USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Blairsville > A history of the churches in Blairsville [Pa.] presbytery, prepared at its request and read before it in Blairsville, January 28th, 1874 > Part 2
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*Dr. JAS. POSTLETHWAITE, an eminent physician, and in later life an eminent Christian, declined the eldership, but wrote largely and with great zest about the principles of our holy religion.
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
under the designation : " Head of Tortle Creek ; " and, April 19th, 1786, Rev. JAMES POWER, under the name "Poke Run." It obtained Rev. JAMES FINLEY October 18th, 1787. After this supplies were regularly sent by Presbytery at each meeting. In 1789 a log house was erected for both church and school purposes, on the elevated site, where now stands the spacious brick edifice, erected some forty years ago. Its first pastor, Rev. SAMUEL PORTER, was ordained, along with Mr. JOHN M'PHERRIN, on JAMES M'KEE's farm, in Congruity, in presence of the four congregations, making the two charges, and installed over Congruity and Poke Run, Sep- tember 22d, 1790. From the latter he was released April 11th, 1798-giving Congruity all his time after this. Two years afterwards, at Poke Run, united with Plum Creek, he was succeeded by Mr. FRANCIS LAIRD, who was ordained and installed in CONRAD LUDWIG'S meadow, midway between the two churches, June 22d, 1800. Rev. JAMES DUNLAP preached, and J. POWER made the prayer and the charge. Moving his family into his field of labor, he encamped by a large fallen tree, set up two forks twelve feet from it, laid a pole between them, and others as rafters from it to the log, from which he stripped bark enough to cover it, as a shed under which to sleep and study, while the part outside of the post was a durable back-log for their fire; and thus they lived until a house could be erected. He was a man of studious habits through life, well learned, especially inclined to Biblical criticisms,
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and qualified for it. Many a young minister profited by his kind, clear and correct suggestions in that line. At the first meeting of Blairsville Presbytery, November 26th, 1830, he asked leave to resign his charge, which, in the constitutional way, was granted April 5th, 1831. At the same time he was called for all his time to Poke Run, and also to Murrays- ville, just organized. For six months he kept the calls under consideration, supplying half time at each place. Then, accepting the call from Murraysville, he declined that from Poke Run. There he was suc- ceeded by Rev. JAMES CAMPBELL, who, after sup- plying for several months, was installed as pastor May 1st, 1833. Rev. WATSON HUGHES preached, F. LAIRD charged the pastor, and J. GRAHAM, the people. But just when his installation was reported, at the next meeting of Presbytery, he asked leave to resign, which was granted April 1st, 1834.
In December of that year, Rev. DAVID KIRKPAT- RICK, of Northumberland Presbytery, was present as a corresponding member of this Presbytery, and Poke Run, with Eldersridge, in Indiana County, was allowed to employ him as stated supply. This privilege was several times repeated. In February, 1836, he became a member of Presbytery, and, as before, continued to supply until April 4th, 1838. Then dropping Eldersridge, he accepted a call, for all his time, from Poke Run, and May 9th, was in- stalled. Rev. S. McCLUNG preached, F. LAIRD charged the pastor, and S. M'FARREN the people. This very happy and prosperous relation continued
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
till June 23d, 1868, when, from failing health, he resigned. Soon after he declined still more rapidly, and for the last three months suffered intensely. January 5th, 1869, by the Master's summons, he was called away from this "vale of tears." " He rests from his labors and his works do follow him." He had all the oddity and versatility of an Irishman, the high culture imparted in an Irish University, the lofty pre-eminence of an Irish teacher, the ample resources of an Irish preacher, and a gentle, kind way of dealing with people generally, and his own people particularly, which is unapproached by one of a hundred Irish pastors. Popular every where, among his own people, "in their soul's just estima- tion prized above all price." Their most flattering compliment to any other minister took this form: " He preaches almost as well as Mr. KIRKPATRICK," or in later days, "Dr. KIRKPATRICK ; " for, in 1853 he obtained the titular honor so often misplaced, so very appropriate to him. Never did the writer pass through another scene of such intense solemnity, as at the marriage of his granddaughter, Miss LIZZIE JOHNSTON, to the Rev. SAMUEL EARP, December 22d, 1868-not two weeks before his departure; when he was longing for "the wings of a dove, that he might fly away and be at rest." This sacred long- ing was soon gratified. "In pace requiescat."
Mr. HENRY BAIN having graduated at the West- ern Theological Seminary in April, 1869, was called immediately to Poke Run, and, on the first Sabbath of May, began to preach there, and was ordained
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and installed June 22d of that year. Rev. T. R. EWING preached, Dr. M'FARREN presided and made the ordaining prayer, A. TORRANCE charged the pastor, and J. A. MARSHALL the people. " Though of good Seceder and Associate Reformed stock, he joined the Presbyterian Church in a great revival at Haysville, Ohio." He has entirely remodeled the style of worship at Poke Run. The use of tokens, table-seats, and the Scotch version of Psalms, all in vogue when he came, have given place to the usages of surrounding Presbyterian churches ; and that too without any disaffection. Doubtless they will soon have an organ also. To his honored predecessor he is a complete contrast-in person, polish, and taste; and still more, because the good Doctor pos- sessed, prized and improved the sweets of a family circle ; while, in the reluctant estimation of the public mind-especially the female mind-poor brother BAIN begins to be regarded as a hopeless, resolute bachelor. Hon. SAMUEL HILL, JOSEPH THOMPSON, Esq., and JOHN TOWNSEND, Sr., may be noted as right-hand elders of Dr. KIRKPATRICK. This church, by far the most wealthy, harmonious, and unchanging of all the country churches, in Blairsville Presbytery, was made such by the labors and prayers of two stated supplies and five pastors, during eighty-nine years, and yet it seems to have exhausted all its reproductive energies in giving birth to one ministerial son, Rev. DANIEL W. TOWN- SEND. Well may he be a good one-a Daniel !
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
.
Plum Creek-first called Ebenezer, on the Puk- aty, then Plum Township, afterwards Pukuty, Puk- etty, and Puckety-obtained supplies about 1791. As was stated in the case of Poke Run, Mr. FRANCIS LAIRD was ordained and installed over both, in CON- RAD LUDWIG'S meadow, June 20th, 1800. Two years after this the permanent name of the church became Plum Creek. As already stated, Father LAIRD resigned this charge in April, 1831. He was succeeded by Rev. SAMUEL MONTGOMERY, from the Presbytery of Northumberland, who, after supply- ing for months, was installed January 9th, 1833. Rev. JAMES CAMPBELL preached, F. LAIRD charged the pastor, and J. GRAHAM the people. He asked to be released April 9th, 1834, which was done on the 29th of the same month. He alone of all the members of Blairsville sympathized with "the new measures and divinity." After flitting about, inside and outside of the Presbyterial boundaries, he was finally dismissed to Redstone Presbytery, February 15th, 1836. Rev. SAMUEL M. MCCLUNG, having supplied some months, was received into this Pres- bytery from that of Philadelphia, and at once called to Plum Creek, with Cross Roads, June 20th, 1837, and at the latter place installed; Rev. JAMES GRAHAM preached, F. LAIRD charged the pastor, and A. TORRANCE the people. At the formation of Salts- burg Presbytery, in 1856, the State Road, from Apollo to East Liberty, being the line, this church, with Parnassus and Pine Run, was included in the new organization; and so remained till, in 1870,
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reconstruction made the Kiskiminetas the line, and placed them back in this Presbytery. Under the pressure of ill health, brother McCLUNG resigned the charge of this church April 13th, 1859, and was succeeded by · Rev. G. M. SPARGROVE, who was in- stalled Wednesday, June 2d, 1861. Rev. R. M'MIL- LAN preached, D. W. TOWNSEND presided, proposed questions, and J. E. CARUTHERS gave the charges. April 12th, 1865, he resigned; and was succeeded by Mr. J. D. MOORHEAD, who was ordained and in- stalled November 2d, 1865. Rev. T. D. EWING preached, Rev. J. ORR made the ordaining prayer, W. WOODEND charged the pastor, and D. W. TOWN- SEND the people.
A serious difficulty culminated in this pastorate, respecting the erection of a parsonage, promised at his settlement in the village of New Texas, and the removal of the place of worship, nearly two miles, to that place. Unable to settle the difficulty among themselves, they obtained a committee of Saltsburg Presbytery to advise them about it. Satisfied with the advice, they disagreed about its import. After prolonged contention, involving very serious conse- quences, a large majority both erected the promised parsonage, and built a new church in the village- highly respectable structures. By an injunction ob- tained from the court in Allegheny county, they arrested a new erection on the old site, by the minority. Seldom has a people, characterized by antecedents so peaceful, intelligence so bright, and piety so undoubted, pushed their differences to such
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
an extreme, and at such expense. Near a dozen families, in the minority, scattered to neighboring churches, or other denominations. The rest returned to the majority, and with them worship in the new erection. The pastor had kept comparatively clear of the contention. He had the satisfaction of enjoy- ing the parsonage until all things were moving on smoothly in the new house of worship, nearly com- plete. Greatly to their regret, he resigned the charge, Feb. 22, 1872, and was settled immediately, and very happily, at Beaver Falls, in Shenango Presbytery. Rev. J. M. HAMILTON succeeded him, after a vacancy of twenty-one months, and was in- stalled Nov. 18th, 1873. Rev. J. P. KENNEDY preached, R. CAROTHERS charged the pastor, and G. M. SPARGROVE the people. Among the excellent elders of this church, may be mentioned Father KING, with the noble JUNKINS, father and son, de- ceased, and good, old, faithful DAVID COON, who, like " the soul of JOHN BROWN, is still marching on" among them. The ministerial sons of this church have been Revs. JACOB COON, ALEXANDER LOGAN, ANDREW M'ELWAIN, OBADIAH JENNINGS KING, JAMES H. FAIR, JOHN ALLEN BROWN-six, and she has had just six pastors.
Beulah, under the name of Pitt Township, had been occasionally supplied from about 1795. Mr. JAMES GRAHAM was ordained and installed, as its first pastor, October 8th, 1804. Rev. JAMES POWER preached, and WM. SPEER gave the charg . A year
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later it obtained " Beulah" as its name. No remin- iscences of it can be recalled for record, and no in- formation has been communicated. Father GRA- HAM was a man of talents, sound theological views, and well acquainted with the Word of God. He could quote it with great facility, frequency, and en- tire accuracy. Such, at least, was the impression stamped upon a youthful mind, while spending a happy night under his hospitable roof. Beyond this, nothing peculiar is remembered of him. June 15th, 1845, on the eve of a Presbyterial meeting in his church, under a sad providential occurrence, by a fall from his horse, his earthly life and labors were brought to a sudden, painful close, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. Mr. J. M. HASTINGS was ordained and installed as second pastor, Sept. 9th, 1846. Rev. A. TORRANCE preached, W. HUGHES charged the pastor, and S. M. M'CLUNG, the people. During his earnest and efficient pastorate, the Scotch Psalmody, previously in use, was exchanged for the Assembly's collection, exemplifying the Scripture re- quirement, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." It was done, however, as in most other cases of the kind, at the expense of a large secession from the membership. Part of them, being good men, professed to be less displeased with the change, than with the manner of effecting it. Several years later a new organization was effected at Wilkinsburg, which took very worthy mem- bers and officers from the mother church. This division soon obtained an excellent pastor, Rev. S. M.
2
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
HENDERSON. To the no small grief of Blairsville Presbytery, both the young church and its young pastor, about reconstruction time, were set over to the Presbytery of Pittsburgh. Serious failure of health, on the part of brother HASTINGS, compelled him to ask a release from Beulah, which was granted Oct. 3d, 1865. Mr. T. M. BROWN was ordained and installed as his successor, Nov. 14th, 1866. Rev. T. M. WILSON preached, D. HARBISON charged the pastor, and G. HILL the people. This good young pastor, early failing in health, was released, Oct. 2d, 1867, from his charge of the church; and from the sufferings and sorrows of earth, March 16th, 1869. Dec. 10th, 1867, he was succeeded by Rev. JAMES A. MARSHALL. At his installation Rev. J. M. HAST- INGS preached, S. M. HENDERSON charged the pastor, and R. CAROTHERS, the people. Having considerable pulpit-power, he was called to Philadelphia, and released from Beulah, April 22d, 1873. Was it in revenge for such a high-handed robbery that, very soon afterwards, Beulah made out a call for Rev. JOHN MOORE, of Philadelphia ? They did not do it "after the proper manner." But he supplies them still. Dr. JAMES CAROTHERS was a distinguished elder, both of this church, and afterwards of Wilk- insburg. His death, a few years ago, inflicted a serious loss on the church, and on his patrons in pro -. fessional life. Beulah has had a stated supply, four pastors, and raised three ministers, Rev. JOHN M'FARLAND, WM. G. SHAND, and JOHN R. HAMILTON.
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Salem, another of the primitive five vacancies, is first mentioned, as applying, with Unity, for per- mission to call a minister of Donegal Presbytery, Oct. 15th, 1786. His character was deemed doubt- ful in Redstone, and permission was refused; but a Mr. BARR was then sent to supply one day. Fre- quent supplies were sent during four subsequent years. A tent was used for a time as the place of worship; and a log house, with a stove in it, and called afterwards the Session-house, accommodated the congregation on wet and cold days. Before the close of the last century, a large house, of three logs in length, 70x40, or in the centre 46 feet. The pulpit, with a sounding-board over it, was large, about eight steps in height, with a clerk's desk, six steps high, at front of it. It occupied the back re- cess in the side, and faced the front door in the other recess. There was a door in each end, and the com- munion aisle stretched between them. There were seventy-one seats, and six or eight hundred people could be accommodated in them. At first, for years, there were no seats, and then some of them were · sawed plank, but more,were hewed, with posts at the ends, and a wide rail for a back. As the church, for many years, contained no stove, in very cold days they resorted to the Session-house. In 1832, the church was ceiled with boards, and plastered on the side walls. In 1848, a boy kindling the fires, put shavings in the stoves. They fell blazing on the roof, and, when the people assembled for prayer- meeting, the time-honored, God-honored house, was
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
in uncontrollable flames. Many of the women sat down and wept.
April 20th, 1790, along with Unity, Salem had called Mr. JNO. M'PHERRIN, whose ordination and in- stallation, Sept. 20th of that year, has been already recorded, in the case of Unity. For thirteen years he labored among his people with great earnestness, solemnity, and success-giving them all his time for the last three years. Then difficulties having arisen, -which ought to have been settled-which he him- self afterwards believed too small to justify a sepa- ration, he yielded to them, at the time, and obtained a release from Salem, April 20th, 1803. Obtaining an immediate settlement over Concord and Muddy Creek, in Butler county, he there spent the remain- der of his devoted and laborious life. There, too, Feb- ruary 10th, 1823, in the sixty-fifth year of his life, he was called to the peaceful rest of the "Father's House !" The larger and better portion of Salem church regarded him as a very paragon and prince of preachers. By him, as a model, they would test each succeeding minister, as they heard him, and, with regretful tones, would say, in nine cases out of ten, " He duzzen't preach like Misther Mucpharrin !" Occasionally, as the very highest encomium, they would say of some ardent man, " He pours it down on sinthers like Misther Mucpharrin !" Had the Apostle Paul come down and preached there, within forty years of the removal of this beau ideal pastor, he could have gained no higher praise. Rev. THOS. MOORE was called as pastor, Aug. 4th, 1804, and
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accepted the call, but no record was made of his installation. At the request of the people, he was dismissed, April 9th, 1809. April 21st, 1813, Rev. ROBERT LEE was called, and installed on the first Tuesday of August following. Rev. JAMES GAL- BRAITH preached, and F. HERRON gave the charge. The writer only remembers him as a tall, slender man, whose thundering voice would not allow even a child to sleep in church. He was released from Salem, October 20th, 1819. His subsequent labors were performed in central Ohio. A few years ago his life-labors were highly eulogized, in an obituary notice, written by a ministerial son of Salem church.
Serious difficulties had prevailed in Salem, more or less, from the removal of Mr. M'PHERRIN. April 19th, 1820, they obtained a committee from Presby- tery to aid in settling them, which was but partially effected. "But the Lord was preparing the way for one of his servants," who was, pre-eminently, a peace-maker, to enter that most important, and yet most unpromising and disturbed charge. Mr. THOMAS DAVIS, an Englishman, of strong and pecu- liar accent, an elder in the Second Presbyterian church of Pittsburgh-probably from its formation, sixteen years before, from which he was sent as an elder to the General Assembly of 1815-had been licensed by the Presbytery of Redstone, when over fifty years of age, on February 15th, 1822. He was appointed to supply at Salem, the second Sab- bath afterwards, and at West Union the following one. They retained him as a supply most of the
*
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summer, and, October 15th, called him to be their pastor. November 13th, he was ordained and in- stalled. Rev. ROB'T JOHNSTON preached, and S. PORTER gave the charge. A few years later he was seriously crippled, by a broken limb, and performed his labors afterwards at a great sacrifice of comfort. His lot was greatly alleviated, however, by the con- stant attendance and considerate attentions of his wife, devoted to him, and devoted to God.
In about the nineteenth year of his pastorate, greatly to his gratification, he obtained a colleague in the whole charge; and from that time, except on communion Sabbaths, alternated with him in the two churches, on successive Sabbaths, until the day of his lamented decease, May 28th, 1848, in the seventy- seventh year of his age. The old log church had been burned down a short time before ; they were, on that day, holding a communion near its site, in the barn of Mr. JOHN ROBINSON. He, as was his wont, had preached the " Action Sermon," with ardor, addressed the "first table" with tenderness, communed at the second with emotion. Then, quite exhausted, his face glowing like a coal, he set out for home. But, midway to it, he fell lifeless from his horse, and, ere his body was "laid out " in his late habitation, his emancipated spirit was at rest in the house of "many mansions." Well do I wot that when the stunning tidings reached the barn, where his youthful, filial colleague was conducting the after- noon service, he would look up, through falling tears, for the descending mantle, and devoutly exclaim,
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" My father ! my father ! the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof !" It ought to be added that, two or three years previously, his most devoted wife had taken leave of life, in a manner equally sudden, and as she had desired to be taken.
Father DAVIS was a plain, earnest, rather im- pressive preacher. Partly from dialectic peculiari- ties, and partly because they came from his heart, his words stuck in the memory of his hearers. In social life he was affable, genial, and very frank. He possessed, in no limited manner, a tact for deal- ing with persons of every stamp. This might have been inferred, from his riding down successfully, at Salem, waves of commotion, by which two preceding pastors had been agitated into foam, and, as foam, were tossed away; while he held the pastorate for more than a quarter of a century-his entire minis- terial life. Yet he never fondled, flattered, nor temporized. Did an artful woman, courting praise for the real excellence of her cookery, worry him with strong depreciating terms respecting it, he would hastily drain his cup, hand it back, and using her own term, would say, " Madam, I will take an- other cup of that 'stuff!' " Or, if a close-fisted, purse-bound man, complained to him about his "frequent preaching against worldliness," and charged him with giving, in this way, one-half of the preaching to himself, and another man, artlessly as a child, he would perform an example in mental ៛ arithmetic, on the well-known subscriptions of the two. "Ten and fifteen are twenty-five. - Twice
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES
twenty-five are fifty. Isn't it a burning shame ? You two get one-half of my preaching, and for it pay but twenty-five dollars. If the rest of the con- gregation paid only in that proportion, I should have but fifty dollars a year !" Looking his re- prover full in the face, he would say, again, "Isn't it a burning shame ?" Then, smiling, he would in- troduce another topic of conversation. The writer remembers counsel derived from him, a few hours after being licensed, and could still decipher much of it, in characters invisible to every other human eye, on rocks and knolls, and heights and dells, all the way from Saltsburg Fording to Salem Church. He has found it, too, of great practical value.
Mr. GEORGE HILL began to preach at Salem and Blairsville, May 31st, 1840; and after that, gave an occasional day for ten months, while completing his course at the Seminary, and in renovating enfeebled health at home. From March, 1841, he preached regularly. December 4th, of that year, at Blairs- ville, he was ordained and installed as the co-pastor already mentioned. It must be regarded as illustra- ting "the grace of God that bringeth salvation, and teacheth " how to live, that men, differing as they did in age, disposition, taste, and acquirements, never had a variance, or a jar, in such relation and inter- course, for eight years. And yet it ought to have been expected that the blessing of God would rest signally upon this mode of sending forth ministers, " two by two," which Jesus himself had instituted. Soon after the decease of Father DAVIS, October
IN BLAIRSVILLE PRESBYTERY. 33
3d of that year, Brother HILL gave all his time to Blairsville, having resigned the charge of Salem. In the mean time, on the old elevated site, on the bench of "Sugar-Loaf Hill," a new, tasteful, brick edifice had been erected by JOHN BARNETT, Esq., one of the faithful elders. Its dimensions are less than the old one, but sufficient to accommodate the congregation, weakened by emigration, and other new organizations, on three sides of the church.
After a vacancy of two and a half years, Rev. REUBEN LEWIS was installed as pastor, May 13th, 1851. Rev. GEO. HILL preached, S. M'FARREN charged the pastor, and N. H. GILLETT the people. He was released January 10th, 1855. His successor, Rev. J. P. FULTON, was installed Tuesday, Novem- ber 2d, 1857. Rev. N. H. GILLETT preached, A. TORRANCE charged the pastor, and R. STEVENSON the people. He was highly and justly prized as a preacher. After eight and a half years he very unexpectedly withdrew, and obtained a release from the charge, June 16th, 1866. Rev. JAMES DAVIS had supplied, statedly, before his settlement; and Rev. JAMES R. HUGHES supplied after his de- parture.
Rev. W. F. HAMILTON began to preach regularly at Salem and Livermore in the spring of 1868, and was installed as pastor, Sept. 7th, of that year. Rev. J. W. WALKER preached, S. H. SHEPLEY charged the pastor, and G. HILL the people. To this church, in more senses than one, he is a treasure, and they know it. " This congregation has suffered
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