History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 71

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 71
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 71
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 71

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At that institution he was classed or associa- ted with several young men who have since made their mark in secular and ecclesiasti- cal careers. Amongst the latter we may name Bishop McFarland, of Hartford ; Bishop Loughlin, of Brooklyn ; Archbishop Elder, of Cincinnati ; Bishop Cowray, of Albany; and a host of others equally eminent in the American Church. College life is uneventful except for the students, so the subject of our sketch passed his days and years in the studies appertaining to his chosen career, whilst at the same time teaching Greek, Latin, history or mathematics, as the faculty of the college as- signed him, thereby incurring no obligation to any particular diocese, and retaining the right to select his field of future labor.

lege, at Fordham, and another old student of the Mountain was appointed to preside, and at his request Bishop Hughes called upon the old college for a contingent to sustain the new fac- ulty, and amongst them the subject of this sketch.

The mortality amongst his cotemporaries at St. John's College has been very great, for he remembers but three who survive, and these are Father Harrigan, of Binghamton ; Rev. George McClosky, of Louisville; and Monsig- nor Quinn, of New York.

In 1844 the bishop of Cincinnati called him to orders, and in April he was ordained " dea- con," and the next month priest, and attached to the Cathedral, then the only English-speak- ing Catholic Church in the city. Besides him- self there were only two other priests, Rev. Fathers Collins and Purcell, to serve it, and these had not seldom to ride sixty miles into the country on horseback, to attend the dying members of the church.

The restraints of city life soon began to tell unfavorably on his health, and through the medium of his friend, Father Edward, to whom the bishop would refuse nothing, he procured a change to the country. This was faciliated with the bishop in view of the return of Father Wood, subsequently archbishop of Philadel- phia, who had recently been ordained priest at Rome.

Father Doherty was released from city work, which was always uncongenial, and Massillon, in the northern part of the State, was named as his field of labor.

It was a desolate field-no church, no house, no money, nothing but a portable chapel and a pair of saddle-bags, but no horse nor saddle- yet by August 15th, four months after his arrival, he had erected a solid stone church, with a par- sonage under the same roof, which Bishop Pur- cell dedicated on that festival, and the same day transferred Father Doherty to Canton, made vacant by the return of the incumbent to Europe.

Within five miles was a French colony, in charge of Father De Goesbriand, now bishop of Burlington, Vt., where were many English-

In 1843 the late Cardinal McCloskey was relieved of the presidency of St. John's Col- speaking people ; many, too, were scattered in

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the Western Reserve ; indeed liis field extended twenty-five miles in a radius from Canton, and southward over fifty miles. It comprises to- day ten parishes and as many pastors.

There was a strong mutual attachment be- tween the people of Canton and their young pastor, which was growing year after year as he made their church respected by his personal and intellectual eminence. In 1848, however, on the division of the diocese of Cincinnati, he found himself remanded to the new diocese of Cleveland, and, in common with others of the English-speaking clergy of the diocese, he sought and obtained a canonical exeat.

He has often since questioned the inadequacy of the cause that impelled that course, since it unmoored him, and for awhile set him adrift amid unforeseen perils. But youth and inex- perience are usually self-reliant, and priests, as other men. must pay the price for wisdom. A public meeting convened at the court-house, Congressman Starkweather, chairman, and Judge Lynch, secretary-conveyed to him com- plimentary resolutions and expressions of re- gret. Under obligations to no diocese, he could lawfully choose his field of labor, Bishop Fitzpatrick had just bought a Uni- tarian Church in Purchase Street, Boston, and at ouce tendered the rectorship of it to Father Doherty, through a mutual friend, before he had yet fully withdrawn from Canton.

It was accepted and on its dedication to St. Vincent he assumed the charge, in which he was assisted gratuitously by Father Shaw, re- cently converted at Rome and ordained by Bishop Fitzpatrick.

He resided at the bishop's house, and of his cotemporaries there survives to-day one-the present Archbishop Williams. The others were Hardy, Manahan and O'Brien. A. Bron- son was always a Friday guest at the bishop's hospitable board, where all were amused and instructed by the logical sparring of the learned bishop and his illustrious convert. Whilst the novelty lasted the new life was not irksome, but soon the old repugnance to the city re- turned upon him, and he began to long for the green fields and the soft roads and shady lanes of the country. The sights and scenes in cellar

and garret filled him with disgust and chafed upon his temper.

He availed himself of every opportunity to leave the city, and made missionary excursions as far as New Hampshire.

He it was who bought the commodious site of the Augustinian Church, at Lawrence, whither, on learning his discontent with city life, the bishop wished to transfer him.

Indeed, the Catholic Almanac of 1849 locates him at Lawrence.

And there he would have located, but that the aged missionary, Father French, brother to Bishop French, was the incumbent there ; and, although feeble, lie felt himself competent to discharge its duties, and Father Doherty de- clined to intrude on the venerable father or trespass on what he regarded his rights.

So, although the Catholic Almanac so re- ported in 1849, he never accepted the appoint- ment. The next year, appreciating his prefer- ence for country life, the bishop reluctantly acquiesced in his wish for a change from the city, and Father George Reardon was trans- ferred to Cambridge from Worcester, whence he attended Saxonville, Framingham, Spring- field, Palmer and Ware, and Father Doherty was sent to succeed him.

In one sense the change was gratifying. The country was pleasant and the educated people whom he met during his short stay social and liberal. The location was central, and he had often for guests the genial Bishop Fitzpatrick and his successor, the present arch- bishop of Boston (then Father Williams, whose friendship he continues to enjoy), Dr. Manahan, the ponderous O. A. Brownson. Bishop Hughes made his house a stage on the way to Montreal, and Thomas Darcy Magee came there to reconcile a slight misunderstand- ing ; and Dr. Early, the president of the Wor- cester College, and subsequently of Georgetown, frequently assisted him on Sunday.

But he encountered a formidable foe and his special aversion, the whiskey interest, which, as he is accustomed to say, " fattens on famine and the moral carrion it generates."

He was full of fight and inexperience, and, by what he himself to-day doubtless would re-

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gard intemperate invective, provoked a des- perate resistance, which soon defiantly turned upon him to overwhelm him with obloquy.

It would greatly exceed the limits of this sketch to detail this brief episode in Father Doherty's career. During the whole of the year 1851 he was harassed with prosecutions, which were peculiarly annoying by the mode of procedure, which was by " primary attach- ment ;" and, besides, every attorney of the court was ex-officio a magistrate, which afforded all the opportunity mercenary or malignant people could require to drag their victims into court. Mr. George Roberts, of the Boston Daily Times, in the leading editorial of Wednesday morning, June 25th of that year, thus records their com- plete defeat,-" We must honestly confess that we see in the allegations against Rev. Mr. Doherty nothing which he has not triumphantly refuted."

It was then they transferred their assaults to the newspapers. He declined that interminable extra-judicial tribunal of ribaldry and rant, and, consulting his own and others' peace in- dispensable to religion, he acquiesced in his friends' advice and transferred his services to Philadelphia, where his old friend, Father Newman, of Pittsburgh, had just been conse- crated bishop.

He was immediately appointed to Chambers- burg Parish, vacated by the transfer of Dr. Leituer to Columbia, and entered upon his duties June 24, 1852. It then embraced Car- lisle, Waynesboro' and Concord, but not one vendor of liquor within its limits. He found the people and the climate of Chambersburg congenial.

Here he speedily recovered the elasticity of spirit, somewhat impaired by his brief, but severe, struggle, and soon forgot assaults and assailants in the tranquil pursuit of his ministry. His literary taste found field for cultivation.

He became an active member of the Young Men's Literary Society, which then embraced such men as Judge Nill, Alexander McClure, William B. MeClelland, G. Sharp, G. Brewer and several others who have since made their impress on political and literary life in the State. Whilst there he built the neat brick

church at Concord, and had it dedicated to our " Lady of Refuge," by Bishop Newman (who was attended by Doctor Hayden, of Bedford, and Father Myers, of Baltimore), on the 15th of August, 1853. Ten years after leaving Chambersburg, Father Doherty revisited it as the guest of Colonel Hoskinson, and received an ovation from all its ministers, and literary people crowded the church to hear and see him, and called upon him at the house of his host. In June, 1855, the parish of Towanda becom- ing vacant, the bishop tendered it to Father Doherty, and, although growing yearly more attached to the place and people, he accepted it, and immediately entered upon his duties there. He found Towanda a vast parish ; and it is to- day, although dismembered, and two others formed from it.

Yet, during four years he toiled there unre- mittingly, not seldom riding fifty miles a day on horseback and never did he take a day's va- cation. Neither did he ever utter a word of complaint to his friend. On the contrary, in 1859, when a vacancy occurred at Honesdale, Bishop Newman thus writes to Father Doherty from Reading :

" Altho' when I visited you lately, you ex- pressed a willingness to remain at Towanda, yet I deem it proper to offer you Honesdale. It is the best at present in my gift, and much easier than your present parish. If you accept, please inform me promptly, for I am anxious to fill it."

The intimation of his friend's wish was enough, and Father Doherty, although endeared to the place and people by many ties, proceeded to settle up his affairs, and within two weeks, in July, 1859, assumed the pastorship of Honesdale and its missions.

Hitherto his stay was too brief to make any perceptible impression ou the community. His youth and secluded habits, if nothing else, kept him an unknown factor; on his arrival at Honesdale, in his thirty-eighth year, he retained the boyish look of twenty years. Here le set- tled down to his life-work about the age that nost men develop into usefulness and success.

By that time they get chiastened by disap- pointments and mature into a noble manhood,

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if the material be there. He found vices and vicious practices entrenched in the habits of people, but he had learned the folly of firing the corn-crib to exterminate the rats, so he set himself to stay the sin and spare the sinner, with what success may be seen in the history of the Catholic Church, to which we refer our readers.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH .- Prior to 1842 a number of persons in Honesdale had become converts to the Baptist faith, but they had for the most part joined the Bethany Church, and none had been organized in Honesdale. In the spring of 1842 Elders Lewis Raymond, H. Curtis and D. F. Leach made an effort to bring into existence a local church, and for that pur- pose a council was convened at the call of the Bethany Church, which duly assembled at Bethany on April 10th, delegates being present from Damascus, Clinton, Mount Pleasant, Cooperstown, N. Y., and Ten-Mile River. The church was organized by this council, with the following constituent members, viz. : Franklin Davall, Harry Wheeler and wife, Charlotte Wheeler, Harlan D. Fuller and wife, Saralı B. Fuller, John Garrett, Jr., and wife, Patience Garrett, John Chope, Hezekiah Mattesson, John Shopland, Albert H. Russell, John Gray, Richard L. Ward, Runnells Cole, Asa Cran- dall, D. P. Bunnell, Susan Stryker, Laura Robinson, Parthenia Bunnell, Sarah Murray, Elizabeth Jackett, Clarissa MeMullen, Eliza A. Cole, Eleanor Cole, Harriet Bunnell, Almira Burnett, all from the church at Bethany; Parks Baird and his wife, Sarah Ann Baird, from the church at Damascus ; and Phoebe Davall, from the church at Mount Pleasant. Sarah Harris was admitted by letter on April 14th, and was the first person so received.

It was not until the next year (1843) that the society secured a settled pastor, the Rev. D. L. McGear. The first trustees elected were D. Bun- nell, R. L. Ward, E. Mapes, F. Davall and H. Wheeler. The first clerk was H. A. Mattesson, and the treasurer Franklin Davall.

For the first three years the society worshipped in the old Tabernacle and in other places, but as early as June 17, 1843, it was decided to pro- cure a lot on which to build a church. On De-

cember 29th following the trustees were author- ized to purchase the lot opposite Stephen Cory's shop, on Second Street. The church, still in use, was finished in July, 1845, and dedicated upon the 30th of the month. About the same time a Sunday-school was organized.

Following is the succession of pastors who have served this church :

1843 D. L. McGear.

1843. D. D. Gray.

1846.

G. S. Bailey.

1846 A. G. Smith.

1847

T. O. Judd.

1850

C. C. Williams.

1853

Zelotes Grenell.

1856.

Joseph N. Folwell.

1858

L. O. Grenell.

1866

Samuel H. Mead.

1867

H. B. Gamer.

1871

Walter Gallant.

1875

James A. Mets.

1882

A. H. Bliss.

The deacons, in the order of their succession, have been as follows :

1843. S. L. Deming.

1843

J. A. Patmor.

1845.

H. A. Mattesson.

1845-55

F. Davall.

1855-60

Eliphalet Wood.

1860 Joseph A. Hubbard.

V. Grenell.

1863-65

Peter J. Cole.

1865-67.

H. W. Kalisch.

1882

Peter J. Cole.

William H. Haskin.

Francis West.

The present trustees are B. L. Wood, P. J. Cole, William A. Gaylord, William H. Haskin and B. F. Fraley.

ST. JOHN GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH .--- The congregation was organized in 1845 and im- mediately proceeded to erect a small house of worship, which was superseded in 1849 by the larger edifice still in use. The church is in a flourishing condition and has a membership of two hundred and twenty-five. Connected with the society is a parochial school, which is at- tended by about seventy pupils. The school building is in the rear of the church. The. society also owns a parsonage on Second Street, and a lot fifty by one hundred and fifty feet.

The first pastor of this church was the Rev.

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C. Sans, who served from 1845 to 1847. Since the expiration of his pastorate the succession of ministers has been as follows :

G. Zeumer 1847-49

J. Goetz. 1849-59

F. A. Bauer 1859-66

J. Helfer. 1866-68

F. F. Wilken 1868-72

O. Telle. 1872-78

F. A. Herzberger. 1878-80

G. F. Woerner. 1880-84

Th. Heischmann. 1884-85

Robert Conrad.

1885-

THE GERMAN CATHOLIC CONGREGATION, of Honesdale, was organized about 1853, when Father Caspar Müller became its pastor. From 1858 to 1863 the Rev. P. C. Nagel, of Wilkes- Barre, attended to its spiritual wants. Under his supervision the church was built at the present site, corner Fifth and Second Streets, and dedicated in 1860, after the old edifice on Sev- enth Street had been destroyed by fire. He also bought about two acres of land for a cemetery, from Mr. Schoonover.

Rev. Francis Buthe was assigned to the rec- torship in the spring of 1863, and remained at the head of the congregation until the time of his death, in 1878, wlien he was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. William Dassel.

Rev. F. Buthe introduced the Sisters of Chris- tian Charity to teach the children of the paro- chial school. A handsome school building was erected through his exertions, the upper floor of which was occupied by the Sisters as a dwell- ing.

Since then the congregation has acquired the property adjoining as a residence for the teach- ers. There has been also an addition of thirty feet made to the church, which has been frescoed and otherwise beautified at a considerable out- lay.

THE HEBREW CONGREGATION .- In the spring of 1849, William Weiss, the first pioneer Jew, publicly known as such, settled in Hones- dale, where he still resides.

Two months later a family, Waller by name, bought property in the upper part of the town, where they lived until some years ago, which they followed their children to California and there the aged couple died.

That same summer Michael and Lewis Mil- hauser, John Goldsmith, Julius Bach and J. Tanhauser, Jacob Libsez and J. Wiseman immi- grated.

In September of that year they associated themselves into a congregation numbering nine nien, and held their first public prayer-meeting at the home of Mr. Waller, who furnished the room for the purpose. The following year canie Samuel Frankel, who was ever a leading member of the congregation " House of Israel," until his death, in 1881. With Mr. Frankel and family came his three brothers-in-law, familiarly known to this day as the three old bachelors, the Sam- uel Brothers.

Shortly after Abe Bernstein came ; also three cousins, Levy by name, having settled here, two daughters of Jacob Levy married two brothers by the name of Freeman, who, with their fami- lies, still reside here, the old folks having passed away. That year the congregation bought a plot of ground for a burial-place, near what now constitutes Glen Dyberry Cemetery, the first burial being that of a child of S. Levy. Since then many of the old settlers rest there in family lots, 'neath the shade of trees planted by the hand of pioneer Wciss, and under modest tomb-stones with Hebrew and English inscrip- tions.

Soon after the congregation rented and fur- nished a large room for a synagogue, and engaged Rev. Mr. Kuttner as the minister and parochial teaclier.

With the minister came the desire for building a house of worship. Although the Jewish fami- lies were few and in moderate circumstances, some very poor, each one pledged himself to furnish not less than fifty dollars apiece either of his own means or to raise the sum by sub- scription. The Rev. Mr. Kuttner's earnest efforts were crowned with success.

The Delaware and Hudson Company, through the intercession of the late R. F. Lord, liberally donated a building lot for the purpose. Mr. Lord not only subscribed from his private means for the building, but when shown the plan for the church without a tower, a church- bell not being customary, and the congregation unable to furnish further funds, Mr. Lord pre-

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

vailed on the committee and offered a ten-dollar bill additionally in the name of his good wife, if they add the tower, which they eventually did. The citizens of the different Christian denominations aided liberally, and the few Jews soon built and consecrated the little church to the worship of God and the instruction of their children. Since that time the Revs. Kuttner, Heilbronn, Bergman, Gabriel, Landau, Fass (who died here), Kaiser and Bloch have suc- cessively officiated as rabbi of the limited num- ber of Jewish families who have come and gone during these years, and at present the con- gregation, consisting of less than a score of families, is under the guidance of the Rev. J. Kahn. Of the earlier settlers, William Weiss, Samuel Brothers, Lewis Milhauser, the Freeman Brothers and the Katz Brothers are still resident. The congregation above men- tioned is the German-Jewish congregation gen- erally known as the " Beth-Israel."

During the past few years a number of Polish and Russian Jews have settled in Texas town- ship, across the river from Honesdale. Although in reduced circumstances, they soon formed a congregation and fitted up a place of worship and school for themselves.

EDUCATION.

THE EARLY SCHOOLS.1-The first school- house in Honesdale was located a short distance east of the corner of High and North Third Streets. It was afterwards used for stable pur- poses and has long since been demolished. The work of education was opened by Lewis Pes- tana, in the spring of 1828. He was succeeded in the fall by Charles P. Clark, who continued to teach during the winter. About the same time M. A. Whitney opened a school in the " Lower Village."

The next school was in the " Upper Village," and was conducted by Miss Mary Ann Garrett. Meanwhile Mr. Clark had been succeeded by Mr. Wells, and he, in turn, by M. A. Bidwell, who had charge of the school for several years. The other private schools of the town will be mentioned further on.

The act " To establish a General System of Education by Common Schools," which became a law April 1, 1834, was promptly adopted by the people of Honesdalc.

It provided for the election of six school direetors, who were to hire teachers and super- intend other matters relating to the schools In 1836 they were authorized to levy taxes for educational purposes. The first board of direc- tors for the Honesdale School District held its first meeting July 18, 1835, and proceeded at once to make arrangements for opening a public school. They rented the Honesdale Academy from its board of trustees and retained control of it for three years.

A list of the directors and of the teachers in the public schools from that time to the present, complete so far as the records show, is appended to this sketch. The board would occasionally delegate one of its members to hire a teacher. When that was done and the name of the teacher was not afterwards recorded, which fortunately was rarely the case, a vacancy must necessarily occur in the list.

In 1836 two additional schools were estab- lished, one in the "Upper" and the other in the " Lower Village." For several years after the introduction of the common-school system teachers were required to provide school-houses at their own expense.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company deeded the lot on Second Strect below Sixth (where the Lower School-house now stands) to the school directors in 1838 for a consideration of one dollar, and what was long known as the " Old Red School-House " was erected there. This was insufficient to meet the wants of the Lower Village as the town grew, and in 1849 was replaced by the present building.

The first school in the Upper Village owned by the board was located on the west side of Main Street, a little south of Thirteenth.

In 1847 the board bought a lot on the north side of Thirteenth Strect, about midway between Main and East Streets, and moved the building there. They rented a room of E. Fields, in 1840, for the school in the Centre Village.

In the fall of the following year they rented the basement of the old Methodist Episcopal

1 The history of the Honesdale schools was principally prepared by Edgar Jadwin,

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WAYNE COUNTY.

Church for the same purpose, with the privilege of holding it for eight years.

Four years later they bought from the Dela- ware and Hudson Canal Company a part of lot No. 20, bounded westerly by Third Street, northerly by lot No. 21, easterly by the west bank of the Lackawaxen River, southerly by the southerly half of lot No. 20, and had a school- house erected on it immediately. This was used continuously until 1861, when both the house and lot were sold, one-half to S. E. Dim- mick and the other to the Wayne County com- missioners. At the same time the Upper School- house was sold to John Thomas.

The board divided the Honesdale School District into three sub-districts in 1842, as follows : First or North District, all above the Lackawaxen Bridge ; Second or Middle Dis- trict, between the Lackawaxen Bridge and Canal Bridge on the lateral basin ; Third or South District, all below the Canal Bridge on the lateral basin.

An extra public school, called School No. 4, was held in Captain Murray's building for part of the time from 1850 to 1854, both inclusive.

A petition from the teachers in 1856, request- ing that every Saturday be given to them as a holiday, was not granted then, as it was deemed inexpedient by the board. It must, however, have been granted soon after, for the records of a few years later show that there was then no school on that day.

The course of study followed in the schools up to 1861, excepting, of course, the Honesdale Acadamy, varied with the attainments of the teacher, but the standard studies were reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, elocution, elements of English grammar, with occasionally geog- raphy, history and higher mathematics.

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 71

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438