USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > Lebanon > Old Salem in Lebanon : a history of the congregation and town > Part 11
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tion. In one of the first issues of the Lebanon paper, that of May IIth, 1808, we find the following no- tice: "On the 12th of June a new organ will be dedicated and consecrated. Lovers of divine ser- vice will have opportunity to hear not only the preaching of ministers from abroad, but also a new beautiful organ, and are hereby invited to attend."
Having had the Synod twice at its public conse- crations, it is natural that Old Salem should make the effort to secure the presence of that body for this new occasion. She succeeded. "On Sunday Morning, June 12th, all the preachers and the del- egates of the respective congregations assembled in the parsonage and proceeded to the church where Dr. Helmuth of Philadelphia preached to a very large assembly on John x : 1 Sq.
Since the Lutheran church now had an organ it was necessary that the Reformed church should also be supplied with a musical instrument. Notice of the dedication of the Reformed organ appeared on October 18th, 1809. The dedication took place on the 12th and 13th of November. According to the newspaper account a number of ministers preached for two days and the musicians of Lititz were pres- ent with their musical instruments to enrich the services. Unquestionably the use of these two in- struments in the town must have been quite a nov- elty and many persons who were not in the habit of attending church must have been attracted to the services for a short time.
CHAPTER XXVI.
WAR OF 1812.
W HEN Governor Snyder is- sued his "General Or- ders" in May, 1812, near- ly a month before Con- gress declared war in England, the whole State of Pennsylvania was extraordinarily
prompt to respond. The President required 14,000 men from her toward the army of one hundred thousand, which he desired to have. She tendered three times the number re- quested, though few of them actually saw service. Lebanon county was full of enthusiasm for the fray. Jacob Bower was a brigadier general. Abraham Doebler was brigade inspector. Adam Ritchser was lieutenant colonel and John Uhler was one of the quartermasters. In Capt. Jacob Achey's com- pany William Hubley was sergeant. It contained two Stegers, two Daubs,, and Jacob Uhler and Pe- ter Weiss. In Capt. Henry Doebler's company, Ja- cob Embich was lieutenant, Frederick Fasnacht was ensign, Andrew D. Hubley, Samuel Embich and George Karch were sergeants. Jacob Shindel
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and Philip Embich were corporals. Among the privates were Jacob Bricker, Louis Doebler, Henry Dubs, Peter Ellinger, Abraham Embich, John Geissaman, George Gerhart, Mathias and Philip Greenawalt, David Hoffman, Philip Honeficaus, James Marshall, Christian Miller, John Rewalt, John Rinal, Joseph Shnee, Christian Segrist, George Shindel, William Stoever, Michael Uhler, Jacob Weiss, and Martin Yensell. Many of these were Lutherans.
Before the troops marched away from Lebanon (there were no railroads for the transportation of troops or supplies or for any other purpose in that day) they assembled in the Salem church where the Rev. Mr. Lochman preached a sermon to them on the first and second verses of the twentieth Psalm :
"The Lord hear thee in thy day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion."
Dr. Lochman, adressing the soldiers and the whole assembled anxious audience, said : "I know of no words in the Bible that are more appropriate today, they contain the Israelites' wish of good for- tune for daily and for the troops that were to march away from Jerusalem to battle against the foe of the land.
"Today we find ourselves in the situation of Is- rael of old, an enemy has effected entrance into our country and has begun devastation. Already many cities have been injured, yes, even the Capitol of the United States has already been captured. For
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this reason a number of you are united as soldiers and prepared to march away and drive off this foe, and others are here with bleeding hearts to wish you good fortune in your departure.
"Yes, my dear fellow-brethren, who have come forth to battle for your native land in this critical hour, we wish you what the Israelites wished their David and his troops." The speaker then went on to explain more clearly what the wish of the Pslam was. It was, first of all, a wish that the Lord would hear the soldier in trouble. Dr. Lochman gave a brief and graphic description of the trouble the sol- dier meets and showed particularly how David found the Lord the best Helper in such trouble. He cited the examples of Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Gus- tavus Adolphus and Washington. He told them plainly that if they wished the Lord to hear them it would be necessary for them to conduct them- selves as Christians and to avoid excesses, drunk- enness, gambling, cursing and the other sins of the soldier. May it never be said that the soldiers of Lebanon county are given to excess! In his sec- ond part Mr. Lochman showed how the name of the God of Jacob was a protection to them in dan- ger, and in his third part how God strengthens out of Zion.
The war was soon over, with the battle of New Orleans fought and the danger averted. In 1815, closely following the war, came the panic. But the country quickly recovered, and the farming dis-
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tricts, especially, became very prosperous. Mean- time in 1813 and 1814 what the Lebanon coun- tians had long been desiring and contending for came to be a fact. They secured a county of their own, with Lebanon as the county-seat. On the IIth of April the new Commissioners bought lot No. 52, at Eighth street and Walnut alley, from George Karch for the county prison. They paid $550 for it. At the same time they bought the lot at Eighth and Cumberland streets from Peter Shin- del for $200, and subsequently a half lot on the west from Philip Greenawalt for $1,200, for the purpose of erecting thereon a new Court House. They paid Stephen Hills, the architect of the old capitol at Harrisburg, $21,000 to erect the structure. The first court was held on December 10th, 13th and 14th, 1813. John Gloninger and David Krauss were the associate judges. In the year 1814, on June IIth, the third fire company of the place, call- ed The East End, was organized with Adam Ritsch- er as president.
CHAPTER XXVII.
PASTOR LOCHMAN'S DEPARTURE.
P ASTOR Lochman's career at Lebanon was now drawing to a close. He had baptized, confirmed and buried so many that it would be impossible for us to even mention the names of any number of these persons. In November of the year 1805, old Jacob Stieb, one of the most faithful and the only remaining original member of the church, was buried at the age of seventy years. His name was on the "Petition of 1768," and when he died he was a trustee of the congregation. In December he buried Robert Lowry, who died at the age of eighty-one, and had been blind for three years. Lowry was buried on the Mennonite grave- yard. In 1806 he buried the wife of old Jacob Focht, and in November his own son, George Hof- man Lochman, a little boy six years of age. In Sep- tember he buried old John Peter Richter at the age of seventy-three, and in May, of 1808, John Philip Fernsler, who was interred at the Qruppe church. On June 4th he buried Ludwig Shott, who died at the age of seventy-six. He had been baptized at the Hill church. On the 21st of March, 1814, he buried Anthony Doebler at the age of sev- enty. This was the member that had presented the silver communion service in 1769. In March,
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1815, Conrad Hoffman died at the age of sixty- three years and seven months. Rev. Lochman was not in the habit of making remarks in the Church Record in addition to biographical details. We do not remember a single instance where he has done this except in the case of Mr. Hoffman. Of him he has written, "He was a worthy man and a Christian. Text: Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." Mr. Hoffman was a trustee when he died. That summer Mr. Lochman buried Richard Trotter at the age of seventy-four years. In April he buried John Michael Ramler at the age of sixty-four. His last funeral in Lebanon was that of Henry Gilbert, in August, 1814. Henry Gilbert was the treasurer of Salem congregation. Mr. Lochman's baptisms extend to June, 1815.
In the month of August, 1815, Pastor Lochman preached his farewell sermon, in the introduction of which he says, "So then it has been decided my Dear Ones that we must part-We who have al- ready lived twenty years in intimate association and who have shared joy and sorrow with one an- other ! Truly the thought cuts my heart much more than I supposed.
"But why must he go then?" "Why then does he not stay with us?" This question you have a right to put, and I will answer it." And Dr. Loch- man proceeds to give several reasons for his reso- lution. First of all, he had never intended to stay more than ten years at Lebanon. Now the larger
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half of his life is already past. Secondly, he feels an internal call to go. Thirdly, he is convinced that it would be useful in the matter of the education of his children. He wishes Salem the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and tells them that if his wish is to be fulfilled they must use the Means of Grace dil- igently.
Rev. Lochman was pastor not only at Lebanon, but at Annville, at the Hill church, at Zoar and at Campbellstown, and no doubt the officers of all these churches were present to hear his last words to them. He left in the prime of life with the best wishes of the whole community.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE COMING OF THE REV. WILLIAM ERNST.
R EV. Lochman left in Au- gust. By the 7th of No- vember, 1815, the Rev. William G. Ernst had accepted a call to the Lebanon church, and on the 12th of November PER. Wy G. ERNST ID DY . 1BUL +49 he preached his introductory sermon. He arrived here dur- ing a period of great material prosperity. Work on the Union canal was probably going on to some extent. In 1817 the Harrisburg and Reading turn- pike was built and ran through the center of the town. The fact that the town was a county-seat added to its growth. By 1821 the town was in- corporated into a borough. Lebanon had been erected into a borough in 1799 but the people never accepted the provisions of the act of Legislature of that time.
The first election was held on the first Monday in May. Jacob Goodhart was chosen to be the Chief Burgess. John Nagel, Conrad Fasnacht, Jacob Light, Adam Ritscher, Leonard Green- walt and John Uhler constituted the first
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council. Rudolph Kelker was High Con- stable. The town extended from Seventh to Twelfth Street and from a little below Wal- nut Street on the South to Church Street on the North. It contained 300 residences, 10 taverns, IO stores, I flour mill, and a foundry. The Market house stood on the south side of Ninth Street, and it was here that the fairs were held.
When the Rev. Mr. Ernst came to Lebanon he was still a young man. He was of a nervous tem- perament, active in the pulpit and his voice was pitched on a high key. He was a fine classical scholar.
At this period the time of the pastor was taken greatly into requisition by the numerous funerals in the various congregations he served, particularly the funerals of children. They often interfered with the regular services, and the matter was brought before the congregation by advice of the Council. The burial grounds also were beginning to be too small for a congregation of our size, and on December 26th, 1821, a Committee was ap- pointed to purchase a suitable piece of ground as a burial plot. The Committee consisted of George Reinoehl, Christian Snavely, Tobias Fernsler, Philip Fischer and Adam Ritscher. The Com- mittee acted, and purchased an acre of ground on the other side of the Quitopahila from Mr. William Moore. They paid $300.00 for it. This was the lot where the "Old Paper Mill" or rather the flour
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mill that was built by Myers and Showr now stands. But few were buried on the plot. On ac- count of the lowness of the ground the graves fre- quently became filled with water while they were being dug in wet weather. It was vacated early in the 50's and the remains of those buried there were reinterred in the Salem grave-yard along side the Eighth Street Wall by Mr. William Biecher .*
At the meeting in 1825 the congregation resolv- ed that in the future all strangers and those who had not been living here for six months as well as those who had not paid for their grant for burial purposes according to the constitution, should be buried upon our new (that is the watery) cemetery.
The parochial school has been abandoned for some years and it became customary to rent the building to a teacher who would conduct a pay school there on his own responsibility. This cus- tom had been in vogue for some years. Already in 1823 Samuel Uhler inserted the following an- nouncement in the Lebanon paper :
EDUCATION.
The subscriber begs leave to inform the Citizens of Lebanon and its vicinity, that he has rented the Lutheran Schoolhouse, formerly occupied by Mr. Blocker, and has commenced a School in the Eng- lish language on Tuesday, the 12th instant. He intends to teach Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
·J. J. Embich.
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He hopes by strict attention to his business to merit and receive a share of the public patronage.
SAM. H. UHLER.
Lebanon, June 15, 1823.
The seventh day of July, 1826, was a great day for Lebanon. The town was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The day was ushered in with the pealing of the Church bells early in the morning. The military including the surviving soldiers of the Revolution- ary war who lived in this district assembled in Mar- ket Square at ten o'clock in the morning. There was a grand procession which was headed by two marshalls; then came the Lebanon Cavalry, The Independent Guards, and the Lebanon Blues. Two more marshalls followed and then the citizens fell in line. After two more marshalls and the music the Town and County Officials took up their posi- tion. Behind them followed a number of young girls dressed in white. The last division headed by two marshalls, was composed of the clergy of the place and the speakers and readers of the day. The Lebanon paper reports that the Rev. Mr. Ernst made a patriotic and very appropriate address in the German language. The Honorable Curr read the Declaration of Independence. Colonel Na- thaniel Hall delivered a beautiful and spirited Eng- lish address. During all these exercises deep si- lence reigned. After they were over, the military were invited to the homes of the citizens, and it is
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expressly intimated that they behaved themselves with great decency and departed to their homes in order and peace.
In February, 1827, Lebanon experienced one of the most sensational and tragic days in all its his- tory. The occasion was the execution of James Quinn, the first murderer ever hanged in the town. Der Beobachter of February 16th gives the follow- ing account of it in the German language. "James Quinn was executed last Friday near this town. Perhaps 8000 people were gathered about thespotas spectators. Four Companies of Cavalry and seven Companies of Infantry all under the command of Colonel Doebler, accompanied the Sheriff from the prison to the place of execution. The prisoner was dressed in white, and was supported by the Priests of the Romish Church, and also by Rev. Ernst and Strein, Lutheran Ministers. The prisoner seemed pale, quiet and penitent." The paper then goes on to describe the thrill of horror that passed through the multitude when the rope broke at the first at- tempt and the second hanging of the prisoner.
Another great event in 1827 was the completion of the Union Canal which had been building during this period especially since 1821. When on that spring day the first boat, over fifty feet long, named "Alpha, of Tulpehocken," glided through the water and by North Lebanon on its way westward, the wonder and delight of the populace knew no bounds. Many wiseacres had prophesied that it
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would be impossible to keep the upper levels of the canal on limestone beds full of water.
A writer who saw the boat approaching and pass- ing through the tunnel which was used then for the first time became very enthusiastic. Who would have thought, he said, that a canal would flow and boats would glide through the fields which I myself had plowed many a time, and that in place of the sprouting corn which I had planted on the spot, rip- ples of water should rise on the bosom of a stream. The description of the event in the daily paper tells us that it was proposed to erect a pumping station and a feeder at the eastern end of Lebanon.
At this time Peter Shindel was Burgess from 1823 to 1826. Frederick Stoever was Burgess un- til 1827, and Christian Snavely until 1831. Joseph Gleim was Postmaster. In the year 1828 the Rev. Mr. Heister the pastor of the Reformed Church died. He had served in this connection since the year 1800, and his funeral on the IIth of February, was attended by a large number of people. In the spring of 1830 we were greeted with the announce- ment that the management of the Lebanon Acad- emy had secured the services of The Rev. Mr. Ernst as principal of the Academy, and that the languages especially would be taught with great accuracy.
CHAPTER XXIX.
GOVERNOR JOHN ANDREW SHULZE AND OTHER LEBA- NON HISTORY.
HRISTOPHER UHLER the old master- builder of Salem Church had died in the year 1804. He appears to have been one of the part owners and the active head of the Leba- non Land Company organized by Stoever. At his death the various heirs of the original proprie- tors desired a partition to be made, and this was done. A deed poll confirming the partition of the ground rents of the Borough of Lebanon was made returnable to the Dauphin County Court in De- cember, 1804.
From the second to the fourth decades of this century Lutherans were prominent in political and Legislative offices. In 1814 Peter Shindel went to the House of Representatives twice. In 1817 John Uhler went to the House of Representatives and again in 1819 and in 1820. In 1819 Adam Ritscher was sent to the House of Representatives and again in 1822. In the thirtys John Krauss and George Weidman were sent there by our County. But of all the prominent Lutherans in Lebanon there was none who attained the distinction which was en- joyed by John Andrew Shulze. Johann Andreas Melchoir Shulze was born in the Lutheran parson-
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age at Christ Church, Tulpehocken, on July 19th, 1775. Rev. Drs. Muhlenberg and Kunze stood for him at his baptism. He studied for the ministry with his uncle, Dr. Kunze, in New York, and was ordained in 1800.
From 1796 on he was a licensed member of our Synod, and became an esteemed pastor of congre- gations in Berks county for six years. In 1802 rheumatic affection disabled him and obliged him to relinquish the ministry. In 1806 he was elected a member of the Legislature. In 1813 Governor Snyder appointed him Surveyor General of the State, and then gave him the positions of Register, Recorder, Prothonotary, Clerk of the Orphans' Court and Clerk in the Sessions Court of Lebanon County. In October, 1821, he was chosen to repre- sent Lebanon County in the House of Represen- tatives. In 1822 he became a State Senator, and 1823 he was elected Governor by a majority of over 25,000. In 1826 he was re-elected by the great- est majority ever cast for a Governor in the State of Pennsylvania. He received 72,000 votes while his antagonist got about 1,000. In his Guberna- torial office he distinguished himself for large views, great prudence, good judgment, and the appoint- ment of honest officials. He resided on Ninth street in the building now occupied by Dr. Joseph Lemberger. He attended service in the Salem church and the Communion Record still bears his name together with that of his wife to show that on May 13th, 1823, on Whitsunday shortly after his
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election as Governor, he received the communion here. Four days later, on May 17th, his son, Au- gustus, was confirmed in the Salem church.
The year 1820 in Lebanon signalizes a number of events. The Lebanon Courier was established. The First United Brethren church was built. It stood on the road branching off diagonally at Sev- enth and Lehman and leading to Pinegrove. To- wards the end of the decade there was a Methodist class of four persons in Lebanon, of which George Gleim and wife were two. There was no Methodist organization until 1833. In 1830 the first Evangel- ical church in the town was built on the present lo- cation on Chestnut street. In the same year the Lebanon Fire Company was organized with John Shindel as President. Rev. Ernst took charge of the Lebanon Academy at this time, and remained at its head until the year 1834. Another principal was elected but he did not seem to succeed very well, and Rev. Ernst was again placed in charge, and occupied the position until 1839.
Rev. Ernst was an extraordinarily capable man and when he was examined by the Synod in 1812, the unusual testimony was given, "The sermon of Ernst is very excellent; he has fine attainments." He applied to the Synod in the year 1808 for the office of Catechist. In 1811 he was licensed to preach, and was ordained in 1816.
Among those that Rev. Ernst buried were Jacob Karch, age 76, and John Embich, aged 65, in 1818; Philip Fisher, aged 49; John Martin Yensel, aged
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74; David Krause, Esq., aged 63, and John George Gebhart, aged 76; in 1821 he buried the young or- ganist and school teacher of the congregation who had come over from Germany and married Rebecca George. His name was Christopher Rettig; in 1825 he buried Samuel Meily, aged 64, and Elizabeth Ernst, probably his mother, aged 73. In 1829 he buried a trustee, Anastasius Glasbrenner at the age of 77; in 1830, John Weidman, at the age of 74, and Bernard Embich, of whom he remarks, "War lang ein Gemeinsglied allbier." In 1831 George Gloninger, aged 77; John George Reinoehl, who was born in 1752 and had fifteen children. Of him Rev. Ernst says, "War lang ein brauchbares Glied der Gemeinde. Starb als trustee, derselben;" and John Conrad Reinoehl, aged 76. In 1833 he buried David Krause; in 1834 he buried John Philip Greenawalt, aged 73; he states that he was an old inhabitant of the town. He was buried on the Re- formed cemetery. In 1836 Pastor Ernst buried John George Vogt, who was born in 1758. He says of Father Vogt, "War ein redlicher Man, lang ein Gemeinsgleid und starb as Trustee." The last en- try of funerals by Rev. Ernst is on May 28th, 1838.
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CHAPTER XXX.
THE REVEREND JONATHAN RUTHRAUFF.
18.36-44 REV. JONATHAN RUTHRAUFF
R EV. Jonathan Ruthrauff as- sumed charge of Salem church in December, 1837. He was thirty-six years of age at the time. The resignation of the Rev. Mr. Ernst, which made the pastorate va- cant, is to be attributed to the poor condition of his health. Rev. Ruth- rauff had been ordained in 1827, had preached for several months as a missionary in Cen- tral Pennsylvania, and subsequently acted as a sup- ply for the new St. Matthew's congregation in Phil- adelphia. He was invited to become the pastor of the latter congregation but declined, and took charge of churches first at Lewistown, and in 1829 at Hanover. The great event of his ministry in Lebanon was the introduction of what was then called "New Measures" in the services of the Salem church. "It was at Lebanon that Mr. Ruthrauff first introduced the use of the Anxious Seat. He was induced to give it his sanction under the fol- lowing circumstance. During the exercises of a protracted meeting which was in progress, on a certain evening when the services were held in his Lecture Room, a woman, uninvited, in the presence
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of the congregation, came forward in deep distress, and knelt down before him at the front seat. This produced in the audience an unusal degree of feel- ing. Without any previous intention on his part, but influenced by a strong sense of duty, the pas- tor tendered an invitation to all others who desired personal instructions, or an interest in the suppli- cations of the Church, to come forward."*
A large part of the congregation were very strongly opposed to this method of conducting ser- vices, and as both parties were very determined, a grave struggle ensued. On the one part it was main- tained by the pastor that the congregation was not in a proper spiritual condition, and he referred to the difference between the conduct of the members in ordinary life and that prescribed by the consti- tution of the Church. He also maintained that the English language ought to be introduced to a much greater extent in the services of the church, and that the Sunday-school should be made a much more prominent feature of worship.
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