History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 67

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Ohio > Summit County > History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 67

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St. Paul's Church numbers 170 families, 230 communicants. Sunday-school teachers and officers, 31 ; scholars, 283; total, 314.

The Baptist Church of Akron* was organized at Middlebury (now Sixth Ward of Akron) April 18, 1834, under the name of the Akron and Middlebury Baptist Church. The names

of Elder Caleb Green and Elder Amasa Clark appear as Moderator and Scribe of the Council. The church at its organization was composed of three male members-Horace Barton, Daniel B. Stewart, Henry H. Smoke ; and six females- Miss C. Barton, Mrs. Thirza J. Smoke, Mrs. E. Burton, Mrs. Sally Smith, Miss Amanda Smith and Miss Elizabeth Stewart. The first house of worship (now owned by the German Reformed Church), on Broadway, just south of the Court House, was dedicated in September, 1837.

The church had the services of several min- isters for brief periods for about two years after its organization, services being held in schoolhouses in Akron and Middlebury. In the year 1836, Rev. E. Crane became the set- tled Pastor, and services were held in a hall in Middlebury, and in a schoolhouse in Akron while the first house of worship was in process of erection. Mr. Crane is still living. and resides at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Rev. H. Carr succeeded Mr. Crane, and was the Pastor at the dedication of the house of worship in 1837.

While the church worshiped in this house, it had as Pastors Rev. H. Carr, Rev. S. Van Voris, Rev. C. S. Clark, Rev. J. Hall (after- ward President of Denison University), Rev. D. Bernard, Rev. L. . Ransted, Rev. J. M. Gregory (now President of Illinois State Uni- versity) Rev. J. C. Courtney (who died after a brief pastorate), and Rev. A. Joy, during whose pastorate the house on Broadway was sold, and the present house on North High street pur- chased and remodeled. It was dedicated June 17, 1853. Mr. Joy was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Hammond in 1855, whose pastorate contin- ued one year. Rev. Samuel Williams became Pastor in 1856, and remained five years. Rev. N. S. Burton succeeded him after an interval in 1862. Rev. F. Adkins was Pastor from 1866 to 1868. His successor was Rev. C. T. Chaffee, from 1869 to 1872. He was succeeded by Rev. J. P. Agenbroad for one year. Charles A. Hayden was ordained, and became Pastor Nov. 25, 1873. He resigned in May, 1876. The present Pastor, Rev. N. S. Burton, entered upon his second pastorate in July, 1877. The present membership is about 145. R. A. Grim- now and W. T. Allen are Deacons, and J. W. Burton, Clerk and Treasurer.

A Sunday school was organized when the

*Written by Rev. N. S. Burton.

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church entered its first house of worship, and has been maintained since. Its present Super- intendent is Dr. Denitt G. Wilcox. The aver- age attendance about 110.

Three of the Pastors, J. W. Hammond, F. Adkins and C. A. Hayden, received ordination here. More than most churches, this church has suffered loss by the removal of valuable members to larger cities, where they have be- come efficient workers in church work. Though small in numbers in comparison with neighbor- ing churches, it has always had its full propor- tion of men and families of high standing in business and social circles.

St. Vincent De Paul's Congregation (Roman Catholic) of Akron, Summit County, Ohio, comes next in order of church organizations. The following sketch of it was written at our request by Rev. T. F. Mahar, the present Pas- tor: Previous to the organization of this con- gregation, and as early as 1835, visits were paid to the few Catholies of Akron, by Father Henni, the present Archbishop of Milwaukee, who came on horseback from Cincinnati, and said mass in a log cabin owned by James McAllis- ter. Right Rev. J. B. Purcell, now Archbishop of Cincinnati, followed soon after and said mass here ; and the Rev. Louis De Goesbriand, Pas- tor of Louisville, Stark County, visited shortly after him. Rev. Father Mclaughlin, of Cleve- land, was also here, and Rev. Basil Short bap- tized the children and attended the Catholics from 1837 to 1842.

Hitherto mass was said in private houses or rented halls. The frame church on Green street was commenced by Rev. M. Howard, in 1843, and he remained in charge of Akron Congregation to 1844. Father Cornelius Daly succeeded in February, 1845, and was the first resident Pastor. He remained in charge till 1848, and enlarged and finished the church commenced by Father Howard. During the charge of Father Daly, the Archbishop of Cin- cinnati ordained Rev. J. V. Conlan, in the old frame church now used for school purposes. The Rev. Cassina Moavet, was here from Octo- ber, 1848, to June, 1850, then came Rev. Father Goodwin. He was succeeded by Rev. Francis McGann, who owned the present site of the new church and the present cemetery. Father McGann was here from December, 1850, to August, 1855. Rev. L. Molon came in January, 1856, and was succeeded by Rev. Thomas

Walsh. Then followed the Rev. W. O'Connor, now a Redemptorist. Rev. M. A. Scanlon, was appointed to this charge in July, 1859, and remained here to November, 1873. During his pastorate the Catholic Germans, who till then formed part of St. Vincent's congregation, sep- arated (in 1861) and organized themselves by permission of Bishop Rappe, as St. Bernard's congregation. Rev. Father Scanlon was suc- ceeded November 23 1873, by Rev. Timothy Mahoney. Father Mahoney, after having freed the congregation from the greater part of a burdensome debt, was transferred August 1, 1880, to the larger and more important charge of St. Patrick's Church, Cleveland, and was succeeded by Rev. T. F. Mahar, D. D., the present Pastor. Among the prominent laymen and pioneer members of the congregation may be mentioned James McAllister, John Cook, John Dunne-father of Judge Dunne-Thomas Jones, J. McSweeny, Martin Quigley and Thom- as Garaghty.

The present and second church edifice built by St. Vincent De Paul's congregation was commenced on St. Patrick's Day, 1864, by Rev. M. A. Scanlon. It is a massive stone structure, fifty feet wide and one hundred feet long, and of Roman style of architecture. The interior is quite attractive, the ceiling, especially, being very beautifully stuccoed. There are no pillars, and hence an unobstructed view is had of the whole interior. The twelve elegant, stained- glass windows are gifts from the different church societies and from several members of the congregation. The altar is only tempora- ry, and will be replaced by another as soon as the debt is somewhat diminished. The cost of the church is estimated at about $50,000. The parish school was organized during the pastor- ate of Rev. Francis McGann, about the year 1853. There are at present two divisions with an average attendance of one hundred and fifty children.

The Universalist Church* is among the early religious societies organized in Akron. Some time in the summer of 1837, Rev. Freeman Loring visited Akron for the purpose of estab- lishing a Universalist Church. His meetings were held in the building now known as Mer- rill's pottery, and, subsequently, in a hall on the site now occupied by the store of Wolf, Church & Beck. Among those who became * By Rev. Richard Eddy.

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interested in the movement was Dr. Eliakim Crosby, then a man of wealth and great enter- prise in business. An organization was ef- fected in a few months. Dr. Crosby, Minor Spicer, Jacob and Jesse Allen and Henry Chittenden being among the more prominent members. Wholly at the expense of Dr. Crosby, and under the superintendence of Mr. Loring, a stone church edifice 44x57 feet, sur- mounted by a steeple 100 feet high, was erected, and dedicated in November, 1839. The cost of the building was about $8,000. Mr. Jesse Allen presented the church with a fine organ, and the building was completely furnished with the church conveniences of that day. Mr. Loring was installed as Pastor on the day of the dedication, and the membership then amounted to about one hundred persons. Dr. Crosby was at this time engaged in the con- struction of a canal, commonly known as "The Chuckery Race," for the purpose of bringing wa- ter power from the Cuyahoga, at the falls, to Ak- ron, a project which proved to be a disastrous failure, involving the doctor in financial ruin. To relieve his embarrassment in a measure, the members of the church organized a stock company, and bought the church building, pay- ing therefor $7,000. Mr. Loring resigned in the fall of 1839, and was succeeded by Rev. Nelson Doolittle, whose pastorate extended through several years. To him succeeded Revs. J. G. Foreman and Z. Baker. Under the latter there were divisions growing out of the introduction by the Pastor, of skeptical theories and so-called Spiritualism. The build- ing needing extensive repairs, and the church becoming discouraged, the edifice was at last sold by the stockholders to the Baptist society, by whom it is now held and occupied.

A new cfiort to organize a church was made in November, 1872, when twenty-four persons adopted and subscribed a profession of faith and church government-John R. Buchtel, Moderator; S. M. Burnham, Clerk ; Avery Spicer and Talmon Beardsley, Deacons. Rev. G. S. Weaver was chosen Pastor in April, 1873, and the church held its meetings. in the lecture room of Buchtel College. Thirty mem- bers were added to the church during the first year of Mr. Weaver's pastorate ; twenty- three the second year. In December, 1876, Mr. Weaver resigned. He was succeeded by Rev. H. L. Canfield, whose term of service

lasted about eighteen months, during which time there was a small increase of member- ship. Rev. E. L. Rexford, D. D., became Pas- tor in April, 1878, and remained till July, 1880, when he resigned. During Dr. Rexford's pastorate, the church completed the erection, at a cost of about $45,000, of an elegant church edifice, on the corner of Broadway and Mill street. Large accessions were also made to the membership. The present Pastor, Rev. Richard Eddy, commenced his labors in Sep- tember, 1880. The officers of the Church, elected in January, 1881, are W. D. Shipman, Moderator ; S. M. Burnham, Clerk ; J. H. Pen- dleton, Treasurer; Ferdinand Schumacher, John R. Buchtel, D. S. Wall, George W. Weeks, J. H. Pendleton, Dr. William Murdock, S. M. Burnham, William Hardy, D. T. Parsons, Trustees. The present membership is 160.

A Sunday school, the membership unknown, was established in connection with the early organization. The present school was organ- ized in 1872, and has a membership of 190, with an average attendance of 160. The pres- ent Superintendent is Mr. George W. Weeks.

The creed of the Church is expressed in the following Profession of Belief, adopted by the Universalist Convention in 1803 :

I. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain a revelation of the character of God, and of the duty, interest and final destination of mankind.

II. We believe that there is one God, whose na- ture is love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and hap- piness.

III. We believe that holiness and true happiness are inseparably connected, and that believers ought to be careful to maintain order and practice good works; for these things are good and profitable un- to men.

The Church of Christ of Akron was organ- ized in 1839, but its history dates back several years beyond the period of its formation as a church. The following sketch was furnished by its Pastor, Elder C. C. Smith :

In the history of every church, there is first, the period of struggle previous to organization, when a few devoted persons, strong in faith and conviction, fight for a place among the workers in God's vineyard. This time of warfare in this church occupied about ten years preceding the beginning of the history of the Akron Church of Christ proper. From the time when Elder

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William Hayden and E. B. Hubbard preached a few sermons in Middlebury in 1829, to the organization of the church in 1839. Some of the first fruits of the early seed-sowing was the baptizing of William Pangburn and Mrs. Judge Sumner, by Elder O. Newcomb ; also the bap- tizing of Mrs. Pangburn and Levi Allen (still a member of the church), by Elder Hayden.

Prominent at this early time may be noticed Elder M. S. Wilcox, who preached as opportu- nity permitted, in schoolhouses and private res- idences. A discussion was held in Middlebury between him and a Methodist minister of the name of Graham. The name of Elder A. B. Green is also prominent in the early history of the church. We could not very well give too much prominence to the labors of two women connected with this work, viz., Mrs. Dr. Parker and Mrs. J. N. Botsford. Brother A. S. Hayden says : "These were the days of heart-song and heaven-reaching prayers and the preach- ing ! It was hail mingled with rain. The pro- longed hour flitted away unconsciously. The group of Disciples tarried, exhorted each other, sung warmly and feelingly a parting hymn, and with a final, earnest supplication, they com- mended one another to the good Shepherd and separated. But they were unspeakably happy !"

In the year 1839, Brothers Bently and Bos- worth came at the call of the brethren, and in the building on Main street, now occupied by Mer- rill's pottery, they organized, with thirty-two members, into the Church of Christ of Akron, and with Levi Allen and Samuel Bangs as Elders ; W. R. Storer and Jonah Allen, Dea- cons. Although organized into a society, the church had no regular place of meeting. Some- times it came together at Middlebury, and some- times in Akron in schoolhouses and private residences. In 1843, a meeting was held by Elder John Cochrane, assisted by Elder John Henry, of Mahoning County (of whom it was said, he " was swift to hear, but not slow to speak"), which resulted in forty-nine conver- sions to Christ, and in greatly increasing the influence of the church. Shortly after this, the church purchased a small frame building on a lot on High street, the present site of the Ger- man Lutheran Church building and parsonage, which was its first home.

In 1845, Dr. William F. Pool moved into Akron, and while practicing his profession, greatly strengthened the church, " laboring in

word and doctrine." In 1849, M. J. Streator became Pastor of the flock, remaining with it about ten months. In 1854, W. S. Gray com- menced his three years' service for the church ; in 1857, during his last year's stay, it sold the above mentioned house and lot. For six years the church rented Tappin Hall, on Market street, for its place of meeting. Here Elder Warren Belding held for them a very successful meet- ing, and here they were blessed with the labors of Elder J. Carroll Stark. In 1861, Elder J. G. Encil commenced his pastorate. While he still remained with the church, a lot was purchased in 1863, and the building now occupied was erected at a cost of about $6,000. Then came the following ministers in the order named : J. O. Beardsley, L. R. Norton, R. L. Howe, L. Cooley, John L. Rowe, R. G. White, F. M. Greene and C. C. Smith, the present Pastor. The pastorate of L. Cooley was the longest of any, five years, and his memory is still held dear by those who labored with him. The labors of R. G. White during three years were signalized by a large ingathering of souls, and the establishing of the Mission Church at Mid- dlebury, Sixth Ward of Akron, resulting in eighty members going out from the church for that purpose.

The officers of the church at the present time are : Elders-Levi Allen, Dr. William Sisler, Jacob Rhodes and C. C. Smith. Deacons- William Allen, Bennett Sinetts, William Wes- ton, Elijah Briggs, Edwin A. Barber, John No- ble and J. P. Teeple. Clerk-Horton Wright. Treasurer-Albert Allen. There is upon the church books, 444 members, a net increase of 164 members during the four years of the last pastorate. It is in a vigorous and healthy con- dition, and stands first among the churches of Christ in the State in its liberality to establish the cause at home and abroad. Then there is the unwritten history of the struggles and tri- umphs of the individual members, and the un- recorded number who have taken membership from the church below to the church above. The names of the following ministers (not men- tioned above) were prominently connected with the early work of the church here : Elders A. S. Hayden, J. W. Jones, Benjamin Franklin and R. Moffett.

The Sunday school was in existence as far back as 1845, but was not permanently organ- ized until 1864. under Brother Beardsley's ad-

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ministration, since which time it has been steadily on the increase. Mrs. Harvy, Daniel Storer, Camden Rockwell, J. P. Teeple and Byron Grove were, at different times, Superin- tendents, and stand prominently connected with the work. The present Superintendent is John Noble; Assistant. Charles Trarler ; Clerks, Engene and P. Rowe. During 1880, the aver- age attendance was 160 ; average collection, per Lord's Day, $5.60. It is but just to state that the attendance would be much greater if there were accommodations in the house for a larger school.

In September, 1876, the sisters organized "The Akron Auxiliary of the Christian Woman's Board of Missions," with Mrs. Levi Allen as President. The society has been in a flourishing condition from the start, and is now one of the largest and most efficient societies of the kind in the State.

The Congregational Church, although one of the oldest churches in the Western Reserve, did not organize in Akron as early as some of the other denominations. The following sketch of " the Congregational Church of Akron." was written, at our request, by the Pastor, Rev. T. E. Monroe :

On the 30th of May, 1842, a number of per- sons met to consider the expediency of organ- izing the present Congregational Church. A resolution was then adopted. declaring such or- ganization desirable, and appointing a commit- tee of three gentlemen-Mr. Seth Sackett, Mr. H. B. Spellman and Mr. A. R. Townsend-to prepare a confession of faith and a covenant, as a basis for final and permanent organization. At the same meeting a similar committee was ap- pointed to prepare a statement of the reasons which seemed to require another church organi- zation, and to invite neighboring ministers to as- sist in forming it. The meeting then adjourned to Jannary 2, 1843. At this adjourned meeting, the articles of faith and the covenant were approved, and their adoption deferred to the 8th of June, at which time a Council was con- vened, to which these proceedings, with the reasons which justified them, were submitted for advice. This Council was composed of Rev. Seagrove Magill, of Tallmadge ; Rev. Jo- seph Merriam, of Randolph; Rev. Mason Grosvenor, of Hudson, and Rev. William Clark, of Cuyahoga Falls. This Council ad- vising the formation of a church, it was organ-

ized by twenty-two persons signing the con- fession of faith and covenant. On the 3d of July, nine others united with the infant church, when, on the 7th of July, with thirty-one mem- bers, the first election of officers was made, Mr. H. B. Spellman being elected Deacon and Mr. Allen Hibbard being chosen Clerk.

On the 1st of May. 1843, Rev. Isaac Jen- nings, having ministered to the church for six months as a supply, was called to be its first Pastor. This call was accepted, and on the 14th of June following he was ordained and in- stalled. In June, 1845, the society completed a comfortable house of worship, situated on North Main street, at a cost of $1.800. Mr. Jennings remained Pastor of the church until June 7, 1847, when he tendered his resignation. Several meetings of the church having been held at which he was urged to withdraw his resigna . tion, it was reluctantly accepted on the 7th of February following, and the separation was ap- proved by Council, convened upon the joint re- quest of the church and Pastor, on the 12th of February, 1847. Rev. W. R. Stevens supplied the pulpit of the church from November, 1847, until May, 1849, when Rev. N. P. Bailey began his ministry to this people. On the 7th of Oe- tober following, he was ordained and installed by Conneil. This relation continued until May, 1856, when Mr. Bailey tendered his resignation. This resignation was accepted on the 3d day of August following, without convening a Coun- cil. The church was supplied by Rev. A. Dun- casson from February, 1857, to November, 1858, when Rev. Abram E. Baldwin was invited to officiate as Pastor for one year, with refer- ence to future settlement. This invitation was accepted, and at the close of this engagement it was renewed, and, in February, 1860, he was ordained by Council convened upon invitation of the church, and his ministry continued until May, 1861. On December 30, 1861, the church called the Rev. Carlos Smith to become its Pas- tor, who accepted the call, and entered upon his pastorate February 2, 1862. The church at this time had a membership of about sixty. It had been heartily engaged in the great reforms of the day, and its new Pastor cordially co- operated in every work which sought the purity of society and the progress of reform.

During Mr. Smith's pastorate, the present church edifice was erected, at a cost of about $40,000, and the membership of the church in-

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creased from 60 to 268. About three hundred members had united with the church during this time, a flourishing Sunday school had been maintained, and the church had prospered in all its activities. In the winter of 1873, after a pastorate of eleven years, which had endeared him to the entire people, Mr. Smith resigned his relation to the church, but remained a com- municant of it until his death, which occurred April 22, 1877, as the bell was tolling for morning service, at the age of seventy-six years. Few ministers have been so widely beloved or have made so warm personal friends.

During the winter of 1873, the church called Rev. T. E. Monroe, who commenced his minis- try here on the first Sabbath of April, 1873, and is still Pastor of the church. During this time, new Sunday school rooms have been built below, and a gallery, accommodating 150 peo- ple, built in the audience-room above. An organ floor and small choir have been built in the rear of the church. These improvements, with repairs, cost $5,000, and furnish accom- modations for a Sunday school of 400 children and sittings for 750 people in the audience. The present membership is a little more than six hundred resident members, with about one hundred who are absent. The various benevo- lent activities of the church are earnestly pros- ecuted, and the church enters the current year with fresh hopes of usefulness.

On the night of the second Saturday of Feb- ruary, 1881, the house was seriously damaged by fire to an extent requiring $9,000 for repairs. Extensive improvements are at present pro- posed, and subscriptions are now circulating for this purpose which will, if executed, afford convenient accommodation for 550 children in the Sabbath school rooms, and 950 sittings in the audience room. The church is to be heated throughout with steam, every pew having its steam-heated foot-rest, and every class-room its radiators. A superior organ will be procured, open-grate fires to be introduced as an attract- ive feature, and every convenience for social and public church work amply provided.

The Sunday school has been for eight years under the efficient management of Mr. Sam- uel Findly, to whom it is indebted for its emi- nent order and intelligence. Mr. Henry Per- kins, an officer beloved by all our pupils, was elected to the office of Superintendent for the current year, and, though the school suffered se-

riously from changes rendered necessary by the fire, it is regaining its numbers and its in- terest.

Should the present plans for improvement be carried out, this church will be very amply fur- nished for a growing future work, and ought to prosper in the years to come quite as much as in those gone by.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Middle- bury (Sixth Ward of Akron) is one of the very old churches of Summit County, or, rather, las grown out of the old Middlebury Methodist Church. In a very early period of the history of the county, the Rev. Doctor Clark and the Rev. Mr. Monk, of Tallmadge, preached at this place. From the present Pastor of the church, Rev. Mr. Arundel, we obtained some of the facts pertaining to the history of this church, and which are here given.

What is now known as the Second Methodist Episcopal Church of Akron was formerly part of a circuit consisting of Tallmadge, Pleasant Valley, Mogadore, Brimfield and Middlebury. Soon after, or about the time of the annexa- tion of Middlebury to the city proper, in 1870, this church was set off as a charge by itself, and, since that time, has been supplied by the following clergymen : Revs. Painter, Greer, El- liott, Merchant, Wilson, Corry. Randolph, and Arundel, the present Pastor. Some three years ago, the old building was entirely remodeled, under the efficient direction of Mr. Jacob Sny- der, architect of Akron, at a cost of $3,000. The audience-room and parlor are very neat and conveniently arranged, and, together with the Sunday-school room, have just been handsomely decorated by Messrs. Diehl and Caskey, of this city. The present membership is about eighty- five. The Sunday school has some two hun- dred enrolled on its books, and an average at- tendance of one hundred and fifty.

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 67

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104