyterian church, and Rev. E. M. Pin- gree, of the Universalist faith, which was continued through eight days. The house was thronged to over- flowing, and large numbers climbed to the roof in immi- nent danger of bringing it down and themselves with it. Judge Coffin and Messrs. William Green and Henry Starr, three prominent citizens of Cincinnati, were the moderators, and all passed off quietly and in order.

IN EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-NINE.

The Roman Catholics had twenty four churches and chapels in 1859, the Episcopalians seven churches, Old School Presbyterians nine, New School just as many, Reformed Presbyterians four, Baptists three, Disciples four, Methodists twenty-one, Orthodox and Welsh Con- gregationalists three, United Brethren in Christ three, Lutheran eight, German Reformed three, Friends and Universalists two each. The Hebrews had six syna- gogues, and two congregations without synagogues. There were. one hundred and six Sabbath-schools (not counting Roman Catholic or Jewish), with one thousand nine hundred and eighteen teachers and thirteen thou- sand eight hundred and ninety pupils, and forty thou- sand nine hundred and twenty volumes in their libraries.

IN EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE.

Mr. James Parton, writing his article on Cincinnati for the Atlantic Monthly, reckons the number of Jews in the city at twelve thousand, with specially cultivated and liberal rabbis in charge of the congregations. The other churches were flourishing, but often changed their pas- tors. "In all Cincinnati," he writes, "there are but three Protestant clergymen who have been there more than three years."

The religious statistics of this year show a total of one hundred and nineteen churches in the city-eleven Baptist, twenty-three Catholic, sixteen Methodist, seven Episcopal, six each of Old and New School Presbyteri- ans, five Jewish, four each of German Evangelical Union, Congregationalists, and Disciples, and three each of German Reformed, German Methodist, Methodist Protestant, Lutheran, United Presbyterians, Reformed Presbyterians, United Brethren, and Unitarian, two of Friends, and one each of the Christian, Independent Methodist, Methodist Calvinistic, Colored Methodist, New Jerusalem or Swedenborgian, Universalist, and Union Bethel churches.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY.

At a meeting of the Presbyterian clergy of the city held on Monday, November 29, 1880, the report of a committee on religion in Cincinnati was presented, which affords the latest bulletin on the subject to the time these pages are closed for the press. After recital of the inter- esting and important fact that while the population of the

C. O. Nrights

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city had increased greatly during the preceding five years, the crime record had decreased by eleven per cent., the committee uttered the following statements concerning the condition of the church:

We begin our review twenty years ago, immediately after the great revival of 1857 and 1853, when the church was greatly enlarged in num- bers and quickened in all its activities. It is at a very prosperous period, when Christian people were on the mountain top, and from which point we might naturally expect a decline. There are several lines of observation along which we can look to ascertain the condition of the church at that time and at the present. We have only time to follow out one line of observation-the membership of the church.

Of course by figures alone we cannot calculate the spiritual condition of the church. We can not tabulate the works of the Spirit. But the numerical condition indicates something of the spiritual sought to be studied. It helps us to see whether we are making progress or going back.

The minutes of the two assemblies show that in 1860 we had within the corporation lines of the city ten Presbyterian churches, with a mem- bership of two thousand and ninety-seven; in 1880 we have fifteen churches, with a membership of three thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven-a net gain in twenty years of one thousand six hundred and ninety. During that time the population of the city has increased from one hundred and sixty-one thousand and forty-four to two hun- dred and fifty-five thousand six hundred and eight, showing that while the city has increased in population fifty-eight per cent. the member- ship of the churches has increased over eighty per cent. In some years there has been a marked falling off in the rate of additions, but the growth of our churches since 1860 has been in advance of the growth of the city.

Never before were our church-rolls more reliable than they are to-day, having been subjected to a more rigid revision than ever before. Some may think that the progress in spiritual power has kept pace with the growth in numbers, but all can see a growth that calls for our most pro- found gratitude to God.

The membership of the Evangelical churches, as nearly as it can be ascertained, is twenty-two thousand. We are not able to say in exact figures what the membership was in 1860, but we have ascertained enough to say that the growth of the Protestant church has kept ahead of the growth of the city.

We close this review of historic religion in Cincinnati with some notices, necessarily brief, of religious societies existing in the various periods of the city's life.

THE MIAMI BIBLE SOCIETY

Was organized in 1814, for the purpose of distributing Bibles to the poor. The Rev. O. M. Spencer was first president; Rev. Dr. Joshua L. Wilson, secretary; Mr. William Burton, treasurer.

A Female Auxiliary Bible Society was formed in 1816, and had one hundred and thirty members three years after. Mrs. H. Kinney was president; Mrs. C. C. Riske, secretary ; and Mrs. C. H. Davies, treasurer.

The Young Men's Bible Society, auxiliary to the Amer- ican Bible Society, was formed in 1834, and answers the usual purposes of a County Bible Society. All ministers of the Gospel in Hamilton county are ex-officio honorary members of the society. Anniversary meetings are held every year-of late years on the third Tuesday evening in October. At the annual meeting of 1880, the total number of volumes sold and given away by the Society to that date was reported as five hundred and eighty-five thousand six hundred and fifteen. Branch societies had been organized during the previous year at Cleves, Harri- son and Wyoming, and societies were also existing at Lockland and Reading, and at Whitewater. An exhibition was made at the Industrial Exposition of the year, of

Bibles and Testaments in different languages, as kept for sale at the depository of the Society. During the year eight hundred and thirty-eight Bibles and nine hundred and ninety Testaments were distributed gratuitously, not only to families, but to the City Hospital, to station houses, steamboats, hotels, the city workhouse, and other institutions. The number of families visited was one thousand six hundred and twenty-two, of whom three hundred and eighty-seven were supplied with the Bible by sale or donation, and only eighteen families found des- titute of the Bible refused to receive it.

The following is a list of the officers of the Society since its organization :

Presidents .- Salmon P. Chase, 1834-44; Edgar M. Gregory, 1844-52 ; S. P. Bishop, 1852-60; W. H. Neff, 1860-69; J. P. Walker, 1870-72; C. W. Rowland, 1873- 75; J. Webb, jr., 1876-78; J. P. Walker, 1878-81.

Vice-Presidents .- Charles Shultz, 1834-39; John Ste- vens, 1834-35; M. C. Doolittle, 1836; Isaac Colby, 1837; John C. Vaughan, 1838-39; Carey A. Trimble, 1838-39; Nathaniel Sawyer, 1840-44; Robert W. Burnet, 1844-48; S. P. Bishop, 1848-52 ; J. P. Kilbreth, 1852-57 ; J. S. Per- kins, 1858-60; David Judkins, 1860-64; J. P. Walker, 1865-69 ; John H. Cheever, 1870; James M. Johnston, 1871; C. W. Rowland, 1872; Joseph Richardson, 1873 4; William J. Breed, 1874-5; John Webb, jr., 1875-6; Theo- dore Baur, 1876-81.

Corresponding Secretaries .- Oliver M. Spencer, 1834- 36; Flamen Ball, 1837-48; R. W. Burnet, 1848; J. P. Kilbreth, 1849-52; T. S. Pinneo, 1852-54; W. H. Neff, 1854-60; C. W. Rowland, 1860 64; A. L. Frazer, 1865- 68; Daniel Steele, 1869-73 ; George E. Stevens, 1873-75 ; A. A. Clerke, 1876-78; William McAlpin, 1878-80; H. B. Olmstead, 1880.81.

Recording Secretaries .- Flamen Ball, 1834-36; H. H. Goodman, 1844; Timothy S. Pinneo, 1845 52; J. F. Irwin, 1858-60; George E. Doughty, 1860-65; Theodore Baur, 1866-68; Joseph Richardson, 1869-71; T. S. Peale, 1872-81.

Treasurers .-- William T. Truman, 1834-41; John D. Thorpe, 1841-68; Samuel Lowry, 1869-81.

OTHER EARLY SOCIETIES.

In February, 1817, that devoted Christian woman, Charlotte Chambers, formerly wife of Colonel Ludlow, and then the wife of Rev. Mr. Riske, led in the forma- tion of an African association, for the benefit, especially in a spiritual way, of the colored people. Its operations were prosecuted energetically and resulted in much good. An African school was organized by several leading Sun- day-school superintendents of the city, in the north wing of the Lane seminary building. Some of the pupils who attended were over fifty years old. About seventy of the colored people co-operated in the movement to edu- cate their children for missionary labors and to sustain schools for colored children in Cincinnati. This was the first society of the kind in Ohio.

About the same time a number of Christian gentlemen formed the Sunday-school Union society, in which the payment of one dollar gave the contributor the right of

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

membership. Any five members, co-operating with the Sunday-school superintendent, could organize a branch school, which was then furnished with necessary supplies from the treasury of the society and taken into its frater- nal care. The Cincinnati Sunday-school society, an- other organization for similar purposes, was formed in 1818; the Wesley Sunday-school society the same year ; and the Sunday school society of the Episcopal church in 1819.

A local tract society was formed in 1817, and the Western Navigators' Bible and Tract society the next year, for the dissemination of religious literature among sailors and boatmen on the Western waters. About 1840 the American Tract society selected Cincinnati as a con- venient point for the supply of its colporteurs in the west and northwest, and the reshipment of books to them. An agency was established at No. 28 West Fourth street, which was then the local headquarters for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the Amer- ican and Foreign Christian union, the American Sunday- school union, and the Young Men's Bible society. By 1850 the Tract society was distributing over fifty thou- sand dollars' worth annually from this city.

In 1826 the chief religious and benevolent societies in the city were the Humane, the Miami Bible, the Fe- male Auxiliary Bible, the Female association, the West- ern Navigators' Bible and Tract, the Union Sunday- school, and the Colonization societies-the latter an aux- iliary to the American Colonization society.

In 1826 the chief religious and benevolent societies in the city were the Humane, the Miami Bible, the Female Auxiliary Bible, the Female association, the Western Navigators' Bible and Tract, the Union Sunday-school, and the Colonization societies-the latter auxiliary to the American Colonization society.

THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

This was the pioneer society of its name-now so great and influential-in all North America. The pre- liminary meeting was held October 8, 1848, by the male teachers of the first mission Sabbath-school of the Cen- tral Presbyterian church, at a meeting held "for the pur- pose of taking into consideration the formation of a society for mutual improvement in grace and religious knowledge." On the fourteenth of the same month a constitution was adopted, the preamble of which states that they united "for the purpose of cultivating Christian intercourse, of assisting each other in growth in grace and knowledge, especially of enlarging our acquaintance with the religious and educational condition of our coun- try and the world, and fitting ourselves for more ex- tended usefulness in the service of our Divine Re- deemer." The name chosen was the "Young Men's Society of Inquiry," which was shortly changed to "Cin- cinnati Society of Religious Inquiry." The following named seven were the original members of the society signing the constitution : P. Garrett Rice, John Roberts, William F. Mitchell, Samuel D. Mitchell, Joseph H. Marshall, J. C. C. Holenshade and Moses A. Pollock. Twenty seven more were added during the first year, rep-

resenting five different denominations. The first officers elected were the following: P. Garret Rice, president ; Josiah Ramsey, vice-president; J. H. Hall; correspond- ing secretary; M. A. Pollock, recording secretary ; Wil- liam F. Mitchell, treasurer. Regular meetings were held twice a month, sometimes oftener, and two public meet- ings for reports and addresses were held during the first half year. Committees were early appointed to visit Sunday-schools of the various denominations, to estab- lish mission schools and visit the hospital and the or- phan asylum. The first mission school was established in April, 1849, on Cherry street, near Plum, and was known as the First Mission. The following members of the society were appointed officers: M. A. Pollock, su- perintendent; George T. Cooke, assistant; W. F. Mitch- ell, secretary. In August the Second Mission was organ- ized, with Samuel Lowry, jr., as superintendent. Thir- teen members were admitted, and twenty-two meetings held in a room of the Third Presbyterian church, on Fourth and John streets, during the second year. A class of contributing members was constituted, giving part privileges of membership to those who gave an- nually two dollars or more to the Sabbath-school fund of the society. A system of standing committees on in- quiry and missions was adopted, each committee to re- port once a month. November 14, 1850, an amend- ment to the constitution was adopted, requiring appli- cants for membership to be "members in good standing of an evangelical church." Twenty-five persons united with the society during its third year. Steps were taken to form a library, and a suite of rooms was leased in the upper story of the building, No. 130 Walnut street, into which the society entered January 9, 1851. They were the first rooms of the kind in this country, and they were in use nearly a year before the formation of any other as- sociation. The Sabbath-school work of the society was enlarged, and the Third and Fourth Mission schools were established in neglected districts, at the East and West ends. A change of location was made in the latter part of January, 1852, to a new building, No. 28 West Fourth street, a number associated with many religious societies and enterprises.

In 1853 the name was changed to the cumbersome title of "The Cincinnati Society of Religious Inquiry and Young Men's Christian Union." In 1858 the former half of this name was dropped; and in May, 1863, the present name of Young Men's Christian Association was adopted. For two or three years during the war, the as- sociation exhibited little vitality and was practically dead. On the eighteenth of July, 1865, however, it was revived with a new constitution, which was amended on the sev- enth of May, 1867. The earlier meetings of the revived society were held in the Seventh street Congregational church, until a room was leased at No. 54 West Fourth street. This soon proved insufficient for the accommo- dation of the society, and arrangements were made in September, 1867, to remove to the building now occu- pied, on the southeast corner of Sixth and Elm streets- originally a hotel, known long since as the Southgate House. About 1866, a coffee and reading-room was

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opened on John street, which soon became self-support- ing. The drinking saloons in the vicinity lost much of their custom, and four shut up altogether. After a time, however, the association found it advisable to discontinue this branch of effort.

In 1867 Mr. James Parton, in his article on Cincinna- ti, written for the Atlantic Monthly, said:

The Young Men's Christian association is in great vigor at Cincin- nati. It provides a reading room, billiards, a gymnasium, bowling alleys, and many other nice things for young men, at the charge of one dol- lar per annum.

The association now engages in religious work at the hospital, the workhouse, and the jail, and in numerous open air meetings and cottage meetings at proper sea- sons. At its own rooms it has social religious, deaf and dumb social and religious, and gospel and song ser- vices; Bible, Sunday-school teachers, primary Sunday- school teachers, and normal Bible classes; the noon-day prayer, the medical students' prayer, the strangers' prayer, gospel temperance, and city missionary and Bible readers' meetings ; free concerts and lectures during the winter ; and some meetings of other societies not immediately connected with its work. Boarding and employment bureaus are maintained with much efficiency, and liter- ary classes are formed under the most efficient teachers in the city, who give their services without charge. The reading rooms are kept amply supplied with current lit- erature, and the library numbers about seven hundred volumns.

The membership of the association November 1, 1880, was one thousand one hundred and fifty-eight, making it the fifth in numerical strength in the country. It had twenty-three life, one hundred and eighty one sustaining, one hundred and ninety-four associate, and seven hun- dred and sixty active members. One hundred and twen- ty members, in the different classes, had been added du- ring the previous year. The attendance at religious meet- ings in the hall during the year had aggregated forty thou- sand seven hundred and twenty-two; in the reading room and library, forty-nine thousand nine hundred and eighty. Three hundred and nineteen had been directed to board- ing-houses, and three hundred and thirteen situations ob- tained by the employment bureau. Similar activity in many other directions was shown by the reports.

THE GERMAN YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

This society was organized by a number of young German Christians in the city, in February, 1873. The objects of the association are-

I. The furtherance of Christian knowledge.

2. The application of this knowledge in daily life.

3. As varied an education as possible.

4. To foster sociability.

Its committees visit the German speaking inmates of the hospital, the city infirmary, the county jail, and the workhouse; and there is also a visiting and sick committee for the members. Free lectures were delivered in German from time to time, literary and musical enter- tainments given, general debates held, and lessons in book-keeping taught. A library contains about four hun- dred well selected books in German, and the reading

room contains the city dailies and various religious weeklies and monthlies. The principal event of the short career of the association was the meeting with it, in July of 1880, of the National convention of German Young Men's Christian associations, when the " Bund " was declared auxiliary to the American Young Men's Christian association. The presidents of the association, from the beginning, have been Rev. William Behrendt, Rev. Dr. Lichtenstein, Rev Dr. Kuelling, Rev. John Bachmann and Mr. Jacob Schwarz.

THE WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

was formed in 1868. Its first officers were: President -Mrs. Dr. John Davis ; Vice Presidents-Mmes. S. S. Fisher, A. D. Bullock, Alphonso Taft, W. W. Scar- borough, J. T. Perry, D. E. Williams ; Recording Secre- tary-Mrs. H. W. Sage; Corresponding Secretary- Mrs. Robert Brown, jr .; Treasurer-Mrs. Dr. W. B. Davis; Auditor --- Miss A. C. Crossette ; Managers- Mmes. D. W. Clark, A. F. Perry, B. F. Brannan, C. J. Acton, Jacob D. Cox, H. Thane Miller, Frank Whetstone, A. J. Howe, C. O. Thompson, George W. McAlpin, Elijah Dean, Murray Shipley, Mary J. Taylor, W. M. Bush, and Misses Mary Fitz, Hester Smith, Mary H. Sibley, and Julia Carpenter. We extract the following notes from the Young Men's Christian Association Reporter, a neat and otherwise very excellent quarterly publication :

The work of the Association is divided into four different depart- ments-the Business Women's Boarding House, 100 Broadway ;. the Bureau of Employment, at 267 West Fourth street ; the Mission Work, with the services of a Bible reader ; and a lyceum and boarding- school for the colored people. The boarding-house is sustained for the purpose of furnishing, at a moderate cost, a well regulated Christian home for young women who wish its protection. It can accommodate about forty boarders, and is presided over by a lady well qualified for the trust reposed in her. . A Bible-class is held there every Sabbath after- noon ; and daily after the evening meal, the family is gathered for the reading of God's word and prayer.

The Employment Bureau, with its very competent secretary and committee of twelve ladies, is year by year encouraged by the improved class of woman and girls who seek situations. During the past year, of the one thousand six hundred persons who have applied for situations, places have been found for nearly eight hundred. Some one of the ladies in this committee visits the office of the Bureau each day, and in many instances the homes of those seeking employment are also visited. They have a small charity fund, by which to help those needing imme- diate relief.

The Mission Committee carry on a large mothers' meeting, which meets every Monday evening through the winter, in one of the rooms kindly placed at its disposal at the Bethel. This meeting is for the mothers of the very poor. The evening is spent in sewing on garments, which they can purchase when finished for a small sum, and in listening to reading and devotional exercises. All of the homes of these poor women are visited by some of the ladies having this work in charge. The Bible-reader of the Association is under the immediate care of this committee. Besides visiting the hospital and other publie institutions, she visits all these families frequently, and conducts a cottage prayer- meeting and a children's meeting in the Reservoir Park throughout the summer. Temporal as well as spiritual aid is given in her quiet, unos- tentatious visits, and many a burdened heart is lightened by her timely presence.

The work in behalf of the colored people includes a lyceum (Lincoln Lyceum it is named) and a sewing-school. They meet every Thursday evening in the old Union Chapel, on Seventh street, Many of our prominent citizens have given lectures of great interest before this body, while our singers have kindly added the charm of sweet music.

A movement has been set on foot to establish a country home for young women, in some convenient and accessible locality, where they may take a vacation during the heated months of summer. At the

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 45

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666