USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 1 > Part 66
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Prof. Oran Faville, M. A., of McKendree Col- lege, Illinois. was elected the first President of the college, and Mrs. Maria M. Faville, the first Pre- ceptress. Their united salary was fixed at the sum of $1,000. A number of other teachers were appointed in the Academic and Musical De- partments. The first term opened August 4, 1853, and the calendar was arranged to agree with
that of the university. The enrollment the first year was 159, and the number of pupils attending each year since has generally largely exceeded 200, and has sometimes reached 300. In 1855, President Faville's health compelled his resigna- tion, and he removed to Iowa, of which State he was subsequently Lieutenant Governor, and Com- missioner of Public Instruction. He died about 1870.
His successors were the Rev. James A. Dean, who remained but a short time, and Rev. Charles D. Burritt, who also resigned before the end of a year. The Rev. Park S. Donelson, D. D., was elected in 1856, and remained President for seven- teen years, until 1873, when he engaged in pas- I
toral work. The next President, and the last before the union of the two institutions, was Will- iam Richardson, M. A., who had been favorably known in the public-school work, and who, in 1877, resigned to re-enter that field as Superintendent of the Schools of Chillicothe.
The degrees conferred by the institution were Mistress of English Literature for those who took the scientific course, and Mistress of Liberal Arts for those who took the classical course. The lat- ter course embraced studies largely the same, at first, as those in the university, except Greek. This language, too, was finally included as optional, and upon the few who took the entire course the degree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred.
The graduates of the college numbered, in 1877, over 400. They have long had an alumnal organ- ization; and the resident graduates have, for many years, maintained a literary association with monthly re-unions.
One of the original articles of association, adopted in 1853, reads as follows :
"Article IX. If the conference or conferences patronizing this college, and the conferences pat -. ronizing the Ohio Wesleyan University, located in Delaware, Ohio, shall, at any future time. recom- mend the union of the two institutions, as far as can legally be effected, then the Trustees of this college, on their part, shall proceed to take such steps as may be legal and necessary to accomplish this object."
Such, even at that early day, was the hope of at least some who participated in the establishment of the new college. But the times were not yet ripe for the desired result. It was not until a quarter of a century had passed that the friends of this movement felt themselves strong enough to act. The Trustees of the female college were now almost unanimous in favor of the proposition, but not so the Trustees of the university. The com- mittees on the subject at first reported adversely, and then asked the judgment of the conferences in the premises. A vote in these bodies was obtained, either instructing the two boards to unite the schools, or, at least, referring it to their discretion. The Association of Alumni also voted in favor of the union, and sent a deputation to the university Board to urge the measure upon their consideration. At length, the pressure of sentiment outside convinced the most conservative that the step was both inevitable and safe, if not desirable. Finally, in 1877, the Board unanimously adopted' a resolution, that, if the Trustees of the female
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385
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
college should discontinue the academic work of that school, and transfer the property, free from debt, to the Trustees of the university, they would accept the property, and open the university to ladies, and would establish a special course of study of high order for ladies, with appropriate degrees for the completion of the course. They voted further, that, in case of the discontinuance of the female college, the university, under this arrange- ment, would adopt the Alumna of that institution on such terms as might be found desirable.
The Trustees of the female college at once accepted this proposition, and conveyed to the university the school and all the property in their possession. A debt of about $7,000, incurred by the Trustees for additions to the campus, was paid by the Central Ohio Conference from the amount raised for the university by its agents ; and thus the university came into the unincumbered posses- sion of a property worth at least $100,000, had at once an addition of nearly two hundred students per annum to its enrollment, and gained an increase of 30 per cent in its income. There were other gains. The union of the schools removed a distracting question from the councils of the university and the church, put this large and influential school abreast of the sentiment and progress of the age, and concentrated upon itselt the interest and the benefactions which had been diverted to another institution, or altogether lost between the conflicting claims of the two rival schools.
Three years of experience have confirmed the wisdom of this action. The distance of Monnett Hall from the university occasions, as had been foreseen, some inconvenience in the arrangements of the classes, especially of those in which both sexes are represented. These meet, according to circumstances, in one locality or the other, but all the classes in which ladies largely outnumber the gentlemen, are taught at Monnett Hall. Separate chapel exercises are also held at the latter place for the accommodation of the house boarders. But all these are matters of detail. and at most occasion a little trouble to the faculty or the stu- dents. The advantages from the union are so manifest and so great that, in summing up the result, minor inconveniences can be patiently adjusted or quietly ignored. Co-education in Del- aware is an unqualified and large success.
The Ohio Business College and Normal Insti- tute was originally established on the 9th of April, 1866. Messrs. J. W. Sharp and R. R. Hinds |
opened what was then called the " Commercial and Chirographic Institute." The object of the school was to supply a want not met by either the public school or the university, viz., that of a special train- ing in penmanship, book-keeping, commercial law, arithmetic, as applied to business, business forms, customs, etc. The citizens of Delaware, as well as the country around, gave the enterprise a liberal support. This encouraged Messrs. Sharp and Hinds to lay the foundations for a permanent school, which they did, changing the name (in 1867) to the "Ohio Business College." In this year, they added a Telegraphic and a Normal De- partment, placing at the head of the former Mr. M. M. Chase, an accomplished electrician and practical telegrapher. Owing to the consolidation of the two principal telegraphic companies of the United States into one, many operators were thrown out of emplowment, and the demand for operators decreased to such an extent as to render the tele- graphic department impracticable, in consequence of which Mr. Chase severed his connection with the school. .
The Normal Department became a valuable fea- ture of the school. This department was also es- tablished to meet a want not met by either the high school or the college, viz., the special prepara- tion of teachers of common schools for their work. In all of its undertakings, the Ohio Business Col- lege has studiously avoided anything like rivalry with the high school or the university. In the Normal Department two terms a year are held. one in the spring and the other in the fall.
In 1870, Prof. Hinds disposed of his interest to Prof. J. W. Waful, a penman of rare ability. The next year, Prof. Sharp purchased Waful's interest, and has remained sole proprietor of the school, em- ploying assistants from time to time as occasion requires.
In 1873, the course of study in the Business Department was revised and enlarged. A system of actual business 'practice was adopted, in which the student actually fills ont all bills, invoices, notes, checks, drafts, orders, receipts, etc., such as would occur in actual business. College currency was engraved to represent cash. and used by the pupil in buying and selling precisely the same as cash. This system of actual business practice was pronounced by the Commission at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, "The most perfect possible."
Since the establishment of the Ohio Business College, more than two thousand pupils have been
386 -35/
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
enrolled, averaging about one hundred and fifty yearly. About two hundred and fifty have com- pleted the full business course. A larger number have been in attendance in the business course dur- | in which the same Principal has stood at the head ing the present year than at any previous time. : so long as in this one. Since the recent revival of business, pupils who
STATISTICS OF OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
Year.
Real estate, Cabinets, Library.
Endowment.
Incomes.
No. of | No. of other Profess- ors.
Instruct- Seniors .: Juniors. ors.
Sopho- mores.
Fresh- men.
Preparatory and other Courses.
Total.
1845 ...
$ 15,500
2
2
0
2
2
14
92
110
1846.
4
2
1
1
10
15
135
162
1847 ..
4
3
2
8
9
12
140
172
1848.
5
1
9
7
8
16
154
194
1849
5
1
9
4
9
19
139
180
1850
$ 54,000
5
'2
6
5
13
14
219
257
1851.
71,000
4
5
5
11
12
18
460
506
1852 ..
106,000
4
6
8
11
16
17
540
592
1853 ..
108,000
5
4
12
9
10
27
472
580
1854 ..
110,000
5
3
6
12
16
24
536
594
1855.
112,000
$ 9,200
5
3
12
9
18
67
405
511
1857.
77,000
115,000
8,652
5
3
12
25
41
42
406
526
1859 ..
77,000
116,000
8,910
5
3
25
32
44
46
396
543
1860 ...
82,000
116,000
8,228
5
3
21
25
36
57
320
459
1861 ..
82,000
116,000
8,943
5
5
26
23
55
53
266
423
1862.
82,000
116,000
9,913
5
4
17
26
33
42
189
307
1863.
82,000
114,000
9,809
5
2
18
25
20
31
185
297
1864 ...
82,000
114,000
10,835
5
2
24
18
31
41
246
360
1865 ...
84,000
129,000
11,305
7
1
14
27
33
45
291
410
1866 ..
84,000
131,000
13,533
8
1
22
28
38
69
394
551
1867.
95,000
185,000
12,864
8
2
28
36
72
85
243
497
1868 ..
95,000
206,000
16,388
8
2
37
33
77
82
200
438
1869 ..
100,000
212,000
15,110
8
3
25
43
63
79
183
293
1870 ...
128,000
230,000
19,765
8
1
39
47
63
88
185
417
1871 ...
128,000
230,000
16,749
8
2
44
41
59
88
183
415
1872 ...
157,000
230,000
18,762
9
2
44
48
45
57
225
419
1873 ..
175,000
234,000
16,305
8
3
44
48
45
57
223
417
1874 ...
178,000
235,000
16,953
8
4
36
32
36
47
223
374
1875 ...
180,000
240,000
17,765
7
3
27
38
33
44
224
366
1876
180,000
220,000
16,973
8
3
37
26
27
38
207
335
1877 ...
180,000
233,000
22,866
8
2
29
21
34
37
201
3.23
1878 ...
230,000
244,000
30,023
9
11
37
44
52
59
420
612
1879 ..
231,000
251,000
32,837
8
11
39
51
55
41
429
615
1
1
1
1
1856.
72,000
113,000
8,536
5
4
10
14
37
47
433
5-11
1858 ...
77,000
116,000
5
3
24
27
42
50
343
486
. .
1
.
6
have completed the business course, have found no trouble in getting good situations as book-keepers. There are but few business colleges in the Union
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
388 . 389
CHAPTER XIII .*
DELAWARE CITY-RELIGIOUS HISTORY-PIONEER CHURCHES-THE CHURCHES OF THE PRESENT -SECRET AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.
Hear the hymns
Of heaven in all the starry beims, and fill Glen, vale and wood and mountain with the bright And glorious visions poured from the deep home Of an immortal mind." -- Prentice.
"THE first Presbyterian Churcht in Delaware was organized under the authority of the Pres- bytery of Chillicothe, by Rev. Joseph S. Hughes, in the spring of 1810. It consisted of fourteen mem- bers, and was united with Liberty and Radnor under the same church government. Mr. Hughes acted as their stated supply for thirteen years.
Mr. Hughes came to Ohio from Washington, Penn. For a short time he was Chaplain during the war of 1812, and was present at Hull's sur- render. The united churches not being able to pay him a supporting salary, he served at different times as Clerk of the Court, as County Recorder, and as editor of a weekly newspaper. He was a man of varied abilities, eccentric in his habits, popular in the social circle, and is described by the old settlers as a most eloquent and effective preacher. He died in the autumn of 1823, of an epidemic fever, and was interred in the old bury- ing-ground, his grave unmarked and unknown.
Mr. Hughes was succeeded in the spring of 1824 by Rev. Henry Van Deman, a licentiate from the Presbytery of Chillicothe. He was ordained and installed as the first settled Pastor of the united churches, and continued in this relation till 1836, when he was released from Liberty and Radnor and gave all his time to the church in Delaware.
About this time the excitement concerning Old and New Schoolism was intense among Presby- terians, and culminated in the division at the Gen- eral Assembly in Philadelphia in 1838. Rev. H. Van Deman was a commissioner to that body ; he voted with the New School men, and he and the church went with the Presbytery of Marion into the New School Assembly. At this time the membership ot the church was about two hundred.
*Contributed by Prof. William G. Williams. t By the Rev. A. D. Hawn.
In November, 1841, fifty-four members left the First Church and were organized by Presbytery into the Second Church. For a period of twenty- nine years the two bodies must be considered separately. The First Church retained the old stone structure which had been built in 1825. In 1843 this was torn down and a new brick building was erected, which constitutes the main portion of the present neat and commodious house of wor- ship. In 1848, the Pastor and church dissolved their relations with the New School Assembly and united with the Old School. Mr. Van Deman continued his connection with the church till the spring of 1861, when he resigned. His ministry in Delaware extended over a period of thirty-seven years. In August, 1861, Rev. C. W. Mateer became stated supply, and remained till April, 1863, when he went to China as missionary. hav- ing given his life to that work. Rev. Milton MeMillin was afterward called as Pastor, and re- mained till the summer of 1867, when he resigned. He was succeeded by Rev. J. L. Lower as stated supply, for one year; and he was followed by Rev. David Kingery, who served the church till the autumn of 1869.
The Second Church, soon after its organization, began to build a frame edifice on Winter street. between Franklin and Sandusky. This was com- pleted and dedicated in 1842. In May of the same year, Rev. Franklin Putnam took charge of the church as stated supply, and continued that relation till August, 1845, when he was succeeded by Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, who remained till October, 1847. Dr. Tuttle has, for many years. been the successful President of Wabash College, Ind. Rev. Charles W. Torrey then served as stated supply till April, 1850, and Rev. G. Dana till April, 1852. In July, 1852. Rev. C. H. De Long was installed Pastor, which position he re- signed, July, 1855, when Rev. O. H. Newton was called and installed pastor, and continued as such till November, 1869. Mr. Newton's pastorate of fourteen years here was followed by his appoint- ment as Chaplain in the Ohio Penitentiary, which post he held for four years, when he was called to
.
2
390
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he died, August, 1878.
The re-union of the two General Assemblies of the Old and New School Presbyterian Churches having taken place at Pittsburgh, Penn., in Octo- ber, 1869, the First and Second Churches began negotiations looking to a union. On the 7th of June, 1870, the Delaware Presbyterian Church was formed out of the two churches, in accordance with an act of the Legislature of Ohio, passed April 2, 1870, which was ratified by a vote of the congregations. It was also determined to sell the Second Church building and worship in the First.
In February, 1870. Rev. R. F. McLaren began preaching for the united congregations, and was afterward called and installed Pastor. This relation continued till May, 1873, when he resigned. He went to the First Church, of Red Wing, Minn., where he remained till the winter of 1879, when he accepted a call to the Central Church of St. Paul, Minn.
In August, 1873, Rev. N. S. Smith, of Fort Wayne, Ind., visited the church, and was afterward called and installed as its Pastor. This relation continued till October, 1878, when Dr. Smith re- signed. During his pastorate, the old First Church building was remodeled, a new front with spire was added, the basement enlarged and improved, and the audience-room reseated, frescoed and fitted with stained glass windows. The entire improvement cost some $12,000. Dr. Smith is now Superin- tendent of the Girls' Industrial Home, White Sulphur Springs, Ohio.
Rev. A. D. Hawn, of Zanesville, Ohio, was called to succeed Dr. Smith in December, 1878, and entered upon his duties the following January, and is the present Pastor. The membership at this date, April 1, 1880, numbers over five hun- dred, showing a steady and rapid growth since the union of the churches. During the past year, the congregation contributed about 83,900 for home support and the various objects of benevolence. The different Sunday schools connected with the church have 420 scholars enrolled. All the dif- ferent services of the church are well attended, while peace, unity and prosperity characterize every department.
St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church* was organized in 1817 by the Rev. Philander Chase, who was afterward ordained the first Bishop of the diocese of Ohio. He came to this State in the month of March, 1817, preaching his first
sermon at Conneaut Creek ; thence to Cleveland and other points on the " Reserve," and on down through the interior of the State to Cincinnati, on horseback, preaching and establishing churches, and finally settling in Worthington, where a colony of some forty Episcopal families from New Eng- land had settled in 1803.
The following is a copy of the original record in the handwriting of Bishop Chase, written in a strong, bold hand : "
Be it remembered, That, on the ninth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, the Rev. Philander Chase, late Rector of Christ Church, in the city of Hartford, Connecticut, preached and performed divine service, according to the Liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in this town of Delaware. After which, he explained his views in coming to this place, viz .. to found and organize churches to the glory of God and the good of human souls. Whereupon the following instrument of Parochial Association was drawn up for signature.
"We, the subscribers, deeply impressed with the truth and importance of the Christian religion, and sincerely desirous of promoting its influence in the hearts and lives of ourselves, our families and neigh- bors, do hereby associate ourselves together by the name, style and title of 'St. Peter's Church, in the town of Delaware, State of Ohio, in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America,' the Liturgy, constitution and canons of which we adopt. Signed, William Little, William Mansur, Abner Root, Aaron Strong, Solomon Smith, Thomas Butler, Hezekiah Kilbourn, Caleb Howard. James Wolcott, Robert Jameson, Milo D. Pettibone."
After the foregoing instrument of Parochial Associa- tion was signed by several persons the Rev. Mr. Chase, the officiating clergyman, called the Parish to order, himself being in the chair, and [here the handwriting of Mr. Chase stops, ] William Little, Secretary.
Resolved, That this parish of St. Peter's Church, Del- aware, now proceed to the election of wardens and vestrymen and other officers and delegates, for the en- suing year, ending Easter Monday, A. D. 1818, where- upon the following persons were chosen to their re- spective offices and duties, viz. : Aaron Strong, William Mansur, Wardens; Wm. Little, Thomas Butler, Abner Root, Vestrymen ; Wm. Little, Recording Clerk.
1817-This church was about the fifteenth in the order of organization in the State. Grace Church, Berkshire, was formed in April, 1817, by the Rev. Roger Searl, who came to Ohio one month before Mr. Chase. He too was a very active, hard-working missionary, as was Mr. Chase.
During the summer of this year, small parishes were organized in Radnor and Norton by the Rev. . James Kilbourn, of Worthington, who was then in Deacon's orders, which, however, he resigned
* By Mr. C. Platt.
5
1
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
391
in 1820, and was afterward widely known as " Col. Kilbourn."
There were at this time but three Episcopal ministers in the State, all of them doing mission work. Rev. Mr. Chase took under his special charge the parishes of St. John's, Worthington --- his place of residence; Trinity, Columbus, organ- ized by him (then a smaller parish than that at Delaware) ; St. Peter's, Delaware, and the three others above named in Delaware County; making his journeys on horseback, then the safest and most expeditious mode of traveling.
The present generation can hardly realize the great changes that have taken place in our State and county since those primitive times. A letter written by Mr. Chase. July 10, 1817, may serve to illustrate this somewhat. He writes : " Wednes- day, I went to Delaware; Thursday to Norton, on the frontier of the United States land, bordering on the Indian possessions, ten miles from Delaware."
Late in the fall, Mr. Chase writes, Worthing- ton occupies half his services, and Delaware and Berkshire each their portion. In these alone, he baptized this year more than one hundred, and before the winter his communion had increased from a very few to sixty-five.
At the first annual convention of the church held in Columbus, June, 1818, Rev. Mr. Chase was elected Bishop of the diocese of Ohio, and thereafter his visits to Delaware were necessarily less frequent, but he still continued, under his special charge; the parishes of Worthington, Columbus, Delaware and Berkshire, of which, in his report to the Convention he says : " In ministering to then I employ all my time, except that which is devoted to diocesan duties and those I owe to the school, as President of Worthington College."
There being no church building or " meeting house " of any kind in the town, services were held in the court house, which was used as a place of worship by other denominations, all uniting together when there was to be preaching, people from the country bringing their babies, children, and often their dogs. The church-going manners of those early times were quite free and easy ; the people, more especially the younger ones, were in the habit of going in and out of " meeting " dur- ing any part of the service, as might suit their convenience or whims. This was extremely annoy- ing to Bishop Chase, being so opposed to his views of the " decency and order " with which divine worship should be conducted. This story is told by one now living who witnessed the scene.
Upon one occasion, when the Bishop was con- ducting service, after several interruptions of the kind above mentioned, a certain young man from Fthe country, who was in the congregation, began slowly to rise up, preparatory to going out, and. being very tall, he attracted the attention of all in the room. The Bishop's patience gave out at this fresh interruption, and, stopping the service, he called out, in his stentorian voice : " Young man, sit down." The narrator adds, the young man sat down quickly, and the service went on without further interruption. The Bishop was a large, muscular man, of commanding will and voice, and not to be trifled with.
1819-The Bishop's visits to Delaware were limited to four or five a year ; but the little band of churchmen remained loyal and faithful amidst all the discouragements of the situation, held together by their love for the church and the Bishop's occasional visits.
The Rev. Mr. Morse reports to the convention in June, 1819, that during the winter preceding he had, in the absence of the Bishop, visited the parishes immediately under his charge, including Delaware. With this exception, there is no record of any other minister visiting Delaware until 1821, when the Rev. P. Chase, Jr., (the Bishop's son ) reports one visit to Delaware.
The first confirmation service was held on the Sth of August, when the following persons received that holy rite at the hands of the Bishop : James . Wolcott, Robert Jameson, William Little, Almon Olmsted, Thomas F. Case, John Minter, Jr., Noah Spaulding, Solomon Smith, Sally Smith, Parthenia Spaulding, Elizabeth Minter, Martha Dildine, Peggy Minter, Malissa Case, Electa Case, Elizabeth Minter-the younger, Nancy Minter. Probably not one of this first confirmation class is now living.
1820-Rev. Mr. Morse reports one visit to Del- aware. There is no record that the Bishop visited Delaware this year ; but he most likely did do so.
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