USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > The church in eastern Ohio; a history with special reference to the parishes of St. Paul's, Steubenville, St. James's, Cross Creek and St. Stephen's, Steubenville > Part 4
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community. The old meeting house at Cornish, where the Chases had worshipped, had fallen into decay, so it was torn down and in its place was erected, with not a dissenting voice, a plain but neat structure, still standing, where the worship of the Church according to the Prayer Book, has been carried on from that day to this.
Now as anxious to enter the ministry as he had be- fore been lukewarm, Mr. Chase began his work by acting as lay reader at Cornish, N. H., and Bethel, Vt .; also teaching school at the latter place to help support him- self while finishing his education. Clergymen were al- most as scarce in that region as in Ohio, where Dr. Dod- dridge was holding up the banner of the Church, but Rev. Bethuel Chittenden, brother of the Governor of Vermont, hearing of the two little flocks up in the wil- derness, came over to meet them. He was received as "a well ordained minister of Christ." Bishop Chase long afterwards described him as "almost like St. John in the Wilderness, clothed in sheepskin 'smalls,' glazed by hard and frequent use, and a threadbare blue coat, yet his per- son was clean and his manners gentle, savoring of true piety mingled with good sense and enlivening remarks. It was from this man (ordained by Bishop Seabury), that I received my first Communion, and well do I re- member with what solemnity he consecrated the elements of bread and wine, to represent the 'Body broken and the Blood poured out,' once for all, on the Cross for the sins of the world. These I received from the hands of one commissioned of the Lord to give them to me."
There being at that time no theological seminary in America, as soon as possible after his graduation from Dartmouth, Mr. Chase went to Albany, N. Y., the near- est point where there was an English clergyman who could help him forward in his studies. Without an intro- duction or funds he succeeded in finding Rev. Thomas
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Ellison, of St. Peter's parish, who gave him every en- couragement, secured for him an appointment as a city school teacher, and also gave him occupation as lay reader in the neighborhood. While here he was married, be- fore his ordination to the diaconate, which took place on May 10, 1798, in St. George's chapel, Trinity parish, New York. He was now appointed itinerant missionary in northern and western New York, where in a little over a year he traveled more than 4,000 miles, baptized 14 adults and 319 infants, held divine service and preached 213 times, and distributed Prayer Books, Catechisms, etc., founding what proved afterwards some of the strongest parishes in the state.
On November 10, 1799, he was ordained priest in St. Paul's Chapel, New York, and took charge of the par- ishes at Poughkeepsie and Fishkill. To help support his family he conducted a seminary at the former place.
When New Orelans became an American city in 1803, it had a population of about 10,000, mostly French creoles and their slaves, the Roman Catholic being the only religion that was tolerated. During the next two years there was a considerable influx of Americans, and in 1805 they sent a request to Bishop Provoost, of New York, to send them a minister, and he called on Mr. Chase to undertake the work. Leaving his family be- hind, he sailed from New York in October, and after a stormy voyage, arrived at New Orleans in time to hold his first service on November 17. The situation was somewhat peculiar, the actual number of Churchmen in the city was doubtless very small, and the non-Roman community was made up of persons of various denomi- nations, who, however, claimed the common name "Prot- estant." They seemed to have the idea of a sort of union conventicle, but Mr. Chase was firm on this point. He had come to organize a parish in communion with the
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Church, subject to the direction of the Bishop and Con- vention of the Diocese of New York, and would remain under no other conditions. Fortunately the word "Prot- estant" on the title page of the Prayer Book for once served a method of temporary compromise. The orig- inal charter granted by the legislature was to the "Prot- estants" of the city, but in the winter of 1806-7 the char- ter was amended, and the parish of Christ Church, now the cathedral, duly and legally organized. Mr. Chase returned to Poughkeepsie in the summer of 1806 for his family. Leaving their two children with their Uncle Dudley in Vermont, they reached New Orleans in safety, but a subsequent vessel with all their belongings was lost. Once more Mr. Chase was obliged to turn to teaching to get himself straightened out financially, and the work he did here had a very important influence on educational progress in Louisiana. In fact, his entire work in New Orleans was of magnitude, both for the community and the Church. He was now receiving an annual salary of $2,000, quite a large one for those days, but the desire to be again with their children in the North induced Mr. and Mrs. Chase to leave New Orleans after staying there about six years. Not long after their return Mr. Chase was called to the rectorship of Christ Church, Hartford, Conn., where he resided until leaving for Ohio in the spring of 1817. This was doubtless the most pleasant period of his life. With good society, a faithful congre- gation and comfortable home, it would seem natural that, with his serious troubles over, he could pursue calmly the duties of a loved and respected parish priest until the time came when he could sing his Nunc Dimittis, and be gathered to his fathers. But this, instead of looking to- wards the end, was really only the beginning. An event was impending which was destined to radically change the lives of himself and entire family. Providence had
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other ends in view than that Philander Chase should end his days in a quiet New England city. The memorials from St. James's Church and appeals from elsewhere had been heard on high at least, and were soon to bear their legitimate fruits.
Details are lacking as to the immediate influences which induced the pleasantly situated priest in Hartford to first turn his thoughts towards locating in Ohio. Pos- sibly he may have heard of Dr. Doddridge's appeals, al- though there is no evidence that such was the case. One statement is to the effect that he came by arrangement with Mr. Kilbourn, and circumstances are all but con- clusive that it was in response to a call from the little band at Worthington that Mr. Chase finally concluded to come west. A bishop had been talked of, but no ac- tion had yet been taken, and we have no intimation that any inducement was held out that he might be selected for that office. What we do know is that early in 1817 Mr. Chase announced to his flock that he must leave them, and, on the second day of March, administered to them the Holy Communion for the last time. Early next morning he bade his family farewell, and left by stage for Buffalo, four hundred miles distant. The hard- ships and perils of this journey, by almost impassable roads and over the frozen water off the shores of Lake Erie would have discouraged any ordinary man, but at length Conneaut Creek was reached, where the future bishop held his first service in Ohio. Mr. Chase was now in his forty-second year, in the prime of life, and with a vigorous constitution. There was not a Church- man in the little hamlet, but that did not prevent a serv- ice from the Prayer Book with a sermon. The next day, Monday, the 17th, a conveyance carried him to Ashta- bula, where Mr. Searle had formed St. Peter's parish the previous month. Here he remained a week, and then
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passing through the little town of Rome, reached Wind- sor, Ashtabula County, where he stayed several weeks. While here he and Mr. Searle had a conference with some laymen, and a memorial was prepared for presenta- tion to the General Convention, similar to the one adopted by Dr. Doddridge and others at the Worthing- ton conference the previous October. Bishop Perry, in his history, erroneously characterizes the Windsor docu- ment as "the first attempt at organization of the Church in the West." From Windsor Mr. Chase proceeded to Ravenna, Middleburg and Zanesville (where he found "a very respectable congregation organized under the pious and praiseworthy exertions of Rev. Mr. Dod- dridge"), thence to Columbus, Springfield, Dayton and Cincinnati, holding services at all these points. He held service at Worthington, the first Sunday in June, and during the following week became rector of St. John's Church there, Trinity, Columbus, and St. Peter's Dela- ware; he bought five lots in Worthington, and a farm of 150 acres. Mr. Chase was also appointed principal of Worthington Academy, so with other missionary work his time was evidently occupied. His wife joined him in June, and he now considered himself permanently located in his new home. In a letter Mrs. Chase says, "May God avert the necessity of another removal." This seems prophetic, for in a few months Mrs. Chase's health began to fail and on May 5, 1818, she passed into Paradise.
According to the directions of the General Conven- tion the Preliminary Convention to organize the diocese of Ohio, assembled at Worthington on January 5, 1818. Dr. Doddridge was not present, and, as Miss Doddridge says, "Owing to the want of timely notice but one of the four parishes organized by Dr. Doddridge in Ohio was represented in that body." In fact, the only clergymen present were Messrs. Chase, Kilbourn and Searle, and
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there were ten lay delegates. Mr. Chase presided and a constitution was adopted, by which the first annual con- vention assembled in the same town on June 3 follow- ing. Two additional clergymen were present, Mr. John- ston, of Cincinnati, and Dr. Doddridge. There were eleven lay delegates, including Charles Hammond, of St. James's Church, Jefferson County, later the well-known jurist and editor of the Cincinnati Gazette, who was elected Secretary.
One of the first questions which arose was on the seating of Dr. Doddridge, who, although residing across the river in Virginia, yet had charge of several Ohio par- ishes, and had done more work in this state than all the rest of the clergy present combined. The matter was referred to a committee of which Mr. Hammond was a member. This committee reported its opinion that ac- cording to the existing canons and the resolutions of the preceding General Convention, Dr. Doddridge was not entitled to a seat in the present convention, but express- ing the highest appreciation of his labors and the hope that he would lose no time in taking such measures as were essential to constitute him a member. The report was agreed to and a resolution adopted requesting Dr. Doddridge to sit in the convention as an honorary mem- ber.
While Dr. Doddridge felt hurt at being excluded on exceedingly technical grounds from membership in the body whose very existence had been principally due to his efforts, yet he cheerfully accepted the situation and sat with that body during the remainder of the session.
The important business before the convention was the election of a bishop. Of the four clerical votes in the convention three were cast for Mr. Chase, and one, probably Mr. Chase's, given for Dr. Doddridge. This action was unanimously confirmed by the lay vote, and
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Mr. Chase declared elected. Dr. Doddridge expressed his concurrence and satisfaction at the result, which, at his request, was entered on the minutes of the conven- tion.
In the fall of 1818 Mr. Chase left for the East to obtain his consecration to the episcopate, but owing to unexpected obstacles the ceremony was delayed nearly four months. On February 11 following, in St. James's Church, Philadelphia, he received the laying on of hands from Bishop White, of Pennsylvania; Hobart, of New York; Kemp, of Maryland, and Croes, of New Jersey. He started west the next day, officiating at Pittsburgh on February 21, and reaching home on March 3, 1819.
As may be supposed, Bishop Chase did not allow time to hang on his hands, but after getting settled and looking after the affairs of his own particular parishes, for it must be remembered he depended on them princi- pally for his income, there being no provision for the support of the episcopate, he entered upon his round of visitations. During this year he married Miss Sophia May Ingraham, of Philadelphia, aunt of Rt. Rev. Wil- liam Ingraham Kip, first Bishop of California, who proved a most helpful companion to him. A summary of his first circuit of the diocese is given in his address to the convention of 1819, and a condensed report of his visitations in Southeastern Ohio will give a very good idea of the condition of the Church in this section :
May 1, 1819, 1 arrived at Zanesville; the next day being Sunday, I preached and performed divine service. The congre- gation, particularly in the afternoon, was numerous and atten- tive.
On Tuesday following (May 4) I met, according to previous arrangement, the Rev. Dr. Doddridge. at Cambridge, 25 miles east of Zanesville. After performing the service together in the Court House (congregation small) we proceeded up Wills Creek to Seneca village, about twenty miles. At the desire of
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the family, I read prayers at the bedside of a sick woman, and gave her the blessing.
May 5 we proceeded on our journey to fulfill an appoint- ment made for me by Dr. Doddridge, to hold service at Mr. Dement's, about ten or eleven miles from the village. * * * At the sight of us they were greatly rejoiced, and being too numer- ous to be all accommodated with seats in the log cabin, they removed to a convenient place in the adjoining wood. Here, with a small table taken from the cabin and covered with a coarse white cloth, on which to lay the holy books. the trees and the sky for our canopy, and an assembly of people from the neighboring woods for our audience, the Doctor and myself performed the solemn services of the Church, and baptized a number of children. As soon as the services were over the con- gregation crowded to the cabin whither we had repaired. Here a most interesting scene took place. A number of young men and women being deeply affected at beholding the services, par- ticularly that of the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, applied for spiritual instruction. It was given them, and several were bap- tized. At evening the house was again crowded, and a number of adults and infants were baptized. Dr. D. delivered a sermon in a very impressive manner on the subject of the Christian Church and ordinances. Learning that a number of families on Little Beaver Creek belonging to this organized parisli were desirous of public ministrations, the next day we went thither. The congregation was assembled. Dr. D. read prayers, and the sermon was preached by myself. One adult and several chil- dren were baptized; the whole number baptized in this parish of Seneca was 24. Most of the heads of the parish being pres- ent at Mr. Wendell's on Little Beaver, they proceeded to elect a delegate to the Convention and to take measures for the build- ing of a new church. Dr. D. preached an appropriate sermon. Service had been appointed at Barnesville, 10 or 12 miles further on. but being delayed by rain, we did not arrive until the con- gregation had dispersed. At evening, however, the people as- sembled, the service of our Church was performed, and a ser- mon preached in the Methodist meeting house.
The next day (May 7). at Morristown, the people had assembled in great numbers in a convenient schoolhouse. Here divine service was performed, and a sermon preached; three persons desiring the rite of Confirmation and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, both these ordinances were administered to them. The audience never having witnessed the like before, seemed deeply affected. On our way to St. Clairsville, the same day, the Sacrament of Baptism was administered to five or six children. -
May 8. Saturday, at 11 o'clock, divine service was celebrated at the Court House, St. Clairsville, and an impressive discourse was delivered by Dr. Doddridge. In the evening the sermon was preached by myself. The congregations were considerably numerous and attentive. Sunday. May 9, being uncommonly
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fine, the people began to assemble at an early hour, and the house, ere the service began, was much crowded. In the morn- ing divine service was performed, and the rite of Confirmation was administered to thirteen persons, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to eleven. At the evening service the Sacrament of Baptism was administered. This congregation is one among those in which the Rev. Dr. Doddridge regularly officiates, yet some peculiar circumstances had hitherto prevented him from attempting the administration of the Lord's Supper among them. Happily those impediments are now set aside.
At St. Clairsville Dr. D. left me to visit his family, and on Monday, May 10. at his particular request, I passed over the Ohio River to Wheeling, where I performed Morning Prayer in public, and preached a sermon to the people, after which they saw fit to organize a parish by choosing their wardens and ves- trymen (St. Matthew's). Also while on the Virginia side I per- formed the visitation office to a sick man. a Mr. Wilson, and the next day preached and performed divine service at West Lib- erty. May 13, I again joined my worthy friend and brother, Dr. D., at his house in Wellsburg, and twice the same day we held divine service. In the evening the congregation was large and very attentive. May 14, attended by the Doctor and some of his family, I went to St. John's parish, about 10 miles northeast of Wellsburg. Here the Morning Service was performed and a sermon preached, after which I visited a sick woman, and the same night passed over to Steubenville, on the Ohio side of the river.
May 15, Morning and Evening Service were celebrated this day in Steubenville, the former in the Methodist meeting house. and the latter in the Court House. The congregations in both places were numerous and attentive.
Sunday, May 16, having been previously appointed for the administration of the Apostolic Rite of Confirmation, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in this place, the congregation. by the kind and pressing request of the Methodist Society, met in their meeting house. The press was very great, so that it was with great difficulty that room was preserved to do the duties of the day. The discourse was delivered by Dr. Dod- dridge. I administered Confirmation to thirty-eight, and the Lord's Supper to about twenty-five. Great reverence and devout attention appeared in the behaviour of all present. In the afternoon of this day, divine service, at the request of the minister and people of the Presbyterian denomination, was per- formed in their meeting house. Six or seven children were bap- tized. At candle lighting I again performed service in the Methodist meeting house, and gave notice that the Episcopa- lians would meet me the next morning at the home of Mr. Dickinson.
Monday. May 17. I organized a parish by the name of St. Paul's Church, in Steubenville, to the great satisfaction of the friends of our Zion. They appointed their delegate to the Con-
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vention, and took measures for procuring regular services; I also this day baptized twenty children.
Tuesday, being joined by Dr. Doddridge, who had been on Sunday afternoon called away to attend the sick, I proceeded across the woods to St. James's Church, a small building erected for public worship about ten or twelve miles from Steubenville. For public services they depend on Dr. Doddridge, who attends a certain portion of his time. The number of communicants I could not exactly know, as the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was, through mistake, not provided for at this visita- tion. The probable number is, however, about fifty. After Morning Prayer and a sermon, I administered Confirmation to twenty-one persons.
Here I took leave of my worthy friend and brother, and proceeded on my way towards Cadiz, where divine service had been appointed on the morrow. In company with a Mr. Finley and a Mr. Henderson, I reached that night the neighborhood where they lived, about nine miles from St. James's, nearly west. I had been told that old Mr. Finley was sick, that he de- sired the consolations of religion, and that the neighborhood would be glad of my ministrations. I complied with the request, and the event proved that there was a particular providence in so doing.
The Bishop proceeds with a most interesting account of his ministrations to the Finley famliy, followed the next day by confirmation of eleven persons residing in the neighborhood, and administration of the Lord's Supper to a like number. In fact, the Bishop unfortunately, per- haps, made it too interesting, for Bishop Perry copies this portion of the address verbatim as an illustration of the condition of things in Southeastern Ohio, omitting altogether the accounts of the work done in what are now Guernsey, Belmont and Jefferson Counties, the crowded congregations and the organization of parishes grown up through years of care by a faithful priest. Perhaps Bishop Meade had read this also. Even the few lines we have quoted show that the Finleys lived only nine miles from St. James's Church, where services were regularly held, and where they were doubtless able to attend, at least occasionally. That the spiritual desti- tution was great in this section has already been made
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manifest, but it is equally true that there was a faithful shepherd in the field, doing his best to look after the scattered flock, and his efforts were responded to by faith- ful laymen, both in an organized and individual capacity. Although Bishop Perry does not state directly that this was the first church service held in this section, yet such is the inference, followed by other writers who failed to look up the matter for themselves. It may be added here that the Bishop proceeded to Cadiz, where he held a serv- ice, where he had an attentive congregation, but con- taining few Churchmen. From thence to Cambridge and Zanesville, where he met his nephew, Rev. Intrepid Morse, who had just returned from a missionary tour.
William R. Dickinson, at whose residence the formal organization of St. Paul's parish took place, came to Steubenville about 1805 from Chillicothe, and formed a partnership with Bezaleel Wells in fine wool growing and manufacturing. His home was located on the east side of Third street, a short distance above Market, a two- story brick dwelling, which was razed in 1883 to make room for the extension of McGowan Bros.' wholesale house .. His first wife was a daughter of Dr. McDowell, the pioneer physician of this section, and the second, Miss Johnson, a niece of Dr. McDowell. In 1830 Mr. Dick- inson removed to Texas, where he died. His grandson, Hon. J. M. Dickinson, of Nashville, Tenn., was Secre- tary of War during President Taft's administration.
The Article of Association as agreed to by the meet- ing at Mr. Dickinson's house reads as follows :
"We whose names are hereunto affixed, deeply im- pressed with the truth and importance of the Christian religion, and anxiously desirous of promoting its holy influence in the hearts and lives of our families and neighbors, do hereby associate ourselves together by the name, style and title of the Parish of St. Paul's Church,
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Steubenville, in communion with the Protestant Episco- pal Church in the state of Ohio." Signed by Brice Veirs, John C. Wright, Robert Thompson, Jacob C. Hoghland, George Chapman, Joseph Griffin, John Sutcliffe, Nicho- las Hutchins, Daniel L. Collier, Ephraim Root Jr., Christopher H. Orth, William R. Dickinson, Bezaleel Wells, Thomas Marshall, James Turner, J. P. Armitage, Emanuel Ludwig, Nathaniel Dike, Joseph Beatty, John HI. Veirs, John Taylor.
At this meeting Brice Veirs was elected Senior War- den ; George Chapman, Junior Warden ; Nicholas Hutch- ins, Jacob C. Hoghland and Ephraim Root Jr., Vestry- men. The last named was also elected Secretary and delegate to the diocesan convention, Bishop Chase acting as chairman.
It is probable that some of the signatures to the above articles of association were given after the meet- ing at which they were adopted, to which were shortly appended the following additional names, representing the heads of families: Widow Elliott, William Baker, Thomas Maxwell, Andrew Thompson, Widow Barron, Edward Wood, Thomas Lewis, Daniel I. Collier, Widow Jones, Frances R. Wilson, Benjamin Doyle, Edward Egan, John Foster, John Hanlon, Joseph Brashear, Wil- liam Fowler, William Armstrong, Alexander Davitt, Elizabeth Tappan, Charles McDowell, James Maley. Robert McNair, David F. Kirkpatrick, John B. Doyle, McGuire Doyle. These two lists seem to include all the families directly connected with the parish previous to April 4, 1825.
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