USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794 > Part 36
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L. Cunningham,
1873
J. W. Peters.
1874
1875
1876 M. T. Harvey,
O. J. Nave.
1877
1878
=
James Hill.
1879
¥
1880 James Hill,
*W. M. Mullenix.
In the beginning they worshiped and held prayer meetings in the Court House. Several buildings have been built upon the church lot, according to the memory of some who can re- call the beginning of this "sheepfold," and it is much to be regretted that we have no picture of our first humble church home.
The first church was commenced in 1813. It was a one-story frame, forty by sixty feet, with gable end toward Second street, with two doors in that end, each opening into an aisle. In
the center, between the aisles, was a partition ; the men sat on one side, and the women on the other. It had, for a long time, no floor, because the builders, Thomas Moorehead and William Craig, were unable to get seasoned lumber to
finish it up with. This was borne with patiently, as many hours had been spent happily by our fathers and mothers in log cabins, with earthen floors. The lumber for the floor was ricked up in the west end of the building, to season, and on it a four-legged sewing stand served as a pulpit ; behind it was the preacher's unpainted, but well. seasoned, wooden chair. The people sat on the flat upper surface of the sills of the building. There were four large hewed posts in the room, to support the ceiling and roof. Gilbert Blue fin- ished up the inside of the house the next spring, and Jas. Gurley, brother of our much esteemed L. B. Gurley, presented the society with two chande- liers, which were swung on pulleys from the ceil- ing. The doors were hung by strap hinges, and opened by wrought iron thumb latches. This building continued in use until 1830, when the second house was erected, which was of brick, and stood in front of the old frame. James Millis took an active part in its erection. The church was one-story high, and had a regular old-fash- ioned meeting-house look. Four windows on the north side, and four on the south, and two in the west end, with the pulpit between ; and, though very plain, was comfortable. From its pulpit, from 1830 to 1860, eloquent, aye, thrilling sermons, were uttered, which so stirred the mem- bers that Methodism took a strong hold, and grew rapidly in the city.
The present house (which is the third) was built in 1860. During the time of its erection, the congregation occupied the old church (Rad- ical) on South street, the present A. M. E. Church. The plan was obtained by a commit- tee, appointed for the purpose, in Washington City. It is commodious, and in good taste, a credit to the committee, and a very satisfactory church, with very neat and comfortable sittings, and has now a very fine pipe organ. The fol- lowing are the title papers by which the property is held : The first record is found February 2d, 1814, Record "D," p. 314, and is as follows :
" JONATHAN ZANE and HANNAH, his wife ;
JOHN MCINTIRE and SARAH, his wife ;
To CHRISTIAN SPANGLER,
SAMUEL FRAZEY,
JESSE MILLER,
JAMES VICKERS, JOSEPH HAWKINS, JOHN SPRY, BARNEY MONROE,
Trustees, and their successors.
"Consideration, $100.00, specie. Lot 8 rods east and west, and 8 rods north and south, and being lot No. 8, in square No. 3. in the present plat of the city of Zanesville."
Date, February 2d, 1814.
The deed contains, among other provisions, the following : Said Trustees shall erect there- on a house of worship, for the use of the mem- bers of the M. E. Church, in the United States of America, according to the rules and discipline which from time to time, shall be adopted by the General Conference. Also, the trustees shall
*'Transferred from the Kentucky Conference, and appointed to this charge, October 9th, by Bishop Pech; came to his field of labor, November 15th, 1880.
1867
1868.
William Porter,
1869
1870
¥
1865
Preachers. George E. Crum.
160
HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.
forever permit such ministers and preachers be- longing to said church as are authorized by the General Conference and the Annual Conference to preach and expound God's holy word therein. And in further trust that the board shall be kept up to seven members. And further, that if, at any time, any Trustee advances any money on account of said premises, the board is authorized to mortgage the premises, and to sell them, on giving notice to the preacher in charge, if the money is not repaid in one year from such notice. Should any sale be made under such circum- stances, the surplus shall be deposited in the hands of the Stewards of the society, to be dis- posed of by the next Annual Conference for the best interests of this society. The deed is a gen- eral warranty in form, but, while Zane and wife are named in it in every place as grantors, their names are not subscribed, but those of McIntire and wife are, and the presumption is that Zane and wife disposed of their interest in the real es- tate to John McIntire, between the date of writ- ing and the date of executing said deed. The witnesses were William Craig and Amelia McIntire. Craig was the Justice of the Peace who took the acknowledgement. The following is a provision by Rev. David Young, for erecting a church on this ground. The will bears date October 3d, 1857, and was admitted to probate in Muskingum county, Ohio, November 13, 1858.
He gave his books to the Trustees of this church, to hold in trust for the benefit of the ministers in charge; he gave $12,000 to the Trustees, to be immediately expended in the erection, (on the ground described in the deed by Zane and wife and McIntire and wife,) of a good, substantial, neat house of worship, having a basement story, entered above ground, for the use and occupancy of the M. E. Church, by the ministers and members, according to the disci- pline, usages and regulations thereof. The seats in said house of worship to be forever free; and any departure from this requisition, as to free seats, shall work a forfeiture of the whole of said sum of $12,000. And the trustees in office at the time of the occurrence of any such forfeiture, shall be individually liable torefund tohis heirs at law the whole of said $12,000. It was furthermore provided, that if any additional sum over said $12,000 be needed to build said church, that it should be raised, on bonds, so that no debt should be on the house at its dedication. And further provided, that if Daniel Brush should be alive at the time this church was to be built, that he should design the form and proportions of the house.
He appointed as executors : Daniel Brush, John Dillon, Jr., Natnah Guttrell, John Taylor, Jr., and Austin Berry.
We append some incidents of interest, con- nected with revivals, prayer meetings, class meetings, and some of the members of the church. The following, relative to the revival during the ministration of Rev. D. H. Moore, is from Rev. Geo. W. Barnes.
The church had some strong and true men and women, who cordially received their young
and handsome pastor, and assured him of their hearty co-operation. He was vigorous, ambi- tious and devoted, full of tact and practical sense. He saw a great work to be done, and felt that under God he must succeed. He entered upon a series of meetings, which at first were small. His watchful eye detected the interest manifested by a young man, and he invited seekers to the altar. Eternal interests hung upon the decisions of that moment. George Burns led the way, and knelt as a seeker. James Baird and John Frazur soon followed, not by pre-arrangement, for they were strangers to each other. That three young men should go forward at the first invita- tion, was a matter of astonishment that electrified the church. The pastor read the signs, and carried the meeting into the audience room, where no prayer meeting had ever been held, and for three months, day and night, old Second Street never has a more orderly, well sustained, successful revival. John Rogers, the old black- smith, the Moses of the church. slow in speech and meek, was at the altar to welcome and lead them to the Savior, whom he knew so well. And Samuel Wiles, with his charming voice and mind well stored with scripture, a courtly chris- tian gentleman, whose kindly heart, was overflow- ing with sympathy, helped many a young man in- to the kingdom. We recall the names of some who have answered to their names on the other shore : Francis Cassiday, Samuel J. Cox, Daniel Brush, Father Flowers, and Alexander Sullivan.
Nearly 200 souls were converted in this meet- ing, and many of them are useful members of the church to-day. Two of them are members of the Ohio Conference. A number have died, triumphant in the faith.
The first class meeting was held in a cabin, built on the ground where Jones & Abbot's foun- dry (on Third street) now stands. This was in 1808, and was led by Father John Goshen. These class meetings were seasons of soul re- freshing. Prayer meetings were held in that cabin, and these "means of grace" have been fruitful to the church from that day to this. The present is only a multiplication of participants, however zealous the members ; and the church holds the memory of those pioneer efforts in grateful remembrance.
The following is a list of the members on the 4th day of May, 1823, as recorded by Rev. John P. Durban, the pastor :
Samuel Parker, Betsy Bird, Mary Janes, Pol- ly Miller, Hanna Arley, Lucinda Malsburg, Mary Davis, Nancy McCann, Maria Stone, Mary Lane, Louisa Miller, Alice Mast, Char- lotte Spangler, Martha Day, Ann Parker, Cath- arine Wilson, Margaret Barber, Lyda Harper, Rebecca Riley, Gilbert McFadden, Thomas Lehue, Joseph Wilson, William Luck, John El- bertson, Joseph Storer, William Mackey, Isaac Wilson, John Houck, Joseph Chapman, Michael Dutro, Samuel Storer, Joseph Wilson, Jacob Johnson, George Girty, William Langly, James Millis, Levi Wilson, Alexander Martin, William Cook, Gec ge Storer, Nancy Dutro, Rhoda
161
HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.
Bailey, Nancy Parker, Margaret Harvey, Cath- arine Lehue, Ann Smith, Elizabeth Lander, Barbara Philby, Elizabeth Lander, Patience Skinner, Ann Gibo, Mary Deeble, Rebecca Westbrook, Harriet Burgess, Harriet John- son, Mary Harvey, Fannie Parker, Chris- tian Olive, Elizabeth Gibo, William Kirk, Han- nah Kirk, Jane Cooper, Ann Parker, Sophia McMillen, Betsy Leslie, Sarah Hahn, Ann Chambers, Eliza Mast, Elizabeth Spangler, Lucy Chapman, Elizabeth Twaddle, Martha Blandford, Margaret Langley, Mazey Sockman, Joanna Smith, Elizabeth Elberson, Judith Brooke, Susan Langley, Elizabeth Millis, Henry Nash, Jeremiah L. Leslie, Nicholas Blandford, Henry McMilland, Luke G. Crossland, John Cannon, Septimus Parker, James Leslie, Rezin Hopper, David Browning, Matthew Ferguson, Moses D. Brooke, William Leslie, Clement Brooke, Elijah Taylor, George Hahn, John A. Willey, W. L. Chapman, Thomas Leslie, Christian Spangler, Nancy Jackson, Hannah Kirk, Elizabeth Stew- art, Hannah Barrett, Lois Chapman, Ann Mackay, Mary Cockrell, Elizabeth Langley, Elizabeth Hilton, Nancy Conly, Eliza Dare, Re- becca Taylor, Nancy Willey, Mary McFarland, Eliza Chapman, Catharine Girty, Edith Dillon, Martha Marple, Isaac W. Tharp, Aaron Kirk, Thomas Miller, Jane Linn, Levi Chapman, Joseph Storer, Henry
Olive, Abraham W. Westbrook, Charles Lander, Joel Chapman, Peter M. Purdy, James Wheeler, Samuel Frazey, James Taylor, Rees Willis, John Phipps, William Allen, Gilbert Blue, Elizabeth Blue, Sarah M. Young, Rachel Moore- head, Nancy Blocksom, Martha Reed, Mary Martin, John Butler, Ann Butler, Jane Dutro, Sarah Spangler, Sarah A. Nash, Elizabeth N. Norris, Mary Ann Hazlett, Eliza Brooke, Mary Smeltzer, Eliza Smith, Minerva Westlake, Thomas Moorehead, Maria Sum, Elizabeth Sum, Sarah Morris, Drusilla Tharp, Sophia Houk, Ann Goff, Hettie Frazey, Martha Goff, Sarah Lesley, Catharine Miller, Mary Ferguson, Ann Spangler, Jane McFadden, Dorcas Anson, Mary Reed, Elizabeth Allen, Sue Brush, Ann Randall, Louisa Patrick, Daniel Brush, Mary Young, James S. Fletcher, William Fletcher, Peggy Fletcher, Rachel Fletcher, Catharine Fletcher, Jane Philly, Isabella Cunningham, Mary Harris, Elenor Killen, Mary Pardy, John A. Willey, Nancy Willey, Mary Willey, John Snow, Elizabeth Snow, Hannah Cox, Hannah Brook, Triffy Younger, Cornelius Woodruff, Peggy Woodruff, Hettie Dwyer, Jonathan Brels- ford, Eliza Brelsford, Mary Wilson, John W. Spry, Jane Spry, Minerva Zane, Rachel Luck, Hester Alexander, Elizabeth Sockman. Henry Wilson, Amanda Wilson, Huldah Wilson, Zadoc Hall, Charles Bailey, Phebe Bailey, George Golden, Rebecca Richardson, A. Flem- ing, Lydia Fleming, Jacob Mittinger, Rachel Young, Ellen Wood, Edward W. Christie, Wil- liam Armstrong, Ann Armstrong, Elenor W. Quinn, Joseph Winters, Alexander Smith, Eliza- beth Smith, Cornelia Howard, Wesley Turner,
Sarah Flemming, Richard Hocking, Lucinda Hocking, Jeptha Noah, Elizabeth Willey, Mary Fletcher, Mary Bateman, Nancy Winecoop, William Flemming, Elizabeth Beemon, Elizabeth Vanzant, Mary Beard, Nancy Wilson, Maria Lawrence, Mary Harvey, Rebecca Beck, Olcutt White, Etta White, James Henderson, John Carter, Mary Carter and Catharine McFadden.
The parable of the sower is aptly illustrated in the retrospect of this church :- "Some seeds fell by the way-side," etc; "some fell upon stony places ;" "some fell among thorns ;" "but others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit : some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold." Pursuing this thought, we gather from tradition, that under Rev. Nathan Emery, in 1829, Rev. J. M. Trimble, in 1833, Rev. M. Dustin, in 1847, Rev. John White, in 1852, Rev. D. H. Moore, in 1867, Rev. Isaac Crook, in 1870, Rev. O. J. Nave, in 1876, and Rev. James Hill, in 1878, large accessions to the church, and great awakening occurred. Much of this seed falling into good ground.
In 1875, this church was incorporated under the State laws of Ohio, and its present Board of Trustees authorized. They are as follows :
John W. King, President ; Dr. W. E. Atwell, Secretary ; G. B. Perkins, Dr. W. H. Lenhart, Lawson Wiles, Jacob Smith, Allen E. Twaddle and W. A. Weller.
The church property, including the parsonage, is valued, according to the minutes, at $23.000.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The inception of this church was resultant from the coalition of the Congregational and Presby- terian churches. The latter was known as the United Presbyterian Church of Zanesville and Springfield. Dr. Kingsbury, in his resume of the Putnam Presbyterian Church, in which effort he undertook to preserve the unity of the record, in- forms us that, "unfortunately the record of this church, and also the early record of the Pres- byterian Church of Zanesville and Springfield. are lost," and he was compelled to obtain what he could from witnesses still on the stage of ac- tion. The present pastor of the First Presbyte- rian Church, in his septennial sermon, reviewing the history of the church, had the same difficulty to contend with, and, doubtless, some points of interest are lost.
In 1807, or 1808, the Rev. John Wright, for many years pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lancaster, Ohio, passed through this city, and was induced to remain over Sabbath. There be- ing seven Presbyterians here, he assembled them in "Taylor's tavern," (which stood where the Clarendon now stands), and preached to them. also administered the Lord's Supper, probably the first time this kind of service was held here. These persons, Moses Boggs and wife, James Perry and wife, James Richey and wife, and Robert Culbertson, subsequently became partic- ipants in the organization of a church. Mr. Wright narrated this incident to Elder L. P. Bailey, years afterward.
2.1
162
HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.
The official statement concerning the organi- zation, in the minutes of the Presbytery of Lan- caster, November, 1809, meeting held in Salem, Washington county, Ohio, recites that, .William Jones, a licentiate of the Ohio Presbytery, was received. A call for Mr. Jones, from the united congregations of Zanesville and Springfield, be- ing read and put into his hands, he declared his acceptance thereof." The record also shows that he was installed on the 26th of December, follow- ing. These services were held on the Putnam side of the river. The sermon was preached by Rev. Samuel P. Robbins, of Marietta, Ohio, from First Corinthians, 2:12. Rev. Jacob Lindsley, of Athens, presided and delivered the charge. The Elders of the new church were Benjamin Sloan, Moses Boggs and John Thompson. A retrospective digression shows that, in 1807, a Congregational church was organized at the res- idence of Colonel Benjamin Tupper, in Putnam, and, not being able to support a regular pastor, united with the church on this side of the river, and constituted the "United Presbyterian Church of Zanesville and Springfield."" Among the members from Springfield were, Colonel Tupper, Dr. Increase Mathews, and their families, Levi Whipple and Ebenezer Buckingham and wife. General Isaac Van Horne took an active part in the church ; was an active Elder from 1827 until 1834, the time of his death.
August 26th, 1812, the Presbytery was asked to dissolve the pastoral relation, that Mr. Jones might accept a call to Circleville, Ohio. At the same meeting, a call was presented for the pas- toral services of Rev. James Culbertson, licensed to preach the year previous by the Presbytery of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and sent west on a mis- sionary tour. Mr. Culbertson accepted the call, and his ordination took place at Zanesville, De- cember 23d, 1812, and he was installed pastor of the United Congregations of Zanesville and Springfield. Mr. John Wright preached the ser- mon, and James Scott presided, and gave the charge. James Culbertson was born and raised in Franklin county. Pennsylvania, near Cham- bersburg ; received his academic education at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, entering at an early age, and there, during a revival, he re- ceived a Christian hope. His theological studies were directed by Rev. Dr. King, of Mercers- burg, and Rev. Dr. Herron, of Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, and he was licensed to preach April 11, 18II. He performed the duties of pastor in Zanesville until the summer of 1844, when, on account of failing health, he recommended the church to call an assistant, which was done. In August, of that year, they called Rev. Simeon Brown, pastor of the Presbyterian church in Fredericktown, Knox county, Ohio, and he en- tered upon his work in the same month, but was not installed until the 7th of May, 1845. Mr. Brown recognized, in his Eldership, not an orna- mental office, but helpers, shepherds, whose duty it was to care for the flock, as overseers. With Mr. Brown originated the Board of Deacons', and the following persons were elected Deacons, Aug-
ust 16th, 1845 : Samuel C. Haver, Edwin Burl- ingame, Robert P. Robinson, William Winter and J. B. Allen.
Mr. Brown, in addition to his ministerial duties, gave much attention to writing for newspapers and was also an editor. While pastor of the church in Fredericktown, he published the "Calvanistic Monitor," (this was, at the time, the only "old school" paper published in Ohio), in which the Rev. William Dunlap, of Marion, Ohio, was as- sociate editor. This paper subsequently became "the Presbyterian of the West," published first at Springfield, and then at Cincinnati. After his settlement here, he began to publish "the Col- porteur," having withdrawn from the Presbytery. This was continued until January 8th, 1848, when the "Family Quarto" appeared, which he edited until June 28, 1850. In July, of the same year, he resigned his pastorate to take the agency of the Board of Publication of the Northwestern States, but subsequently became pastor of a Con- gregational church, and has passed "over the river."
Mr. Culbertson preached but one sermon after Mr. Brown became assistant, which he preached in November, 1844, although he was always able to attend public worship. Until within a few weeks of his death he was able to officiate at mar- riages, baptisms, and the Lord's Supper. He offered the closing prayer of the service the last Sabbath but one previous to his death. He was taken with paralysis, at a neighbor's, and died eight days after, aged sixty-one years and four months. And ever and anon comes, like a sweet refrain, those beautiful words :
"Thou art gone to the grave, but 'twere wrong to deplore thee, When God was thy ransom, thy guardian, thy guide;
He gave thee, and took thee, and soon will restore thee,
Where death hath no sting, since the Savior hath died."
At the time Mr. Culbertson became the pastor of this church it had thirty-two members. The roll was kept by Mr. Culbertson from the organ- ization to the 13th of October, 1844, and shows the dates of admission, beginning with Moses Boggs and wife, James Percy and wife, Robert Culbertson and Catharine Mitchell. The first persons received by Mr. Culbertson were Louis and Mrs. Nye, by examination, and the last name recorded as received by him is Eumelius Cook, which, however, is written in another hand.
The services during the early history of the church were held in private houses, subsequently in " Burnam's Tavern," and the old log jail, and sometimes in a small frame building on Putnam Hill, and during summer in barns and groves. They felt somewhat permanently settled when worshiping in the court house and "the Stone Academy," after they were built. The congregation met alternately at these two latter places, crossing the river in boats. Once during service in the court house, the building was struck by lightning, and several persons were greatly stunned but not seriously injured.
In 1817, they found a pleasant and commodious
163
HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.
home in a two-story brick church, erected on el- evated ground on the northeast corner of South and Fourth streets. This church was built by the sale of pews, a deed being given for the ground occupied by the pew ; thus the pew was private property, and rented or sold as any other real estate. The church was dedicated August 28th, 1817. The exercises were performed by Rev. James Baird, of Newark. The first ser- mon preached in the new church by the pastor after the dedication was on the 31st of August, from Hebrews IX, 28. President James Monroe and suite being in the city, attended public worship on that day, and at the close of the service the President complimented Mr. Cul- bertson for his manner of conducting the ex- ercises.
In those days, church music was sustained by stringed instruments, and tradition has it that on a certain Sabbath, Mr. Culbertson being absent, a Scotch covenanter occupied the pulpit, and, on seeing the bass viol, was offended, and expressed his disapprobation by announcing, "We will fiddle and sing the 102d Psalm."
The organ in this church was probably the first used in a Presbyterian church in the United States, and some incidents connected with its introduction may not be uninteresting. It was obtained from L. P. Bailey. He came to Zanes- ville in 1820, and began the manufacture and sale of organs. He was an Elder in the church from 1837 until the organization of the Second Presbyterian church, of which he became a mem- ber, and still holds the office of Elder. In 1827, he made the organ in question for a party who failed to take it. Some members of the Putnam church suggested that it be put in the gallery of the church and used to aid the singing. Many on this side, also, were in favor of this, some in- fluential persons who were not members being in sympathy with the movement ; others, however, were in doubt, and could not consent to so rash a movement. The pastor was advised with repeat- edly, and said he had no personal objection ; that he was fond of the tones of the organ, especially the lower bass notes, but said if there was any good old woman who objected to its use, it must not be put there ; he expressed great fear on the subject, lest it might be the occasion of pain.
The agitation was kept up. A Mr. Wilson offered to make such changes in the gallery as were necessary to admit the instrument, which was eleven feet high, seven feet front and four feet deep. The changes being made, the organ was set up. On the following Sabbath, there it stood, silent; many looked in blank astonish- inent at this intrusion ; little was said, however. On the second Sabbath it was played during the gathering of the Sunday school children, but immediately closed when the church service proper began. A week or two later, it was heard as the congregation were dispesring after the morning services were ended ; the people
stopped, looked, and wondered. The organist had
"Struck one chord of musie, Like the sound of a great Amen ;
It quieted pain and sorrow, Like love overeoming strife ; It seemed the harmonious eeho, From our discordant life."
Several weeks went by, however, before its melodious tones were incorporated with the Psalms and Hymns, the people forgetting that in the long-ago " they praised Him with stringed instruments and organs."
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