USA > Vermont > Orange County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Vermont, from the discovery of the Coos country to present time > Part 21
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There was another class, now long passed away-men not in active service, but occasionally preaching in the intervals of business, and others, not attached to any circuit, but who traveled about on horseback, preached in sparsely settled neighborhoods, and assisted at protracted meetings, or took for a time, the place of some disabled minister. Many of these, when past labor, published brief but interesting narratives of their experiences. Such a onc is that of "Father Newell," who camc to Newbury now and then. A more pretentious work was the autobiography of Rev. Dan Young, who lived in Lisbon, and had a leaning toward political life. He preached in Newbury a great deal. On one occasion he baptized a number of converts in a deep
JOHN STEVENS, M.D.
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THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
pool on Hall's brook, near the present residence of Mr. Andrew Knight. A bridge spanned the stream, at some height 'above the water, and many of the throng gathered upon it to witness the ceremony. Mr. Young observed the weakness of the structure, and begged the persons upon it to come away, but to no purpose. In the following night when no one was near, the bridge fell into the stream. Mr. Young was able but eccentric, and his book is shorn of half its value by the lack of an index, and by his total omission of the dates of the events which he records.
The present church building at Newbury village was erected in 1829, on land given to the society by Rasmus Jonson. Timothy Morse, John Atwood, and Dr. John Stevens, were the building committee. At the time of its erection the members preferred to speak of it as the Methodist Chapel, and it is sometimes called "The Chapel," to this day. According to the custom then, the pulpit was in front of the gallery, the pews facing the entrance doors. Somewhere about 1845, the pews were turned around, and a pulpit built at the other end of the house. During the days of the old seminary, from 1834 to 1868, the church was in term time completely filled. Those were the prosperous days of the church, when the Newbury appointment was second to none in the state. The parsonage was built in 1838, principally through the efforts of Rev. J. G. Dow.
The Seminary Hall and one of the class-rooms were used for devotional meetings. There was generally, in those days, one Sabbath in each month, when the pastor preached at West Newbury, and seldom one, when there was not some religious service in the back part of the town, conducted either by the pastor, or by some of his numerous assistants. In those days several families were identified with the church, who composed most of its permanent membership and from whom came its principal support. The families of Col. John Bayley and those of his sons and daughters, and their connections the families of Dr. John and Ephraim Stevens were prominent. The family of Timothy Morse, and those of the Atwoods, Carletons, Joseph Prescott, Ross Ford and his sons, Paul Mckinstry, E. C. Stocker, the Rogers families, Stephen Powers' and Hutchins Bayley's, Clark Chamberlin's, and Andrew Grant's, the George and Leighton families, with many others of whom not a single representative remains, were the substantial people who shared the burdens and the privileges of the society.
Dr. John Stevens was the leader of the choir for many years, and others of the family played the bass viol. A small instrument called a seraphine was placed in the gallery in the early fifties, and was usually played by the music teacher from the seminary. After Dr. Stevens retired the chorister was commonly the teacher of vocal music in the seminary, and the choir, during term time, received accession from many sweet and fresh young voices.
184
HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
A Sunday school was established early, and for many years the superintendent was the principal of the seminary and the classes were taught by the teachers from that institution.
We have mentioned that a class was formed at West Newbury in 1801, but the time when such were commenced at the village, and on Leighton hill is not known. During term time, there were one, and sometimes two classes, sustained for and by the students.
The New Hampshire Conference met at Newbury in June, 1842, Bishop Hedding presided, and James M. Fuller was secretary. The Vermont Conference has twice held its session here. The first of these was in June, 1856. Bishop Baker presided, and Rev. A. G. Button was secretary. In April 1867, it met here again, with Bishop Scott presiding, and Rev. R. Morgan, secretary.
The removal of Newbury Seminary to Montpelier was a blow to the church from which it has never recovered. It was attended with the departure of several families, and followed by the death of members who were sorely needed. Its field, embracing nearly the whole town, must now be cultivated by the pastor alone, without the abundant aid which supplemented the labors of his predecessors in the old seminary days. Since 1866, the pastor preaches at the village in the forenoon, and then drives out five miles to West Newbury, or the town house to a second service. It is a laborious charge, one in which the virtues of patience, fortitude and self- denial are fully cultivated.
The history of the church since 1868 chronicles few prominent events. In 1876, the house of worship was repaired; the gallery, then disused, was partitioned off for a small vestry; a raised platform for the choir was built at the left of the minister; the sombre desk was replaced by a set of pulpit furniture, the gift of the brothers Ford, and other changes were made. In 1887, Freeman J. and Dr. Orlando W. Doe of Boston presented the church with a bell, weighing 2000 pounds, in memory of their parents. A tower, which bore no sort of resemblance to the modest design of the main structure was erected by subscription, and attached to the east end of the church, in which the bell was placed. In 1899 this tower was taken down, and a new belfry, as near like the original one as could well be made, in pleasing harmony with the rest of the building, was built, and the bell placed in it. At the same time the old windows were removed, and new ones of stained glass were put in.
Windows were placed in the church in memory of the following persons : Joseph Prescott, by Miss Belle Prescott; Rev. Solomon Sias, by his daughter; Ephraim B., and Dr. John Stevens; Maria Nourse George, by her children; Ebenezer C., and Mary M. Stocker, by their daughters; Mrs. Lydia Rogers Bolton, by her children ; Charles W. Leighton, by Mrs. Leighton; John S., and Mary Jane George, by F. W. George; principals of Newbury seminary, by
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THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
subscription. Upon the memorial window, behind the pulpit, are inscribed the names of the principals of Newbury Seminary. Services of rededication of the church and reunion of the students of the seminary were held September 19, 1900. An historical address was delivered by Hon. Horace W. Bailey, sermon by Rev. J. O. Sherburne, prayer by Rev. J. A. Sherburne, remarks by Prof. Solomon Sias of Schoharie, N. Y., and others. Letters from several former pastors of the church, principals of the school, and early pupils were read.
The church has sustained other losses than those occasioned by death or removal. In 1888 a number of members withdrew, and connected themselves with an organization now known as the Free Christian church. In 1896 the conference saw fit to establish a new Methodist church in Newbury, called the Newbury Centre and Boltonville church, transferring to it a number of members from the village church, without, in some cases at least, consulting their wishes in the matter. George C. McDougall was appointed to this new charge, preaching at the town house, and at the depot hall, in Boltonville. This project, of dividing what was already weak, resulted in failure, and after three years, Mr. McDougall was given a new appointment, and the village minister again supplied at the town house.
Mention must not be omitted of various charitable and missionary societies which have been supported by the congre- gation. In 1835, there was founded the "Dorcas Society," which was, in time, superseded by the "Woman's Foreign Missionary Society," and the "Woman's Home Missionary Society." Much, of which no record is kept, was done by the former, in aid of indigent students who had the ministry in view.
Such is the imperfect record of a church which has a most worthy place, both in local history and in the annals of Methodism, and of it may be hoped that, grand as its past has been, its best work is yet to be done.
CHAPTER XXVII
RELIGIOUS HISTORY-CONTINUED.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT WELLS RIVER .- A MISSIONARY FIELD .- BUILDING A MEETING-HOUSE .- FORMATION OF CHURCH .- PASTORS .- REMODELING OF CHURCH .- DEACONS .- PARSONAGES .- ORGAN AND CHOIR .- COMMUNION SERVICE .- FIRST SETTLEMENTS AT WEST NEWBURY .- PETITIONS FOR PREACHING .- SERVICES THERE .- METHODISM .- REVIVAL OF 1827 .- THE "GOSHEN" CHURCH .- THE UNION MEETING-HOUSE SOCIETY .- ERECTION OF CHURCH .- RE-DEDICATION .- BELL .- CHOIR .- TOWN HOUSE .- CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT WEST NEWBURY. -PASTORS .- PARSONAGE .- FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH .- ST. IGNATIUS'S CHURCH.
T HE first record of religious service at Wells River is found in a vote of the town on March 25, 1805, "that Mr. Lambert preach every second Sabbath in each three months of the time, at Wells River, so-called." Of what previous religious privileges that part of the town had, we know nothing, but many of the people in the region from which the membership of the present Wells River church is drawn, were members of, or attendants at, the churches at Newbury, Horse Meadow, or Bath.
From the funeral discourse of Rev. Samuel R. Thrall, published in 1874, some facts relating to the religious history of Wells River are gathered. The time alluded to was in the late thirties, when the older men like Joshua Hale had passed away, and before any religious organization was gathered there.
"In those days Wells River was pre-eminently a missionary field. The village was a noted stopping place for stage-drivers, and as noted for its utter lack of religious character. In all the village there was not one man, and only one woman, who could be expected to attempt offering a prayer at the bedside of the dying. There were very few men that could not be counted upon not to swear like pirates upon any shadow of provocation. Two men, neither of whom was a professing Christian, one day asked each other why they could not have a church, and after a little talk together set about the work of building one."
In 1838, a Meeting-house Society was organized, on the 24th
SCHOOL BUILDING AND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, WELLS RIVER.
187
RELIGIOUS HISTORY-CONTINUED.
of May, and Charles Hale, Emory Gale and Jacob Kent, Jr., were chosen a committee to select a site for a church. They decided upon a piece of land owned by Timothy Shedd, which was bought for $150. Charles Hale, Emory Gale, and Timothy Shedd were the building committee, and upon this lot the present house, now greatly enlarged, was built, at a cost of $2,650, and the building then consistedonly of an audience room, which was on the ground floor. The house was heated by stoves. There were 58 pews, which brought at the auction sale, February 1, 1840, $2,701.14, three pews remaining unsold. The highest price was brought by pew No. 2, which was bid off by C. J. S. Scott for $70. The subscriptions were repaid from the avails of the sale, and the building became the property of the pew-owners. It was, at first, a union meeting-house, and each pew-owner had a right to name a minister whose sentiments agreed with his own, such part of the vear as his share in the house bore to the whole. It is not known that the privilege was ever exercised, and the Meeting-house Society gave place, many years ago, to the Congregational Society.
The church was dedicated January 28, 1840, the sermon being preached by Rev. George W. Campbell, of Newbury. Rev. David Sutherland, of Bath, offered the prayer of dedication. On the 14th of April, 1840, twenty-four members of the Newbury church, who lived in the vicinity of Wells River, were organized, by a council, into a branch church, under the oversight of Rev. Mr. Campbell, and the Newbury church. This branch became an independent church, by act of a council which met Jan. 12, 1842. At the public services held the next day, a discourse was delivered by Rev. David Merrill, of Peacham, author of the celebrated "ox sermon." On the 13th of the following April, Rev. Samuel R. Thrall, who had been preaching since January 24, 1841, was ordained and installed. He was dismissed March 16, 1847. His salary was $400, and the use of the parsonage. Of his somewhat remarkable family, and of Rev. J. D. Butler, who succeeded him, an account is elsewhere given.
Mr. Butler, then a professor in Norwich University, and afterwards its president, began to preach April 11, 1847, was ordained October 14, of that year, and dismissed in 1850. For some time he resided at Norwich, driving to Wells River on Saturday and returning on Monday. Mr. Butler afterward became eminent as a linguist, traveler and teacher. He is still living at Madison, Wis., connected with the University and the Historical Society of that state, and in 1898, at the age . of eighty-five, was chaplain of the Wisconsin senate. In his time, and mainly through his exertion, the bell was purchased, which was hung February 29, 1848. For some years it was rung at six a. m., noon, and nine p. m. The sum received as damages caused by the building of the Passumpsic railroad was applied to painting and repairing the church.
188
HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
Rev. S. M. Plympton was ordained and installed, May 8, 1851, and resigned May 5, 1861. He was born at Sturbridge, Mass., in 1820, was graduated at Amherst College in 1846, and at Andover Theological Seminary 1849. After leaving Wells River, he was chaplain of the 4th Vermont, in the Civil War, and died at Chelsea, September 14, 1866. His salary was $500 and the parsonage.
Rev. William S. Palmer was ordained and installed pastor, February 19, 1862, and closed his services September 14, 1874, to become pastor of the Second church at Norwich, Conn. Mr. Palmer was born in Orford, N. H., August 6, 1827, was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1849, and Andover Theological Seminary in 1852. Before coming to Wells River he was a teacher. He was widely known, and often called upon to deliver sermons and addresses upon public occasions. In 1869, the church building was enlarged to give room for twelve additional pews, and thoroughly repaired at a cost of about $2000. Rev. John Rogers, "a good preacher and a ripe scholar," preached some months after Mr. Palmer left. He died soon after leaving Wells River. Rev. Eugene J. Ranslow was called, October 11, 1875, and continued in office till 1888. He is now pastor of the church at Swanton. Mr. Ranslow was graduated at Vermont University, and served in the navy during the Civil War.
Rev. Rufus C. Flagg, a graduate of Middlebury College, was called December 11, 1888, and recognized by council January 22, 1889. He resigned January 21, 1897, to become president of Ripon College, Wisconsin. A call was extended to Rev. Rolla G. Bugbee, June 19, 1892. He was pastor till January 21, 1897. In 1894 the church edifice was thoroughly repaired, and, to some extent, remodelled. An addition was made behind the pulpit to contain the organ, new pews were put in, electric lights introduced, and many other improvements made, at a cost of $6,500. Mr. Bugbee resigned January 21, 1897, and after the pulpit had been occupied by several individuals, Rev. George H. Credeford of Winthrop, Me., was tendered a call, April 19, 1898, and entered upon his ministry.
Mr. Credeford married April 4, 1899, Miss Ella M. Bixby of Newbury, and is the only one of the twenty-six ministers of the three Congregational churches of Newbury who has taken a wife in this town.
The deacons have been :
Dudley C. Kimball, 1842-1847 C. O. Penniman, 1873
Moody Powers, 1844-1863 A. M. Whitelaw, 1877
A. B. W. Tenney, 1863-1873 H. W. Adams, 1890 F. Deming, 1894
The whole number of members whose names were on the roll to January 1st, 1900, was 510.
The first parsonage was the house next north of the
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RELIGIOUS HISTORY-CONTINUED.
school building, built by Silas Chamberlin in 1792. The present parsonage was erected in 1876. The organ was put into the church by the Ladies Society in 1872, at a cost of about $1,200. The organists in their succession have been Miss Ellen Underwood, George B. Fessenden, Mrs. Anna D. Leslie, and at present, Mrs. E. IV. Smith. The leaders of the choir, from the early '40s have been Leonard Gale, then A. T. Baldwin about twenty years. The present leader is Hon. E. W. Smith. The first communion service of the church was of Brittania metal, and was presented to it, June 1, 1842, by Mr. Timothy Shedd, and was, by the church, given to the one at West Newbury, August 1, 1867. The present service was presented in 1867; the silver pitchers were given by Edward Hale, the goblets by A. T. Baldwin, and Franklin Deming, and the baptismal urn by the Ladies Aid Society.
There are six memorial windows in the church, in memory of the following persons: Dea. A. B. W. Tenney and wife, by Miss Martha J. Tenney; Rev. Salem M. Plympton, by Mrs. F. Deming; Daniel A. Rogers, by Mrs. F. Deming; Mrs. Lucy W. Whitelaw, by her children ; Anna J. Kimball, and Helen S. Kimball Hubbard, by their father, Dea. J. P. Kimball; and one dedicated to the Sabbath School by the pupils of the school.
The Wells River church, which draws its membership and audience from four towns, three counties, and two states, has been, for about forty years, one of the largest and strongest in the state.
We have seen that Newbury was settled by people of the Congregational order, and that, according to the law and custom of the time the minister was supported by tax. At first, when all the people lived along the river, the meeting-house at the Ox-bow was a central place. But settlements spread, and in the course of twenty-five years the heavy woods in the south and southwest parts of the town were broken by little clearings, in the midst of each of which was a log house, and in most cases, a family of children. By 1785, there were settlements in the south part of the town all the way to Topsham line, and the settlers felt it a hardship that they should be taxed to support preaching at a part of the town, miles away, along trails which could only be travelled on foot, or on horseback. The town seems to have been considerate and in 1788, Joseph Harriman, William Pettie, Josiah Pratt, Israel Putnam, John Sly, Jonathan Ladd, James Heath, and Moses Winn and son, were exempted from paying their minister tax. Some of these lived in what is now Topsham, eight or ten miles from the Ox-bow. In 1790, it was voted to release those that lived west of Wright's mountain. But in the next year these dwellers far away considered that they ought to have preaching and united in the following petition :
Whereas, we whose names are underwritten live at such a distance from the place of public worship that we cannot attend without much trouble and difficulty,
190
HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
we therefore pray you would take it into consideration and grant unto us our proportionable part of preaching according to what the back part of the town pays, etc.
John Vance James Vance
John Haseltine
Otho Stevens
John Johnson
Joseph Kent
Tarrant Putnam
Moses Johnson
Samuel Butterfield
John Vance, Jr.
Peletiah Bliss
William Kincaid
James Dodge
Paul Ford
Robert Lovewell
Samuel Hadley
Moses Chamberlin
Benjamin Akin
Samuel Tucker
Jacob Pratt
Abraham Brickett
It was voted to request Mr. Lambert to preach at Capt. John Haseltine's such a proportion of the time as the list of said subscribers bears to the list of the whole town. This arrangement continued during some years, but was not quite satisfactory to the people beyond the mountain, as in 1794, Nicholas White, Timothy White, John Sawyer, John Sanders, Joseph Sleeper, Ephraim Metcalf, Robert Lovewell, James Thompson, Nathaniel Dustin, and Jonas Chapman were released from their tax. But in 1801 the town decided not to release the settlers beyond the mountain, but ordained instead that Mr. Lambert should preach the last Sabbath in each month at Mr. Tarrant Putnam's. In 1804 the town voted to continue this arrangement, and also voted that Mr. Lambert should preach the second Sabbath in each three months, near Mr. Zaccheus Dustin's. This is where Hale Bailey now lives.
With the dismission of Mr. Lambert the union between church and state passed away, but by that time there were members of his church in every school district in town, and they were not neglected in the pastoral ministrations. Preaching was held much of the allotted time at Jonas Tucker's and at the schoolhouse "near Mr. John Doe's," as runs the record of various meetings by Rev. Clark Perry. Along the valley of Hall's brook "the schoolhouse near Mr. Peach's," was selected as a religious gathering place, and meetings were held on Jefferson hill.
Methodism was at first more strong at West Newbury than elsewhere, the first class meeting in town being held at Joseph Prescott's. Its earlier services were held in farm-kitchens and the schoolhouse on Rogers hill. But none of these could contain the multitudes that thronged to revival services which were held in 1827, in a barn which stood opposite the present residence of the late Oliver B. Rogers. Camp meetings were held once and again on Jefferson hill.
Members of the Carter and Haseltine families with others, were connected with a Baptist church in Bradford, whose meeting-house, a century ago, adjoined the cemetery on the upper plain. This society became extinct, and a Free-Will Baptist church was organized, which on October 21, 1809, withdrew from the Frce-Will Baptist connection, and adopted tencts commonly held by the religious body which designates itself by no other title than that of Christian, but adopting the name of Christian Baptists. This
WEST NEWBURY.
Photo. by Corliss.
UNION MEETING HOUSE, WEST NEWBURY.
19I
RELIGIOUS HISTORY-CONTINUED.
society, at one time very flourishing, built, in 1834, a church building, now lately repaired, in that part of Bradford called "Goshen," just across the Newbury line.
There were several attempts to build a church at West Newbury, one as early as 1810, but the matter was delayed many years. It was not easy to fix upon a site. There were influential people in the part of the town which adjoins Topsham, who wanted it to be built near the present residence of R. S. Chamberlin.
On February 16, 1832, an association was formed and on the 18th the first meeting of the Union Meeting-house Society was held at the dwelling-house of David and Elijah Tucker. This meeting, of which Levi Rogers was president, and Daniel Putnam clerk, chose John B. Carleton, David Haseltine, Dudley Carleton, Jr., Nathaniel Niles, and Jonas Tucker, a committee to build a meeting-house which should contain not fewer than fifty, nor more than fifty-six pews. The subscriptions to the house were payable, one-third in money, and one-third in neat stock and grain. The site was given by Col. John Smith and the timber was hewed by Dudley Carleton, Jr. Archibald Mills was the thoroughly capable master workman, and the church, whose exterior has been little altered, was erected on a sightly eminence, where it is a conspicuous landmark, and one of the most pleasing church edifices in this region. It is strange that no trees have ever been set out around it. In the fashion of the time, there was a gallery for the singers above the vestibule; in front of it was the circular pulpit, supported on posts, as high as a man's head, and attained by stairs behind; the body pews faced the pulpit, and the front doors. There were fifty-six pews, forty of which were in front of the pulpit, and sixteen at the right and at the left. A pipe organ, built by Robert McIndoe was placed in the gallery. At the sale of pews the sum realized was $1,452.75, which more than paid the cost of the building. The pew-owners were Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Baptists, and were entitled to the use of the house by ministers of each order, such part of the time as the number of pews held by each party bore to the whole number. In 1843, the organ was sold and removed. In 1854, the building was repainted and newly shingled, at a cost of $250. In 1873, the house was thoroughly repaired, new windows put in, and new pews; the aisles were carpeted, the gallery was closed in, and made into a vestry, and the pulpit which had been in the Congregational church at the street was placed at the west end of the house. Oliver B. Rogers, John Smith, William C. Carleton and Levi L. Tucker were the committee.
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