USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the Brethren of the Western District of Pennsylvania > Part 12
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This congregation maintains two evergreen Sunday- schools, two Christian Workers' Societies, two Sisters' Aid Societies, teachers' meetings and teacher training classes. The church officials are: Elder in charge, Peter Knavel; pastor, Elder H. S. Replogle ; deacons, Harvey Berkey, N. S. Berkey, George Fyock, A. S. Hoffman, N. J. Hoffman, Peter Hoff- man, Sylvester B. Hoffman, Harvey Knavel, J. H. Lehman, T. N. Park and E. C. Schuldt.
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Windber Church, Scalp Level Congregation.
SHADE CREEK.
This congregation is an offspring of the old Conemaugh congregation, having been detached from it and organized into a separate congregation about 1851 (some think it was several years earlier). In a previous chapter mention is made of Philip Hoffman's family, who were among the first, if not the first, members in this territory. Much more might be writ- ten about this pious family if space permitted. Some more of this history will probably cluster about several of the bio- graphies to follow.
Brief mention must be made of another early family whose descendants also had much to do in shaping the early des- tinies of this large congregation. This was Daniel Berkey and his wife, Elizabeth (Poorman) Berkey. They moved from a farm in Jenner Township, several miles south of the present town of Jerome, to a farm of 188 acres, three miles south of the present town of Windber. This was probably. early in the thirties. This homestead is now owned and oc- cupied by Josiah Blough, whose wife is a great-granddaughter of these early pioneers. When Mr. Berkey took possession
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Deacon Daniel Berkey and Wife.
of this farm there were about thirty acres of the land cleared, and a small log house stood upon it. In about 1840 he built a large brick house, the brick being made on the farm. This house stood until about twenty-two years ago, and was known as "The Old Brick Farmhouse." Mr. Berkey added to his property until he owned over 400 acres in one tract, as well as other farms elsewhere.
It must be stated that Elders Jacob Stutzman, Levi Roberts, John Mineely, Samuel Lidy and others did effective mission work in different parts of this territory, and men and women were born into the kingdom. Mr. Berkey and his wife also became members and he was called to be a deacon. The meetings were held in farmhouses and barns until 1858, when a large love-feast house was erected on a part of Brother Berkey's farm, called the Berkey church. When Brother Berkey died, in 1868, he was, at his request, buried near the church, his being the first grave in the Berkey cemetery.
Brother and Sister Berkey were the parents of thirteen
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children, of whom four sons died quite young. The remainder reached a good old age. Among their descendants may be named the Berkeys, Croffords, Berkebiles, Custers, Living- stons, Ripples, Fousts, Frys, Shaffers, Seeses and others.
This congregation covered Paint, Ogle and a part of Shade Townships in Somerset County, and parts of Richland and Adams Townships in Cambria County, and Paint, Scalp Level and Windber Boroughs.
Ministers.
Christian Lehman was the first minister elected in this arm of the Conemaugh congregation. This took place proba- bly in the thirties. The next election resulted in the calling of " Big " Peter Berkey and his son, Samuel, a young single brother. This took place several years before the middle of
Shade Creek Ministers Before Division. Left to Right, Charles S. Knavel, Foster B. Statler, Alvin G. Faust and William H. Fry.
the century. The first two preached in the German, and the young brother in the English. Samuel Berkey moved to Benshoff Hill before the organization of the congregation.
After the organization we find the following elections : Joseph Berkey (German and English), about 1851; Jacob Holsopple (English and German), 1861; Hiram Musselman
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(English), 1862 ; Peter B. Statler (German), 1872. This was the last brother elected who used the German. Peter Knavel, September 14, 1874; Daniel Holsopple, 1884; Jerome. E. Blough and Hiram Lehman, July 10, 1887; James F. Ream, Joseph J. Shaffer and Daniel D. Shaffer, July 4, 1893 ; Mahlon J. Weaver, 1899; Lorenzo J. Lehman and Lewis G. Shaffer, June 19, 1900; William H. Fry and Josiah L. Weaver, March 31, 1902 ; Ross D. Murphy and Alvin G. Faust, November 24, 1904; Charles S. Knavel and Frank Shaffer, June 19, 1906; Clarence Earl Shaffer, April, 1910; Foster B. Statler and James E. Murphy, November 14, 1914. Brethren Frank Shaf- fer, C. E. Shaffer and James E. Murphy have not yet accepted the call.
Ministers who moved into the congregation are: Joseph S. Burkhart, Henry P. Hostetler, who was the last brother to preach in German, Dr. S. G. Miller, Francis S. Bowen, David S. Clapper, D. M. Adams, and S. C. Thompson. These moved out : Joseph S. Burkhart, to Johnstown; Dr. Miller, to Bolivar ; J. E. Blough moved to Prince William County, Vir- ginia, in 1892, back again in 1899, and to Quemahoning in 1900; J. J. Shaffer also moved out, and after being gone several years returned in 1907, and in 1909 moved to Brothers Valley ; F. S. Bowen moved to Quemahoning and later to Bedford County ; J. F. Ream moved to Quakertown, Bucks County, 1908, and some years later to Cramer, Indiana Coun- ty ; M. J. Weaver moved to Pittsburgh, and later to Everett ; L. G. Shaffer moved to Johnstown; L. J. Lehman moved to California; J. L. Weaver moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio; D. M. Adams moved to Illinois, and S. C. Thompson to Virginia. R. D. Murphy is employed by the General Mission Board, but has his membership here.
Deacons.
The following deacons have served the church, so far as known: Daniel Berkey, John Custer, Jacob Berkey, Jacob Hoffman, David J. Shaffer, Hiram Shaffer, Aaron Shaffer, Joseph Berkebile, Peter Knavel, Samuel C. Knavel, Peter
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Hoffman, Jacob E. Foust, Samuel E. Berkey, Noah J. Hoff- man, Jacob C. Knavel, Norman S. Berkey, Jacob Fox, Aaron S. Hoffman, Scott Murphy, Samuel W. Knavel, Ira Manges, Harvey Berkey, Elmer Knavel, Calvin C. Weaver, O. F. Fyock, James Cassidy, C. E. Schuldt, T. N. Park, William Berkebile, Edgar Knavel and Lewis Penrod.
Elders.
The elders ordained in the congregation in their order are : Christian Lehman, Joseph Berkey, Hiram Musselman and Jacob Holsopple, on January 1, 1886; Peter Knavel, in 1902; J. J. Shaffer, in 1908 and W. H. Fry, on July 14, 1912. Elders D. S. Clapper and D. M. Adams moved into the congregation.
Pastors.
The regularly chosen and paid pastors have been; J. J. Shaffer, from March 2, 1907, to April 6, 1909; D. M. Adams, from October 19, 1909, to October 3, 1911; S. C. Thompson, from January 1, 1914, to April 1, 1915; A. G. Foust, from May 1, 1915. Elders Shaffer and Adams served the congre- gation before it was divided, and so were pastors of what later became the Scalp Level congregation, also.
Meetinghouses.
We have already spoken of the Berkey church. The second meetinghouse was built in Scalp Level, on land of Hiram Musselman, in 1867. This church was replaced by a new one in 1892, and since changed into a love-feast house. Next was the Ridge, or Shaffer church, on land of Aaron Shaffer, in 1872. This has also been replaced by a new church in 1912. Then followed the Rummel (also called Borders and Greenland) house, on land bought from the Rose farm, in 1873 or 1874. Rummel was rebuilt in 1903, enlarged and remodeled in 1914, and changed into a love-feast house in 1915. In 1886 a meetinghouse was built in Ogle Township, on the Alleghany Mountains, on land of Jacob Fox. Next the Keiper schoolhouse, in Adams Township, was bought and converted into a church, and called Cross Roads. A new
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Churches of Shade Creek Congregation. (1) First Berkey Church. (2) First Ridge Church after Removed from Foundation. (3) Second Rummel Church. (4) Highland Church. (5) Hagevo Church. (6) Pres- ent Berkey Church. (7) Present Ridge Church. (8) Remodeled Rummel Church.
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Berkey Cemetery, Shade Creek Congregation.
(1) Shows Grave of Daniel Berkey and Wife.
(2) Shows Grave of Peter Berkebile and Wife.
(3) Shows Large Part of Cemetery. Ministers Buried Here Are Joseph Berkey, Hiram Musselman, Henry Hostetler, Daniel Holsopple, D: D. Shaffer, Hiram Lehman and D. S. Clapper.
church was erected here in 1901, and in 1911 it was torn down and moved to Morningland, or Hagevo. In 1905 the Windber church was built, and it has since been elevated and the base- ment fitted out with Sunday-school classrooms. The Hagevo church was built in 1912. The Berkey church was remodeled in 1881 and rebuilt in 1897.
In the various church activities this congregation has stood in the front ranks. It was among the first to see and appreciate the need of Sunday-schools. The Scalp Level Sunday-school was among the first in this part of the Brother- hood. In 1903 the congregation pledged itself to support Sister Anna Z. Blough, as missionary on the India mission field, being the first congregation in the District to do this. The congregation grew to about 500, when, February 10, 1912,
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it was divided into two separate congregations, the larger and southern part, with a membership of about 275, retaining the old name. The remainder of the territory, of which Windber and Scalp Level are the strongholds with a membership of 230, was named Scalp Level.
The Berkey cemetery is one of the oldest, and in it are buried the remains of nearly all the departed ministers of the congregation.
The present official board consists of W. H. Fry, elder ; A. G. Foust, pastor; Charles S. Knavel, Foster B. Statler and R. D. Murphy, ministers. The deacons are: Joseph Ber- kebile, J. E. Foust, J. C. Knavel, Ira J. Manges, Samuel W. Knavel, C. C. Weaver, O. F. Fyock, Elmer Knavel, Edgar Knavel, William Berkebile and Lewis Penrod. Their five Sunday-schools have a total enrollment of 553. They have one Christian Workers' Society and one Sisters' Aid Society.
This congregation was again divided on January 1, 1916, the vote having been taken at the different appointments dur- ing the month of December. The part left has 211 resident members, three meetinghouses, Berkey, Ridge and Hagevo; one elder and minister, W. H. Fry; and the following dea- cons: Joseph Berkebile, J. E. Foust, Ira J. Manges, C. C. Weaver, O. F. Fyock, Edgar Knavel and William Berkebile. It will be seen that the Shade Creeek congregation has en- joyed a steady and healthful growth during all these years. She has three Sunday-schools, and her three meetinghouses are practically new.
SHEMOKIN.
It seems that the members in Jefferson County, Pennsyl- vania, were organized into a congregation with twelve mem- bers, in 1878, and that the congregation was named Shemokin. There was no resident minister and no meetinghouse and the organization was of short duration. In 1882 there were eleven members reported. In 1885 we find the name for the last time among the list of congregations.
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SOMERSET.
When the old Berlin congregation was divided into four separate congregations, October 9, 1880, this was one of the four. Its boundaries were Brothers Valley, Stony Creek, Quemahoning and Middle Creek congregations. Its official board consisted of Ministers Michael Weyandt and Solomon J. Baer, and Deacons William N. Trent and Philip F. Cupp. This territory had a membership of about seventy-five and one meetinghouse, the Trent.
During the Progressive agitation this congregation became considerably weakened, so much so that the remaining mem- bers did not deem it best to continue as a separate congregation. So, on October 17, 1883, Somerset and Brothers Valley con- gregations were consolidated, and have remained so ever since.
This territory, once so weakened, has since become a real stronghold for the Church of the Brethren.
STONY CREEK.
The Stony Creek congregation was organized on the 13th day of November, 1880. Elders present were Joseph Berkey, Jonas A. Lichty, John P. Cober and H. R. Holsinger. Joseph Berkey was appointed chairman of the meeting. J. L. Kimmel and A. J. Miller were elected to the ministry. J. G. Kimmel and Jonathan J. Kimmel were elected deacons. Josiah Kimmel had been elected deacon under the old Berlin congregation, which was divided into four separate congregations.
H. R. Holsinger was chosen to preside over said con- gregation. Benjamin Musser was elected secretary, and Samuel Landis treasurer. That completed the organization, with seventy-five members.
Said congregation met in council at the Kimmel church, on the 12th day of March, and decided to move the said church to a more convenient place for the members. A place was selected at the Berlin road to the Stoystown pike, on the farm of J. G. Kimmel, and it was agreed to build an addition of fifteen feet to the old church. This was done the same year.
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The building committee consisted of J. G. Kimmel, Wil- liam Stull and Josiah Kimmel. The church was dedicated on the 25th of September, 1881. Dedicatory services were con- ducted by S. H. Bashor and H. R. Holsinger. It was dedi- cated in the name of the "Home Church," and followed by a series of meetings by Bashor. Fourteen were baptized. J. L. Kimmel and A. J. Miller were ordained to the eldership at the same time by H. R. Holsinger.
In the division this meetinghouse and a number of the officials and members went with the Progressives. This so crippled the work that the members remaining loyal to the Conservative body of the church asked to be taken back to the Brothers Valley congregation, and so we find the name dropped from the list of congregations in 1889.
SUMMIT MILLS.
This is one of the three congregations carved out of the old Elk Lick congregation in 1877. At its organization at that time Jonas Lichty and Joel Gnagey were elders and J. A. Miller was a minister. The deacons were: S. S. Flickinger, William Lichty, J. M. Lichty, J. B. Schrock, S. D. Gnagey, S. A. Maust, John N. Davis and J. J. Fike.
Brethren A. D. Gnagey and Daniel M. Fike were elected to the ministry in 1879 and S. J. Berkley September 22, 1912. J. W. Peck moved into the congregation in 1880 and G. E. Yoder in 1909. Brother Yoder was ordained in 1912 and moved away in 1913. D. M. Fike moved West in 1882 and Jonas Lichty in 1888. A. D. Gnagey, who is now editor of The Brethren Evangelist, and J. A. Miller went with the Progressive Brethren in the division.
These deacons were elected: S. K. Hochstetler, Noah Gnagey and P. M. Saylor, 1885 ; D. S. Gnagey, 1897; Hiram Saylor, C. D. Lichty and S. J. Berkley, September, 1904; Wil- liam Fullem and John P. Saylor, 1913. S. S. Lint moved in in 1898 or 1899, and D. S. Gnagey in 1906. The following dea- cons moved away : S. A. Maust and J. J. Fike, 1880; William Lichty, 1882; J. N. Davis, 1885; S. S. Flickinger, 1886; S.
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Summit Mills Church, Erected in 1846.
K. Hochstetler, 1896; D. S. Gnagey, 1899 and S. S. Lint, 1900. J. M. Lichty died, 1900.
The membership is composed principally of prosperous farmers. The church has enjoyed a healthy growth and at present numbers 140. Summit Mills meetinghouse was erect- ed in 1846 and Cross Roads in 1886. The former is a very large church and seats 680 communicants. In this church the Annual Meeting was held in 1859.
It would seem that the Sunday-school was organized as early as 1872, and has been alive since the organization of the congregation. Two Sunday-schools are maintained. The church is also alive to the missionary cause, both home and foreign.
During the trying times of the early eighties quite a num- ber of members were lost, families were divided and hearts were made sad. At present few of the Brethren's children of proper age are out of the church.
THE TEN MILE CONGREGATION.
This is one of the pioneer churches of Western Pennsyl- vania. The first settlement, by the Brethren, in what is now Washington County, Pennsylvania, was made in the year 1800 (Elder John Wise thought as early as 1760), when
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Old Stone Church, Ten Mile Congregation. The Oldest Church in Western Pennsylvania, Erected in 1832.
several families of members left their homes, east of the mountains, and located on large tracts of virgin soil in the southeastern part of the county, where they later organized themselves into the Ten Mile congregation.
Among the first arrivals we find families by the names of Helft, Garber, Graybill, Spahn, Bigler, Wise, Thomas, Tanner, Miller, Lane, Leasor, Gutterey and Swihart.
For nearly a third of a century, not having a church build- ing in which to worship, they held their monthly preaching services in the homes of the brethren, in rotation, it being the custom for those who must travel any distance to the place of meeting to remain for dinner. Love feasts were held much after the same manner, except that the feasts were alternated between a much smaller number of homes.
In 1832 they erected a brick meetinghouse near the forks of Daniel's Run, one mile from its junction with North Ten Mile Creek. This building stands today and is one of the oldest Brethren churches in America. Its furnishings are in keeping with its age. In the rear of the audience room is the kitchen, where may be seen the open fireplace, where the cook- ing for love-feast occasions was performed. In the cupboards beside it are the brass candle-holders which were once used to give light. (Tallow candles were used exclusively in this
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Old Briek Church, Ten Mile Congregation, Showing Part of the Cemetery. . church until 1863, when the members voted to secure oil lamps.) The pulpit is a long table on a raised platform, and from it many strong and able ministers have proclaimed the Word. .
By the year 1838 its membership numbered about fifty, with Elder Helft as elder and Jacob Garber and Henry Tanner as ministers. Other resident ministers who have served the congregation are: Elder John Spahn, Sr., Andrew Wise, George Wise, Elder John Wise, Elder Samuel Moore, Daniel Lane, George B. Shidler, J. M. Tombaugh, A. J. Sterling, N. B. Christner, Elder Jerry Bottorff, D. W. Hostettler, Virgil C. Finnell, Samuel W. Bail, Joseph C. Swihart and Russell T. Idleman.
Some of those who have served in the deacon's office are : Henry Wise, Joseph G. Grable, George G. Crumrine, Wil- liam Holder, Adam Spahn, Reuben Bail, Solomon W. Tom- baugh, James G. Grable, and Silas Johnson. In 1842 the con-
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Fireplace, Ten Mile Church.
gregation had some fifty-two converts as the direct result of a series of meetings conducted by Brother James Quinter. Brother Quinter did a great amount of preaching in this con- gregation. December 4, 1856, the members " decided to meet in social services," and in March, 1859, the first Sunday-school in the congregation was organized.
The church continued to grow, and in the spring of 1859 Brethren John Leatherman, Daniel Ward and S. W. Tom- baugh were elected a building committee for a new church in the north end of the congregation. This church was built in 1860 and was called Pigeon Creek. The first communion service held in this house was October 20, 1860. Before the passing of another decade their elder, Brother John Wise, had moved from the congregation, and the church, being without able leadership, the work began to show signs of decay. This was followed by the factional disturbances which terminated in the withdrawal of a large number of the younger members to join the Progressive Brethren, who, in 1887, built another church in the vicinity of the Ten Mile house.
Here I quote from a communication from Sister Hannah
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1
Interior View. Ten Mile Church.
Smith, in an issue of The Gospel Messenger of March 16, 1886. She wrote from the Ten Mile church as follows : "I was baptized in October, 1869. In sixteen years seventy were baptized, eleven expelled, forty-four died, eighteen received letters, ten were reclaimed, twenty went with the Progressives, six joined other denominations, and a number of others moved away without applying for certificates. Present number of members about forty. We have no resident minister. The ministers from the Georges Creek and Markleysburg congrega- tions supply the preaching." Her address was Zollarville, Pa.
Again Elder Wise lived in the congregation for a time, but a great part of the time the pulpits were filled more or less regularly by brethren from the adjoining congregations, until 1889, when Brother Nelson B. Christner became their pastor, and remained until 1894. Brother Wise preached again for less than a year, and they were left without a shepherd until 1897, when Elder Jerry Bottorff came to their assistance. Un- der his loving, tactful leadership, and by hard, persistent ef- fort, the church was revived and encouraged until it seemed that the congregation would again prove its ability as a soul-
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winning agency. All these hopes were blighted, however, when, May 8, 1900, Brother Bottorff, while returning from North Dakota, where he had been visiting for his health, passed to his reward, and left them without any one to direct their energies. Except for the few months during which Brother D. W. Hostetler, now of Indiana, served as' pastor, they were without a resident minister for the next four or five years. Emigration, desertion, death and division had by this time reduced their number to a mere handful, many of whom were, by reason of old age, no longer able to assist in the active work of the church.
April, 1904, Virgil C. Finnell became their pastor and served them four years. During the fourth quarter of 1904 the home department of the Ten Mile congregation was organ- ized with thirty-three members. This was either the first or second home department in the District. March, 1905, the con- gregation was incorporated.
In 1901 Brother Samuel W. Bail was elected to the min- istry, but was not installed until 1906. The same year Brother Joseph Swigart was elected and installed. In 1909 Brother Russell T. Idleman and wife located in the congregation, and have been in charge of the work ever since. In November, 1914, Brother Idleman was ordained to the eldership. In 1911 Brethren Marshall Sterling and Robert Lane, the last two deacons of the congregation, with others, moved to California, and in 1914 Brother Bail located in Arcadia, Florida, thus leaving but a small membership remaining. The other min- ister proved unfaithful. From 1911 to 1914 Elder W. M. Howe served as elder. Perhaps the only hope of the congre- gation is the uniting of the " Conservative " and " Progres- sive " elements. For much of the information here given I am indebted to Brother Virgil C. Finnell, who spent some years in the work there.
TROUT RUN.
The Trout Run congregation occupies a unique position, both religiously and geographically. Geographically, it consists of a narrow territory on the western slope of the Laurel Hill
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Mountain, Fayette County, about twenty miles long, extending north and south, and from three to four miles wide. Religious- ly, it is a pioneer congregation of the twentieth century. The Middle Creek congregation lies on the east, with the Somerset and Fayette County line as the congregation line. The Indian Creek congregation is on the west, with the natural community line, often called the " frost line," as the boundary, separating "the mountain " from "the settlement."
This territory was in the Indian Creek congregation until the summer of 1913, and its early history is interwoven with that congregation. Little is known about the work of the Brethren in this region prior to 1860, but services were held in different schoolhouses after the Civil War. For many years a Sunday-school was conducted in the Mt. Hope, or Nedrow, schoolhouse. Out of this mission came a number of devoted workers, such as I. B. Ferguson, Robert A. Nedrow, Elmer F. Nedrow, J. Lloyd Nedrow and Grace (Nedrow) Heisey.
A tragedy occurred in connection with this mountain mission, which will long be remembered. It was on January 19, 1896, a still night, and the people were returning home from services, when out of the darkness came the sound of breaking timber, and a green tree crashed across the road, carrying death, suffering and sorrow. Daniel Sheets, a deacon, was instantly killed, while his wife, who sat by his side, was left unharmed, to care for their two children, Lawrence, aged nine, and Mary, aged seven. Kurtz Baker and Kate Saylor were mortally wounded.
The Trout Run schoolhouse was used for church pur- poses for several years, and the ministers of the Indian Creek congregation did the preaching. The Trout Run and Mt. Hope Missions were consolidated in 1907, when the Trout Run church was built. The building is a substantial frame struc- true, 30x40 feet, and was dedicated May 25, 1907, by Elder D. K. Clapper.
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