USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > Huntingdon > The Historical memorial of the centennial anniversary of the Presbytery of Huntingdon : held in Huntingdon, Pa., April 9, 1895 : 1795-1895 > Part 18
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The sacraments of baptism and Lord's Supper were also regularly administered near the same place where the church now stands. The exact number of communicants is not known, but has been estimated at twenty or thirty, from the fact of their having elected so many members of Session.
This congregation was without a pastor from October, 1798, until the spring of 1803. In the mean time supplies were sent by Presbytery and baptism and the Lord's supper occasionally administered.
It is probable that the present house of worship was erected in 1803, as the deed for the church lot is dated August 1, 1802.
Early in the year 1803 a call from the united congregations of Belle- fonte and Lick Run was extended to Rev. Henry R. Wilson, which was accepted. Rev. Wilson ministered unto the people until October, 1809, when the pastoral relation between him and the churches was dissolved, and calls were presented for the service of Rev. James Linn. These calls were accepted, and Rev. Linn was ordained and installed in Belle- fonte and Lick Run congregations in April, 1810. The relation thus formed continued in the most uninterrupted harmony until 1839, when it was dissolved so far as related to Lick Run, Rev. Linn deemning it his duty to appropriate all his time to Bellefonte congregation. The list of communicants for the year 1839, when Rev. Linn's labors ceased, was two hundred and forty-one.
A call was presented to Rev. Samuel Cooper and accepted, and Rev. Cooper was ordained and installed in October, 1840.
" In the spring of 1852, Rev. Cooper severed his pastoral relation with Lick Run. During his ministerial relation the church at Lick Run wit- nessed her most prosperous days.
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At the same meeting of Presbytery that terminated the connection of Rev. Cooper with Lick Run a call was presented for the pastoral labors of Rev. William I. Gibson, which was finally accepted, and Rev. Gibson was regularly installed pastor in August, 1852. In the year 1863 he gave notice of his desire to resign the charge of Lick Run Church with a view to accept a chaplaincy in the army. The congre- gation having given their consent, the pastoral relation was dissolved.
In November Rev. J. A. Patterson, who had been ordained as an evangelist in view of going on a foreign mission, accepted a call from the congregation of Lick Run, was installed in due time, and remained pastor thereof until December 31, 1864, when he departed this life.
In November, 1865, a call was extended to Rev. John P. Hudson, of Northumberland Presbytery; he accepted the call and was installed. In April, 1870, the pastoral relation between Rev. Hudson and Lick Run congregation was dissolved.
The church was without a pastor for a period of three years, when a call was extended to Rev. U. W. Condit in 1873, which was accepted and Rev. Condit was installed. There is no record of Rev. Condit's services after 1874.
The writer is unable to gather any history of the period from 1874 to 1876. A call was extended to and accepted by Rev. McNinch, who was installed in 1876. Rev. McNinch's pastoral relation with Lick Run Church was dissolved.
In January, 1880, a call was extended to Rev. S. S. Wallen, which was accepted, and Rev. Wallen was installed. He remained with Lick Run congregation as its pastor until October, 1882.
From 1882 to 1884 Lick Run congregation was supplied by Hunt- ingdon Presbytery.
In 1884 a call from the united congregations of Hublersburg, Miles- burg, and Lick Run was extended to Rev. W. O. Wright. These calls were accepted, and Rev. Wright was installed. In 1890, Rev. Wright's pastoral relation with Lick Run and Hublersburg was dissolved.
Since 1890 Hublersburg and Lick Run have been supplied by Huntingdon Presbytery until the present year, when Hublersburg dis- solved, and now Lick Run stands alone and is supplied by Huntingdon Presbytery.
JAMES IRVINE.
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LITTLE VALLEY.
To write an accurate and satisfactory history of Little Valley Pres- byterian Church at the present day is no easy task. First, because most of the older members, from whom reliable information might have been obtained, have left this sphere of action and gone up to the General Assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. And, secondly, because the original records of the Session are not now accessible, they having been either lost or destroyed during the mental disability of one of its clerks, who, though a very good and excellent man, yet lost the use of his reason and died by his own hand, thus leaving us without any official historical record for a period of nearly sixty years.
The original name of the church was Dry Valley, but this was sub- sequently changed to that of Little Valley, in order to correspond more nearly to the place of its location. Dry Valley and Little Valley are separated by a ridge or elevation of land running east and west between them; and though the membership of the church and congregation are residents of both these valleys, yet, as the church property is located in the latter, so it was thought best that the church should be called by the name of Little Valley Presbyterian Church.
It is undoubtedly one of the oldest churches in the Presbytery of Huntingdon, and very likely one of the original churches within its bounds at the time of the Presbytery's organization, in April of 1795. We have sought in vain for the date of its organization and for the names of the persons concerned in effecting it. But as in the old minute- book of the Presbytery it is referred to as early as 1801 as being a part of the charge of the Rev. James Johnston, who so long and ably acted as pastor of East Kishacoquillas and Dry Valley (now Little Valley), so we may safely conclude that its existence dates back to the seventeenth century, and that it was one of the original churches of the Presbytery when the latter was organized.
At all events, it is evident that Mr. Johnston continued to act as pastor of these two churches up to the time of his death, on the 3d of January, 1820. Dr. Gibson, in his " History of Huntingdon Presbytery," says that "he"-i.e., Mr. Johnston-" was licensed by the Presbytery of Donegal October 11, 1783, and ordained by the same Presbytery August 19, 1784, and installed pastor of East Kishacoquillas congregation. West Kishacoquillas was comprehended in his charge, though it does
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not appear that he was installed over the latter as a separate congre- gation. However, he was released from the charge of the West end by the Presbytery of Huntington October 5, 1796, but remained pastor of the East church, in connection with Little Valley, till the time of his death." It thus appears that he was this church's first pastor. He was an able and scriptural preacher, a faithful and sympathetic pas- tor, and a man greatly esteemed by the people of both parts of his charge for his many virtues and for the important work which he ac- complished during his ministerial life. His memory is still precious in the community where he lived and labored so acceptably and so faith- fully. His remains lie buried in the old Kishacoquillas Cemetery, near Reedsville, Pennsylvania, awaiting "the resurrection of the just."
After Mr. Johnston's death the congregations, which he had served for a period of about thirty-six years, appeared before Presbytery, by their commissioners, on October 4, 1820, and asked that Mr. Samuel Hill, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Ronte, in Ireland, might be ap- pointed to supply them for a period of one year. Their request was complied with, and Mr. Hill became their stated supply. The next year, the congregations, being well satisfied with the ministrations of Mr. Hill, made out formal calls for him, which being found in order by Presbytery, and placed in his hands, were accepted by him. And on the 3d day of October, 1821, he was ordained and installed pastor of East Kishaco- quillas for two-thirds of his time at a salary of four hundred dollars a year, and of Little Valley for one-third of his time at a salary of two hundred dollars a year. After continuing to be pastor of these two con- gregations for a little over four years, Mr. Hill applied to Presbytery for permission to resign his pastoral charge. The congregations yielded a reluctant consent, for his ministry among them had been marked by great success, and many additions were made to the church during his incumbency. But, nevertheless, the Presbytery acceded to his request, the pastoral relation was dissolved February 6, 1825, and he was dis- missed to the Presbytery of Monongahela, with a view of accepting a call to the First Associate Reformed Congregation of Pittsburg. But though he united with the Presbytery of Monongahela and removed with his family to Pittsburg, he refused to be installed over the congre- gation which had called him. The reasons for this refusal are not cer- tainly known. But it is generally supposed that they grew out of the fact that he was a strong advocate for temperance. Some of the people of the new charge, and even members of the church, were engaged in
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the liquor traffic in its most objectionable forms. And being unable to hold his peace relative to this iniquity, and foreseeing the storm that his interference would occasion, he thought it would be best for him to retire. And so he " shook off the dust of his feet, as a testimony against them," and returned to the bounds of Huntingdon Presbytery. Here he con- tinued to live and labor either as pastor or stated supply of various con- gregations till age and infirmity bade him cease. And he, at length, died at the home of his youngest son, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of March, 1872, in the eighty-first year of his age. He was a sound theologian, an able and instructive preacher, a devoted pastor, and the instrument of winning many souls to Christ.
After the retirement of Mr. Hill the congregations of East and West Kishacoquillas and Little Valley were supplied for some time by Mr. James H. Stuart, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Philadelphia. He received calls from each of these congregations,-from East Kishaco- quillas for two-thirds of his time, and from each of the others for one- third of his time. After some deliberation he accepted those from East and West Kishacoquillas, and was installed as their pastor on the 26th of October, 1827. He only labored among them but a short time, for his health gave way, and he died February 27, 1829, and was buried in the cemetery of the East Kishacoquillas Church.
At the fall meeting of the Presbytery of 1830 calls were presented for the services of the Rev. William Annan, a member of the Presbytery of Baltimore, from the united congregations of West Kishacoquillas and Little Valley. Mr. Annan had previously labored for some time among the people of this charge, but, not having obtained his dismission from the Baltimore Presbytery, they could not be put into his hands. At a subsequent meeting, however, he, having received his certificate of dis- mission from his Presbytery, presented it, and was accordingly received into this Presbytery and installed as pastor of the above-named congre- gations. Here he wrought with great success for several years. But finding the distance between the churches too great, and West Kishaco- quillas being willing to try to keep a minister themselves, he withdrew from there and confined his labors entirely to Little Valley. This was perhaps the period of the church's greatest prosperity. Many accessions were made, and the membership rose to over two hundred. The whole Valley was settled mainly by Presbyterians, and members or adherents of that church owned the farms, and cultivated the lands, and carried on the various branches of business. Mr. Annan was a great advocate of
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temperance, and by his public teaching and his private conversation he trained the people to that virtue, induced them to put the bottle out of the hay-field and out of their homes, and to abstain entirely from the use of all intoxicating liquors as a beverage. And the good effects of this teaching are seen at the present day, for there are few communities where temperance principles are so much in the ascendant as in Little and Dry Valleys.
At the fall meeting of Presbytery of 1835 Mr. Annan resigned his charge, and was dismissed to the Presbytery of Redstone. He was a tall and stately-looking man, sound in the faith, and earnest and zealous in his Master's work. He became editor of the Presbyterian Advocate, the predecessor of the Presbyterian Banner, at Pittsburg, and wrote a very able book entitled "The Difficulties of Arminian Methodism."
The church was supplied for a time by ministers appointed by Pres- bytery, until on April 4, 1837, calls were presented for the pastoral ser- vices of Mr. Moses Floyd, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, from the congregations of West Kishacoquillas and Little Valley. These were accepted by him, and at an adjourned meeting of Presbytery, held at Little Valley in the month of June following, he was ordained and installed.
Mr. Floyd continued to labor earnestly and faithfully for the welfare of his flock until, in the year 1842, he resigned his charge at Little Valley, and confined himself to West Kishacoquillas, the other part of his field. He labored there for several years longer, and then retired to his farm, near Bellville, Pennsylvania, supplying vacant churches as op- portunity presented, and, at length, removed to the home of his married son in Pittsburg, where he died.
In 1843 Mr. Daniel Lawrence Hughes, a licentiate of the Presbytery of West Jersey, was called to the pastoral charge of Little Valley con- gregation. And on the 9th day of January, 1844, Presbytery held an adjourned meeting at Little Valley Church, and ordained and installed Mr. Hughes as its pastor. He wrought here with good success, teach- ing also a classical school in Lewistown part of the time, until, at an adjourned meeting of Presbytery held at Spruce Creek, June 13, 1848, the pastoral relation between him and Little Valley Church was dissolved, and he was called to and installed as pastor over the congregations of Spruce Creek and Pine Grove. In 1853 a call was presented to Mr. Hughes from Altoona First Church for two-thirds of his time, which he declined. At the fall meeting of Presbytery, this year, he was re-
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leased from his pastoral relation to Pine Grove, and was called to, and installed pastor of, Sinking Valley for half his time, the other half being still devoted to Spruce Creek First Church. At length, actuated by an ardent desire to do missionary work in the far West, Mr. Hughes resigned as pastor of these churches and removed to the State of Iowa, where for twenty-five years he wrought ably, faithfully, and successfully in founding new churches, strengthening weak ones, and extending the Master's cause generally. Some years ago he returned, and united with this Presbytery, and supplied the churches of Petersburg and Shaver's Creek. But through impaired health he had to close his labors, and is now living among his old friends and neighbors in otium cum dignitate, at Cape May, New Jersey. He has been a sound, able, self-denying, and successful minister of the gospel.
In April, 1849, the Rev. James Smith succeeded Mr. Hughes as pastor of Little Valley Church. He did not, however, remain long, but after several years of earnest and faithful labor he resigned, and subse- quently became pastor of the Church of Mount Joy, in Donegal-now Westminster-Presbytery. From thence he removed to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1874 of spinal disease, with which he had long been afflicted. He was a most excellent and amiable man, and held in high esteem by all who had the pleasure of his acquaint- ance.
At an adjourned meeting of Presbytery held at Little Valley, No- vember 13, 1855, a call was put into the hands of Mr. Thomas P. Spears from the congregation of Little Valley, and accepted by him, and he was accordingly ordained and installed as pastor of that church. He con- tinued to serve in this capacity till April 13, 1858, when the pastoral re- lation was dissolved, and at the stated meeting of Presbytery, in the fall of the same year, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of New Lisbon, in Ohio. It is believed he still resides in that State, though whether en- gaged in the active work of the ministry is to us not known.
About this time two ministers-viz., the Rev. Samuel M. Cooper and the Rev. James Williamson-served the congregation as stated supplies for a time, when, at an adjourned meeting of Presbytery, held at Tyrone in June, 1860, the Rev. John B. Strain was called and settled as pastor of Little Valley. Mr. Strain, it appears, was an original Aboli- tionist, and as the war between the North and the South was raging about this time, and as Mr. Strain was not very prudent in the expression of his views, the congregation was much disturbed and distracted thereby, and
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the Presbytery had to be appealed to several times to interfere, with a view to quell the disturbances. At length, on the 21st of January, 1863, the pastoral relation was dissolved, and Mr. Strain soon after removed to the State of Ohio.
On October 21, 1864, the Rev. William Prideaux was received as a member of Presbytery from the Presbytery of Carlisle. A call was placed in his hands from the Little Valley Church and accepted by himn, and on the 17th of November following he was duly installed as pastor. He continued to serve as such until the spring of 1867, when the pastoral relation was dissolved, and Mr. Prideaux has continued to do missionary work in the bounds of the Presbytery every since. He has " endured hardness as a good soldier of the cross" for many years. He resides at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and though in the eighty-third year of his age continues to preach, and supply vacant churches, as occasion may require.
In June, 1868, the Rev. John P. Clarke, of the Presbytery of New Castle, was received into the Presbytery of Huntingdon, and became pastor of the church of Little Valley, having been called by the con- gregation on January 19, 1868, and duly installed by a committee of Presbytery. He served efficiently and acceptably till October 8, 1873, when at his request the pastoral relation was dissolved, and he was dis- missed to accept a call to the church of Danville, in the Presbytery of Newton, New Jersey.
The Rev. W. C. Kuhn was next called to the pastorate, April 15, 1874, but he declined the call June 9, 1874.
The church now extended a call to the Rev. John McKean, of the Presbytery of Carlisle, October 7, 1874, which he accepted, and was duly installed. He served the congregation as pastor until some time in 1877, when the pastoral relation was dissolved. He supplied several vacant churches in the bounds of the Presbytery until, on April 14, 1886, he was dismissed and removed to Kansas, where, as far as known, he still lives, but not in the active work of the ministry.
The Rev. George Chapelle was received into the Presbytery from some Baptist organization on October 2, 1878, and appointed stated supply of Little Valley Church October 9, 1879. He continued to serve the church in this capacity until the spring of 1888, when, by authority of Presbytery, the churches of Little Valley and Milroy were united into one pastoral charge, each to receive preaching one-half of the time. To this arrangement both churches assented. Mr. Chapelle was trans- ferred to Kylertown, in Clearfield County, where he still resides, though,
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on account of age and infirmity, not in the active work of the ministry. The Rev. R. M. Wallace, who had served the church of Milroy for a number of years as stated supply, was, by authority of Presbytery and the cordial assent of both congregations, appointed the stated supply of the recently united churches. Mr. Wallace labored faithfully and suc- cessfully in this field until, in the fall of 1894, a part of the congregation of Milroy, notwithstanding their agreement and the arrangement made by Presbytery, contended that the minister should live among them all the time. The unreasonableness of this is apparent from the fact that Little Valley could set up precisely the same claim, and with a great deal more force, seeing that it is the older and numerically the stronger church of the two. The result was that Little Valley declined to be a party to any such move, and petitioned Presbytery to let them have Dr. Wallace as their minister all the time, promising to give him the best support they possibly could. This request was acceded to, and he is, accordingly, now (1895) serving as their pastor.
CHURCH BUILDING.
The original house of worship was a log structure, which was erected on the site of the present edifice. The lot on which it stood, consisting of three-quarters of an acre, was given by Moses Kelly, after whom the village was commonly called, and subsequently deeded to Francis Boggs, Samuel Alexander, and James Nixon, trustees of the Presbyterian con- gregation. At what time the original building was put up or how long it was used as a place of worship cannot now be determined. But in process of time it was moved across the public road, and now consti- tutes the west end of Mrs. Thompson Bell's residence. The present frame structure was erected in its place, and was at first entered by two door-ways on the north side, the pulpit being on the south side, rising high up towards the ceiling. The congregation sat in high-back pews and looked up at an angle of about forty-five degrees towards the min- ister, while the clerk or precentor sat in front of the pulpit and led the singing, which was largely congregational. The building was subse- quently remodelled, the two doors on the north side closed, a single entrance with a vestibule made at the east end, and the pulpit placed in the west, as at present. Here the gospel has been faithfully preached for nearly three-quarters of a century, and this house of God has been the scene of many precious revivals of religion, and has often been made " the Gate of Heaven" to the souls of God's waiting people.
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RULING ELDERS.
The ruling elders in Little Valley Church, so far as we can trace them, have been as follows,-viz. : Francis Boggs, Jacob Hoover, Henry Long, Thomas Cunningham, Samuel Alexander, William H. Huey, Samuel Sig- ler, James H. Alexander, Thomas Reed, John C. Kearns, Joseph Kearns, Henry P. Alexander, Thomas Stoneroad, Samuel Sterrett, Jacob Sigler, Joseph Baker, Samuel Barr, Peter Townsend, and William Ingram.
Mr. Johnston Sigler and Charles Mitchell were duly elected elders, the former on March 19, 1866, and the latter on September 1, 1873, but through diffidence or from some other cause declined to serve.
TRUSTEES.
The names of those who have served as trustees are Francis Boggs, Johnston Sigler, Samuel Sterrett, Samuel Alexander, Samuel Mitchell, Robert A. Sigler, James Nixon, Henry P. Alexander, R. Bruce Stewart, Oscar Alexander, Willis F. Kearns.
THE SABBATH-SCHOOL.
The Sabbath-school of Little Valley Presbyterian Church was or- ganized in the spring of 1828, principally as the result of a series of ad- dresses delivered by Mr. Joseph B. Adams, a young man just out of the Theological Seminary at Princeton, and who was employed as an agent of the American Sunday-School Union. The first officers of the school were Mr. John Bell, superintendent; Mr. Abraham Rothrock (after- wards Dr. Rothrock, a ruling elder in McVeytown Church), assistant superintendent ; Mrs. Henry Long, treasurer; Miss Mary Long (afterwards Mrs. Thomas Reed), librarian. None of these survive at the present day.
In 1838 Mr. Bell, having served as superintendent of the school for a period of ten years, died, and was succeeded in office by Mr. Henry Long, who served five years, and died in 1843. During his superinten- dency-namely, in 1842-the Methodist families in the neighborhood obtained a separate organization, known as the Dry Valley Methodist Episcopal Sabbath-School. Mr. Samuel Sharpe succeeded Mr. Long in the Presbyterian school, and served one year, when, removing from the neighborhood, he was succeeded by Mr. James H. Alexander in 1845, who continued to serve faithfully and efficiently to the day of his death, 1893, a period of forty-nine years! The present officers are Dr. R. M. Wallace, ex-officio superintendent ; Mr. Joseph Bawn, assistant superin-
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tendent ; Miss Alice Sigler, treasurer; Miss Florence McManamy, secretary ; Mr. Albert Alexander, librarian ; and Mrs. Martha Mitchell, superintendent of the infant department.
Little Valley has been in an eminent degree a "mother church," and has not only sent out large numbers of members to recruit and strengthen other churches, but has also contributed very largely to the Presbyterian ministry. The following-named ministers were raised and trained in her bounds and given to the church at large, viz. :
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