Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 28

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > New Castle > Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th > Part 28

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congregation, held on the 15th of February, 1857, Rev. W. Grobel was elected as pas- tor; and by the same authority, at a meet- ing held on the first of March, it was re- solved that divine service should be held every alternate Sabbath at 10:30 o'clock in the forenoon and 3 o'clock in the after- noon. At a meeting on the 28th of Feb- ruary, 1858, it was resolved that the pas- tor's salary should be $250 for the year, to be paid quarterly, and that every person on becoming a member shall pay an initia- tion fee of three dollars. Those who are already members and have paid nothing toward the pastor's salary shall have their names stricken from the church rolls. At a congregation meeting held on the 3d of April, 1859, Rev. F. Zimmerman was elected pastor for the ensuing year.

At a meeting held on the 24th of Feb- ruary, 1861, it was resolved that the pastor should live in New Castle, and that he should receive a salary of $300 per annum. Rev. J. H. C. Schierenbeck succeeded Mr. Zimmerman. On the 5th of May, Messrs. A. Treser, C. Reiber and J. Merkel were constituted a committee to purchase a dwelling for the pastor. In the spring of 1867 Rev. C. Jaekel succeeded Mr. Schier- enbeck as pastor, and filled the office ac- ceptably until May 26, 1875, when he re- signed.

At a church meeting held August 4, 1867, it was resolved to permit the pastor to hold divine service at the "Bethlehem" church, in Wurtemburg, every fourth Sunday.

At a meeting of the Church Council, Jan- uary 10, 1869, it was resolved that the pas- tor should baptize no child of parents who pay nothing for the support of the church in New Castle, or who do not contribute towards the salary of the pastor.

At a meeting of the congregation, No- vember 6, 1870, it was ordered that the pas- tor should hold services alternately in New Castle and Corry, Erie County, Pennsyl- vania, the latter as a missionary station; and his salary was fixed at $300 per an- num.

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

On the 24th of September, 1871, this ar- rangement was modified, and the pastor was relieved from holding services at Corry, and gave his whole time to New Castle.

After the resignation of Rev. Mr. Jaekel, the congregation was without a pastor until October 1, 1875, when Rev. J. Fritz was elected for three years, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

The further history of this church has not been furnished us, but we append a brief account of other Lutheran churches, now active in the religious work of New Castle.

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH.

The Rev. S. T. Nicholas, missionary su- perintendent of the Pittsburg Synod, G. S., canvassed New Castle in the summer of 1904 and effected the organization of this church, which was accomplished on De- cember 4 of that year, with thirty-one char- ter members. The Rev. L. P. Young be- came the first pastor, his service extending to July 1, 1906. The membership, after running up to fifty-four, fluctuated and on account of heavy removals and losses was reduced to twenty-five in November, 1906. C. G. Leatherman began work November 15, 1906, and has continued to date as the pastor. The membership of the church is now forty-two, with a Sunday-school en- rollment of forty. A new church building is just being completed, to be dedicated early in November (1908). The edifice is of buff brick, with a seating capacity of 200, and cost, with lot, $6,000. The pres- ent officers of the church are: Pastor, Rev. C. G. Leatherman; elders, John C. Sontag and J. C. Overmoyer; deacons, Jacob Sontag and C. M. Wilson; trustees, Scott Heasley and W. C. Burchfield.

ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN.

On the twenty-third day of June, 1895, eleven Lutherans assembled in the Y. M. C. A. Chapel, and at 11 a. m., Rev. N. Schaffer, then of Greenville, Pa., conduct-

ed services. This was the beginning of what developed into the present St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Until the following spring the Rev. Schaffer con- ducted services once every fortnight. On June 17, 1896, Rev. J. H. Miller having been called, took charge of the mission and preached to the congregation for the first time June 21, 1896. On June 21, 1908, the congregation observed the thirteenth anni- versary of the congregation and the twelfth anniversary of the Rev. J. H. Miller, Ph. D., the first and only called pastor in the history of St. John's congregation. The congregation has a membership of 250, and the Sunday-school has enrolled 200 mem- bers. The church is located on North Street and Neshannock Avenue, the prop- erty being valued at $20,000, with a small indebtedness. The congregation is noted for its liberality and activity in all lines of benevolence. Officers: Rev. J. H. Mil- ler, Ph. D., pastor; deacons, A. W. Alls- house, George Miles, F. J. Rowle, Henry Eisie, Harrison Ziegler and Frank Alborn.

SWEDISH LUTHERAN ZION CHURCH.

The above named congregation was or- ganized on the 27th day of February, 1894, and its present church building on Craw- ford Avenue was erected the following year. Owing mainly to the fact that the Swedish population of the city is compara- tively small, the membership from the start was necessarily very small and is so yet. At present there are only something over forty communicant members and about an equal number of children, mak- ing the total number about eighty.

This church has never had a resident pastor, but its pulpit has been supplied by pastors or theological students from the nearest sister church at Youngstown, Ohio. Services are held only every other Sunday, but the little Sunday school, which has been maintained most of the time, meets every Sabbath. There are two ladies' societies and a Young People's Society, all working in the interest of the church. Fi-

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nancially the church is in a very good con- dition, there being no incumbrance on the church property ; the running expenses are met regularly and without difficulty.

The present officers are as follows: Dea- cons, Messrs. N. J. Carlson, Cleas Nelson and P. J. Nelson; trustees, Messrs. Chris- topher Nelson, Bernhard Svenson and B. J. Bengtson; secretary, Carl J. Carlson; cashier, Bernhard Svenson; collector, Da- vid Nelson; organist, Miss Jennie Benson ; pastor, John A. Johansson. The follow- ing pastors, all of them residing at Youngstown, Ohio, have given part of their service to this church: A. G. Olson, 1894- 97; Edward Stark, 1900-04; Axel C. An- derson, 1905-06; J. A. Johansson, 1907 -.

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first Protestant Episcopal services were held in New Castle in 1843, at the home of Dr. A. Andrews, who had settled here in 1834, by the Rev. Dr. White, of Butler. The parish was organized in 1848, on Easter Monday, the Rev. Richard Smith being the first rector. The first vestry- men were: J. M. Crawford, Jonathan Ayres, Esq., Hon. L. L. MeGuffin. G. A. Scroggs, Esq., J. Hamilton, Dr. A. An- drews, George Sloan, J. H. Brown and W. P. Reynolds. The Rev. Mr. Smith was an earnest worker and hunted up all the Epis- copal families in Lawrence County and brought many others into the church. Old Trinity Church on Neshannock Avenue was built in 1856, the corner stone being laid by Bishop Potter. The present hand- some church building was erected in 1902. and is the only stone church in the city. Of all the rectors of Trinity Church there are only five now living, namely: The Rev. W. S. Hayward, the Rev. J. D. Herron, the Rev. H. H. Barber, the Rev. C. W. Tyler, Ph. D., and the present rector, the Rev. . J. E. Reilly, D. D. The present membership of the church is 800; Sunday-schools, 250. The parish maintains a flourishing mission in the south end of the city, known as St. Andrew's Mission.

THE PARK CHURCH ( DISCIPLES OF CHRIST).

The congregation of the Disciples in New Castle was organized in 1855 with twenty- four members. They first met with the Covenanter Church. Afterwards they built a house 18x28 feet on a lot donated by Seth Rigby, on North Street, where the residence of Dr. MeLaughrey now stands. The little house was afterwards moved to Elm Street and is now used as a tenement. Subsequently they occupied White Hall un- til the present house was built.

The old minutes show that on entering White Hall a new organization was deter- mined upon on December 10. 1864, at a meeting attended by twenty-four members. presided over by Alex. C. MeKeever and served as clerk by JJ. B. Nicklin, the fol- lowing officers were chosen: As elders, E. I. Agnew and Thomas W. Phillips; as dea- cons. Charles M. Phillips, W. C. Harman and J. B. Nieklin. An adequate church building was needed. and through the gen- erosity of the Phillips Brothers the pres- ent structure was erected. On the 14th of February, 1868, it was formally opened by the late Isaac Errett, editor of the Chris- tion Standard. The first pastor was B. J. Pinkerton, of Kentucky, who remained one year. He was succeeded in September, 1871. by William F. Cowden, who served until May, 1881. I. A. Thayer was called and took charge July 1. 1881, remaining until October 1, 1887, when he resigned to take the pastorate at Worcester, Mass. On September 1. 1888. Frank Talmage was called to the pulpit. which he occupied un- til November 30, 1889. On the 1st of May, 1890. I. A. Thayer was recalled and con- tinued to serve the church till January, 1900. He was succeeded by Earl Wilfley, who served four years. Next came W. L. Fisher, who remained three years. The present pastor, C. S. Brooks, came in Sep- tember. 1907. The present membership of the church is 1,040; that of the Sunday- school. 400.

The needs of South New Castle led the church to establish a mission in that part

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of the city, and on October 12, 1891, a lot was purchased and preparations made for building. On January 12, 1892, the house having been simply inclosed, a Sunday- school was organized. On the following July, W. H. Hanna was employed as as- sistant pastor with the Long Avenue Mis- sion as his special work. He remained un- til September, 1893, when he resigned to take the pastorate at Carnegie, Pa.

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

The Central Christian Church was or- ganized first as a mission Sunday-school of the First Christian Church, in 1894. In 1896 the church was organized and I. H. Durfee was called to be the first minister. His pastorate extended over a period of seven years. He was succeeded by W. D. Trumbull, who ministered to the congre- gation for two years. He was succeeded by F. M. Biddle, who remained pastor for three years. The present minister, A. H. Jordan, began his work May 1, 1908. The church has a membership of 350 and a Sunday-school of more than two hundred average attendance. The present officers are: Elders, Thomas Sadler, T. L. Lewis, K. E. Smith; deacons, A. W. Bauman, John Spoyde, J. W. Walls, John Boynham, Charles Walls, M. H. Richards, Thomas Johns, C. P. Smith, A. Kildoo and C. E. Sturdevant; clerk, A. W. Bauman; treas- urer, Mrs. Samuel Perry.

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

"The Young Men's Christian Associa- tion is the strongest Christian club in the world. Its membership now numbers a half million and is distributed among thir- ty-four nations. From its very inception it has stood for one thing-the all-around development of man- mind, spirit, body." -Views and Information, Y. M. C. A.

There were two unsuccessful attempts to establish a branch of the "Y. M. C. A." in New Castle, the organization going to pieces each time for lack of interest and support. A meeting was finally held in

what is now the Central Presbyterian Church by the then state secretary of the "Y. M. C. A.," a Mr. Taggart, now de- ceased, and Messrs. Orr and Jennings from the Pittsburg "Y. M. C. A.," and an or- ganization effected. Ira D. Sankey, the world famous gospel singer and evangelist, was present at that meeting. He bought the lot now occupied by the Association with the intention of erecting a building suited to its needs. In 1885 he built the present three-story and basement building at a cost of $40,000, Mr. Sankey realizing the money from the sale of his "Gospel Hymns." It comprises a well appointed gymnasium, bath-rooms, and library, be- sides the usual class, club, and reception rooms, all well and handsomely furnished. There is a night school carried on in con- nection with the work, classes being held in mathematics, arithmetic, reading, writ- ing and spelling, mechanical drawing, stenography and bookkeeping, English for foreign-speaking men, German, and ele- mentary physics and chemistry. The li- brary contains about eighteen hundred well selected volumes, and in connection there- with there is a pleasant and cozy reading room. In addition to the regular classes for Bible study, there are practical talks and lectures on various subjects at spe- cially announced dates. A debating club also is now being organized, as well as an Association orchestra. Other branches of the society's work include an information bureau, a boarding-house register, for the benefit of young men coming to the city as strangers, a committee for the visitation of the sick, etc. There is also a ladies' auxiliary, whose work is of inestimable value to the institution.

YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

This institution during its short exist- ence in New Castle has accomplished much for the welfare of the young women of the community. It had its inception in the minds of some of the city's benevolent and public-spirited women, who relentlessly

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pushed forth their plans and saw them de- velop into a thriving organization, in which the people take a great pride. The prime movers in the project, originally, were Mrs. I. B. Griffith and Miss May White, and among those who soon became active in the work were Mrs. George Greer, Mrs. Charles Greer and Mrs. C. H. John- son.

The first public step taken was a meeting held in the Coliseum, October 18, 1907, when a temporary organization was ef- fected with the following officers: Miss Carrie L. Jeffery, president; Mrs. T. A. Kimes, secretary, and Mrs. I. B. Griffith, treasurer. At this meeting 220 pledged themselves to become members. At a later meeting a constitution was adopted and a board of directors elected with the fol- lowing personnel : Mrs. I. B. Griffith, Mrs. J. C. Norris, Mrs. E. A. Donnan, Mrs. A. M. Leohner, Mrs. George Greer, Mrs. E. I. Phillips, Mrs. J. D. F. Newell, Mrs. Ed- ward Ward, Dr. Elizabeth MeLaughry, Mrs. J. Q. Roberts, Mrs. W. J. Eroe, Mrs. Charles G. Long, Miss May White, Mrs. J. S. Martin, and Miss Carrie L. Jeffery. One-third of these officers were to retire each year, and their places filled by elec- tion. The first permanent officers were: Mrs. J. S. Martin, president; Mrs. I. B. Griffith, first vice-president; Mrs. George Greer, second vice-president; Mrs. J. C. Norris, third vice-president; Dr. Elizabeth MeLaughry, fourth vice-president; Miss Carrie L. Jeffery, secretary, and Mrs. A. M. Leohner, treasurer. Their term of of- fice ran until May, 1908, when at the regu- lar annual meeting the present officers were elected, namely: Mrs. I. B. Griffith, president; Mrs. George Greer, first vice- president ; Mrs. J. S. Martin, second vice- president; Mrs. J. C. Norris, third vice- president ; Mrs. E. A. Donnan, fourth vice- president ; Miss Carrie L. Jeffery, seere- tary, and Dr. Elizabeth MeLaughry, treas- urer. At that meeting Mrs. George Ingham was elected to the Board of Directors to succeed Mrs. J. Q. Roberts, who had re-

signed, and Mrs. Annie Robinson was elected to succeed Mrs. Eroe. The original Board of Trustees included such well known citizens and business men of New Castle as follows: Perey L. Craig, A. C. Dickinson, J. J. Dean, George Greer, M. S. Marquis, J. G. Nothdurff, T. W. Phillips, G. G. Stitzinger and P. J. Watson.

The maintenance of the association de- pends upon such donations as are received and its membership fees, it now having an enrollment of 1,200 members. During the winter of 1907-1908, the Board of Di- rectors resolved itself into a committee of finance, with three additional members, each member to secure ten ladies who would agree to collect $10.00 each; it was the aim to collect $1,500 to be used in fur- nishing the rooms. Miss Grace L. Erhardt was elected secretary of the association on November 25, 1907, assuming charge on January 1. 1908; Miss Christine Amoss was elected manager of the cafetera, Feb- ruary 27, 1908, and Miss Grace Erby has been elected to take charge of the gym- nasium, which will open in the fall of 1908, and in which the German and Swedish gymnastic systems will be employed. In April, 1908, the present rooms of the asso- ciation, on the second floor of the Wood Block, on North Mill Street, were opened with a reception which taxed the capacity of the rooms. Many of the ladies and the business firms of the city contributed lib- erally towards the furnishing of the quar- ters. The cafetera has been self-support- ing ever since it was started. A splendid reading room has been provided and is furnished by the State Library, with a traveling library of fifty volumes, ten cur- rent magazines subscribed for by the as- sociation, and about the same number do- nated by individuals. The educational course consists of classes in French, Ger- man, Italian, Higher English, English for foreign girls and Bible study. There are prospective classes in sewing, millinery and home nursing. There is a four years' course outlined, and diplomas will be given

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those who complete it. The object of the association is to give young women an op- portunity to round out their characters, re- ligiously, educationally and socially, and to provide the proper physical training.

In closing the chapter on Religious De- velopment it is proper to state that such omissions as may be noticed therein by the reader are due to our not receiving solic.

ited information in time to be used before the chapter went to press. Enough infor- mation has been given, however, to serve as a fairly accurate sketch of the religious history of the city, and to show that New Castle is not behind in the work of uphold- ing those influences that have to do with developing the moral and spiritual nature of man.

CHAPTER XV

TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNS

Big Beaver - Little Beaver - Hickory-Mahoning - Neshannock - North Beaver - Perry - Plaingrove - Pulaski - Scott - Shenango - Slippery Rock - Taylor - Union - Washington - Wayne - Wil mington.

Big Beaver was one of the original town- ships of Lawrence County. It has an area of about ten thousand acres, being one of the smaller townships of the county. Big Beaver River forms its eastern boundary and receives numerous small branches, which have their sources in the township. The Erie & Pittsburg and the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railways traverse the town- ship in a north and south direction, keep- ing close along the river. The Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway crosses the southwest corner, and besides these are numerous tracks running to the lime- stone quarries and coal banks in the east- ern part of the township. The township contains the villages of Newport and Clin- ton, and the borough of Wampum, which latter was incorporated on the 19th of February, 1876. Wampum and Clinton contain a large proportion of miners and men who work in the limestone quarries and coal mines.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settlers were John and Robert Davidson, who left Ireland in the year 1791, and came to America, landing at Philadelphia. Robert went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he bought some property, and afterwards returned east to Pittsburg. In the early part of the year 1796, the two men came to the spot where Wampum now

stands, and settled a two-hundred acre tract. Their mother, with four other sons, left Ireland in 1793, and for three years after landing in the United States staid in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. In March, 1796, they came to Lawrence Coun- ty. The land in the vicinity of where they settled was surveyed into tracts of 200 acres each, and any person locating on one of these tracts was entitled to one-half for settling, and by paying $100 could get the other hundred acres. Thomas Davidson came out a year or two after the rest ar- rived. The seven boys were John, Isaac, Robert, Charles, James, Andrew and Thomas. They settled from one hundred to three hundred acres each, along the Big Beaver River, and part of the farms are still occupied by their descendants. Their lands extended into what is now Beaver County, the farm of James Davidson reaching a short distance across the line.

Robert Davidson was, for a short time, agent for Benjamin Chew, who controlled a large quantity of land in Big Beaver, Wayne, Shenango, Perry and Slippery Rock Townships. He was also the first postmaster when the office of Wampum (called Irish Ripple Postoffice, from the rapids in the river) was established.

The farm of John Davidson, Esq., was probably settled, about 1798 or 1800, by John Somerville, and included 200 acres.

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Andrew Davidson traded his 100 acres to Somerville for the farm. The first house built on the place was a small log cabin, which stood in an orchard on the east side of the road, opposite John Davidson's residence. John Somerville, who settled this farm, was cousin to the John Somer- ville who afterwards became a Methodist preacher. To distinguish them apart, when mentioning them, they were nick- named "Big" and "Little" John.

James Davidson was married to Eliza- beth Somerville about 1805, and his was the first marriage in the Davidson family after they settled.

Alexander Wright came, soon after 1800, and purchased 100 acres south of the Somerville or Andrew Davidson farm. This tract was Population Company's land and extended north to the Chew land. Jesse Lightner bought the hundred acres next east of Wright's and running to the river.

Most of the Davidsons became extensive landholders, it being among the best in the township, and afterwards valuable owing to its location on a well-traveled highway and the coal it contains.

A tract of land was surveyed in pursu- ance of a warrant issued April 14, 1792, and granted by the Commonwealth to Charles Massey. The Pennsylvania Popu- lation Company became possessed of this tract, among others which they held in the county, and it was transferred to the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank by Will- iam Griffith and wife, and John B. Wallace and wife, December 1, 1818. William Grimshaw was the banking company's at- torney and sold it to David Crawford, September 19, 1833. From him it was pur- chased by James Cochran.

On the dissolution of the Pennsylvania Population Company many of the lands in the neighborhood became the property of William Griffith and John B. Wallace, The title was vested in Griffith, in trust for an undivided moiety for Wallace. Maurice and William Wurtz, of Philadel-

phia, also had a claim, and their attorney was H. J. Huidekoper, who sold a portion of the land to James Davidson. The first improvements on the place now or lately owned by Mr. Cochran, which includes portions of the Davidson and Crawford land, were made by a squatter, who staid only a short time on the farm. Mr. Craw- ford was, however, the first actual settler.

David and Robert Ramsey came, orig- inally, from Ireland, with their father, who settled first near the site of Youngstown, Ohio, some time previous to 1812. They afterwards removed to Little Beaver Township.

William Whan came from Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania, about 1808-9, with his wife and two children-a son and a daughter-and settled 200 acres.

Samuel Naugle came about 1800 and settled near the site of the village of New- port.

Robert Paden came to the township about 1800 and settled in the northwest part, where members of the family still reside.

James McCandless was an early settler in the same neighborhood, but, possibly, came after Mr. Paden.

James Patterson came from County Ar- magh, Ireland, and in 1822 located on a farm subsequently owned by his son, Rob- ert Patterson. The tract originally in- cluded 400 acres, and was patented by George Leslie, in 1795 or 1796. The place occupied by Robert Patterson was first im- proved by William McKim, about 1832.

The New Castle & Darlington Railway was intended to intersect the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago road at New Gal- ilee, Beaver County, and, about 1858-59, was graded from New Castle to within a mile and a half or two miles of that point. Owing to the fact that much of the grad- ing was paid for in calico, the road was called the "Calico road." It was, how- ever, never completed.

The Beaver Valley Railway was opened for travel in the fall of 1863, and now

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forms a part of the Erie & Pittsburg Rail- way. It was built from New Castle to Homewood, Beaver County, where it con- nected with the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, and, for four or five miles out from New Castle used the old grade of the New Castle & Darlington Railway.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 28

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co. Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058