History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume I, Part 106

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1202

USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume I > Part 106

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The Ohio Conference at its next session, held in Portsmouth in October, appointed Robert W. Manly as the first regular pastor of this charge. He served it with great acceptability the full term of three years, leaving it with 270 members. Doctor Manly was a rare and deep thinker, with quaint wit, but of despondent temperament. He was ardently loved by his parishioners and admired by his brethren in the ministry. He was transferred to Colorado and died suddenly while a pastor in Denver. In 1878 Davis W. Clark was transferred by Bishop Harris from the Cincinnati Conference, and appointed to Broad Street, which he served two years, after which he was transferred back to his former Conference. Mr. Clark is a son of Bishop Clark. He is a fine spirit and a chaste, classic writer. He is still a member of the Cincinnati Conference, where he fills the best appointments. J. C. Jackson, Senior, was the next pastor, taking charge in October, 1880. IIe attracted large audiences by his cultured and profound sermons. He remained three years and reported a membership of 370. After leaving the Ohio Conference Mr. Jack- son was stationed at Appleton, Wisconsin, and Paterson, New Jersey. Isaac Crook was in September, 1883, transferred from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and appointed to Broad Street. He had served Wesley Chapel in other years and remained at Broad Street three years. Doctor Crook is a polished writer and preacher, at present the pastor of our church in Louisville, Kentucky. During all of these years the member- ship had been steadily growing with accessions of the most substantial kind, mainly added by certificate from other charges. It was felt that the time had now come to build the new and permanent church. The people were ready. Mr. D. S. Gray, Colonel A. G. Patton and Robert M. Rownd were appointed by the Quarterly Con- ference as a building committee. The same gentlemen, with Colonel Patton as chairman, also constituted its finance committee. Ground was broken in April, 1884, for the foundation, and on Easter Sunday, one year later, the chapel of the new structure was occupied for all services. The auditorium was then pushed to a rapid completion, and on Sunday, July 5, 1885, lacking but three weeks of ten years after the first chapel was dedicated, this beautiful and noble church building was dedicated by Bishop Randolph S. Foster. The cost of the building, exclusive of the lot, was $68,000, all of which was provided for previous to the day of dedica- tion. It is but just to the building committee, to say that, in addition to the time, labor and care which they all bestowed so advantageously upon the enterprise, Messrs. Gray and Patton spared nothing from their bountiful personal resources to make this church structure the rare and elegant building which it is. The next pastor was Simon McChesney who was transferred from Topeka, Kansas, in October, 1886. Doctor McChesney remained three years. He was a man of giant

Luther Seiller

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intellectual efforts and struck some blows at sin which jarred things to the center. IIe went from Columbus to Trinity pulpit, New Haven. Wilbur G. Williams, the present pastor of Broad Street, took charge in September, 1889, coming from Meadville, Pennsylvania. Ile is filling the demands of his pulpit and parish with marked acceptability. Broad Street now has a membership of almost eight hun- dred. It is noted for its princely contributions to home missionary and church extension efforts, as well as to all the regular benevolences of the church. Its Sun- dayschool superintendents have been as follows: W. R. Walker, J. M. God- man, W. G. Miles, A. N. Ozias, W. R. Ogier, W. R. Walker (again), D. E. Stevens and Z. L. White. The church this year built a most commodious and convenient " study " on the south side of the main edifice on the same lot. Its parsonage is at Number 44, South Washington Avenue.

King Avenue Church. - This church began as a mission Sundayschool started by the local Church Extension Society, in Hermann Street Hall, a plain room over a bakery, in the fall of 1888. The building committee, consisting of Colonel A. G. Patton, George M. Peters, and II. C. Lonnis, rented and furnished this room for the purpose. Among the prominent organizers of the Sunday- school were S. A. Cooper, E. J. Pocock and John Tracy. In the summer follow- ing the persons attending here who were members of other churches brought their letters and were organized into a society by Presiding Elder Jackson, who also appointed Rev. J. S. Ricketts temporary pastor. They began with seventeen members. The Church Extension Society had secured two fine lots at the corner of Neil and King avenues, costing $3,500, and had contracted in July for the building of a church on the same, to be completed before January 1, 1890. The energetic building committee above named pushed the work, and the little nucleus of a membership was thereby encouraged to ask the presiding elder to secure them a preacher from the Conference, pledging to pay him a salary of eight hundred dollars. Accordingly, the Rev. Byron Palmer, who had already served one or two charges of the Conference with marked acceptability for a young man, and who had now completed his studies at Boston, was appointed as the first regular pastor of King Avenue. The society was built up rapidly under his zealous labors. The church, when completed, was dedicated by Rev. C. II. Payne, LL. D., Sabbath, December 22, 1889. A very successful " convocation " of all the Methodist churches of the city was held two nights in December, at the Park Rink, by which about $700 was realized, and devoted to furnishing this church. The remainder of the indebtedness, amounting to about $3,500, was provided for on the day of dedication. An interesting incident connected with the dedication was the reception of a beautiful bouquet from Mrs. President Harrison. A very large number of persons joined that day by letter from other churches, and with those who afterward came in closed the year with 144 members. Colonel E. J. Pocock was the Sundayschool superintendent this year. The entire cost of the church was about 85,800, besides the lots. Its seating capacity is 730. It is built on the rear of the lots to allow the main building to front on Neil Avenue in the future. The original owner of the lots, Mrs. Ex-Governor Dennison, did not look with

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favor at first upon the building of this church, and was sorry when the lots passed out of the hands of the Candy Brothers, to whom she had sold them, to the Wesley Chapel Trustees, to be held in trust for this purpose. But afterward, through the meditation of her agent, J. M. Loren, Esq., and the persistent efforts of the presiding elder, she changed her mind, and in February, 1891, she made a donation on the lots of $500, by releasing her notes held against them to that amount. Mrs. Dennison is a member of the Episcopal Church, which she generously supports, and a daughter of the honored Hannah Neil of precious memory in Methodism.

Rev. Mr. Palmer was returned to King Avenue the second year as pastor, and continued to labor very successfully, his salary being $900. He engaged Rev. C. H. Morrison, the Kentucky evangelist, to assist him a month in his revi- val meetings, in December, 1890, which were attended with some good results. He closed his second year with a membership of 225, and at the Conference following was transferred to the East Ohio Conference, and is now stationed at Ashtabula. Rev. Martin W. Acton was appointed to King Avenue in September, 1891, and is now serving as pastor with acceptability and popularity. He has for years been one of the Ohio Conference pastors. Among the prominent officials of King . Avenne at this time are Judge D. F. Pugh, Professor A. N. Ozias, Doctor S. H. Steward, J. II. Rogers, Esq., J. A. Kight, Esq., and W. F. Janeway.

Miller Arenue Church .- This church is the outgrowth of a union Sundayschool organization which was started there about 1880. Members of various denomina- tions who were too remote from their own churches, met together for bible study with the children. Mr. J. J. Nelson, a member of Town Street, was prominent in the movement from the first. A lot was donated by himself and others, and a neat frame church seating about two hundred persons was erected upon it. The trustees then deeded the property conditionally to the Evangelical Church, but that organization not being able to hold it, their trustees next deeded it to the trus- tees of Town Street Church for the Methodist Episcopal Church, on their paying certain debts. The pastor of Town Street then had it supplied with Methodist preaching, and in due time it seemed to have a prospect of supporting a pastor of its own. The property was now valued at about $2,000, and being in a growing part of the city the outlook was encouraging. After the property was deeded to the Methodists the Ohio Conference, at its session in 1887, appointed Rev. Charles T. King as the first pastor of this church. On coming into the field he was assisted by the new presiding elder, Rev. J. C. Jackson, and together they canvassed that part of the city, seeuring almost immediately about seventyfive members, most of whom came from Town Street, by letter. Brother King, being a single man, was allowed $500 salary. He was a very earnest, conscientious, faithful worker, and the society grew steadily under his zealous labors. About the middle of April fol- lowing he was taken down with typhoid fever, and after ten days of great suffer- ing, in a spell of delirium he took his own life. This terrible event fell with crush- ing force on his people who loved him dearly, as well as npon the church gen- erally and the entire city. It was so contrary to brother King's gentle, submis- sive disposition that everybody felt instinctively that it was the result of insanity

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for which he was utterly irresponsible. He was a gradnate of the Ohio Wesleyan University, and had he lived would have proved a very valuable minister of the Gospel.

The presiding elder shortly afterwards appointed Rev. Charles C. Elson, of the senior class at Delaware, to fill out the unexpired year. This proved an appointment most happily adapted to cause the people to forget their great shock and sorrow, as well as to advance the growth of the infant church. At the next Conference Rev. Mr. Elson, being received into its membership, was reappointed to Miller Avenne. He also was a single man and received a salary of $600. The membership had now grown to about 175. So popular were Brother Elson's labors, both withont as well as within the church, that the people, in order to keep him another year, at the close of his first full year promised to raise $800 for him for the next year, of which the sum of two hundred was to come from outside sources. He was returned and his labors continued as acceptable as ever; but the financial effort was too much for so young a charge, and at the close of his second full year he was appointed to South Street Church, Zanesville, and the Rev. Charles H. Sowers became his successor. The membership was by this time 168. Brother Sowers also came as a single man, but married during the year. His labors were successful, and he was invited to return, but at the next Conference (1891) he was appointed to New Straitsville, and Rev. W. C. Holliday, who had been pastor of Gift Street, became his successor.

For more than a year the people of this charge had felt the need of an enlarged building to meet their wants. Not being able to build anew, they asked and received from the local Church Extension Society $200, to which they agreed to add two hundred dollars of their own for enlarging the church, and this work was done in the fall of 1891, under the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Holliday, assisted by the local Church Extension Society's building committee.

Among the Sundayschool superintendents of Miller Avenne may be mentioned Judge David F. Pngh, H. J. Maynard and J. W. Christy.

The present site is felt to be not the proper one for a permanent location of the church. With a few years more of growth it is hoped that the society may be able to build somewhere in the neighborhood of Oak Street and Woodland Avenue.

Third Arenue Church .- The Third Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church is an illustration of great results growing out of small beginnings. In the winter of 1866.7 E. S. Walker, Esq., organized a Sundayschool in the vicinity of Mt. Pleas- ant, which is now East Second Avenue. It was composed of children who did not go elsewhere, and as their number was small the school did not long continue ; but it prepared the way for another effort. June twentyfourth of the same year, R. P. Woodruff, Esq., started a Methodist Episcopal Mission Sundayschool in the same place. A class meeting also was shortly after organized there; Luther Hillery and wife, Ann Matthews, R. P. Woodruff, E. S. Walker, Eleanor Say and Francis Harris were its members. This germ incited the City Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Churches to call a meeting of all the Methodists in the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant for November 7, 1867. At that meeting, the Mt. Pleasant Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbus, Ohio, was formally

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organized. The following persons were elected trustees : M. W. Bliss, M. IIalm, II. F. Booth, J. R. Hughes, L. Hillery and Henry O'Kane. Rev. A. G. Byers, then Chaplain of the Ohio Penitentiary, was appointed pastor of the Mission. Sundayschool was held in the afternoon, and Doctor Byers preached to the people at the close of its session.

There was a growing interest and also some increase in numbers from the first. A year later, in October, 1868, Rev. Lovett Taft was appointed by the Ohio Conference as pastor of this Mission. He brought to its service piety and zeal, and fruits became more abundant. The Fourth Quarterly Conference of the year following changed the name of the Mt. Pleasant Mission to Third Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. The location also had been changed. The lot on which the present building stands was purchased November 11, 1867, by the Board of Trustees. It is 130 feet front on High Street by 110 feet deep on Third Avenue, and the purchase price was $1,260. The Board of Trustees appointed J. R. Hughes, John Short and H. F. Booth as a building committee, November 11, 1868, with instructions to erect a church costing not more than $3,000. This was about a month after Rev. L. Taft became the pastor. He went to work zealously to raise subscriptions from the Methodist churches of the city and the citizens of that vicinity. He met with excellent success. His heart was in his work. Aris- ing early one morning, he measured off the ground for the new church, and then kneeling down dedicated the site to the great Head of the Church and invoked the blessing of God upon the new enterprise. A neat frame building, thirtyone by fifty feet, was then erected and dedicated to God the first Sunday in Jannary, 1869. Rev. C. A. Vananda preached the dedicatory sermon ; Doctor Byers asked the congregation for $500, which was still unprovided for, and that amount was soon subscribed ; Doctor J. M. Trimble then performed the dedicatory rites.

At the close of his first year, Pastor Taft reported to Conference 70 mem- bers, 100 Sabbathschool attendants, salary $670, house rent $150, benevolent col- lections 852, value of church $4,000. At the close of his second year, 1870, the membership was 80, salary $1,100, of which a large portion was missionary allowance, benevolences $116, church property $5,000. The life labors of Rev. Lovett Taft in other charges in this city are spoken of elsewhere in this history. After his death his devoted wife continued to be a zealous worker in the church and in missionary efforts, until called to her reward, on March 24, 1884.

The next pastor was Rev. Isaac B. Bradrick, who served one year, leaving 86 members, and raising 8274 for benevolences. Rev. Mr. Bradrick has served important charges of the Ohio Conference, was six years presiding elder of the Chillicothe District, and is still preaching with vigor and acceptability.

In the fall of 1871, Rev. H. K. Foster became pastor. He was a man of unusual ability, who had come to us from another denomination. He resigned his charge for cause January 20, 1872, and Rev. J. L. Grover, by appointment of Presiding Elder Spahr, filled out the unexpired year with great acceptability. During the latter part of this year an additional room was built upon the north end of the church, 16 x 24 feet, for the primary department of the Sabbathschool.

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Rev. Dr. Grover is at present the honored City Librarian, a position which he has occupied for many years. Ile is held in highest esteem by the public, and is ardently loved by his brethren of the church. Rev. Robert H. Wallace became pastor in the fall of 1872, remaining two years. Hle left 160 members, and 170 persons in the Sabbathschool, and church property valued at 88,000. Rev. Mr. Wallace was a preacher of many strong points. Ile left the ministry some years later, and has since devoted himself to life insurance.

Rev. William D. Cherington became pastor in the fall of 1874, remaining one year. At the close of this year the church ceased to be a beneficiary of the Mis- sionary Society. The eighth year of its history opened with Rev. E. I. Jones as pastor, who remained three years. He reported for his first year 190 members : the second year, 223; the third, 251; Sabbathschool attendants 200; benevolent collections, 8300 ; value of church property, $10,000. Though now entirely self- supporting the church paid a salary of $1,100. At the close of this pastorate Rev. Mr. Jones withdrew honorably from the Methodist Episcopal Church and organ- ized a Congregational church in Newark, Ohio, where he had once served as a Methodist pastor. He has built up a good congregation there, and remains a con- secrated, zealous worker for Christ.

Rev. Samuel A. Keen became pastor in the fall of 1878, and remained three years. He threw into the work his wonderful zeal and extraordinary abilities. At the close of his first year the seating capacity of the church was increased by an enlargement which accommodated 170 persons. The two rooms were connected by an archway closed by a falling curtain. The committee on improvement con- sisted of Messrs. C. D. Firestone, G. A. Frambes and James Pleukharp, with N. D. Perry to superintend the work. The entire cost was 8926. The year closed with 325 members, 275 in the Sabbathschool, and 8519 for benevolences. The second year Pastor Keen reported 380 members, and the third year, 436. Doctor Keen has been spoken of in connection with Wesley Chapel. After some years of phenomenal success as a revivalist and pastor in the Ohio Conference he was transferred to Indianapolis where he served Roberts Park Church two years, and then was transferred to Cincinnati and became pastor of Walnut Hills two years. In the fall of 1891 he left the pastorate to enter into evangelistic work, for which he had unsurpassed, if not unequaled, qualifications.

In October, 1881, Rev. John C. Jackson, Junior, was appointed to Third Avenue, remaining three years. Rev. Thomas R. Taylor was on his third year as presiding elder of the Columbus District. Pastor Jackson reported a net increase of forty members the first year and a total of $1,565 for benevolences; second year, 521 members and 400 Sundayschool members; third year, 620 members, after fifty names had been removed as unworthy. The church this year increased the pastor's salary from 81,200 and house, to $1,500 and 8350 for house rent. At the opening of his second year the pastor began an agitation for a new church to meet the wants of the rapidly growing congregation. All of the official members at first thought the effort premature except one, who generously offered to pay one twentieth of whatever it would cost. Some months later the consensus of opinion turned almost unanimously in favor of the proposition, and after the

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winter revival of the third year the pastor opened a subscription for this purpose and in a few weeks succeeded in raising about 824,000 toward building. A build- ing committee was appointed, consisting of C. D. Firestone, J. R. Hughes and James Pleukharp, who also were the largest subscribers to the enterprise. In the latter part of June, 1884, work was begun and by autumn the new structure was under roof. The old frame church was moved around to the north side of the lot and made to face High Street, instead of Third Avenue as formerly. Work on so fine a church as the new one necessarily proceeded slowly, and it was not until the first Sunday of July, 1885, that the Sundayschool room was formally opened. The remainder of the building was then completed, and the entire church was dedi- cated by Bishop Edward G. Andrews on Easter Sabbath, 1886. The entire cost, including the organ, was $38,072.75.

The completion of the church was under the pastorate of Rev. S. D. Hut- sinpiller, who was appointed in October, 1884, and served three years. Rev. John T. Miller was at that time presiding elder. At the close of his pastorate here, Rev. Mr. Hutsinpiller was appointed to Town Street, where he remained one year. He is now serving St. Paul, Toledo, with deserved popularity, being an unusually suave public speaker as well as a successful pastor. Rev. Israel II. McConnell, D. D., was transferred from Indianapolis and stationed at Third Avenue in the fall of 1887, remaining one year. His labors were attended with a great ingathering. Doctor McConnell was frail in physique but a powerful preacher. At the close of his year he was transferred to Massachusetts, and about eighteen months later fell victim to a fatal attack of pneumonia.

Rev. W. D. Cherington was reappointed as pastor of Third Avenne in the fall of 1888, remaining three years, with Rev. J. C. Jackson, D. D., as presiding elder. His labors were attended with fine success in systematizing a somewhat disor- dered state of affairs, in organizing the membership and in greatly reducing the church indebtedness which had been for years neglected. At the Conference of 1891, Rev. Mr. Cherington was appointed pastor at Circleville, while Rev. J. C. Jackson, D. D., having resigned the district at the close of his fourth year, was appointed pastor of Third Avenue the second time at the unanimous invitation of its officiary, and Rev. H. C. Sexton, of Circleville, became presiding elder of the Columbus District.

At the close of Rev. Mr. Cherington's pastorate the church reported a mem- bership of about 1,100, in addition to almost one hundred more belonging to Shoe- maker Chapel, which is under the auspices of Third Avenue, and after contribut- ing eighty members by letter to King Avenue since its organization.' The com- manding location of this church gives it a wide influence and patronage. Its present pastor receives a salary of $1,800 and $400 additional for house rent as his allowance for the first year. There remains upon the church a debt of about $5,000, mainly covered by subscription, which it is hoped will soon be liquidated. The Sundayschool has an attendance of seven hundred at its maximum, and the church contributes about $1,500 a year to the support of missions. Mr. O. H. Perry is the newly elected Sundayschool superintendent, having resumed that position with the return of the present pastor after having retired with him seven

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years ago. The board of trustees comprises at present the following members : J. R. Hughes, President ; J. H. Sells, Secretary ; S. S. McDowell, Treasurer ; J. Cratty, James Pleukharp, Frederick Weadon, A. E. Domoney, O. H. Perry and J. C. Fenimore. The stewards are : N. D. Perry, Hugh Nesbitt, J. B. Hamilton, A. B. Ebright, W. E. Hoyer, L. L. Rankin, Esq., Eugene Lane, Esq., W. T. Price, C. R. MeLaughlin, J. T. Hillery and Doctor J. B. Kirk.

The following ministerial brethren are members of the Quarterly Conference : Rev. C. D. Battelle, Rev. A. B. Castle, M. D., Rev. I. H. DeBruin, Rev. Daniel IForlocker, Rev. F. J. Merriss, Rev. Samuel Rankin, Rev. J. S. Ricketts, Rev. W. H. Sayer, Rev. W. H. Scott, LL. D., Rev. C. D. Williamson and Rev. S. M. Dick.

Shoemaker Chapel .- This little brick church is situated on the Harbor Road, near the crossing of the Shawnee and Hocking Railway. It began under the missionary labors of Rev. Daniel Horlocker. In November of 1887, he organized a Sundayschool in the District Schoolhouse of that neighborhood, beginning with sixtyfive persons the first Sabbath. About a month later the number had grown to 125 and elected Doctor J. B. Kirk their superintendent, who, with his wife, has zealously labored in the school from that date till the present time. In January, Rev. Mr. Horlocker held a series of meetings in the schoolhouse, and a number professed conversion. Mrs. Sarah Shoemaker, a devout member of Third Avenue Church living in that neighborhood, became so anxious to have a church organ- ized there that she offered to donate a lot for that purpose. The proposition was reported to the local Church Extension Society, and that body sent a proposition to Mrs. Shoemaker that as soon as she conveyed the lot to the Trustees of Third Avenue Church the society would take steps to build upon it. Thereupon she deeded to said trustees a halfacre corner lot worth fully 8800. Rev. D. Horlocker and Presiding Elder Jackson then canvassed the community and got brick enough donated to build a church, 36 by 50 feet, and also cash subscriptions in and about the city of $500 more. The local Church Extension Society agreed to appropriate $1,000 and this year raised $3,000 for this purpose and the building of Donaldson Street Church for the colored people.

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History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume I, Part 106

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1202

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1202