USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 25
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There were at least three ministers in later generations, in the family of Rudolph Harley, Sr., viz. : Samuel, Benjamin, and Jonas.
ELDER SAMUEL HARLEY.
I must close this family by a brief biography of its most celebrated representative. He was "the fifth child of Abra- ham, born November 26, 1795." He was married to Eliz- abeth Klein and had two children. Jas. Y. Heckler, in "Sketches of Lower Salford Township," says of him:
"He was a minister and Bishop, or Elder in the Dunkard or Brethren Church, and was one of the most eloquent and in- fluential speakers the church ever had. He became widely known and highly distinguished as a speaker and orator in the German language."
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The following is taken from "Cassel Family, by Daniel Kolb Cassel":
" Rev. Samuel Harley, son of Abraham, ... was a farmer by occupation, and early in life became a member of the German Baptist or Brethren Church. It was not very long until he was elected to the office of deacon in which capacity he was often requested to offer prayer and to bear testimony to the sermons, which he did with so much ability that he was soon called to the ministry. He was a diligent reader of Scripture, of church history, of the church fathers and of religious authors, and improved rapidly as a speaker and orator. After the death of Elder William Price, in 1849, he was or- dained to the position of Bishop by the laying on of hands. He had much magnetic influence and in his preaching had a very persuasive way in declaring his ideas, appealing to sinners, convincing and converting them. He was the most eloquent German minister in the Brethren Church in his time, and wher- ever he went he drew large crowds of people. He was also very sociable and affectionate in his intercourse with his friends. He often went into other localities to preach, and when it was known that he was coming, the people would flock together to hear him. It was by his preaching that many people were converted to God and a number of churches were started, and eight or more meeting-houses were built under his care. As a minister and an orator he was very successful, and his abilities were of the highest order. . . . He died October 20, 1878, aged 82 years, 10 months and 24 days."
Samuel Harley was a son of Abraham, son of Samuel, son of Rudolph, Jr., son of Rudolph, Sr. Benjamin was his brother and Jonas was his son.
OTHER FAMILIES .- There are other families, many of them no doubt, which have entered actively into the work at Indian Creek during these almost two hundred years, whose names are not even known to me. There are some, however, that have furnished prominent workers, ministers and lay members, that deserve brief notice, in fact deserve more extended notice than can be given here.
The Nyce family is likely an old one at Indian Creek, and dates back to Germantown at an early day, and has repre- sentative workers in a number of Congregations in the Dis-
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trict. This family was represented in the Indian Creek min- istry during the past generation by Elder William P. Nyce. See " Elders of Indian Creek."
The Cassel family is a very large and influential family, has had a continuous existence in this country for more than two hundred years. Members of this family have been in the Brethren Church for four or five generations. Like the Price and Harley families this one has also given ministers to other congregations.
Abraham H. Cassel .- A conspicuous figure in our church history, and one of the most celebrated laymen in the Brotherhood, was Abraham H. Cassel. His biography has been written many times, and very fully in newspapers and magazine articles, and, also, in "The Cassel Family, by Daniel K. Cassel," and it is not necessary to record here an extensive account of his life. The frequent references to, and quotations from, his writings, in this volume, have already recorded in part his extensive labors of research into the early history of the Brethren. It is necessary, how- ever, to present here some biographical facts that shall give him a proper setting in his home congregation, four of whose prominent families, as stated, he so conspicuously represents. From "Biographies, Men of Montgomery County, Abraham H. Cassel," by Samuel W. Pennypacker (Ex-governor), I quote as follows :
"This remarkable man, whose memory will be cherished as long as the German race exists in Pennsylvania, is a descendant in the fifth generation of Hupert Kassel (Cassel), who came to this county about 1715. . ..
"He was born in Towamencin township, Montgomery county, on the 21st of September, 1820, and reared in an in- terior German settlement, at such a distance from the outside world that only in recent years has a railroad approached within five miles of his residence; among a people whose highest ambition is the accumulation of land, which they only acquire by hard labor and rugged selfdenial; and whose sole literary food is the Bible or sermon of the Dunker or Menno- nite preacher-a farmer like themselves. His immediate an- cestors and parents were plain and worthy people, whose views of life were limited to the sowing of the seed and the gather-
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ing in of the harvest; and who felt in their consciences that to permit a child to spend his time over books was to start him upon the broad way which leads to destruction. .. .
" His father finding that his fondness for books was increas- ing, and fearing that it would lead him entirely away from useful labor, sternly endeavored to repress it. Fire, money and light were denied him, and even the rod was not spared in the effort to crush the supposed evil propensity. The boy was therefore compelled to pursue his studies by stealth, as he had opportunity-in the wagonhouse, in the haymow, and late at night while others were asleep. About six weeks' tui- tion at a country school house was all the instruction he re- ceived. ... He learned to write with a chicken feather, which a kind relative showed him how to split at the point. When a young man he began to teach school, and in this occupation continued for eight years. While boarding around in the farmers' houses, in lieu of salary, as was the custom, he found the opportunity of his life in learning the whereabouts of those rare old tomes, long since neglected and forgotten, which the religious enthusiasts who settled Pennsylvania brought with them across the Atlantic, or reprinted here for their spiritual delectation. In early youth he began to invest his spare earn- ings in books, and now, at the age of fifty-eight (in 1879), he has a library of over 10,000 volumes, which is in some re- spects one of the most remarkable in the world, and in its own particular specialties stands entirely alone. It would be impossible within the limits of such a notice as this to give an adequate idea of his valuable collection. It is in the main a theological and historical library in English and German, though not confined to those subjects of language. In the works of the fathers of the Church of the Reformed of the sixteenth century, and in the early printed Bible it is particu- larly rich. The literature of the Dunker Church (Brethren), specimens of which are difficult to find elsewhere, is here seen entire. It contains much literary bric-a-brac.
"On the Ist of April, 1843, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Issachar and Elizabeth Rhodes, and they had eight children.
"In addition to his library he owns a farm of seventy-five acres, and by industry and frugality has accumulated what is considered a competence by the unpretentious people among whom he lives."
Bro. Cassel sold his library principally in three collections,
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viz. : Mt. Morris College, Mt. Morris, Ill .; Pensylvania His- torical Society, Philadelphia, Pa .; and Dr. M. G. Brum- baugh, for Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa.
He died April 23, 1908, aged 87 years, and is buried in the Harley, or Klein, Burying ground, at Klein's, or Fran- conia meeting-house.
The Booz family has been identified with the work for several generations and has produced some active workers. Jacob Booz, of the past generation, was a minister for many years,-and his son, Jacob M. Booz, is now an Elder at Upper Dublin.
Elder James Shisler, representing the Shisler family, is a very active minister in the present generation, and has been non-resident Elder of several congregations in the Dis- trict.
The Heckler family has furnished active workers for sev- eral generations, including James Y. Heckler, author of "History of Lower Salford Township"; and "Ecclesian- them, or a Song of the Brethren."
Jesse Y. Heckler, a brother, was a minister in Nebraska, and Joseph, another brother, is a deacon, at Hatfield.
Many other families might be mentioned in this con- nection, but I am either not familiar with their history, or they have been sufficiently noticed elsewhere.
ORGANIZED BEGINNINGS.
Unfortunately we know but little of the earliest Indian Creek history, except as already noted in the principal workers and their families. We have already stated, how- ever, that services were held by the Germantown ministers from earliest times. Bro. Abraham H. Cassel wrote many years ago, about these times, viz. :
"Several other Brethren soon settled in the vicinity, promi- nent among them was Johannes Kempfer, Ulrich Stauffer and George Reiff, who with their numerous descendants soon con- stituted the nucleus of the present Indian Creek Church, for as soon as a goodly number were within convenient distances they instituted public worship in their private houses and barns.
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
Rudolph Harley and Jakob Preis (Jacob Price) served as exhorters or licensed preachers, and as the members here were mostly the offspring of the mother church at Germantown, they were for many years regarded as a branch of the Germantown Church and were therefore under their fostering care, and frequently visited by the Elders and officials of Germantown."
After the death of his wife, at Germantown, in 1746, Elder Peter Becker moved to the Indian Creek, and resided there, with his daughter, Mrs. Rudolph Harley, Jr., until his death, in 1758. Jacob Price having died, the ministers dur- ing this period, resident, were Peter Becker and Rudolph Harley Sr., with frequent visits from Germantown, and Elder Abraham Duboy, of Greatswamp, also assisted for several years, until his death, in 1748. These were indeed the beginnings, but all these workers passed away before there was an organized and separate congregation.
Generations passed away, and a new era dawns. John Price, the great-grandson of the above Jacob Price, "was born in 1751, and became a member early in life, and soon after an assistant in the ministry, and was ordained about 1785. From that time the Indian Creek branch became an independent church."1
Eld. John Price was in the Eldership about 44 years, and seems to have had charge of the Church during the entire period, which was evidently a period of considerable ex- pansion of the work. But nothing can be said definitely about the growth, as there seem to be absolutely no records of baptisms for the first one hundred years or more.
MEETING-HOUSES AND BURIAL GROUNDS.
INDIAN CREEK .- It is impossible to say when the first meeting-house was built, but it was built on the grounds of the present Indian Creek Meeting-House, on which grounds there have been four houses, the first three being on the same site at the road. The First House was a small one, "like a small school-house," a frame structure, built of unfinished boards, painted red and the building was not heated or 1 Notes, by Abraham H. Cassel.
PRICE CEMETERY, INDIAN CREEK.
rid
GRAVE OF ELDER SAMUEL HARLEY, INDIAN CREEK.
TONS MAS. 7 110.19 0
GRAVE OF ELDER HENRY PRICE, INDIAN CREEK.
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lighted. So tradition tells us, and the story is likely cor- rect enough,-and the picture is, indeed, entirely correct, if this house existed at an early date, as seems to be the case. The Second House was also of frame, built on the same site, but larger in size,-indicating the needs of the growing interest in the religious activity on the Indian Creek. I have not been able to find out how long these houses stood, but it is very evident these two served their purpose as a place of worship many years. The Third House occupied the same site, and was much larger. It was a substantial stone building, with a basement under a part of the build- ing, and is said to have been erected in 1850, or soon after that date. This house served the congregation for half a century, and, though Mingo, Hatfield and Springfield were cut off, and organized separately, the growing mother con- gregation could no longer be properly accommodated in the stone house of the fathers, and it was torn down in 1906. The Fourth House was built the same year. It had been decided to repair the old stone house but a strong sentiment developed for a new house. Elder Jacob M. Price and deacon Jeremiah Shelly were appointed as solicitors to see if the money could be raised. They started out, and on the afternoon of the third day, the amount, $5,500, had been raised. The stone for the basement wall of the new house of worship was taken from the old stone one. It is built of brick, size 50 X 70 feet, slate roof, and full basement story, audience room heated by hot air furnace. This splendid new church building was dedicated September 29 and 30, 1906.
Burial Grounds .- There are two burial grounds in this neighborhood. The Price Burial Ground is located on the old Price homestead, within sight of the meeting-house, and is historic, having been used by the Price family for many generations, likely from the beginning. Family connections are also buried here, but not many others. Some years ago a burial ground was opened at the meeting-house, and this is the general public burial place.
Klein .- This place is also called Franconia. The land was taken from the Klein farm, and is located in Franconia
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township, hence the two names. This meeting-house is less than two miles from Indian Creek, is a small, frame house, not large enough for love feast services. The following account of the dedication, I find in the notes of Abraham H. Cassel:
"Dedication of our new Meeting-House, Franconia, Christmas, 1843. Jacob Wenger and Samuel Gibble with us all night, father sorely afflicted, could not go out. Ist. Meeting, William Price, (preached) John 10:21, of the feast of Dedication,-its origin, and meaning. 2nd by: Wenger. Noon, Jacob Reiner, Hosea II, 'I have written unto him the great things of my law but they were accounted as a strange thing.' 2nd. by Samuel Harley, Morning Jacob Wenger, John 2:5, German, then Berge and Henry Nice (Men.) spoke very well, then William Price concluded with a very appropriate Prayer. House crowded during the whole time."
The Harley Burying Ground adjoins the Klein Meeting- house, and is, of course, very much older; for Elder Peter Becker, who died in 1758, is buried here and it, therefore, may be almost as old as the Price Burial Ground. This farm was owned by Rudolph Harley, Jr., and it is possible that he gave the ground about the time his father-in-law, Elder Peter Becker, died, in 1758. In the old deed, of 1800, "The graveyard, known as Harley's burying ground, lo- cated on this tract, was reserved in the conveyance when the farm was sold by Henry Harley to Isaac Klein, and was not sold." According to these facts, the burying ground is about one hundred years older than the meeting-house.
Towamincin, also called Towamencing, in many old records. This meeting-house is also known as "Frey's," and "Reiff's," and has a very interesting history, and its locality. John Reiff was a minister among the " Funkites," a branch of Mennonites, and had a meeting-house built on his own land near the Skippack in Towamencin in 1814. Upon the death of John Reiff, in 1826, the farm and the meeting-house passed into the hands of John Reiff, Jr. "By his will, dated August 14, 1830, he devised his farm and his mills to his only son, Henry P. Reiff, and the meeting-
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house with half an acre of ground, on the Forty-foot road, to the use of the Dunkard church (Brethren) forever."1
He was known as John Reiff, the miller, and he has been spoken of by old people who knew him, as a very fine man and a zealous Christian. He was married to Catherine Price, and was a faithful member of the Church of the Brethren. I quote the following from Bro. Abraham H. Cassel's notes, of this old place of worship: "Protracted Meetings at Reiff's Meeting House on Christmas 1841." "Friday Evening, William Price I Mose 49: 10 (5 lines quoted in German). James Quinter Saturday Morning James Quinter Isaiah 9:6-8 (text quoted in English, and some outline of the sermon). William Price also Isaiah 1 : 16.
"Saturday Evening John Umstad I. Kings 4:21 'Why halt ye, etc.' James Quinter II. Cor. 4 : 13 ' We believe and therefore speak we so earnestly'-both with extraordinary power and ability. Ist. night with Mrs. Reiff and daughter the rest with Bro. M. F. was greatly refreshed and well re- warded for coming. May the Lord grant me his grace and enable me to live up to the resolution I then formed-John Umstad sang the Beautiful Hymn ' Hail the blest morn when the great mediator down from the regions of glory descended '-with an effect the like of which I never heard nor seen before, after having made some remarks over it." Without any attempt to change, I have copied these per- sonal notes of a remarkable series of meetings held seventy three years ago. Such a trio of able and godly men could perhaps not have been duplicated anywhere in the Brother- hood. Because these men of spiritual power lived, our in- heritance is richer, and our opportunities and responsibil- ities greater. This meeting-house having served the com- munity so well for several generations, was torn down in 1880, and the new house built almost on the same founda- tion.
Elders at Indian Creek .- Those who assisted in the work before the organization, 1723 to about 1785, were as follows :
1 " Sketches of Lower Salford Township."
21
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Elders Jacob Price and Rudolph Harley, Sr., and Peter Becker from 1746 to 1758, were resident. Elders Peter Becker, (1723 to 1746), Alexander Mack, Sr., Alexander Mack, Jr., and Christopher Sower, of Germantown, and Abraham Duboy, of Greatswamp, were non-resident.
Since the organization, the following are known to have been in charge: Elder John Price, 1785 to 1829. Elder William W. Price, about 1830 to 1849. Elder Samuel Harley, 1849 to 1878. Elder William P. Nyce, about 1886 to 1889. Elder Henry A. Price, 1889 to 1906. Elder Jacob M. Price, 1906 to present.
I have laboriously gleaned in a wide extended field of his- tory, and it may be some of the best I did not find, but I present with joy what I have here brought, in the hope that it may in part be worthy of those who toiled here in the past, and with the prayer that it may inspire the present generation to worthy emulation.
CHAPTER III.
THE MINGO CHURCH.
The history of the Mingo Church in its separate existence dates from the year 1869 when it was first represented by its own delegates to the District Meeting of that year.
Prior to the above date when all its territory was still a part of the Indian Creek Church, there had been much activ- ity by the Brethren in these parts and a strong membership had been built up both around the Mingo and the Skippack houses and also quite a few families lived in the vicinity of Methatchon House and also quite a little band in Norris- town where also a house of worship had been built.
So that the territory now known as the Mingo Church, reaching from east of Norristown west to Pottstown touch- ing the Schuylkill River east of Royersford and following that stream for several miles, making the territory covered about twenty miles long and ten miles wide, at that time in- cluding Norristown and Royersford (which since have both been organized separately) contained four houses of wor- ship and a membership of approximately one hundred.
At this time there were also the following ministers : Henry Cassel, Abram Cassel, Isaac Kulp, John Gottwals, John Isett, and Benj. Harley. Henry Cassel was an Elder and was placed in charge of the church. Also the follow- ing deacons : John Detwiler, Jacob Harley, Jesse Conner, Jeriah Saylor, Samuel Markley.
Outside of these with their families, we should mention Frederick and Samuel Isett, Benj. Keyser, Abraham Alder- fer, Joseph Tyson, Philip Stearley, Henry Grater, Fred and John Isenberg, Michael Freed, B. F. Derr, Isaac Grater, Jesse Cassel, Dr. S. B. Detwiler, Harry Ashenfelter, Philip Rosenberger, Abram Zollers, Jacob Markley, Andrew Wan- ner, Abraham Moyer, Charles Starr, Henry Fry, Samuel Hendricks, Jacob Landis, John Alderfer, John Bean, Eliza-
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beth Brandt, Benj. Reiff, William Spare, R. Scheets, Wil- liam, Benj. and Jesse Clemmer, and their parents, Breth- ren Christman and Emery. Eighteen of the 46 families mentioned are represented in the present membership. Fifty-seven of the present members are direct descendants of the original families and 20 of these from one family, that of a deacon. Where are the other families?
There was already about this time and a little before, con- siderable of an exodus to the west including Samuel Horn- ing, Minister, John Horning, Deacon, Isaac Conner, Samuel Horning, Jacob and Lewis Wasser.
On account of some very local trouble there was some deflection to the River Brethren including among them John Haldeman, Jacob and Christian Haldeman and Daniel Harley.
Henry Cassel, the first Bishop of the Mingo Church, was born July 11, 1814; was elected to the ministry, 1849, twenty years before the date of organization of the church. He had charge of the church from its organization to the time of his death, June 28, 1883. Bro. Cassel was an en- thusiastic and forceful speaker, and had good executive ability and the church prospered greatly during his incum- bency. It is only after his death, however, that any known records were kept of the church's growth and proceedings. After Bro. Cassel's death the church was without a resident Elder for several years. August 8, 1885, in an effort to have an ordination effected, Abram Cassel and Isaac Kulp were so nearly tie that both were ordained and they both took equal part in looking after the interests of the church without deciding which should be foreman, as is now usually done.
In the spring of 1885 Abram L. Conner, an efficient young minister, with his family moved to Virginia. The follow- ing spring Isaac Harley, a deacon, and his family also went to Virginia.
The first action that appears upon the church's records in reference to Sunday Schools was taken in April, 1886, when it was granted that schools might be organized at both Skippack and Mingo. There is a very fragmentary record
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of a Sunday School that was organized in the spring of 1870 with Isaac Kulp, Dr. S. B. Detwiler, John Reiff, An- drew Wanner, Abram Zollers and others as leaders. After continuing for about five years it seems that it was dis- continued for several years and again had a short existence after which all records disappear. Since the year 1886, however, and before our territory was further subdivided, there have been as many as six Sunday Schools in operation at one time.
In the spring of 1888, Jesse Ziegler and his family moved into the congregation and was elected Sunday School Super- intendent at Mingo. The same spring the District Meeting was also held at the Skippack House.
In 1889 Jacob Conner, a minister in the second degree, moved into the Mingo Church from Coventry, Chester Co., and helped along in the ministry, which had become con- siderably weakened through death and emigration and ad- vancing years. Bro. Isaac Kulp especially about this time was so disabled physically that he could not serve the church in any active capacity, and Bro. Abram Cassel, having died, it also left the church without a resident Elder.
On May 10, 1890, the church called Jesse Ziegler to the ministry, and on February 14, 1891, Andrew Wanner was elected deacon. October 1I, 1891, Jesse Ziegler was ad- vanced to the second degree of the ministry. October 31,. 1891, Samuel H. Price was elected deacon at Norristown .. William Johnson, a deacon, from Carroll Co., Ill., having moved into the Mingo congregation, his certificate was accepted, March 21, 1891. May 6, 1893, Bro. Isaac Cassel was elected to the ministry.
Through the personal efforts of Isaac Kulp and his daughter Emma and the members at Gratersford, they had built up there a strong Sunday School and good meetings in a small and uncomfortable chapel. Bro. Jacob Conner and his family also having moved close to the village, they felt justified in making an effort to secure a house of worship. September 9, 1893, the church decided to build a house at Gratersford and appointed Michael Freed, Jacob Conner,
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