USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Barton > Centennial book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Barton, Vermont > Part 2
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most exceedingly happy in their successful enter- prise of church building, having erected . . . one of the most beautiful and commodious church edific- es to be found in New England, setting a most com- mendable example in that they dedicated it free from dobt. With this handsome and valuable church property, Barton stops to the front rank of ap- pointments. Great credit is due S. B. Currier."
The activities of church building, however, did not prevent an equal interest in the work of evang- olism. Simultaneously, there sprang up
REVIVAL a splendid revival, with Rev. Wells Mc- OF 1886 Gann as the evangelist. A large number joined the church in full membership so that Currier was able to report an increase during his pastorate from 73 to 85; and in addition he left 32 on probation to be received in full membership by his successor, with the result that in 1889, un- dor the leadership of H. W. Worthon, & new high record of 102 members was reached. Worthen was himself a strong man who contributed greatly to the strengthening of the church during his pastorate.
Thus closed the period of short pastorates in 1890. There were ups and downs during these twenty- seven years, but on the whole steady and SUMMARY substantial progress. Membership re- mained about the same, beginning with 92 and closing with 95. The pastor's salary in 1863 was $475, and this had risen to $900, the third lar- gost in the district and twelfth in the Conference. Benevolences mounted from $18 per year to $140. Church property values increased from 32800 to the sum of $12000. The Sunday School had gone up from a membership of 64 to 140, most of the increase be- ing in the early years of the period. Thus the way was prepared for the steadily increasing prosperity of the church during the last period of the century.
A ONE-POINT STATION THE PERIOD OF LONG PASTORATES 1890 - 1928
As has already been noted, the year 1890 marks the beginning of longer pastorates, due partly to enabling legislation by the General Conference, but still more to the growing stability of the church which made longer pastorates possible. During the first ten years, Barton Circuit had eight different pastors and eleven different assistants. During the next quarter-century, there were sixteen pas- tors with six assistants. The next twenty-seven years called for fourteen pastors. Since 1890, a period of thirty-eight years, there have been only nine pastors. Frank W. Lewis was the first to re- main five successive years; then William E. Doug- lass five years; William C. Johnson set a new rec- ord of seven years; Willard B. Dukeshire five yoars; William E. Allen but a little more than a year, be- ing cut short by death; A. W. Barnlund for the re- mainder of Allen's second year; Irving A. Ramey four years; Milo A. Turner the longest pastorate of eight years; and the present pastor has now served two years and a half.
Two years before Lewis came to Barton, a Sunday school had been started at South Barton (now called Kimball), with so good success
SOUTH BARTON that it was continued until the
SUNDAY SCHOOL end of that pastorate in 1895. During this period the Sunday
school in Barton village kept steadily growing un- til there were approximately 175 enrolled.
This pastorate also saw the organization of the Mignonette Chapter of the Epworth League in our church on June 3, 1890. The idea met
EPWORTH with much shaking of heads. It was "a LEAGUE pity to have something like that started and only run a little while, as was sure to be the case," said some. And others declared, "We have no young people." Lewis responded that the way to continue not having the young people was to continue without a young people's society. With the help of a young lady from another town who was interested in League work, he got the names of a few, and when organized the chapter had seventeen members, mostly young people. "The first meeting was conducted in parliamentary manner," and the following officers elected and installed for six months: President, Frank W. Lowis; first vice-pres- ident, Mrs. George C. Tower; second vice-president, George Humphrey; third vice-president, Gertrude Wood; fourth vice-president, Harry Cowles; secre- tary and treasurer, O. E. Lane. For several months the devotional meetings (held for a long time on Tuesday evening) were not largely attended, due to the feeling that it was short-lived anyway. Howev- or, the faithfulness of a few influenced others, and the League steadily gained. Brother Lowis expected "that the social and literary departments would be the principal activities for a time and that we might not be able to do much with the devotional for a while; but to the contrary, the latter depart- ment was most activo from the first." Brother Lewis romainod to see an average attendance of over fifty for a period of six months by actual count. The League soon became not only one of the most active organizations in the church, aiding "religiously, socially and financially;" but also one of the out- standing chapters on the District. During the pas- torato of W. E. Douglass, it "roachod highwator mark" with a membership of at least 88 and an aver- age attendance of 68 for a year's devotional servic- es.
In December, 1891, the District Missionary Con- vention was held at Barton, and Dr. A. B. Leonard (now Bishop) delivered a "masterly
MISSIONARY address on the history of missions in CONVENTION the Methodist Church."
Another great event during the pastorate of Bro- ther Lewis was the second gathering of the Annual Conference at Barton on April 19,1893, ANNUAL CONFERENCE 1893 with Bishop I. W. Joyce as the pre- siding officer. Among the memorable events of this occasion was the Chap- lain McCabe's much-heralded lecture, "The Bright Side of Libby Prison, " which was deliv- ered in the Opera House with a capacity crowd. George Blake wrote, "It is as impossible to describe this lecture as to picture the sunlight to the blind. It fell from the lips of a man whose soul is very goodness, whose life has been a blessing, and whose words fill the eyes with tears and the heart with pleasure. To the soldiers who heard that wonderful talk of an hour it will be a bless- ing to the day of death." It is an interesting co- incidence that Bishop Joyce was received into the ministry of the church by Bishop Simpson, who pre- sided when the Conference met at Barton in 1859.
"I do not recall any great out-standing work that was done during the five years of my pastorate in Barton," writes the Rev. William PASTORATE OF E. Douglass. "We made steady growth, harmony prevailed, the church and DOUGLASS parsonage property was in good re- pair; the congregations were large and appreciative. We had a fine up-to-date Sunday school, with a progressive Superintendent, Eber F. Humphrey, now of Newport, Vt. We had one of the best and most progressive Epworth Leagues on the St. Johnsbury District, a Junior League well organ- ized and doing good work among the children. The families that were out-standing in church work were
the Blakos, the websters, the Cuttings", the Free- mans, tho Masons, the Brunnings, the Whites, the Wymans, the Kurklands, and many others whose nanos I do not recall, but I am sure their names are written in 'the Book of Life.' The church and peo- ple of Barton have since our acquaintance with them, occupied a place in our hearts which is beyond our power to express. Wo regard our pastorate there as having boon among the most delightful of all our pastorates in the Conference."
Two interesting events during this period were the Epworth League Convention on June 30 and July 1, 1896, and the celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the dedication of the new church building. At the first of these events, the Rev. EPWORTH LEAGUE W. S. Smithers lectured on "Sight-
CONVENTION seeing on Lookout Mountain. " It was
at this gathering that the Rov. I. P. Chase, for five years the aggressive District Epworth League President who was responsible in largo moasure for the rapid growth of the League in this section, felt it necessary to retire from the office. On March 10 of the next year, the second of these events took place, a
TENTH ANNIVERSARY gathering in which a history of the church was read, together with letters from former pastors McAnn, Webb and Currier. Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Lewis and daughter Louise were here for that occasion.
Brother Douglass is remembered in Barton as a great visitor among the people. On one New Year's Day, he made a hundred brief calls to express his good wishes for them; and his continuous visiting increased church attendance, and caused the member- ship to rise from 92 to 110 during his sojourn. The Sunday school membership also rose to the high figure of 229.
William Curtis Johnson served as pastor from
1900 to 1907. A supposed legacy led the church to think a pipe-organ possible, and Mrs. PIPE ORGAN Johnson was appointed a committee to solicit funds. When the legacy did not materialize, part of the Kimball fund was voted to make up the necessary balance. Henry Pill sbury and Francis Cutting were the purchasing committee, and many were the commendations when the instrument was thoroughly tested by Prof. Wood, organist of Glenns Falls, N. Y., in 1903.
About the same time, the Ladies' Aid and the Odd Girls assisted greatly in raising funds for repair- ing the church and putting a bath-
RENO VATIONS AND
room in the parsonage ( the latter not completed until 1909 or 1910). IMPROVEMENTS Brother Johnson writes, "These so- cieties accomplished much by en- larging church interests socially and giving the church a goodly standing by many charitable deal- ings that had a drawing power that kept the preach- ing services largely attended for the seven years of my ministry." A total of $2275 was spent at this time.
In 1901, the Rev. A. B. Blake, who had left Bar- ton some years before to enter the ministry, re- turned on account of Mrs. Blake's ALBERT BLAKE health; and for many years they were great helpers, assisting especially in the midweek services by their "inspiring tosti- monies and impressive singing."
REVIVALS
At least twice during Brother Johnson's pastor- ate, revivals were held with good results. In 1908 or 1909, our church united with New- port, Orleans, Barre and Waits River in the Chapman simultaneous evangel- istic campaign ( this during Dukeshire's pastorste) and about thirty members were added at that time.
In 1909 there died in Barton a man by the name of Enoch Cass who, though not a member of our church, was a liberal contributor. According
CASS FUND to the terms of his will there was left "to the Vermont Missionary Society con- nected with the Barton Village Methodist Church, to be used for home missions, said society being the one to which said Barton Church gives its support, " a fund amounting to two thousand dollars. Since thore was in cxistence no such organization as the will mentioned, but the intention of Mr. Cass being clearly established, the pastor called together the members of our church on August 24, 1909 and organ- ized "The Vermont Home Missionary Society of the Barton Village Methodist Episcopal Church of Bar- ton, Vt.," and to this society the funds wore de- liverod. The Constitution declared that "the ob- ject of this society shall be to promote Home Mis- sionary Work within the bounds of Vermont, " and all members of the church were made members of the so- cicty. The first officers were: President, W. W. Hartwell; vice-president, Mrs. Joseph N. Webster; secretary, George L. Merriam; and treasurer, Pliny L. Wobstor. Since that time, approximately $2300 has been distributed to the Sustentation Fund, Mont- melier Seminary, Kern Hatten Home, Barre Mission, and Vermont Conference Benevolences.
W. E. ALLEN
The Rev. W. E. Allen was in Barton just long e- nough to get acquainted, when, after but a little more than a year of service, illness soized him, and he passed away at Brightlook Hospital, St. Johnsbury, where he had hoped to gain relief from an operation. A. W. Barnlund supplied the pulpit for the remainder of the Conference Year.
Due to the unfortunate circumstances of the past two years, the Rev. Irving A. Ranney found the con- dition of the church not the best when he arrived in 1914; but before he had served very long, things
began to improve, and the four years of his pastor- ate showed steady progress. We have no
PASTORATE record of items of special interest dur-
OF ing this period, . except that the
RANNEY church was struck by lightning in 1917, the damage being repaired fortunately for $550, and that the cement walk was built at the parsonage during the same year. But occasional hints show that the church was facing and solving some of its problems successfully during this time. When Brother Ranney left in 1918, the membership had increased from 104 to 124, and it was voted to raise the salary another hundred dollars if he re- turned for another year.
The pastorate of Milo A. Turner, 1918 to 1926, continued the progress under the previous pastor, bringing the church to a very high
PASTORATE OF
capacity for good work. Brother Tur- ner very modestly characterizes the
TURNER period as "chiefly noted for the steady drawing together and building up of the forces of this really strong church." The Church School grew from an enrollment of 152 to 236; the church membership gained from 124 to 168; the salary was raised from $900 to $1500, The church property was improved, and $1100 was spent in im- proving the parsonage, the large and pleasant rear veranda being added in 1922.
The largest legacy ever received by the church was that of Joseph N. Webster, who had faithfully served the church in official capac- WEBSTER FUND ity for many years. A large residue :
of his estate was divided equally be- tween the church and the Women's Literary Club for the building of a library; and when the estate was settled in 1921, each of these organizations re- ceived nearly $8000. Since that time, through wisc investments, the fund has slightly increased.
"We know that this is a great moment in the his- tory of Barton Methodism, " declared Alden G. Owen in his address of welcome when the Annu-
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 1923 al Conference convened in Barton for the third time, April 25, 1923. This was not the whole of the address, as the Monitor report shows, and as evidenced by the remark of the presiding Bishop, Edwin H. Hughes, in his response, saying, "I have never lis- tened to a finer address of welcome from anyone, anywhere." Among other speakers of note was Dr. C. E. Guthrie, General Secretary of the Epworth League at that time. And Bishop Hughes completely won the hearts of Barton people by his lecture entitled,
"Three New England Preachers from the Same Town, " and his Sunday morning sermon on the text, "I, oven I, am ho that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake." The Monitor was stirred to unusu- al brilliance as it said of Bishop Hughes: "He is a genial gentleman, a masterly presiding officer, a genius at untangling hard knots, hesitating not to cut red tape when necessary, permitting debate with- out attempting to exercise his authority, not ob- truding his own ideas against the judgment of his associates, a born orator, a great preacher, a wit of the finest character, quick to see the humorous side of a situation, not above laughing aloud like a boy whenever hit with a joke, able to smite with lightning stroke all forms of iniquity, tender as a woman in some phases of his appcal, and thunderous as Mt. Sinai in denunciation when necessary.
Sometimes one's dreams are as significant as one's acts, and we should not pass over Brother
Turner's long pastorate without mention- TURNER'S ing the hope in his heart that our church
DREAM might be enlarged to take care of our growing needs. Two projects were care- fully studied: the possibility of building an ad- dition back of the church and the possibility of making over the basement into a splendid room for
suppers, socials, and other church activities. The last idea, all things considered, has seomod the best. And some day, we trust it will be while Brother Turner will have a chance to share in its dedication, some such project will be carried out. For until that time comes, the social life of the church is strictly limited to a dining room which seats but sixty people.
In 1926, Kondall Bancroft Burgess came to Barton. During the two years and a half since then, the membership has continued to increase until it is now 178. The salary was raised to $1600 in 1927. The Women's Alliance laid new linoleum in the audi- torium in 1926. Under the leadership of Frank R. Adams, the financial con-
PASTORATE OF dition of the church has greatly im-
BURGESS proved. Two innovations have been introduced, a church papor entitled, "Church and Home, " which nearly every month travels among nearly three hundred families who represent our growing constituency; and a Vacation Church School. The latter was begun in the summer of 1926 by our church, continued for two weeks and had 61 pupils for five days or more, while 41 were award- ed certificates for having attended at least nine out of ten days. So successful was this venture that in 1927, a joint school was held with the Congregational Church; and in 1928, the Glover Com- munity Church joined us in the summer training of our children.
Thus closes this last period of our century of life as a church, a period of almost constant growth. The membership has increased from SUMMARY 95 to 178, nearly double. The salary of the pastor has risen from $700 to $1600 since 1890. At one time, in 1903, there were only two churches in the Conference paying larger salar- ies, but other churches have advanced more rapidly than we since then, so that we are in thirteenth
place. In 1890 our gifts for benevolences totalled $140, and this increased with some variations until it reached $678 in 1920, the first year of the Cen- tenary program. From then until 1925 there was a steady decrease until the total was only $316. In 1927 there was an increase to $430, and in 1928 to $445, so that our church seems on its way back to the heights of 1920. Not a little of this increase during the past two years is due to the patient, persistent work of our auxiliary of the Woman's Home Missionary Society. Property values have in- creased from $12000 to at least $14500 on paper - actually our church would cost at least twice that to rebuild - and our endowments from little or noth- ing to $13,769.
Thus we are ready for another century of growth, not starting this time from the beginning, but with moderately good equipment and with endowments that ought to make it possible for us to go forward with still greater rapidity in accomplishing the work of the Kingdom of Bod in Barton.
Methodist Episcopal Church Built In 1887
Barton, Hermont
WILLIAM F. ANDERSON BISHOP OF BOSTON AREA
KENDALL BANCROFT BURGESS PRESENT PASTOR
CHARLES C. CHAYER SUPT. ST. JOHNSBURY DISTRICT
FORMER PASTORS STILL LIVING
ALFRED H. WEBB 1873-1876
FRANK W. LEWIS 1890-1895
WILLIAM E. DOUGLASS 1895-1900
WILLIAM C. JOHNSON 1900-1907
IRVING A. RANNEY 1914-1918
MILO A. TURNER 1918-1926
1386725
OUR
PASTORS
PASTORS OF THE EARLY CHURCH About 1806 to 1812
Phineas Peck
Rutter
Wells
Sampson
Etc.
PASTORS OF THE PRESENT CHURCH 1828 to 1928
(*
indicates still living)
1828
Royal Gage 1829
1829
Stephen H. Cutler 1830
James Campbell
1830
Elisha J. Scott 1831
Horace A. Warner John Smith
1831
John Nayson 1832
George F. Crosby
Ira A. Swetland
1832
George W. Fairbank 1833 otis F. Curtis
Ira A. Swetland
1833
Moses G. Cass 1834
George W. Noyes
1834
Nathaniel W. Aspinwall 1835 James Dow
1835
Nathaniel W. Aspinwall 1836
Ezra Kellogg
1836
Nathan Howe 1837
James Dow
1837
Nathan Howe
1838
Gary B. Houston
William Blake
1838
J. S. J. Gridley 1839
1839
Israel D. Rust 1840
1840
Israel D. Rust 1841
H. Hitchcock
1841
Hollis Kendall 1842
Joseph Palmer
1842
Hollis Kendall 1843
Nathan W. Scott
1843
Alanson T. Gibson 1844
1844
Erastus Pettengill 1845
O. S. Morris
1845
Erastus Pettengill 1846
1846
Otis Dunbar 1847
1847
Deming S. Dexter 1849
1849
A. Newton 1850
1850
Henry J. Woolley 1851
1851
James S. Spinney
1853
1853
Dyer Willis Nathan W. Scott
1854
1854
Isaac McAnn
1855
1855
Nathan W. Scott 1856
Isaac McAnn
1856
Enos D. Hopkins 1858
1858
Deming S. Dexter 1861
1861
Lewis Hill
1863
1863
Haynes P. Cushing 1866
1866
Church Tabor 18 68
1868
George H. Bickford 1869
1869
Martin Van Buren Knox 1870
1870
T. A. Jacobs 1871
1871
J. W. Malcolm 1873
1873
*Alfred H. Webb 1876
1876
John H. Wallace 1878
1878
W. J. Johnson 1879
1879
M. B. Cummings 1880
1880
Abraham M. Wheeler 1882
1882
Sidney S. Brigham 1885
1885
Selden B. Currier 1887
1887
Horace W. Worthen
1890
1890
*Frank W. Lewis 1895
1895
*William E. Douglass 1900
1900
*William C. Johnson 1907
1907
Willard B. Dukeshire 1912
1912
William E. Allen 1913
1913
A. W. Barnlund 1914
1914
* Irving A. Ranney 1918
1918
*Milo A. Turner 1926
1926
*Kendall B. Burgess
19 ?
LIVING PREACHERS and WIDOWS OF DECEASED PREACHERS
Mrs. Nettie S. Allen Barton, Vt. Mrs. Julia J. Currier Tarpon Springs, Florida Rev. and Mrs. W. E. Douglass Post Mills, Vt. Mrs. Harriette P. Dukeshire Enosburg Falls, Vt. Rev. and Mrs. W. C. Johnson Rev. Frank W. Lewis Derby, Vt. St. Albans Bay, Vt. Rev. and Mrs. I. A. Ranney Morrisville, Vt. Rev. and Mrs. M. A. Turner Swanton, Vt. Rev. Alfred H. Webb, 70 E. State St. ,Montpelier, Vt. Mrs. Celia M. Wallace 24 Averill St., Barre, Vt.
Emerson has said, "An institution is the lengthen- ed shadow of a personality." In a very real and vi- tal sense this is true; and our highest hope for our church is that it may be but the lengthened shadow of the great Nazarene.
But from another viewpoint we find that an inst- itution is a complex unity of the souls of myriads of men who have devoted themselves to working out a grand idea. Each personality that comes in vital contact with an organization thereby enriches the sum total of its experience and enlarges its capac- ity for achieving worthy ends. A history of our church, therefore, is not complete without touching upon some at least of the major personalities :ho have served it. Of laymen there are countless num- bers who ought to be mentioned if it were possible - and some will be - but of course the dominating personalities have always been the preachers. This is not because the preachers have invariably been stronger and greater men than some of the laymen, but rather because their intimate contact with the whole constituency of the church has served to en- large their influence.
Our information about our former pastors is not as complete as we would like; but there is suffici- ent information for the space that we can use.
Of those who served carly Methodism in Barton, we know nothing except the names. Phineas Peck and one Rutter seem to have been pioneers
EARLIEST in bringing the Methodist gospel.
PREA CHERS Wells and Sampson came later; and probably there wore others whose mem- ory lingers only in that current of Christian in- fluence they helped to set in motion.
The first to be associated with our present or- ganization seem to have been Hezekiah S. Ramsdell and William Peck, who in September of 1828, while
RAMSDELL
serving as pastors of the Irasburgh Circuit, gath- ered together the little flock of Barton Methodists that they might be- and PECK 1828 -- 29 come a church. Of the latter our in- formation is scant. He assisted at Cabot, Irasburgh and Troy, was or- dained deacon in 1830, was occasionally appointed to other churches for a time, and then disappeared from Conference record. His superior, Ramsdell, was of that aggressive type naturally linked with the founding of a new institution. In one communi -
ty, we are told, his fearless preaching brought threats of tar and feathers; but Ramsdell courage- ously entered the village where preparations for this highly entertaining program had already been made and converted the gang leader, who thereafter became his fast friend. This preacher was born at Chatham, Conn., Dec. 4, 1804, began to work his way through life at ten, was converted at sixteen, be- gan preaching at nineteen, was in Irasburgh at twenty-four, and thereafter returned to his native state where he continued to serve the church in a large way. In addition to pastoral service, he was called upon for frequent temperance lectures and other addresses. At one time ho was in the legis- lature. His death occurred suddenly Oct. 23, 1877.
Those carly days of frontier preaching domanded not only the highest moral courage, but also a will to endure the most rigorous demands
upon physical strength. Ramsdell was
CUTLER 1829 -- 30 for years inactive due to ill health.
Stephen H. Cutler, the first regular-
ly appointed pastor to serve our church, was typic- al of many of Methodism's early pastors who died in what should have been the prime of life. Due par- tially to the common ignorance of hygienic living, this was accentuated by a loyalty to the Kingdom and sense of the urgency of their mission which brooked no personal considerations. Four years af - ter serving in Barton, at the age of thirty-one,
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