USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including > Part 43
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The corner-stone of the present edifice was laid by Right Reverend John B. Kerfoot, D. D., bishop of the diocese of Pittsburgh, August 6, 1866. Addresses were made by the bishop, by Reverend M. Byllesly of Meadville, and Reverend Nevins. At Easter, April 21, 1867, public worship was held here for the first time. The formal opening occurred on the following Fri- day. The entire indebtedness having been liquidated, the building was con- secrated on St. John's day, 1883, by Right Reverend Cortlandt Whitehead, bishop of the diocese, assisted by the rectors of adjoining parishes. In 1880 the parish received a bequest of two thousand dollars by the will of Mrs. Ruth Bredin. This sum has been applied to the purchase of the lot adjoin- ing the church, corner of Buffalo and Twelfth, and a rectory upon this site is in contemplation. Possession of the lot was secured in September, 1889.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church originated in the preaching of Reverend H. Weicksel, who first visited Franklin in July, 1851, as mission- ary of the Pittsburgh Synod. An organization was effected October 25, 1851, with twenty members, to-wit: Martin and Fredrika Stiefel, Christopher and Margaret Heilman, Peter Hardman, John and Margaret Grieshaber, Dorothea Kunkle, Michael and Mary Heinrich, Isaac and Elizabeth Bechtel, Jacob Siefer, John Borger, John and Susanna Young, George and Anna Kester, George and Margaret West. The earliest record of officers occurs in 1861, when Conrad Reiss, Jacob Hallstein, Michael Dremmel, and Jacob Schnei- der constituted the kirchenrath. The first communion was celebrated De- cember 21, 1851; the second, March 27, 1853; the third, March 20, 1854. Reverend Weicksel preached here very irregularly, and discontinued his efforts altogether after a few years. Reverend Nunner was pastor, 1859-62; J. Brenneman, 1864; W. F. Ulery, supply, 1866. In 1868 Reverend J. M.
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Long took charge, and June 16th of that year, at a congregational meeting over which Jacob McElhaney presided, the church reorganized with Jacob Hallstein, elder, James McElhaney, deacon, and a membership of about forty-five. Reverend S. W. Kuhns was pastor from 1875 to 1881; F. W. Kohler, from July, 1881, to July, 1884; and H. J. G. Bartholomew, the present incumbent, accepted a call from this church December 16, 1884.
A lot for church purposes was secured in 1851, and the erection of a place of worship begun in the following year. It was finally dedicated December 8, 1861, Reverends J. Brenneman and S. M. Kuhns officiating. In 1885, a fund of several hundred dollars having accumulated for the purpose of building a parsonage, measures were taken to change the loca- tion, resulting in the purchase of the lot at the corner of Buffalo and Elev- enth streets, upon which the corner stone of a church building was laid by Reverend J. A. Kunkleman, D. D., July 25, 1886, followed by the dedica- tion, June 9, 1887, of an attractive frame structure in the Queen Anne style, to the rear of which the parsonage is attached. Quite recently the church, which had hitherto received aid from the mission board of synod, resolved to become self-sustaining. The membership number's one hundred.
United Presbyterian Church .- This body was organized April 7, 1862, under the direction of Lake Presbytery. Regular pastors were installed in the following order: Reverend A. H. Caldwell, January 8, 1864; Joseph McCartney, 1870; George T. McClelland, May 5, 1874; Nathan Winegart, May 7, 1878. A brick church building stands on Elk street below Eleventh, but the organization has practically disbanded since Mr. Winegart's with- drawal three years since.
St. Patrick's Catholic Church .- Though the Catholic church is one of the more recent religious bodies organized in Franklin, the rites and cere- monies of the mother church were celebrated on its site nearly one hundred and forty years ago. In the summer of 1749 Celoron's expedition passed down the Allegheny, taking formal possession of the country for the French government. Its chaplain, Reverend Joseph Peter de Bonnecamp, a Jesuit priest and mathematician, visited the Indian villages along the route and made an excellent outline map of the country lying west of the Allegheny river. He also officiated at the burial of the leaden plate at Indian God rock, nine miles below Franklin. But it was not until the spring of 1754 that Fort Machault was so far completed as to be occupied by a garrison of French soldiers, and from that time forward until the evacuation of the valley by the French the services of the Catholic church were held at regu- lar intervals by the chaplains in charge of the garrisons at Forts Presque Isle, Le Bœuf, Machault, and Duquesne. Beside ministering to the spirit- ual needs of the soldiers they preached the gospel to the Indians of the vicinity, thus following the footsteps of their intrepid brethren who first ex- plored the country contiguous to the great lakes and carried the Word of
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God to its savage inhabitants. Mass was celebrated and the gospel preached regularly at Fort Machault for more than five years, when the French forces withdrew from the valley and took their chaplains with them.
Among the first settlers of Venango county were quite a number of Catholics, though not enough in any one locality to organize a church. Some of these families were visited at long intervals by priests from the older settlements on the south and east, and subsequently by those located at Erie. From Pittsburgh, Erie, and other towns and settlements came Rev- erends C. Whelan, William F. X. O' Brien, Charles B. Maguire, Terence McGirr, Patrick O'Neill, John O'Reilly, Francis Masquelet, and Patrick O' Rafferty, also Fathers Mollinger, Gallagher, Slattery, and others, extend- ing from 1807 to 1860.
Dominick McCormick and Jeremiah Clancy, both natives of Ireland, are believed to have been the first Catholics who located in Franklin. The former came early in the century, and married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Kinnear. Their son, Robert S. McCormick, is now one of the old- est members of the Venango bar. Mr. McCormick went to Buffalo, New York, prior to 1830, where he took sick and died. Mr. Clancy came to Franklin from Philadelphia in 1819, and carried on a shoemaker's shop on Thirteenth street for many years. In March, 1830, he opened the Jack- son inn, corner of Thirteenth and Elk streets, which he conducted in con- nection with the manufacture of boots and shoes. Catholic services were occasionally held at Mr. Clancy's house by one of the zealous missionaries previously spoken of. Whenever a priest would visit the town, the scat- tered families would be notified to assemble at Mr. Clancy's house to perform the obligations of their faith, hear mass, and have the gospel preached to them. Thus many years of spiritual privation passed away, but long before his death this old pioneer had the satisfaction of helping to organize a Cath- olic congregation in Franklin, and of attending divine service in a modest temple of God erected by the little flock.
With the passing years the number of Catholic families in the village and vicinity had increased very materially, and May 1, 1852, Michael Gormley and John Dailey, of Franklin, and Thomas Moran, who then lived at the mouth of Oil creek, and has since died in Oil City, purchased of Arnold Plumer lot No. 186, whereon the present church edifice stands. They agreed to pay three hundred dollars for said lot, but by the time it was paid for and the deed obtained the interest had run the price up to four hundred and fifty-five dollars, which sum was paid by Bishop Mullen to the execu- tors of Mr. Plumer, October 1, 1869.
Though several efforts were made to organize a congregation, it was not until the period of the early oil excitement and the building of the first rail- road into Franklin that a sufficient number of Catholic families to carry out
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that object had located permanently in the town. During this embryo period Franklin was occasionally visited by Reverend John Pugh, who first said mass at Mr. Clancy's house. The little congregation then met for a time in the second story of John Duffield's building on Liberty street, and afterward at the old academy on Buffalo street. Father Pugh began col- lecting funds to be used in erecting a church on the lot previously pur- chased, but he was soon succeeded on the mission by Reverend John Mul- lane, and he in turn by Reverend Arthur Mignault, who carried out the proj- ect to a successful termination.
On Sunday, May 21, 1865, the corner-stone was laid by the Very Rev- erend John D. Coady, vicar general of the diocese, assisted by the pastor. A plain frame building, forty by sixty feet in size, was erected, and opened for services the following autumn. It was named "St. Patrick's Church," in honor of Ireland's patron saint, and was finally dedicated to the service of God by Right Reverend Tobias Mullen, bishop of Erie, in the fall of 1870. Father Mignault built a portion of the old parochial residence, which was subsequently enlarged and occupied by his successors until the completion of the present one in the spring of 1889. It originally stood on the rear part of the church lot. He also opened a small school, which was continued a few years and then abandoned because the congregation at that time was not able to support it properly.
In May, 1866, Reverend John Quincy Adams took charge of St. Pat- rick's, but remained only a few months. He was followed by Reverends Philip J. Maurel, J. F. McSweeney, and John L. Madigan, in quick succes- sion, the last mentioned becoming pastor in December, 1866. Father Madi- gan had charge of the congregation until August, 1869, and was then suc- ceeded by Reverend Thomas Carroll, now of Oil City, who filled the pastor- ate very successfully over two years. He bought two lots on the corner of Tenth and Buffallo streets, in June, 1870, for the sum of two thousand one hundred dollars. The old church and residence were moved to these lots when the present church edifice was commenced. In the summer of 1870 he again added to the property of the church by the purchase of five acres of land for a cemetery, across French creek in Sugar Creek township, which was consecrated by Bishop Mullen on the same day that he dedicated the old church. Prior to this the Catholics of Franklin interred their dead in the cemetery near the church at Salina, in Cranberry township.
In October, 1871, Reverend John Quincy Adams succeeded Father Car- roll as pastor of St. Patrick's. He was a diligent and faithful servant of Christ, and for nearly sixteen years judiciously guarded and watched over the spiritual and temporal interests of the congregation. Under his pastor- ate. the growth of the church was steady, and a new house of worship finally became an imperative necessity. The plans for the proposed struct- ure were drawn by P. C. Keeley of Brooklyn, New York, and the contract-
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ors were May & Osborn, of Franklin. The corner-stone was laid May 27, 1879, by Bishop Mullen, assisted by the Reverends Thomas Carroll, Patrick J. Smith, John Link, James Lachermaier, and the pastor. The building was pushed forward as rapidly as circumstances would justify, and on the 21st of May, 1882, it was dedicated, with appropriate ceremonies, to the service of God by Bishop Mullen, Reverend William F. Hays of Columbus, Ohio, preaching the sermon on that occasion. This was one of the happiest days in the history of St. Patrick's congregation, and the church was filled to overflowing.
It is a substantial brick edifice, fifty-six by one hundred and thirteen feet in dimensions, surmounted by a graceful tower. The windows are of the finest stained glass, and were donated by members of the congregation. The interior is finished in hardwood, and when frescoed will compare favor- ably with any church building in Franklin. It has a seating capacity of about six hundred, and as it stands to-day cost thirty thousand dollars. While the members of St. Patrick's did all in their power, and many out- side of the congregation gave liberal contributions, the truth of history de- mands that the name of James S. McGarry should be placed at the head of those whose time and money were devoted toward the erection and com- pletion of St. Patrick's church. When the new building was finished the old one was abandoned and afterward removed from the church property.
Though afflicted with heart disease for several years, Father Adams re- mained at the post of duty until a short time before his death, which oc- curred suddenly from apoplexy, while visiting at Mansfield, Ohio, June 23, 1887. His remains were brought back to Franklin, where an imposing cortege, made up of both rich and poor, and representing every shade of religious belief, followed them from the depot to the church. Here the be- loved pastor lay in state for several days, and after the usual services on such occasions was finally laid at rest 'neath the beautiful edifice which stands as a monument to his zeal and devotion in the cause of his Divine Master.
Father Adams possessed the rare faculty of making friends and keeping them, and his character commanded the love and respect of all with whom he came in contact. The following obituary published in the Spectator at the time of his death truthfully illustrates this, and likewise the high place he held both as a priest and a citizen:
"Father Adams, pastor of St. Patrick's church of this city, was stricken with apoplexy while visiting friends at Mansfield, Ohio, last Thursday eve- ning, and died shortly after the shock. The sad news was received here on Friday morning and caused profound sorrow among all classes of our people. It was generally known that Father Adams had been in failing health . for more than a year, but the end was not looked for so soon. John Quincy Adams was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1841, and
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was educated at St. Vincent's College, in Westmoreland county. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Young, of the Erie Diocese, in 1866. His first missionary labors were at Oil City, and he also had charge of the Franklin church a few months in 1866. Subsequently he was transferred to Cross- ingville, Crawford county. On the 20th of October, 1871, he entered upon his work here, which was his last. That he was a faithful shepherd is attested by the growth of his congregation and by the handsome church edifice-the result of his labor and devotion to the work of his Master. His life was devoted to the duties of his calling. He had the spiritual and temporal welfare of his people at heart. His faithfulness as a priest and his abstention from affairs outside of his clerical duties soon gained him the esteem of the community, without regard to doctrines or creeds. If he had permitted himself to make stump speeches in his pulpit, or to preach from the stump, he would have gained a wider fame, perhaps, but less enduring regard. His work as he saw it was God's work, and he knew no other. Though strict in his observance of the tenets and discipline of his own church, he had charity for all, and there was kindness in his heart for all men, whatever their creed. That such a man as Father Adams should be esteemed by Protestants and Catholics alike is the natural result of his own devotion to duty and of his respect for the rights of others. His record here and his work make a better eulogy than mere words can give him, and of him it may truly be said ' A good man has gone to his reward.'"
The present pastor, Reverend James P. McCloskey, succeeded Father Adams, and though only a little more than two years in charge of the par- ish he has accomplished a great deal for the congregation, both spiritually and temporally. He has paid off a debt of sixteen hundred dollars, that was owing upon the church when Father Adams died; but the handsome and substantial parochial residence adjoining the church, completed in. the spring of 1889 at a cost of eight thousand dollars, and erected on a lot pur- chased in August, 1887, for two thousand seven hundred dollars, is a still greater evidence of his commendable zeal and energy. And what is still more to his credit the property of St. Patrick's church is free of debt. Father McCloskey has now in contemplation the erection of a parochial school building on the corner of Buffalo and Tenth streets, to be com- menced in the near future. When this proposed improvement is carried out the property of the Catholic church in Franklin will be second to none in Venango county. Thus under the guidance of an All-wise Providence, the labors of the several pastors of St. Patrick's congregation have been wonderfully prolific of good results, and the growth of Catholicity in this portion of His vineyard is a fair illustration of the gospel parable of the mustard seed.
First Regular Baptist Church .- In December, 1866, regular preaching was inaugurated at Hanna's hall by Reverend S. Williams, D. D. In the
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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.
spring of 1867 the society secured the old court room for Sunday services, and in the summer of that year preliminary measures were taken toward effecting an organization by the election of D. W. Morgan as clerk. A council of representatives from adjoining churches convened in the United Presbyterian church on Elk street July 30, 1867, and after the reading of letters of twenty-three members of the Baptist church from almost as many different societies they were duly constituted a separate organization. James Bryden and Charles Miller were elected and ordained deacons. The New Hampshire confession of faith was adopted, and the new organization was admitted to French Creek Association. Reverend John Owens of Pittsburgh was called as first pastor and remained one year. His successor, Reverend Thomas Seyse, resigned April 1, 1870, after a pastorate of nearly two years, during which a lot for church purposes was secured on Liberty street and the society received civil incorporation. Reverend J. W. Taylor was next called, and remained eight months. The foundation walls of the present church edifice were begun at this time. The next pastoral incumbent was Reverend J. W. Davis, whose stay was also brief. From July, 1867, to September, 1873, Sunday services were held successively in Hanna's hall, the old court room, and the old Presbyterian church. In September, 1873, the chapel was completed. On the 21st of that month the semi-centennial of the French Creek Association was celebrated here. January 1, 1874, Reverend J. W. Davis resigned as pastor; he was succeeded by Reverends A. C. Williams and R. H. Austin. About this time the membership was nearly doubled by a revival, and the building of a church edifice was decided upon. The dedi- cation occurred November 27, 1874, Doctor Evarts of Chicago preaching on this occasion. Reverend Fred Evans was installed December 6, 1874, and resigned December 13, 1885. The membership in this period increased from eighty to three hundred; a lot adjacent to the church property was pur- chased and a commodious parsonage erected thereon. Reverend Thomas Rambaut, D. D., LL. D., was pastor during the year 1886.
Reverend Euclid B. Rogers assumed the pastoral functions September 1, 1887, and began his labors with a revival that resulted in one hundred and forty conversions. Mr. Rogers resigned September 7, 1889. The pres- ent pastor, Reverend Clarence A. Adams, assumed charge January 1, 1890. The seating capacity of the church was enlarged in the autumn of 1887, and the formal reopening occurred December 30, 1888. Up to that date seven hundred and forty members had been received into the organization. Of these one hundred and seventy were dismissed to other churches, twenty- eight had died, one hundred and twenty-nine were excluded, leaving four hundred and thirteen in active connection. This number has since increased to four hundred and fifty. Of the twenty-three original members eight still sustained that relation-Messrs. Miller, Moffett, and Morgan, and the follow- ing ladies: Mrs. Palmer, Marsh, Moffett, Miller, and Heasley. The con-
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tributions for all purposes aggregated one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
The material prosperity of the church is largely due to Messrs. Charles Miller and J. C. Sibley, whose generous munificence and deep interest in its workings and welfare are a prominent factor in its later development. The practical efficiency of Mr. Miller's methods as Sunday school superin- tendent are deserving of far more than the modest mention here given. Un- der his fostering care that institution has had a rapid growth, and now numbers nearly five hundred members.
Calvary Church of the Evangelical Association. - The first minister of this denomination to preach in Franklin was Reverend J. H. Bates, and his first sermon was delivered in March, 1870, at Hunter's hall on Elk street near Thirteenth. This was followed by a protracted meeting of ten days' duration, in which he was assisted by Reverend G. S. Domer. Prior to this the only members in the town were J. A. Rossman and wife. At the next session of the Pittsburgh Annual Conference Reverend J. D. Domer was appointed missionary, his charge embracing Oil City also. He preached his first sermon April 24, 1870, in the old court house; November 13, 1870, the old academy property was first occupied, having been rented from the school authorities. In September, 1871, it was purchased, the consideration being a little more than three thousand dollars. After undergoing extensive repairs this building was dedicated October 15, 1872, Reverend T. J. Clewell officiating. The interior was again refitted in 1874-75; but proving inade- quate to the requirements of a growing congregation, this building was re- moved in 1888, and in July of that year the construction of the present place of worship was begun. It is a brick building seventy-six feet long and forty- six feet in width, with a tower and spire eighty feet high. The seating ca- pacity of the auditorium is three hundred; of the Sunday school room, one hundred; of the class-room, eighty-five; and all three may be thrown together when necessary. The cost was six thousand, five hundred dollars. The dedication occurred December 23, 1888, Bishop R. Dubs officiating. The church consisted of eight members in 1870, and J. A. Rossman was class leader. In the winter of 1872-73 there were sixty accessions. In 1881 the membership, including Rockland appointment, was one hundred and twenty-six. This congregation, individually, numbers one hundred and seven members by the latest statistical publications of the church. The Pittsburgh Conference convened here in 1876 and 1882. The first camp meeting was held September 5th to 15th, 1879, and this feature of the work is still continued. The pastoral succession has been as follows: J. H. Bates, 1871-72; W. M. Stanford, 1872-75; J. H. Bates, 1875-77; J. Q. A. Weller, 1877-78; H. H. Hurd, 1878-82; F. P. Saylor, 1882-84; Theodore Bach, 1884-87; S. M. Boyer, 1887-88.
Free Methodist Church .- The first sermon by a clergyman of this body at
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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.
Franklin was preached by Reverend R. W. Hawkins, the present chairman of this district, in the old Presbyterian church. A class was organized and met for a number of years in private houses, public halls, etc. In June, 1888, the work of building a church edifice was begun, and September 25th following the brick structure on Buffalo street between Twelfth and Thir- teenth was dedicated by Reverend E. P. Hart, one of the superintendents of the church at large. The cost was three thousand dollars. The present trustees are J. K. Dale, J. E. Adams, and L. C. Adams; stewards: J. K. Dale, N. Showers, E. P. Beighle, L. C. Adams, and Susan Adams; pastor, Reverend M. B. Miller.
Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1865 at the house of James Wilson by Reverend James Henry with twenty-five members. His successors as pastor have served in the following order: Francis F. Lyons, Richard Foreman, John Fiddler, John Givens, Jenkins Williams, John Trimble, John Baptist, John E. Little, N. H. Williams. The frame church building on Fourteenth street between New and Chestnut was built in 1865. A flourishing Sunday school is conducted bere.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Reverend Henderson, pas- tor, worships in a frame church building in the Second ward erected in 1881. The society was formed in 1876 by Reverend J. M. Morris with six members, of whom James Lawson was leader. Reverends Wheeler, Parmer, Countee, Phillips, Brown, Jones, and Washington were among Mr. Henderson's pre- decessors.
The Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in 1854 with three members and the place of worship still used for that purpose was pro- vided soon afterward. The membership is very small, and services are only held occasionally.
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