Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 63

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848-
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck
Number of Pages: 1318

USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania > Part 63

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The Methodists held their services in the court-house at 10.30 A.M. and the Universalists

at 1 P.M., and frequently the latter would come in and ring the bell for their worship before the former were through with class. The society continued to worship in the court-liouse until 1845, when the first house of worship was constructed. The initial step to this enterprise was taken April 20, 1844, when, at a regular meeting of the Quarterly Conference, Simeon Lewis, George W. Crocker and Jacob Tewks- bury were appointed a building committee for the contemplated chapel at Montrose.

The building was a frame, thirty-eight by fifty feet, with galleries on sides and end, and stood on a portion of the ground occupied by the present edifice, the land being donated by the Hon. William Jessup. The cost of con- struction was one thousand eight hundred dol- lars. The church was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God by the Rev. John M. Snyder, presiding elder of the district, on Thanksgiv- ing day, 1845. The Rev. William Round was pastor at the time the enterprise was completed, though it was begun under the administration of his predecessor, the Rev. J. R. Boswell. The growth of the society was very slow. After the. dedication of the new church divine service was held every Sabbath instead of once in two weeks, as previously. This régime continued for about twenty years. A small band of noble and brave hearts contended earnestly for the cause against opposition and discourage- ments, slowly but surely gaining ground. The Rev. Luther Peck, who was appointed to Mont- rose in April, 1865, began holding services twice on the Sabbath.

At the ensuing session of Wyoming Confer- ence the circuit was divided and Montrose erected into a station, outside classes were detached, and the work in the village started on an independent basis. The membership at the close of that year was reported at ninety-two. There was but little change in relative strength of the membership until the autumn of 1872, when, under the labors of the pastor, Rev. A. D. Alexander, a marvelous revival of religion occurred, "stirring the entire community as with a mighty earthquake." Hundreds were converted to God, many of them the most sub- stantial citizens of the vicinity. The results to

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the general cause of Christ were most precious. Other churches shared largely in the ingather- ing, but the Methodist Church found itself sud- denly lifted into strength in numbers and influence .. The membership at the commence- ment of the Conference year of 1872 was ninety-four ; at the close of that year it was three hundred and twenty-nine.

One prominent result of that awakening was the inauguration of a new church enterprise. The congregation had overgrown the church accommodations, and it became imperative either to enlarge or build anew. After prolonged consultation the latter was decided upon. The removal of Brother Alexander at the end of his second year caused some dissatisfaction and considerable alienation to the new church enter- prise. But the new pastor, the Rev. W. J. Judd, aided by a noble few, pressed forward with commendable zeal. A subscription list of nine thousand dollars was secured. In Angust the old church was removed from where it had stood for nearly thirty years, and the corner-stone of the new edifice was laid. The new building was seventy-seven by forty-five feet, with transept thirty-two by thirty-six feet. E. L. Weeks, J. D. Goodwin and S. F. Lane were selected as building committee. E. L. Weeks was given the general superintendeney, and day help was employed. The work proceeded without especial incident until the severe winter com- pelled a suspension. In the spring of 1874 another change of pastors occurred, and the Rev. W. L. Thorpe was assigned to this field. In the meantime what proved to be the severest financial depression the country has known came on. One result was to render worthless about two thousand of the above-named sub- scription. In August the building committee concluded a contract with W. J. Gordon to complete the work (except slating) for and in consideration of the sum of four thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars and the material on hand. In November a severe wind-storm blew down the nearly-finished spire, entailing an additional expense of about one thousand dollars. The contract price being too low, it became necessary for the committee to expend two thousand dollars more to secure the comple-

tion of the building. The ladies of the church and congregation provided for the furnishing. Bishop E. G. Andrews dedicated the new house of worship May 16, 1875. Rev. B. I. Ives managed the finances. The cost of construction was about seventeen thousand dollars, and though enough was subscribed to cover this amount, yet such were the circumstances and the severity of the financial depression that, after all available subscriptions were secured, the society found itself about six thousand dol- lars in debt. During the second year of Brother Thorpe's pastorate another precious revival of religion occurred, resulting in seventy-five addi- tions to the churchi. For several years succeed- ing, the society passed through great trials. It was tried in a furnace of- affliction. There was much dissatisfaction among the members-a number withdrew, the love of others waxed cold, and the interest decreased rather than increased. During the pastorate of the Rev. H. H. Dresser a determined effort was made to liquidate the indebtedness, and about three thousand five hundred dollars was secured and paid. The remainder of the bonded indebted- ness against the church was paid about one year ago, largely through the efforts of the present pastor and the liberality of Mr. Clem- uel R. Woodin. In 1878 the tall and beautiful spire was found to be unsafe and had to be taken down. In the autumn of 1886 a neat and graceful spire was built, and the church edifice repainted. The present parsonage was purchased in 1856.

The society is now peaceful and prosperous. During the present winter a very precious revival of religion has occurred, resulting in over one hundred accessions. The present membership is two hundred and eighty-seven, the Sunday-school is large and increasing, and the prospect before this society was never brighter.

Many persons might be worthily named, and much interesting matter of a personal nature might be presented, but space forbids.

The following is a consecutive list of the presiding elders, pastors and assistant pastors who have served this charge, with the dates of their appointment and periods of service :

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Presiding Elders : Revs. D. Holmes, Jr., 1841, two years ; John M. Snyder, 1843, four years ; D. A. Shepard, 1847, three years ; Fitch Reed, 1850, two years ; F. Paddock, 1852, three years ; G. Landon, 1854, four years ; G. H. Blakeslee, 1859, four years ; H. Browns- combe, 1863, four years; D. C. Olmstead, 1867, four years ; Luther Peck, 1871, four years ; I. T. Walker, 1875, three years; William Bix- by, 1878, two years; J. G. Eckman, 1880, four years; and the present incumbent, the Rev. Wil- liam H. Olin, D.D., who was appointed in 1884.

Pastors : Revs. E. B. Tenny, 1841, two years ; J. R. Boswell, 1843, two years; William Round, 1845, two years; Asa Brooks, 1847, one year ; G. P. Porter, 1848, one year ; E. B. Tenny, 1849, one year ; John Mulkey, 1850, two years; P. Bartlett, 1852, two years; Joseph Whitt- ham, 1854, one year ; S. S. Barter, 1855, two years ; B. B. Emory, 1857, two years ; J. K. Peck, 1859, two years ; R. Van Valkenburg, 1861, two years ; A. H. Schoonmaker, 1863, two years; Luther Peck, 1865, three years ; J. L. Legg, 1868, one year ; King Elwell, 1869, two years ; A. D. Alexander, 1871, two years ; W.J. Judd, 1873, one year ; W. L. Thorpe, 1874, three years; L. Cole, 1877, one year; W. B. Westlake, 1878, one year ; H. H. Dresser, 1879, three years; T. Harroun, 1882, three years; and the present incumbent, H. C. Mc- Dermott, appointed in 1885.

Assistant Pastors : George C. Thompson, 1841, two years ; N. S. Dewitt, 1843, one year ; R. S. Rose, 1846, one year; D. Torry, 1847, two years; G. W. Leach, 1849, one year; W. B. Thomas, 1853, one year ; D. Thompson, 1854, one year ; John Mulkey, 1860, one year ; William Shelp, 1865, one year. All of these have done heroic work for the church ; a num- ber subsequently became presiding elders in , this or other districts, and several have achieved some distinction in the line of authorship. No full history of the Sunday-school could be pre- pared, so we have not attempted any. The school is in a very flourishing condition. C. S. Page, Esq., is superintendent.

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.1-The first record of

1 Written by Rev. Edward A. Warriner.

any Episcopal service in Montrose is found in the local papers under date of March 30, 1828. This, as were most of the occasional services subsequent thereto, was held in the old court- house, even after a charter was obtained, bear- ing date December 20, 1830.

ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first Episcopal visitation was made by Bishop Onderdonk, October 5, 1829, when J. W. Raynsford, Esq., wife and daughter, and John Street, and wife, were confirmed. These five persons constituted the beginning of St. Paul's Church in Montrose. It is probable that Mr. Raynsford was instrumental in procuring the first services, it being the tradition of the parislı that he, accidentally becoming possessed of a copy of the Book of Common Prayer, was led by the study of its contents to the adoption of the emblem of the church, "Evangelical Truth and Apostolic Order." He was a man of great integrity and distinguished for remark- able practical gifts, being active in all the reli- gious, educational, business and social interests of the community.

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The corner-stone of the first church edifice was laid by Bishop Onderdonk, June 2, 1832, and the building consecrated October 27th in the following year. This building was subsequently sold to the Roman Catholics, and is now owned and occupied by them. In the summer of 1856 the corner-stone of the present substantial struc- ture was laid, and the building consecrated by Bishop Potter, July 17, 1857. The first rectory, the house now occupied by Dr. W. W. Smith, was built on land donated by J. W. Raynsford, in 1850. In 1874 the present fine rectory was built on a spacious lot given by Mrs. Henry Drinker, on South Main Street ; and three years later, the present Sunday-school building and chapel on land adjoining the church, the plan of which, by a New York architect, was given to the parish by Mrs. Theodore Gilman, of the samne city. It will thus be seen that the devel- opment of the parish has been very slow, cover- ing a space of more than fifty-nine years; yet at no one time, notwithstanding frequent dis- couragements, has the parish substantially de- clined in the number of its supporters and communicants. After the first confirmation, there is no record of any other until July 28, 1839, when three persons were confirmed, making the whole number in ten years but eight. The third confirmation was eight years later, July 18, 1847, when six persons were confirmed by Bishop Potter. During the whole period of Bishops Onderdonk's, Potter's and Bowman's administrations, covering the rector- ships of Revs. Marks, Peck, Pleasants, Hopkins, Long, Byllesby and Peet, a period of thirty years, there were only forty-six persons con- firmed. During Mr. Halsey's rectorship of eight years there were twenty-eight additions to the communion-list; Mr. Kirkland's of two years, thirteen; Mr. Warriner's of eighteen years, one hundred and forty-nine. There were also confirmed eleven persons in the summer of 1867-making the whole number two hundred and twenty-seven. In addition to this number, many have become communicants by transfer of membership from other churches.

The first rector was the Rev. Samuel Marks, who was appointed resident missionary in Mon- trose in the spring of 1831, officiating also in

New Milford and Springville. He was dis- tinguished for his zeal and personal popularity. Died recently at Huron, Ohio, at an advanced age, and while still engaged in missionary work. Of the subsequent rectors, Revs. Peck and Pleasant, we have no information. Rev. George P. Hopkins is rector of St. Matthew's Church, Pike, Pa .; Rev. John Long, who built the first rectory, working on it with his own hands, is still engaged in missionary work in the vicinity of Reading, Pa .; Rev. D. C. Byllesby is rector at Media, Pa .; Rev. R. B. Peet, at Newport, R. I. Rev. William F. Halsey, under whose thorough and conservative rectorship the church was greatly strengtliened and became self-sup- porting, died a few since at Radnor, Pa., where he had been for many years rector of St. David's. Rev. George H. Kirkland is rector at New Berlin, N. Y.

The first vestry were : Wardens, J. W. Rayns- ford and J. C. Biddle ; Vestrymen, Judge Ben- jamin Lathrop, John Melhuish, S. F. Keeler, Henry Drinker, C. L. Ward and Admiral Rup- ley. The present vestry are: Wardens, A. Lathrop and C. N. Stoddard; Vestrymen, Thomas Warner, A. B. Burns, E. P. Munger, John R. Raynsford, James Melhuish and Wil- liam M. Post.

Among the names of deceased members of the vestry not previously mentioned, and others who have been prominent supporters and com- municants, are : F. M. Williams, Henry J. Webb, William H. Cooper, Charles D. Lathrop, Furman Stone, Hon. F. B. Streeter, Rev. Elisha Mulford, LL.D., Joseph D. Drinker, Benjamin C. Park, LL.D., Philander Lines, O. D. Beaman, Thomas Johnson, General D. D. Warner, Charles L. Brown, Hon. E. B. Hawley and Captain Jerome Lyons.

Of devoted women who have passed from earth, we find the following names : Ruth S. Lathrop, Elinor Drinker, Mrs. Henry Drinker, Mrs. F. M. Williams, Mrs. D. D. Warner, Sally D. Biddle, Mary E. Tarbell, Elizabeth Biddle (Mrs. Halsey), Eugenia A. Lacy, Mary W. Grocsbeck, Mrs. Simon Sayre, Eliza Duffy, Lydia Welsh, Mrs. Judge Lathrop and Mrs. Truman Stone.

The Sunday-school numbers twelve teaclı-

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ers and about one hundred scholars. Thomas Warner is superintendent, Charles N. Stoddard treasurer, and William Stoddard librarian. In this connection should be mentioned the name of Mrs. Mary Webb, who is the oldest living communicant of the church, having been a member over forty years. In all these years she has been constantly engaged in church and Sunday-school work, and although advanced in years, she still teaches a large class of young ladies and gentlemen.

From this record, brief as it necessarily is, should not be omitted the following names of those who, though not members of the parish, have, with true missiouary zeal, interested them- selves in its development, and have contributed to its necessities and support in the years gone by : Mr. Tobias Wagner and wife, Misses Mary and Hannah Drinker, Mis. John B. Wallace, Mr. Harry D. Biddle and Mrs. Pem- bertou Pleasauts, of Philadelphia ; and Mr. and Mrs. Paxson, Miss Fanny Paxsou and Mrs. Gilman, of New York.

THE UNIVERSALISTS have a church at Mon- trose. The prime movers in its erection were Samuel Gregory and Daniel Searle. Sheriff Wil- liams, the Stevenses and some others contributed. Revs. Peck, Marsh, Rogers and A. O. Warren have been preachers for them. During the skatiug craze it was converted into a skating- rink. Rev. Mr. Hand has been preaching here recently. It is now a missionary station. The society was organized in 1831, and the church was dedicated July 11, 1844.

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS first celebrated Mass at the house of Peter Byrne about 1840. They then purchased the old church edifice of the Episcopalians, when they built their new church in 1857. The Catholic Society are now completing a new church on South Main Street. The church is located here because it is in a central point. The congregation is mostly drawn from the surrounding country.

LODGES .- The history of Masonry in Mont- rose begins with the first settlement of the village. Three charters have been granted to hold Masonic lodges in Montrose : the first, under title Rising Sun Lodge, No. 149, was chartered in December, 1816, with the follow-

ing officers : Jonah Brewster, W. M .; Perez Perkins, S. W .; Wm. C. Turrell, J. W .; J. Cook, S. D .; Luman Ferry, Jun. D .; Isaac Post, Treas. ; J. W. Hill, Sec'y ; and J. Munger, Tyler. Hon. Almon H. Read, Stephen Wil- son, Wm. Turrell and David Post became Masons and members of this lodge in 1817, and later also D. G. Wilson, Solomon Dimock, Stephen Bentley, B. T. Case, Cyrus Avery, Mason Denison. In the year 1818 Almon H. Read was Worshipful Master. Under minutes of meeting, February 18, 1819, a motion is recorded recommending G. Clagget and Dr. M. Denison to the Royal Arch Chapter, but no reference is made as to where this chapter was located. On December 27, 1819, St. John's day, the lodge formed a procession aud marclied to the court-house where an appro- priate address was delivered on the festival of St. John by the Rev. Mr. Chase. The lodge then formed and returned to the lodge-room "and partook of an elegant repast." At a meeting held on the 2d day of May, 1825, Sam- uel Bissel presented a petition for initiation and membership from James W. Chapman, and on the 30th day of May, 1825, Mr. Chapman was entered an apprentice. At this time meet- ings of the lodge were held in the old court- house. Judge Chapman was made a Mason a few days after becoming of age. He is prob- ably the only remaining member of the old Rising Sun Lodge, and, notwithstanding his eighty-three years of life, and fifty-two of Masonic service, is hale and hearty, and has furnished many points in connection with this article. The annals of the lodge-room closed by the Grand Lodge suspending charter Sep- tember 5,1825. During its existence it made many Masons, and was a strong organization.

About two years after the suspension of Ris- ing Suu Lodge, a number of its old members petitioned for a charter for a new lodge, to be located in Montrose. The petition was granted, and in accordance therewith, a meeting of the following Masons was held at the house of Dauiel Curtis ou Nov. 13, 1827 : Jonah Brewster, Isaac Post, James W. Hill, Samuel Gregory, Daniel Curtis and Hiram Finch were present. They met again November, 17, 1827,

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at the old court-house, where the new officers were installed by Hon. Almon H. Read as follows : Jonah Brewster, W. M .; James W. Hill, S. W .; Daniel Lathrop, J. W .; Isaac Post, Treas., and Hiram Finch, Sec'y.

This lodge did not thrive, and ceased its work- ings probably in 1829. 'Daniel Lathrop was its last W. M.

The present Warren Lodge, No. 240, was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania about twenty years after the suspension of Montrose Lodge, No. 213, under date June 4, 1849, with the following officers : R. C. Simp- son, W. M. ; Dr. E. S. Park, S. W .; and J. W. Chapman, J. W. (Bro. R. C. Simpson, after- wards D. D. G. M.)

Among the first members of this lodge were B. Richardson, F. Avery, C. M. Simmons, Walter Dimock, S. W. Hamilton, J. E. Howe and R. S. Searle. A. Woodcock, W. M., in 1852-53; G. L. Stone, W. M., 1854; Dr. B. Richardson, W. M., 1855; Dr. E. S. Park, W. M., 1856 ; Wm. H. Boyd ; F. Frazier, W. M., 1857; Wn. M. Post, W. M., 1858 ; G. L. Stone, W. M., 1859; W. M. Post, W. M., 1860; Amos Nichols, W. M., 1861; and later on Hon. J. B. McCollum, A. O. Warren, Apollos Stone, D. W. Searle, W. E. Babcock, J. F. Shoemaker, W. H. Boyd, O. M. Hall, O. P. Beebe, J. R. Raynsford and J. F. Zer- fass. District Attorney F. I. Lott is the present W. M.

Montrose Lodge, No. 151, I. O. of O. F., was organized in March, 1846. The charter meni- bers were Thos. P. St. John, Ezra Patrick, Jr., Wm. J. Mulford, Samuel B. Mulford, Robert J. Niven. T. P. St. John was the first Noble Grand and Ezra Patrick was Vice-Grand. Dr. C. C. Halsey and Daniel Brewster were among the first initiated. Moses C. Tyler, Gen. Warner, E. C. Fordham and many others from different parts of the county soon joined the order. It increased in numbers and became the parent order of that fraternity in the county. Lodge meets every Tuesday evening.

St. John's Encampment, No. 50, was organized in 1847. Charter members-T. P. St. John, Ezra Patrick, R. C. Niven, Jas. N. Eldridge and Wm. F. Bradley. Sheriff Johnson, M. C.

Tyler and R. C. Niven were prominent in the early days of the order.

A Rebekah Lodge, Mary, No. 7, was organ- ized at Montrose in 1869.

THE MONTROSE CEMETERY is located on a ridge of ground in the south part of Montrose belonging to the David Post estate. Bartlet Hinds, Jr., was buried there soon after the first settlement was made. The ground was used by the Post and other families and has been en- larged from time to time, as the needs of the village have required. There has never been any charter or regular cemetery association. Years ago money was raised by subscription and a number of acres were purchased and it was made a public cemetery. They surveyed this land into lots and apportioned a certain number to strangers and assigned lots to the subscribers. Wm. M. Post has recently en- larged the ground by inclosing more land for burial purposes. The cemetery is handsomely located on rising ground, from which beautiful sunset views are to be seen. There are a num- ber of beautiful monuments, the most expensive of which are Wm. J. Turrell's, Judge Streeter's and Isaac J. Post's.

COLORED PEOPLE IN MONTROSE .- Montrose was the centre of a strong Abolition sentiment, and one of the hiding-places on the so-called Underground Railroad. Isaac Post and his son, Rev. Albert Post, David Post, Samuel Warner, William Warner, William Foster, Deacon Meacham, Isaac Peckins and others assisted them. There was no one, Democrat or Repub- lican, who would betray them. Judge Post was the most prominent of the early Abolitionists, and most of them located in Pleasant Valley, as they called it, on David Post's lands. He was very lenient with them, and his son, William M. Post, never turns them away, whether they pay for their lots or not. Charles Hammond was one of the first that came here. He and his wife worked for Isaac Post a great many years. They were steady and industrious. Mrs. Ham- mond keeps a restaurant on Wall Street, New York, now. They escaped with five others, riding their masters' horses the first night. They abandoned the horses and turned them home- ward towards morning. Making their way

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

nights, they finally reached Montrose. They usually came by way of Wilkes Barre, under directions from Mr. Gildersleeve, who was per- seeuted and rode on a rail in Wilkes-Barre be- cause of his Abolition views. Oct. 21, 1840, Isaac Post makes mention in his diary that five males, four females and two young children came to his house, as there was no place for them at the tavern. He gave up his office to them and succeeded in accommodating them. In 1842 eight colored men eame directly from the South. Some of their adventures while eseaping were quite thrilling. Deacon William Smith gives the following account of his escape. We give it nearly in his own words :

" I belonged to a widow woman in Maryland. She had several young sons. One day I got wet, and was drying myself by the stove. One of the sons said, ' What are you doing here? You stand here happy as a lord.' This first led me to think if there was a just :God, as I had heard the preachers say, why should I have no privileges. I then determined to escape. There were seven of us planned to escape on the night of the 10th of April. I had been up late Friday night and thought I would play sick in order to rest Saturday before starting. So in the morning when the rest took breakfast I did not eat anything. One of the young men looked at me and did not be- lieve that I was sick, so he sent me to his mother, who was a good doctor. I beat my stomach and rubbed my eyes in order to look sick. She looked at my tongue and felt of my pulse and looked at me as though she didn't credit my story. She says, ' I will send you some breakfast and you may come and plant some seed in the garden.' I could hardly help bursting out laughing, but I said I was sick ; and she sent me up some medicine, which I threw into the fire. My sister saw my bundle of clothes and sus- pected that I was going to run away. I did not dare tell her for fear she would cry and they would find me out, so I said I was invited to a ball up to the manor. That night, as I was about to leave, my sister came out and looked at me. As my eyes met hers they filled with tears. I never knew that I loved my relatives. This was the first time that I ever knew that I loved my sister. The first point we reached was Chambersburg. As we were traveling along in the vicinity of Gettysburg we met a man who said, 'Good-evening.' We returned the salutation. Our speech betrayed us. He said, 'You are cscaping from slavery.' We said, 'No, we are freemen and just returning from boating,' but he knew that we were slaves. He then claimed to be our friend, and said that it would not be safe to stay in the hotel ; we might sleep in his barn. We took turns and kept one

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 63

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848- Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck Number of Pages: 1318

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848-
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck
Number of Pages: 1318