USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > Churches between the mountains : a history of the Lutheran congregations in Perry County, Pennsylvania > Part 19
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Tradition says that in the Half-Falls Mountain Gap a small church was erected by the early settlers some eighty years ago, near a beautiful spring, on land vacant only a few years ago. This church, in the heart of Half-Falls Mountain, was burnt down about the beginning of the present century. The stones which served as the foundation of the building may still be seen lying in the order they were placed by the builders. There is no
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graveyard here. It is supposed this church was located here in order that the settlers on both sides of the mountain might enjoy the advantages of divine worship. Where the present church is located, in the valley on the southeast of Half-Falls Mountain, there is an old and very large graveyard, and here the early settlers buried their dead. When, therefore, the old church in the Gap of the Mountain had been burnt, another church was erected, at the beginning of the present century, on the three acres of land, which contained the graveyard and was reserved " for church and school purposes," about one mile west of New Buffalo on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. This was about the origin of this church.
Among the earliest settlers of this region on the west of the Susquehanna were Germans, belonging to the Lutheran Church. In 1767, Christopher Mann located the land on which New Buf- falo was afterwards laid out. In 1772, George Albright (German, Albrecht) settled on the " south side of Buffalo Mountain," and Jacob Buck (German, Bock), on land called "Buck's Field," now the east end of Buck's Valley on the Susquehanna. In 1773, Christopher Heyne, Jacob Luckenbeel, Augustus Millichsack, and, in 1774, Frederick Hummel and Nicholas Littich settled in this section of country. These pioneer settlers were from time to time joined by others from the east of the river, so that before the close of last century their number was considerable. It is not known who preached first for them. The first minister whose name is remembered was
Rev. Mathias Güntzel,
who preached also for the early Lutheran settlers in Foutz's Val- ley. The length of time he preached here is not known for cer- tain ; it must have been, however, from about 1789 to 1796. He preached in the old log church on Half-Falls Mountain. He was succeeded, in 1796, by the
Rev. John Herbst
of Carlisle, who no doubt preached also in the old church in
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Half-Falls Mountain Gap. We suppose the members had at this time only occasional visits by the minister, who performed home missionary labor in a new and sparsely settled district of country. Rev. Herbst resigned at Carlisle in 1801, and, in 1804, he was succeeded in Foutz's Valley by the
Rev. Conrad Walter,*
then residing at Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa., who, we are told by aged persons, preached also here. He preached in Foutz's Valley from 1804 to 1809, and about the same time at this place. So far as we can learn, it was during this time that the church was built on the three acres of vacant land near New Buffalo. It was a log structure without galleries, about thirty-six by forty feet in size. If the church had a distinctive name, we have never heard it. It is probable that, during winter, school was also kept here for some time. This old church was removed in the fall of 1860, and a new one, just completed, has been erected on the same site by the Lutherans and Presbyterians. An unusually large, and, to all appearance, old graveyard is attached to the property. For more than a century the dead of this vicinity have been buried here. The pioneer settlers of this region repose here, and from year to year has the ground been broken to receive the remains of three generations. What a heaving of earth will there be here on the resurrection day !
In 1809, Rev. Walter ceased to preach in the territory now embraced in Perry County. Rev. J. George Heim succceded him that year in Foutz's Valley and at Liverpool ; but as Mr. Heim has himself told us, he did not preach at the New Buffalo Church. Hence, we suppose Rev. Osterloh preached occasionally for this congregation from 1809 to 1814, or perhaps they were
* Rev. Conrad Walter died at Middleburg on the 11th of August, 1819, in his 44th year. At the time of his death he served eight congregations, of which he had been pastor for fifteen years. It is supposed that not less than fifteen hundred persons attended his funeral. He was a good man and highly esteemed by his people, and did much towards the establishment of congre- gations over a large territory of country.
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visited at times by some minister from the east of the Susque- hanna, or there was perhaps no preaching here during that time. There is not a document or man to be found that can give us the desired information.
Rev. John William Heim,
at the request and under the care of Rev. Walter, first visited the congregation in April, 1814. He received license to preach in June, 1814, and then commenced to preach here regularly once every four weeks. In his pastoral journal he says : " On the 18th of June, 1814, I preached the third time at Buck's from Luke 13 : 18. Hymn : Ich will von meiner missethat, &c. At Liverpool I preached from John 3 : 16. Hymn : Also hat Gott die welt geliebet, &c. Baptized nine infants." Some fa- milies by the name of Buck (German, Bock) resided then in the vicinity of the church, and hence Rev. Heim called it Buck's Church or School-house. We have no means of knowing the nu- merical strength of the congregation, or who the members were at the time Rev. Heim commenced to preach here.
During the summer of 1816, Rev. Heim instructed at this place a class of catechumens, and as he says in his journal : " On the 30th of November, 1816, I preached the preparatory sermon at Buck's from Gal. 6 : 4, 5. Hymn : Ich will von meiner mis- sethat, &c. Baptized three of my catechumens. December Ist, 1816, I preached the communion sermon from John 7 : 37. Hymn : Der gnaden-brunn, &c. At Liverpool I preached from Rom. 13 : 11-14. Hymn : Such wer du will, &c. Baptized one infant." This was the first time Rev. Heim held communion here. Who and how many were confirmed, or what the number of members was at this time, we have no means of knowing.
Rev. Heim preached here till about 1830. As his charge was so very large, and, as we think, this congregation was not large, he did not preach regularly here, and only visited it at long inter- vals during the last four or five years he was pastor of it. Then for about three years the congregation had no preaching at all.
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In 1833, the Liverpool pastorate was formed, of which, in the same year, the
Rev. C. G. Erlenmeyer
took charge. For a time Rev. Erlenmeyer preached here regu- larly, then only occasionally, and in 1836 or 1837 ceased alto- gether. After this, we are told, Father Heim again visited and preached for the congregation on week-days. Rev. Erlenmeyer resigned the Liverpool pastorate in the spring of 1842. In No- vember of the same year, the
Rev. Andrew Berg,
partly in the capacity of a home missionary, took charge of Liver- pool and the congregations and preaching places connected with it. He preached also occasionally at New Buffalo for about six months. But to the regret of these weak and struggling con- gregations, Rev. Berg resigned in June, 1843. In the fall of 1843,
Rev. Levi T. Williams
took charge of the congregation at Petersburg, and also preached sometimes at New Buffalo. We are unable to say whether he confirmed any here or not, or what the condition of the congre- gation was at this time. Neglected and only partially supplied with preaching, it could not but dwindle down to a mere frag- ment of what it once was. In September, 1845, Rev. Williams resigned, and on the 1st of October following, the
Rev. Lloyd Knight
took charge of the congregation and served it in connection with Bloomfield. At the first communion he held here, in the fall of 1845, he found seventeen communicant members. During the early part of 1848, he instructed some persons in the Catechism, and on the 28th of May, 1848, the following were confirmed :
William Finicle, Samuel Littig,
Louisa Finicle, Sarah Littig.
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Again, on the 20th of August, the same year, the following persons were confirmed, viz., Levi Siders and Catharine Siders.
Having preached here about three years and a half, Rev. Knight resigned in June, 1849, and in July following, the
Rev. Jacob Martin
took charge of the congregation and served it about one year in connection with Bloomfield. In February, 1850, when the Petersburg charge was formed (see pp. 52-5+), this congregation was attached to that charge.
Rev. John P. Hiester
took charge of the Petersburg pastorate in November, 1850. He preached for the congregation, though not regularly, and he met with no success. For reasons we have not been able to learn, the congregation was opposed to being attached to the Petersburg charge. Hence Synod, in September, 1852, "appointed a com- mittee, consisting of Revs. Gerhardt, Erlenmeyer, and Williams, to go to Buffalo, to preach for the Lutheran congregation of the place, and endeavor to bring them into connection with the Pe- tersburg charge." The congregation afterwards united with said charge. In November, 1853, Rev. Hicster resigned, and in June, 1854, the
Rev. George A. Nixdorff
took charge of the pastorate. He preached occasionally at New Buffalo. It was counted only as a preaching-place. It seems various difficulties were in the way of success whilst he was pas- tor of the congregation. In May, 1858, Rev. Nixdorff resigned, and in August of the same year, he was succeeded by the pre- sent pastor,
Rev. William H. Diven,
who has since been preaching regularly here. Hitherto the want of a more suitable house of worship had been a great hindrance to the growth of the congregation. The old church had become dilapidated, was inconvenient and in every respect unsuitable.
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Hence, in the fall of 1860, the old building was removed, and on the site of it a new church was erected, of frame, and thirty by thirty-five feet in size. This new church was dedicated on the 2d of June, 1861, when the Rev. Diven preached a suitable dis- course. The church and land connected with it belong to the Lutherans and Presbyterians.
This congregation has in a measure been neglected for a long time, and as a consequence the members were gradually scattered and their number was greatly reduced. Difficulties, also, of va- rious kinds seemed constantly to be in the way of its progress. The want of a suitable house, the transition from the German to the English language, the want of regular preaching, and the fluc- tuating nature of the population along the river, as well as abound- ing wickedness, tended all to retard and bear down the rise and progress of the congregation. The few members still left are a noble band ; and now that they have a new church and regular preaching, it is to be hoped that a brighter day will dawn upon them, and this congregation will ere long attain its pristine strength and glory. May the Lord revive his work among this people, and glorify his name in their godly lives and final salvation !
On the 1st of June, 1861, the following were admitted to membership by certificate :
Mary Gray, Lydia Hemperly, Mary A. Shatto.
On the 9th of February, 1862, the following persons were ad- mitted by certificate and confirmation :
John Garman, Esq.,
Frederick Liddig,
Elizabeth Liddig,
Samuel Liddig,
Sarah Liddig, Benjamin Livingston, Esther Livingston.
At this time (June, 1862), the congregation consists of the following members, viz. :
George Swartz, Elizabeth Swartz,
Christiana Siders,
Sarah Hammaker,
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Daniel Livingston,
Christian Livingston,
Benjamin Livingston, Margaret Livingston,
Esther Livingston, Catharine Livingston, J. Liddig ( German, Littick), Catharine Liddig,
Samuel Liddig, Sarah Liddig,
George Arnold,
John Garman, Esq.,
Barbara Arnold,
Margaret Shatto, Frederick Liddig, Mary Gray, Lydia Hemperly,
Elizabeth Liddig,
Mary A. Shatto.
" Yes ! we trust the day is breaking ; Joyful times are near at hand : God, the mighty God, is speaking By his word in ev'ry land : When he chooses, Darkness flies at his command.
" Let us hail the joyful season ; Let us hail the dawning ray : When the Lord appears, there's reason To expect a glorious day : At his presence, Gloom and darkness flee away."
SECTION VI.
PREACHING STATION IN CONNECTION WITH PETERSBURG CHARGE.
In Carroll Township, about five miles southeast of Bloomfield, at Green Bank or Lackey's School-house, Rev. W. H. Diven has been preaching occasionally, in the evening, since 1860. The members here belonged, some to Bloomfield, some to Mount Pisgah, and a few to Mount Zion in Fishing Creek Valley. About thirty members of the Lutheran Church attend preaching at Green Bank School-house. On the 22d of June, 1862, the
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following brethren were elected and installed as the first officers of the congregation :
John Sweger, James McCord,
Elders. Joseph Bender, Christian Fenicle, Deacons.
A church-edifice is now much needed here. The prospects for gathering a good congregation are encouraging. It is proposed to unite this station with the Bloomfield charge after the 1st of September, '62, and arrangements to that effect have been made. This will give the members day-preaching once every three weeks. May the good cause prosper and the Lord be glorified !
" From all who dwell below the skies Let the Creator's praise arise ; Let the Redeemer's name be sung, Through ev'ry land, by ev'ry tongue."
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CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS.
CHAPTER V.
LIVERPOOL CHARGE.
THOUGH some of the congregations composing this charge are among the oldest in Perry County, for want of church-records we can say least concerning them. It is a matter of great regret, that there was such utter neglect on the part of the early minis- ters and church-councils in not putting on record the various and more important items of information with regard to the churches -information so interesting to us now, but to us wholly and forever lost. In our sketches of the history of the churches of this charge, we must rely chiefly on the frail memories of the aged, and, in connection with such facts as we know for certain, will endeavor to give an approximately correct history of each congregation. The charge, it may be said, was formed in 1830, when Rev. Heim consented to yield the congregations to another pastor as soon as they should call one.
SECTION I.
THE CONGREGATION AT LIVERPOOL.
At the close of the last century and the beginning of the present, a number of families, belonging to the Lutheran Church, settled on the west bank of the Susquehanna in the vicinity where the town of Liverpool was afterwards located. We cannot say when and by whom they had preaching first. So far as we can learn, they had occasional preaching, by different ministers, until the
Rev. Conrad Walter,
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of Middleburg, Snyder County, from 1804 to 1809, preached frequently, and perhaps regularly, for them on his way to and from Foutz's Valley. He preached in a school-house, standing on a lot of ground, which John Huggins reserved for church and school purposes at the time the town of Liverpool was laid out. On this lot and the very site of the old school-house the church was afterwards built. In 1809, the
Rev. George Heim
of near Lewisburg, Union County, commenced to preach here, in Foutz's Valley, in Tuscarora Valley near Perryville, at Mifflintown, Lewistown, in Decatur Township east of Lewistown, and a number of other places, to Lewisburg on the Susquehanna. This state- ment we have from his own lips, and the preaching-places are named in his license. How it was possible for a man to do justice to such a charge, we are at a loss to know, or why Synod should assign to a licentiate such an extended field of labor is a mystery to us. We examined his certificate of licensure with care; it is a curious document of the olden times ; there are given the names of the congregations he must serve, and he is not to neglect one of the ten or twelve named, although some were forty or fifty miles apart the one from the other. Mr. Heim informed us, also, that in 1810 he organized the congregation at Liverpool in the old school-house, and the one at Nieman's, now St. John's. He served these congregations till 1814, when his brother, the
Rev. John William Heim,
succeeded him. On the 8th of June, 1814, Synod licensed him to preach, and in his Journal he says : "On the 18th of June, 1814, I preached at Liverpool in the afternoon from John 3 : 16, and baptized an infant." At a later date, he says : "On the 17th of December, 1814, in the evening, I preached at Stollenberger's School-house from Eph. 5 : 14." Stollenberger's must have been in the neighborhood of Liverpool, as Rev. Heim preached alter- nately at these places on the same Sunday he preached at New Buffalo. The first year he was pastor he preached at Liverpool
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CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS.
only five times. We suppose the congregation was small and scattered at this time. During the second year he also preached here only five times. He says : "On the 24th of December, 1815, I preached in the school-house at Liverpool from Exod. 20 : 24, and baptized three infants." And again, he says : " In the afternoon of the 7th of July, 1816, I preached in the school- house at Liverpool from Luke 6 : 36-42, and baptized eight in- fants and two women." During the third year, closing in June, 1817, he preached twelve times at Liverpool, that is, he now preached here about once every four weeks. His Journal closes in June, 1817, and we can therefore not follow him in his later labors here. To this time he had not yet administered the Lord's Supper at Liverpool. We know little of Rev. Heim's success at this place, and cannot say who, and how many were confirmed by him from time to time, or how strong the congregation was. No church-record was kept, and there are no aged members here to give us the desired information. Rev. Heim preached in the school-house till the church was completed.
In the spring of 1828, the corner-stone of the church was laid on the site where the old school-house had stood. Besides Rev. Heim, we cannot learn that other ministers participated in the religious exercises of this occasion. The wall of the edifice, a log- frame, was put up in the summer of 1828. This naked wall stood then without roof till 1831, when it received a roof, was weather- boarded outside, and finished inside. It had three high galleries and a high bell-shaped pulpit, mounted on a post. Outside the church was painted white, and a steeple and bell surmounted it. It is about thirty-five feet by forty in size, will seat from three to four hundred persons, and occupies a commanding position on an elevated spot of ground on the edge of Liverpool borough. The church was consecrated in the fall of 1831, when Rev. Heim and, perhaps, some other ministers officiated. In the erection and completion of the church, George Lutz, George Barner, George Tharp, David Stewart, Christian Weirich, John Rouslı, and a few others, took the most active and prominent part. We
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have no means of knowing what the numerical strength of the congregation was at this time, though it could not have been great.
At the convention of Synod in October, 1829, "Rev. Heim promised to resign St. John's, St. Michael's in Foutz's Valley, the Liverpool and New Buffalo congregations, as soon as a pastor should be secured to supply them. In the mean time, Synod de- sired that the neighboring ministers would visit this district." Thus, the Liverpool charge was first formed, though it has since passed through various changes. As these congregations were not soon supplied by a pastor, Rev. Heim still continued to preach for them occasionally for some years. In the summer of 1833, as a candidate for the ministry, the
Rev. Charles Gustavus Erlenmeyer
visited the charge and preached to the congregations. His preaching and labors were highly acceptable to the members, and they requested the West Pennsylvania Synod, at its conven- tion in October, 1833, to license him as their pastor. The minutes of that convention of Synod contain the following action : "No. 2. Consists of six different documents, which contain recommendations of Mr. Erlenmeyer, and testify to his irreproach- able walk, and a desire is expressed that he might be received as a member of this Synod. These documents are (a) of St. John's Church in Perry Township, Union (now Snyder) County, (b) of Liverpool in Perry County, (c) Millersburg in Dauphin County, (d) McCallisterstown in Juniata County, (e) of St. Michael's Church in Foutz's Valley and New Buffalo in Perry County." As Mr. Erlenmeyer's examination was entirely satisfactory, he received a candidate's license. Thus, in October, 1833, Rev.
. Erlenmeyer became the regular pastor of the Liverpool charge. He served the congregation at Liverpool, where he resided, about eight years and a half, and resigned it in the spring of 1842. For want of documents we cannot say what success attended his labors herc, or who and how many were confirmed by him. We are inclined to the opinion that the congregation was small and in a languishing condition.
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CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS.
Rev. Andrew Berg
took charge of the Liverpool pastorate in November, 1842. He resided at Liverpool, and preached here, at Petersburg, at Buck's School-house near the Susquehanna, at St. Michael's in Foutz's Valley, and perhaps at a number of other places. He received some aid from the Home Missionary Society of the Synod. Having preached in the charge only about six months, he resigned in June, 1843. If any persons were confirmed by him at Liver- pool, we have been unable to learn the fact. The congregation does not seem to have made much progress at this time ; nay, we think it was on the decline, owing to the want of regular preach- ing as well as piety and united efforts on the part of the members.
After Rev. Berg had resigned, the charge was without preach- ing till 1847. In the mean time, Synod put forth repeated efforts to have it supplied. Thus, in the minutes of Synod, September, 1845, it is said, that " with respect to the condition of our mem- bers ... at Liverpool, &c., ... some interesting statements were made by Rev. Messrs. Eggers, Anspach, and Rosenberg." Though the destitute condition of the congregations of the Liver- pool charge was distinctly presented to the consideration of Synod, still no supply was secured. Again, in the minutes of Septem- ber, 1846, it is stated that " the brethren Knight, Heim, Hickok, Boyer, and Berg, made some interesting remarks on the condition of our vacant congregations in Perry County ;- Whereupon it was " Resolved, That we especially direct the attention of our licen- tiates to the vacant congregations in question.
" Resolved, That Brother Ehrenfeld be earnestly requested to take into consideration the condition of these congregations, in case he receive license.
" Resolved, That in case Brother Ehrenfeld does not accept a call from these congregations, that then Rev. Messrs. Heim, Flint, Anspach, Hoffman, Thorn, Babb and Knight be required to visit them at least twice during the year."
Rev. Ehrenfeld received license, but did not accept a call from the Liverpool charge. Hence, in accordance with the last of the
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above resolutions, Rev. Heim, and perhaps also some of the other ministers named, visited and preached several times for some of the congregations. Early in the beginning of 1847, the charge was supplied by the
Rev. William Weaver,
who preached at seven different places, viz., at Liverpool, at Christ's Church in Wild Cat Valley, at Millerstown, at St. Mi- chael's Church in Foutz's Valley, at St. James's Church in Turkey Valley, at Richfield, and at St. John's (Nieman's) Church. In September, 1848, as delegate of the charge, Mr. George Kepner attended Synod. Having served these congregations for four years with more or less success, Rev. Weaver resigned in the be- ginning of 1851, when the Church-Councils of the charge met at Millerstown and drew up the following paper :
" We wish to inform the brethren in the ministry, that the Millerstown (or Liverpool) pastorate is now vacant, and that we are anxious to be supplied with one ' to break unto us the bread of life.' This charge may not be as pleasant as many others at present ; but we hope that such arrangements will shortly be made with a neighboring charge as will not only render it desirable, but will also enable us to give a competent support. Such arrange- ments have been in contemplation for some time, and will no doubt be carried into effect. We deem it due to our much-es- teemed pastor, Rev. Weaver, to say that we deeply regret his de- parture from us. He has faithfully labored in our midst for four years. During this time he organized thirteen Sabbath-schools within the bounds of this pastorate, and established a number of prayer-meetings. He lectured also frequently on temperance, and obtained as high as fifty signers to the pledge in one evening. His success in this laudable enterprise procured for him the ap- pointment of a Perry County Temperance Lecturer. By his zeal and perseverance a neat and comfortable house of worship was erected in Foutz's Valley, where we had but three male members. In the month of March, 1850, he made an effort to organize a Lutheran congregation at Millerstown, and upwards of forty
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