USA > Pennsylvania > The Historical journal : a quarterly record of local history and genealogy devoted principally to Northwestern Pennsylvania > Part 27
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VI. A limited edition-not exceeding 800 copies-on account of the heavy cost, will be printed ; and as it will not be stereo- typed, the book will be out of print when the last copy is disposed of. No agents will be employed; subscribers must order direct from the publisher, who will mail the numbers to them postpaid. The question of republication must be settled between this time and the middle of March, when the present volume of THE HIS- TORICAL JOURNAL will be completed.
Now, friends. if you are in earnest in this matter, let us hear from you at once, so that your names may be enrolled, in order to determine if a sufficient number can be obtained.
THE first instalment of Dr. Stevens' History of the Presbytery of Northumberland appears in this issue of THE HISTORICAL JOURNAL, and we take pleasure in directing the attention of our readers to it. Those interested in local history, and especially the history of this famous old Presbytery, cannot fail to be interested and instructed on reading it. The part which appears in this issue is about one-fourth of the work, and the balance will be printed in the three succeeding numbers. As this is the first history of the Presbytery ever written. it doubtless will attract more than ordi- nary attention. The writer devoted much time and labor to its preparation, and he certainly has succeeded in collecting and arranging in chronological order a history that will prove valuable
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to those who desire to know something of the privations endured by the pioneer clergymen engaged in founding Presbyterianism in this beautiful valley of the Susquehanna, and its adjoining territory.
THE picture of the old Williamsport Academy, which appears as the frontispiece, will revive pleasant memories in the minds of many of our older readers. The Williamsport Academy was in- corporated by act of the Legislature April 2d, 1811, and $2,000 out of the State Treasury appropriated for the school. All the members of the first board of trustees, eight in number, are now dead. The first teacher in the Academy was Rev. Samuel Hender- son, a Presbyterian. He had a number of successors, as school was carried on there until 1835. The building is of brick, and octagonal in form. It has long been occupied as a dwelling house and is still in a good state of preservation.
LITERARY NOTES.
JOHN P. DWYER, who has been publishing the Renovo Evening News very successfully for over four years. will soon start a weekly paper. Mr. Dwyer has shown much enterprise and pluck in pub- lishing his daily, and no doubt he will issue a bright and sparkling weekly.
THE first volume of the Historical Record, issued from the office of the Wilkes-Barre daily Record, has been completed. It is composed of local and biographical articles relating to the Wy- oming Valley and contiguous territory, and is an exceedingly valuable monthly publication. Dr. F. C. Johnson is the editor, and nothing of local historical interest escapes his attention. The Record is published at the low rate of $1.50 per annum, and when the twelve numbers are bound they will make a compact volume of over 225 pages. We take pleasure in recommending it as one of the very best publications of its kind in the State.
DR. W. H. EGLE, State. Librarian, has published the second series of his Notes and Queries in bock form, and it is needless to add that the work is of rare value. As a collector of local gene- alogical and biographical information, Dr. Egle is not excelled by any one in Pennsylvania, and his works will not only be a splendid
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monument to his industry and genius, but of incalculable value to future local historians.
NEARING THE END OF A CENTURY.
J. EMERY, EsQ., of Williamsport, celebrated the 86th anniver- sary of his birth on the 30th of November, 1887. He was born at Canterbury, New Hampshire, November 30. 1801. Besides his profession of the law, Mr. Emery has devoted much time to scien- tific studies, and for a long time he has been engaged in the prep- aration of a historical descriptive catalogue of all the earthquakes that have occurred on the American continent since its settlement by the Anglo-Saxon race. Mr. Emery enjoys good health, and his mind is as vigorous and active as it was fifty years ago.
MRS. ELIZABETH BADGER, of Lock Haven, was 87 years old on the 15th of November, 1887. The Express thinks she is the oldest woman in that city. She was born in Northumberland County, November 15th, 1800, and is the widow of the late John Badger. For sixteen years she has been a resident of Lock Haven. having removed there from Mill Hall in 1871. She had for a number of years resided in Centre County, having lived near Jacksonville, and later in 'Bellefonte. This venerable lady is the only one living of a large family of brothers and sisters. She had four children, all of whom are dead except the daughter with whom she resides.
RIPE SHEAVES GATHERED BY THE REAPER.
THE venerable John Warner, of whom mention was made in the September number, died at his home at Pennsville, November 12th. 1887, aged 90 years. 3 months and 25 days. Mr. Warner had lived from birth to death in the township where he was born. Reared upon a farm, the long years of his life were given to agri- cultural pursuits. He was a consistent and beloved member of the Society of Friends and bore the respect and esteem of his friends and neighbors to the close of his earthly pilgrimage.
THOMAS MYERS, who died at his home in Williamsport, Saturday evening. December 3d, 1887, was a man who had an interesting history. He was born in a log house which stood almost on the
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site of Forty Fort, Wyoming Valley, February 15th, 1802. From this it will be seen that he was well along in his 86th year. His father, who was named Philip, came from Germany when he was but six years of age and landed at Baltimore. He was but a boy when the Revolutionary war broke out, but he promptly joined the provincial forces and fought at the battle of Germantown at the age of fifteen. He was with General Sullivan in his famous ex- pedition against the Indians in 1779. Thomas Myers' mother was named Martha Bennett, and she was in the fort at the time of the Wyoming massacre. She was about fifteen years of age and was among the few who escaped. Philip Myers, at the close of the war, settled in Wyoming Valley and soon afterwards married Miss Bennett. They were blessed with five sons and five daughters, Thomas, the subject of this sketch, being the youngest son. He commenced life as a farmer in 1824, and in 1825 married Miss Barbige. The fruits of this marriage were one son and one daughter, both of whom reside in Chicago. In 1844 Mrs. Myers died. About a year afterwards Mr. Myers married Miss E. C. Vanderbelt. a daughter of the well known Peter Vanderhelt. of Williamsport. They had four sons, only one of whom survives. Thomas Myers became quite a politician and was elected sheriff of Luzerne County in 1835. At that time Luzerne took in the terri- tory now embraced in the counties of Wyoming and Lackawanna. During his administration the difficulties arose in the Legislature which culminated in the calling out of the militia. It is known in history as the " Buckshot War." Sheriff Myers was in Harrisburg the day the troops arrived and drove the revolutionary members of the Legislature out of the State House. On the completion of his term he settled in Kingston in 1838 and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was also appointed postmaster soon afterwards. He prospered in business and became the owner of considerable real · estate. During the contest for the location of Wyoming Seminary between Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, he settled it by donating the ground on which to found the institution, and in March. 1844. he commenced the erection of the first building for the school out of his own means. It was completed and dedicated the 20th of Sep- tember of that year. the celebrated Dr. Durbin conducting the ceremonies. : He always took a deep interest in the school, and it
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is probable that his donations, if measured by the standard of dollars and cents, would exceed $50,000. He was also engaged in many other enterprises. He finally located in Williamsport in 1875 and made this place his permanent home. On last Thanks- giving Day he was stricken with paralysis, and as he did not rally he quietly passed away at the time noted above.
TOMBSTONE RECORD.
Many years ago the following illustrated epitaph, on a headstone in the old Ross Park Cemetery, Williamsport, used to attract the attention of the curious:
Sacred to the memory of HENRY HARRIS, Born June 27, 1821, of Henry Harris and Jane his wife. Died on the 4th of May, 1837, by the kick of a colt in his bowels. Peaceable and quiet, a friend to his father and mother, and respected by all who knew him, and went to the world where horses don't kick, where sorrows and weeping is no more.
When this ground, which had been set apart by Michael Ross, the founder of Williamsport, for burial purposes, was abandoned and turned into a park, the remains of many interred there were removed to other cemeteries by their friends. The headstone hearing the Harris inscription disappeared and has not been seen for many years.
A little over a mile west of Jersey Shore, on the canal, is one of
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the oldest cemeteries in Lycoming County. At first it was known as the "Davidson Burying Ground," because the ground was set apart for that purpose by Dr. James Davidson, who owned the farm on which it is located. He was a surgeon in the Revolution- ary army, and settled there soon after the close of the war. On the erection of Lycoming County, April 13th, 1795, he was ap- pointed one of the associate judges by Governor Mifflin. Dr. Davidson died January 16th, 1825, aged about 75 years, and was buried in this cemetery, but there is no longer a trace of his grave to be found. Many other old settlers were buried there, and a visit
· to the place is interesting, as many of their tombstones are yet in good condition. A plain headstone, now in a leaning position, bears this curious epitaph:
Sacred to the memory
of
JAMES
McMURRAY,
Born in Ireland, June
11, 1764. Emigrated to
America in 1790, was
Converted to God in
1820, and
united with
the M. E. Church. The husband of three wives, the Father of 22 Chil- dren, 18 living, the gr- and Father of 38. Who died in Jersey Shore April 11, 1853, in good peace & triumph, being 54 yr's a resident of the country where he exchanged earth for Heaven.
His descendants are scattered throughout the country. Several of the sons attained to distinction as professional men. Dr. Wesley McMurray, who died in Jersey Shore soon after his father, gave great promise as a physician. Rev. J. S. McMurray, D. D., became a distinguished Methodist Episcopal minister. He was a member of the Central Pennsylvania Conference, served as presiding elder on more than one occasion, and only died a few years ago. Three of the four wives of Rev. J. H. Grier lie side by side in this old cemetery. Hon. Isaac Smith, who represented this district in Congress from 1813 to 1815, is also buried here by the side of his wife.
Residence of Judge Hepburn, Built in 1801. See page 322.
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الوحدة المن منشوم
THE HISTORICAL JOURNAL.
A MONTHLY RECORD.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by JOHN F. MEGINNESS, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Vol. 1. FEBRUARY, 1888. No. 10.
HISTORY
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NORTHUMBERLAND PRESBYTERY.
BY REV. JOSEPH STEVENS, D. D.
About the time the excitement and the animosities caused by the civil war began to subside. and the Presbytery was entering on a career of progressive work with flattering prospects of suc- cess, a case of discipline, of the gravest character, was forced upon, and absorbed its attention for several months. The Rev. William Simonton, pastor of the First Church of Williamsport, having ob- tained leave of his congregation to suspend his labors among them for a season, that he might travel in foreign parts, the officers of the church employed the Rev. William A. Kerr to occupy the pulpit during his absence. Mr. Kerr had recently been pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Easton, Pa., had received his literary and scientific education at. Washington and Jefferson Col- lege, and his theological training at the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Pa. He was a preacher of more than ordin- ary attractiveness, and soon won the attachment of a large part of the congregation. A short time after Mr. Simonton returned, he resigned the pastorate of the First Church, and in the course of time Mr. Kerr was called to the charge. When he applied to be received into the Presbytery and installed, it was found there were rumors current very damaging to his moral character. He was taken into the Presbytery, but his installation was deferred till
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these rumors should be inquired into. As he made no active ef- fort to vindicate himself, the Presbytery arraigned him before its bar on the charge of common rumor of living in unscriptural sep- aration from his wife. The record of the case, as it stands on page 96, Minutes, Vol. IV., reads thus :
I. Resolved, That the call from the First Church of Williamsport be now put into the hands of the Rev. W. A. Kerr, and that a committee be appointed to install him, at a date to be fixed by the committee, not earlier than July 1st, unless otherwise ordered by the Presbytery.
II. Resolved, That the Presbytery deem it their duty to prosecute the charge made before them by common rumor against the Rev. W. A. Kerr, viz., that he is living in unscriptural separation from his wife; and that a committee of three, two ministers and one elder, be appointed to conduct the whole case on the part of the Presbytery, and that said committee be ordered to issue (prosecute) the case immediately.
The trial was set for the 18th of June, ensuing, and a committee appointed to conduct it. After every possible effort of the com- mittee to procure testimony, the case failed through the refusal of the only competent witness to testify. Immediately on the failure of this case, two gentlemen, members of the First Church of Wil- liamsport, came forward with charges which they regularly tabled against Mr. Kerr, with specifications involving the gravest immor- alities. These charges were tried, in the church at Newberry, after the two gentlemen who preferred them had been prosecuted, at the instance of Mr. Kerr, in the civil court of Lycoming County, for libel, and acquitted. The ecclesiastical trial was commenced in the Lycoming Church, at Newberry, on the 19th of November, 1872. In the meantime, the wife of Mr. Kerr had preferred to Presby- tery a complaint against him, and he was required to defend him- self against the charges tabled by the two gentlemen above referred to, Messrs. Gibson and Housel, and the complaint made by Mrs. Emily M. Kerr, in two separate trials, the one immediately succeed- ing the other. These trials continued to occupy the Presbytery, at intervals, till the 14th of February, 1873. when, in both cases, he was adjudged guilty, and was deposed from the Christian ministry and suspended from the communion of the Church. Seldom has it fallen to the lot of any Presbytery to pass through such an ordeal of excitement, and bear the odium of such uncharitable criticisms as the Presbytery of Northumberland encountered during these protracted and hotly contested trials; but wisdom is justified of her
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children; Christian morality was vindicated, the honor of the Church and of the ministry was maintained, and Christ was glori- fied in the result. A large proportion of the people of the First Church stood by their accused minister to the end, defended him with astonishing zeal, and refused to admit his guilt even after the Presbytery had so thoroughly investigated the case and found him guilty. Mr. Kerr gave notice to Presbytery of his purpose to ap- peal his case to the General Assembly, and every arrangement was made by his friends to secure the most favorable hearing possible; but before the General Assembly met, certain developments of character on the part of Mr. Kerr satisfied so many of his most ardent friends of his guilt, that all efforts to bring the case before the Assembly were dropped. Thus, after the Presbytery had patiently and arduously done its work and proved its faithfulness to its trust, the providence of God came in and swept away the rubbish that had obscured the vision of many sincere minds, and relieved all concerned of any doubt that the troublesome affair had been wisely dealt with and righteously adjudicated. Naturally the First Church was left somewhat under a cloud. For a time it suffered some depression; its numbers were depleted, and it was
otherwise discouraged. But in a few years it recovered from all the unfavorable consequences of the fiery ordeal through which it had passed; and, like the fabled Phoenix, arising out of its own ashes, resumed a new and vigorous life, and now, at this writ- ing, occupies the foremost place among the churches of the Presby- tery. The city of Williamsport has had a rapid growth in population and wealth. and this church, whose future seemed at the time of these troubles, and as a consequence of them, so dis- couraging, has entered into and partaken largely of the prosperity of the place. It has erected one of the most costly and beautiful church buildings to be found in the interior of Pennsylvania, it owns a commodious and substantial parsonage, and the efforts of its present energetic pastor are attended with unusual success in all his ministrations.
In 1874 the Presbytery adopted the expedient of sending visit- ing committees-each consisting of two ministers-to all its churches, with the view of awakening a more earnest religious interest among the people. They were instructed to hold pro-
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tracted religious services in all the congregations, and to use all appropriate means to arouse and intensify the zeal of the people. The plan proved, in the main, very successful. The result was a quickened religious life among the churches and unusually large additions to their membership, while other incidental advantages flowed from it, to the great benefit of the cause of Christ, as rep- resented by this Presbytery. Efforts of this kind, if judiciously managed and not undertaken too often, can hardly fail of salutary results. They bring the clergy and the people of the denomination into acquaintance with one another, and impress the churches with the feeling that the Presbytery has more than a mere official inter- est in their spiritual welfare. But to give it the promise of success there must be a careful distribution and adaptation of the com- mittees to the circumstances and needs of the congregations. Though of late years there has been but a limited expansion of the Presbytery in the way of additional churches, still there has been a very solid and substantial increase of the strength and ability of the churches. The limited scope of its field of operations pre- cludes the possibility of any future extended increase of church organizations, but the population is increasing and the membership of the existing churches is multiplying in a healthy degrec, while the material resources of the people are enlarging and constantly swelling the contributions of the churches to the support of the ministry and the benevolent calls of the Church at large. The increase in ministers' salaries and in benevolence among the churches of this Presbytery, within the last thirty years, has been in regular gradation with the increase of wealth among the people.
In 1875 a woman's missionary society, auxiliary to the Woman's Foreign Board, was organized within the Presbytery, which has greatly aided in developing the benevolence of the churches. Its growth at first was slow, and its contributions small, but gradually it took root in the hearts of the daughters of the Church, and of late it has grown like a tree planted by a river of waters; and its constantly enlarging fruitfulness, both in the collection of funds for missionary purposes and the development of the talents and graces of the women, is something refreshing to contemplate. The society, auxiliary to the Woman's Home Board, though of some- what later organization, is also doing a noble work and rising fast
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in the scale of benevolent effort. These female organizations all over the land seem like angels sent from heaven to give impulse and scope to the too sluggish and too narrow efforts of the men to fulfil the Divine command: "Go ye into all the carth and preach the gospel to every creature."
We have not access to records which would enable us to present an accurate comparative view of the growth of this Presbytery from its origin to the present time, except in the long range from 1811 to the present date, and in the most general way. It began its career with thirteen organized churches; it now has forty-seven. Some of these are small and feeble, and a few apparently destined to an early death. The growth cannot be said to have been rapid, though it has been substantial and encouraging. The progress made during the last nineteen years will give us an approximate idea of its general increase in all the essential elements of growth from the beginning of its history. The following figures are taken from the minutes of General Assembly from 1867 to 1886:
1867.
1SS6.
Whole number of Churches.
42
47
66
Ministers
31
42
66
66
Infants 66
140
224
Communicants
3,903
5,737
66
Sunday School Members.
2,483
5,844
Whole amount given to Home Missions
$
982
$ 4,691
" Foreig 1 Missions
1,467
4,818
" Educatio 1.
1,196
519
" Publication.
261
273
" Church Erection.
1,681
731
66
" Relief Fund
532
827
" Congregational.
24,114
58,357
It will be seen from this table that in some departments the progress has been very commendable, in others comparatively small, and in a few there has been a decline.
In 1867 the number of candidates for the ministry, under the care of the Presbytery, was three and in 1886 it was two. In its earlier days-its days of poverty and hard, self-denying toil-the Presbytery brought many more laborers into the harvest than in its later days of comparative wealth and luxury.
We do not purpose to cumber the pages of this necessarily brief
"
16
Adults Baptized.
60
112
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sketch with details of Presbyterial routine, but only to note such items as may prove of historical value to those who shall succeed the present occupants of the territory covered by this Presbytery. The records and documents at hand contain little or nothing of historical interest or worth, beyond what we have recorded in the foregoing pages, which may not be handled to better advantage in a brief historical sketch of the individual churches belonging to the Presbytery.
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PART III.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE CHURCHES BELONGING TO THE PRESBYTERY OF NORTHUMBERLAND.
The Presbyterian Church, in its form of government, requires all its church courts to keep a full and fair record of all their pro- ceedings. With such a constitutional provision it might be sup- posed there would be no difficulty in ascertaining the date of any transaction appertaining to any of its particular churches worthy of record, especially the date of its organization. Yet just here insuperable difficulties are encountered. This requirement was totally neglected by the pioneers of Presbyterianism in the interior section of Pennsylvania, covered by the Presbytery of Northum- berland. Of the thirteen churches with which the Presbytery commenced its career, the exact date of the organization of a single one cannot be ascertained. In some cases, it would seem, no sessional records were kept, or, at least, preserved. None can be found; so that their history can never be written with satisfac- tory precision. Why this should be so it is not easy to explain. The pioneer ministers were intelligent, educated men, and knew the value of records, but perhaps their time and attention were too closely occupied with the field duties of their calling, and their struggle for subsistence, to allow them sufficient thought or effort for making up records. Approximate dates are the only ones that can be furnished.
It is conceded that the Presbyterian Church at Buffalo X Roads is the oldest one in the West Branch Valley, and probably the first organized within the present limits of the Northumberland Presbytery. Meginness, who derives his facts from the Rev.
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Isaac Grier, D. D., and other sources, says in his " Otzinachson," or History of the West Branch Valley, "that as early as 1774 sup- plies were sent more than fifty miles higher up the West Branch" (than Buffalo Valley). According to the Rev. Mr. Hood's state- ment, who was the second installed pastor of the church, Buffalo Church was organized in 1773, and James McClenakan and Samuel Allen were its first ruling elders. These gentlemen continued to officiate as elders, and the congregation to receive supplies until 1781, when it was broken up, or suspended by the Indian disturb- ances which caused the "Great Runaway." In 1783 the people returned, and in the same year Mr. McClenakan died, and as Mr. Allen had died while the people were away, the congregation was without elders till 1785, when Matthew Laird, who had been a ruling elder in " Big Spring" congregation, came to reside in this congregation. In 1787 they were visited by Mr. Hugh Morrison, a licentiate from Ireland, to whom they gave a call and he became their first pastor. Mr. Morrison was at the same time called to the pastorate of the Sunbury and Northumberland congregations. The call reads thus:
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