USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 58
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 58
USA > Pennsylvania > Wyoming County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 58
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The first officers were: Isaac Livingston, pres .; Simon Long, vice-pres .; J. Falk, T .; S. Steiner, S .; A. Marks, G .; Charles Sulzbacher, W .; L. Lewith. G .; S. Frauen- thal, F. Bisner and H. Burgunder.
The successive presiding officers have been: I. Living- ston, S. Long, A. J. Langfeld, J. Falk, H. Hoffheimer, L. Lewith, S. Abrahams, J. Stein, B. Schwartz, E. Con- stine, M. Sulzbacher, J. Frauenthal, J. Cohen, S. Plat- zek, Ig. Freeman, H. Fleishman and A. Constine. The officers serving during the six months ending January Ist, 1880, were: Isaac Livingston, pres .; S. J. Straup, vice-pres .; D. Davidsburg, S .; J. D. Coons, A. S .; J. A. Strauss, G .; S. Platzek, W .; H. Rubin, T .; M. L. Cohen, G. The membership is 39. Regular meetings are held at German Odd Fellows' hall every other Sunday at 7 P. M.
U. O. R. M.
Teedyuscung Lager, No. 30, was instituted October 10th, 1872. The charter members and first officers were as follows: Prophet, Henry Luft; H .. A. Lindacher; Patri- arch, John Knolley; K., William Kupper; subordinate officers : Jacob Barney, Gustav Kinzel, John Disque, Fred. Haupt, Adam Muller, Jacob Seybold. The present officers are: A. Lindacher, prophet; Henry Luft, patriarch; B. Deutsch, H .; J. H. Miller, L .; G. Wetterau, K. Only members of the third degree of the Order of Red Men are entitled to membership of the lager. Regular meet- ings are held semi-monthly in Wood's Hall. This lager has a capital of $500.
Wyoming Stamm, No. 145, was organized by J. H. Miller. The first officers were installed February 2nd, 1870. They were: Henry Luft, O. C .; Wendel Hoffman, U. C .; A. Lindacher, P .; Peter Siegel, T .; J. H. Miller, S. The charter members were Henry Luft, A. Lindacher, J. H. Miller, William Kupper, Wendel Hoffman, Peter Siegel, John Schmitt, Jacob Barney. The stamm was incorporated by the Luzerne county court in 1874.
The successive presiding officers have been A. Lin- dacher, William Kupper, Jacob Barney, F. House, Philip
Butzbach, Gustav Kinzel, John Bausch, Jacob Bausch, John Disque, John Miller, Peter Schram, A. Bentz and J. H. Miller. The official list in September, 1879, was: W. Busch, O. C .; B. Deutsch, U. C .; A. Bentz, P .; Henry Luft, T .; John Starck, S .; G. Wetterau, trustee.
The stamm meets every Tuesday evening in Wood's Hall. The membership is one hundred, and the stamm has a capital of $1,500. During the last nine years it has paid out $3,500 for the relief of the sick members.
ELY POST, NO. 97, G. A. R.
Ely Post was organized with the following named char- ter members: J. F. Kapper, C. Kline, A. Bauer, F. and J. An- drea, W. W. Ellis, J. M. Rutter, A. F. Fell, C. Zaun, and J. B. Gloman. The following officers were chosen: W. W. Ellis, senior vice-commander; J. F. Kapper, junior vice- commander; A. Bauer, quartermaster; C. Kline, adju- tant; J. M. Rutter, chaplain; - Hunt, post-surgeon; C. W. Spayd and F. Andrea, officers of the day. After a time the number of comrades became so small that it was deemed advisable by the post to disband, though the charter was retained by the payment of the requisite per capita tax. In 1872 a reorganization was effected. The following are the names of the presiding officers, as fur- nished by a member of the post, "since 1868," which date would indicate that the post did not disband until after time, or that it was originally organized during that year. (Neither the date of the first organization or of the dis- bandment was included in the data furnished for this article.) W. W. Ellis, Henry M. Hoyt, E. S. Osborne, G. Reichard, A. Schlumbach, H. Clapsaddle, J. B. Glo- man, J. E. Finch, Charles H. Grest, P. Runeman, A. D. Perents, J. Higg, and E. H. Graff.
The following officers were elected for 1880: P. C., F. House; S. V., J. G. Jones; J. V. C., Theodore Pryor; Q., S. R. Catlin; C., C. Meckel; P. S., G. Baird; O. of the D., N. F. Landmesser; S. of the G., M. Sullivan; trustees, Hon. C. A. Meyer and James Higgs. The mem- bership was 120.
This association is beneficial in its operation, a sick or disabled comrade receiving $3 per week while disqualified from performing his accustomed labor. A number of old soldiers have been buried by the charity of the post, which as an organization observes the annual decoration day with appropriate ceremonies. Two camp-fires or convocations are usually held annually. In 1877 the annual convention of the department of the State of Pennsylvania G. A. R. was held with the Wilkes-Barre post which meets in Wood's Hall.
ST. MARY'S BRANCH, NO. 33, EMERALD BENEFICIAL, ASSOCI- ATION.
St. Mary's branch was organized April 5th, 1873, and is subordinate to the grand branches of Pennsylvania and the United States.
The successive presidents have been as follows: 1873, John E. Finan; 1874, J. F. Dougher; 1875, 1876, Thomas Gaffney; 1877, Lawrence Casey; 1878, John B. Reilly. Secretaries: 1873, John Keegan; 1874, 1875, P. C. Sheri-
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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.
dan; 1876, P. Callery; 1877, G. S. Strome; 1878, Law- rence Casey.
The officers for 1879 were: Pres., Charles Lavin; S., Lawrence Casey; T., Patrick Monigan; M., John B. Reilly; A. M., James J. Gallagher.
Meetings are held in Father Matthew Hall, Northamp- ton street, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Monthly contributions of fifty cents are paid by each member. Members are paid $5 per week during sickness. Since its organization, up to September, 1879, the receipts of the branch were $5, 141.44 and its expen- ditures $4,435.10.
LUZERNE COUNCIL, NO. 108, O. U. A. M.
This council was organized September 17th, 1874, with the following charter members: C. J. Smith, F. D. Krebs, H Hockenberry, J. Bonham, E. B. Trivley, John H. Kreidler, W. Snyder, W. L. Millham, G. Snyder, A. Sny- der, J. Miller, R. A. R. Winder, W. H. Snyder and James Moyer.
The first officers were as follows: Counc., J. H. Krei- dler; V .- Counc., John Bonham; K. S., Robert A. R. Winder; A. K. S., William G. Snyder; F, S., E. B. Triv- ley; T., W. S. Millham; Ind., A. Snyder; Exm., G. Snyder; I. P., William H. Snyder; O. P., H. Hockenberry; trus- tees, H. Hockenberry, F. D. Krebs and John Bonham.
The successive presiding officers have been John H. Kreidler, John Bonham, Henry Hockenberry, E. B. Trivley, W. L. Millham, P. H. Beavers, Thomas Wells, W. S. Dorsheimer, E. B. Trivley, James Miller and H. H. Behee.
The official list in September, 1879, was as follows: Counc., H. H. Behee; V .- Counc., W. H. Snyder; K. S., J. H. Kreidler; A. K. S., Ira Crawford; F. S., H. Hocken- berry; T., G. N. Snyder; Ind., H. B. Dennis; Exm., James Wilcox; I. P., Otto J. Schrage; O. P., G. F. Sny- der; Jr. Ex. Coun., James Miller; Sr. Ex. Coun., E. B. Trivley; trustees, James Miller, E. B. Trivley and W. S. Dorsheimer.
THE GERMAN YOUNG MEN'S BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION.
This organization was formed October 18th, 1874, with the following members: Louis Mehm, Martin Brahl, Michael Klein, Jocob B. Klein, Philip Blaum and John Boermer. The first officers were: Pres., Martin Brahl; vice-pres., Michael Klein; S., Jacob B. Klein; A. S., Frank Rodenberger; T., Philip Blaum; trustees, Louis Mehm, Adam Gresser. The successive presidents have been: Martin Brahl, Jacob Gutendorf, Michael Klein, Adamı Gresser, Martin Brahl and Adam Gresser.
The following are the names of the officers serving in September, 1879: Frederick Schwartz, pres .; Martin Brahl, vice-pres .; Jacob B. Klein, S .; Jacob Gutendorf, A. S .; William Gabel, T .; trustees, Louis Mehm, Nicholas Weiss, Eusabius Zeller; doorkeeper, Jacob Klein.
The membership is about 30. Regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at Peter Stump's hall. The society has a capital of $600.
WYOMING TURNVEREIN.
The Wyoming Turnverein is a division of the North Pennsylvania Turnbezerk and of the North Ameri- can Turner-Bund. It was organized in the spring of 1878, its by-laws having been adopted June 28th of that year, at a meeting at which the following board of managers was elected: A. Baum, Charles Muller, Peter Stump, L. Praetorius, V. Kraft, M. Mische and Charles K. Bart. The purpose of the organization is the promo- tion of the physical and mental culture of its members and their children. It was chartered, under the laws of Pennsylvania, March 6th, 1878.
WILKES-BARRE LODGE, NO. 189, O. K. S. B.
This lodge was instituted April 20th, 1879, under a charter granted by District Grand Lodge O. K. S. B. to the following named charter members: Isaac Long, Jo- nas Long, Abram Kline, Alexander Runstine, N. B. Lewin, N. Springer, S. Cohen and S. Hirsch.
The first officers were: Jonas Long, pres .; Isaac Long, vice-pres .; D. Davidsburg, S .; J. Stern, F. S .; H. Hoff- heimer, T .; Abram Kline, C .; E. Constine, A. C .; J. D. Coons, I. G .; M. L. Cohen, O. G.
The officers serving in September, 1879, were: Isaac Long, pres .; J. Stern, vice-pres .; D. Davidsburg, S .; J. D. Coons, F. S .; D. Shookman, C .; A. Marks, A. C .; Alex- ander Metz, I. G .; M. L. Cohen, O. G. The member- ship was 39. Meetings are held at a quarter past ten A. M. every alternate Sunday, at the German Odd Fel- lows' Hall.
WILKES-BARRE LODGE, NO. 1,629, K. OF H. .
This lodge was organized June 3d, 1879, with the fol- lowing charter members: J. E. Patterson, James Miller, C. K. Marsh, William T. Rhoads, P. J. Harmon, G. L. C. Frantz; James Boyd, jr., E. B. Jenkins, John G. Sper- ling, John Mahoney, John Frace, Charles E. Hufford, Nathan Titus, Jacob Vogt, John T. Howell, J. R. Marsh, Barton F. Mott, J. W. Gilchrist, Frank Flosser, James S. Kerrett, Edson Mott, Oscar Magee. The following offi- cers were duly chosen and installed: J. E. Patterson, P. D .; William T. Rhoads, D .; C. K. Marsh, A. D .; James Miller, V. D .; P. J. Harman, T .; G. L. C. Frantz, R .; E. B. Jenkins, F. R .; James Boyd, jr., S .; Frank Flosser, G .; Burton F. Mott, guide; James Kerrett, C.
The officers March, 1880, were as follows: William T. Rhoads, P. D .; C. K. Marsh, D .; J. R. Marsh, A. D .; John T. Howell, V. D .; John Frace, G .; W. J. Marvel, guide; George N. Reichard, C .; James Miller, S .; P. J. Harmon, T .; E. B. Jenkins, R .; G. L. C. Frantz, F. R. The membership was one hundred and twenty-six.
Meetings are held every alternate Thursday evening in O. U. A. M. Hall.
MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
The Wilkes-Barre Liedertafel was organized August 26th, 1874, with the following charter members: Charles
225
SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES OF WILKES-BARRE.
.
Seiger, R. Wecke, John Filz, Adam Gresser, William Busch, Henry Brenner, William Franke, Leo Geissler, Gottfried Engle, Frank Hausch, Gottlieb Most, Peter Kuhl, Joseph Boeger and R. Zimmerman. The first officers were as follows: John Filz, Pres .; C. Seiger, Vice-pres .; Leo Geissler, R. S .; R. Zimmerman, S. of F .; Joseph Boeger, T .; G. Most, K. of A .; R. Wecke, musi- cal director.
The successive presidents have been as follows: John Filtz, elected August 26th, 1874; Charles Seiger, Sep- tember Ist, 1875; Adam Gresser, March 29th, 1876; Charles Seiger, March 11th, 1877; John Filz, September 9th, 1877; John Sinn, March 17th, 1878; and re-elected each subsequent term and serving in September, 1879. The other officers at that time were Philip Weiss, vice- pres; Gottfried Engle, R. S .; Philip Butzbach, S. of F .; Adolph Gotthold, T .; John Filz, K. of A .; Theodore Boettger, musical director. The society meets every Sunday afternoon and evening for rehearsal, and the first Sunday of each month for business at Walsieffer's hall at the corner of Washington and South streets.
The Wilkes-Barre Mannerchor is a regular organized and officered musical society, with Louis Praetorius as leader.
The Arion Glee Club and the Welsh Glee Club are or- ganizations worthy of mention.
Rieg's Band is composed of thorough musicians, and is one of the best in northern Pennsylvania.
TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS .- I. O. G. T.
Evening Star Lodge, No. 221 .- This lodge was organ- ized August 17th, 1866, with the following charter mem- bers: J. M. Barrett, C. P. Kidder, Thomas G. Boyd, C. F. Cook, M. Kidder, James B. Barnes, W. C. Hyde, W. D. Coolbaugh, T. F. Ayres, M. P. Lutz, John G. Wood, B. M. Esby, T. Daley, Joseph Tyler, William Yost, W. P. O'Neil, Mrs. C. F. Cook, Mrs. Daley, Mary Behee, Emma Parsons, M. Marcy and S. Alkins. The following are the names of the first officers W. C. T., C. P. Kid- der; W. V. T., Esther Fisher; Rec. Sec., Charles Dough- erty; Fi. Sec., William Howe; Tr., Mrs. Charles Cook; M., Thomas G. Boyd; C., Emma Parsons; D. M., Mary Behee. Meetings are held Monday evenings in J. Lewis's hall.
Welcome Lodge, No. 1,074, is of later organization and is rapidly gaining in membership.
Freedom Lodge, No. 1,333 .- This lodge was organized December 28th, 1878, and the following officers were in- stalled: W .. C. T., G. W. Hoover; W. V. T., D. McAllis- ter; S., R. Miller; F. S., E. D. Nichols; C., M. W. Har- ris; M., John G. Gibson; S., I. E. Hoover; G., H. H. Harris. The officers in 1879 were; W. C. T., E. D. Nichols; W. V. T., Nellie McKinnis; S., H. H. Harris; F. S., C. H. Fitz Williams; S., Flora Shermer; M., M. W. Harris; C., E. Jones. The first lodge deputy was E. D. Nichols; the second was M. W. Harris, the pres- ent incumbent.
The Father Matthew Catholic Total Abstinence Society of St. Mary's was organized in April, 1871, with the fol-
lowing charter members: William Morris, Edward Kee- gan, Patrick Foley, Michael Crogan, James Hourigan, Michiel Cuddy, Thomis Gaffney, Thomas Conway, Timothy Sullivan, John C. Little, John McCellan, Charles A. Westfield, Patrick J. Kenny and Peter Brennan.
The first president of the society was Michael Crogin. The succeeding presidents have been Michael Kelly, John F. McMahon, T. J. McConnon, L. W. Kenny and Thomas Gaffney. Besides the president the officers of the society serving in October, 1879. were: Vice-pres., John F. Dougher; R. S., John F. McMahon; C. S., D. J. Burke; T., M. S. Kirwan. There is a cadet society attached, numbering fifty members, and the society has a library of 300 volumes. Meetings are held at Burke's Hall at four P. M. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.
CHURCH HISTORY.
PRESBYTERIANISM.
Early Religious History .- The earliest efforts to estab- lish religious worship in Wyoming, after the labors of the Moravian missionaries, were made, it is believed, by the Presbyterians, though the honor is by some contested in behalf of the Baptists. Opposing claims to priority and conflicting evidence as to the sectarian preferences of some of the pioneer preachers tend to envelop the early church history of Wyoming in considerable uncertainty. The pioneer Presbyterian preacher who visited the local- ity was Rev. David Brainerd, who was succeeded by his brother John before the French war, which compelled both the Moravian and Presbyterian missionaries to leave the frontiers. Rev. William Marsh, a Congrega- tionalist (or Baptist), accompanied the Mill creek settlers in 1763, and was slain with others October 15th of that year. Rev. George Beckwith, jr., came with the second New England colony to Wyoming February 8th, 1769, and remained about a year. Whether these preachers had come in the capacity of spiritual advisers, or, like others, as adventurers, is not certain; though it is proba- ble they were induced to visit the locality as bearers of gospel truth by those whom they accompanied or fol- lowed.
The earliest record of any general movement for es- tablishing the gospel in the valley is dated September 11th, 1772, when at a town meeting it was voted to invite Rev. Jacob Johnson, of Groton, Conn., to come to labor with the people as their pastor, and a liberal donation in land was voted him in case he should accept their invita- tion Mr. Johnson came to the valley in response to this offer, and one year later appears this record:
"August 23d, 1773, at a town meeting regularly con- vened a final call was extended to Rev. Jacob Johnson, who has been some time laboring for us, to become our pastor."
This was the first actual settlement of any minister of the gospel north of the Blue mountains in the territory now comprising the State of Pennsylvania. Mr. Johnson was a New England Congregationalist, and as such his
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226
HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.
people and their successors continued to be governed more than fifty years. In 1778 the little church seems to have been in a prosperous condition, and the erection of a primitive house of worship of respectable dimensions is said to have been nearly completed when savages swept away everything in the settlement.
Rev. Jacob Johnson, inured to the dangers of pioneer life and zealous in Christian work, seems to have been peculiarly adapted to the demands of the place and the period. He was born in Wallingford, Conn., in 1713, graduated at Yale College in 1740, and was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1749. For some time he had officiated as pastor of the church of North Groton (now Ledyard), Conn., and had subsequently spent several years as a missionary among the Indians on the Mohawk, principally with the Oneidas, at Upper Oneida Castle, where he was brought into intimate and friendly relations with Sir William Johnson. Soon acquiring a knowledge of the language of the tribes with whom he labored, he was enabled to preach to them in their own tongue with signal power and effect. Tall and of commanding figure, with dark hair, eyes and complexion, he soon became a favorite with the Indians and was sev- eral times employed as interpreter at important treaty negotiations. He had won the confidence of the tribes and exerted so considerable an influence over them that in 1768, when Governor Penn sought to obtain from the Six Nations by treaty a relinquishment of the Indian title to the lands on the upper Susquehanna, Conrad Weiser wrote to the agent of Penn to "beware of that wicked priest of Canajoharie," and to keep the matter a secret from him, or otherwise his influence with the Indians might frustrate their designs. At the capitulation of Forty Fort he was one of the commissioners who treated for terms with the victorious invaders, and the conditions of surrender were reduced to writing by him. In common with the other survivors he fled with his family to Connecticut. Returning to Wyoming in 1781, full of ardor for religion, liberty, and the Connecticut claim to the soil, he was welcomed by his flock with cordial congratulations. He went from place to place awakening sinners to repentance, arousing the people to new efforts in the common cause of the country against English tyranny, and advising them by all means to adhere to and support their claim to their lands. He shared the sufferings and humiliations of his people in their threat- ened expulsion by the Pennsylvania land claimants after an adverse decision had been recorded in the Trenton decree; and so vigorous was he in denouncing the au- thority of the Pennsylvania claimants and the terms im- posed upon the settlers under Connecticut title (though they had made an exception in his case, and generously offered to permit him to occupy his land two years longer), that he was arrested in 1784 and held to bail to answer to a charge of sedition against the commonwealth of Pennsylvania; but the case was never brought to trial.
The Old Ship Zion .- Meetings were held in private houses until the completion of the court-house; and not
liking to worship in that building, Mr. Johnson took such energetic measures for the erection of a church for the accommodation of his congregation that in 1791 the „town authorities of Wilkes-Barre appointed Zebulon Butler, John Paul Schott, Timothy Pickering, Daniel Gore and Nathan Waller a committee to select a site for a suitable edifice. A place in the public square was cho- sen, and the following year the proceeds from the sale of the public ferry were given, and a committee appointed to secure subscriptions toward a building fund. Rev. Mr. Johnson did not live, however, to see any substantial promise of the fruition of his labors, for the building was not enclosed until June, 1801. He was to some extent visionary toward the close of his life, believing himself endowed with preternatural knowledge of coming events; and in the beginning of March, 1797, being in his accus- tomed good health, he informed his family that he was soon to die and immediately set about selecting a spot for his burial place and the preparation of a grave. The place chosen was on top of the ridge overlooking Wilkes- Barre at the upper end of Franklin street as now opened, and he labored at the task till the grave was completed (March 15th, 1797). On the evening of that day he conversed cheerfully with his family, telling them that he did not expect to live until another morning, and retired to rest. During the night one of his sons, who occupied an adjoining room, heard an unusual sound, and upon repairing to his bedside found his prediction about to be verified, and .in a few minutes life was extinct.
Many of the early members of his congregation were laid in their graves before the church was finished, in 1812, after a hard struggle to raise the funds necessary to its completion, one of the means resorted to having been a lottery, which did not accomplish the end desired. The steeple, which had been erected in 1801, was three times struck by lightning before the edifice was finished and the bell hung.
The bell was cast in Philadelphia August 6th, 1811, by George Hedderly, and weighed 680 pounds. It bore the inscription in Latin "Gloria in Excelsis Deo- Fili Dei Miserere,"and the English sentence " I will sound and resound unto thy people, O Lord, to call them to thy word." It tolled the curfew, or knell of parting day, from 1812 to 1845. The erection of the "Old Ship Zion," as the old church came to be known, was per- formed under contract by Joseph Hitchcock.
The First Presbyterian Church .- Mr. Johnson was suc- ceeded by Rev. Jabez Chadwick and James W. Wood- worth, and perhaps other missionaries from the mission- ary society of Connecticut served during a period ensuing. Messrs. Chadwick and Woodworth drew up a statement of doctrine and a covenant and effected a more formal organization than had hitherto existed, the following named persons subscribing to the covenant July Ist, 1803: Luke Sweatland, William Dickson, Hugh Conner, Nehemiah Ide, Daniel Hoyt,Stephen Hollister, John Gore, William Colwell, Darius Preston, Hannah Breese, Wealthy Smith, Eunice Sprague, Elizabeth Sill, Martha Blackman,
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WILKES-BARRE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-EARLY SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.
Susanna Fish, Polly Mulford, Naomi Schott, Martha Ide Hannah Chapman, Eliser Ross, Niece Hollister, Ruth Keeler, Jane Colwell, Sarah Hollenback, Hannah Bradley Susannah Dana, Joanna Fish. The signatures were at- tested as having been "signed in the presence of Jabez Chadwick and James W. Woodward." A missionary named Porter also labored here about this time. Rev. Ard Hoyt became pastor of the church in 1806, and resigned November roth, 1811, to go as a missionary to the Indians in Tennessee. The following pastors followed success- ively:
Rev. Hutchings Taylor, from the fall of 1817 to the fall of 1818; Rev. D. Moulton, 1819, 1820; Rev. Cyrus Gildersleeve, 1821 to the spring of 1829; Rev. Nicholas Murray, who afterwards gained considerable notoriety as "Kirwan" in his celebrated contest with John, afterwards Archbishop Hughes, of the Catholic Church, 1829-33. During Mr. Murray's administration the church, which had been partly Congregational hitherto, fully adopted the Presbyterian form of government, electing Henry C. Anhauser, William C. Gildersleeve and Oristus Collins as elders.
In 1853 Rev. John Dorrance, D. D., was installed pastor of the church, which he served with unswerving faithfulness and signal success until his death, April 13th, 1861. Mr. Dorrance's successor, Rev. A. A. Hodge, D. D., became pastor September 7th, 1861, and remained until the autumn of 1864. He was followed by Rev. S. B. Dodd, whose pastorate extended from Nov. 10th, 1864, to October 12th, 1868. The present pastor, Rev. F. B. Hodge, began his work February 23d following, and his pastorate has been eminently successful and mutually pleasant to pastor and people. The elders of the church are: Oristus Collins, Calvin Parsons, Nathaniel Rutter, A. T. McClintock, John W. Hollenback, Douglass Smith, Dickson Lewers and George Loveland; deacons, Dr. C. S. Beek and Dr. J. A. Murphy; president of the session, Colonel G. M. Reynolds; secretary, S. H. Lynch; treas- urer, Douglass Smith; Harrison Wright and Dr. G. W. Guthrie. The Presbyterian churches of Nanticoke and Ashley, the Memorial Presbyterian church of Wilkes- Barre and the First Presbyterian church of Pittston have been organized from the First Presbyterian Church of Wilkes- Barre, and many persons have united with and in some cases largely constituted other churches in this re- gion.
The membership of the church in the spring of 1880 was 420. During the ten years ending April, 1879, the total contributions of the church to charitable objects amount to $104,000, and $66,339 has been expended for congregational purposes.
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