USA > Vermont > Addison County > Salisbury > History of Salisbury, Vermont > Part 10
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It is our duty, however, to exonerate Mr. Pum- roy from all moral blemish; if he erred at all, it was in things of minor importance, for he was a learned, faithful and pious minister.
From 1816 to the time of the settlement of Rev. Joseph Cheney, (in March, 1819), the church and peo- ple were occasionally supplied with preaching by the president and professors of Middlebury College, and by other neighboring clergymen. Mr. Cheney, how-
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ever, commenced preaching on probation some time previous to his final settlement.
Under the instructions of Mr. Cheney, and through his'quiet, faithful working among his people (by which more good is often accomplished than by the most elo- quent preaching), the church increased in numbers and zeal. One year of his ministry was marked with peculiar success. It was the year 1821, when thirty- six members were added to the church.
In the latter part of 1822, the usefulness of Mr. Cheney, as a minister of the Gospel, was suddenly ar- rested by a fall from his horse, in which his head suf- fered a severe injury, as before stated.
This injury is believed to have been the cause of his dismission, which occurred the following year, and finally of his death, in 1834.
From March, 1823, to May, 1833, the church was destitute of a settled minister. For the space of about eleven years, counting the time Mr. Cheney lost in 1822, the pulpit was supplied most of the time by hiring the temporary services of different individuals. Among these mention might be made of Rev. Daniel Rockwell, who preached here in 1831, and under whose ministrations forty members were added to the church.
At the expiration of these eleven years, the Rev. Eli Hyde was installed pastor of the church. This
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installation took place May 30th, 1833. But a little more than three years afterward, in September, 1836, a council was convened, and Mr. Hyde was dismissed, principally for want of support.
During the three years' ministry of Mr. Hyde, about twenty persons were added to the church, by profes- sion, and twelve, by letters from other churches.
Mr. Hyde was an energetic man, a good scholar and a faithful pastor. He labored under the disad- vantage of an impediment in his speech, which was an injury to him as a public speaker, but notwith- standing this, and the fact that his stay in town was short, much credit and gratitude is due him for his faithfulness and diligence in watching over the people entrusted to his care. He reclaimed the vicious, and cleansed the body of the church of such members as brought a stain and slur upon the christian religion. He taught much by his daily walk-by his good and pious example.
After the dismission of Mr. Hyde, there was no settled minister in town until 1845, yet the people were not without preaching all this time, for they were supplied by hiring ministers by the year.
During this period, in which the church was with- out a settled minister, the state of feeling in church matters began to indicate that a change in the loca- tion of the meeting-house was about to take place,
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and accordingly, in the course of a few years from the time of the dismissal of Mr. Hyde, the old meet- ing-house at the centre of the town was taken down. and a new one erected at the village.
In October, 1838, the church again made an effort for the settlement of a pastor over its people, and ap- pointed a committee to confer with the Consociation of Addison county, concerning the settlement of Rev. Merrill Richardson, a young man who had been preaching in Salisbury, as a candidate for the pastor- ate, for quite a long time ; but the appointment of the committee appears to have been the end of the matter, at least no records of any subsequent proceed- ings in the premises are to be found, and certainly Mr. Richardson, not long after, left town.
Rev. George W. Barrows was ordained and settled in this town, on the 28th of January, 1845.
The clergymen who took part in the ordination of Mr. Barrows, and in his previous examination, and the parts which each performed, were as follows :
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Rev. Thos. A. Merrill, D. D .- Moderator.
Mr. Schermerhorn-Invocation and reading the Scriptures.
Benton-Introductory Prayer.
Coe-Sermon.
Herrick-Consecrating Prayer.
Lamb-Charge to the Pastor.
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Rev. Mr. Cushman-Right Hand of Fellowship.
Shedd-Address to the People.
" Butler-Concluding Prayer.
Mr. Barrows is still the pastor of this church. For fifteen years, (a period three times as long as that of the ministrations of any other clergyman in town), he has successfully and faithfully performed the du- ties of his office.
Though often solicited to undertake the charge of larger churches in larger towns, and which afford more liberal salaries, he has preferred to spend his time and talents for the benefit of the town in which he commenced his ministerial labors.
Under his guidance, the church, notwithstanding its losses by emigration, has gradually increased in strength. Though characterized by no particular oc- casion of sudden and marvelous increase in numbers, it has had its gradual and certain additions from year to year, and, what is perhaps better, has gained that solidity of character which arises from the faithful teaching of principles, and the inculcation of those dignified truths which belong peculiarly to chris- tianity.
The fact that Mr. Barrows has remained in his present office so long, and that at. no time since his settlement here, has he had so large and attentive a
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congregation as during the past year, tells much in his favor, and suggests much of the character of the man.
Eminently practical in all his views; always pro- vided with an abundance of what is called good com- mon sense, which is so essential to success in all pro- fessional life; with a rare ability of adaptation to the circumstances of the occasion, whether serious or joy- ous ; with readiness and force of thought that will in- terest an assembly in an extemporaneous address ; with learning able for instruction ; and yet, withal, ever mindful of his mission ;- all these have rendered him not only a useful citizen, but a popular and effi- cient pastor.
Mr. Barrows is a native of Bridport, Vermont, and studied divinity at the Union Theological Seminary, in New York.
The previously settled ministers in Salisbury were from Massachusetts, (except Mr. Cheney, who was a. native of Connecticut), and obtained their theological education, as was the custom in early days, by study- ing with private individuals. Mr. Pumroy studied divinity with Rev. F. Packard, of Shelburn, Massa- chusetts ; Mr. Cheney with Rev. N. Emmons, of Franklin, Massachusetts ; and Mr. Hyde with Rev. C. Strong, of Chatham, Connecticut.
The church has usually had two deacons-though
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since its first organization, in 1804, this office has been vacant at different periods for a considerable length of time.
Aaron L. Beach, one of its first deacons, served faithfully and acceptably in the office fifteen years, until his death, in 1826.
John Holt, the other first deacon, after having faith- fully performed the duties of the office twelve or thirteen years, resigned, on account of his advanced age and infirmities.
About the time of the resignation of Mr. Holt, Sylvester Kinney was made deacon, but about three years afterward left town, and soon thereafter died.
From the time of the death of deacon Beach until 1833, the church had no regularly constituted deacon, though in May, 1826, the church held a meeting and elected Rodney Pierce and Nathaniel Spencer to that office. But these men did not accept the office, and finally after a lapse of more than seven years, Wash- ington Miller and Albigence Doud were elected to fill their places. Mr. Spencer has, however, filled the office punctually and faithfully for a number of years, since that time.
Dr. Miller and Mr. Doud were ordained in their new office by an ecclesiastical conncil, very much after the manner of the ordination of a minister. This took place October 15th, 1833, and was quite an
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interesting occasion. Among those who took part in the ceremonies, was the venerable Rev. Jedediah Bushnell, of Cornwall, Vermont.
Deacon Doud died ten years afterward, in 1843, with the consumption. He was a man of great meek- ness and piety, and was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him.
In the year following Mr. Doud's death, Amos Hamilton was elected to fill his place, which office he filled with general satisfaction, until he left the town and moved to Bridport, where he now resides.
Deacon Hamilton was succeeded by Cyrus Bump, who holds the office alone at present.
Dr. Miller remained in town many years, and did it a good service, both in the exercise of his profes- sion as a physician, and as a christian.
He finally moved to Massachusetts, where he died May 17th, 1858.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The early history of this church in Salisbury, is in- volved in a good deal of obscurity.
Rev. Messrs. Mitchell and Wood were the first Methodist preachers stationed on the west side of the mountains, in this state. They were stationed by the general conference at Vergennes, and worked together, 16
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traveling through the western part of the state, or- ganizing new societies.
Mr. Mitchell was the first who visited Salisbury and Leicester in this mission. He came here not far from the year 1798 or 1799, and formed the nucleus of the present Methodist church in West Salisbury. Their first meetings were held in Leicester, and were but poorly attended. Indeed, the number of the members of the society, several years from its begin- ning, was not more than seven or eight. Among this number were Peter Codman and his wife, Joshua Moosman and one or two members of his family, John Deming, and afterward Mark Moosman, Joanna Spencer and three of her family.
Of the doings of this church, from its organization up to 1836, little or nothing can be said. Of its his- tory since the latter period, credit is due Rev. Charles Morgan, its present pastor, for the following facts :
"The church was included first in the Middlebury, then in the Brandon, and still later in the Leicester circuit.
" As these circuits were large, the preachers did not meet the people oftener than once in two, or three, or four weeks, and then the preaching frequently occurred on week-day afternoons and evenings.
" Among those who then held forth the word of life to this people, may be mentioned, Rev. Messrs. Mor-
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ris, Meeker, Ryder, Ally and Wescott, who preached in school-houses and private dwellings, which were always crowded to overflowing with men, women and children eager to hear the "glorious gospel of the blessed God," and seldom, if ever, were disappointed.
"Prosperity smiled upon this society in the year 1836, when the Honorable Henry Olin, father of the celebrated Stephen Olin, D. D., settled in town, to- gether with his son Richardson Olin, who was an ac- tive member of the Methodist church.
"Mr. Olin devoted much of his time and influence to doing good, and soon succeeded in awakening an in- terest among the people on the great subject of re- ligion, and in connection with the preachers on the circuit, Rev. Messrs. Sayres, Hubbard and Ayres, commenced a protracted meeting in the fall of 1837, which was continued with great spirit and power until about thirty souls were converted, most of whom united with the Methodist church. Also in the fall and winter of 1838, special meetings were held, and about twenty-five persons were converted and added to the church.
"Heretofore, the congregations were crowded in school-houses, but in the fall of 1837, Mr. Olin sug- gested the propriety of erecting a house of worship, and the people generally feeling the necessity, began the work with hearty good will. Public meetings
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were held; arrangements made, and Messrs. Dyer, Taylor and Olin were appointed to procure and locate the site. During the following winter, materials were collected, subscriptions solicited, and in the year 1838, a neat and commodious house was erected, under the supervision of Messrs. Graves, Flagg and Taylor, costing about $2,000, which was promptly paid by the people. The house was dedicated to the worship of God in the spring of 1839, Rev. John Fraser preaching the dedicatory sermon.
" Regular preaching was now commenced by Rev. Messrs. Hurd and Harvey, who were appointed to Leicester circuit, and was continued as follows: In 1840, by Rev. Messrs. Hurd and Osgood; in 1841, Chamberlain and Noble; in 1842, Burnham, Ford and Fenton ; in 1843, Shears and Ludlum. In 1844, Salisbury was made a station independent of Leices- ter circuit, and H. H. Smith appointed preacher; in 1845, W. H. Hull. In 1846, it was again united with the Leicester circuit, and S. Hewes and T. F. Stuart appointed preachers ; in 1847, Hewes and Pollock ; in 1848-9, Haseltine, Little and Bidwell. In 1850, it was again made a station, and M. Ludlum appointed preacher. In 1851, no preacher was sent to this ap- pointment ; in 1852, J. S. Howland ; in 1853, S. S. Ford, at which time there were twenty-eight mem- bers in the society, but during the year, prosperity
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attended the church, and twenty were added to its membership; in 1854-5, W. Ford; in 1856, E. N. Howe; in 1857, W. W. Atwater; in 1858, L. Dwight, and in 1859, C. Morgan.
" Official papers, together with the oral information which we have received, authorize us to say, that from 1838 to the present time, the membership has va- ried from twenty-five to sixty-five-averaging about forty.
"Next to the church itself, comes the Sabbath school-an institution which has been sustained in connection with this society, and forms a part of the interesting and holy exercises of the Sabbath. Many who there received their early religious instructions, are now, in the language of Rev. Mr. Tyng, 'standing up for Jesus', being honorable members of the chris- tian church. During the present summer (1859), two large and interesting Bible-classes have added to the influence and prosperity of the school, and is evidence of the desire of the people to 'search the Scriptures', that, like the noble Bereans they may know 'whether these things are so.' A library of three hundred and twenty-five volumes, is connected with the school, from which the scholars select at their choice, every Sabbath, thus providing themselves with wholesome reading for the ensuing week.
" Indispensable as a parsonage would seem to be in 16*
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connection with a church, yet this society has never owned one until now.
"The necessity of such a house has long been felt, but no decided steps were taken toward erecting one until the fall of 1858, when it was determined that it was absolutely needed, and the work was immediately commenced.
"Subscriptions, almost enough to meet the expense of building, were directly obtained, during the fol- lowing winter the timber got out, and now (summer of 1859) the house is rapidly being completed.
"It stands nearly opposite the church, on a beau- tiful spot of ground generously donated for the pur- pose by Mr. Morris Graves. The house is neat and inviting, both in appearance and situation.
"Although much more might be said, in reference to the present state of the church, yet we deem the above lines sufficient, hoping that success may attend it in the future."
Although the establishment of an Episcopal church was contemplated in the charter of the town, it has to this day been neglected. The glebe granted for this purpose, was lost amid the land controversy with Leicester, and the few followers of the primitive faith preferring the rites of liturgical worship, have been compelled to seek communion with the church in Mid- dlebury or Brandon.
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CHAPTER XVI.
HOLLAND WEEKS. - HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT. - THOMAS SAWYER .- JONATHAN GIBSON .- ISAAC MORE .- CYRUS W. HODGES .- EBENEZER WEEKS .- SAMUEL MOORE.
REV. HOLLAND WEEKS was born in Brooklin, Con- necticut, April 29th, 1768.
Having been early instructed in the doctrines and usages of the Puritan church, when quite young, he manifested a strong desire to prepare himself for the christian ministry.
On account of pecuniary embarrassments of his father, his preparation for college was delayed until after moving to Vermont. Under the instruction of Rev. Mr. Barnet, the first settled minister in Middle- bury, he acquired a sufficient knowledge of the classics and of mathematics, to enable him to enter Dart- mouth college in 1791, at which institution he was graduated in 1795. He studied divinity with Rev. Dr. West, of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and was ordained and settled as pastor over the church at Waterbury, Connecticut, in the autumn of 1799.
Being dismissed from his charge in Waterbury, in
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1807, he spent several months, laboring as a mission- ary, in the northern parts of Vermont, and in the north-eastern parts of New York.
At the very end of the year 1807, he was installed over the Congregational church in Pittsford, Ver- mont. Here he spent about seven years in the active duties of his profession, also in preparing young men for the ministry.
" He was a man of strong intellectual powers and sanguine temperament, of untiring industry, and an earnest and effective preacher.
" During most of the time he lived in Pittsford, he had, in addition to his pastoral labors, the instruction of a number of students, some of whom were studying the classics, preparatory to entering college, while others were engaged in the study of theology.
"His theological students, some of whom had not the advantages of a collegiate education, have all been respectable and useful ministers of the gospel, and some of them have risen to eminence in their profession.
" All of them regard Mr. Weeks as peculiarly qual- ified for giving instruction, and many of them con- sider him as the chief instrument in preparing them for the successful prosecution of their work.
" His theological system was based, as he thought, wholly on the bible, and embraced fully the arbitrary system of John Calvin, and this system he not only
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inculcated, with earnest assiduity, upon his pupils, but carried it into the pulpit; in fact most of his ser- mons were pervaded with some strong doctrine pecu- liar to his system of orthodoxy."
He preached a great share of the ordination ser- mons in Western Vermont, during the time he lived in Pittsford, and was often called into neighboring states on similar occasions.
Most of these sermons are in print.
Soon after his ordination in 1799, he was married to Harriet B. Hopkins, of Great Barrington, Massa- chusetts, and during his residence in Pittsford, he was afflicted in the event of her death, leaving five small children to lament her loss.
Having been dismissed from his pastoral charge in Pittsford in 1814, he was the following year installed pastor of the first Congregational church in Abing- ton, Massachusetts, where he continued until 1820.
ยท Soon after his settlement in Abington, he was married to Mrs. Delia Graves, widow of Rev. Wil- liam Graves, late of Woodstock, Connecticut. This was an unfortunate connection, for she, never hav- ing had any experience in the care of children, on assuming the charge of five, all of whom were quite young, met difficulties to which she was unequal, and in a year or two lost all influence over them. This, in connection with a temperament and disposi-
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tion naturally uncongenial to her husband, led to a separation, which took place about the time he left Abington.
About this time his religious opinions and senti- ments underwent a radical change. From the Cal- vinistic theology he went to that of Emanuel Swe- denborg. To quote his own words-" Every worldly consideration was opposed to my reception of the new dispensation. My salary, my reputation, my friends, I saw, from the first, must be sacrificed. But still the question would recur-what is truth ? This I prayed the Lord to show me, and this He did show me, by a wonderful combination of circumstances, all leading to this glorious result. Blessed be His name ! I am now settled and grounded in the truth. All the evils I anticipated, and more, have come upon me, but nev- er for a moment have I regretted that I became a re- ceiver of the heavenly doctrines of the Lord's new, last, and best dispensation. I always preached what I sincerely believed to be the truth, and do so still, and shall continue to do it so long as the Lord shall en- able me. And He has blessed my labors, for I see the new church, filled with spiritual worshipers, rising about me and putting' on her beautiful garments. Indeed, it is absurd to suppose that wicked and profligate characters can at the same time be suf- ficiently spiritual to constitute the Lord's new church.
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'No unclean thing shall enter there.' None but the sincere worshipers and followers of the Lamb, can be of the number of his Bride."
The year following Mr. Weeks' dismission from his pastoral charge in Abington, he moved his family to Henderson, Jefferson county, New York, where he continued to preach, gratuitously, the doctrines of the new church, until his death, a period of more than twenty-two years.
Within a week previous to his death, he expressed a conviction that his time was at hand, and that he should not remain a week, expressing, at the same time, his unwavering faith in the doctrines of the new church, and attesting the consolation afforded by them to one about to depart from the earth, and finally de- parted this life July 24th, 1843.
As a man, he was prompt in business, urbane in manners, industrious and energetic in his labors, and sincere in all his character.
As a minister, he was zealous in his work, critical and accurate in his knowledge of the doctrines which he taught, bold in asserting what he thought to be the truth, and faithful in watching for the care of the souls committed to his charge .*
* For the benefit of those interested in the genealogy of Mr. Weeks' family, the following is inserted.
Holland Weeks, the father of the subject of the above no-
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HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT was born in Albany county, New York, in 1793, and at an early age migrated to New England. He came and settled in the town of Salisbury, in 1812 or 1813, and assisted in the erec- tion and management of the glass-works of the Ver- mont Company both here and in Middlebury. At a subsequent period he went to Keene, New Hampshire, where he engaged extensively, on his own resources, in the same branch of manufacture. While living at Lake Dunmore he erected a chemical furnace and ex- perimental laboratory, and while prosecuting the arts in a practical way, studied chemistry and mineralogy under Professor F. Hall of Middlebury College.
When at the termination of the war, in 1815, that branch of American manufactures was destroyed by
tice, was the son of Ebenezer Weeks, the son of Joseph Weeks, the son of - Weeks, one of three brothers who came from England about 1630, and settled in the vicinity of Boston, Massachusetts.
Hannah Weeks, the mother of Rev. Holland Weeks, was the daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah Mosely, daughter of John and Sarah Capen, daughter of Ephraim and Sarah Thayer, daughter of John and Ruth Bass, daughter of John and Pris- cilla Alden.
Alden was the first man who stepped upon Plymouth Rock, at the landing of the Pilgrims, December 21st, 1620. See Thayer's Family Memorial.
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the vast importation of the foreign article, Mr. School- craft relinquished that pursuit forever, and, determin- ing to seek his fortunes in the West, went to the Mississippi Valley.
He explored the region of country which now con- stitutes Missouri and Arkansas (including Kansas and Nebraska and the Indian Territory). He pub- lished in 1819 a treatise on the lead mines and geol- ogy of Missouri, and an account of his adventures in the Ozark Mountains. These efforts procured him the notice of government, and he received the appoint- ment of mineralogist and geologist in a public expe- dition to explore the sources of the Mississippi River.
His narrative of the expedition, published early in 1821, was favorably received and led to further trusts in the public service, which introduced him exten- sively to the knowledge of the Indian tribes, whose language and history he thoroughly studied. He was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for the north-western department of the United States, and resided many years in the exercise of that office in the basin of Lake Superior, at Michilimackinac, and at Detroit. In 1847 he removed to Washington, District of Columbia, and received. the appointment of historical agent for the Indian tribes, and has since been employed in publishing a national work on the subject.
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