USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 34
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1 This full baptismal name is Hermann Clement Wienker ; is found as such in official lists and doc- uments, though he generally simply signs himself C. Wienker. Y-M3 ...
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THE CHURCHES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
When Father Stumpe came, about the middle of October, 1869, he soon be- came very popular among all classes. A house (the old Corley house, above Kirkman's brick house on the Corsica pike) was rented, and quite nicely fur- nished by the congregation. Everything seemed to move along very happily for a while until Father Stumpe, used to city life and ways, grew quite tired of the place; then still thirty-two miles from the next railroad station, and in September, 1870, he left the congregation and the diocese of Erie, about a year later. Father Wienker who in the mean time had learnt considerable about the English language and the Brookville people was, though afraid of and averse to the charge, made to stay in Brookville as pastor of Jefferson county, (including besides Brookville, Corsica, and Fiscus), and of the Redbank (Clar- ion county) Church of St. Nicholas Tolentino.
The building of the Low Grade Railroad in 1871 brought so many Catholic railroad men into his district and charge that the same had to be divided, Father McGivney taking in August, 1871, charge of Redbank, Corsica, and New Bethlehem (also until then attended from Brookville.) In 1871 the build- ing of a new church in Brookville was considered and fully determined upon. After some dispute whether to build on the Gallagher (McFarland) lots north- west corner of Water and Barnett streets, offered at $4,500, and one or two acres on the brow of the hill south of Redbank Creek, (where the church is now situated, offered them at $1,250 or $2,500 respectively), it was with a small majority-including however most of the oldest, most substantial mem- bers-decided to buy the first-named property, which accordingly was done, and the house on these lots served as pastoral residence from April 1, 1872, to April 1, 1874. But when B. Verstine-who with C. Endres, late with S. S. Jackson, owned a number of acres of said land, south of the Creek-saw that the Catholics would not pay for a site for the church on his land, he offered an acre and two hundred and sixty dollars towards the new church, if it would be built on the south side, on any of the land he had the year previous laid out in town lots. The people then reconsidered their action of the previous year, and in the spring of 1872 after two meetings a (week apart, and each announced the Sunday previous from the altar, so as not to proceed too rashly), and voted anew on the church site. At this time forty-two voted for an acre on the south side, and seven for retaining the two lots (116 by 150) on Water street. Thus the decision of 1871 was overruled and set aside by an overwhelming majority, to the great discomfiture and displeasure of several of the oldest, the most respectable and substantial members of the congregation. That very year, July the 21st, 1872, the corner-stone of the new church was laid by Rt. Rev. Tobias Mullen, who had succeeded Bishop Young as bishop of Erie in 1868. The plan of the new church, then contemplated and fully approved of by the building committee, (R. J. Baxter, Bernard Klein, and Jacob Minne- weaser), was drawn by a Catholic man, then the most prominent builder and
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
contractor in Brookville, Coleman R. O'Loughlin, (died June, 1884.) The size was to be sixty feet wide, one hundred and twenty feet long, tower thirty feet square. Father Wienker, pretty much on his own responsibility, afterwards engaged plans to be drawn by P. C. Keely, of Brooklyn. N. Y., and ordered him to cut the size down to 100 by 50 inside, the present dimensions. The corner-stone was laid July 21, 1872.
In 1872-73-74 a brickyard on John H. Crate's farm was run in the interest of the congregation (making over 1,000,000, selling about 500,000 bricks), and stone and other materials were prepared, money was gathered to pay the balance due on the above Gallagher property. Very happily, just at the very eve of the great panic of 1873, said property was sold again at cost ($4,500) ; the same property has changed hands since at $1,650. What at the time seemed a great drawback-so much money tied up in a property which was no longer wanted proved a great blessing-and likely saved pastor and people from financial ruin. For the money was unavailable during the years of infla- tion and exorbitant prices before the panic-it became again available and was used to best advantage during the low prices of a severe panic. Had the money not thus been tied up, the panic would most likely have found a more expensive church completed, but covered with a heavy debt, which, however apparently safe in Brookville's prosperous days, would have meant bankruptcy during the long and terrible panic commencing 1873. In January, 1874, a new priest's house was commenced on the hill (the cottage since September, 1882, occupied by the sisters), and was ready to move into, though not quite completed, by April 1, 1874. In the fall of 1884 the foundation was laid of the two-story brick school-house and in the summer of 1875 the same was completed. In September, 1873, the contract for the stone-work of the new church was let to Nollen and Schultze and they worked at it until the autumn of 1875, when it was completed. All the window and door-frames for the new church had been made in 1874, by Michael Kilroy, of Union City, Pa. In the spring of 1876, the contract of the brickwork was given to Patrick P. Donnelly, of Erie, and was finished (except nineteen feet of brickwork of tower, still un- finished 1887) in September, 1876. On the Centennial first of July, 1876, a terrible hurricane swept over Brookville, and blew down almost the whole west side wall of the main building, which had just been completed a few days pre- vious, involving an extra cost of at least $500. P. S. Crate had the contract of the carpenter work and finished his work that same autumn. In September, 1877, the plastering was commenced (contract given to John G. Cougher, of Sligo, Pa.), and on the 8th of December, 1877, for the first time mass was said in the new church ; the main portion of the building being free of scaffolding and fully showing for the first time the handiwork of J. J. Hoffman, son of the above Jacob Hoffman, who had the contract of frescoing the church. Early the next year John W. Osborne, of Clarion county, had finished his contract of
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THE CHURCHES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
the pews, and February 24, 1878, saw the large and beautiful Gothic building solemnly dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Tobias Mullen, assisted by twelve priests, among them the above Fathers Skopez and Koch. The old brick church on Water street, unsafe with its cracked and leaning walls, had been torn down in August, 1876, and part of its brick are still easily discernible in the upper part of the new tower. The school-house, with the rear recess closed by two large sliding blackboards, serving as sanctuary, was used as a place of worship from August, 1876, until December, 1877. When the church was completed a debt of fully $4,000 rested on tlie congregation for all these build- ings, costing as they did all of $15,000. To save the people all unnecessary expenses, and to lighten their burden, Father Wienker commenced in the fall of 1877 to teach school himself without any extra charge to the congregation, and continued this severe, difficult, and trying task, besides his pastoral duties, for full five years. A Catholic school had been commenced toward the close of 1869, by Father Stumpe, Alphonse Roehner, from Buffalo, N. Y., teaching in the basement of the old church until July, 1870. After six months inter- mission it was reopened by Father Wienker in the spring of 1871, with Lucy Hoffman, daughter of Jacob Hoffman, as teacher. She was succeeded during the next scholastic year by Anna Gildea, from Pittsburgh; John Senger, from Erie ; and Sarah Gilfoyle (now Mrs. John Brennan, of Reynoldsville) ; the last from early summer of 1872, until June, 1874. Her successor from September, 1874, until June, 1877, was Sylvester J. Burgoon, since then for two terms register and recorder of Clarion county. In the winter session of 1875-76 the school was graded, Father Wienker taking the higher classes. The school, in which particularly at the beginning and at most times ever since, some German was taught, was pretty generally attended by the Catholic children living within reasonable reach. They there received a fairer instruction in their religious belief and duties than most of their parents, and were thus better ena- bled to appreciate and practice the faith and morals of their church for their own good and that of society in general. Besides this they received a very fair secular education, as the number of young men now holding positions that require skill and scholarship, who were in no other common school, prove to the satisfaction of all unprejudiced people.
In the mean time Corsica had been attended by the succeeding pastors of the Redbank Church (now Crate P. O.), ever since August, 1871, except from the spring of 1872 till the spring of 1874, when it again was attached to Brook- ville ; at first by Rev. Bernard McGivney, up to October, 1875, when the new frame church of Reynoldsville, until then attended from Brookville, was dedi- cated, and besides the new Bethlehem Church given into his charge ; he resid- ing for about six months with Father Wienker in Brookville, and then moving to New Bethlehem in the spring of 1876 where he has remained ever since. He was as pastor of Redbank and Corsica succeeded in 1875 by Father Patrick
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Cosgrove, he by Father Michael Flood in October, 1877, and he by the zeal- ous, efficient, and well-liked Father J. P. McCloskey, October, 1880, the pres- ent pastor of those churches. In Reynoldsville, where Father Wienker had said the first mass in the spring of 1871, Father McGivney was succeeded by his cousin, Rev. Father Terence Brady, (in 1880) who since then has built a very handsome 38 by 80 skeleton brick church on Main street, and in general has proven himself a very successful pastor. Right here we will mention Rev. Father James Brennan, who from early summer 1872, until the spring of 1874, as assistant relieved Father Wienker of a good part of the labors of his charge, which then included besides Fiscus, Corsica, and the growing congregation of Reynoldsville. Punxsutawney, a station on Pine Run (near Ringgold, since then abandoned) and the attendance of the very many Catholic railroad hands, working along the Low Grade Railroad, which was built in the years 1872-73. The same Father Brennan endeared himself to many Brookville people, par- ticularly the Irish element, who were sorry, when the stringency of the times, and the completion of the railroad no longer warranted his labor and support in Brookville, and he was transferred as pastor at first to Driftwood, and later to Du Bois, where he still resides as popular pastor of a large congregation. (He is, by the way, one of the very few Catholic priests that ever, without any solicitation or expectation on his part, was elected justice of the peace by his principally Protestant fellow-citizens while residing in Driftwood, Cameron county Pa.)
About 1881 the small number of Catholics at Punxsutawney commenced to grow by the building of the Rochester and Pittsburgh, now Buffalo, Roch- ester and Pittsburgh railroad. In this place, where the older inhabitants had the most absurd ideas of the Catholic Church, religion and priests, a prominent citizen of Clayville, Mr. J. U. Gillespie, (since then in 1876 elected a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature), had, principally by reading the oral discus- sion between Archbishop Hughes and Breckinridge, (of the Presbyterian de- nomination) become fully convinced of the truth of the Catholic Church. He then had himself by a Catholic bookseller-George Quigley-for the first time in his life-introduced to a priest-at the Pittsburgh Cathedral, and in that place after due instruction was received into the Catholic Church about the close of the inter-state war. When on his return home the fact became known to his family and the neighboring community, it not only surprised, it alarmed and even shocked many of them. But his religious convictions, though up till 1870 only at his occasional visits to Indiana or Pittsburgh, en- couraged by the sight of either a Catholic priest or church, remained unshaken, and were even strong enough to cause his brother and partner in business, William E. Gillespie, to join the same church but a few years later. In the house of the latter the first mass was said, by Father Wienker, accompanied by Father Stumpe, when in 1870, the cherry trees were in blossom. Ever
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THE CHURCHES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
after that the same Father Wienker said mass once a month on a week-day in Punxsutawney. At first in the house of William E. Gillespie, then in a little building attached to an old store building, across from the Clayville foundry ; later in a room above Gillespie and Parsons' store, and since the spring of 1883 in the hall above the store building of G. W. Porter, (west of the Clayville foundry) until March 13, 1887, when for the first time mass was said in the new Catholic Church near the Clayville depot.
An event of some importance was the funeral of William E. Gillespie, on a Sunday afternoon in the May of 1873, when a very large multitude of Protest- ants for the first time heard a Catholic priest, vested in the garments of his office, perform the Catholic funeral rites, and preach a funeral sermon. This congregation of Punxsutawney in 1882 had become so swelled by the influx of railroad men (principally Hungarians) and miners who commenced their operations at Walston, that Father Wienker had to give up the Catholic school at Brookville, giving it in charge of the Sisters of Mercy, (from Titusville, Pa.), and to devote much of his attention to the interests of the future Catholic con- gregation of that place. In order to do so he had to try to learn the Hunga- rian and Italian languages, and succeeded in this to such an extent as to par- tially make himself understood by them, and hear their confessions in their native tongue. May the 18th, 1885, the present church lots north of Main street, on the small rise northwest of B. R. and P. depot at Clayville, was bought, after a majority of the people in a meeting at their regular church, Sunday, May 10, 1885, had selected that place. The foundation was laid in the summer and autumn of 1885 by two Scotchmen, Stotthard and Hoggan, and soon after the general strikes of the spring of 1886 had been settled, the contract of the brickwork was given to C. C. Van Riper, of Punxsutawney ; that of the carpenter work to Hughes and Spencer, of Clayville. August 26, at six o'clock in the morning, Father Wienker blessed and laid the corner-stone. November, 1886, saw the brickwork, and December saw the outside carpenter work finished. The stained glass windows were put in before the close of the year, and in February, 1887, the church was plastered by John Winslow, of Punxsutawney. Immediately after P. S. Crate went to work on the pews, and J. J. Hoffman on the frescoing of the church. In April, 1887, the church will no doubt be completed-a solid, neat, complete building, erected in the Roman style, 40 by 724 feet in size, 29 feet high to the ceiling, spire 90 feet high- costing little, if any, over $4,000. Before the end of this year, 1887, Punxsu- tawney will, no doubt, have her own resident pastor.
Now let us return to Brookville. The intention in 1882 was to have the Sisters of Mercy then coming from Titusville to take charge of the schools, reside in the little cottage house east of the church lots. But just at that junc- ture J. R. Burgoon, offered and paid $800 for said property, though it had been offered at $600 for years without finding a purchaser. (Father Wienker 35
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
had bought the so-called Proctor lots at (K. L. Blood's) Sheriff's sale (in 1885) to secure a direct eastern connection with South Pickering street-had built the house referred to principally out of scaffolding and materials left over from the old and new church ; he sold the lower part to J. J. Nyland, the upper to J. R. Burgoon, turning the money realized-besides a sixteen foot alley at $450-over to the church treasury). This sale compelled Father Wienker to turn the parochial residence, built in 1874, over to the Sisters, and to rent a couple of rooms-at Mrs. Thomas Gooder's-where he lived, boarding at the American House until such time as a new house could be built. The founda- tion for this house was built at once, during the autumn of 1882, on the acre of land situate in front of the church lots, bought of S. S. Jackson early in 1881, by M. Allgeier, B. Klein, and Mrs. Sarah Shannon, with the agreement that the congregation should have ten years time to buy the ground of them at cost and five per cent. interest. As hardly any brick were to be had and could not be manufactured till the following season, and the pastor was anxious to live again in his own house, a solid stone building was determined upon, and erected the following spring (1883) with such dispatch as to have it completed and ready to move into by the beginning of July, 1883. The corners and the segment arches over the windows and doors are built of brick, partly to create a pleasing contrast, a red trimming for the white main body of the pebble- dashed " or rough-cast walls," but principally to dispense with the too expen- sive cut-stone trimmings. The house 28 by 45 feet, two stories and basement, the upper story serving as a hall for exhibitions, society meetings, etc., cost about $2,600-and was all built in days' work. Ever since July, 1883, Father Wienker has occupied this house, and from there attended the Fiscus and Punxsutawney congregations, besides Brookville. If he is not transferred to Punxsutawney (principally because of his acquaintance with the various lan- guages spoken in that very mixed congregation), he may for many years con- tinue to labor as pastor of Brookville, and may long before the close of this century see the spire of the new church completed, hear a beautiful chime of bells invite his people to their church, see not a cent of debt left on all the buildings and property, last, but not least, see a large and devout congrega- tion worshiping at the altar, and all their children raised up true Christians, true men and women in a regularly attended, effective Catholic school, taught by religious teachers.
In conclusion a few words on the school, societies, and finances. The school has since the sisters took charge become more popular, has been more generally attended, and particularly since September, 1886, more successful in teaching and training the children. At that time (Sept. 'S6), a more strict dis- cipline was adopted, also the plan of weekly school reports, which enabled and almost compelled parents to constantly watch the conduct and progress of their children. The schools were from 1882 to 1884, in charge of Mother Ce-
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THE CHURCHES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
lestine ; since then in charge of Mother Austine, who besides superintending, assisted in teaching the schools. They were enabled to give in February and June, 1886, very interesting public entertainments in the Parochial Hall, which were quite freely attended, and by the press as well as by the general public very highly appreciated. The Sister's salary ($400) is raised principally by a school-tax, levied by the pastor on all the people of the congregation accord- ing to their financial standing, regardless of the number of children they send.
There are connected with the church three societies. The Married Ladies Rosary and Altar Society, who receive the sacraments (many monthly), and meet in the afternoon of the third Sunday ; the Young Ladies' Sodality of Im- maculate Conception, who approach (most of them monthly) the sacraments, and meet on the afternoon of the first Sunday of every month at a conference in the church ; while the St. Joseph's Beneficial Society, Branch 494, of the Irish Catholic Benevolent Union (I. C. B. U.) of the United States, approach the sacraments at least four times a year, many monthly, and meet in the Hall of the parochial residence on the fourth Sunday of each month. The St. Joseph's Society has a circulating library containing two hundred and four volumes for its own use and that of the congregation in general. It has at present a mem- bership of thirty-one men, partly married, partly single. Some of its members formed last year a St. Joseph's Dramatic Association, which performed several farces in a very creditable manner, together with the above mentioned children's entertainments. The whole of the buildings, church, school-house, sisters' house, and the new parochial residence with all equipments such as fourteen stations of the Cross, oil paintings just bought at $325, furnaces bought December, 1878, at over $700, etc., cost by careful management less than $20,000. Ex- cept about $2,000 collected in the Brookville district, on the Low Grade during its construction, possibly $300 to $500, at two picnics in 1876 and at four fairs (in 1875-76-77-79) contributed by Protestants, about $100 collected in St. Mary's, the whole amount was raised by collections, pew-rents, and regular ordinary receipts within the congregation itself, which all that time supported a Catholic school, besides supporting, however aided by the outside stations, the residing pastor. No outside financial help was sought or received; nor even has till now (March '87), the congregation received any testamentary be- quests. Brookville has at present over 100 Catholic families, Fiscus fully 20, Punxsutawney about 40 Irish, 10 German and American born Catholic fami- lies, besides fully 250 Hungarian, and 125 Italian laborers, almost all of whom believe in the Catholic Church.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXIII.
BANKING INSTITUTIONS.
The First National Bank of Brookville-The Brookville Bank-Banking House of William F. Clark & Son-The Jefferson County National Bank -- Bank of I. C. Fuller-The National Bank of Brookville-Mahoning Bank at Punxsutawney-The First National Bank of Punxsu- tawney-Capital, Officers and Directors of the different Banking Institutions of the County.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BROOKVILLE.
HE First National Bank of Brookville was organized February 14, 1865, T with Philip Taylor president, and Richard Arthurs cashier, and the fol- lowing stockholders: C. B. Clark, C. Rodgers, John Yeaney, Ira C. Fuller, I. G. Gordon, A. L. Gordon, Joseph B. Henderson, H. R. Fullerton, Henry Keys.
This bank had a large capital, and for nine years conducted a very large business, and realized very good dividends.
When the bank went into voluntary liquidation March 26, 1874, J. E. Long was president, and Richard Arthurs cashier.
THE BROOKVILLE BANK.
The Brookville Bank opened its books for business May 28, 1866, with a capital of $100,000. The officers were, president, William Bigler, of Clear- field; cashier, John S. King, of Brookville. Directors, George R. Barrett, William Bigler, A. C. Finney, Clearfield ; Isaac G. Gordon, R. R. Means, H. R. Fullerton, J. M. Steck, C. D. Evans, John S. King, Brookville. Stockhold- ers, J. S. King, J. M. Steck, R. R. Means, I. G. Gordon, H. R. Fullerton, E. H. Darrah. In January, 1867, the stockholders were, J. S. King, J. M. Steck, H. R. Fullerton, S. H. Holliday, Bernard Verstine, G. R. Barrett, Hugh Dow- ling, David Keck, William Erdice, R. R. Means, H. Brown, 1 John Gatz. I In 1867 Hon. G. R. Barrett was elected president, and was succeeded by John M. Steck. Captain Steck was president, and John S. King cashier, when the bank closed out its business in October, 1874. During the eight years that this bank was open it done a very large business, and was a great accommo- dation to the people of the county.
BANKING HOUSE OF WILLIAM F. CLARK & SON.
In November, 1869, William F. Clark, one of the oldest and best known business men of Brookville, opened a private banking house in connection with his son, Norman F. Clark, under the firm name of William F. Clark & Son. Mr. Clark about this time built a fine commodious bank building adjoin-
1 Dropped out in 1872.
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BANKING INSTITUTIONS.
ing his residence on Main street, which was elegantly fitted up with everything necessary to complete a well appointed banking house. This was one of the most popular financial institutions that Brookville has ever had, and carried large deposits ; and when it was discontinued in July, 1879, the depositors were paid in full. The closing of the bank was due to the failing health of the junior member of the firm, Mr. Norman F. Clark, who died the ensuing spring.
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