History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 98

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Ohio > Licking County > History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present > Part 98

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In the spring of 1856 the church was enlarged by an addition at the rear, giving about a hundred new sittings. At the same time a pipe organ, costing between six and seven hundred dollars, took the place of the cabinet-organ formerly employed. Services were held during this time in the city hall, beginning March 23rd; the enlarged church being occupied for the first time on June Ist.

The trustees of the church in April, 1859, pur- chased a house and lot adjoining the church for a parsonage, at the price of seventeen hundred dollars, to be paid in three yearly instalments.

The whole number added to the church in Mr. Humphrey's pastorate of just seven years, was eighty-nine. Financially the report for this period is about as follows:

Enlarging and repairing church, $1,205; organ, $677; parsonage (a small balance paid later), $1,700; current expenses, $5,800; benevolence. $2,287; total, $11,669.

In the spring of 1861, Rev. Mr. Humphrey, receiving a call from the First Congregational church of Beloit, Wisconsin, resigned the pastor- ate of this church.

The pulpit was supplied for a year, to May I, 1862, by Rev. William Lusk, jr., and on October --- 14, 1862, a call was extended to, and accepted by, Rev. Rollin A. Sawyer.

Mr. Sawyer is a graduate of Western Reserve college in 1851, and of Union Theological semi- nary, New York, in 1857. Prior to his settlement here, he had been pastor of the Westminster church, Yonkers, New York, from February 17, 1858. He was installed over this church January I, 1863, and continued its pastor until January 16, 1866.

Up to the close of his pastorate here, including the previous interim, when two were added, the whole number of additions to the church was forty-four.

Total on church-roll to January, 1866, .... ..

Financially the report for the four years is about as follows :

Current expenses, $5.200

380

Benevolence. 1.750

Total, $6, 050

The vacant pulpit was not filled immediately. November 4, 1866, Rev. Daniel Tenney preached his first sermon here. A call was subsequently extended to him, which he accepted January 9. 1867. He was installed pastor of this church May 1, 1867; on which occasion Rev. D. E. Beach, of Granville, preached the sermon from the text, 2 Cor. 2; 15, 16. Rev. Addison Kings- bury, D. D., of Putnam, charged the pastor, and Rev. Charles Putnam, of Jersey, who was present at the organization of the church, thirty years be- fore, charged the people.

In November of that year the very important step was taken to determine upon a new church building. On Saturday evening, November 2d. : number of prominent gentlemen, connected with this church, called, by invitation, upon the pastor each one somewhat surprised at the presence d

Digitized by Google

563

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

thers. The matter was discussed, and Mr. Tenny ffered to make up the balance from the rest of ne society, if they who were present would do bout what he had in his thoughts assigned them. Il promising not to be offended at his making gures for them, he read the supposed subscrip- on. But let him describe the scene for himself, ; he does in a letter received from him :

"Nobly did they respond with but slight variations from the timates I had made. About twelve thousand dollars were edged that night. It was a solemn and precious hour, and we kneeled and thanked God, every heart was deeply moved. shall never forget that night. God was there. The next day, e Sabbath, November 3d, I preachedifrom the text : 'Let us se up and build.' On Monday I took the field to make up e balance of the subscription needed, and before night nearly renty thousand dollars were pledged. Never, I think, were bscriptions more generously or more promptly pledged. I ould like to mention the names of some of those brothers who yfully made their offerings of thousands into the Lords treas- y for that object, but it would be invidious. But I must eak of one person who was knowing to my plan, one indi- dual who had earnestly advised me to move, and to move at ce and heartily in the matter. That person was a woman. le insisted that it could be done, and that now was the time. le would say to me again and again, go forward, and you Il succeed. That noble woman was Mother King. God ess her !"

A congregational meeting was held December 3, 1867, when the following gentlemen were ap- inted a building committee: Messrs. William nields, William A. King, esq., John McCune, 'illiam O. Bannister, Rev. Daniel Tenney, Albert herwood, John S. Fleek.

The parsonage was moved from the corner to e rear of the lot, and made to front on Second reet, and the church, instead of occupying its old sition, was advantageously placed on the corner, onting Church street. Services were held in the eantime in the old building, which was removed · where it now stands, and which has since be- me the property of the African Methodist Epis- ›pal church, and in the city hall.

June 13, 1868, on a beautiful Saturday evening, e corner stone was laid with appropriaie cere- onies, when Rev. H. M. Hervey, of the First lurch conducted the devotional exercises, Mr. atthew Newkirk read a historical statement of e church and Sabbath-school, Mr. Tenney de- 'ered an address, Waldo Taylor, esq., read a Itement respecting the proposed building, and

Rev. J. W. White, of the Methodist church, offered prayer.

Thursday, January 28, 1869, the first services were held in the lecture room, consisting of a Sun- day-school festival and dedication. The following Sabbath, January 31st, was rendered memorable by the reception of twenty new members, the celebra- tion of the Lord's supper, a dedication sermon, and the raising of two thousand dollars.

A new bell, weighing twenty-one hundred pounds, was procured largely through the efforts of Miss Martha Scott (now Mrs. Osborn), and was raised to its place May 20, 1870. That bell was rung so joyfully for the next two years that it prematurely cracked, and another was immediately obtained for it in exchange, weighing a little over fifteen hun- dred pounds.

Mr. Tenney resigned his pastoral charge March 8, 1871, and removed to Troy.

The whole number added to the church under his ministry was a hundred and thirty-four.

Previously registered. .380

Total on church roll to March, 1871. . 514

Financially the report for the four years is about as follows:

Church building

$20,500

Bell® (nearly) 1,000

Current expenses 6,800

Benevolence 1,610

Total, $29,910

" Here I should prefer to leave the history of the church to other hands, but duty requires some ref- erence to more recent years."

Rev. Howard Kingsbury, a graduate of Yale col- lege in 1863, and of Union seminary in 1869, was called to this church, May 8, 1871, and installed June 22d. Rev. Dr. Kingsbury, of Zanesville, preached from a part of Ephesians 4, 15, "Speaking the truth in love." Rev. A. S. Dudley, of Granville, delivered the charge to the pastor, and Rev. H. M. Robertson, of Westerville, the charge to the people.

November 27, 1872, at the suggestion of the session, who tendered their resignation, the church, after much prayer and calm deliberation, adopted the system of term eldership, the session to be consti- tuted of six elders, the term of office to be six years, an election of two elders to be held every two years.

Digitized by Google

564

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

At a congregational meeting, March 4, 1873, it was determined to proceed to finish the church. In due time a subscription paper was circulated, and a building committee appointed, consisting of the following gentlemen: Messrs. Adam Fleek, T. L. Clark, George Sherwood, George Markley, C. H. Newkirk, T. H. Sites, J. H. McCune.

On Sunday, April 12, 1874, the long looked for day arrived, when the audience-room should be consecrated to the worship of God. The sermon was preached by Rev. W. E. Moore, I). D., of Columbus, from Psalm 95, 6. The dedicatory prayer was offered by the pastor. Then the sacra- ment of the Lord's supper was celebrated, Rev. Mr. Tenney conducting the service; and the ses- sion of the First church, who had given up their own service to unite with this church on the joyful occasion, joined with this session in the distribu- tion of the elements. Sixteen were received into the church, seven of them on profession of their faith.

In the afternoon a Sunday-school dedication service was held, conducted by Mr. Tenney, and in the evening an historical address by Rev. Mr. Duncan.

A brief description of the church building seems appropriate at this place. It is built of brick, with Ohio sandstone finishings. It is some- what "Gothic in architecture. Its extreme length is one hundred and six feet, and extreme width sixty-two feet two inches.

The basement, entirely above ground, contains a lecture-room, with a seating capacity of three hundred and fifty; a conference-room, holding a hundred; two smaller rooms, the one the pastor's study, the other a parlor, and a library room; all, with the exception of the last, connected by slid- ing-doors.

The audience-room has a seating capacity of five hundred and fifty, with room to spare. Its extreme length is ninety-six feet, eleven feet of which form a vestibule, and fifteen feet a recess back of the pulpit, occupied by the choir and or- gan; leaving the regular proportions of the room seventy feet by fifty-five.

The whole number added to the church during the present pas- torate is . 109

Previously registered, .514

Total on church roll to July, 1876, 623

The financial report for the present period,- including pledges just secured for a debt of two thousand three hundred dollars still due on the finishing of the church, to be paid within a year, is substantially as follows:

Church building (finishing) $9.500

Church cemetery lot, 45

Current expenses. 8,750

Benevolence, 2, 180

Total, $20,475

It was through the influence of Mr. James Young that the first prayer-meeting ever held in Newark is due, he soliciting his pastor, Rev. Mr. Baird, although himself at the time not a professor of religion, to introduce such an agency of ust- fulness into the church. Mr. Baird replied to his solicitation: "Cannot you start one?" He shrank from the responsibility, and the matter for the present dropped. When Mr. Miles became pastor, Mr. Young, having then become a member of the church, addressed an anonymous letter to him upon the same subject, which had the desired effect. On the next Sabbath a prayer-meeting was announced, and I suppose not a week has passed since that long-ago time, 1822, when there has not been a prayer-meeting in this city.

The Sabbath-school has always been a prosper- ous institution, varying from time to time, but on the whole gaining in numbers and interest. It was organized in January, 1837, i. e. at the very begin- ning of the church, by the Rev. James Hildreth, a young licentiate from the city of New York. The pastors of the church have all been Sunday- school men, and the superintendents and teachers have been active, faithful and zealous. It has grown from an average attendance of about seven- ty-five to over two hundred. According to the annual report of the secretary, Mr. Antone Weber, presented March 26, 1876, the school consisted of six officers and thirty teachers, twenty ladies and ten gentlemen. There are three bible classes, with an enrollment of forty-two, and an average attend- ance of eighteen; the main school, with an enrol ment of ninety-six boys and one hundred and twenty-four girls, and an average attendance of fifty-six boys and seventy-five girls; and an infan class with an enrollment of seventy-three, and a average attendance of forty-five. Total enrollment

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

565

three hundred and seventy-one; total average at- tendance for the year, two hundred and fourteen. The whole amount contributed was two hundred and seventy dollars and thirty cents.

The following is a nearly, if not quite, correct list of superintendents, with the dates of the be- ginning of their service:

James Young 1837

Asa Beckwith. 1840

N. H. Seymour. .I845

A. C. Edgell 1848

M. Newkirk 1850

S. G. Arnold 1855

L. P. Coman 1860

M. Newkirk 1863

Dr. J. B. Hunt 1866

M. Newkirk 1868

Hon. Charles Follett

.1870

M. Newkirk. 1875

Mr. Newkirk is the present superintendent.

In addition to the home school, the church sus- tained a mission in East Newark for ten years, from October, 1858, to April, 1868. The highest enrollment was in 1859-one hundred and twenty- six scholars, eleven teachers; Mr. J. D. Parsons, superintendent. It grew gradually smaller until it was re-organized in June, 1866, and its more than fifty scholars were placed under the care of a sin- gle teacher, Miss Clara Knight, whose faithful ser- vice, unassisted and often unappreciated, was finally terminated by an attack of sickness, which put an end to the school.

Rev. Howard Kingsbury was succeeded in March, 1878, by Rev. George A. Beattie, who re- mained until the summer of 1880. The debt of the church was canceled during his pastorate.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Newark. -Unfortunately the larger part of the history of this church has not been preserved. This is more to be regretted as this has generally been the pioneer church. In the advance of civilization the Methodist preachers were generally found on the picket line, and were the first to proclaim the Gos- pel in the wilderness. This was not always the case, but if not the first, they were, at least, among the first, and for this reason the history of this church becomes a part of the history of the terri- tory contiguous to its location.

Rev. Mr. McDonald, a Presbyterian, was the first preacher in Licking county. This was in 1802. In 1803 the Methodist Episcopal church organized the Hock-Hocking circuit, which embraced the territory, in part, of what now forms the counties of Fairfield, Licking, Muskingum, Coshocton, Knox, Franklin, Pickaway, and Ross. Rev. Asa Shinn was appointed the intinerant to take charge of it, establish preaching places, organize classes, and generally minister to it. He made the cabin of Mr. Benjamin Green, in the valley of Hog run, a regular preaching place, which he visited once in four weeks, and where he instituted, in 1804, the first regular church organization in Licking county. It is probable that Mr. Shinn also preached about that time in the Licking valley, and, perhaps, in Newark, which had been laid out the year before (1802), but no record appears to that effect. The . first man to preach in Newark was, probably, Rev. John Wright, a Presbyterian. This was in the summer of 1803. A sketch of Mr. Shinn's life will be found in the history of the Hog Run church, in Licking township.

In the autumn of 1804, Mr. Shinn was trans- ferred to Kentucky, and Revs. James Quinn and John Meeks took his place on the Hock-Hocking circuit. There is no record that they preached any- where else in the county than in the little church at Hog run, but it is presumable that they occasion- ally preached in Newark, but if they did they must have held the service under a tree, or in the cabin of some settler, as no building had been erected for church purposes, and was not erected for years afterwards.

Mr. Quinn was continued upon this circuit, be- ing re-appointed in 1805, but he was sent to the Scioto circuit when about one-half of his second year had expired, making his whole service on the circuit, a period of eighteen months, running into the early part of 1806. Before he left the village Newark was attached to it, and his congregation usually numbered "from fifteen to thirty persons," says Mr. Smucker. Here then is the first evidence of the establishment of the first Methodist class in Newark. A small class existed here which Mr. Quinn left in 1806, composed of five or six persons, who met at the cabin of Abraham Wright, esq., an emigrant of 1802, from Washington county, Penn-

Digitized by Google

'566

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

sylvania, who was at this period, and had been for some time, an acting justice of the peace.

Rev. James Quinn, who organized this first Methodist class in Newark, was born in Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania, April 1, 1775, and en- tered the itinerant ministry in May, 1799. He was appointed to Greenfield circuit in western Pennsylvania, but was also a missionary in the Hock-Hocking valley in December, 1799, and January, 1800, going as far as Lancaster. In 1801, he served Erie circuit, the Winchester circuit in Shenandoah valley, Virginia, in 1802, and Red- stone circuit, in the Monongahela valley, Pennsyl- vania, in 1803. The next year he erected a cabin in the woods in Fairfield county, near the present village of Pleasantville, which he made his home. It was the work of twenty-six days to ride around .his circuit, and he was allowed but two days at home. Mr. Quinn was a faithful and efficient minister, and continued his ministerial duties until 1842. He died at his residence in Highland county, Ohio, December 1, 1847, at the age of nearly seventy-three.

Rev. John Meeks, Mr. Quinn's cotemporary, came from Western Virginia, above Wheeling. He remained many years in the itinerancy, but no record of his life and services has been obtained.

In 1805, Rev. Joseph Thrap came into the county, and Rev. Joseph Williams was appointed to the Hock-Hocking circuit. A biographical sketch of Mr. Thrap is given in the history of Hanover township, where he lived and established a church. It is not unlikely that he preached many times to the class in Newark. Mr. Williams also preached here at the same time.

In 1806, quite a number of preachers of differ- ent denominations made their appearance in New- ark and vicinity. Among them was Rev. John Emmett, a Methodist, who preached a number of sermons under a tree which stood on the public square. Rev. Peter Cartwright also made his ap- pearance on the Hock-Hocking circuit, taking the place of Mr. Meeks, who, by reason of failing health, was unable to keep his appointments. At that date the following names appear as members of the Methodist society here. These were prob- ably the organizers of this church: James Stewart, Mrs. Stewart, Jane Wilson, Mr. Couch, James

Stewart, jr., Martin Lincoln, Aaron Baker, Mrs. Baker and Benjamin Wilcox, a colored youth brought to Ohio from Virginia, by Captain Archi- bald Wilson. Three gentlemen from New Eng- land, named Curtis, Mallery and Petty, were soon added to the above list, but not long after a schism sprang up in the little church which led to the seces- sion of Aaron Baker and a number of others. Mr. Emmett officiated as chaplain on the Fourth of July, 1807, the first Fourth of July ever celebrated in Licking county. He spent the subsequent years of his life in the Scioto valley, and represented Pickaway county several sessions in the legislature.

Rev. James Axley was assigned to this circuit in 1806, and in 1807 Revs. Joseph Hays, James King and Levi Shinn, brother of Asa, the two former having charge of the Hock-Hocking circuit. In 1808 Revs. Ralph Lotspeitch and Isaac Quinn came as regular Methodist itinerants. The former was a minister of note, who performed much pastoral labor among the Methodists in this county during this and succeeding years.

In 1809 Revs. Benjamin Lakin and John John- son were ministers on the Hock-Hocking circuit, and, of course, supplied the Newark congregation About that time the first court house in this county was erected-a log building-on the public square. and this was thereafter used by all denominations for many years, for religious meetings.

One of the most prominent of the early Meth- odist ministers was Rev. Noah Fidler, who came to this vicinity, settling a few miles south of New- ark in 1811. He entered the Methodist itinerancy in 1801, serving the Frederick, Pittsburgh, Erie, Clarksburgh, 'Botetourt and Staunton circuits, in the order named, until 1808, when he retired from the labors of a circuit preacher, and became a local minister in the Methodist church, continuing in that relation until his death, which took place in Miami county, Ohio, in 1849, at the age of seventy-one.

In 1823 this church was included in what was called Granville circuit; in 1834 in Newark circuit, and in 1840 it was made into a station, and Rer. Cyrus Brooks appointed as pastor.

Rev. Noad Fidler lived near this place after retir- ing from the regular ministry, and was one of the leading members of the society until 1834. The

Digitized by Google

567

HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

appointments were as follows, according to tradi- tion, from 1823 to 1828: In 1823-4, William Cunningham and Charles Thorne; in 1824-5, Ed- ward Taylor and H. S. Fernandes; in 1825-6, Samuel Hamilton, Z. H. Costen; in 1826-7, Samuel Hamilton, Curtis Goddard; in 1827-8, Jacob Hooper.

On the first page of an old record appears the following subscription form, used for soliciting money for the first Methodist "meeting house" in Newark :

"METHODIST EPISCOPAL MEETING HOUSE .- A subscrip- tion addressed to the generous people of the town of Newark and its vicinity for the sole purpose of obtaining funds and materials for building said house in the town of Newark, on a lot obtained from Thomas Reed, on Fourth street, a few rods north of the old burying-ground-We, the subscribers, from motives of friendship to the cause of religion and morality, and willing to give our aid for the promotion of the town of Newark, do covenant and agree that we will pay the sums we hereunto subscribe to our names to the trustees of said house; which said trustees shall be under bonds to make the best use of in building the house in a good, substantial manner, accord- ing to the best of their judgment.

"January 16, 1828."

The following are a few of the principal sub- scriptions: James Hays, fifty dollars; Martin Lincoln, fifty dollars; James Bramble, forty-five dollars; William Stanberry, fifty dollars; Hugh Allen, twenty-five dollars. The remainder were from fifteen dollars down to one dollar. Total subscription, seven hundred and seventy-one dol- lars:

January 12, 1830, the following minute appears on the trustees' book :

" The following is an abstract of the report of the acting committee of the Methodist Episcopal meeting-house, in the town of Newark, to the trustees of the same, 'relative to the cost, etc., up to the present date, a copy of which was pub- lished in the Newark Advocatc and Newark Gazette:

Amount of contractors' bills. $1,025.66 Amount paid by subscription and otherwise. 792.29

Balance due contractors $233.26

JOHN CUNNINGHAM, Secretary.

Immediately after this is the following minute :

"Due James Hays twenty-four dollars and forty-two cents, to be paid in country products by April Ist, at any place of de- posit from St. Albans to Irville, on the Zanesville road.

** January 8, 1830. [Signed]

JAMES BRAMBLE, THOMAS TAYLOR, THOMAS ATHERTON, JOHN EVANS, JOHN CHANNEL, NOAH FIDLER.

The contractor for the brick work of the house was Ebenezer Chadwick, and for the carpenter work the firm of Bramble & Wilson.

The house was formally received by the trustees and settlement made May 4, 1829. The preacher in charge at this time was Rev. Jacob Hooper. The trustees who began the erection of the meet- ing-house were James Hays, James Bramble, John Evans, Thomas Taylor, John Channel, Thomas Atherton and Thomas Parker. The lot (the site of the present church) cost fifteen dollars, and the deed was made August 6, 1828.

The following subscription paper is interesting as showing the progress of matters:

"To the ladies of Newark and vicinity :- The liberality of the ladies, in matters of public importance and utility, we believe has never been appealed to in vain. In those things that per- tain to the convenience and ornament of society, they are ever ready to contribute their proportion, and from none are dona- tions for such purposes more appropriate. It is proposed to purchase a bell for the use of this town generally, to be hung in the cupola of the Methodist church, to be rnng twice every day. The cost of the bell will be about fifty cents per pound; conse- quently the more there is subscribed, the larger and more useful will be the bell purchased. From the munificence of the ladies in the vicinity, and in the town of Newark, we certainly hope to be able to effect this laudable object. Therefore, we, the subscribers, agree to pay the several sums annexed to our names."

One hundred and nine dollars were received.

In the fall of 1829, Rev. James Gilruth was ap- pointed to Newark circuit, with Jacob Hooper as colleague. Leroy Swormsted was presiding elder. There were at that time sixty-nine members. In 1831 H. S. Fernandes was appointed to the charge, and remained two years and was followed by J. W. Gilbert. The church, up to 1833, seems to have been in an unfinished condition, and another sub- scription was taken to complete it. In 1834-5 bills were granted to the amount of four hundred and fifty-four dollars, which shows the cost of the building to have been, including the bell, one thou- sand five hundred and eighty-eight dollars. On the first of August, 1835, a property was purchased of Jabez Edwards "on the northwest corner of the town, for a parsonage, for which the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars was paid." The Sunday- school at this time numbered one hundred and five, which is the first report in the hands of the pastor.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 98

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr. Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 826

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826