Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 67

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 67

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338

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

17, 1866, and labored for three years with a congregation until the church was burned goodly degree of success, when he resigned. about twelve years ago. He never disap- pointed his congregation but twice. Once he got to Smithport and could not go any farther on account of the drifts. For many years he preached two sermons a day. The church has not been rebuilt, hence the con- gregation has ceased to exist.

Rev. J. C. Greer was then stated supply for about three and a half years. On September 8, 1873, Hugh S. Pollock, James A. McCal- lister and George F. Hensleigh were elected to the office of ruling elder, and ordained and installed December 22, 1873. During the years 1874 and 1875 the congregation was supplied with preaching by Presbytery, when at a meeting of the Brookville Presbytery, which was composed of part of the Presby- tery of Conemaugh, a call was presented on April 11, 1876, to Rev. James Given, of the Presbytery of Westmoreland, for one fourth of his time, in connection with a call from Richmond and Susquehanna congregations for the remainder of his time, which was by him accepted. He commenced his work of preaching to them the fourth Sabbath of April, 1876, and was installed thereafter, Oc- tober 16, 1876.

SUSQUEHANNA

Susquehanna Church was situated on the publie road about half way between Smithi- port and the Susquehanna river. In the year 1842 William Martin and his seven sons emi- grated from County Down, Ireland. In the following year Alexander Kirk, David Rad- cliffe, and Francis Urey also emigrated from the same place. These, with James Saltsgiver, were organized in a congregation in connec- tion with the Presbyterian Church (old school) in the year 1844. Alexander Kirk, William Martin and James Saltsgiver were chosen as elders, and ordained to this office. Rev. David Mills was the first pastor, and had charge of the congregation seven years. In consequence of the Presbyterian Church us- ing hymns of secular composition in the wor- ship of God, and the congregation believing that the inspired Psalms of the Bible alone "should be used, in the year 1854 it united with the Associate Presbyterian Church.

In 1855 Rev. James Purdy was installed their pastor in the barn of James Martin, and was the pastor until 1860. This congregation became United Presbyterian at the time of the union of the Associate and the Associate Re- formed Churches, May 28, 1858.

In 1863, James Martin and James Urey were chosen and ordained elders. The con- gregation erected the church edifice in 1869. Rev. James Given took charge of the congre- gation April 11, 1876, and was installed pas- tor October 16, 1876. He was pastor of this

CRETE CHURCH, ARMSTRONG TOWNSHIP

Crete congregation was organized as a mis- sion station as nearly as can be ascertained about 1794-95, by Rev. John Jamieson, who came from one of the Associate Reformed Presbyteries east of the Alleghenies. They obtained occasional supplies from the Asso- ciate Reformed Presbytery of Monongahela. Then they asked for and obtained supplies from the Associate Presbytery of Chartiers. In the course of time the members united with other organizations in the vicinity, and Crete, as an organization, apparently ceased to exist.

The present congregation was a reorgani- zation upon petition of a few members of the Associate Church in the region, by a com- mittee of the Presbytery of Allegheny, in the month of May, 1854. The number at the re- organization was twenty-six. The greater part of these were from the congregations of In- diana of which Rev. D. Blair was pastor.

In the year 1856 Rev. Byron Porter be- came the pastor in connection with Shelocta and Elderton. Mr. Porter resigned the charge of Crete in the spring of 1859. They then united with the congregation of Jack- sonville and Rev. M. H. Wilson became pas- tor, in April, 1859. This relation continued until the year 1862. They presented a call for Rev. M. S. Telford, and he became their pastor June 16, 1864.

The congregation was united with the con- gregation of Homer City by a resolution of the Presbytery of Conemaugh held at She- locta June 17, 1873. The united charge pre- sented calls to the Presbytery for the pas- toral services of Rev. Henry Q. Graham, which were accepted, and he became their pastor December 8, 1874. Rev. Mr. Graham was followed by Revs. S. M. Telford and D. E. McGill, who also served the United .Pres- byterian congregation at Homer City, which congregation decided to have the entire time of Rev. Mr. McGill, consequently the Crete congregation united with Jacksonville United Presbyterian Church in calling Rev. W. T. Warnock in 1909. He remained as pastor

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

until 1911. At present (1913) the congrega- George Lowman, Charles Ray, president, R. tion is without a pastor. The membership is H. Wilson, secretary. Mr. W. C. Davis is the 115. The enrollment of the Sabbath school is superintendent of the Sabbath school, which 100; William Anderson is the superintend- has an enrollment of seventy-eight.

ent. The elders are : Nelson M. Bothel, clerk, T. W. Carnahan, Israel Carnahan, I. N. King.

The congregation was chartered soon after its reorganization.

GREENVILLE CHURCH

was organized in 1858, in a schoolhouse in the village, by Rev. J. T. Wilson, the members having been formerly connected with the In- diana and Mechanicsburg congregations. Their names were as follows: Robert Simp- son and wife; A. Wiggins, Esq., and wife; James Spalding and wife; Wilson Glass- ford and wife; John McKisson and wife; Thomas McKisson and wife; James McKis- son ; William Hadden, Sr .: William Hadden, Jr., and wife; Gawin Hadden and wife; Martha Simpson, and Mrs. William Moorhead.

The building was erected in 1868, during the pastorate of Rev. George P. Raitt, at a cost of $2,500.

The next pastor was Rev. T. P. Patterson, who preached once in two weeks. The elders at that time were Robert Simpson and A. Wiggins.

SALTSBURG CHURCH

The organization of this church was ef- fected by Rev. Hanse Lee, but we have no data of this event. In 1843 the congrega- tion erected a small brick building sufficiently large to accommodate their number. Their first regularly instituted pastor was Rev. Oli- ver P. Katz, in 1861. He gave one half of his time to this congregation and the other half to New Alexandria.

In 1870 the present edifice was built at a cost of $3,000. It is a frame church lo- cated on High street, a short distance north of Point street and near the Memorial Insti- tute of the Presbyterian Church. This church is neatly furnished.

The pastors in order have been: Revs. Oliver P. Katz, J. W. Johnston, T. D. Boon and Rev. W. E. Minteer, who has been the pastor since 1907. He gives one half his time to this congregation and the other half to the United Presbyterian Church at Cone- mangh. The membership of the church is ninety-seven.

BERACHA CONGREGATION, PLUMVILLE

About the year 1820 a few families con- nected with the Associate Presbyterian Church applied to Allegheny Presbytery for preaching. Revs. David Blair, Kirkland and others were sent as missionaries, and in 1824 the congregation was organized by Rev. D. Blair and Elder Getty, of Indiana. The el- ders elected at the organization were John Clyde. William McKee and Samuel Briggs.

In 1827 a call was presented to Rev. John Hindman, and in the same year he was in- stalled the first pastor of the congregation, preaching in it one sixth of his time. The congregation prospered under his pastoral care, which continued until about 1850. when he resigned.

Rev. J. C. Telford was called by the con- gregation and installed in 1850, and contin- ned his labors until 1867. The congregation continued without regular pastoral services until 1871, when Rev. D. W. McLane was installed in the united charge of Beracha, Smyrna and Mahoning, and continued his labors four years.

In 1875 the congregation was left without a pastor and continued so until August 1, 1877, when Rev. D. H. Blair began his la- hors in the field, and remained until 1883. Rev. W. D. Ewing was here from 1887 until 1907; Rev. W. S. Sturgeon became pastor in 1910, and is the pastor at present, giving one third of his time to this congregation.

In 1838 Andrew Morrow and Christopher Stuchell were ordained and installed as rul- ing elders, and in 1860 John McEwen and J. R. Hopkins became elders. On the 25th of November, 1868, J. R. Stewart, A. Briggs and William Morrow were elected, and in December were ordained and installed as el- ders by Rev. E. A. Brownlee. In 1872 Wil- son Morrow and John Stuchell were ordained and installed by Rev. D. W. MeLane, and in 1878 Thomas Morrow was installed as elder. The members of session at present are: Jos- eph Kirkpatrick, Matthew Streams, M. B. Allison, Albert MeCausland. R. J. Morrow, J. R. Stewart. The trustees are: James Mul- berger, Lyle Ashbaugh, Harry Jamison. The enrollment of membership is sixty-seven.

The elders at present are: Messrs. W. C. Davis and George M. Lowman. The trustees are: Messrs. Thomas Rhea, William Allison, Lyle Ashbaugh is the superintendent of the

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Sabbath school, which has an enrollment of mins, J. D. Wilson. J. E. Fleming is super- fifty-one. The school is open the entire year. intendent of the Sabbath school, which has

The first church was erected in 1822, the an enrollment of sixty-two.

next in 1854, and the present building was built in 1904 at a cost of $4,000. This church is located in the borough of Plumville and is a neat brick building.

SMYRNA CHURCH, SOUTH MAHONING TOWNSHIP

In 1843, Rouse's version of the Psalms being superseded, a secession occurred in the Gilgal Presbyterian Church forming an As- sociate Reformed organization, now the United Presbyterian Church of Smyrna. The congregation has built two churches. The basement of the first church was used for a number of years for school.

Rev. Samuel Browne was the first pastor and in 1848 Rev. Matthew H. Wilson was in- stalled as pastor. Rev. D. W. McLane began pastoral labors the first of March, 1871, and remained four years. Rev. D. H. Blair began his labors the first of August, 1877, and served the congregation until 1883. In 1887 Rev. W. D. Ewing became the pastor, and he served the congregation for twenty years. Rev. W. S. Sturgeon has been the pastor since 1910. The membership of the congregation is fifty-eight.

The elders are: A. H. Mabon, W. A. Ham- ilton, W. W. Hopkins, clerk.

Elder Fulton is the superintendent of the Sabbath school, which has an enrollment of fifty.

PLUM CREEK CHURCH, WASHINGTON TOWN- SHIP

This church was organized in 1847. The first services were held in Martin's baru near the site of the present church building. The first church building was erected soon after the organization was effected. The present building was erected in 1892. The first communion was held by Rev. M. H. Wil- son and Rev. Mr. Fulton in the fall of 1849.

The following have been the ministers of the congregation: Revs. Samuel Browne, James Given, R. M. Patterson and W. E. M. Copeland, the present pastor, who has served the congregation since 1909. He also serves the congregations of Atwood and Rich- mond. The membership of the congregation is sixty-seven.

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN

(The following account of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in northern Indiana county is from notes of Robert McIsaac.)

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of the United States professes to be not only a lineal descendant of, but identical in doctrine, wor- ship, discipline and government with the Church of Scotland at the time of what is called the Second Reformation, culminating about the year 1643, when the "Confession of Faith," "Larger and Shorter Catechism," "Directory of Worship" and form of church government known as Westminster Stand- ards were adopted by the General Assembly of the Scottish Presbyterian Church, and the National Covenant of Scotland and the Sol- emn League and Covenant of the Three King- doms were sworn to by the church, the peo- ple and government of those lands. Consist- ent with their principles, they refused to concur in the revolution established under William III., in 1690.

As this sketch may meet the eye of those who have no knowledge of Reformed Presby- terians, perhaps a remark or two in regard to their creed would not be deemed out of place. In common with others who bear the Presbyterian name, they hold the Westmin- ster Confession of Faith and the Catechisms (larger and shorter) to be a 'faithful expo- sition of all Scripture teaching in regard to both doctrine and practice. The chief point on which they differ is the application of their principles to civil government. This, they believe, is a Divine ordinance, which is among the "all things" that have been put in subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ in his mediatorial character. They think, therefore, that civil society in its organic capacity should acknowledge God as its au- thor and Christ as its moral governor and administer its laws in accordance with His revealed will. They repudiate, on the one hand, the idea of making the state the mere creature of the church, and, on the other, the notion of making the church the creature of the state. Each, they hold, occupies an in- dependent sphere, but each has a duty which it owes to God and which cannot be neglected or ignored without incurring His displeas-

The elders are: S. M. Fleming, G. M. McHenry, J. E. Fleming, Archie Browne. ure. They lament that the constitution of The trustees are: D. P. Bothell, D. D. Cum- our country, while in many respects a noble

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

instrument, is sadly out of harmony with the they were discovered and visited by preach- prevailing Christian sentiment of the people, ers of their own faith, and among others are named Revs. Dr. Milligan, A. M. Milligan and Joseph Thornton. inasmuch as it ignores the whole subject of the relation of a nation to God and His law, and makes no provision for our Chris- Rev. R. J. Dodds, a young man who had been ordained to the ministry with the in- tention of becoming a missionary to the West Indies, preached to the different societies in Armstrong and Jefferson counties and the northern part of Indiana county, and was called by and installed over these societies in June, 1852. The congregation, called Re- hoboth, embraced an area of forty square miles, outlined by Kittanning, Armstrong county, west; Cherrytree, south; the Susque- hanna river, east; and Warsaw, Jefferson county, north. He was a man adapted to such a charge, of great physical endurance, and mind well stored with both literary and the- ological matter; could accommodate himself with cheerfulness to the varied circumstances of the people of his charge, and soon became a universal favorite among his own and other religious societies. Another society of Re- formed Presbyterians had sprung up in the Mahoning townships before Mr. Dodds was called. Andrew Pollock and family came from Ireland in 1844, and some time afterward Mrs. William Thomas and Robert McFarland from West Mahoning township; then James Gailey, from near Cherrytree, joined; others followed, and soon there were preaching sta- tions at Beatty's, Work's, and Carr's school- houses. tian usages and practices. They have, there- fore, all along, labored to have it so amended as to give us an undeniable legal basis for chaplains in Congress and other legislative halls, and in prisons and reformatory insti- tutions; for the appointment of national fast and thanksgiving days; and for the reading of the Bible and other religious exercises in our public schools. They point to the fact. that these and kindred Christian features of our government are assailed on the one hand by popery, and on the other by infidelity ; and they feel that without such a basis there is im- minent danger that every public religious cus- tom and observance handed down to us from our fathers will be utterly swept away. They would therefore place the nation clearly and unmistakably on the side of Christ and the Christian religion, and until this is accom- plished they believe that consistency with their principles requires them to occupy a position of political dissent from the government of the United States, and to refrain from vot- ing, holding office or performing any act the fair construction of which would imply iden- tification with what they conceive to be its immoralities. They feel that they should carry this religion with them into all the af- fairs of life; that they should conduct them- selves as Christians, when acting as members of the state, no less than as members of the church, when voting at the polls as well as when sitting in the sanctuary. While hold- ing these views, they considered it their duty to cultivate and maintain Christian friend- ship with pious men of every name, and in common with their fellow citizens to labor in every legitimate way to promote the best in- terests of our country.

About forty years ago, a part of Mont- gomery township, near the present village of Smithport, now Banks township, was of- fered for sale by Mr. Roberts of New York, and residents of New York City were induced to purchase and emigrate, among them a few families of Reformed Presbyterians. The first of these were Samuel Becket, James Gra- ham and James Harbison, who arrived in 1842, followed by Peter, James and John Sharp, Oliver Martin, and others. These soon organized into a society, holding meetings for conference on religious subjects and prayer on Thursdays and Sabbaths. In a short time

The summer of 1856 the Synod of the R. P. Church resolved to establish a mission in Syria and Rev. R. J. Dodds was selected as one of the missionaries. He preached his fare- well address to his people in Indiana county on Angust 3, 1856, and the same year went to Syria. The societies depended upon sup- plies till 1859, when Rev. T. M. Elder was called, and ordained April 19th. Under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Dodds the erec- tion of five churches was contemplated, all of which have since been built, for until this time there was but one building within the area of the charge and that one in Armstrong county. The first built in this county was in Montgomery township, called "Bear Run" Church, opened for service about 1860. The second, near the line of East and North Ma- honing townships, was opened August 25, 1861, and was called Oakland. Samuel Becket was the first ordained elder at Bear Run, which office he held till his death, in 1866. In 1860 Peter Sharp, of Bear Run, and Rob- ert Mclsaac, of Oakland, were chosen elders,

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

and James Graham and William Martin, of Bear Run, deacons. In 1861 the congrega- tion was divided into two charges, Bear Run being united with the societies in Jefferson county, and Oakland with Rehoboth, in Arm- strong county. Rev. A. J. McFarland was ordained pastor of the former in February, 1865, and Rev. T. M. Elder continued in charge of the latter until April 1, 1866, when he resigned. Rev. Mr. MeFarland next gave up his charge in Jefferson county, and it be- came a mission station for some years, when the connection between Rehoboth and Oakland was severed, and in 1871 the two societies in Indiana county were united in a congre- gation called Bear Run and Mahoning, with three elders, Peter Sharp, James Graham and Robert McIsaac, and one deacon, William Martin; James Graham, Sr., having died.

The Mahoning or Oakland Church was built in 1850-56 at a cost of $1,800, but was not finished until later. Rev. R. J. Dodds was the pastor when the church was built. Later he was the pioneer missionary to Syria. The following ministers have served the church: Rev. J. F. Crozier from 1874 to 1899, Rev. E. M. Elsey from 1904 to date (1913), giving one fourth of his time to this church.

The elders are: Messrs. Andrew Pollock, James Graham, H. M. Pollock, H. A. McIs- aac. Clark Pollock is the superintendent of the Sabbath school, which has an enrollment of twenty and is kept open the entire year.

This congregation is small, but its efforts for the Master have been evident and it has sent out Rev. R. J. McIsaac, who is a pro- fessor in Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pa., and Rev. J. B. MeIsaac, who is pastor of Puckety and Shearsburg United Presbyterian congregations near Leechburg, Pennsylvania.

The present church at Bear Run was built in 1910 at a cost of $1,000 during the pas- torate of Rev. E. M. Elsey, who has been the pastor of the church since 1904. He was preceded by Rev. J. F. Crozier as pastor.

The elders of the congregation are Andrew Pollock and James Graham. The member- ship is twenty-five. Mrs. E. M. Elsey is the superintendent of the Sabbath school, which has an enrollment of twenty-five and is kept open the entire year.

Rev. R. J. Sharpe, a retired minister, was reared in this congregation, and at present resides at Mckeesport, Pennsylvania.

CLARKSBURG CHURCH

This church is situated in the village of Clarksburg. A generation has passed away since it was organized, and as no records or written documents of any kind have been preserved the material for preparing its his- tory is scant. It would appear, however, that about 1820 or 1821 Reformed Presbyterians, or Covenanters as they were popularly called, first began to have preaching in this part of the county. At that time two young men, Richard Wasson and Andrew Stormont, who had emigrated from Ireland, settled in the vicinity of what is now known as Kelly's station. Whether they had been Covenanters in the land of their birth or whether in those early days it was the nearest place of preach- ing, and they, being piously inclined, wished to enjoy divine ordinance in some orthodox church, does not appear ; but however it may have been, they began to wait on the ministry of the late Rev. John Cannon, who was then pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian congre- gation at New Alexandria, a town six or seven miles distant from them, in Westmoreland county. With the membership of this con- gregation they seem to have associated them- selves, and wishing to disseminate the prin- ciples which they had thus espoused they re- quested Mr. Cannon to preach for them in their own neighborhood; but his time being fully occupied, he had no spare Sabbath which he could give them. He did the next best thing, however, preaching for them oc- casionally on a week day. The field proved to be a promising one, and in order to be able to cultivate it properly, he gave up two other branches of his congregation, both of which were stronger and more wealthy. He now began to preach on a Sabbath wherever he could find a place, sometimes in the woods when the weather was favorable, and some- times in a barn, holding one or two commun- ions, through the kindness of Presbyterian brethren in the church at Ebenezer. Until a church was built he seems to have preached mostly either in the barn of the late John Coleman, whose farm, about two miles south of Clarksburg, is now occupied by his son Samuel; or in the barn or under an apple tree in the orchard of the late James Gray, about two miles north of the same village.

At one of these places the congregation was probably organized, but at what date is unknown to the writer of this sketch as are likewise the names and the number of orig- inal members. At first the congregation, tak-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ing the name of the creek that flows through to J. A. Black, a young licentiate, who, a this part of the country, was called Black short time before, had finished his course in Legs, but afterwards, when the town grew up, the theological seminary. Mr. Black ac- cepted the call, and on the 18th of Novem- ber of the same year was ordained and in- stalled. He was followed by Rev. Mr. Mc- Clurkin. The congregation is without a pas- tor at present and for a number of years has had occasional supplies.

the name was changed to Clarksburg. In the summer of 1831 the first church was built. It was a frame structure and erected at a cost of $300. As soon as it was weather- boarded and roofed the congregation began to occupy it, using the sleepers for seats. When it was floored their funds were ex- The present (1913) elders are Robert Henry and Matthew Oliver. There are but ten members, and no Sabbath school is con- dueted. hausted, and being unable to put in pews without going in debt they seated it with slabs, supported on a kind of trestlework of logs. On these they sat and listened to the preaching of the gospel, until their financial EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION condition improved. At this period the fol- lowing names appear on the roll of mem- The Evangelical Association Churches in the northern part of Indiana county .- Isaac Johns, from Butler county, visited the Ger- man settlement in North Mahoning town- ship in 1843 and preached several times for the people in private houses. The first ser- vices were held in John Peffer's house, and afterwards in the houses of John Reader and Martin Zirkle. Isaac Johns, being only a lo- cal preacher, could not attend to the work properly. He therefore notified Revs. Simon Heis and Howard, who visited the new ap- pointment. bership: Robert Henry, Moses Thompson, David Henderson, Robert Henderson, Alex- ander Henderson, John Coleman, William Coleman, Robert Coleman, James Gray, Thomas Gailey, James Gailey, Miss Ann Gai- ley, John Henry, Mrs. Margaret Henry, An- drew McCreery, Samuel McCreery, Miss Jane MeCreery, Daniel Ewer, Samuel Gilmore, Nancy White, John McCurdy, John Morrison, Thomas Gemmel, Miss Jane MeKelvy, Mrs. Martha Smith, Nathan Douthett, Samuel Barr, Mrs. Francis Barr, John Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Kirkpatrick and Mrs. Kimbal. The old Late in the winter of 1843, the first con- gregation was organized under the pastoral supervision of Simon Heis. It then con- building in which they worshiped stood for forty years, or until the fall of 1871, when a neat and commodious frame church was sisted of John Peffer, Eva Peffer, Martin Zir- erected a few rods to the southwest of the former site, at a cost of $3,500.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 67

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930