USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Brookville > A pioneer history of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania and my first recollections of Brookville, Pennsylvania, 1840-1843, when my feet were bare and my cheeks were brown > Part 24
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" ' Monday, July 20 .- After discoursing on the daily word-' The Lord
* " Anderson's Creek, in Clearfield County, which they struck at a point near the present Curwensville. "
+ " Probably the source of the North Branch of the Mahoning, which rises in Brady township, Clearfield County, and empties into the Allegheny, in Armstrong County, ten miles above Kittanning."
į " Kept down the valley of the Mahoning, into Jefferson County. Punxsutawney is a village in Young township, Jefferson County. The swamp lies in Gaskill and Young townships."
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our God be with us, may he not forsake us'-we traveled on through the swamp, and after five miles crossed the path that leads from Frankstown * to Goshgoshunk, and two miles from that point encamped at a run. At 5 P.M., came Brethren Peter, Boaz, and Michael, with fourteen unbap- tized Indians, from Lagundontenink, to meet us with four horses, and five bushels of Indian corn, also Nathaniel's wife from Sheninga ; with a letter from Brother Jungman. I thought had I but milk or meat, I would add rice, and prepare a supper for the new-comers. But two of them went to hunt, and in half an hour Michael brought in a deer to my fire. My eyes moistened with tears. Sister Esther hunted up the large camp kettle, and all had their fill of rice and venison, and were much pleased. That night and the following morning there were four deer shot by the company.
"' Tuesday, July 21 .- The rear division came up, and the destitute, viz., such as had lived solely upon meat and milk, were supplied each with one pint of Indian corn. We proceeded six miles to the first creek. In the evening a number of the brethren came to my fire, and we sat to- gether right cheerful until midnight. Once when asleep I was awakened by the singing of the brethren who had gathered around the fire of the friends from Lagundontenink. It refreshed my inmost soul.
" ' Wednesday, July 22 .- We journeyed on four miles, to the first fork t where a small creek comes down from the mouth.
"' Thursday, July 23 .- Also four miles to the second fork, to the creek, coming in from the south-east. § As a number of us met here in good time we had a meeting. Corneliu's brother-in-law stated that he was desirous of being the Lord's; therefore he had left his friends so as to live with the brethren, and to hear of the Saviour.
"' Friday, July 24 .- The path soon left the creek, over valleys and heights to a spring. Now we were out of the swamp, and free from the plague of the Ponkis. Also found huckleberries, which were very grate- ful. Our to-day's station was five miles, and about so far we advanced on.
"' Saturday, July 25 .- On which day we encamped at a Salt Lick, and kept Sunday some three miles from the large creek, which has so many curves, like a horseshoe, so that if one goes per canoe, when the water is high, four days are consumed in reaching the Ohio, whereas, by land, the point can be reached in one day.|| Our youngsters went to the creek
* " Near Hollidaysburg. See Scull's map of 1759 for this path."
+ " Sheninga is a township in Lawrence County, just above Friedenstadt."
* " A branch of the Mahoning."
% " Query .- The creek that comes in and up below Punxsutawney."
| " The Mahoning, formed by the junction of the East and South Branch, which meets at Nicholsburg, in Indiana County. This route to the Allegheny was the same path taken by Post in 1758, when returning from his second visit to the Ohio Indians in that year, and between Chinklacamoose and the Allegheny, over the same path
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
to fish, and others to hunt ; and at sunset they came in with two deer, and four strings of fish.' "
" John Roth was born in Brandenburg, February 3, 1726, of Catholic parents, and was brought up a locksmith. In 1748 he united with the Moravians and emigrated to America, arriving at Bethlehem in June of 1756. He deceased at York, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1791.
" John Ettewein was born 29th of June, 1721, in Freudenstadt, Wür- temberg. He united with the Moravians in 1740, and came to Bethle- hem in April of 1754. Here he was set apart for service in the schools of his adopted church, when, in 1758, a new field of labor was assigned him at the Brethren's settlements in Western North Carolina (Forsyth and adjacent counties). During his residence in Wachovia he itinerated among the spiritually destitute Germans of South Carolina (1762), and visited the Salzburgers and Swiss of Ebenezer (in Georgia) in 1765. The following year he was recalled to Bethlehem. This place was the scene of his greatest activity, as here, under God, he led the Moravian Church in safety through the stormy times of the Revolution. He was ordained a bishop in 1784. In 1789 he sailed for Europe, and attended a general synod convened at Herrnhut. John Ettewein was one of the remarkable men of the Brethren's Church in North America. He deceased at Bethlehem, 2d of January, 1802."
CHAPTER XIV.
PIONEER AND EARLY CHURCHES-PRESBYTERIAN THE PIONEER CHURCH IN THE COUNTY-THE PIONEER PREACHER AND CHURCH.
THE pioneer Presbyterian preaching in Pennsylvania was in Philadel- phia in 1698. In 1704 they erected a frame church on Market Street and called it " Buttonwood."
I quote from Rev. Fields as to the organization of the pioneer Pres- byterian Church of Jefferson County :
" Its first name was Bethel, and continued to be for many years. The records of the church are not to be found farther back than Septem- ber 20, 1851. Records were in existence as far back as 1832, but where they are or who has them cannot now be ascertained. The church had its beginning in Port Barnett. Preaching seems to have been in the set- tlement in June, 1809. At that time a communion service was held in the house of Peter Jones, near where John McCullough now lives. Robert
travelled by Barbara Leininger in 1755, when Chinklacamoose and Punxsutawney were villages."
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
McGarraugh administered the supper. He was then pastor of Licking and New Rehoboth, now in Clarion County. He had come to the Clarion region as a licentiate of the Presbytery of Redstone in the fall of 1803. Whether he visited Port Barnett settlement at that time cannot now be ascertained. At all events, when he returned from Fayette County with his family, June, 1804, and was ordained pastor of Licking and New Rehoboth churches, November 12, 1807, he seems to have taken the Port Barnett settlement under his care. When he 'held the communion,' June, 1809, certain persons were received into the church in such a way that he baptized their children. This much is plain from the memory and Bible record of Mrs. Sarah Graham, daughter of Joseph Barnett."
A word here with regard to that good and God-fearing man. He was highly educated and able in prayer, yet, like Moses, slow of speech, often taking two and three hours to deliver a sermon. He preached without notes, and with great earnestness pleaded with his hearers to forsake their sins and the errors of their ways and turn to the Lord. So earnest would he become at times that the great tears would roll from his eyes to the floor. It was often said that he preached more eloquently by his tears than by the power of his voice. He lived poor and died poor, and preached in the clothes in which he worked.
" How long Robert McGarraugh continued to preach in the house of Peter Jones remains uncertain. After some years religious services were held in the house of Samuel Jones, five miles west of Brookville. The church was fully organized in a school-house, near the present site of the United Presbyterian Jefferson Church on the Andrews farm. That seems to have been in 1824. The Allegheny Presbytery reported to the Synod of Pittsburg twenty-three churches in 1823. In 1824 the Presbytery reported twenty-five churches, and among them Bethel and Zelienople, so that the record of the Synod establishes conclusively the fact that in that year (1824) Bethel for the first time was recognized as a separate congregation. The next record is in the minutes of the Allegheny Pres- bytery, April, 1825. It there appears as vacant, and, shortly afterwards, as connected with Red Bank, both having sixty-eight members.
" Bethel Church, as organized in the Jefferson school-house, was re- moved, in the fall of 1824, to a farm on the road from Brookville to Clarion. The farm was owned by Joseph Hughes (the father of Isaac D. Hughes, of Brookville), and was distant from Brookville three miles. There they built a church, and dedicated it The Bethel of Jefferson County. The church was built of logs, small and closely notched to- gether. It stood to the right of the road as one goes towards Clarion, near the pike, and on a line between it and the . Old Graveyard.' The latter is still in existence, but all traces of the old meeting-house are gone. The floor was genuine mother-earth, and the seats slabs or boards on
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
logs. A board on two posts constituted the 'pulpit-stand,' and a seat was made out of a slab or a block of wood. The first stated preacher in that log church was Rev. William Kennedy. His name appears as a stated supply October 13, 1825 ; also April, 1827. Bethel was then con- nected with Red Bank. He ceased to be a member of the Allegheny Presbytery after April, 1827. He was dismissed to Salem Presbytery, Indiana Synod. He became a member of Clarion Presbytery January 17, 1843, and died November 2, 1846, aged sixty-seven years and four months. The last years of his life were devoted to the congregations of Mount Tabor and Mill Creek.
" The next record concerning Bethel is that the Rev. Cyrus Riggs was appointed to supply at Bethel on the second Sabbath of July, 1827. Bethel and Red Bank were marked vacant April, 1828. Mr. Riggs was appointed April, 1829, to supply one Sabbath at discretion. Rev. John Core and Rev. John Munson were selected to 'administer the Lord's Supper at Bethel on the fifth Sabbath of August, 1829.' Bethel and Red Bank were still vacant April, 1831. 'Rev. Cyrus Riggs and Rev. John Core were appointed to administer the Lord's Supper on the third Sab- bath of August, 1831.' Mr. Core afterwards preached that same year at discretion.
" The first jail building in Brookville was of stone, two stories in height. It was built before the first court-house, and for that reason be- came the first place of preaching, in the second story. Bethel Church seems to have renewed its youth in the summer of 1831. No further trace of preaching in ' the old log church' is found after that date. In the summer of 1832 the first court-house was erected, and religious ser- vices were then held in it. Bethel does not appear in the minutes of April, 1832. In 1833, Mr. Riggs was appointed to supply Bethel on the fifth Sabbath of June, and Messrs. McGarraugh and Riggs to administer the Lord's Supper the fourth Sabbath of August. On the Ist of July, 1833, the following persons were dismissed to form the organization of Pisgah,-viz. : Samuel Davidson and wife, Samuel Lucas and wife, Philip Corbett and wife, John Wilson and wife, William Corbett and wife, John Hindman and wife, John M. Flemming and wife, David Lamb and wife, Christwell Whitehill and wife, and William Douglass. They were organ- ized the next day by Mr. Riggs, in the house of Philip Corbett, a short distance west of Corsica, where his son, Robert Corbett, now resides.
" The next record of Presbytery is August 24, 1834: ' The congrega- tions of Bethel, Pisgah, and Beechwoods requested by their commissioners that Mr. John Shoap, a licentiate of Allegheny Presbytery, be appointed to preach steadily in those congregations until the spring meeting of Presbytery.' The request was granted, and Mr. Shoap accepted the call, October 8, 1834, from the churches of Bethel and Pisgah. The conditions of the call were, ' Each half-time and two hundred dollars by each.' 'To
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
be paid,' as one lady remarked, 'in pork and maple-sugar.' Mr. Shoap was never ordained, never installed. He died March 13, 1835, of con-
---
Travador -Pitts
The Presbyterian Church of Brookville. Erected in 1869.
sumption. His body was interred in the ' Old Graveyard' in Brookville, and perhaps but one person can identify his grave. Rev. Gara Bishop, M.D., came to Brookville June 23, 1835. He supplied in that year
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
Beechwoods more frequently than either Bethel or Pisgah. April 3, 1838, Bethel requested the one half of the labors of the Rev. Gara Bishop as a stated supply. One-fourth of his labors were given to Beech- woods. He remained until the spring of 1840. Rev. David Polk, a cousin of President James K. Polk, was then invited to give one-half of his labors to Bethel. On the 22d of October Clarion Presbytery was formed from Allegheny, and Bethel's history henceforward was a part of the records of Clarion. Rev. Bishop died in Brookville, October 17, 1852, and was buried in the 'Old Graveyard.' In 1841 a small frame church (contract price being eleven hundred dollars) was erected on the site of the present edifice, and was dedicated in August, 1842. Rev. Polk remained until December 24, 1845."-Fields.
Bethel Church was changed to "The Bethel Congregation of the Brookville Presbyterian Church" by articles and charter of incorporation May 13, 1842. The trustees named in the articles were James Corbett, Samuel Craig, and Andrew Barnett. On May 13, 1842, the court de- cided that the persons associated in the articles should " become a cor- poration and a body politic," and that the charter be entered in the office for recording deeds in the said county of Jefferson. In accordance with this decree the articles were recorded in Deed Book No. 3, pages 521, 522.
On August 18, 1843, at a meeting held for that purpose, Jameson Hendricks, W. A. Sloan, and Thomas M. Barr were duly elected elders.
The pioneer regular preacher for Bethel was the Rev. William Ken- nedy,-viz., from October, 1825, to April, 1827, one-half of his time. The membership then was sixty-eight. When Bethel removed to Brook- ville in 1830, all west of the old log church moved west, thus forming two churches out of one. On July 2, 1833, the members of the western division were organized into Pisgah Church (the third organization) by a committee from the Allegheny Presbytery, Rev. Cyrus Riggs, chair- man, and on that date the organization was completed in Philip Corbett's barn, one mile west of where Corsica now stands. In this society there were twenty- five members,-twelve men and their wives and one widower. The elders elected at that time were William Corbett, William Douglass, Samuel Lucas, Samuel Davison, James Hindman, and John M. Flem- ming. Two meetings preliminary to the organization were held at the house of Robert Barr, Sr., one mile east of where Corsica now stands,- viz., February 22, 1833, and April 13, 1833. On February 22 it was re- solved that the congregational name be Pisgah, and that the edifice for worship be erected on the hill south of McAnulty's, close to the Olean road. A committee was appointed to purchase the land, and a commit- tee was appointed to present the petition of the church people to Presby- tery for an organization. At the April meeting the committee reported the purchase of ten acres of ground on the west side of the Olean road for the sum of fifteen dollars and a deed of trust received. It was also
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
resolved that Philip Corbett's barn, in Clarion County, be the place for worship that summer. The pioneer house of worship was built on that hill in 1841, at a cost of one thousand dollars.
Pisgah was first regularly supplied by Rev. John Shoap in connection with Bethel (Brookville) in 1834 and 1835. Rev. Shoap was a married man, and lived in Brookville, where Judge John Mills now resides. Rev. Gara Bishop was put in for one-third time, from May, 1835, to May, 1836. During the next four years only supplies. The first installed minister was Rev. David Polk, one-half time, from 1840 to 1845.
THE BEECHWOODS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Rev. W. H. Filson, in his history of this church, says, "The Presby- terian Church of Beechwoods was organized December 2, 1832, and is, therefore, nine years younger than the settlement. In 1826, Rev. Cyrus Riggs visited the settlement, and the same year a Sunday-school was started, and at its close a sermon was read. Andrew Smith was the first reader. Rev. Riggs frequently visited these people between 1826 and 1832. The following is a copy of the minutes as found on the sessional records :
"""' On the first day of December, 1832, the Rev. Cyrus Riggs, accom- panied by three elders of Bethel (Brookville) Church, arrived in Beech- woods, and having preached on Sabbath, the second, after sermon gave public notice that they would proceed at the house of Matthew Keys, on Monday, the third of December, to organize a church, and hold an elec- tion for elders in this congregation. At the time appointed the following persons, having presented certificates or given other satisfaction of their standing and right to membership in the church, did publicly agree and covenant to and with each other that they would walk together as a church of Christ, according to the order and discipline of the Presby- terian Church in the United States of America ; and, further, that they would love, watch over each other, and not suffer sin on any brother, but would faithfully, and in the spirit of the gospel only, exhort and admonish one another, wherever they saw or knew of any one overtaken, or in dan- ger of being overtaken, with evil, and that they would endeavor to pro- voke each other to love and good works. An election was then held for ruling elders, and Robert McIntosh, William McConnell, and Robert Morrison were duly elected.' Then following is a list of members : Wil- liam McConnell, Robert McIntosh, William Cooper, Martha Cooper, David Dennison, Martha Dennison, Susan Keys. The first communion was held in the hewed log house of William Cooper, and was conducted by Rev. Robert McGarraugh, of Clarion County. The only person re- ceived into membership at that time was James Smith, the father of Elder William Smith.
" Rev. Riggs was born in Morris County, New Jersey, October 15,
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
1774. While yet a boy his father emigrated to Washington County, Pennsylvania. Rev. Riggs studied theology under Dr. McMillen. He graduated from Jefferson College in 1803, and was licensed to preach October 7, 1805. He was married to Miss Mary Ross, of New Jersey, July 25, 1797. He died in Illinois in 1849.
" In 1835, Rev. Gara Bishop, M.D., pastor at Brookville, began to preach for them, and continued to do so for eleven years. During his ministry Joseph McCurdy, John Hunter, and John Millen were elected elders and thirty-three members added to the church. During all this time the congregation had worshipped in the log school-house on the farm of James Wait."
THE PERRY CHURCH IN PERRY TOWNSHIP.
" The Presbyterian Church of Perry stands tenth in order of age in Clarion Presbytery. The older churches were organized as follows : New Rehoboth and Licking, 1802; Concord, 1807; Rockland, 1822 ; Richland, 1823; Brookville, 1824; Beechwoods, 1832 ; Pisgah, at Cor- sica, 1833 ; Bethesda, at Rimersburg, 1836.
" This church of Perry, so called from the name of the township, was organized September 4, 1836, by Revs. John Reed and E. D. Barret, a committee appointed by the Presbytery of Blairsville. It was composed of the following twenty-four members : William Stunkard, Stephen Lewis, and Samuel Kelly, elders, and their wives, Ruth Stunkard, Ann Lewis, and Elizabeth Kelly, James and Sarah Chambers, John and Mary Framp- ton, Thomas and Eleanor Gourley, Elizabeth and Margaret Kelly, David and Elizabeth Lewis, William and Rebecca Marshall, Joseph and Jane Manners, Margaret Mckinstry, and Elizabeth McKee. All of these were received by letter, and Robert Gaston and Sarah Wachob on exami- nation.
" The original members brought their letters from churches in In- diana and Armstrong Counties. The Gourley family came from Sinking Valley, though John Gourley, a brother of Thomas, was elected an elder in this church in IS41 while residing at Covode, and George Gourley (the first) came here from Smicksburg.
"John Perry was precentor. Isaac Lewis, and after him David Harl, lined out the hymns. The precentor and outliner stood in an ele- vated box, and the pulpit was high over the heads of the people, as is still the case in some instances in modern times.
" PASTORS.
" This church has had six pastors. For four years after its organiza- tion its pulpit was filled by supplies, during which time thirty-two mem- bers were received by letter and nineteen on examination, or fifty-one in all.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
" The first pastor was Rev. John Carothers, who was ordained and installed June 4, 1840, by the Presbytery of Blairsville as pastor of the churches of Gilgal and Perry.
" During this pastorate additions to the eldership were received at three different times. May 8, 1841, Joseph Manners and John Gourley were ordained and installed, and James Chambers installed. May 13, 1842, John Sprankle ; May 6, 1848, Wm. M. Johnston, Wm. Newcomb, and Isaac McHenry."
THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This denomination has five congregations within the limits of Jeffer- son County. The first society was organized in a log school-house, in the borough of Punxsutawney, February 1, 1836, and is called the Jeffer- son Congregation. At the time of the organization there were seventeen communicants and two elders,-Alex. Jordan and Dr. John W. Jenks. Their first pastor was Rev. Charles R. Barclay.
Writing under date of March 5, 1895, J. B. Morris, Sr., of Punxsu- tawney, Pennsylvania, says,-
" This organization continued to worship in the same house until about the year 1834. In the fall of 1833 they began the erection of a brick church on what is now known as the Public Square.
" History tells us that the first organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was in the old log school-house above men- tioned. This is an error in history, for reasons which can be ex- plained. The first organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was formed in the home of Dr. John W. Jenks, now the City Hotel, in the room now used as a dining-hall, during the afternoon of Feb- ruary 1, 1836, with the following-named members, as recorded in the minutes of the meeting taken from the session-book : John Hutchinson, Isabella Hutchinson, Obed Morris, Mary Morris, Alexander Jordan, Flora Jordan, John White, Kesiah White, Richard Kendall, William Shields, Eleanor Shields, John W. Jenks, Mary D. Jenks, Elizabeth Bar- clay, Mary Barclay, Rev. David Barclay, and Rachel Williams. At the meeting above mentioned Obed Morris was called to preside, with Charles R. Barclay as clerk. Resolutions were adopted as follows : 'Dissolving our connection with the Presbytery of Blairsville, we seek to unite our- selves with the Pennsylvania Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church ; also that Charles R. Barclay is hereby appointed commissioner of this congregation to meet the Pennsylvania Presbytery of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church at its next meeting,' which convened at Car- michael's, Greene County, Pennsylvania, April 7, 1836. The moderator and clerk were to sign the resolutions, attested by the two elders, John W. Jenks and Alexander Jordan. Upon presentation of the resolutions to the Pennsylvania Presbytery by the commissioner, the request of the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
congregation was granted, and so recorded in the minutes of the Presby- tery. At this meeting of Presbytery, Charles R. Barclay was examined as a candidate for the ministry, was ordained, and on his return preached his first sermon in April, 1836, in the old brick church, and was pastor of the congregation until the fall of 1841. During about six months of this pastorate, while the pastor was absent, his son-in-law, Samuel McCol- lum, occupied the pulpit. The pastor was also frequently assisted by such men as John Morgan, Milton Bird, and A. M. Bryan, from all of whom the writer remembers hearing noble gospel sermons.
" A regular Presbyterian Church had been formed in Punxsutawney in 1826, and in about 1833 they built a brick church in the Public Square, but the feeble organization was not permanent.
" A brief sketch of the old brick church erected on the Public Square might not be out of place. The bricks were prepared and delivered on the ground by John Hunt, familiarly known as 'Old Pappy' Hunt, in the summer of 1833, at two dollars and fifty cents per thousand, and late in the fall of the same year, perhaps October or November, they were laid. The carpenter-work was managed by John Drum, father of Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Winslow, and perhaps there are now none living who worked on the building, except Mr. Ephraim Bair and Mr. Daniel Rishel. The house was not finished for years afterwards, although used for religious and school purposes.
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