History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 75

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 75

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" I organized a Presbyterian Church in Jackson- ville, returned in the fall over the mountain ranges, through deep snows, to San Francisco, revisited Sac- ramento and Napa City, and near the latter place married one of the best and handsomest women the

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lord ever made. In the fall of 1858 I returned to ' of this church April 28, 1867, on a salary of $1200, Roger's River Valley, where I have been laboring ever since. I scarcely ever see the face of a Presby- terian minister. This valley is surrounded with high, grand mountains, and possesses the finest climate in the world. I am sixty-five years of age, and can ride all day almost as well as ever. Uniontown was tecli- nieally my first and last pastoral charge."

In 1853, April 27th, the Rev. James H. Callen was installed as pastor, on a salary of $500. He was an Irishman, with a pleasant manner in conversation. His discourses were brief, finished in a bright style, and were always read with a fair delivery. As a pas- tor he was ordinary. He was a man of medium height, with a good appearance in the pulpit. Ile gave fair satisfaction during his pastorate, and re- signed April 10, 1855, because he received a call to a church in the East, which region seemed to be more congenial to himself and family. A note received from Mr. Callen, now (1876) an evangelist in Brook- lyn, having received the title of D.D. since leaving here, says, "I cannot recall any facts now which would be worthy of note."

The Rev. William Furguson Hamilton was installed pastor May 13, 1856, having served the church, under call, from October, 1855, to that time. His pastorate was the second in length of any in the history of this church.

Mr. Hamilton was born in Washington County, graduated at Washington College in 1844, at the age of twenty, studied theology at the Western Theologi- cal Seminary, was licensed by the Presbytery of Ohio in 1849, and ordained and installed, in 1850, pastor of Centre Church, near Canonsburg, where he labored a little over two years.

Mr. Hamilton was a man of far more than average talents and ability. He was a fine writer, with a keen, pointed style. He usually wrote and read his discourses. Ile had a hesitancy in his delivery some- what unpleasant to the ear, and which slightly dimin- ished the effect of his sermons. He was regarded as a better preacher than pastor. Mr. Hamilton re- signed his work here May 31, 1866, after a pastorate of ten years. In 1868 he took charge of the churches of Salem and Livermore, in the Blairsville Presby- tery, and labored there with acceptance for seven years. He then resigned, resided in Blairsville a short time, and thence removed to Washington, act- ing as stated supply to the Mount Pleasant Church, and also as Professor of Intellectual Philosophy and Ethics in the college.

From the time of Mr. Agnew until that of Mr. Hamilton the minister's salary was 8500 per annum. Mr. Hamilton was called upon a salary of $600, which was subsequently raised to $800, owing to the in- creased price of living during the war.

The Rev. Walter W. Ralston was installed pastor

in quarterly payments in advance. The congrega- tion also paid his house-rent during his residence here. He was a native of Ohio, a graduate of Jeffer- son College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and was called here from his first charge at Churchville, Md. He was a good preacher, with an excellent, melodious voice, and fine appearance and manner in the pulpit. He usually read his discourses. He was a fair pastor. He resigned his charge here Oct. 1, 1873, on account of a call to the church of Xenia, Ohio, which gave him a larger support than he was receiving here, and which he believed would furuish him a little relief in ministerial labor. He left Xenia in 1875, for a short time acted as financial agent for Washington and Jefferson College, and in 1876 ac- cepted a call to the church of Bridgewater.

The Rev. Samuel S. Gilson was born Oct. 28, 1843, in Westmoreland County, graduated at Washington and Jefferson College in 1866, at the Allegheny Theo- logical Seminary in 1869, and took a fourth year's course at Union Theological Seminary, New York. He preached two summers at Garrison's, on the Hnd- son. He was called to Bowling Green, Ky., April I, 1871, and after laboring there precisely three years, was called to Uniontown and installed pastor May 1, 1874. Rev. J. P. Fulton presided and preached the sermon, Rev. J. M. Barnett delivered the charge to the pastor, and, by special invitation, Dr. George Hill, of Blairsville, the charge to the people. Mr. Gilson resigned his work here in June, 1879. The Rev. A. S. Milholland, the next and present pastor, was installed June 15, 1880.

There have been few elders in this church, but, with two or three exceptions, they were able and excellent men, devoted to the solemn duties of their office. That they were efficient and useful, especially in giv- ing advice and administering discipline, is the testi- mony of former pastors and of the records of the church. In discipline their patience and wisdom were wonderful.

At the first meeting of the session of which there is any record the only business attended to was a case of discipline, the charge being improper condnet and the use of profane language towards a citizen of this town. There is no record of any other meeting of the session during the year 1826. In 1829 a serious case of discipline came up, when a member of the church was tried for inhumanity to a negro. This case was promptly and prayerfully prosecuted, and the long and full record assures us of the wisdom and piety of the first session of this church.

From this time on, for a quarter of a century, a case or more of discipline was under consideration at al- most every meeting of the session. Some of these were exceedingly difficult to manage, and two or three are as complicated and mysterions as ever come

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before the civil courts. The charges are for all kinds of offenses: for profanity, drunkenness, improper conduct, unbecoming language, slander, imposing a wrong ticket on a voter, neglecting the ordinances of religion, and for other sins. In those early days the elders frequently brought about reconciliations and adjusted differences which in modern times are more apt to find their way into the civil courts. A remark- able thing is that in almost every instance the aceused was found either wholly or partially guilty. Very many members of this church became subject at some time or other to discipline.

It is quite certain that at least some of the offenses committed in the earlier history of this church by the professed followers of Christ are not committed now. Still, in those days there were many godly men and women who walked spiritually minded, in an orderly way, and brought no reproach upon the cause of Christ.

The session of this church has always been prompt, when occasion required, to express its judgment on doctrinal and moral subjects. In 1834 the following resolution, appropriate to an agitation then in pro- gress, was adopted :

"Unanimously Resolved, That this session believes that genuine revivals of religion are not the results of human devices, but of the plain, practical, and zealous preaching of gospel truth, of which truth we believe our standards contain an admirable summary.

" Resolved, That common honesty, to say nothing of Christian sincerity, requires that those who do not be- lieve the Confession of Faith in the plain, obvious, and common-sense construction of its doctrines should at once candidly declare their opinions and withdraw from the communion of the Presbyterian Church."

The session, by its declarations and discipline, has uniformly lifted up its voice against intemperance and its causes. In 1833 this resolution was adopted, " That this session is fully persuaded that the use of ardent spirits as a drink is a great evil and crying sin, and we are convinced that every pursuit which tends directly to perpetuate the evil or throw obstacles in the way of its suppression is immoral, and we be- lieve it to be the duty of the Church at large to avoid all participation in the guilt of its continuance." Forty-three years afterwards, in 1876, the session ex- pressed the meaning of this resolution in more ex- plicit terms, and " Affirm their conviction of the cen- surable complicity in the guilt of the traffic in intox- icating liquors on the part of those who knowingly rent their property for such purpose or indorse licenses that legalize it, and we affectionately admonish the ' members of this church to commit no offense of this kind." In 1868 the session unanimously adopted a long and able paper on the subject of worldly amuse- ments, admonishing the people against dancing, card- playing, and theatre-going.

Up to 1830 only those were admitted to the com- munion-table who had tokens, but in that year the custom was unanimously abolished. In the same year it was resolved, " That those persons who move within our bounds from other churches and fail to obtain their letters of dismission within six months should be refused the privileges of the church." The pastor was frequently requested by the session to preach upon particular subjects, especially Sabbath obser- vance and family worship. During the pastorate of Mr. Agnew the congregation was districted for quarterly visits, "The whole care of the country members to be left to the pastor." It is not stated whether he chose this portion of the field because it was most pleasant, or because it needed especial over- sight. Until 1837 the session is said to meet in the "meeting-house," about which time there is a gradual transition to the use of the word "church." The meetings of the session, however, have been usually held in private houses, and almost always at the home of Mr. Espy during his residence in town.

In the old session-book of this church the first rec- ord, made in 1825, is signed by Joseph Kibler, Thomas Lewis, and S. Y. Campbell. These men were the first elders of this church. Before this date, when the communion was administered here, assistance was rendered by elders from adjoining churches,-for in- stance, Benjamin Laughead, of the Tent, and Judge Finley, of Laurel Hill.

Joseph Kibler is spoken of as a godly and active man. Ile was diligent in tract distribution and Sab- bath-school work, and was the first agent of the first Bible Society of this county. He was exceedingly regular in his duties as an elder, and according to the record was only absent from two or three meetings of the session until his departure to Ohio, Oct. 8, 1832, where, in the church at Hillshoro', he was a ruling elder until the time of his death.

Thomas Lewis was regular in his attendance upon the services of religion in public and private, and also upon the meetings of the session, and was the stated clerk from the beginning of the records until March 27, 1832. In 1839 he removed within the bounds of the Tent Church, still retaining his membership here until 1841, until he was dismissed to the Tent congre- gation, within whose bounds he died, Dec. 21, 1849, aged sixty-one years. S. Y. Campbell appears to have acted as elder about two years, until 1827.

In 1829, September 28th, John Kennedy Duncan and Dr. Hugh Campbell were ordained to the sacred office. Mr. Duncan was born and raised in Carlisle, admitted to this church upon certificate, and at once elected elder, and served faithfully for one year, and was dismissed in 1830 to the Tent Church, Thence he removed to Springhill, thence to Iowa City, thence to Dubuque, where he died in 1869.

October the 9th, 1825, is a date long to be remem- bered by this congregation. It was then that the two

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

young men, Dr. Hugh Campbell and Nathaniel Ewing, Esq., came for the first time to the Lord's table. To- gether they followed Christ with reverence and godly fear for almost half a century. These men were prop- erly regarded as the pillars of the church in their day, and it is hardly possible now to unduly exalt their in- fluence as Christian citizens. They were also exceed- ingly useful in the higher courts of the church, to which they were so frequently delegates. Indeed, it came to be said in the Presbytery, in regard to the commissioners to the General Assembly, " It was Dr. Campbell one year and Judge Ewing the next."

Dr. Campbell was stated clerk of the session from 1851 to 1864. He was a member of a large family of Scotch descent, and all Presbyterians. His father was a member of this church, and died at the advanced age of ninety-five. Dr. Campbell was born in Union- town, May 1, 1795. In September, 1823, he married Miss Susan Baird, of Washington, who died in 1824. He married the second time in 1828, Miss Rachel Lyon, of Carlisle.

Dr. Campbell was ordained an elder in this church Sept. 28, 1829. In 1865 he was appointed warden of the Western Penitentiary. The following tribute wa- prepared by his lifelong friend, Nathaniel Ewing, and offered and adopted in the session: "For more than thirty-five years Dr. Campbell has exercised con- tinuously the office of ruling elder in this church with uniform acceptance and eminent ability and faithfulness. During this long period his exemplary walk, the abundance of his benefactions, exertions,

and prayers, and his diligent and scrupulous discharge | instances excessively burdensome to the living, and ot official duty contributed largely to the maintenance, growth, and establishment of the church. By the eminence of his gifts, also, he was enabled to perform effective service for the general interests of the Mas- ter's cause by sitting on frequent occasions as a mem- ber in each of the superior judicatories."

Dr. Campbell was a commissioner to several General Assemblies. He was chosen principal delegate from the Redstone Presbytery in the years 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, and again in 1847, 1854, 1858, and was an alter- nate nine times, and probably attended occasionally under this appointment. He was a member of the famous General Assenby which met in Pittsburgh in 1838, at the time of the disruption. A man of far more than ordinary ability, he made his influence felt in that body. During a discussion be arose and made a remark or two which attracted attention. Some Doctor of Divinity combed him a little, and wanted to know who is "This young David?" The doc- tor arose and said, "I am a very humble Elder from a very humble church and a very humble Presbytery, but I thank God I have the same rights on this floor as the most learned Doctor of Divinity or the greatest lawyer here." He then proceeded to score his unfor- tunate antagonist in a speech of wonderful keenness, which electrified the Assembly. By the appointment of the General Assembly, he represented the Presby-

terian Church of this country in the Scotch Assembly at Edinburgh in 1869, passing that year traveling in Great Britain and Ireland.

He was an excellent and impressive speaker, de- bater, and orator. In the judgment of one well quali- fied to give testimony on this point, "He was one of the smoothest and most pleasant speakers, in his best days, I have ever heard. The words fell from his lips like oil." His addresses on the subject of temperance were very eloquent. Dr. Campbell was a man of great will power, and it was not safe to come in his way where right and morality were involved.

In 1868 he again took up his residence in Union- town, although he never again resumed his duties as elder here. He died in this place Feb. 27, 1876, con- tinuing to the close of his life to take a deep interest in the prosperity of the church and in the public wor- ship of God. He was rarely absent from the sanctu- ary or the prayer-meeting, and was a man of remark- able felicity in prayer. He was a close student of the Bible all his life, and a few days before his death he incidentally told his pastor that he had recently com- pleted reading the Bible through for the sixth time. His faith was strong to the end, and he died triumph- ant in Christ. Among his last words were, " I feel it is by the Grace of God I am what I am." Almost the last words he wrote are worthy of record, not only because of their intrinsic excellence, but because they manifest the character of the man. "I have always disapproved of the display and extravagance of mod- ern funerals as being useless for the dead, and in many

tempting such as cannot afford it to follow the example of those who can. It looks to me like aping those who occupy high places in the world. As a matter of wordly policy, it may be well for kings and others, but it is very unbecoming for the humble Christian. Possibly my example may have a good influence on others. Let it be tried."

On Christmas-day, 1831, Mr. Hugh Espey was elected elder in this church, and received by the ses- sion as one of its members. He was stated clerk from March, 1832, until 1851. Mr. Espey was born Sep- tember, 1792, within the bounds of Tyrone Church, where he made a profession of religion at an early age. About 1812 he removed to Rising Sun, Ind., and at the organization of the church there in 1816 was ordained a ruling elder. On account of poor health he returned to Pennsylvania in 1822, and died at his home here on Christmas-day, 1852. He was a most excellent man, and is remembered with great affection by many persons still living. For twenty years he served the Master here faithfully as a Chris- tian and an office-bearer in the church of God, and as stated clerk of the session.

In 1833, February 3d, Nathaniel Ewing, Esq., was ordained to the office of elder in this church by the

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· pastor, Rev. Joel Stoneroad. Feb. 8, 1833, he first here with acceptance to the people. Mr. Brown ceased to act as elder by his own desire and the will of the congregation and session. He left here in 1848.

acted as a member of the session, and continued to exercise the functions of the sacred office until re- moved by death, Feb. 8, 1874, in the eightieth year of his age, and precisely the forty-first of his service as elder. Judge Ewing, in 1822, married Jane Ken- nedy, the second daughter of the late Judge Ken- nedy, a most estimable lady, who died in 1825. She was the mother of John Kennedy Ewing, one of the present elders of this church. In 1830 he married Ann Lyon, daughter of the late Rev. David Denny, of Chambersburg.

When a young man Mr. Ewing cordially em- braced the doctrines and order of the Presbyterian Church. He was baptized in June, and communed in October, 1825. In a few years he was elected and ordained elder, and the period of his service in this office was longer than that of any other man who has been an elder here. He received an unusual com- pliment in the meetings of the session at his house when, by reason of sickness, he was confined to his home, and the remainder of the session felt the great importance of his counsel.

He was frequently a member of the General Assen- bly, being elected principal delegate from the Pres- bytery of Redstone in 1836, 1837, 1839, and 1850, and alternate six times. In the higher courts of the church, his legal attainments enabled him to expound ecclesiastical law satisfactorily, and he acquired great influence over the Assembly. Perhaps the most im- portant service of this kind ever rendered was a re- port which he made on the decision of Judge Rodgers, of the Nisi Prius Court at Philadelphia, against the Presbyterian Church. This report is recorded in full in the large minute-book of the Presbytery, covering six pages.

Judge Ewing acquired large wealth, and gave lib- erally to the Lord, without letting his right hand know what the left did. As an illustration of his quiet way of contributing to the Lord's cause, in 1866 he gave 81000 to the Board of Education, and his contribution was not known even by the members of his own family until some years afterwards. He gave his benefactions while he lived, and was per- sonally attentive to the wants of the poor of this com- munity who were brought to his notice. To the very close of his life there was no apparent weakening of his powerful intellect. Up to within ten days of his death his opinion on a principle of civil or ecclesiastical law might have been relied upon. In the last hour of his life he seemed to realize that God was the strength of his heart and his eternal portion. On a Sabbath morning he quietly breathed his last on earth and began his eternal Sabbath in heaven.

William Redick and Charles Brown were ordained elders Feb. 3, 1833, by the Rev. Joel Stoneroad. Mr. Redick served as elder until 1856, when he removed to the State of Illinois. He was born in Venango County in 1799. He was a good man, and served | Beginning with the year 1826, the roll of members

In 1845, on the 13th of January, David Veech was elected elder here. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in this county June 6, 1781. He removed to Greene County in 1812, and was ordained elder in the New Providence Church. In 1832 he settled within the bounds of the Dunlap's Creek Church, and served as elder there. In 1839 he came to Union- town. He served faithfully and acceptably here from 1845 until 1861, when, because of old age, he was no longer able to attend the meetings of the session. He held the office, however, until his death on the 14th of February, 1866. Part of a long resolution adopted by the session at that time states, " We hereby testify our sense of his Christian character and fidelity as a ruling elder in the Church of God." Mr. Veech was a good man, and the memory of his influence and works is still fragrant. He was the father of James Veech, Esq., who was long a resident of this com- munity.

On the 15th of April, 1866, Simon B. Mercer was installed, and Benjamin Campbell installed and or- dained, elders in this church. Mr. Mercer was for- merly an elder in the church of Bridgewater. He served here about one year, and then removed to Saltsburg. Mr. Campbell acted as stated clerk from June, 1866, until June, 1873. Mr. Campbell was the son of Dr. Hugh Campbell, and still resides in Union- town.

That this church has informally existed for a cen- tury is highly probable for reasons already assigned. The following is the first notice made of this church in the records of the Presbytery : " At the meeting at Georges Creek, Oct. 11, 1799, application was made for supplies by the vacant congregation of Union- town, and the Rev. James Powers was appointed for one Sabbath and Rev. Samuel Porter for another."

In the old session book of this church the first record is made in 1825, and states, over the signatures of the first three elders : "In making out the report of the Uniontown congregation, we have given it according to the most correct information we could collect, as the congregation was never organized until the 24th of February last." One item of the report referred to is, "Total in communion before the or- ganization of the congregation, unknown." Dr. Fair- child preached here frequently about 1825, and held the first election of elders and organized the church.

The growth of the church from the earliest time of which we have any statistics has varied, and yet in the main been steadily onward. In 1825 the mem- bership was fifty-three persons, of whom only one is now (1876) living,-Mrs. Sarah Dawson, of Browns- ville. Of these members, forty-two were women. There were about one-fourth as many men as women:

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

runs as follows; 60, 61, 69, 77, 81, 86. Beginning , tribution is that in 1829,-three dollars were given with 1832, the first year of Mr. Stoneroad's pastorate, during the ten years of his labors here, the member- ship is as follows: 103, 133, 170, 186, 215, 217, 240, 201, 206, 209, 157.

In regard to this period it should be observed that | session-book up to 1850. For the last quarter of a the large increase was reached by the reception of many who lived at Mount Washington and Peters- burgh and Sandy Creek, and indeed but few were re- ceived from the congregation here. The largest addi- tion the church has ever received in one year was at the beginning of Mr. Stoneroad's labors, when there The five years in our history that are marked by the highest contributions to the general work of the church are the following : 1866, $1132, of which was the special contribution of $1000 by Judge Ewing ; 1867, 81291. These two years were during the pastor- ate of Mr. Hamilton. In the year 1872, of Mr. Rals- ton's pastorate, $1066 were contributed; in 1875, 81203, and in 1876 §1129 were given to the boards of the church. From 1876 to the 1st of May, 1881, $13,464 has been contributed. were forty-eight added. The annual additions during the history of the church vary from this number down to one, which was the report for the year immediately preceding Mr. Agnew's ministry. The rapid decrease in the membership of this church towards the close of Mr. Stoneroad's pastorate was owing chiefly to the organization. of the churches at Mount Washington and Petersburg, and also somewhat to the severe dis- cipline of the session. About this period some cases of discipline were up at almost every meeting, the offenders being chiefly in the mountain regions. Dis- cipline seems to have been eventually the death-blow of the Petersburg Church, for it soon became ex- tinet.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 75

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314