USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Official report of the centennial celebration of the founding of the city of Cleveland and the settlement of the Western Reserve > Part 31
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September 27, 1819, the Rt. Rev. Philander Chase made his first official visitation to Trinity parish. The Rev. Roger Searle came a number of times to the parish, and to this pioneer undoubtedly Trinity owes her foundation and subsequent success.
The Rev. Silas I. Freeman took charge in 1826, and being duly commissioned, set forth to secure means towards erecting a church edifice. Prior to this time, services had been held in the old log court-house and in the Academy and the Free Mason's Hall.
Western New York and Boston contributed liberally to the church in Cleveland. A lot on the corner of Seneca and St. Clair streets was purchased for $250. Sixty years later, says the first dean of the Cathedral, $50,000 for a new site was raised with less effort than it cost to raise $250. The church erected on this lot was the first house of worship in Cleveland, and was built after a mixture of Tuscan, Doric and Ionic styles. On the belfry were four wooden spires, and on each pinnacle a weather-cock of sheet iron was placed. Fortunately, the iron birds refused to turn and were subse- quently removed. The exterior of the church was painted white, relieved by green blinds. This building was consecrated by Bishop Chase on August 12, 1829, the Rev. Messrs. Freeman, Wing and Sanford assisting in the services.
In the year of 1828, February 12, the parish, although canonically organized, was legally incorporated by the State under the style of Wardens and Vestrymen of the Parish of Trinity Church. In 1829 the Rev. Silas Freeman, who at that day, by slow and laborious transit, was required to travel 228 miles per month to perform his missionary duties, resigned and removed to Virginia. The parish was then placed in charge of Rev. W. N. Lyster, in deacon's orders.
In this year (1829) he opened a parish Sunday-school, with thirty scholars. In 1830, Rev. James McElroy became minister of Trinity, devoting three-fourths of his time to the parish, at a salary of $450. During this year, a bell weighing six hundred pounds was purchased. It was recorded in a city paper that Mr. Lyster was the first minister in the West who wore the surplice, all missionaries preceding him, and even the bishop, wearing the Genevan black gown.
From the earliest days, the music of the church seems to have been considered an important factor. One of the offices to be filled at the Easter election was that of chorister.
In 1832, Rev. Seth Davis, deacon, had charge of the parish. During his ministry the church was enlarged by the singular method of cutting the building in two and placing a new piece 1612 feet long in the center. Rev. Mr. Davis was succeeded, in 1835, by the Rev. Ebenezer Boyden, of Virginia, at a salary of $1,000 for the first year and $1, 200 thereafter. In September of this year the Diocesan Convention assembled in Trinity Church. During this year, Mr. Boyden reports that a number of the ladies of Trinity applied for and obtained from the Legislature an act of incorporation for an institution styled the Cleveland Female Orphan Asylum, now a wealthy and flour- ishing corporation, though no longer under the control of the church.
In 1837, Rev. Lyster for the third time took temporary charge of the parish, and remained until April, when the Rev. David Burger was engaged to give temporary care, but soon resigned on account of ill health. The Rev. Richard Bury, of Detroit, Mich., succeeded to the rectorship, August 15, 1839. When he took charge, the parish was deeply in debt, reduced in numbers and otherwise in a declining condition. He speedily infused new life, the debt was paid, and the number of members increased to such a degree that the establishment of a second parish was warranted. In 1845, Mr. Bury organized Grace Church in the parlor of his rectory.
Thus Trinity Church established the second church, with a weekly Communion. The first church in the United States with the weekly Communion was established in Ohio, at Ashtabula. Quarterly celebrations were then the usual custom in the diocese. The clergy of Trinity were provided with surplices for celebrating the Eucharist, as were the clergy of Grace and St. Peter's at Ashtabula. With this exception, this vest- ment was seldom or never seen in Ohio. Grace was the first church to introduce floral offerings. Trinity followed next.
Until the beginning of 1845, the parish was united and prosperous. Then came disturbing influences, when Bishop McIlvaine was the leader of the newly-formed, self-styled evangelical party. Rev. R. Bury resigned in 1846 and was succeeded by Rev. Lloyd Windsor, of Lockport, the tenth rector of Trinity. It was before the close of his rectorate that it was determined to dispose of the property of Trinity and erect a more spacious edifice farther up town. A profitable sale was effected and the sub- scription for the new church started by the gift of $1,000 from "T. A. W."
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HISTORICAL CONFERENCE.
Prior to the completion of the new building, the Rev. James A. Bolles was called to succeed Dr. Windsor, who entered upon his duties in January, 1854. The old church building was soon after destroyed by fire. Dr. Bolles accepted a call from a free church in Boston. The vestry of Trinity was unwilling to accede to his proposi- tion to make their church a free one, and for that reason he left Trinity.
In 1859, the present Bishop of Northern New Jersey, Thomas A. Starky, assumed the rectorship of Trinity. Cleveland was then a city of about 45,000 inhabitants. It was a fairly strong parish then and had always been used to strong church teaching from its rectors.
Bishop Mellvaine was the friend always and the guest often of the Rev. T. A. Starky. A year or two before the close of this rectorship, the brick chapel was erected in the rear of the church by the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel L. Mather. This achievement put into the minds of a number of parishioners the idea of- the purchase or erection of a rectory, and the lot west of the church was bought for $10,000. In raising this money, Mr. W. I. Boardman did good service.
This pastorate extended over a period of nine years and a half, and it was at Eas- ter-tide, 1869, after the war was over, that the farewell was said. The Rev. Charles A. Breck took charge of the parish on the first Sunday in October, 1869, and was the first incumbent to occupy the new rectory now completed. He remained three years. To this rector is due the credit of organizing the first society for parish work. The Woman's Auxiliary, then called the Ladies' Guild, owes its origin to the energy and executive ability of Dr. Breck. He was succeeded by the present Bishop of Chicago, Rt. Rev. W. McLaren, who remained in Trinity until 1875. During his pastorate the Children's Home was started, the interior of the church decorated, and a beautiful memorial altar of polished marble placed in the sanctuary by Hon. S. O. Griswold.
The beautiful chapel of the Ascension, on the Detroit road, was built by Dr. Mc- Laren, assisted by Rev. Tandy Rucker.
Rev. John Wesley Brown succeeded the bishop and proved to be a most popular man. His genial manners, attractive countenance and magnificent voice made him a power in the community. Large congregations were in constant attendance upon his eloquent sermons. The loss of this gifted rector was a severe blow to the parish.
Rev. Y. P. Morgan came to us on Ascension Day, 1882. During his rectorship, the following events occurred: Rev. Dr. Bolles was elected to the office of rector emeritus, a site for a new church on Euclid and Perry was bought and paid for, Trinity Church Home was removed to more commodious quarters, the vested choir of men and boys was introduced, the Brotherhood Chapter of S. Andrew was organized. a new building was erected with the assistance of St. Paul's parish for St. Peter's Sunday-school, the early celebrations on all Sundays and daily in Holy Week were made permanent institutions. Some time after our present diocesan, Bishop Leonard, came to us, it was through the influence of Rev. Y. P. Morgan that Trinity Church was offered to him as his Cathedral. The rector was instituted as dean and Dr. Bolles as senior canon.
The present dean of the Cathedral, Rev. C. D. Williams, has been with us four years. During this time, the new Cathedral House has been built and Sunday-school and church services carried on both up-town and down-town. Old Trinity, at pres- ent, is carrying a heavy load, but the dear old ark is still seaworthy; she has weath- ered many a gale and stress of weather, and there are still seas and deep water on ahead. Her pilot is the Lord of all, and the captain and noble crew, with eyes and hands uplifted to Him, are striving to steer past the rocks of difficulty into the chan- nel of safe refuge for the future.
Out from old Trinity, this beloved and benevolent mother, a goodly number of children have gone forth into the city of Cleveland. The policy of the bishops is to push the church into every new and growing section of our municipality. In this space it would be quite impossible to sketch the histories of the parishes of our town; but a detailed and careful series of statistics may be found and examined at the Chap- ter Room of the Cathedral, and in the diocesan archives.
St. John's Church, on the West Side, and St. Paul's Church, corner of Case and Eu- clid avenues, were among the first departures to independent life. St. Mark's and St. Mary's and St. James's followed; and as the years have gone forward the multiplica- tion of churches has kept pace, until now Cleveland may number twenty-four Episco- pal parishes and missions within her borders. Their titles are herewith given as a Centennial fact: Trinity Cathedral, St. John's, St. Paul's, Grace, St. Mary's, St. James's, Emmanuel, St. Andrew's, for colored people; All Saints', St. Mark's, St. Luke's, St. Matthew's, Good Shepherd, St. Philip the Apostle, Ascension, Zion, Incar- nation, the Holy Spirit, Atonement, the Redeemer, St. Andrew's in the East, St.
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND.
Paul's, Collamer; Grace, Newburgh, and Christ Church, for Germans. Connecteď' with the cathedral is the Bishop's Chapel of the Transfiguration, at Little Mountain. In this city, on the corner of Prospect and Perry, has been built, attached to the new cathedral, the "Church Home." It was founded by a layman named Stubbs, and projected into life by Rev. Dr. Jas. A. Bolles. It is fairly endowed, and through the liberality of Samuel Mather, has completed a noble and beautiful edifice, at a cost (with land) of $50,000. It is in charge of Sister May, of the Order of St. John the Evan- gelist, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Here the aged and friendless are cared for, and its support comes from the diocese at large but mainly from the cathedral and the city churches. It has a Board of Lady Managers, under the presidency of Mrs. W. A. Leonard, and a Board of Trustees, under the presidency of the Bishop of Ohio.
A fund for a cathedral orphanage is in the hands of the trustees of the diocese, and soon a building will be constructed. Among the distinguished clergymen who have been identified with the Episcopal Church we already mentioned, were the Rt. Rev. Bishop Rulison and Dr. C. S. Bates, of St. Paul's Church; Rev. Dr. Burton, of St. John's; Rev. Dr. Wasburn and Rev. Dr. Hall, of Grace Church: Rev. Henry Aves, of St. John's Church, and Rev. Thos. Lyle, of Good Shepherd. Prominent lay- men are too numerous to be catalogued, though the mere mention of such names as Mather, Devereux, Shelly, Doan, Boardman, Scoville, Roberts, Butts, Ranney, Adams, Rhodes, Sanford, Beettles, Palmer, Brooks, Gordon, Townsend and Hines, will suffice to indicate the character of the church's loyal sons and helpers.
Rev. H. J. Ruetenik, President of Calvin College, spoke of the record of the German Protestant Church, his paper being as follows:
In the year 1832, Cleveland had but ten persons of German extraction. Among them there were five young men who felt a desire to spend their Sunday mornings in a manner similar to the happy Sundays of the Fatherland. They had brought along from home their hymn books, and one of them had a book of sermons by Brassberger, packed away in his trunk by his pious mother. In what was then called Ohio City, they found an old shoemaker who could talk on Bible subjects, and so met with him to sing, to pray, and to hear a sermon. Gradually their number grew, and in 1835 they organized themselves into a congregation which they called Schifflein Christi (Christ's Little Ship). They made up a subscription roll for a pastor's salary amounting to $74, and called a certain Mr. Tanke to take pastoral charge of the flock. But before en- tering upon his ministerial duties he made a journey to New York for his bride, and another candidate for the ministry, Mr. Buse, acted as his vicar, or supply. And this proved the beginning of those distracting dissensions that have made the Schifflein Christi a storm-tossed vessel for many generations.
Mr. Buse was a swindler. He succeeded in stealing the hearts of part of the flock, and when Rev. Tanke returned, two distinct congregations were formed. One wor- shipped in the Masonic Temple, the other in a vacant store.
To heal the breach, an influential farmer by the name of Steinmeyer, possessing the confidence of both parties, was called in, and the result of his labors was that both rivals resigned and Mr. Stemmeyer was made pastor of the reunited flock.
In 1843 a church was built on Hamilton and Erie streets, and we find a Rev. Mr. Allardt, a regular minister, serving as pastor, who continued such until old age com- pelled him to resign.
The congregation at present worships in a large and costly building on Superior and Dodge streets. It is a so-called Union Evangelical Church, in doctrine and worship like the established state-church of Germany. At the present date we have twelve churches of this character in Cleveland, with an aggregate communicant membership of 7,680 persons. Four of them are independent, and served by independent pastors; four are independent, but served by pastors of the Evangelical Synod; four belong to the synod named.
Formerly, all'of them had parochial schools, but since the introduction of German instructors in the city schools they have gradually abandoned them, and now one only, the one on Jennings avenue, has such.
They receive members by confirmation after a course of catechetical instruction. They generally hold no regular Sunday evening services, nor have they any week prayer meetings. It is only during the season of Lent and the week of Passion that special evening meetings are held. All of them have Sunday-schools; one has a flour- ishing C. E. Society, the others have young people's societies of a mixed character. All maintain mutual aid societies, which pay $5 a week in cases of sickness; in cases of death, each member pays a little over one dollar, to which sum the society adds about Sito.
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THE CITY COUNCIL, (IN 1896).
1. WILLIAM PRESCOTT. 2. D. H.[LUCAS.
3. MORRIS BLACK. 4. C. W. TOLAND. 5. C. E. BENHAM.
6. C. I. DAILEY. 7. WALTER I. THOMPSON.
S. H. M. CASE. 9. MICHAEL RILEY.
10, FRANK BILLMAN. 11. F. A. EMERSON.
12. P. J. MCKENNEY.
13. W. H. STINCHICOMB. 11. M. F. BARRETT,
15. J. T. DREWETT. 10. C. A. WITZEL. 17. DAN. F. REYNOLDS, JR. I. C. FRISE. D. GEORGE H. BEEMAN, O. CHAS. P. DRYDEN. 21 DR. D. B. STEUER 28. J. F. PALMER.
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HISTORICAL CONFERENCE.
Omitting special dates of single congregations, collected in another paper, we pass on to the Evangelical Association, a German body of Methodist polity and practice, founded in the beginning of our century by Albright, a Pennsylvania Lutheran, who was converted in a Methodist church. After his conversion he felt called to the minis- try, but his conference refused to license him, because at that time preaching in Ger- man was not deemed advisable, and he could not officiate in English.
In 1840, this body commenced work in Cleveland. They now report eight Ger- man churches, but their membership is comparatively small, no more than about 1,000 in all.
Their main strength here is found in a publishing house, on Woodland avenue, moved there in 1854 from its former site in Berlin, Pa. This establishment now re- ports assets amounting to $600,000, with no liabilities to speak of. Besides numerous books, they publish seven German periodicals, with a circulation of 150,000 copies. Their weekly has a subscription list of 20,000.
Three years later, in 1843, the first Lutheran congregation, Zion's, now worship- ping on Erie street, was organized. At present the city contains eleven Lutheran churches. Nine of them belong to the Synod of Missouri, considered the strictest in doctrine. Two others seceded from them to the Ohio Synod in 1890, because the Mis- sourians declared in favor of predestinarianism.
Like the Evangelical Union churches, these Lutherans receive members by con- firmation after catechetical instruction, and like them, they have no Sunday evening services. They have week-day evening meetings, however, but not in the form of prayer meetings, because in their opinion the pastor is the only authorized teacher and exhorter. For the same reason they have no Sunday-schools. In their place chil- dren's services are held on Sunday afternoons, by the pastor, to review the catechism.
Like the Evangelicals, they maintain congregational societies for mutual aid in cases of sickness and death, the statutes and provisions being almost identical.
Parochial schools are connected with every one of their congregations, and no ex- pense or labor is spared to make them effective. Generally, each parochial school is graded, with four or five teachers, all of whom are male. In all their Cleveland schools they have but two lady teachers. When a new congregation is organized the first step always consists in the building of a school house, in which the new pastor does the teaching, with one or two assistants, until the congregation has grown suffi- ciently strong to support pastor and teachers separately. For the erection of build- ings and the purchase of lots, the mother church gives her daughter a dower of from $5,000 to $6,000.
Purity of doctrine is guarded with jealous care. No pastor of any but their own synod is permitted to occupy their pulpits. In discipline they forbid: Saloon-keep- ing, dancing and lodges.
Their communicants in the city number 8,390, with 2,825 children taught in their parochial schools, by 32 teachers.
In common they own two cemeteries; one school to fit boys for their normal schools and colleges, on Woodland avenue, with a very small attendance at present- only six boys. A hospital is just being established on Franklin avenue.
The Methodist Episcopal Church organized her first German church in February, 1846. The congregation at present reports 120 members. Since then three other con- gregations were organized, and now the aggregate membership of the four congrega- tions is reported to be 345.
In 1854 the United Brethren commenced church work here. This denomination was founded by a German pastor of the Reformed church, with Methodistic tendencies. Their first church was built on Carroll street. At present they have four congrega- tions with about 700 members.
The Reformed Church is one of the two main branches of the Reformation in Ger- many, and represents the Presbyterian type of German Protestantism.
This denomination gained its first foothold in Cleveland in 1860, when Rev. F. Kaufholz died. He was a pious blacksmith, who while foreman in the old Cuyahoga furnace under the Viaduct, at his own expense, built a chapel on Tracy street, and there gathered a small congregation. Holding peculiar doctrinal views of his own, he had not identified himself with any of the existing denominations, and after his death his people, after some trying experiences, elected a pastor of the Reformed church, whose synod they joined in the course of time. They now worship on Penn and Carroll streets. Nine other German Reformed churches have since been organ- ized in various parts of the city, holding an aggregate membership of 2, 750 commu- nicants.
Like Lutherans, they receive their members by confirmation, but unlike them
206
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND.
they rather favor the co-operation of lay members in instructing and edifying their people. They have Sunday evening services, mid-week prayer meetings, Sunday- schools and C. E. societies for the young people.
Three Reformed church institutions of a general character have been established in the city. The Publishing House, on Pearl street, last year reported $133,000 worth of assets and five German periodicals, with an aggregate circulation of 50,000 subscrib- ers. Calvin College, also on Pearl street, was chartered in 1883. The hospital and Home for Deaconesses, now on Franklin avenue, was established in 1890.
All of these enterprises, except the Methodist Episcopal churches, were originated and are maintained by the pious zeal of Germans, but in 1866 the Baptists of Cleve- land felt moved to take part in Christian work among the Germans, and mainly by the liberality of James Hoyt and others, the German Baptist Church on Forest and Scovill streets was built. Since then, two more such have been erected, and -now three Ger- man Baptist congregations report a little over 500 members. They excel in Sunday. school work, and their ladies' societies are unusually active. About 100 persons have, during this period, passed over from the German into the English speaking Baptist congregations. 1 Of general enterprises the German Baptists have established a Publishing House, first on Forest street, now on Payne avenue. It represents a money value of 850,000, and issues six periodicals with an aggregate circulation of 60,000 copies. Their week- ly reports 7,000 subscribers.
The Protestant Episcopal Church also has undertaken religious work among the Germans. In 1869, the German Episcopal Church on Orange street was built through the liberality of Mrs. Bradford. All the German Protestant Churches of Cleveland together now have 21,020 communicants. Estimating our whole German speaking population at 100,000, the Protestant part of it at 60,000, and the adults at 30,000, two- thirds of all are communicants.
In former years the German press of Cleveland was notorious for its outspoken enmity to the Church of Christ. But faith and hard work have finally overcome prej- udice. Christ's cause is always sure to win. At present our German daily main- tains an attitude of friendliness toward the churches, and strives earnestly to furnish its readers impartial accounts of all important events in this field.
Rabbi M. Machol traced the record of the Jewish Church in the fol- lowing concise statement :
To speak of the Jewish Church of this city means to speak on the principal feature of the Jewish life, Judaism in its theoretical and practical form, as it always has been displayed in the midst of Israel. The Jewish community, no matter how large or small, under tyrannical rule or in the land of the free, was never known without sup- porting two sacred institutions, the one for the adoration of God, the other for the benefit of humanity - the synagogue and the benevolent society. The Jewish race had no representative in the village of Cleveland. One year after the latter had been incorporated as a city, in 1837, the first inhabitant arrived from' Bavaria, Samson Thorman, who was joined shortly afterwards by a young man from the same place, Aaron Lowentritt. The political condition of Southern Germany steadily increased the number of arrivals in this country, and in 1839, when the first Jewish family, that of Samson Hoffman, settled down here, they went to work to form a religious society, which held its services in a hall on South Water street. This was the nucleus of the two large congregations, the older of which is the "Anshe Chesed" Congregation, which celebrates this year its fiftieth anniversary, having been founded in 1846, with the first place of worship in Farmer's Block, on Prospect street. Shortly afterward the synagogue on Eagle street was built; twice, in 1859 and in 1869, recon- structed and enlarged, until the increase of membership made it necessary to erect the large Temple on Scovill avenue and Henry street, which was dedicated on September 2, 1887. The origin of the other, the Tifereth Israel Congregation, with its elegant Temple on Willson avenue, and a very large membership, dates back to the year 1848, when a small number of discontented separated and formed a society of their own, which through a legacy from the well-known philanthropist, Juda Touro, was enabled to build their synagogue on Huron street in 1853, in which they remained until three years ago, when the property was sold and the new house of worship erected. The united cemeteries on Willett street and Mayfield, belong to both con- gregations. Of the Jewish population of this city, which is estimated to be about 20,000, hundreds are not affiliated with any religious society ; nevertheless there are 8 congregations, divided according to their nationalities, in 2 German, 2 Hungarian, 1
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