USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne county, Ohio, from the days of the pioneers and the first settlers to the present time > Part 33
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Almost cotemporaneous with his resignation, the Westminster church was organized, in connection with the Wooster University, which church and University are the legitimate children of this congregation, the University being the older. Not a little of the unwritten history of this congregation enters into the existence of the University. If the mother is proud of this child, much more has the child reason to be proud of its mother. The first member- ship of the Westminister congregation was from this congregation, who, out of a sense of duty merely, for the encouragement of stu- dents attending the University, consented to enter this organiza- tion. The remodeling of the present house of worship was under- taken April 28, 1874. The addition of wings on the east and west, and the arrangements for prayer meeting and Sabbath school in the lecture-room, together with the neatness of finish in the inte-
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rior, were at a cost of about $14,000. The present pastor was called to labor in this field March 16, 1875. He accepted the call and preached the first sermon in this house after the present addi- tion to it was made, on May 9, 1875, from Haggai, chapter ii, and verse 9: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of Hosts, and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts." On Saturday, May 15, the present pastor was installed, in which service the Rev. John M. Hastings preached the sermon. President Taylor presided, proposed the constitutional questions and gave the charge to the people, and the Rev. T. K. Davis gave the charge to the pastor.
On Sabbath, May 16, the house of worship was formally re- dedicated to the worship of Almighty God. Rev. A. A. E. Tay- lor, President of Wooster University, preached the sermon from I Kings, vi. 7. Following the sermon, Dr. Taylor succeeded in raising about $4,000 from the congregation, to liquidate the debt at that time resting upon it, after which the pastors concluded the dedicatory services. On the 22d of June, 1875, according to pre- vious notice, the congregation assembled for the purpose of elect- ing Ruling Elders. As the rotary plan in the election of Euling Elders had, by action of the General Assembly, become the law of the church, the Session, in ordering this meeting, agreed to sub- mit to the congregation the opportunity to determine whether they would elect, as heretofore, on the life plan or on the rotary plan. They accepted the latter, whereupon the exist- ing Session, consisting of Messrs. John McClellan, John H. Kauke, George Binkerhoff and Joseph Caldwell, tendered their resignations as Elders of this church. Their resignations were accepted by the congregation, and in the election that immediately followed, these brethren were re-called to serve this congregation as Ruling ælders, on the rotary plan, and along with these George Troutman, George Liggett, M. D., Peter Foust and L. J. Barker, were elected to the same office. At the same time D. W. Immel, N. W. Laubach and Jacob Geiselman were elected Deacons. The official constitution of the church at present is as follows :
T. A. McCurdy, Pastor ; John McClellan, John H. Kauke, George Brinkerhoff, George Liggett, M. D., Joseph Caldwell, George Troutman, Peter Foust and L. J. Barker, Ruling Elders ; David Robison, Jr., D. W. Immel, James Numbers, S. A. Wells, N. W. Laubach and Jacob Geiselman, Deacons ; J. H. Kauke, James Numbers and John Hindman, Trustees.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
The Sabbath school constitutes no little part of the history of this congregation; and yet we find no mention of it, except at a con- gregational meeting held not many years since. Mr. David Robi- son, Jr., proposed that the congregation raise $200 for its use. Oral testimony places the organization of the Sabbath-school in the year 1825.
Record of Membership. - The church was organized with 15 members. When the Rev. Thomas Barr was installed as pastor, the membership was 33. When this pastoral relation was dissolved, the membership was 107. During his pastorate there were admit- ted to its membership 146 persons. The next enrollment I find extends from January 1, 1846, to February 27, 1853, and shows an aggregate membership of 570. The enrollment during the pastor- ate of Mr. Miller is as follows : April, 1870, 281; 1871, 382; 1872, 336; 1873, 344; 1874, 397; 1875, 324. The present enroll- ment of actual members, after deducting all that have died and removed elsewhere, is 416.
The Wooster Reformed Church.
The history of the (German) Reformed church at Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, dates back to 1819. Some families of the Reformed faith settled at and about Wooster even before this. In the summer of 1819, the Rev. Henry Sonnedecker, residing in Washington county, Pa., made a missionary tour through the counties of Jefferson, Tuscarawas, Wayne and Richland, in Ohio, and, according to appointment, preached in a brick school house at Wooster, on the Ist day of August. This was the first sermon ever preached here by a minister of the Reformed church, and the occasion was one of interest and encouragement. At the close of services he was strongly entreated to settle in this community and organize a Reformed congregation. On the 4th of January, 1820, he, with his family, settled at Wooster, and on the 23d of that month, preached his introductory sermon to an attentive congrega- tion in a school-house. As the Lutherans had united in the organ- ization (being one portion of the old-fashioned "Union church "), and as yet had no pastor of their own, they mutually contributed to the support of Rev. Henry Sonnedecker, who served both inter- ests. He continued pastor of the united congregation for seven years, when the Lutherans called Rev. G. H. Weygandt, who
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preached his introductory sermon May 27, 1827, and continued his pastorate for a period of thirteen years. The first communion of the Lord's Supper under the ministry of Rev. Mr. Sonnedecker here, was celebrated on the 16th of July, 1820, when twenty-five persons communed, of whom ten had been received by confirma- tion on the previous day.
At first, preaching or public worship was held in a school- house, or at private dwellings, but during the summer and fall of 1820 a one-story frame house of worship was erected, conjointly by the Reformed church and Lutherans, and dedicated in the fall of the same year, under the name, "Die Friedens' Kirche." Rev. H. Sonnedecker closed his pastorate on the 3d of April, 1831. During his ministry here he baptized 246 children and re- ceived 50 members into communion with the church. He was much beloved by his congregation, and the day on which he preached his farewell sermon was a solemn and memorable one. The congregation, after being vacant for nearly two years, called the Rev. Charles Zwisler in the early part of 1833, who served it for nearly seven years, closing his ministry here in the latter part of 1839. During his pastorate movements were started looking toward the erection of a new church. With this end in view, in 1833, George Bender and George Reiner purchased outlot No. 23, in the town of Wooster, for $155. This lot contained nearly 21/2 acres. September 28, 1833, a graveyard was laid out. On the 17th of December, 1833, the united congregation was incorpo- rated, by a charter obtained from the Ohio Legislature, under the name of "The German Lutheran and Reformed Church in Woos- ter and its Vicinity." On the 8th of August, 1834, the lot was purchased by the Trustees for the use of the united congregation.
The building of a new brick church on the lot was set in mo- tion in the spring of 1836. The Trustees elected to carry into ef- fect the wishes of the congregation, in this respect, were William Reiter, Jacob Solt and Jacob Albright. The erection of the church commenced in early summer, and the corner stone was laid in the beginning of September, 1836. The sermons preached upon the occasion were by Rev. Peter Herbruck (Reformed), and Rev. Emanuel Greenwald (Lutheran).
In 1837-38 the church building was completed. The total cost of the house was $4,131.74. The church was dedicated during the annual meeting of the Reformed Synod of Ohio, on Saturday, June 16, 1838. About 30 ministers, besides a large congregation,
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
were present. The sermons on the occasion were preached by Rev. D. Krantz (Lutheran), in German, from Mark xi. 17, and by Rev. Abraham Keller (Reformed), in English, from Psalm xxciv.
In the spring of 1840, the Rev. Charles Zwisler was succeed- ed in the pastorate by the Rev. Augustus W. Begeman, who served the Reformed congregation for a period of three years. February, 1843, the Union Sunday-school was organized, with Isaac H. Reiter as Superintendent, and the school went into prac- tical operation, April 2, 1843, with about 100 scholars.
The successor of Rev. Begeman was the Rev. John Peter Ma- huenschmidt, who having been elected by the congregation as pas- tor, September 2, preached his introductory sermon, October I, 1843. After a ministry of one year he resigned.
He was succeeded by Rev. David Kammerer, who was elected by the congregation as pastor, November 30, 1844, and preached his first sermon, January 19, 1845. He commenced his ministry under rather adverse circumstances, but soon secured the confi- dence of the whole congregation and succeeded well in his labors of love. In 1847 an organ was donated to the united congrega- tion by the Germans of Wooster, which was dedicated August 22 of that year. Believing that it would be conducive to the growth and harmony of the church, on the 16th of May, 1853, at a meet- ing of the membership, the original organization of the conjoint congregation was reciprocally sundered, and at the same time the (German) Reformed congregation organized itself into a separate congregation, according to the constitution of the church, under the name of the German Reformed church, of Wooster and vicin- ity, and elected John Moyer, John Freeman and J. Bechtel, Trus- tees; Samuel Rhodes, Treasurer, and G. K. Wilhelm, Clerk. As up to this time the Reformed congregation had been served only with German preaching, the Rev. Hiram Shall was called, in August, to preach in the English language, in connection with Rev. Kammerer in German. His first sermon was delivered Sep- tember 4, 1853, but he did not remain long with the society. Mr. Kammerer continued in charge of the congregation until April, 1864.
During his ministry, running through a period of nineteen years, the congregation became harmonious and prosperous, and numerous, indeed, were the accessions made thereto. Worn out, enfeebled, and exhausted, by unremittent labor, and English ser- vice being necessary, he concluded his duties were too manifold
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and oppressive, and resigned the pastorate of the church. His parishioners were deeply attached to him, and hesitatingly excused him from his charge. Before leaving, however, they devolved upon him the responsibility of procuring them a minister. After careful inquiry and observation he concluded to recommend Rev. Joshua H. Derr, of Allentown, Pa., who assumed the pulpit, April 1, 1864. Mr. Derr abandoned the Wooster congregation in July, 1869. Rev. Kammerer, returning to Pittsburg with a hope of restoring his health, and finding no realization of that hope, re- turned to Wooster in 1866.
He found the church in not a very flourishing condition, and as he says, began to "tighten the screws" on it. For four years he performed a sort of missionary labor, visiting the various charges, trying to infuse life into the "dry bones," vigor into the sleeping souls, and re-produce the unity and brotherhood of the congregation. But here a somber cloud swept the horizon of the Union church. A disposition to separation existed among the members, and the court was petitioned for partition and sale of the building and premises, which occurred at public outcry in the early part of 1869.
Then they were left without Bible, pulpit, place of worship, or organization. Mr. Kammerer now resolved to make a strong effort to collect together the lost sheep of the fold, the watchmen that were guarding the Hill of Zion. He preached first in the Court House, then in France's building, then in Zimmerman's room. A congregational meeting, after the third sermon of a se- ries in the Court House, was held, and a resolution was passed to buy grounds on which to erect a church. In a few days $2,400 was raised, and the lot was purchased for that amount, on the cor- ner of North and Buckeye streets, where the new building stands.
On the 6th of July, 1871, they began this building, C. C. Baker being architect and carpenter, D. Brown and William Roberts do- ing the cutting and stone work, and Joseph Haettinger contractor on brick work. The corner-stone was laid August 12, 1871, amid- impressive ceremonies. The dedication occurred December 31, 1871, when sermons were delivered by Rev. H. E. Herbruck, of Canton (this was the dedicatory one); Rev. A. F. Zartman, licen- tiate, of Tiffin ; Dr. G. W. Willard, President of Heidelburg Col- lege, Tiffin. The dedication services were conducted by Dr. Wil- lard, Rev. Miller, Rev. Herbruck and Rev. Kammerer, resident pastor. The cost of the edifice, gas and carpets inclusive, reached
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
$12,400. Its membership attains 130. A flourishing Sunday- school organization, with William M. France as Superintendent, exists, with an average attendance of 100 children.
Rev. D. Kammerer was born in Northampton county, Pa., near Easton, in 1802. His father was a native of Hoboken, N. J., and was the father of seven children. His father died at the ad- vanced age of eighty-four years, and his funeral was the first one in the family. Rev. Kammerer belongs to a long-lived and vigor- ous ancestry, traced to Zweibrecken, Germany, and the members of his father's family all living, with one exception. He was edu- cated in the State of Pennsylvania, and received private biblical instruction from C. Baker, D. D., an eloquent and eminent Ger- man theologian. He is now seventy-six years old, but in good health, and hopeful of a protracted and useful life.
Evangelical Lutheran Christ Church.
Rev. D. Henkel, a missionary, preached the doctrines of this church in Wooster as early as 1815. Rev. John Stauck succeeded him in 1816, and for the first time administered the Lord's Sup- per, when Mrs. McIntyre, Mrs. Anspach and Mrs. Ihrig were re- ceived into the church by the rite of confirmation. In 1820 the German Reformed denomination united with this church, and erected a house of worship. This was a small frame building, which, converted into a dwelling, still stands on the original lot, immediately adjacent to and north of School-house No. 4.
Union churches in those days were, it seems, quite popular amongst the early settlers, not specially because of affinity in the faiths between the opposites-Lutheranism and Zwinglo-Calvin- ism-but because of personal preference and attachments between neighbors of like nationality, language and like need of mutual as- sistance.
Rev. H. Sonnedecker was among the early Reformed preach- ers. This unionistic latitudinarianism relation, as one minister designated it to us, lasted seven years. In 1827 Rev. G. H. Wey- gandt, of Washington county, Pa., became pastor, and a second church (joint also) was erected-a brick structure, which still stands on outlot No. 23, and was dedicated June 16, 1838, Rev. E. Greenwald preaching in the Lutheran interest. The grave- yard, meantime, had been laid in 1833 on a part of the church
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ground, the first person buried in it being Elizabeth Weiser, step- daughter of George Reiner. Rev. Weygandt remained pastor till 1840, preaching only in German. Rev. S. S. Kline was his successor, and alternated every two weeks in preaching Ger- man and English, the Reformed occupying the church on the in- termediate Sunday.
Nativism, however, soon made itself felt. The European Ger- mans who, during the pastorate of Rev. Weygandt, had settled in Wooster, felt themselves slighted, and withdrew, organizing a dis- tinctive church on North Buckeye street, with a Rev. Konradi as preacher, occupying a room on that street in which religious ser- vices were held. This organization lasted but two years, when the members returned to the old church, bringing with them a pipe organ with four stops. Rev. Kline was succeeded by Rev. Ben- jamin Pope, who labored in both languages, but owing to declin- ing health resigned the charge in 1856-57. The congregation was now without a pastor until 1861, when Rev. J. C. Schulze received and accepted a call. In May, 1853, a distinctively Lutheran consti- tution had been adopted by the congregation.
In the spring of 1867 Rev. Schulze took leave of the congre- gation, and Rev. D. Martens became his successor in July of that year, and during the period of his ministerial service the dissolu- tion of partnership between the two congregations in the joint pos- session of the church occurred. In September, 1869, Rev. Mar- tens resigned, and on April 1, 1870, Rev. E. Cronenwett assumed charge of this field of labor.
Rev. George Dillman is the present pastor, and is a young man of ability and popularity, and an excellent German and English 'scholar.
FIRST M. E. CHURCH.
Ministers representing this religious denomination held service in Wooster and vicinity as early as 1817-18. The date of the or- ganization of the church is involved in doubt to the extent that we will not undertake to fix it. At a quarterly meeting conference, held in Wooster, December 15, 1832, for this circuit and district, William P. Christie appeared as Presiding Elder. We have also the following: Shadrach Ruark, and L. D. Bevins, C. P .; Samuel Montgomery and William Spencer, Local Deacons; E. McGinley, A. Briggs, C. Howser, S. Chacey, Jesse Warner, John Floyd and Samuel Oldfield, Exhorters; A. Stewart, A. Warner, J. Sampson,
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
D. Chacey, C. Yordy, George Snider, H. Kizer, D. Black, M. Warner and William Spear, Leaders.
At this conference four circuit stewards were appointed, to- wit: William Spear, E. McGinley, C. Howser and Andrew Laird. The Sunday-school was organized about 1832, and in 1835 the Wooster class enumerated 112 scholars. In April, 1836, William Spear, Christian Eyster and David Fairfield, were appointed a committee to estimate the cost of building a church. In 1837 a proposition was made to divide the circuit, embracing all the ap- pointments north of Wooster and the State road, leading to Mans- field, which was agreed to. In 1834 Adam Poe was Presiding Elder, and in 1838 J. H. Power.
June 27, 1840, the Trustees of the Methodist church made the following report :
First, the meeting-house has been pulled down and lies even with the ground. Second, they have determined to build a new house, of the following dimensions; 75x50, a portico 8x30, with columns in front, etc. They have contracted for build- ing the same for $2,700, and $2,503 having been subscribed, the building is now in a state of fowardness, and they expect to have the basement story ready for use by the first of September next, and the house finished some time during the summer. Signed, J. J. Armstrong, Jacob Immel, William Spear, D. P. Hartman, M. E. Shamp, D. Black, C. Yordy, Thomas Williams, Trustees.
October 17, 1840, E. Yocum appears as Presiding Elder. October 14, 1843, at a quarterly meeting the question arose whether it was best to divide the circuit and make Wooster a sta- tion, which, upon a vote, was affirmatively decided, whereupon it was moved and seconded that Bodine and Smithville appointments be attached to Wooster, which was carried.
The circuit was now divided as before decided by the con- ference, and Wooster was constituted a station.
September 21, 1844, E. Raymond appears as Presiding Elder, and D. Black, William Stitt, D. M. Crall as Stewards. May 31, 1845, Charles Hartley and M. K. Hard, were recommended to the conference as suitable persons to enter the traveling connection. November 29, 1845, Hiram Shaffer appears as Presiding Elder, and September 18, 1847, Daniel Lambert as Presiding Elder.
May 6, 1849, the Trustees reported the church entirely out of debt, but suggested some repairs and improvements to the build- ing. September 13, 1851, Thomas Barkdull appears as Presiding Elder. November 29, 1852, C. Eyster, William Henry, Philo S. Vanhouten, J. Anderson, J. Boucher, G. Bartol and E. Oldroyd,
WOOSTER-CHURCHES.
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were appointed Trustees of the parsonage, the grounds for which were donated by William Henry. September 23, 1854, J. F. Kel- lum appears as Presiding Elder. March 27, 1858, J. Hinton of- fered the following preamble and resolution :
WHEREAS, The putting on of gold is a plain violation of Scripture precept, as well as the rules of our church, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the members of this M. E. Conference prohibit the use of it in their own families, and discountenance the use of it by the members of the church.
After discussion, Rev. J. Durbin presented the following as a substitute, which was accepted by Mr. Hinton, and passed by the Conference :
Resolved, That we hereby request our pastor to preach a discourse, at his own convenience, on the subject of dress; and that we will sustain him in the execution of the General Rules of our discipline, without exception.
October 9, 1858, Joseph H. Kennedy appears as Presiding Elder. September 28, 1863, H. G. Dubois appears as Presiding Elder, and after him C. H. Owen, and in 1868 the immortal Joseph Matlock. Chaplain Collier is the present Presiding Elder.
LIST OF STATION PREACHERS SINCE 1843.
George W. Howe. 1843
W. H. Seeley. 1857-58
E. R. Jewett.
1844
H. C. Dubois 1859-60
Cyrus Sawyer
1845-46
Lorenzo Warner 1861
H. E. Pitcher 1847
M. K. Hard. 1862
Henry Whiteman 1848-49
C. L. Foote. 1863-64
Leonard G. Gurley 1850-51
A. Palmer 1865-66
S. L. Yourte.
1852
Joseph Matlock I867-68
Jesse Durbin
1853-54
George Mather 1869-70
Horatio Bradley
1855
George Pepper 1871-73
. J. S. Kalb *
G. A. Hughes. Present Minister
ZION'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
This religious body was organized September 18, 1840, by the Rev. Solomon Ritz. The following is a list of officers and mem- bers of the church at the time of its constitution :
George Reiner, J. A. Lawrence, Elders; Henry D. Miller, Israel Windel, Dea- cons ; Members-George Reiner, John A. Lawrence, H. D. Miller, Israel Windel Isaac Notestine, Abraham Fox, Conrad Oiler, Benj. Lehman, M. A. Fox, Mary
# Sncceded Bradley in September, 1855.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
Johnson, Catharine A. Miller, Fred Hoke, Fanny Lehman, Mary Windel, Eliza- beth Ritz.
At the end of two years and six months, Rev. Ritz resigned the Wooster church, having served it from its organization. The pulpit was vacant for seven months then, though supplied occa- sionally by Rev. A. H. Myers and a Rev. Mr. Dixon. Novem- ber I, 1843, Rev. George Leiter commenced his labors as pastor of the church. August 17, 1844, it was determined to add two more Deacons to the church council, and at a selection of officers on the above date, the choice was as follows: George Reiner, Abraham Fox, Elders ; Wm. Bacher, Israel Windel, John Beall, J. A. Lawrence, Deacons.
At the expiration of a year, Rev. Leiter resigned, the resigna- tion dating November 1, 1844. January 1, 1845, Rev. W. J. Sloan assumed the pastorate of the congregation. In the winter of 1846-47, twenty persons united with the church. In 1849, Jan- uary 8, the old Elders were re-elected, and the following persons were cliosen Deacons : J. A. Lawrence, Conrad Oiler, David Bis- sel, Alex. Bivens.
April 1, 1851, Rev. W. J. Sloan severed his ministerial con- nection with the church. After this, and during an interval of six months, Rev. J. Hamilton favored the congregation with supplies. November 1, 1851, W. A. G. Emerson became its pastor, resign- ing after a service of one year. Up to this time eighty-nine mem- bers had been added to the original sixteen.
June I, 1853, Rev. J. B. Baltzly was installed as pastor. The office of deaconship having been vacated by removals, the vacan- cies thus created were filled, to wit: Abraham Fox and J. A. Lawrence, Elders ; Alexander Bivens and Martin Smith, Deacons.
October 17, 1853, Simpson S. Goodspeed was excommunicated from this church for theft. A number of excommunications appear for intemperance and other immoralities. The Incorporation Act requiring three Trustees, and there being but two, Martin B. Wea- ver was chosen to constitute the third, or legal number.
Having disposed of their old church edifice and lot on Alley Square, directly east of in-lot No. 107, on North Market street, to Albert McFadden, and having no place of worship during the erec- tion of the new church, the German Lutheran congregation kindly offered the use of their house, which offer was thankfully accepted.
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