USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Middletown > The history of Middletown, Vermont, in three discourses, delivered before the citizens of that town, February 7 and 21, and March 30, 1867 > Part 9
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This report was signed by Bela Caswell, Luther Filmore and Joel Miner, ( they were a committee to devise plans ) and was adopted by the society in the form of Resolutions. Some of us remember the old house so well, that we know that the above plan was adopted in the construction of the house.
There was once a fund belonging to the congregational society. It was created by the members themselves. It was got up through the influence of Joel Miner and others as a stock concern, divided into shares of twenty-five dollars each, and the members took as many shares as they chose and paid in the money or gave their notes. This fund was raised in this way soon after 1800, and amounted to about $5,000; but from some cause this fund was entirely exhausted soon after 1830.
January 26th, 1804, Orson Brewster and Gideon Miner, Jr., were elected deacons of the church. At the same meeting the church voted " to choose a committee of three to make proposals to Rev. Henry Bigelow for settlement." May 31st, 1805, we
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find the following record : " After hearing the christian experience of Henry Bigelow, a candidate for the ministry, the church voted satisfied, and passed the following resolution : Resolved, that the church entertain a high sense of the abilities of Henry Bigelow, a candidate for the ministry from the town of Colchester, Connecti- cut, now residing in this town, as a preacher of the gospel, and we are desirous to unite with the society to call him to settle with this church."
To carry this into offect the church, on their part, appointed Deacons Jonathan Brewster and Elisha Clark, Joseph Spaulding and Joel Frisbie, a committee to unite with a committee from the society in presenting Mr. Bigelow a call to become their pastor. The call was presented and accepted, and Mr. Bigelow was ordained September 5th, 1805, and became the first settled minister over the congregational church in Middletown.
Mr. Bigelow remained the pastor of this church until his death, which occurred June 25th, 1832. His ministry in the main was .
in our opinion, successful. That Mr. Bigelow was a man of supe- rior ability never was questioned to my knowledge by any one who ever heard him preach. He was a graduate of Yale College, well educated in the doctrines of the bible, was truly orthodox, and firm in his religious sentiments, an eloquent speaker, and certainly a man of great power in the pulpit. He had his faults as well as the rest of us. He was sometimes accused of levity. He was very social in his disposition, a ready wit, and would sometimes descend to that kind of joking conversation which perhaps did not well become a minister of the gospel. But in the pulpit, or in any religious meeting he never appeared otherwise than as a sincere earnest, christian man. It was said of him " that when he was in the pulpit, it seemed as though he never ought to come out, and when he was out as though he never ought to go in."
During Mr. Bigelow's ministry there were several interesting revivals in the church, and among them one in 1831, which was peculiarly interesting. Mr. Bigelow's health began to fail as early as the spring or early summer of 1831. He seemed conscious that a disease was fastening itself upon him which would soon ter- 'minate his existence, and as appeared to me, summoned all his
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power and energies for a final effort in the cause of his Master. His usual habit of jesting was abandoned, and in the place of it he occupied his time in sober reflection and godly conversation. His sermons during that summer were unusually effective, and he was probably the instrument of awakening an extraordinary religious interest in this church. On the first Sabbath of Septem- ber, 1831, twenty four were added to the church, and on the first Sabbath of November following nineteen more were added. After Mr. Bigelow's death, an obituary notice appeared in the papers, which was written by the Rev. Stephen Martindale, then of Tin- mouth, his long and intimate friend. It was as follows:
" At Middletown, Vt., Rev. Henry Bigelow, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, the thirtieth of his ministry. Henry Bigelow was born of reputable parents in Marlboro, Conn., Febr'y 20th, 1777. He graduated at Yale College in 1802. Studied for the ministry with Rev. Chas Backus, D. D., and was ordained over the congre- gational church in Middletown in 1805. In his death his widow and numerous family have lost a kind, affectionate, faithful and endeared husband and father. Society, a plain, argumentative, powerful and persuasive herald of the gospel ; the church a pastor indeed ; clear, pungent and eloquent in his pulpit services ; always alive in the defence of the faith once delivered to the saints. The cross was his hope in life, his support through a protracted and often severe illness, and his unutterable consolation in death. In view of his death bed scene it may be said, " precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints."
The church during the ministry of Mr. Bigelow, embracing a period of about twenty-eight years, was much larger than it now is. It contained a goodly number of members, noted for their wisdom, piety and devotion, and the church during this period was in the main prosperous.
Some little time after the death of Mr. Bigelow a Rev. Mr. Stone preached here about six months, but the church did not choose to settle him.
Rev. Guy C. Sampson preached here about two years, com- mencing some time in 1833. Mr. Sampson is still living, but for some years has not been in the ministry.
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October 30th, 1833, Menira Caswell, Jervis Barber and Reuben Loomis were elected deacons of the church. The record gives as a reason for these elections, that Deacon Miner had removed to Ohio, and Deacon Brewster was about to remove. Deacon Brews- ter removed to Northampton, Mass., in the spring of 1835.
Rev. John A. Avery came to this place in the spring of 1836, and was settled over this church. He was dismissed, and left here in the fall of 1841, and went to Onondaga, N. Y., and lived there and at Syracuse since. Mr. Avery was a sincere, earnest, good good man, a faithful pastor, and has been affectionately remem- bered by many members of this church. He has been dead about two years.
Rev. B. Reynolds came here in September, 1842, and preached here until May, 1844.
Rev. Mr. Payne came here in December 1846 and preached here about one year.
Rev. John H. Beckwith was settled over this church in the fall of 1848, and was dismissed in the fall of 1855. He was the pas- tor of this church longer than any one has been, except Mr. Big- elow. It was during his ministry that the congregational meeting- house was removed to where it now stands, and repaired.
Rev. Enoch Caswell, a native of the town, preached to this church about six months in the year 1856, after which he returned to New Hampshire where he had hitherto labored.
Rev. Calvin Granger came here in the fall of 1858, and was installed over this church. He was dismissed by an ecclesiastical council in April, 1864, and is now the pastor of the congregational church in Hubbardton. It was during Mr. Granger's ministry that an addition of sixteen feet in front was made to the meeting- house, with the spire, and a fine bell was procured.
Rev. M. Martin preached here about a year, commencing in September, 1865.
Rev. G. Myrick came here in the fall of 1866, and is the pres- ent pastor of this church.
Deacons Caswell, Barber and Loomis, some years subsequent to their election, removed from here. Julius Spaulding was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the removal of Deacon Caswell.
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Deacon Spaulding afterwards removed to Poultney. Thaddeus Terrill held the office of deacon in the church for several years, and now resides near Rochester, N. Y. The present deacons of the church are Asahel Spaulding, John Q. Caswell and Dyer Leffingwell.
The clerks in their order fron the organization of the congrega- tional church, are Joseph Spaulding, Thomas French, William Frisbie, Jr., Joseph Rockwell, Gideon Miner, Jr., Jesse Caswell, F. Kellogg, Moses King, Menira Caswell, Harvey Leffingwell and Jay B. Norton, the present clerk.
The number of members at the present time are forty-six.
The baptist church in Middletown was organized in 1784. It is one of the oldest baptist churches in the State, if not the oldest. From about 1790 until 1802 it was a large church; it then embraced in its communion members residing in the towns of Wells, Poultney, Tinmouth and Ira. In 1802, thirty-four or thirty- five members, residents of Poultney, by vote of the church, had leave to withdraw, and form a church in that town, which they did. There were also a good many members residents of Tinmouth up to a later date than 1802. The first meeting of the baptist church, or the first of which we have any record, Caleb Smith was elected moderator, and Thomas WcClure, clerk. Caleb Smith appears to have been the leading man in the baptist church from its organiza tion until his death, which occurred Nov'r 10th, 1808. He usually acted as moderator in the absence of the minister, and was the first deacon of the church. I should judge from the records, that he was an active, faithful and efficient member, and held a position in the baptist church similar to that of Deacon Jonathan Brewster in the congregational church. IIc was not a noisy man, but undoubtedly an efficient worker in laying the foundations of the institutions in the settlement.
Among the first members of the baptist church were Caleb Smith, Thomas McClure, John Sunderlin, Gamaliel Waldo, Hez- ekiah Mallary, Zacheus Mallary, Nathaniel Mallary, Daniel Ford, Asher Blunt, David Wood, Ephraim Foster, Josiah Johnson, Nathan Walton and Jonathan Haynes.
Jonathan Haynes was quite early elected a deacon of this church,
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but did not accept the office for the reason, probably, of his phys- ical infirmities, occasioned by a terrible wound which he received in Bennington in 1777. Yet he was a useful man in the church while he lived, held many important positions, and was regarded as a sincere, ardent and devoted christian.
Daniel Ford, who, I understand, was the father of Nathan Ford, and the grandfather of Joel Ford, was elected deacon to supply the place that the church intended to have filled with Mr. Haynes. Deacon Ford, I have been informed, was an honest, good christian man.
Gamaliel Waldo was an efficient man in the Baptist church. He was one of those decided, stern, resolute men, who was not to be. moved by any outside influences. And this, to a great extent, was the character of all, or nearly all, of the early members of both this and the congregational denomination. They had a pur- pose which they resolutely followed. Both churches were formed early, and at a time and under circumstances that we should hardly supposed would have admitted of prosperity ; but they at once sprung into life and activity, and perhaps they were as suc- cessful the first year of their existence as they have ever since been in the same period of time.
. The Baptist church was without a minister until 1790-during which time Rev. Hezekiah Eastman seems to have administered at communion seasons, and performed the rites of baptism. Where Mr. Eastman lived I have been unable to learn.
August 6th, 1790, the baptist church voted to give a call to Rev. Sylvanus Haynes, of Princetown, Mass., to become their pastor. The Baptist society which was formed in 1790 joined the church in the call. Deacon Caleb Smith was appointed on the part of the church, and Jonas Clark on the part of the society to perform this duty. Mr. Haynes accepted the call, and I am dis- posed to copy his communication to the church, signifying his acceptance, as it contains facts which are important as history, which reads as follows :
" TO THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIDDLETOWN.
Dear Brethren,-Matters have been so arranged in the Kingdom of GOD's Providence, that we held an interview together
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a little more than a year ago, at which time I received an invitation by Deaeon Smith, who was then a part of the standing committee of the church to provide preaching, to come and preach with them a certain time. Some time after I returned home I received a letter from Deacon Smith signifying that the church fully concurred with him in inviting me to come. Accordingly I set out, and on the 24th of March last, I arrived safe at this place ; and after preaching five months here I have received an invitation to take the pastoral charge of this church and society. The invitation on the part of the church was signed by Deacon Smith, on the part of the society by Jonas Clark.
In the first place I would present my most hearty thanks to the church and society for the kind respect with which they have treated me, and I acknowledge with much gratitude the kind treat- ment I have received from the Congregational church and society.
In answering the church and society, I shall give some of the considerations which have influenced me in accepting your call.
SYLVANUS HAYNES."
Mr. Haynes was ordained soon after this-August 26th, 1790, -- and remained as the pastor of the church until 1817, a period of twenty-seven years. The Baptist society bought a piece of land for him of Captain Joseph Spaulding, the same now owned by Reuben Mehurin, and Mr. Haynes commenced living on it in a log house. Besides attending to his pastoral duties, he did a good deal of work on his land.
During the ministry of Mr. Haynes in this place the Baptist church and society were prosperous. Mr. Haynes left this town in 1817, and went to western New York. He left before my rec- ollection. I never knew him, but from all I have heard of him from the old people, of both his own and other denominations, I had formed this opinion of him, viz : That he was a faithful minis- ter of the gospel, was successful in his labors here, and was a man of fair education and abilities. But from some investigation I have made during the last few months, I should be inclined to put a
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higher estimate upon his abilities, than the impressions I had received from the old people here would permit me to do. I find he was the author of several religious works, which at the time gave him a good reputation as a writer in his denomination. He preached the election sermon before the legislature of Vermont in October, 1809. That sermon was printed by a vote of the legis- lature. I have recently seen a copy of it and read it. If my judgment can be relied on, it is a very able, appropriate and well written document.
To Mr. Haynes belongs the honor of being the first settled min- ister of the baptist church, and the first minister settled in Mid- dletown. He preached in the log meeting house and at private houses until, what has since been known as the Congregational house was completed in 1796, when he preached in that until the Baptist house was built in 1806.
After Mr. Haynes left Rev. Seth Ewens supplied the church about two years.
Rev. Isaac Bucklin was settled over the baptist church in 1821, and was the pastor until 1828, when he removed from here.
Rev. Mr. Fuller, Rev. Linus J. Reynolds and Rev. G. B. Day, each preached here between 1828 and 1832. The Rev. Mr. Day was ordained here. He was a very zealous man, and was here during the revival in 1831. There were on one day in September, 1831, thirty-six persons baptized and received into the church.
Rev. Mr. Soullard next preached in this church. He was here about three years, and went to Pawlet sometime in 1837, where he now resides. He has since given his attention mostly to farming.
Rev. Mr. Haskell, formerly connected with the Literary and Theological Institution of New York, followed Mr. Soullard, but only preached here about six months.
Rev. E. B. Bullard was the next minister here. He came in 1839 and remained about two years. He was a brother of George W. Bullard, who more recently resided here. He was well edu- cated, and a very devoted man. After leaving here he went to Birmah as a missionary, and died there.
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Rev. Robert Myers preached here about four years, commenc- ing some time in the year 1841. Soon after leaving this town he became a lawyer, but is now again in the ministry.
Rev. R. O. Dwyer came here about 1846, and preached about three years. Mr. Dwyer was a well meaning man, and doubtless designed to discharge his duty faithfully as a minister of the gos- pel. He removed to a place near Saratoga, N. Y. He became a chaplain in one of the New York regiments in the war of 1861, and died in the service of his country. His only son was a soldier in the same regiment, and was killed in battle about the time of his father's death.
Rey. M. J. Smith preached here in 1849 and 1850. While Mr. Smith was here the Baptist society thoroughly repaired their house of worship. Mr. Smith has since died.
Rev. J. J. Peck followed him, and preached here two or three years.
Rev. Beriah N. Leach, D. D., removed to this town in 1855, and was pastor of the Baptist church about five years. Mr. Leach is a native of this town, and went into the ministry as early as 1819. During the time of his ministry, he was for some years principal of an academy in western New York. He now resides in Middletown, Conn., where he has heretofore spent a portion of the time of his ministry. Since Mr. Leach left, Rev. Mr. Fren- year preached here a while. Rev. Thomas Tobin is the present minister.
After the death of Deacon Smith and Deacon Ford, Jonathan Barce was elected to that office which he held until his death which was about 1847. Beriah Newland, Jeremiah Rudd, Spen- cer Nicholson, Benajah Mallary, Peleg Seamans and Nathaniel Clift, have each held the office of deacon. Alpheus Haynes was elected and ordained a deacon of the Baptist church in 1836, and has held the office since. He is at present the only deacon in the church. Of the clerks there have been Thomas McClure, Jona- than Barce, David G. MeClure, Harry B. McClure, David Spaf- ford, Robert R. Woodward, and Ira Frost, who is the present clerk.
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The resident members by the last official returns are fifty-three ; non-resident members twenty-one.
There was a sabbath school organized about the year 1821, which was a union school of the Baptists and Congregationalists. Some time after that each denomination organized a school of its own, and have kept them up since.
METHODIST.
The first methodist who preached in this town was the Rev. Labon Clark. The time Mr. Clark preached here, hereinbefore appears in his letter. It also appears that then there was but one methodist family in town.
As early as 1815 there was a class formed in " Burnam Hollow," in the west part of the town. Cyril Leach, a brother of Rev. B. N. Leach, was the leader of the class. At one time there was a goodly number of members in the class. Mrs. Willard and Mrs. Leffingwell, daughters of John Burnam, were members of it, also Mrs. Nye, and others. They had preaching occasionally by cir- cuit preachers, in the school houses in that part of the town. The last years of the existence of this class it was not as well sustained. The present Methodist Episcopal church and society in Middletown had its beginning as follows : In 1834 a class was formed in the village by Anthony Rice, consisting of James Germond and wife, and Samuel Hathaway and wife. Soon afterwards John Gray and wife were added to the class, and James Germond was appointed class leader. This class commenced holding meetings in the school house in the village, but from some cause were obliged to leave that place and hold their meetings at private houses. .
In 1835 the society was formed, which will appear from the fol- lowing record :
" We, the subscribers, inhabitants of the town of Middletown, in the county of Rutland, and State of Vermont, do hereby volun- tarily associate and agree to forin a society by the name of the Methodist Episcopal Society of Middletown, county and state aforesaid, for the purpose of purchasing a situation for, and build- ' ing a meeting house, according to the first section of an act enti-
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tled " an act for the support of the gospel," passed October 26th, 1798.
In witness whereof we have hereunto severally set our hands.
ELI OATMAN,
SAMUEL YOUNG,
MARCUS STODDARD,
SAMUEL HATHAWAY,
CHARLES LAMB,
JAMES GERMOND,
NATH'L W. MARTIN,
JUSTUS BARKER,
JOHN GRAY."
. Dated at Middletown, this 28th day of November, A. D. 1835."
The meeting house contemplated in the foregoing, was built in the year 1837. It was built with a basement for a town room, but the town have since surrendered their claim to it for that pur- pose. The house was dedicated by Rev. John Weaver, then a presiding elder, in the winter of 1838. ~ Samuel Young was the first preacher in the charge of this society.
April 16th, A. D. 1842, a Sabbath School was formed, and by the constitution, which appears in the handwriting of James Ger- wond, was called the Methodist Episcopal Sabbath School, in Middletown. The officers under that constitution, for that year (1842) were :
Superintendent .- LUCIUS ABBOTT.
Librarian .- HARVEY HOADLEY.
Secretary and Treasurer .- JAMES GERMOND.
Visiting Committee .- John Fitch, M. Smith, Elisha Rogers, P. Germond, L. W. Winslow, J. Willard, P. H. Smith, A. J. Hoad- ley, A. Hyde, M. Woodworth, James Germond, E. Stoddard.
Teachers .- Elisha Rogers, P. Germond, J. Darling, E. Marshall, Charles Lamb, L. Doughty, Justus Barker, L. Burnam, A. Hyde, H. Babcock.
The Methodist society in Middletown, like the other religious denominations here, have had its seasons of prosperity and adver- sity. They gained rapidly on the start. By the time their house
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of worship was completed in the winter of 1838, they had a con- gregation nearly or quite as large as either of the other denomin- ations, and they have since kept it up nearly as large. That society have been unfortunate in loosing many of their prominent and useful members by death.
James Germond, their first class leader-the leader of their singing-and a faithful laborer until he died, in October, 1855. He was a quiet, unassuming man, yet to him perhaps more than any other the Methodist Episcopal church is indebted for their rise and early progress.
John Fitch was a local preacher, and removed from Pawlet, his native place, to Middletown as early as 1838, where he resided. until February, 1859, when he died. Mr. Fitch was never the preacher in charge, but took an active part in the affairs of the church, and a considerable portion of the time supplied the desk. He will be long remembered by those of that church who have survived him, as an earnest, zealous laborer in his Master's vine- yard.
In 1862, when the Rev. H. D. Hitchcock was the preacher in charge, the methodist house was thoroughly repaired, and like the Baptist and Congregational houses of worship, is now in good con- dition. Whiting Merrill was very active in procuring the repairs on the meeting house, contributed largely of his means, and did much by way of procuring subscriptions, and superintending the work. Mr. Merrill seemed to have. this work much at heart ; he succeeded in getting it completed in accordance with his wishes and tastes ; but in three short years, he was called to take up his abode in that house not made with hands. Mr. Merrill commenced life a poor boy, but by his diligence, industry, good economy and good management had secured a competence. He had hardly passed the prime of life when he died. Mr. Merrill had for some years been the leader of a claas. Joseph Banister was appointed to fill his place, and served but a few months when he took his departure for the better land.
The present preacher in charge is the Rev. George Sutton.
I do not pretend to give more than a mere outline of the history
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of the churches in Middletown. My limits will not permit of my doing more than that, and perhaps I have hardly done that, but enough has been given, I hope, to encourage others to do the work more thorcughly.
The ecclesiastical history of the town will afford matter for useful reflection and study. Scarce any subject aside from the truths of the Bible is more worthy of our attention, or would prove of greater utility. It is true there are some unpleasant things in connection with the history of each of the churches here, but we must expect those will occur in these and all other churches. I cannot but feel that great good has been accom- plished by the churches here. I have no time for remarks, but allow me to say that we would do well to bear this in mind ; that our religious institutions are the hope of our country ; that unless we can sustain them, we may as well surrender all the institutions of society and government, and go at once into anarchy and confusion. But we shall not do that. We shall, I trust, sus- tain our churches ; all our religious institutions ; and may we not with profit to ourselves, study the examples of our fathers and mothers who founded these churches ; and would it not be for our interest, and the interest of the Redeemer's cause, that we should return to their zeal, their faithfulness, their devotedness and their standard of piety. From these three churches, small though they are, members are every year going from them to other parts of the land. They carry with them the influences, the impressions, the education you give them. You have sent out no less than eight ministers from these churches, who were natives of the town, one as a missionary to foreign lands. Many others who have gone from here are holding prominent positions in different churches in the far west and other places. Why then should not these churches be sustained, and with the blessing of God continue to do their part of the work in hastening that time, " when all shall know the Lord."
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