USA > Pennsylvania > Clinton County > Historical and biographical work, or past and present of Clinton County, comprising a sketch of every town and township of the county from date of settlement up to the present time > Part 10
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The action of the German portion left the English branch so poor in purse and weak in members, that it was impos- sible to secure the services of a pastor. An organization of twenty-three members was effected, however, the services of Rev. L. K. Secrist secured for a few months of the sum-
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mer of '62, and the services were held in the old Academy, on the corner of Main and Vesper streets. A Sunday school of thirty-five scholars, with the necessary officers and teachers, was also established at this time.
The officers of the first organization of English Lutherans were Messrs. George P. Shaffer, Jacob Bowers, W. Nyhard and Daniel Haines. After the resignation and departure of Rev. L. K. Secrist, in the early fall of '62, the Sunday school lost ground, and the organization was broken up.
After an interregnum of one year and eight months, a meeting of the disbanded organization was called at the home of one of the members; a reorganization was effected, with about the same number of adherents. Berger's Hall, on Main street, was secured as a place of worship. Rev. R. B. Whitehill was called to the pastorate, which call was ac- cepted by him, and he entered upon the discharge of his duties May 22d, 1864. Rev. Whitehill resigned, to take effect September Ist, '64, after which the organization re- moved to the Odd Fellows' Hall.
On October 9th, of the same year, Rev. P. Gheen became pastor, and continued in the service of the congregation until April Ist, 1866. Rev. Gheen was energetic and faith- ful, and more successful in his work than any of his prede- cessors. Regarding the final outcome as doubtful, he re- fused to remain longer with the organization.
The interim between the departure of Rev. Gheen and the coming of Rev. R. H. Fletcher, April 16th, 1867, marks the period as one in which occurred, possibly, the greatest struggle for existence in the history of the English Luth- eran church of this place. Rev. Fletcher began his minis- terial labors with thirty members. During the winter of '67 and '68 some sixty persons confessed faith in Christ, most of whom united with the Lutheran church. The congrega- tion took on a new life, reorganized by the election of a new set of officers, and determined to secure a church home. With this end in view, a lot on the corner of Church and Corning streets was bought, but was afterwards sold, and
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the one on which the church now stands was bought in March. 1869, at a cost of $4,500. On August 9th, of the same year, the corner stone of the present edifice was laid, and by late fall the church was under roof. In the spring of 1870, Rev. Fletcher resigned, after a successful pastorate of three years. The membership of the church at this time was sixty-eight, and the Sunday school had increased to eighty. During Rev. Fletcher's three years pastorate, the church disbursed $6,050, only $1,250 of which had come from external sources.
In July, 1870, Rev. J. W. Goodlin became pastor, at a salary of $800 per year. He pushed forward to completion the basement, at a cost of about $1,000, and in September of the same year the basement was dedicated. Having been called by the Board of Home Missions to become its secre- tary, Rev. Goodlin resigned July Ist, 1871, after a very suc- cessful year's work, in which the membership was increased by thirty-one, and the Sunday school by fifty.
On January Ist, 1872, Rev. W. W. Criley, D. D., became pastor. On February 5th, '72, it was decided to build a parsonage, which was done, at a cost of $1,200. On July Ist, '72, it was decided to finish the church building. The contract was given to Messrs. J. C. Brown and I. A. Shaffer, who were to complete the building for $8,000 by October 29th, 1872. The church was not completed nor dedicated, however, until July 5th, 1874. When finished the church cost $24,000, only $14,000 of which had been paid. On the day of dedication $8,000 of the remaining $10,000 were pledged, and responsibility for the payment of the remain- ing $2,000, when asked for, was assumed by responsible parties. The payment of the pledges made at the dedica- tion was materially interfered with by the financial panic of '73 and '74. Notwithstanding the financial pressure of these years, the church was carpeted and the seats were uphol- stered at a cost of about $600, most of this money being raised by the ladies of the church. In the spring of '75, March 28th, Rev. Dr. Criley resigned as pastor.
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Rev. M. J. Fiery, D. D., preached his introductory sermon as pastor, April 4th, 1875, which was the next Sunday fol- lowing the departure of the Rev. Dr. Criley. To his aston- ishment Dr. Fiery found the indebtedness of the church to be about $14,000, and the outlook was so unpromising that bankruptcy seemed imminent. To avoid the impending financial crisis, on May 28th, 1877, the pastor took the field and canvassed the churches of Pennsylvania and Ohio. This canvass netted $1,025 in cash, $4,212 in notes, nearly all of which were paid. The home church, (St. John's,) secured in notes about $5,coo, nearly all of which was col- lected also. During Dr. Fiery's pastorate the expenses of the church were comparatively light, aside from the neces- sary running expenses. The damage to the parsonage by fire was met by the insurance. Iron posts in the basement were substituted for the wooden ones at a cost of $160. The church prospered greatly, financially and spiritually, under the Rev. Dr. Fiery. Having been called to the First Luth- eran church of Springfield, Ohio, he presented his resigna- tion, to take effect at once, January 22d, 1878.
After a vacancy of some three months, Monday evening, May 13th, 1878, Rev. J. A. Hackenberg was elected pastor, and on February 29th, 1879, he preached his farewell sermon. During the one year and ten months which he served the church, its debt was reduced about $1,500, and the membership was largely increased. Despite his hard labors and manifest success, Rev. Hackenberg had rather a stormy time, due as much, probably, to a difference in method of administration as anything else.
Rev. P. A. Heilman was chosen pastor, and on April 4th, 1880, preached his introductory sermon. By June Ist, 1882, the entire church debt of $2,057.89 was paid. St. John's Lutheran church, having hitherto been supported by the Board of Home Missions since its establishment by an annual contribution, declared itself self-sustaining April Ist, 1882.
On the night of December 22d, 1881, the parsonage was
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burned, and rebuilt as soon as material could be got on the ground, at a cost of $1,450. Having been called by the Board of Home Missions to the mission at Denver, Col., Rev. P. A. Heilman resigned on September 30th, 1884. Rev. Heilman's pastorate was not only a successful one, but the longest in point of time, four and one-half years, in the history of the church.
Rev. W. B. Glanding became pastor on January Ist, 1885, and resigned September 12th, 1887, having been called to the chair of "Mathematics and Natural Sciences" in Mid- land college, Atchison, Kansas. During the two years and nine months which he served the church very successfully and acceptably, the ladies of the church had the audience room of the church frescoed, at a cost of $350; the church was fitted up with steam heat, at a cost of $1,000; and the Sunday school room repaired, at a cost of $175.
The present pastor, Rev. S. J. Taylor, assumed pastoral relations with the church on February Ist, 1888, and is still pastor at this date, February 3d, 1892. During these four years the most notable event, of general interest in the locality, was the now famous flood of '89. Everything was flooded throughout the town, the loss great, and the fall and winter following the flood the distress from sickness and other causes was very great. The damage to the church property was about $600. The Sunday school lost its library and organ; the water in the church and parson- age being something over five feet deep. Notwithstanding the depressing influence, and the loss of money and mem- bers incident to the flood, the records show the present ad- ministration, under the pastoral care of Rev. Taylor, to be quite as successful as any of the preceding ones, both in finances and the number of accessions. The young people of the church have been organized into a successful work- ing society, aiding the church spiritually and materially. They have hung a 1,300 pound bell in the steeple of the church, built a choir platform to the right of the pulpit, supplied the pews with racks and books of worship, at a
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cost of about $600. The ladies of the church have re- carpeted the church, refitted the pulpit and chancel with new furniture, in part, and the vestibule with new matting, stair rods and corrugated gum, at a cost of about $350. The Sunday school has made good its flood losses of some $275. The church has relaid its slate roof, painted the church and parsonage, laid a curb and surface drainage around the entire property, fitted the church with electric light, and, at this time, is engaged in renovating and carpet- ing the Sunday school room at a cost of between $1,300 and $1,400. Such is a bare outline of the trials and tri- umphs of St. John's Evangelical church. Like Paul, for- getting the past, she is determined to press on toward the work of the prize of her high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Rev. S. J. Taylor, the present pastor of the English Lutheran church, was born on February 9th, 1855, at Newburg, Huntingdon county, Pa. His parents moved from that place to Altoona, Pa., in 1868. There the subject of our sketch attended public school until January, 1877, when he entered Pennsylvania college, at Gettysburg, Pa., and graduated from there in 1881, and from the Theological seminary, at the same place, in 1884. He at once accepted the pastorate of a church at Addena, Somerset county, Pa., and remained there until 1886, when he became pastor of the Lutheran church at Williamsburg, Blair county, Pa., and remained there until he came to Lock Haven, in 1888. Rev. Taylor was married December 27th, 1884, to Miss M. E. Henderson, of Julian, Centre county, Pa. During the time he has served as pastor of his present charge he has worked zealously for the good of his congregation, and the English Lutheran church has been greatly benefited by his efforts in its behalf.
Rev. J S. Taylor.
ST. LUKE'S REFORMED CHURCH.
West Susquehanna Classis of the Reformed church of the United States, at its annual meeting, May 20th, 1874, appointed a committee, consisting of Revs. H. King, D. G.
REV. GEO. W. GERHARD,
PASTOR GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH, LOCK HAVEN, PA.
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Kline and John Zellers, to make an effort to establish a mission in the city of Lock Haven. Rev. John Zellers, a resident of Lock Haven, canvassed the city. and a sufficient number of persons were found who expressed a desire to enter into the organization of a Reformed mission, that the committee felt encouraged to push the work. The first service was held on the 23d of August, 1874, by Rev. H. King. The movement was encouraged by the Reformed Classis of West Susquehanna, and the Revs. H. King, J. F. DeLong and H. D. Darbaker supplied the little band with preaching for some months. The organization of the mis- sion was effected on the 3d of January, 1875, Rev. H. King presiding, who was also the chairman of the Classical com- mittee to look after the Lock Haven interest. Joseph Eilert and William H. Beck were elected elders, and Aaron Bittner and Christian Heineman were elected deacons. The Classical committee supplied the organization with stated preaching till May, 1875, when the Rev. J. W. Pontius was called to take charge of the mission. Rev. J. W. Pontius accepted the call, and began his ministry in June, 1875. Rev. Pontius served the mission eleven months, and then resigned on account of ill health. Rev. Christine was called, and he accepted the call, but remained a short time, when he resigned, and the mission was vacant for some time. This vacancy proved to be a season of trial, and the future prospects for the mission were not encouraging. In October, 1877, the Board of Home Missions, of the Reformed church, sent Rev. I. S. Stahr to Lock Haven, to make an effort to revive the interest if possible. The Rev. Stahr went to work with a will, and, by hard labor, strong faith and earnest prayer, succeeded in bringing the mission on a firm footing. The favor of God attended the mission henceforth, and slow but substantial was its growth. Up to this time the ser- vices were held in the rooms of the Y. M. C. A. A more desirable building and location became a necessity. The building of the Second Presbyterians' was rented, their organization having been disbanded. The mission now
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began to feel the necessity of securing a suitable building of its own. A petition for aid was sent to the West Sus- quehanna Classis, at its special session at Lewisburg, Pa., June, 1878. Classis appointed Rev. George E. Adams and Elders Kramer and Miller a committee to visit Lock Haven, and ascertain what should and could be done to secure a suitable building and location for the growing mission. The committee visited Lock Haven, and were offered the Second Presbyterian church for a reasonable amount. Ne- gotiations were begun for the purchase of the Second Pres- byterian church. The purchase was finally made on the 23d of August, 1878, for $2,200, which was an exceedingly low price for the property, being located in the heart of the city, at the intersection of Main street and Clinton avenue. From that day on the mission grew, under the faithful leadership of Rev. I. S. Stahr, who made many sacrifices for its prosperity. Rev. Stahr labored faithfully in the mis sion for a period of six years, when, on the Ist of June, 1883, he resigned, but continued to serve till the Ist of September, 1883. June 3d, 1883, the present pastor, Rev. George W. Gerhard, was called. Rev. Gerhard is a native of Berks county, Pa. He took his preparatory course at Palatinate college, Myerstown, Pa. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall college, Lancaster, Pa., in 1880. He entered the Theological seminary of the Reformed church, at Lancas- ter, Pa., in September, 1880, and graduated in May, 1883. After his graduation from the seminary he traveled four months through the West, and, upon his return, accepted a call from St. Luke's Reformed church, at Lock Haven. He entered upon his ministry September Ist, 1883, and has served the congregation ever since. Under his pastorate the congregation has flourished, and more than doubled its communicant membership, which now numbers 200. The Sunday school has increased largely, and now numbers 225. Rev. Gerhard has succeeded in paying off all indebtedness on the church property, and the congregation is free of debt. As soon as the congregation was free of debt Rev.
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Gerhard set to work to improve the church building. After the flood he raised sufficient means, among his friends, to repair the down stairs. In February, 1892, he again went to work to raise funds to remodel the up stairs. His suc- cess in raising money exceeded his expectations. The in- terior, both up and down stairs, is new, and handsome me- morial windows replaced the old. The church is now as comfortable and inviting as any in the city. As a pastor, both in and out of the pulpit, Rev. Gerhard has been very successful. He is a prominent member of the P. O. S. of A., Knights of Malta, and of the Sons of Veterans; having served as colonel of the Pennsylvania division of the latter organization, from May, 1890, to May, 1891.
FIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
Some time before the year 1850, German preaching oc- curred in Lock Haven, long before the organization of a regular German congregation, with a regular pastor over it.
In the year 1850 or 1851, Rev. Albert, of Salona, came to Lock Haven, and held German services once a month.
Rev. Schultz, a native of Germany, came then from Ly- coming county, and held services in the German language for some time.
About 1855, Rev. Ziegler, who was pastor at Salona, was ministering in the German language at Lock Haven. He was followed by Rev. Zeller, who was keeping a drug store at Bloomingrove, Lycoming county, Pa.
In the years 1859-1860, Rev. Heidorn, once a Roman Catholic priest, but later a Lutheran minister, was preaching to a German congregation in this place, and died here. While Rev. Heidorn was ministering, Rev. D. Sell being sent by the Lutheran Central Synod of Pennsylvania as a missionary, came to Lock Haven, and organized a Ger- man-English congregation, and united it with his Synod. In the year 1862, when Rev. Sell left the church, there was sufficient material to organize two Lutheran congregations, a German and an English.
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Here begins the history of the First Evangelical Luth- eran church of Lock Haven Pa .: In 1862 it was regularly organized, and gave Rev. E. Grothe a call, who took charge of it in July, 1862. The congregation then applied for a charter, which was granted December 31, 1863. After being aided by Synod for three years, the church then became self-sustaining.
Up to this time the Germans were worshipping in private houses, in the town hall, old Court House and Odd Fel- lows' Hall. But they desired to obtain a place of their own and a building to worship in, and soon found one.
On December Ist, 1863, they bought the Presbyterian church on Water street, below the canal, for the sum of $3,500, where they still worship. The building has been enlarged, and the basement rooms renovated, in which for some time they maintained a parochial school.
After a pastorate of seven and a half years, Rev. Grothe, organizing the Immanuel's German Evangelical Lutheran church, (see further below,) was succeeded by Rev. A. Linsz, who was elected March 7th, 1870, and took charge of the church the 20th of the same month. After ten years of laboring, in September, 1880, Rev. Linsz left, and Rev. T. Hennicke was elected as pastor of said church, who com- menced his labors on Thanksgiving, 1880. He remained pastor of the church up to the 20th of March, 1885, when he was called to another congregation. In May, 1885, the present pastor of the church, Rev. J. Darmstaetter, was called to take charge of it. On July 12th, 1885, he was installed as regular pastor of the church by his father, Rev. J. A. Darmstaetter, of Columbia, Pa., and by Rev. George P. Mueller, of Marietta, Pa., now in Germantown, Pa. As soon as the present pastor had taken charge of the church, he reunited the Immanuel's German Lutheran church with its mother church, the First Evangelical Lutheran. THE IMMANUEL'S GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH was organized by Rev. E. Grothe, on January 30th, 1870, by taking the whole church council, eight members, with their
ELDER CHARLES S. LONG,
PASTOR CHRISTIAN CHURCH, LOCK HAVEN, PA.
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families, with three other male members and several widows, out of the First Evangelical Lutheran. The pastor, Rev. E. Grothe, with the above members, withdrew from that or- ganization, owing to differences of opinion in regard to doctrinal points in the Lord's supper. On January 30th, 1870, they assembled in a private house and organized a new congregation, under the name of Immanuel's German Evangelical Lutheran church. The latter part of August, 1870, the congregation united with the Missouri Synod. During the first six months after its organization, the con- gregation held services in Marshall's Hall, on Grove street, and then removed from there to Odd Fellows' Hall, on Main street.
In the spring of 1871 it was decided to build a house of worship, which was accomplished, and on the fourth Sun- day of July, 1873, a brick edifice, 36x71 feet, beautiful in de- sign and finish, seating from 300 to 400 people, costing, with lot and a steeple of 130 feet high, $8,210, was dedicated, Rev. Sturken, from Baltimore, preaching dedicatory sermon.
Rev. E. Grothe resigned the pastorate in the fall of 1874, but remained until February, 1875. From February until July the pulpit was supplied by different members of the Missouri Synod, but in July, 1875, Rev. Seeger was elected pastor of the church. In the fall of 1877 he left the church in poor circumstances. From this time on 'till the reuniting of it with the First Evangelical Lutheran, the church had no regular pastor, but was supplied by Rev. F. Lauffer, from Tyrone, up to 1881, and from then on had very irregular services. The beautiful church was sold by the sheriff to Mr. Perkins for $965, who again sold it. It is now known as the Novelty Iron Works.
The present united church, the First Evangelical Luth- eran, is connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Minis- terium of Pennsylvania.
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLE).
About the first of December, 1857, Elders Nathan J. Mitchell and L. B. Hyatt came to Lock Haven, and began
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a series of meetings in the Town Hall. During the meet- ings eighteen persons made a confession of their faith in Christ, and upon that confession were baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and an organization was effected. At this organization the following declaration was unanimously adopted by the charter members, viz: "In order that principles may be maintained and diffused, and that duties may be fulfilled which have their origin in the scriptures of Divine truth; that we may be enabled the better to glorify God, and pro- mote the interest of Messiah's kingdom by attending to the institutions of the gospel in accordance with the teachings of Christ and His Apostles, we, the charter members of this organization, having given ourselves to the Lord, in solemn self-dedication and public avowal of His name, do organize ourselves into an association to be known as the Church of Christ, in Lock Haven. We further agree, that, discarding all human creeds and confessions of faith, we will take the Bible as our rule and only rule of faith and duty ; that we will be governed by its precepts, and that we will labor earnestly to promote the union of all Christians on the one Divine foundation. We will also consider it our duty to conduct ourselves toward each other in all humility and brotherly love. 'Not forsaking the assembling of our- selves together,' and, when the case requires, we will warn exhort and rebuke one another according to the rules of the gospel."
There were 29 members at the organization, and from among this number the following persons were selected for the official positions to be filled: Alexander Sloan, George C. Harvey and James Chatham as elders; J. W. Packer, T. A. Packer and John H. Orvis, as deacons. Elder L. B. Hyatt was the first evangelist employed by the church. In 1861 the present house of worship was built, and J. G. Encell, of Ohio, was employed to labor in word and doc- trine for the church. Since that time the following named ministers have served the church, for a longer or shorter period: - - Edwards, J. L. Darsie, J. B. Johnson, Nathan
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J. Mitchell, D. M. Kinter, J. O. Cutts, T. C. Jackson, and the present pastor, Charles S. Long. Mr. Long has served, in all, nine years, having been recalled about a year ago and employed for an indefinite period. The church is in a fairly prosperous condition, and over a thousand names have been enrolled on its records since its organization. It now has a membership of 316, and the following named gentlemen compose its official Board: Elders, Orrin T. Noble, Farley Stout, Charles S. Long, J. S. Hanna and W. C. Probst; Deacons, John L. Thiele, Miles Banes, S. T. McCloskey, D. Scott Peck, F. S. Smith and H. E. Brady; Trustees, John W. Smith, Miles Banes, W. C. Probst, A. W. Glossner, J. L. Thiele and John S. Hanna.
Elder Charles S. Long, the present pastor of the Christian church, was born at Harveyville, Luzerne county, Pa., July 4th, 1846. His parents moved to Columbia county, Pa., where he attended the public schools, and afterwards took a course at Bethany college, at Bethany, W. Va. He en- tered the Army of the Potomac December 25th, 1861, and served three years, after which he followed farming until 1873, when he became associated with E. E. Orvis in the publication of the Messenger and Laborer, an organ of the Disciple church. Rev. Long began his ministerial work at Benton, Columbia county. He came to Mill Hall April, 1876, and in April, 1877, began preaching for the Lock Haven church. He remained in Lock Haven until 1885, when he was called to Youngstown, Ohio, where he preached for over two years, and then went to Virginia, where he had for his field of labor the entire State. After a period of three and one-half years spent in Virginia, he returned to Lock Haven, where he is now engaged in min- isterial labor. Besides his church work, Elder Long is as- sociate editor of the Missionary Weekly, a church organ published at Richmond, Va., and he also edits the Christian Worker, an eight page monthly journal, published in the interests of the Disciple churches throughout Bald Eagle valley. Mr. Long was married February 22d, 1866, to Miss Sarah A. Henry, of Orangeville, Columbia county.
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