USA > Pennsylvania > The Historical journal : a quarterly record of local history and genealogy devoted principally to Northwestern Pennsylvania > Part 34
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In 1870 the Presbytery of Harrisburg and the Synod of Penn- sylvania ceased to exist, as a consequence of the reunion of the New and Old School Churches consummated in 1869. The Pres- byteries and Synods of the Presbyterian Church in the United States were all reformed, and this church was thrown into the Presbytery of Northumberland, and the Synod of Harrisburg. In August, 1871, the Rev. H. W. Brown, of Burdett, N. Y., was called to this church at a salary of $2,500. Mr. Brown would not consent to be installed over the church on account of deafness, which proved a great inconvenience to him; but he continued to serve the congre- gation with entire satisfaction as stated supply till the fall of 1883, when he retired to the great regret of many of the people. He is an excellent man, and an earnest, faithful, useful minister of Christ.
This church has adopted both the envelope system of taking collections and the rotary eldership system, and reports them as working well. In the early part of 1884, the Rev. David Winters, the present occupant of the pulpit, was called to this church and installed soon after. He is an able minister of the New Testament. and with such a congregation of earnest workers, and faithful, pray- ing Christians to hold up his hands, has an encouraging future before him. The liberality of this church to the benevolent objects of the General Assembly, taken in the aggregate, exceeds that of any church in the Presbytery.
THE THIRD CHURCH OF WILLIAMSPORT .-- This church was formed as a mission church. under the auspices of the Second Church, in 1869. The Second Church dismissed twelve members to form it. and contributed largely to the erection of its edifice. It has had for its pastors. the Rev. A. D. Hawn, now of Delaware, Ohio; Rev. John Burrows. and the Rev. Adolos Allen, the present occupant of the pulpit. It had a small beginning, but has gradually and steadily advanced till now it is self-sustaining. It owns a beautiful, though small, church building, with Sabbath School room, and a commo- dious brick parsonage contiguous to the church. Its Sabbath School has always been large, and an interesting feature of its work. It has accomplished a good work for that part of the city in which it is located, and with the continued growth of the city, in that vicinity, may confidently look forward to a large increase in the near future.
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MUNCY CHURCH .- The origin and date of the organization of this church seem involved in inextricable confusion. We find it mentioned in the same record with Derry, in the record book of the Presbytery of Carlisle, as if it had been organized by the Pres- bytery of Donegal. We find no mention of it on the records of the Presbytery of Northumberland till 1827, when D. M. Barber was ordered to spend three or four weeks in missionary work on Muncy and Loyalsock Creeks. He was then a licentiate of this Presbytery, and missionated at various points in its territory. The Muncy Manor was surveyed in 1768, and belonged to the proprietaries of Pennsylvania. In 1776 this manor was divided into several farms and sold to settlers. It might be that, even at this early date or soon after, some Presbyterian families settled there. But we find only the one mention of Muncy in the old minutes running from 1811 to 1833. Meginness tells us, in his Otzinachson, that the town of Muncy was commenced on the Muncy Manor, by Benjamin McCarty in 1797, and was called Pennshoro, which name it bore till it was incorporated in 1826. And in October of 1829 the Rev. John Patterson was ordered by Presbytery to spend two or three weeks at Pennsboro, at his discretion as to the time. After this date supplies were regularly appointed for Pennsboro as though it was an organized church. Although its title was changed from Pennsboro to Muncy by the act of incorporation in 1826, it is not surprising that it continued to be called by its old name ; we still hear it called Pennsboro by some of the old inhabitants. The Presbyterian Church edifice was erected in 1834. The Muncy Church was feeble and needed to be nursed and nurtured by Pres- byterial care till within a recent date. It has, however, become self-sustaining, and owns a neat and attractive house of worship, and a commodious brick parsonage, with ample grounds. It provides an unusually comfortable residence for its pastor, and surrounds ยท him with an air of comfort and quietude very favorable to a studious and contemplative life. This church has not grown in numbers to the extent to which its surroundings would seem to warrant expec- tation. The additions to its membership, from year to year, are very small; while it has often been distracted by internal troubles. It has had many pastors, and some of them were excellent and able men. Some trees grow very slowly; their growth can hardly be discerned, except in a series of years; but it is said they live longer
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than other trees, and flourish in old age. Muncy is a sprightly, growing community; there is material enough there, apart from the other denominations that occupy the ground, to make a strong and influential Presbyterian Church; perhaps human wisdom and divine grace will, at some future time, become so combined in the Pres- byterian elements of its population as to foster the old tree into abundant fruitfulness.
WATSONTOWN CHURCH .- This church was organized June 16th, 1872. It is one of the younger daughters of the Presbytery, and has had a fair growth under very favorable circumstances. Watson- town is of recent origin ; it commenced its career as a business place under the fostering patronage of that well-known capitalist, Ario Pardee, and for a few years increased in population with remarkable rapidity. The site which it occupies belonged to. and the town took its name from, the family of David Watson, who, in his day, was an active man of affairs in that neighborhood. The family was of the old Presbyterian stock, and Mr. Watson, with his family, was identified with the Warrior Run Church, within whose original territory this whole region was included. As the town grew and business avenues were opened up, several Presbyterian families from the surrounding country moved in, and some from other places ; as soon as a sufficient nucleus for an organization was formed the Presbytery constituted the church, which has moved forward with success, though it has not been exempt from the internal troubles and the general discouragements usual with newly organ- ized Presbyterian churches. This church is self-sustaining, owns a neat and substantial brick church edifice, has an intelligent congre- gation composed largely of young families, and maintains a thrifty and useful Sabbath School. It has usually been connected with some neighboring congregation in the support of a pastor. especially with Warrior Run, which may properly be called its mother. It has had several pastors: the present incumbent is George L. Van Alen, a young man of much promise who is doing a good work there. This church has a promising field, and should feel encouraged to press onward with energy. Under wise and prudent management it may at no distant day represent the strength and influence of Presbyterianism hitherto represented by the surrounding country churches, which are now declining.
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MCEWENSVILLE CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1842. It sprang up in the midst of the Warrior Run congregation, from what causes we do not know, and drew its material from that church. It was organized under the name or title of Bethel Church. The Rev. John P. Hudson was its first pastor, who at the same time conducted a classical school. It was always feeble, and could only maintain a pastor in connection with neighboring congregations. After some years of struggle for existence it yielded to its fate, and returned to the fellowship from which it had separated.
THE MIFFLINBURG CHURCH .- This church was organized, or more properly, was received by the Presbytery, October 17th, 1827. It had been under the care of the Second Associate Presbytery of Philadelphia. which. from some cause not known to us, became extinct about this time. This church was originally organized of families who came out of the Buffalo Church on account of the intro- duction of Watts' hymns. or the hymns adopted by the Presbyterian Church. They were the Psalm-singers who held to Rouse's version as the only allowable composition for singing in the worship of God. It would appear that their zeal on this subject had greatly abated in the course of time. They still cleave together as an organized church. and continue to hold on there way as the church of Mifflinbure. In the course of time the Buffalo Church transferred its services. for a part of the time, to Mifflinburg, and soon serious trouble arose between the two churches as interfering with each other's services. As early as 1829 the matter was carried to Pres- bytery on complaint of the Mifflinburg Church, and Mr. Hood. pastor of Buffalo Church, and Mr. Kirkpatrick. supply of the Mifflinburg Church, were ordered to so arrange the time of their services as to avoid two Presbyterian services at the same hour. Several times afterwards similar complaints were brought to Presbytery by the Mifflinburg Church. In 1868 the matter came up in such a way that the Presbytery gave it a full and patient hearing, the result of which was that the Rev. Isaac Grier, then pastor of the Buffalo Church. was enjoined to cease preaching, and administering the com- munion in the town of Mifflinburg, except by the consent of the Mifflinburg Church, and this church was recommended to give Mr. Grier the use of its edifice for his ministrations to his people living in and around Mifflinburg when they did not need it for their own
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services. From this action Mr. Grier appealed to the Synod of Philadelphia. The Synod appointed a commission to hear and settle the case. Their decision was to be final. This was an inno- vation in the procedure of a Presbyterian Church Court in the United States, and could not have stood the test of review by the General Assembly. The commission reversed the decision of the Presbytery and authorized Mr. Grier to preach and administer the communion in Mifflinburg without restriction .*
Mr. Grier continued to preach in this little town, occupying sometimes the school house and sometimes the Reformed or Luth- eran church, till the people of his charge erected a church building there a short time before his death. About the time the Buffalo people began to prepare to build in the town, the Mifflinburg building was crushed down by a heavy snow storm, and they went lustily into the work of rebuilding. Thus two new and substantial brick churches were erected the same year in a town of a few hundred inhabitants, where either one would be amply sufficient to accommo- date all the Presbyterian worshipers. The extravagance and waste of this is obvious: it is a sacrifice to prejudice not warranted by the teachings of the New Testament or commended by sound policy. Both these church buildings are now occupied by pastors, young and well trained men, capable of making their influence felt for God if each had a clear field to labor in. The Mifflinburg Church has maintained the ministrations of the gospel by uniting with other churches in the vicinity: its connection at the present time is with Hartleton. Various attempts have been made by the Presbytery to unite these two churches into one strong and self-sustaining charge; but thus far the antagonism has been found too strong for such a result.
HARTIETON CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1843. It is located in a small village, on ground originally included in the territory of the old Buffalo Church. It has always been small and feeble, and has been from its origin more or less helped by the Board of Home Missions. It is located in a region where it can- not, perhaps, for a long time to come hope to acquire much strength, vet where its work and influence are needed. It has done a good work, and the Church at large has been the gainer by supporting
* See Presbyterial minutes of 1868, and minutes of Synod of Philadelphia, 1868.
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it. It has recently erected a neat and attractive little brick edifice for itself, having hitherto worshiped in a rather antiquated union building. It supports the ministrations of the gospel by uniting with Mifflinburg.
NEW BERLIN CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1841. Like all the churches in Buffalo Valley and its near vicinity. its field was included in the territory belonging to the old Buffalo Church. The town of New Berlin was the county town of Union County until that county was divided in 1855, when Lewisburg became the county town. Hence when this church was organized it had an important field to cultivate. Several prominent lawyers of the place became members of it, among whom were the Hon. Mr. Slenker, once Auditor of the State: Mr. Merrill. Mr. Swineford, and others. In those days the church made reasonable progress and was regarded as a desirable charge. It never, however, attained to much strength, and when the seat of justice was removed to Lewisburg the town and the church ran down together. Since that date the church has been growing weaker year by year. till at the present time it is reduced to almost nothing. It united with Mifflinburg and Hartleton in supporting the ministrations of the gospel under the pastorate of the late George Thompson, after- wards Dr. Thompson, of Academia, and the pastorate of the late lamented James D. Reardon: but when the latter resigned it united with Buffalo, under the pastorate of the late Dr. Isaac Grier, or rather was supplied by him; in this connection it still remains under his successor, the Rev. William K. Foster. Its future is not promising. The town occupies a charming site, and the church building is a creditable one. If railroads should tap the place and business enterprises should spring up there, the town and the church will rise together, and this beautiful spot will ring with the hum of industry and the songs of Zion.
THE CHURCH OF LEWISBURG .- This church was organized in 1833. " At this date a colony from the church at Buffalo X Roads was organized in the name of the Lewisburg Presbyterian Church, and the same year a brick chapel was erected on the north-west corner of Front and St. Louis Streets."* In 1856 a large and sub-
*Meginness' History of the West Branch Valley.
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stantial brick church was erected on ground occupied formerly by the English grave-yard, on Market Street. The late Rev. P. B. Marr was the first pastor; he was succeeded by the Rev. James Clark, D. D., in 1852. Since Dr. Clark's pastorate this church has often changed its pastors. Among those who have occupied its pulpit, as pastors, are the Rev. Benjamin Jones, now professor in Lincoln University, and Henry L. Dickson, D. D., recently deceased, neither of whom remained very long. The present pas- tor is the Rev. John B. Grier, grandson of the Rev. Isaac Grier, one of the original constituent members of the Presbytery. Though this church has been afflicted by a frequent change of pastors, it has steadily advanced, not perhaps in proportion to the increase of the population of the town, but it has gained in strength and influence, and financial ability. It reports a gain of a little more than sixty members in twenty years; it owns a very substantial and well equipped church edifice, and a commodious parsonage contiguous to the church building. The population of the town is now, perhaps, more than double of what it was twenty years ago. The Baptist denomination have here a flourishing institution of learning. formerly called the Lewisburg, now the Bucknell University, which, while it affords the population excellent facilities for educating the youth of both sexes, is not promotive of the growth of Presbyterianism.
THE MILTON CHURCH .- This church was organized on the 3d of December, 1811. The town of Milton was incorporated into a borough in February, 1817. In the first year of its existence as an incorporated borough a serious. disaster overtook it in what was supposed to be the bursting of a water spout in its close vicinity, occasioning what is known as the Limestone Run flood, which wrought great damage to the town. To repair this damage the Legislature of the State voted a donation of $5,000, and the inhabi- tants had to be heavily taxed .* Water and fire seem to have been its natural foes. Previously to the organization of the church the Presbyterians of the place were identified with the Chillisquaque or Warrior Run churches, under the pastoral care of the Rev. John Bryson, who held it as an out-post of his charge, preaching there in a log school house at such times as were convenient. We learn from the old minutes of the Presbytery, that when application was
* Meginness' History of the West Branch Valley.
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made for the organization of a church there, a strong remonstrance was presented against it by certain parties, the grounds of which are not stated. The organization, however, was granted and con- summated. This application for organization had been made to the Presbytery of Huntingdon the year before the Presbytery of Northumberland was set off, but was laid over till the ensuing year, and hence fell to the heirship of the new Presbytery. In 1810 the Rev. Mr. Hood, then pastor of Buffalo and Washington, commenced to preach at Milton as a stated supply, Mr. Bryson having withdrawn a year or two before. He preached in an Episcopal church, then the only church edifice in the town. and by the consent of Mr. Bryson, in the limits of whose charge the place was included .* As early as April, 1811, when the Presbytery of Huntingdon met at Buffalo, a call for the pastoral services of Mr. Hood by the people of Milton and vicinity was presented. but could not be put into his hands for the obvious reason that there was no church there and the territory lay within Mr. Bryson's charge. In 1812, after the formation of the Presbytery of Northumberland and the organization of the church at Milton, this call was renewed and accepted by Mr. Hood for one-fourth of his time, and he was installed on October 12th of that year. On the 20th of April, 1819, Mr. Hood resigned his pastorate of Washington and became the pastor of the Milton Church for the half of his time. During this year, 1819, the Harmony Church edifice was completed. It had been commenced in 1817, by a union of the German Reformed, the English Presbyterians and the German Lutherans, each pledging $2,000, which was estimated to be sufficient to erect a suitable edifice for them to worship in by turns. When the building was finished it was found the money collected was not sufficient to meet its cost, and the balance was assessed on the three parties equally. The Presbyterians failed to raise their portion and were finally sued for it. and their right and title sold by the sheriff. They were thus left houseless; they then rented the use of the Baptist house of worshipt for about three years, when they returned to Harmony for one year, and in 1837-8 built themselves a new brick church on Front Street, which was eventually torn down. and in 1856 a neat and commodious brick edifice was erected in its stead,
* Dr. James C. Watson, minutes of Presbytery.
t Old minutes. Dr. Watson's Centennial Sermon.
:
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which remained till the great fire on May 14, 1880, destroyed it. In April, 1835, Mr. Hood resigned the pastorate, and from that time till November, 1838, the church was without a pastor. It was during this vacancy that the congregation initiated and completed the new church edifice, which was dedicated by the Revs. D. J. Waller and D. M. Barber, the former preaching the sermon and the latter offering the prayer. In October, 1838, the Rev. James Williamson, then pastor of the Silver's Spring Church, Presbytery of Carlisle, was called to the pastorate. The congregation was incorporated by the Court of Common Pleas of Northumberland County in April, 1845. Mr. Williamson resigned in 1845, and was succeeded by the Rev. David Longmore in September, 1846, a member of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia. Mr. Longmore, afterwards Dr. Longmore, resigned in April. 1854, and in September of the same year the congregation presented a call to the late Rev. James C. Watson. D. D. The call was accepted by Dr. Watson, and he was installed in December. 1854 .* Through all these years the church made steady progress in numbers. and all the elements of strength, receiving its increase chiefly from the old surrounding country churches, many of whose families moved into Milton, either to enter into business or to spend the remnant of their days in retirement. The great fire, one of the most destructive of modern times, consumed the church buildingerected in 1856-7, and scattered the congregation, and for a time their surroundings were extremely discouraging. But in a short time the town rallied from the disaster, rising, like the Phoenix of story, out of its ashes ; the scattered popu- lation returned, and the work of rebuilding commenced on a vast scale. In the meantime Dr. Watson resigned, but died before Presbytery had acted on his resignation, much lamented by his numerous friends. The congregation had already commenced the erection of an elegant and substantial stone edifice, which it soon completed in excellent taste: a pastor, in the person of the Rer. S. H. Bell, was called and installed, and the losses of the church in numbers have at this date, 1887. been almost recovered. Having been tried by fire, may the church find itself purified, and do better work for the Master in the future than it has done in the past.
* Minutes of Presbytery. Dr. Watson's Centennial Sermon.
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HOLLAND RUN CHURCH .- This church, according to the old minutes of the Presbytery, was set off from the Sunbury Church in June, 1828. It seems to have been, through almost all its existence, supplied by appointees of the Presbytery when it has had preaching. We do not find that it ever had a pastor installed over it till within a few years ago, when the late Rev. J. D. Reardon, whose sudden death is so deeply lamented by all his brethren of the Presbytery, took charge of it in that capacity for a part of his time. For many years it made no report to Presbytery, and seemed to be fast on its way to dissolution and final burial. But Mr. Reardon seemed to be sent to them as an angel of mercy; under his faithful labors they seemed to awake out of their long sleep and to become somewhat revived. He was gradually lifting them up to an improved Chris- tian life. He had cared for these people years before, when he was pastor at Sunbury, and was thoroughly acquainted with their case. Now that the under-shepherd has been taken from them they will be sorely tried. May the Chief Shepherd continue to lead them into the green pastures and beside the still waters. They, at this date. 1887, report fifty communicants and seventy members in the Sabbath School: their contributions to benevolent objects are very meagre.
CENTRALIA CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1871. It is located in a mining district, is small and feeble, and so situated that it cannot be regularly supplied with gospel ministrations. It has usually been connected with Elysburg Church in . the support of a pastor or supply, and has been aided by the Board of Home Missions. It no longer appears on the roll of this Presbytery, having been transferred to the Lehigh Presbytery.
ELYSBURG CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1851. It is located in a small village some miles from Danville, on the opposite side of the North Branch of the Susquehanna. Its congregation was drawn from the old Shamokin or Rush Church. It has always been small and feeble, and supported in part by missionary aid. It is now supplied by the Rev. William R. Mather, a part of his time.
SHAMOKIN CHURCH .- The date of the organization of this church we have not been able to find. It is the mother of the Elysburg Church and is almost as weak as Elysburg, though it has about
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twice as many communicants. Its organization may date back as far as that of the oldest churches of this section of the Presbytery. It is sometimes called the Rush Church, from the name of the town- ship in which it is located. Many years ago it was a large congre- gation, but has declined to great feebleness. The soil of this region is poor and unremunerative to those who cultivate it; not such as Presbyterians take to in these modern days.
MAHONING CHURCH .- The date of the organization of this church, like that of all the original constituent churches of this Presbytery, is involved in uncertainty. Its present pastor, the Rev. R. L. Stewart, in his pamphlet containing "commemorative services and historical discourses, 1785-1885," places the date of its organization as early as 1785; it might have been earlier than that, for the land on which the town of Danville is located was surveyed in 1769. and settlers began to find their way into that region before, or about the time the Revolutionary war broke ont. The missionaries who were sent to look after the spiritual interests of the people in these frontier regions, were usually authorized to organize churches wherever they found a sufficient number of people who were willing to be formed into a church ; at the same time the children of all who wished it, whether they were professing Christians or not, were baptized. This is still the practice in some of the frontier settle- ments. Less than forty years ago the Synod of Mississippi sent the Rev. Daniel Baker, D. D., on several itinerancies through the thinly settled regions of the South-west with such authority. who reported the organization of many churches and the baptism of scores of children. very few of which were ever again heard of. In after years, if circumstances favored their growth, some of these organizations would come into notice and be reported on the rolls of the respective Presbyteries that had a claim to them. The date assigned by Mr. Stewart to the organization of the Mahoning Church may be accepted as correct. In 1786 two itinerants, the Revs. Messrs. Wilson and Linn, were sent through this region, and each was instructed to preach one Sabbath at Mahoning. This is the first mention of preaching appointments for Mahoning we have yet found. At the first session of the newly organized Presbytery of Carlisle, the Rev. Hugh Morrison is appointed to supply Mahon- ing on the first Sabbath of December. In 1790 the Rev. John
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