440 Wyoming Conference
CHAPTER XI
BINGHAMTON DISTRICT
Auburn, Pa.
Springville Circuit was
a very large one, and its growth
made a division
necessary. At the fourth Quarterly Conference
held at Lymanville on
February 27, 1858, it was decided that the
division should be made
at once. The new circuit appears in the
list of appointments of
1858. It took its name from the township
in which most of the
appointments are situated, and contained the
following appointments:
Overfield, White's (or Bennett's) Cor-
ners, Auburn Four
Corners, Cartertown, Dunmore, and Eddy.
The first pastor was
John Mulkey, a superannuate who was made
effective and served the
charge one year. The first Quarterly
Conference was held in
Daniel Carter's barn in Cartertown.
During the first three
or four years of the circuit's history it
received $100 per year
from the Missionary Society.
In 1864 the official
members of the circuit became an incorpo-
rate body, with the
following as trustees: James Kasson, A. W.
Gray, Charles Fessenden,
Lyman Cogswell, James Moore, Samuel
Bertholf, Thomas S.
James, Daniel Carter, and Daniel Sterling.
The trustees hold the
property of the circuit. In 1886 the
trustees were James
Kasson, J. B. Beardsley, B. E. James, I. R.
Low, C. W. Pierson,
Griswold Carter, Elias Titman. After the
completion of the church
at the Center the three following trus-
tees were added to the
board: John Tewksbury, Dr. G. M. Har-
rison, Leander Lott.
In 1870 the circuit
comprised the following appointments:
Cartertown, Shannon
Hill, Kasson Corners, East Rush, Rush
Four Corners, and Auburn
Corners. In 1886 the following com-
prised the circuit:
Auburn Four Corners, Auburn Center, East
Rush, Shannon Hill, and
Retta.
In the fall of 1870 a
delegation from the Jersey Hill Protestant
Methodist Church met
with the Quarterly Conference at Carter-
town, and asked to have
their appointment supplied by the min-
ister of Auburn charge,
to which the Quarterly Conference agreed.
The arrangement proved
so satisfactory that the members of the
Jersey Hill Church asked
to be received into the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, in 1872.
It took a little time to secure the transfer
Auburn, Pa. 441
of property. It was
done, however, and in 1873 they became
a part of Auburn
Circuit.
In order to accommodate
the Jersey Hill people, it became
necessary to make the
Rush Corners class a week-day evening
appointment. To this the
Rush Corners people cheerfully agreed.
However, they
subsequently became dissatisfied with the arrange-
ment and refused
week-day preaching. They invited the pastor
of Rush Mission to give
them a Sunday service. After consulting
the Auburn pastor he
consented to do so. This eventually led to
the transfer of this
preaching place to the Rush charge.
Auburn Four Corners.
In June, 1880, steps were taken toward
building a church at
Auburn Four Corners. A lot for the church
was given by E. L.
Adams. A subscription was circulated, and
when about $1,500 was
secured a meeting was called and the fol-
lowing building
committee elected: James Kasson, D. C. Titman,
and Rev. H. C.
McDermott. The society furnished hemlock
lumber and laid the
foundation. The balance of the work was
awarded by contract to
E. L. Adams. The corner stone was laid
on September 28, 1880,
with appropriate ceremonies and an ad-
dress by Rev. J. G.
Eckman. On September 13, 1881, the build-
ing was dedicated. The
building with fittings cost $2,200. After
a sermon by Rev. J. G.
Eckman, at 10 A. m., $355 was asked for
and $435 given. In the
evening Rev. J. B. Sumner preached.
Revs. F. A. Dony, G. O.
Beers, and C. H. Basford were present
and participated in the
services of the day.
Auburn Center. The class
was first organized in 1871 or 1872
by uniting a few members
of Jersey Hill with a few at Auburn
Center, with preaching
services every two weeks at Jersey Hill.
In the spring of 1886 a
subscription paper was circulated for the
building of a church at
Auburn Center. Enough was secured to
warrant success. The
following building committee gave efficient
service: A. L. Pierson,
Leander Lott, Dr. G. M. Harrison,
William Stevens, and
Elias Titman. The contract was let to
Elias Titman for $1,450.
The building is a Gothic structure,
30x44 feet, standing on
an elevated piece of ground, and presents
an attractive picture.
In its tower is the only church bell in
Auburn township. The
building and furnishings cost about
$2,000. The corner stone
was laid on July 3, 1886, Rev. Thomas
Harroun making the
address; and the building was dedicated on
November 10, 1886, Rev.
M. S. Hard, D.D., preaching in the
morning and Rev. W. H.
Olin, D.D., in the evening. Preaching
services are held here
once in two weeks. This society was
442 Wyoming Conference
visited with a gracious
revival in 1895, resulting in sixty-seven
probationers. In 1893
the plastering of this church fell. The
room was then ceiled
with Georgia pine at a cost of $300. The
Epworth League and
Ladies' Aid Society are very efficient.
Elk Lake. This
class was organized about 1826. In 1876 a
great revival occurred,
resulting in about eighty conversions.
After having been a part
of Rush Circuit a number of years it was
put on Auburn Circuit in
1892. From the time of organization
to the occupancy of the
church the class worshiped in a school-
house. In 1899 Miss
Sallie Stevens and Mr. J. G. Cart gave the
society a beautiful lot,
on which a pretty church was built costing
about $1,000. The church
was dedicated on December 19, 1899,
by Rev. L. C. Floyd. Mr.
E. W. Stedman presented the church
with a beautiful organ.
Craig Hill. This is a
schoolhouse appointment, having services
once in two weeks. There
has been a class at this place over sixty
years. Thomas Bayley was
class leader here about sixty years
ago. Rev. John W.
Davidson preached in the old schoolhouse in
1841. This class was
taken from the Springville Circuit and
added to Auburn Circuit
in 1892.
Shannon Hill. This
class worshiped in a schoolhouse for many
years. A church was
earnestly desired. The Ladies' Aid Society
agreed to build the
foundation. About $1,400 was received on
subscription toward the
building. The corner stone was laid on
August 13, 1901, with
appropriate services. Revs. H. B. Bene-
dict, J. S. Custard, I.
J. Smith, and H. B. Burns participating.
Plans were made to
dedicate the church in April, but a storm on
the day fixed prevented.
On May 6, 1902, the building was dedi-
cated. It had cost, with
furnishings, $2,250, and was all provided
for except $317, which
was raised on this day. Rev. L. C. Floyd
preached in the morning,
and Rev. A. Griffin in the afternoon.
Revs. L. T. Van Campen,
A. Wrigley, and I. J. Smith were pres-
ent and participated in
the services. This appointment was known
as Overfield until 1858,
when it was changed to Shannon Hill.
White's {or Bennett's) Corners was a schoolhouse appointment
two miles south of
Auburn Comers. It has been dropped.
Cartertown is now on
the Rush charge, and known as Retta.
Dunmore was about four miles
northwest of Auburn Corners,
and is now known as Rush
Four Corners.
Eddy is now on the Rush
charge, and known as East Rush.
Centenary Church,
Binghamton 443
Kasson Corners was a
schoolhouse appointment about two and
a half miles from Auburn
Corners. It was dropped some years
ago.
For many years the
parsonage was about one mile southwest
of Auburn Corners, on
land of J. B. Beardsley, and a few rods
west of his home. It was
built in the fall of 1863 and spring of
1864, the church having
the use of land only. When the new
parsonage was built Mr.
Beardsley bought the old one, giving
$600 for it. About two
years afterward it burned to the ground.
In 1885 the new
parsonage was built at Auburn Corners. The
lot cost $100, and the
building $1,164.10. W. A. Bennett was the
contractor, and B. E.
James, Griswold Carter, Elias Titman, and
Rev. J. H. Taylor the
building committee.
Pastorates
1858, John Mulkey; 1859,
Cromwell Pearce; 1860, J. V. Newell;
1861-62, W. H. Gavitt;
1863-64, A. J. Arnold; 1865-67, J. H.
Weston; 1868-69, J. F.
Wilbur; 1870-72, George Greenfield;
1873-75, Silas Earner;
1876-78, A. Wrigley; 1879-81, H. C. Mc-
Dermott; 1882-84, G. L.
Williams; 1885-87, J. H. Taylor; 1888-
92, W. H. Stang;
1893-94, D. C. Barnes; 1895-97, Isaac Jenkins;
1898-99, L. T. Van
Campen; 1900-01, Thomas Eva; 1902-03,
H. A. Williams.
Binghamton, N. Y. — Centenary
We insert with this
sketch a drawing by Mr. W. H. Stillwell,
now an aged and
much-loved member of Centenary Church. We
are indebted to him for
many of our facts concerning Bingham-
ton Methodism. The tree
gives the original members as roots,
shows the split and its
healing, and also the origin of the other
societies in the city.
In 1812 Joseph Manning,
Lydia Manning, his wife, and Sally,
their daughter, then
about eight years old, moved to Binghamton,
then known as Chenango
Point. Two years later Peter Wentz,
his wife Margaret, and a
young girl named Penina Rood, moved
into the place. All of
these persons were members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church,
except Mrs. Wentz, who was converted
and united with the
Church in 1818. Joseph Manning was a
natural leader. He
established prayer services at his house, which
was located on the south
side of Main Street at the west end of
the Chenango bridge,
near one of the twin elms, the remains of
which are still visible.
Mr. Manning appealed to the preacher in
charge of Broome Circuit
for pastoral oversight, and a preacher
444 Wyoming Conference
METHODIST TREE IN BINGHAMTON [illustration]
Centenary Church,
Binghamton 445
was promised.
Accordingly, Rev. Ebenezer Doolittle was sent to
organize the work in the
fall of 1817. He arranged to preach at
Manning's house once in
three weeks. No record of these early
days has been found, but
according to Sally Manning, who stated
in 1874 these facts, the
class at organization consisted of Joseph
Manning, Lydia Manning,
Sally Manning, Peter Wentz, and
Penina Rood, with Joseph
Manning as class leader. Mrs. Mar-
garet Wentz was one of
the first converts to join the society.
Meetings were held for
some time in Mr. Manning's house, sub-
sequently in the village
schoolhouse, afterward in the Mcintosh
building and not
unfrequently in the courthouse. This courthouse
was a log structure,
24x36 feet, standing on Court and Chenango
Streets, where the Perry
block now stands. The lower story
contained two cells made
of logs for prison purposes, and the
balance of the story was
used by the sheriff for a family residence,
the upper story being
used for court, political, and religious pur-
poses. Soon after its
formation the society became a recognized
part of Broome Circuit.
In 1820 its members had increased to
twenty-seven. About this
time a committee was appointed to
secure a location and
provide a church building. In 1821 a re-
quest was presented to
the Bingham estate, through General
Whitney, its agent, for
the donation of a lot for church purposes.
The request was granted,
and the lot on Henry Street, containing
about two acres, was
conveyed to the society in 1822. At a meet-
ing held in the
schoolhouse on November 24, 1821, at which Sela
Payne and Moses Dyer
presided, the society was incorporated,
and Ely Osborn, Isaac
Page, Moses Dyer, Jonah Mushprat, Sela
Payne, John Whitham, and
Charles Stone were made trustees.
The Episcopal society
had built a church six years before this
time. Desiring to build
a better and larger building, they offered
their church for sale.
The Methodist Church bought the building,
tradition says for one
dollar, and at an expense of about $170
moved it on to the Henry
Street lot. The Methodists deemed the
securing of this
building as providential. It was a very ordinary
and commonplace-looking
building, but with a little improvement
lasted the society many
years without alteration.
Anyone desirous of
seeing the identical church built by the
Episcopalians in 1816
and sold to the Methodists in 1822 can do
so by going to the rear
of the block used by the Republican Pub-
lishing Company. It is
now used by the Republican Company as
a storage room.
The society at this time
numbered forty-four members, and
owed $140. The inside of
the church was not remodeled. The
446 Wyoming Conference
pew doors were left on
their hinges, and out of respect to the
donor the elevated
pulpit, called the "hawk's nest," was retained.
The rapid growth of the
village brought additions to church
membership, and in 183 1
the society thought it could do better
work if set off from the
circuit and made a station. This was
done in 1832.
Mr. Stilwell gives the
following list of pastors prior to 1832:
1817, Ebenezer
Doolittle; 1818, I. Arnold; 1819, H. G. Warner;
1820, W. Luce; 1821,
Horace Agard; 1822, John Sayre; 1823,
Solon Stocking; 1824,
Gaylord Judd; 1825, George Evans; 1826,
H. P. Barnes; 1827, M.
K. Cushman; 1828, Philo Barbary; 1829,
B. Shipman; 1830, Silas
Comfort; 1831, Silas Comfort and
Nelson Rounds.
By comparing this with
the appointments for Broome Circuit
during those years some
serious discrepancies will be found. The
appointments as given
for the circuit are taken from the pubhshed
Minutes. We know,
however, that in those days the presiding
elders frequently made
changes in their work just after Confer-
ence and during the
year, which, with possible inaccuracies of
memory, would give room
for the disagreement.
When the society began
its career as a station it became known
as Henry Street Church
and had one hundred and thirty-six
members.
From 1832 to 1852 the
church did not thrive as many desired.
The city grew to over
four thousand population, but the principal
streets did not center
toward the church. The location seemed
unfortunate from the
beginning. It had no debt, and no desire
for improvement of
church property. And some regretted the
expenditure of $1,700 in
1846, which added thirty feet to the
length of the building
and remodeled the interior. The society
had a fair portion of
good business men among its members, yet
the church was not
considered thrifty, and the building, which
was not at all artistic
in appearance, came to be called "The
Methodist Eel Pot."
In 1851 W. H. Pearne,
the pastor, appointed a committee to
consider the wants of
the church, select a better location, dispose
of the old church
building, if possible, and take preliminary steps
for the erection of a
new church. The report of this committee,
which was well intended,
proved a disastrous move for Methodism
in Binghamton for the
following fifteen years. The committee
suggested the society be
divided into two divisions; that two
churches be organized,
one on the east and one on the west side
of the Chenango River.
This seemed a very wise move. At that
Centenary Church,
Binghamton 447
time the west side of
the river was an open field, there being no
Protestant church in
that section. Accordingly, the church pro-
ceeded with the mutual division
of its membership, before the
property had been sold,
which consisted of the Henry Street
church property, valued
at $4,600, a parsonage on Chenango
Street, valued at
$2,600, and a house and lot on Main and Oak
Streets, valued at
$2,100. Could the property have been sold at
these prices, and the
proceeds divided, the committee's plan would
have been a success. The
society which was to locate on the east
side of the river
refused to buy the Henry Street church at the
above valuation, or to improve
the property, or continue church
work upon the premises.
The Henry Street church had not been
disbanded, and, the
compact having failed, the trustees, still hold-
ing the property,
refused to make any division. This created a
feeling between the two
societies in which' neither was fully
justified.
The new society set off
proceeded to properly organize itself,
and on June 30, 1851,
became an incorporated body under the
title of "The
Second Methodist Episcopal Society of Binghamton,"
with P. B. Brooks, J. W.
Corbin, R. W. Hinds, I. T. Cary, Stew-
art Wills, R. Service,
and E. W. Bingham as trustees. The com-
mittee appointed to
secure a location found a deserted church on
the corner of Court and
Caroll Streets. This church had been
built by some seceders
from the old church in 1841, who were
known as Protestant
Methodists. The building was about 40x70,
built of wood, with
pulpit, pews, plain plastered ceiling, and a
seating capacity of
about four hundred and fifty. This was pur-
chased for $1,000; $375
was expended in putting the property into
shape for use. This
society was commonly called the Court
Street Church. It had
one hundred and twenty members, and a
Sunday school of sixty
scholars. The bishop was asked to send
a pastor, and soon Rev.
George P. Porter was sent to them.
We give here the
pastorates of this Court Street Church: 1851,
George P. Porter; 1852,
H. R. Clarke; 1853, E. Owen; 1854, E.
Owen and E. W.
Breckinridge; 1855, B. W. Gorham; 1856, P. S.
Worden; 1857, H. R.
Clarke; 1858-59, J. A. Wood; 1860, B. W.
Gorham; 1861-62, D. C.
Olmstead; 1863, P. S. Worden; 1864,
G. H. Blakeslee.
The bitterness aroused
by the separation gradually died out, and
a conviction arose that
the two churches ought to unite and form
a strong center of
Christian work. This conviction grew with
passing years, until in
1865 steps were taken toward amalgama-
tion. When the two
societies were brought together it was dis-
448 Wyoming Conference
covered that they had
gained less than one hundred members in
sixteen years.
Early in 1865
amalgamation began, Thomas H. Pearne being
the pastor of Henry
Street at the time. Court Street was left
without a pastor, with
the union in view. A new charter was
granted on April 3,
1865, the society taking the corporate name of
"The Methodist
Episcopal Church of Binghamton," and Eli
Pratt, William Hanlon,
William J. Rennie, H. W. Horton, Joseph
Bartholomew, John S.
Conklin, Lowell, Harding, M. T. Winton,
and H. F. Bronson were
elected
trustees. Some time
after the in-
corporation Thomas H.
Pearne re-
signed, and D. W.
Bristol was em-
ployed. Ground was
secured for a
new church on the corner
of Court
CENTENARY, BINGHAMTON
[photo]
and Centenary Streets,
and prepara-
tions for building
begun. The build-
ing is of brick with
sandstone trim-
mings, and Gothic in
style. The
building is 68x152 feet,
the rear end
of which is fitted up
for prayer
meeting and Sunday
school work.
The tower is 180 feet
high and has
a bell weighing 3,000
pounds. The
church cost about
$53,000, and was
dedicated on Thursday,
July 9,
1868. Bishop Janes
preached in the
afternoon from Isa. vi,
1-4, and Dr.
R. S. Foster preached in
the even-
ing from Isa. ix, 6. Ten
thousand
dollars was subscribed
during the
day toward paying the
debt.
In 1891 $4,000 was spent
on the interior, the floor made bowling,
a gallery put in, walls
newly frescoed, and floor recarpeted. The
main floor will seat
about eight hundred and fifty and the gallery
about four hundred and
fifty. In 1895 $8,000 was expended in
enlarging and refitting
the Sunday school and prayer rooms. The
acoustic properties of
the auditorium were much improved by
these alterations, so
that now it is a very pleasant room to speak
in. In 1899 $18,500 was
raised, $7,000 of which was applied on
old debt, $4,500 in the
purchase of lot adjoining the church on
Court Street, $3,000 for
a new pipe organ, and $4,000 on
exterior improvements to
the building.
Centenary Church,
Binghamton 449
The parsonage is in the
rear of the church, facing Centenary
Street.
Several great revivals
have been reported. In 1860 230 con-
versions were reported;
from October, 1876, to March, 1877,
over 400 conversions
were claimed; and from December 31, 1884,
to February 12, 1885,
250 persons professed conversion.
The church has sustained
several missions in the city, which
have developed into
thrifty churches.
By common consent the
society has been called Centenary
Church for years,
probably from the fact that it began its cor-
porate existence about
the time of Methodism's centenary in
1866.
Henry Street Church
entertained the Oneida Conference in
September, 1836, and
July, 1847, and the Wyoming Conference
in July, 1856, and
April, 1868. Centenary Church entertained the
Wyoming Conference in
April, 1876, April, 1883, and again in
April, 1896.
We give the pastorates
of the Henry Street and Centenary
Churches below:
1832-33, D. A. Shepard;
1834-35, J. S. Mitchell; 1836, H. Col-
burn; 1837, H. F. Rowe;
1838, Robert Fox; 1839, Joseph Cross;
1840, W. H. Pearne;
1841-42, Freeman H. Stanton; 1843-44,
Abel Barker; 1845-46, T.
H. Pearne; 1847, A. J. Dana; 1848-49,
Z. Paddock; 1850-51, W.
H. Pearne; 1852, B. W. Gorham; 1853,
J. W. Davison; 1854, D.
A. Shepard; 1855-57, A. P. Mead; 1858-
59, T. D. Walker; 1860,
Z. Paddock, E. Owen; 1861, Z. Paddock;
1862, W. Wyatt; 1863-64,
W. B. Westlake; 1865, T. H. Pearne;
1866-67, D. W. Bristol;
1868, J. D. Adams; 1869-71, W. H. Olin;
1872-74, L. C. Floyd;
1875-77, Austin Griffin; 1878-80, I. T.
Walker; 1881-83, W. H.
Olin; 1884-85, O. W. Scott; 1886-90,
M. S. Hard; 1891-94½, G.
M. Colville; 189 ½-97, J. H. Race;
1898-1900, Henry
Tuckley; 1901, supply; 1902-03, J. M. Taber.
Binghamton, N. Y. — Tabernacle
In the spring of 1872
the Centenary Church appointed a com-
mittee, consisting of
Rev. L. C. Floyd, W. H. Stilwell, N. T.
Childs, and E. N.
Harris, to look over the city missionary field and
report at an early date.
The committee reported that the field on
the west side of the
river demanded better work, that it was ready
for reapers, and
suggested the organization of work in that sec-
tion at once. The
opposition to swarming at this time was oh the
ground that it would
break into the sinking fund plan, which was
450 Wyoming Conference
operating nicely in
reducing the church debt, and leave the mother
church with a heavy debt
— almost $16,000. But the time had
come for the members
living on the west side of the river to form
a new society, and they
resolved to do so.
In the fall and winter
of 1871 and 1872 a few members of the
Centenary Church started
a series of meetings on the west side
among the students and
in the school kept by Miss Ingalls, on
Front Street, a few
doors from Main Street. This school was in
spirit under the
influence of Methodism, and the interest in this
revival work so
increased as to form the nucleus for the new
church in that part of
the city.
TABERNACLE, BINGHAMTON [photo]
After incorporation a
lot on the corner of Main and Arthur
Streets was bought for
$11,500. The lot is 137 feet on Main
Street, and 212 feet on
Arthur Street, and had a house on the
rear, which has been so
improved as to make a very desirable
parsonage. One hundred
and forty members were set off from
Centenary Church to form
this society. In the spring of 1873
the society asked for a
pastor, and their request was granted. A
hemlock structure called
the Tabernacle was erected to give tem-
porary shelter for the
congregation. It was 30x80 feet in size,
with twelve-foot posts,
and covered on the inside with manilla
paper. Seated with
chairs, which were very comfortable, the
Tabernacle Church, Binghamton
451
novelty of the building
and the enthusiasm of the people made the
Tabernacle at once
popular, and the building was usually well
filled.
The growth of the
society was rapid for a few years. In
1883 it was thought the
time was ripe for building a substantial
church edifice. The
corner stone of the present church was laid
on Monday, September 3,
1883, at 2 {30 p. m. Rev. J. G. Eckman
delivered the address of
the occasion and laid the stone. Bishop
Foster had preached to
the congregation on the Sunday previous
in Lester Hall, and was
present at the corner stone laying. Dur-
ing the erection of the
church the congregation worshiped with
the Centenary people.
The church is a Gothic building 112x83
feet, built of brick
with cut stone trimmings. The west tower is
100 feet high and the
east tower 70 feet. The main audience
room is 50x70 feet
square, with bowling floor, and a gallery,
capable of -seating one
thousand people. The Sunday school room
is in the rear of the
auditorium and so arranged that it can be
used as an annex to the
auditorium. Its organ cost about $1,700.
Many of the windows are
memorial. Windows are here to the
memory of Rev. Solon
Stocking, Dr. Z. Paddock, J. C. Maney,
James Stevens, and one
to Miss Ruth Ingalls, by her pupils. The
building and furnishings
exclusive of lot cost $42,442.63. About
$15,000 had been raised
by subscription, $10,000 in bonds had
been issued, and $15,972
was needed to be raised on the day of
dedication, which was on
September 14, 1884. At 10:30 a. m.
Dr. C. N. Sims preached
from Psa. cxxxvii, 5, 6, and in the even-
ing Dr. J. P. Newman
preached from Acts iv, 12. Dr. Sims
managed the finances
during the day, and secured $12,000 in sub-
scriptions. At the close
of the evening service Dr. Olin dedicated
the church.
In December, 1888, about
$8,000 was raised, which paid the
indebtedness of the
society, with the exception of the bonded
indebtedness of $10,000.
This was paid in the winter of 1898
and 1899.
The Tabernacle Church
entertained the Conference in April,
1890, and again in
April, 1903.
Pastorates
1873-75, A. D.
Alexander; 1876-78, T. Harroun; 1879-81, J. B.
Sumner; 1882-83, E. W.
Caswell; 1884-85, A. L. Smalley; 1886-
90, G. M. Colville;
1891-93, A. Griffin; 1894-98, E. B. Olmstead;
1899-1903, A. W. Hayes.
452 Wyoming Conference
BINGHAMTON, N. Y. – HIGH STREET
The Centenary Church ran
a Sunday school in this vicinity
several years, occupying
a wagon shop. The mission was con-
sidered a very thrifty
one. Several conversions added much to
the interest of the
work. In 1873 the members of Centenary
Church living on the
south side of the Susquehanna River asked
their pastor to aid them
in securing a site and erecting a building
to be known as High
Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Cen-
tenary Church dismissed
forty-three members to organize this
HIGH STREET, BINGHAMTON [photo]
society, and gave eighty
of its Sunday school scholars. Organiza-
tion was completed, a
lot purchased, and a chapel erected on it
26x40, a modest
building, seated with chairs. Lot and building
cost about $1,600. The
society thought at first it could. supply
itself with local
preachers, but as the work grew it felt the need
of more thorough
supervision. It accordingly asked the Con-
ference for a pastor.
After being supplied in 1874 and 1875 by
Rev. Joseph Hartwell,
the Conference sent Rev. J. B. Sumner
here in 1875. He was the
means of the society's becoming incor-
porated, and placed it
upon a sound financial basis. As the church
grew, the little chapel
was enlarged until it could be enlarged no
more. The church
literally outgrew the chapel.
The present lot was
secured on the corner of High and South
High Street, Binghamton
453
Water Streets. The
corner stone was laid on September 9, 1890.
Speeches were made by
Drs. McLean and Hard and ReV. Thomas
Harroun, and the corner
stone was laid by Mrs. Bradshaw. The
building is of brick,
55x83 feet. The auditorium is 47½X77,
and will seat about six
hundred people. The basement has class
rooms, ladies' parlors,
and a prayer room. The building was
dedicated on February
26, 1891, at 2 p. m.. Bishop Andrews
preaching the sermon and
dedicating the church. Dr. R. W. Van
Schoick preached in the
evening. Dr. M. S. Hard managed the
finances during the day
and secured about $5,000 in subscriptions,
leaving $1,000
unprovided for. The Church Extension Society
aided the church in this
enterprise to $500.
A debt-paying day was
held on Sunday, October 14, 1894. Dr.
S. F. Upham preached in
the morning and afternoon, in the even-
ing an Epworth League
rally was held. Many of the Binghamton
pastors were present
during the day. The sum of $8,050 was
wanted, and $5,248.50
subscribed.
The parsonage is on High
Street, just above the church. The
church and parsonage
property is valued at $15,000, upon which
there is an indebtedness
at this writing of $3,300.
Pastorates
1874-75, Joseph
Hartwell; 1876-78, J. B. Sumner; 1879-81,
A. D. Alexander;
1882-84, W. J. Judd; 1885-87, O. L. Severson;
1888, W. L. Thorpe;
1889-93, John Bradshaw; 1894, W. G. Simp-
son; 1895-97, T. F. Hall;
1898-99, H. H. Dresser; 1900-03, J. B.
Cook.
Binghamton, N. Y. — Chenango Street
Chenango Street Church
was organized in 1880. However, a
few years previous to
this the Centenary Church had established
a Sunday school, prayer
and preaching service, for the benefit of
those living in this
part of the city. In 1876 a number of conver-
sions here added
strength to the work, which was a success from
the beginning. Growth
rendered imperative larger rooms. A
new location was found
and rooms fitted up for church work.
This location was
unfortunate and unpleasant, and was a matter
of regret for some time.
It required all the vigor of the young
society to maintain its
existence.
The society was
incorporated on September 10, 1878, under the
corporate name of
"The Chenango Street Methodist Episcopal
Church," and Marvin
Caniff, Horace D. Root, Seneca Duell,
Alonzo Roberson, and
Nicholas M. Martin were elected trustees.
454 Wyoming Conference
Seventy members and one
hundred and forty Sunday school
scholars were taken from
the Centenary Church at the organiza-
tion of this society.
Rev. Asa Brooks supplied this society dur-
ing 1880.
The northward growth of
the city prompted the church in 1886
to think of following
the population. Accordingly, a lot on the
corner of Chenango and
Allen Streets was secured and the present
church erected. The
building is brick with stone trimmings, with
CHENANGO STREET, BINGHAMTON [photo]
an auditorium which will
seat five hundred people. The basement
is commodious, almost
wholly above ground, and well provides
for the Sunday school
and social work of the church. The church
was dedicated on
Tuesday, April 3, 1888. Dr. M. S. Hard
preached in the morning,
and Dr. G. M. Colville in the evening.
Dr. Olin, the presiding
elder, dedicated the church at the close of
the evening service. The
cost of lot, church, and expenditure on
the parsonage was
$15,181.74. Bonds had been issued to the
amount of $6,500.
Several thousand had been raised by subscrip-
tion, leaving $2,300 to
be raised on the day of dedication, which
was readily secured.
Fairview, Binghamton 455
In 1898 a new pipe organ
was put into the church, and several
improvements made,
costing about $700.
The parsonage is in the
rear of the church, on Allen Street.
The house and lot
adjoining the church on Chenango Street
were purchased in 1901
at a cost of $2,500.
Pastorates
1881, M. E. Bramhall;
1882-84, A- D- Alexander; 1885, W. B.
Kinney; 1886-90, E. L.
Bennett; 1891-93, W. J. Hill; 1894-97,
J. A. Faulkner;
1898-1900, I. N. Shipman; 1901-02, George For-
syth; 1903, C. M.
Olmstead.
Binghamton, N. Y. — Fairview
Fairview Church is the
youngest daughter of Centenary
Church, and has had a
phenomenal growth. The Centenary
Church conducted a
mission in this field for a long time, in which
a class meeting and
Sunday school were maintained, and occa-
sionally a preaching
service had been held. In 1896 it became
evident that a society
could be successfully formed here. Acting
in harmony with the
Methodist Union of the city and with the
advice of the presiding
elder, Centenary Church bought the lot on
the corner of Robinson
and Bigelow Streets, 169 feet on Robinson
Street, and 212 feet on
Bigelow Street. The Union also suggested
that a missionary be
employed and a place of worship constructed
at an early date, and
that the Centenary Church be permitted to
raise the funds,
construct the church, and present the same to the
people of Fairview free
from debt. This suggestion came from
the Centenary Church,
which was desirous of doing the work.
The following committee
from the Centenary Church was at once
appointed: W. H.
Stilwell, J. J. McElroy, and J. C. Whiting;
plans were secured and
work begun. Ground was broken for the
building on Monday,
November 16, 1896. W. H. Stilwell
measured out the lot, a
hymn was sung, prayer offered by Rev. J. L.
Wells, an address made
by L. C. Floyd, and short speeches made
by Revs. J. H. Race, A.
D. Alexander, M. V. Williams, and several
laymen. Work on the
building was pushed vigorously, so that it
was dedicated on March
29, 1897. The building is of wood, 32x50,
capable of seating three
hundred persons. Total cost of the build-
ing, $3,200. Centenary
Church gave $1,200 to this enterprise in
December, 1896. On the
day of dedication a little over $2,000 was
raised, which provided
for all indebtedness. Services of the day
began with a love feast
at 9:30 a. m., followed by a sermon by Dr.
456 Wyoming Conference
M. S. Hard from Isa.
xxxv, 8. In the afternoon Rev. E. B. Olm-
stead preached from Psa.
cxv, 14, and in the evening Rev. J. H.
Race preached from Matt,
viii, 2. M. S. Hard and J. H Race con-
ducted the finances of
the day. At the close of the evening's
service Rev. L. C. Floyd
dedicated the church. M. V. Williams
began work here in 1896,
acting as assistant pastor of Centenary
Church. The society held
their relation to Centenary Church until
the church property was
paid for, when one hundred and thirty
members were transferred
to form the new society, and eighty
Sunday school scholars.
As soon as incorporation took place,
FAIRVIEW, BINGHAMTON [photo]
Centenary Church gave
the trustees of Fairview Church a deed
of the property.
In 1898 a parsonage was
built at a cost of $2,450, with its
furnishings, and on
Sunday, December 31, 1899, $1,850 was raised
to cancel all the
indebtedness of the society.
In the winter of 1902-03
$3,000 was expended, increasing the
size of the auditorium
so as to seat five to six hundred people,
putting into the
basement a League and prayer room, buying
carpets, chairs, etc.,
and putting a granolithic walk around the
entire property. At this
writing the church has 257 members, 29
probationers, and Rev.
M. V. Williams has been its only pastor.
BINGHAMTON, N. Y. – CLINTON STREET
This church was built
under the direction of the Tabernacle
Church. The lot cost
$1,000, and the building with its furnish-
ings a little over
$3,500. The Tabernacle Church gave $600, and
Clinton Street,
Binghamton 457
Centenary Church $200.
The Tabernacle Sunday school gave the
furnishings. A
Presbyterian lady gave the stained-glass window
which ornaments the
front of the building. Lieutenant Governor
E. F. Jones presented
the Bible and Hymnal for the pulpit. The
church was dedicated on
February 23, 1890, at 2 p. m. Dr. M. S.
Hard preached and
managed the finances, and Rev. T. Harroun
dedicated the building.
A debt of $1,000 was to be carried by
mortgage on the
property. On the day of dedication $1,400 was
raised, which with what
was raised before covered all demands.
The Conference of 1890
made Clinton Street an appointment,
CLINTON STREET BINGHAMTON [photo]
with Lestershire, a
growing suburb of the city, included, and Rev.
L. B. Weeks appointed
pastor. He arranged his work so as to
preach at Clinton Street
in the morning and evening and at
Lestershire in the
afternoon. The society began with thirty mem-
bers, most of whom were
from the Tabernacle Church. On April
21, 1890, the society
became incorporated as "The Clinton Street
Methodist Episcopal
Church," and elected E. T. Depuy, C. E.
Bronson, E. Andrews, T.
F. Elliott, R. B. Holmes, John E. De-
drick, and Clarence L.
Van Valkenburg trustees. A. P. Lundy
was the first class
leader, and William M. Fletcher the first super-
intendent of the Sunday
school.
In 1891 Lestershire was
made an appointment, with H. H.
Wilbur its pastor.
458 Wyoming Conference
Shortly after
incorporation the property was transferred to the
trustees of Clinton
Street Church by the Tabernacle.
The church struggled
with patience and determination, caring
for its pastor, making
some improvements, furnishing the parson-
age, and paying on its
mortgage indebtedness until on October 29,
1894, it was free from
debt, which event the congregation duly
celebrated.
The society rented a
home for its pastor at 211 Clinton Street
until it purchased the
house and lot at 6 Holland Street, which
was on December 10,
1895. This property was purchased for
$2,500, Mr. Whitney,
from whom it was purchased, donating
$300, and the trustees
gave their note for $200 and a mortgage on
the property for $2,000.
This indebtedness has been reduced so
that now it is only
$1,200.
This society has had a
steady and vigorous growth.
Pastorates
1890-91, L. B. Weeks;
1892, J. W. Mevis; 1893-96, J. W.
Nicholson; 1897-1900, A.
D. Decker; 1901-02, S. Moore; 1903,
W. Frisby.
BINGHAMTON, N. Y. - OAK STREET
Oak Street is the second
child of Tabernacle Church, and was
organized with ten
members. It separated from the mother
church too soon, and has
had to struggle for an existence.
It began in a Sunday
school work. A devoted Christian, living
in this part of the
city, noticed a number of children running loose
on Sundays, and felt led
of God to organize a Sunday school
work here. Accordingly,
a school was gathered and met upstairs
in a private house on
Franklin Street during the summer of 1891.
No school was held
during the following winter. It was started
again in 1892 in the
Sexennial Hall, on Dickinson Street. Here
the pastor of the
Tabernacle Church preached on Sunday after-
noons. Subsequently
meetings were held in vacant stores, halls,
lodge rooms — in fact,
anywhere where there was an open door.
The work was sustained
by a faithful, heroic band who. were
determined to win.
On August 23, 1893, the
society was incorporated as "Oak
Street Methodist
Episcopal Church," with James Hazley, John
Newing, George Winans,
John Worden, and T. B. Jacobs as
trustees.
In 1894 a lot was bought
and a church built, which was dedi-
cated on December 20 of
the same year. In 1897 the parsonage
Oak Street, Binghamton
459
with the corner lot
adjoining the church and parsonage was pur-
chased, and in 1898 and
1899 the church was enlarged, giving it
a seating capacity of
about three hundred.
The church now has one
hundred and forty-six members, and
church property valued
at $5,400, with an indebtedness of $3,150.
OAK STREET, BINGHAMTON [photo]
The society has been
courageous, meeting fierce opposition from
other churches in that
locality.
Pastorates
1894-95, W. R. Turner;
1896-98, Charles Smith; 1899-1902,
J. B. Sumner; 1903, C.
H. Reynolds.
Brooklyn, Pa.
In 1801 Ephraim Chambers
and Anning Owen were on Wy-
oming Circuit. A class
was formed at Hopbottom consisting of
four members — Jacob
Tewksbury and wife, Silas Lewis, and
Mrs. Joshua Saunders.
(It is claimed that there is a mistake here,
that Mrs. Saunders did
not join until some years later.)
In 1804 Morris Howe and
Robert Burch were on the circuit,
and the class was
reported as above with a Miss or Mrs. Tracy,
afterward Mrs. Niles.
460 Wyoming Conference
In 1806 Christopher Frye
and Alfred Griffith were on the cir-
cuit. Mrs. Garland,
daughter of Jacob Tewksbury, who joined
the church about 1808
and remained a member until her death in
1868, gives the
following account of Mr. Frye's labors in Hopbot-
tom: "There was
quite an accession to the church this year.
Frye was as rough as a
meat-ax. From the commencement the
meetings had been held
in my father's kitchen. My grandfather
at first was a
persecutor. My mother had been a Presbyterian,
and when she prayed it
was in a low tone of voice. My grand-
father would often say
to her, when in prayer, 'Pray louder, I
want to hear you.' On
one occasion, when Frye was preaching,
grandfather began to
weep. Mother asked Frye, after preaching.
BROOKLYN CHURCH [photo]
to let him come into
class meeting. Frye had not noticed the
evidence of deep emotion
in grandfather, and he answered her
very roughly, 'You know
he is an old persecutor, and what do you
want him in class
meeting for?' 'I believe,' said my mother, 'he
is under conviction, for
I saw him weep.' 'O,' replied Frye, 'I
wish your charity bag
was not quite so large.' My mother, noth-
ing daunted, brought the
old gentleman in, broken-hearted, and
weeping like a child.
Mrs. Saunders had never before professed
religion. But when she
saw mother leading grandfather into
class meeting she
started on herself, and as she entered the door
she began to shout. All
seemed to catch the spirit, and such a
shout I never heard from
so small a company."
The first class leader
was Nicholas Horton, who lived ten miles
below Brooklyn Center.
He was followed by Frazier Eaton, who
lived about six miles
away, in Springville Hollow, and who filled
Brooklyn, Pa. 461
his appointment
barefooted, when weather permitted. He was
succeeded by Jacob
Tewksbury, who served the society until
about 1809, when Edward
Paine, who liad just moved into the
community, was appointed
leader. He served in this position
many years — in fact,
was the life of the society — until he began
to preach.
The class at Hopbottom
in 1811 was composed of the following
persons: Edward Paine
(leader), Charlotte Paine, Hannah Mil-
bourn, Silas Lewis,
Orlando Bagley, Dorcas Bagley, Betsy
Saunders, Jacob, Mary,
Isaac, and Judith Tewksbury, Abigail
and Mary Saunders, Isaac
and Milicent Sterling, Nancy Seeley,
Dorcas Bagley, Jr.,
Jacob Worthing, Sally Fuller, John and Alden
Seeley, Polly Catlin,
Jesse and Polly Bagley, Jonathan Tewks-
bury, Josiah and Eliza
Crofoot, Alice Lathrop, Varnum Saunders,
Dolly Bagley, Betsy
Tewksbury, Polly Seeley, Sabra Tingley,
Stephen and Mary Bagley,
Samuel and Huldah Yeomans, Shef-
field Saunders, Thomas
Bagley, William Sterling, Lucinda Fuller,
Jonathan Worthing.
Meetings were held in
Jacob Tewksbury 's house until 1809,
and from that time until
the church was ready for occupancy in
the house of Edward
Paine.
The following minutes
have been preserved, and are of great
historic interest:
"At a meeting of
the Methodist Episcopal church at Jesse Bag-
ley's, in Hopbottom,
Bridgewater, on Thursday, the 9th of Janu-
ary, 1812, Zoar
Tewksbury appointed moderator of said meeting,
Edward Paine appointed
clerk and treasurer on the subject of
building a meetinghouse
for the use and benefit of the Methodist
Episcopal church at this
place. The following persons were
unanimously chosen as a
committee to superintend the building of
said house: Edward
Paine, 1st committeeman; Joshua Miles, Jr.,
2nd committeeman; Thomas Sterling, 3rd committeeman."
"At a meeting of
the Methodist Episcopal Church at Hopbot-
tom, Bridgewater, held
at Edward Paine's on the 8th day of June,
1812, on the subject of
building a Methodist meetinghouse for the
use of said church and
organization, voted to appoint Zoar Tewks-
bury and Jesse Bagley as
an additional committee to act with the
committee appointed in
January last — to superintend the building
of said house — also to
find a proper place for said building, also
to make sale of about 33
acres of land given toward the building
of said house by Mr.
John B. Wallon, landholder at Philadelphia,
as also all other
business proper to be transacted by said commit-
tee relative to the
erection of said church."
462 Wyoming Conference
The church was probably
put up in 1813. "As soon as it was
inclosed, they put in a
temporary pulpit, placed boards across the
joists for seats, in
comfortable weather, and here many delightful
seasons were
enjoyed." This evinces the anxiety of the people to
get into the new church.
This building was torn down in 1830,
and a new one built in
1831 by Joshua Miles, Jr. In 1867 the
church was enlarged and
modernized at an expense of $3,700.
The building is 40x60
feet. The bell was put in the tower at this
time. The church was
dedicated on January 30, 1868, by Rev.
B. I. Ives.
Hopbottom was a name
given by outsiders to the settlement,
intending to deride the
leaping and shouting by which the Meth-
BARN IN WHICH ASBURY PREACHED ABOUT THE YEAR 1814 [photo]
odists manifested their
joy. It is claimed that a revival continued
here throughout the
year. Another claim for the origin of the
name is that large
quantities of hops grew here. Hopbottom was
the name of the post
office until changed to Brooklyn in 1825.
This territory was on
the Wyoming Circuit until the formation
of Bridgewater Circuit
in 1813. Hopbottom was the center of the
latter circuit, and gave
tone to the whole. In 1831 Brooklyn be-
came the name of a
circuit, of which it was the head. In 1845
the circuit gave work to
three preachers and had twenty ap-
pointments, the
principal of which were Brooklyn, Bridgewater,
Harford, Gibson, South
Gibson, and Jackson. In 1851 the circuit
included Brooklyn,
Harford, Gibson, Jackson, Bridgewater, and
part of Springville.
Foster and Lakeside were formerly with
Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, Pa. 463
Brooklyn entertained
Wyoming Conference in July, 1853. A
large class of
probationers was received as a result of the revival
work of the Conference.
About 1814 Bishops
Asbury and McKendree passed through
Brooklyn on their way
from a Northern Conference to the Bal-
timore Conference. They
held a service in the barn, of which we
give a picture, at which
Bishop Asbury preached from i Sam.
XV, 14: "And Samuel
said, What meaneth then this bleating of
the sheep in mine ears,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
That the cut represents
the identical barn in which the sermon
was preached is fully
authenticated, though it does not now
occupy the same site
that it did at that time. Many years ago it
was moved to the place
it now occupies, and the addition on the
right was constructed.
The large open doors show the audience
room in which the
service was held.
In 1888 Mr. Edward L.
Paine, soil of Rev. Edward Paine, who
owned the barn at the
time Bishop Asbury preached in it, was a
delegate to the General
Conference from the Wisconsin Confer-
ence, and the oldest
layman in the body, being eighty-seven years
old. He stated on the
Conference floor that he heard Bishop
Asbury preach this
sermon, and was greatly moved by it.
Though a lad of only
thirteen years of age, he at that time gave
his heart to God, and
his hand to the Church.
In one of the
strongholds of Universalism Methodism has held
her own and grown, and
is now the leading Church of the town.
Pastorates
1804-12, with Wyoming
Circuit; 1813-30, with Bridgewater
Circuit; 1831-32,
Benjamin ElHs; 1833, G. Evans, L. Mumford;
1834, G. Evans; 1835, D.
Torry, L. B. Bennett; 1836, I. Parks,
A. Benjamin; 1837, C. T.
Stanley, B. Marshall; 1838, E. B.
Tenny, William Reddy;
1839, P- G. White, W. Reddy, Thomas
Wilcox; 1840, P. G.
White, Thomas Wilcox; 1841, E. Smith,
John Davison; 1842, E.
Smith, G. H. Blakeslee; 1843, William
Round, H. Brownscombe;
1844, William Round, G. H. Blakeslee;
184s, Thomas Wilcox, A.
Brooks, N. S. De Witt; 1846, J. W.
Davison, A. Brooks; 1847,
M. Ruger, J. W. Davison; 1848, M.
Ruger, L. D. Tryon;
1849, E. P. Williams; 1850, E. P. Williams,
D. C. Olmstead; 1851, E.
W. Breckinridge, S. S. Barter, William
Shelp; 1852, E. W.
Breckinridge; 1853-54, Thomas Wilcox;
1855, J. L. Staples;
1856, R. Ingalls; 1857, A. H. Schoonmaker;
1858-59, J. F. Wilbur; 1860,
J. A. Wood; 1861-62, J. K. Peck;
1863-65, A. C. Sperry;
1866-67, S. F. Brown; 1868, King Elwell;
464 Wyoming Conference
1869, C. V. Arnold;
1870-71, P. Holbrook; 1872-73, Jonas Under-
wood; 1874-76, J. H.
Weston; 1877, George Comfort; 1878-80,
G. T. Price; 1881-83, C.
M. Surdam; 1884-86, F. A. King; 1887-
90, J. F. Jones;
1891-92, D. C. Barnes; 1893-94, P. G. Ruckman;
1895-96, G. F. Ace;
1897-1900, G. E. Van Woert; 1901-02, H. D.
Smith; 1903, J. B.
Sumner.
Campville, N. Y.
According to Rev. J. M.
Grimes a class was formed here about
1820. No definite
records exist of those times. The village
schoolhouse was used for
church purposes many years. Between
1835 and 1840 the place
was visited with a sweeping revival.
Not only the
schoolhouse, but the hotel and several private houses
were used, two and three
services being held daily. People came
from Union, Owego, and
the surrounding country in large num-
bers to attend the
meetings.
The site for the church
was bought of Roswell Camp for $100,
and the deed executed on
May 28, 1856. The trustees at the time
were Isaac Van Tuyle, B.
D. Montanye, H. W. Billings, Zenas
Case, Thomas Cafferty,
John Carey, and Ira W. Dickinson. The
society became
incorporated as "The Trustees of the First Meth-
odist Episcopal Church
of Campville," on October 5, 1857, with
the above-named trustees
named as having been elected on this
date. Rev. Ira W.
Dickinson and James Tilbury circulated a
subscription and secured
the necessary funds to erect the church.
John E. Brown and his
son Jeremiah did the carpenter work. The
building was completed
and dedicated in 1855. In 1897 the
church was extensively
repaired, the inside being repapered,
painted, pulpit moved to
the opposite end of the room, floor raised,
and several minor
improvements made.
We are unable to state
the source of its pulpit supply prior to
1853. In this year
Campville appears among the list of appoint-
ments on Binghamton
District. Note the following: 1853, sup-
ply; 1854, Alfred
Brigham; 1855-56, S. E. Walworth. No fur-
ther mention is made of
the place again in the list of appointments
until 1869, when E.
Puffer is appointed to Campville. It con-
tinues among the
appointments until 1883, when it is put with
Apalachin. It was served
from Apalachin until 1899, when it
appears again among the
appointments, with Whittemore Hill as
its out-appointment.
From 1853 to 1856 and in
1869 it is on the Binghamton Dis-
trict, 1870-77 on the
Owego District, 1878-83 Binghamton Dis-
trict, 1884-98 Owego
District, 1899 to date Binghamton District.
Campville, N. Y. 465
Pastorates
1853, supply; 1854,
Alfred Brigham; 1855-56, S. E. Walworth;
1857-68, _____; 1869, E.
Puffeer; 1870, J. M. Grimes; 1871, J. H.
Taylor; 1872, G. C.
Andrews; 1873-74, John Allen; 1875-76,
S. E. Walworth (in 1876
Apalachin becomes a part of the
charge); 1877-78, H. C.
McDermott; 1879-80, J. B. Chynoweth;
1881-82, D. W. Swetland;
1883-98, with Apalachin. We give
the Apalachin
appointments: 1883-84, C. H. Basford; 1885-86,
L. W. Peck; 1887-89, N.
W. Barnes; 1890-91, M. R. Kerr; 1892-
93, R. W. Lowry; 1894,
S. E. Hunt; 1895, J. R. Allen; 1896-97,
S. H. Flory; 1898, A. C.
Brackenbury. Campville and Whitte-
more Hill, 1899, O. H.
P. Armstrong; 1900, E. McMillen; 1901,
W. D. Lathrop; 1902-03,
O. H. P. Armstrong.
Whittemore Hill.
Work began here at a very early day, so far
back that the oldest
inhabitants cannot recall it. Meetings were
held in the schoolhouse
prior to the building of the church, and
some quarterly meetings
were held in Isaac Whittemore's barn.
A meeting for incorporating
the society was held at the house of
Isaac Whittemore on the
24th of November, 1851, and John E.
Brown, Isaac Whittemore,
David Cornell, Willard Bowker, and
Levi S. Wales were
elected trustees.
The lot was given the
church — that is, the church may have it
so long as it is used
for church purposes. The church cost about
$500 when built, and was
dedicated on Thursday, August 19,
1852. The dedicatory
sermon was by Dr. Paddock, the presiding
elder, from Exod. xx,
24. During the winter of 1883-84 the
church was thoroughly
repaired at a cost of $635. It was re-
opened on February 20,
1884, Rev. J. G. Eckman preaching the
sermon from I John iii,
2. The sum of $135 was asked, and $151
received. The ladies did
the furnishing at a cost of $75. In 1887
one fourth of an acre of
land was bought of Alvin Whittemore
for additional shed room
for $20. The organ was purchased in
1889, costing $65.
This society has been
connected with Union, Campville, Union,
and again with
Campville, where it has been since 1899.
Dalton, Pa.
Dalton in early times
was called Bailey Hollow. A class was
organized here in 1865
by Rev. C. E. Taylor, who was pastor of
Abington Circuit
(Waverly, Pa.). During 1866 and 1867 it
formed a part of Newton
Circuit. In 1868 it was put back into
Abington Circuit, and
remained there until 1883, when it became
466 Wyoming Conference
a part of the
Factoryville charge. Here it remained until 1893,
when it was made a
separate charge.
From 1865 until 1875 the
society worshiped in the Six Prin-
ciple Baptist Church,
holding prayer meetings at the houses of
the members. In 1874 the
lot for a church was bought for $600.
The following year a
modest chapel, costing about the same
amount, was built and
dedicated. In 1887 and 1888 this was re-
placed by the present
structure, which cost about $3,500. It was
dedicated on July 29,
1888, Dr. M. S. Hard preaching at 10:30
A. M., and Rev. Thomas
Harroun at 2:30 p. m. Several hundred
DALTON CHURCH [photo]
dollars have been
expended in repairs from time to time, so that
the building is in good
repair.
The parsonage was
commenced in November, 1895, and finished
in April, 1896, and is
one of the best parsonages on the district,
costing about $4,000. A
formal opening occurred on May 14,
1896. Exercises were
held in the afternoon and evening.
Revs. W. H. Pearce, L.
C. Floyd, S. Jay, H. H. Wilbur, J. L.
Thomas, F. H. Parsons,
F. W. Young, and J. H. Race were pres-
ent and participated in
the services. At the evening service con-
tributions were received
which reduced the indebtedness to
$1,500, which is in the
form of a mortgage.
Fleetville. Early in
the summer of 1893, at the invitation of
John S. Clarkson, the
Rev. Burton N. Butts, pastor of the North
Dalton, Pa. 467
Abington Circuit, began
holding meetings on alternate Wednes-
day evenings in the
village of Fleetville. These services were
held in the Universalist
church, which was rented for this pur-
pose. Later in the same
year the Rev. S. J. Austin, pastor at
Glenwood, was invited to
serve the people, as he could preach on
alternate Sunday
mornings. A class was organized in 1895, with
Thomas Carpenter as
leader, consisting of about twenty-five mem-
bers. Rev. S. J. Austin
was appointed pastor, and steps were
taken toward the
erection of a church building. John S. Clarkson,
Thomas Carpenter, and
Judson S. Mullinex were elected trustees.
DALTON PARSONAGE [photo]
Within a short time
several changes were made in the board of
trustees, but on the 23d
of August, 1895, for the consideration of
$50, a lot was deeded to
Thomas Carpenter, Ansel Carpenter, and
C. W. Green, then
trustees of the First Methodist Episcopal
Church of Fleetville.
Ground was broken and work begun for
the erection of the
church edifice some time in November, 1895.
The work was carried
forward by a building committee consist-
ing of J. S. Clarkson,
F. B. Davidson, M.D., and Thomas Car-
penter. These hired
George Davis, of Parsons, as foreman, and
proceeded with the work
without contract. The cost of the build-
ing in labor and
materials was about $2,500. The dedicatory
468 Wyoming Conference
services were held on
January 28, 1897. They were in charge of
the Rev. L. C. Floyd,
Ph.D., presiding elder of the Binghamton
District, assisted by
the pastor and the Rev. Austin Griffin, D.D.,
presiding elder of the
Oneonta District. At the dedication there
was left an indebtedness
of $1,000, not covered by subscription.
For this debt J. S.
Clarkson and Thomas Carpenter became per-
sonally responsible. The
Ladies' Aid Society deserves a word of
special commendation for
heroic efforts not only in raising and
paying a subscription of
$300, but also for their continued strug-
gle to reduce the debt
since their subscription has been paid. The
debt is now about $460.
Beginning with the April
after dedication, Fleetville was served
by the Factoryville
pastor till the Conference of 1898, when Fleet-
ville was put with
Dalton, where it has since remained. The
society was formally
chartered on July 29, 1901, with John S.
Clarkson, Thomas
Carpenter, Ansel Carpenter, Z. Ferris Wallace,
and F. B. Davison, M.D.,
as trustees.
Pastorates
1893-94, J. R. Angel;
1895-97, C. H. Newing; 1898-99, J. C.
Leacock; 1900-01, A. W.
Cooper; 1902-03, A. J. Van Cleft.
Endicott, N. Y.
The projectors of the
booming town of Endicott, the Endicott-
Johnson Company, gave
Methodism four nicely located lots in
Endicott worth from
$1,500 to $2,000. A small chapel was
erected in 1902 which is
now answering the needs of the society.
On December 5, 1902, the
society incorporated, with H. F. Wil-
bur, Harvey S. Thayer,
and Sherman Zimmer as trustees. The
Johnson brothers are to
build a church here in memory of their
mother, who was a
devoted Methodist. This society has great
promise.
In 1903 J. N. Goodrich
was appointed pastor. Up to this time
the Union pastor had
given the field pastoral oversight.
Factoryville, Pa.
The first settlers in
this vicinity were Baptists, and Elder John
Miller began his
ministry among them about 1802. Shortly after
this the itinerant
preacher found his way thither and began to
hold meetings.
"Mother" Taylor, wife of Preserved Taylor, who
Factoryville, Pa. 469
lived on the hill above
the village, on the farm now owned by
Albina Stanton, is
claimed to have been the first Methodist in
this vicinity. Meetings
were held in her house at an early day,
say from 1820 to 1825.
Some of the older members used to say
they had heard Rev. John
Copeland preach here with great unction
and power. What was
known as the "square-top" schoolhouse
was built in 1825, and
stood near where the railroad depot stands.
Preaching services were
held in this schoolhouse, and a class was
FACTORYVILLE CHURCH [photo]
in existence here as
early as 1830. Here, and about this time,
"Aunt" Eunice
Gardner united with the church.
The society was small
and struggling until 1848 or 1849, when
a great revival brought
numerous accessions.
In its early days this
class was on the Wyoming Circuit. John
Copeland was on the
Wyoming Circuit in 1825. It is evident that
it held its relation to
this circuit until after this time. It is con-
jectured that it may
have been with the Bridgewater Circuit for a
short time, though this
is doubtful. At the formation of the
Abington Circuit, in
1841, Factoryville and West Abington
formed a part of the
circuit. From 1843 to 1845 it formed an
appointment, and from
1846 to 1851 it was with Abington again.
From 1852 to 1853 it was
on Newton Circuit, and in 1854 it be-
came a part of the
Nicholson Circuit, where it remained until
1868, when it became a separate
charge.
The first church at
Factoryville was built in 1854. It was
30x42 feet, and cost
$850. It was dedicated on December 29,
470 Wyoming Conference
1854, by Dr. George
Peck, presiding elder of the district. The
charge then included
Nicholson, West Nicholson, Factoryville,
and East Lemon.
In 1878 the church was
rebuilt, enlarged, refurnished, a
tower and bell added, at
a total cost of $1,800. The reopening
services occurred on
October 2, 1878, Rev. J. E. Smith, of Wilkes-
Barre, preaching at 11
a. m., and Rev. William Bixby, presiding
elder of the district,
preaching at 7 p. m.
In 1889 the church was
again rebuilt. The old church was
converted into a Sunday
school and prayer room, and an audi-
FACTORYVILLE PARSONAGE [photo]
torium 42x50 feet built
onto it, with an opening between so that
the Sunday school room
may be used with the auditorium on
extra occasions. The
total cost of these improvements was
$3,195. The dedicatory
services were held on December 10, 1889.
Dr. W. L. Phillips, of
Wilkes-Barre, preached in the morning,
and Rev. J. G. Eckman in
the evening. During the day $1,000
was raised. At the close
of the evening service the church was
dedicated by the
presiding elder. Rev. Thomas Harroun.
In 1899 a pipe organ was
put into the church, which, with the
annex built in the rear
of the pulpit to hold it, cost $1,650.
The first parsonage was
built in 1855, standing on the site now
occupied by the
residence of Dr. Heller. This was rebuilt and
Factoryville, Pa. 471
enlarged in 1872. About
1885 this property was exchanged with
Dr. George A. Brundage
for the property adjoining the church,
where the parsonage now
stands.
In 1895 the old
parsonage was moved of? and the present
beautiful and commodious
house built. It has few superiors, if
any, on the district,
and cost $3,250, the first $1,000 of which
came as a legacy under
the will of John H. Pelham, for many
years a devoted member
of the church. A house-warming was
held in the latter part
of December, 1895. Friday afternoon a
service was held in the
church, and in the evening a platform
meeting was held, in
which speeches were made by several former
pastors. Saturday
afternoon Rev. H. C. McDermott preached.
Rev. J. O. Woodrulif
presiding. On Sunday morning Rev. M. S.
Hard, D.D., preached,
and after the sermon raised $1,000, the
balance needed to pay
for the parsonage, and $150 toward a new
organ for the church.
In 1867 two pastors were
on Nicholson charge — E. N. Hynson
and T. B. Jayne. Hynson
lived at Factoryville, and Jayne at
Nicholson. They
exchanged appointments every other Sunday.
In August, 1866, the
pastor, D. Worrall, died, and the balance
of the year was filled
by Rev. J. V. Newell, then living at
Springville.
The charge experienced
extensive revivals in the years 1848 or
1849, 1872, 1886, 1893,
and 1901.
James Hoben came from
England in 1820 and settled here. He
was a class leader many
years, and died about 1860, leaving one
daughter, who survived
him about twenty years. At her decease
she left the balance of
her estate as a legacy to the church, which
was used in the exchange
of property with Dr. Brundage, and
enlarging the house.
Alanson Ridgeway was a class leader here
from 1848 to 1880, and
S. W. Ingham served in this relation from
1865 to 1872. Amos Caryl
has been a class leader here from 1878
to 1903, and for some
years past has been assistant superintendent.
James Wrigley is now a
class leader, having served about eleven
years. Charles Gardner
has been chorister and Sunday school
superintendent almost
continuously since 1860, and is now acting
in both capacities. A.
T. Brundage, M.D., has held the relation
of local preacher here
many years.
West Abington. The
church here was dedicated on January
15, 1853. Rev. George
Peck preached in the morning, and Rev.
William Wyatt in the
evening. This society was taken from the
Newton Circuit and put
with Factoryville about 1872.
472 Wyoming Conference
Pastorates
1843-44, Peter S.
Worden; 1845, A. G. Burlingame; 1846-51,
with Abington; 1852-53,
with Newton; 1854-67, with Nicholson;
1868, E. F. Roberts;
1869-70, E. M. High; 1871-73, J. S. Lewis;
1874-75, P- R- Tower;
1876-78, D. C. Barnes; 1879-81, A. J.
Cook; 1882-84, H. C.
McDermott; 1885-87, Thomas Harroun;
1888-91, O. L. Severson;
1892-93, W. R. Turner; 1894-97, H. H.
Wilbur; 1898-1900, W. M.
Hiller; 1901-02, J. N. Lee; 1903, L. D.
Palmer.
Fairdale, Pa.
In 1866 Fairdale charge
was taken from Montrose Circuit. In
early days.it was a part
of Bridgewater Circuit; an appointment
or two, however, may
have been with the Vestal Circuit. At the
time it was taken from
Montrose it had six preaching places on
the charge — Fairdale,
Town's (now Forest Lake), Devine Ridge,
Taylor Hollow, Dimock,
and Bolles. With the exception of Fair-
dale and Town's, which
had church buildings, these were school-
house appointments. The
class leaders at this time were: David
Olmstead, Fairdale; J.
S. Town, Forest Lake Center; John P.
Devine, Devine Ridge;
Willard Weston, Taylor Hollow; P. J.
Gates, Dimock; Clark
Whitaker, Bolles schoolhouse. The stew-
ards were: Marvin Hall
and Elias Jagger, Fairdale; F. J. Rey-
nolds and William J.
Gorden, Forest Lake Center; Parker Devine,
Devine Ridge; P. J.
Gates, Dimock; S. D. Cornell, Taylor Hollow.
There were two trustees,
both living at Forest Lake Center — Suel
Warner and N. R. Cole.
Fairdale. Just when
the first church was built at Fairdale we
are unable to state, but
a new one costing $3,500 was built in
1868, L. H. Lincoln
being the contractor. It was dedicated on
November 25, 1868, by B.
I. Ives, the evening sermon being by
A. J. Arnold. On
December 5, 1868, the Quarterly Conference
elected seven trustees
to look after this property — Benjamin
Shay, Marvin Hall, David
Olmstead, Elias Jagger, Zenas Smith,
J. W. Rundle, and Rev.
William Shelp.
On November 9, 1867, the
Quarterly Conference authorized
the pastor to circulate
a subscription to secure a parsonage. The
scheme proved
successful, and a house and lot opposite the church
was bought of Zenas
Smith for $1,000. Deed for this property
was given in 1873. In
1877 a new barn was built, and in 1886 a
new parsonage replaced
the old one. Since the circuit was or-
ganized Fairdale Church
has been served by the following stew-
Fairdale, Pa. 473
ards: Marvin Hall, Elias
Jagger, Benjamin Shay, Joseph Stuger,
Robert Pettit, W. R.
Walker, James Robinson, Paul Miller,
Thomas Beaumont, John A.
Robertson, Milton Ray, George M.
Olmstead, Nelson Cool,
H. C. Bertholf, M. Cronk, Charles Cronk,
Dr. H. M. Fry, L. De
Witt, and Oliver Warner.
In 1899 improvements
were made amounting to $450, which
included a stone
platform 8x24 feet in front of the church, stone
walk from church to
parsonage, a grove of maple trees set around
the church, painting,
and some minor changes.
Forest Lake Center.
A class known as the Town class was or-
ganized as early as
1834, with Jonathan West as leader, and the
meetings were held in
his house, near Forest Lake, but were soon
after transferred to the
house of John S. Town, near the present
church. Besides the Town
and West families, Rosanna Deuel,
Lorain Peat, and Mary
Austin belonged to the first class. In 1841
the class had thirty-two
members, some of whom were Bertha
Warner, Francis and
Sarah Southwell, and Elmer Cobb. In
1848 a church, which was
dedicated by Rev. D. A. Shepard, was
built on the farm of
John S. Town. This was enlarged in 1871
by an addition of twelve
feet to its length, and the erection of a
thirty-foot tower, at a
cost of $800. The work was done by
William J. Gorden. The
dedicatory services were conducted by
Rev. J. K. Peck on
November 25, 1871.
In 1861-62 a revival of
great power visited this community, re-
sulting in sixty
conversions and an accession of forty-five mem-
bers. Rev. J. F. Warner
entered the ministry from this church.
His brother, Asa, is a
local preacher here, receiving his license in
1877. He has been class
leader here since 1871, has served several
years as Sunday school superintendent,
and has been recording
steward about
twenty-five years.
Until the formation of
Fairdale charge this class was a part of
the Vestal Circuit.
The following have
served as stewards for this appointment:
W. J. Gorden, F. J.
Reynolds, Suel Warner, L. H. Lincoln, Asa
Warner, W. H. Allen, A.
F. Otis, J. W. Hoag.
Fair Hill. For some
time this class held its services in Taylor
Hollow, and then at the
schoolhouse in the Chapman district. In
1867 the appointment was
changed to the house of Samuel D.
Cornell. Mr. Cornell is
said to have been the pioneer Methodist
of this section, having
been a member fifty-seven years when he
died in 1881. Other
early members were Zephaniah, Ella, and
Alice Cornell, the
Orlando Green family, the Jagger, Lewis, and
474 Wyoming Conference
Shelp families. After
the formation of the Fairdale charge
preaching was maintained
with greater regularity, and with good
results. A lot was
secured from the old Cornell farm and a
church built costing
$1,200, William Darrow being the builder.
It was dedicated by Rev.
I. T. Walker on November 26, 1877.
The building committee
included G. T. Lewis, H. S. Conklin, and
O. E. Green. The society
became incorporated on June 26, 1879,
with G. T. Lewis, E.
Jagger, H. S. Conklin, R. L. Baxter, and
F. D. Terwilliger as
trustees.
This class has been
served by the following stewards: S. D.
Cornell, Hiram Whitney,
G. L. Lewis, O. E. Green, Hiram L.
Ball, R. S. Baxter, H.
S. Conklin, E. C. Baldwin, J. R. Fox,
William Darrow,
Catherine Jagger, M. J. Crisman, and Z. Linsley.
For some years work was
carried on at Devine Ridge. A church
costing about $1,600 was
built in 1867-68, William J. Gorden be-
ing the contractor. This
was largely done through the generosity
of George Devine and his
five sons, who lived in the inimediate
vicinity. The building
was 30x40, and was dedicated on July 4,
1868, Rev. D. C.
Olmstead preaching in the afternoon from Gal.
iv, 18, and Rev. J. L.
Legg in the evening from Phil, iv, 13. This
class was served by the
following stewards: Joseph P. Devine,
George W. Devine, W. H.
Deuel, John P. Devine, and Lott
Devine.
By action of the
Quarterly Conference on April 29, 1889, this
appointment was
discontinued, the title to the property reverting
to its original owners.
The appointments at
Dimock and Bolles had been dropped in
1869. Thus the charge
was left with three appointments, Fair-
dale, Forest Lake
Center, and Fair Hill.
Pastorates
1866, William Shelp;
1867, I. P. Towner, W. Shelp; 1868-69,
L P. Towner; 1870-71, S.
Elwell; 1872-74, E. W. Breckinridge;
187s, J. D. Woodruff;
1876-77, M. E. Bramhall; 1878-79, J. F.
Jones; 1880, P.
Holbrook; 1881-83, A. F. Harding; 1884-85,
T. M. Furey; 1886-88, J.
S. Lewis; 1889-91, E. P. Eldridge;
1892-96, G. L. Williams;
1897-99, Thomas Eva; 1900-03, W. R.
Cochrane.
Falls, Pa.
This charge was formed
in 1888, being taken from Newton
Circuit. At this time it
was on Wyoming District, but in 1891 it
was put on Binghamton
District, where it has since remained.
Falls, Pa. 475
Falls. It is claimed that the
first Methodist preachers in this
section held services at
Keeler's Ferry as early as 1810. In 1813
a camp meeting was held
on the farm of Abraham Holmes (owned
in 1880 by A. T. De
Witt). Meetings were held at the homes of
John Osterhout, John
Weiss, and others, and at times in groves
along the river. Revs.
Philo Barbary, Horace Agard, George
Peck, C. W. Giddings,
Silas Comfort, S. Stocking, E. Taney,
Benjamin Ellis, V. M.
Coryell, and George Lane visited this
locality. There were
several Methodist families around the Falls
who gave these
itinerants welcome, but we have no record of
the time, or by whom,
the first class was formed at that place.
In 1866 the society was
visited with a gracious revival, and a
large number were added
to the Church. On April 8, 1867, a
lot was bought of Daniel
Dobra, and on the 27th of April, 1871,
a charter was granted
for the "First Methodist Episcopal Church
of Falls Township,"
with Hon. Henry Roberts, Stephen Clark,
Samuel G. Miller,
William Compton, Henry Turn, A. M. De
Witt, and Thomas Brown
as trustees. A church was soon built,
costing about $2,000,
which was dedicated on July 15, 1872, by
Rev. George P. Porter.
It has since been repaired at an expense
of several hundred
dollars.
Mill City. The time
of the organization of the class in Mill
City is doubtful.
Preaching services had been held here more
than thirty years before
the society was incorporated. We know
a class existed in 1848,
with Michael Walter as leader. On
November 25, 1870, the
society was incorporated with Chauncey
Sherwood, Michael
Walter, D. C. Post, John Patrick, and Francis
Hough as trustees. On
the 24th of December, 1872, a lot,
100x125 feet, was bought
of William H. Walter, and the erection
of a church commenced.
The building cost about $2,500, and was
dedicated on January 1,
1874. Preaching in the morning by Rev.
D. D. Lindsley, and in
the evening by Rev. L. Peck.
Lake Winola. The class
was organized at this place on April 2,
1854, by Rev. D. A.
Shepard, Daniel Ross being made the class
leader, with David
Osterhout his assistant. Meetings were held in
the schoolhouse, near
where the church now stands, until the
church was erected. This
society was incorporated in August,
1870, with Samuel Shook,
Thomas Hough, Charles Frear, James
Stevens, and Lyman
Swartz as trustees. A church was erected,
costing $2,478, which
was dedicated by Rev. R. Nelson, in Sep-
tember, 1871.
In 1894 the parsonage at
Mill City was purchased at a cost of
476 Wyoming Conference
$1,650, a small portion
of which was paid at the time of purchase,
and the balance was paid
in the succeeding four years. During
the years 1890-92 sixty
probationers were received, fifty of whom
came into full
membership. From 1893 to 1894 one hundred and
sixteen were received on
probation, thirty-seven of whom united
with the church in full;
and from 1895 to 1897 forty-five joined
the church on probation,
thirty-one of whom joined in full
membership.
Pastorates
1888, G. M. Chamberlain;
1889, R. P. Christopher; 1890-92,
G. B. Stone; 1893-94, C.
H. Newing; 1895-97, D. C. Barnes;
1898-1899, W. R.
Cochrane; 1900, T. R. Warnock; 1901, P.
Houck; 1902-03, A.
Wrigley.
Foster, Pa.
Until Hopbottom and
Lakeside were made a charge in 1895,
they were on the
Brooklyn Circuit. Foster is the name of the
railroad station, from
which the charge takes its name, but the
name of the post office
is Hopbottom.
The church at Foster, or
Hopbottom, is the outgrowth of an
appointment made years
ago at Anthony Wright's, on Martin
Creek, a mile above the
village. In 1849 a Sunday school was
organized in Anthony
Wright's kitchen, with Mrs. Sarah B.
Wright, wife of Dr.
Samuel Wright, as superintendent. The
school became a
permanent institution. In 1850 Anthony Wright
set aside an acre of
ground, to which a small frame building was
moved and fitted up for
church purposes. The ground around it
was used for burial
purposes, and now forms a part of Lathrop
Cemetery.
The immediate spur to
the building of a church grew out of a
revival which was held
in the schoolhouse during the winter of
1869. The directors
objected to the services on the ground that
they interfered with
school work. On the last night meetings
were held in the
schoolhouse the pastor arose and stated the case,
and asked if there were
not some place where the meetings might
be continued. Squire
Tingley offered his house. Dr. Wright said
his house was open from
garret to cellar. Mr. Tingley's house
was chosen, as it was
more conveniently located. Two services
were held here, when Mr.
Case offered a large room in his house,
which was accepted.
Elisha Bell owned the hall used by the Good
Templars, and offered it
free of charge.
In 1870 a lot was given
by William P. Crandall, located on the
Foster, Pa. 477
hill, near the
schoolhouse. A church 35x50 feet was erected, with
tower and bell, the
whole costing $3,200. The building committee
were William P.
Crandall, Emanuel Carpenter, and Dr. Samuel
Wright. The church was
dedicated on December 15, 1870, by
Rev. B. I. Ives, and
$1,800 was raised on the day of dedication to
complete paying for the
church. It was thought to be impossible
to raise this amount;
but Messrs. Wright, Crandall, Squire, and
Gavitt each gave $200,
which gave the work such a start that the
full amount was reached.
This was considered a remarkable vic-
tory. On August 17,
1871, the society became incorporated. This
church was the first one
to be erected in Lathrop township.
Time made it manifest
that it was desirable to move into the
FOSTER CHURCH [photo]
central part of the
village. Accordingly, the old church was torn
down in 1889 and a new
one erected on the present site, which
was dedicated on January
26, 1890. On Sunday morning, Octo-
ber 20, 1895, several
buildings in the village were burned to the
ground. The fire was
caused by the explosion of a lamp in a
store. The church was
burned with the other buildings. An in-
surance of $2,000
furnished a fund with which to start rebuilding.
Work was immediately
begun, and the present church was dedi-
cated on Tuesday, March
3, 1896, Rev. J. H. Race preaching the
sermon and raising $800.
The parsonage was nearly
completed at the time the church
burned.
The revival work of the
winter of 1869-70 at Hopbottom and
478 Wyoming Conference
Lakeside added one
hundred and thirty-two members to the
church.
Lakeside. A goodly
number were brought into the church as
the result of revival
work held in the schoolhouse in the winter of
1869-70. The need of a
church was felt, and steps at once taken
to secure one. It was
begun in the fall of 1870, and dedicated by
Rev. B. I. Ives on
February 16, 1871, when $1,000 was raised to
liquidate the
indebtedness. Rev. B. I. Ives preached in the after-
noon, and King Elwell in
the evening. The church is situated on
the east side and just
above a beautiful lake of about fifty acres,
between Nicholson and
Hopbottom. The church and site cost
$2,600. The trustees at
the time of building the church were
J. C. Miller, Jesse
Silvius, and B. T. Strickland. A part of the
families of Sidney
Osborn, J. F. Gray, John Waterman, Jesse
Silvius, William
Johnson, Zophar Mackey, J. C. Miller, B. T.
Strickland, and Mr.
Thayer were brought into the kingdom about
this time.
Shortly after the
building of the church this class was put with
the West Nicholson
charge, where it remained until 1895, when it
was put with Hopbottom.
Pastorates
1895-96, C. P. Tififany;
1897-98, G. L. Williams; 1899-1900, S.
Homan; 1901-02, A. O.
Austin; 1903, B. N. Butts.
Franklin Forks, Pa.
In 1804 a half dozen
persons residing here formed themselves
into a class, Daniel
Blowers, William Burrows, Elizabeth Bur-
rows, and Isaac Apsbey
being among its members. Meetings
were held monthly, and
usually on week days. The growth of
the class was riot
rapid. Its members, however, were zealous and
persistent. Services
were held for many years in the schoolhouse.
The lot was bought on
November 21, 1867, of Margaret S. Stil-
well. A church 32x50
feet, and costing $2,000, was erected, and
dedicated in 1871 by
Rev. W. H. Olin, $1,000 being raised on the
day of dedication. John
Ives and Samuel Truesdale were the
builders. The building
committee included B. C. Vance, Lewis
Tompkins, D. D.
Lindsley, William and A. S. Burrows. A bell
was put in the tower in
1898.
The parsonage is located
at Franklin Forks, and was built in
1874. In 1900 the
building was raised and a cellar built under it,
at a cost of $150.
The appointments of this
charge were on the Hawleyton Cir-
Franklin Forks, Pa. 479
cuit until 1873, when
they were constituted a charge, under the
name of Pleasant Valley.
The name was changed to Franklin
Forks in 1876.
Brookdale. Meetings
were held in the northern part of Liberty
township soon after its
settlement, but no organization was ef-
fected at that time.
Among the early members were Peter Gun-
saulus and family, James
Travis and family, Ruth Stanford, and
a few others. Meetings
were held in the Bailey schoolhouse (now
removed). In 1851 a
revival was held in this schoolhouse, in
which a goodly nurhber
were converted. A class was formed,
Daniel Brown, D. D.
Stanford, Charles Stanford, William Stan-
ford, Harry Northrup,
and their wives, being among the number.
During the year others
joined. In 1852 a brick church 36x40
was built on the
turnpike in the hamlet of Stanfordville. It was
used regularly until
destroyed by a cyclone on July 2, 1883. Sub-
sequently meetings were
held in the Presbyterian church at Laws-
ville Center, one mile
above the old church.
The present church was
dedicated on March 29, 1898, by Revs.
L. C. Floyd and H. M.
Crydenwise. The building cost $1,400.
During the erection of
this church the pastor gave one half
of his salary received
from Brookdale appointment toward the
enterprise.
Pastorates
1873-74, G. C. Andrews;
1875, W. C. Fiske; 1876-77, A. W.
Cooper; 1878-79, W. F.
Boyce; 1880, J. F. Jones; 1881-82, W. C.
Norris; 1883-85, J. W.
Hewitt; 1886-87, A. G. Bloomfield; 1888-
89, C. O. Bramhall;
1890, Philip Twining; 1891-92, J. B. Wilson;
1893-96, E. D. Cook;
1897-98, G. D. Fisher; 1899, Ernest Col-
well; 190Q, J. H.
Taylor; 1901, E. McMillen; 1902-03, G. L.
Williams.
Gibson, Pa.
It is believed that
Christopher Frye preached the first Methodist
sermon in Gibson. If so,
it was in the year Frye and Griffith
traveled the Wyoming
Circuit, 1806. Mrs. Margaret Bennett and
George Williams were the
first Methodists in the place, Mrs.
Bennett moving to the
place in 1808, and Mr. Williams in 1809.
Mrs. Bennett first
joined the Baptists at Hopbottom, and soon
afterward the Methodists
of that place. Mr. Williams also joined
the Methodists at
Hopbottom (Brooklyn). Both had been
Methodists in the East.
Mrs. Bennett lived on Union Hill and
was familiarly known as
"Aunt Peggy." She used to ride on
horseback from her home
to Jacob Tewksbury's in Brooklyn, a
480 Wyoming Conference
distance of twelve
miles, to attend prayer meeting. Mr. Frye
preached the sermon
referred to in the home of a Mr. Brundage,
a Baptist, on what was
afterward called the Thomas place, near
where the church now
stands.* Subsequently meetings were held
in James Bennett's house
and barn, according to the season of
the year.
The class was organized
in 1812 by Rev. Elijah King, who was
at that time on Broome
Circuit. George Williams, a bachelor,
was leader for many
years. The other members of the first class
were Margaret Bennett,
Sarah Willis, afterward the wife of
GIBSON CHURCH [photo]
John Belcher, Susanna
Fuller, Joseph Williams, and Jemima
Washburne. Mrs. Ingalls
with her two daughters and four sons
joined soon after the
class was organized. Rosman, one of the
sons, became a Methodist
preacher. After Major Lamb and
family moved to the
place and lived in the Skyrin house, 1815-18,
meetings were
occasionally held in his house. Sometimes they
were held in the house
of David Tarbox, and subsequently in the
schoolhouse at Burrows
Hollow.
The territory of this
charge was evidently part of the Bridge-
water Circuit. In 1819,
when Rev. George Peck was on the circuit,
*Miss Emily C. Blackman, who has compiled a history of Susquehanna
County,
thinks this is a
mistake; that it should he the Holmes place, near where the Kennedy
Hill church stood,
before its removal to South Gibson.
Gibson, Pa. 481
he found some of the
above-named "pillars in the little church
in Gibson." It
naturally became a part of Brooklyn Circuit
at its formation, and
remained here until the Gibson charge was
formed.
The first church was on
Kennedy Hill. When the present
structure was erected
the Kennedy Hill church was sold to the
South Gibson society.
The present church was begun in 1868
and finished the
following year. It was dedicated on June 3, 1869,
Rev. R. Nelson preaching
in the afternoon and Rev. Henry
Wheeler in the evening.
The building is 38x56, with a lecture
room in the rear 27x32
feet. The church and furnishings cost
$11,500. A writer
describing it at the time said: "The taste,
personal supervision,
and painstaking liberality of Judge Burrows
have been strikingly
manifest in the projection and completion of
the enterprise."
Judge Urbane Burrows moved to this locality in
1819. From 1856 to 1861
he was associate judge of the Susque-
hanna County Court. From
him the place gets the name of Bur-
rows Hollow. He was a
thrifty merchant, public-spirited citizen,
and an enthusiastic
Methodist. He had much to do with the
planning of the
building, and gave personal oversight to its con-
struction. It is not
known just how much he contributed toward
the enterprise, over
half, some say two thirds.
The parsonage is located
at Gibson. Rev. Rosman Ingalls
deeded his home to the
society on condition that the society, within
one year after his
death, pay the trustees of Wyoming Conference
$400. This was done in
the fall of 1883. One pastor only oc-
cupied this house. Rev.
J. R. Wagner. Mrs. Chauncey Lamb left
her house to the church,
stipulating that one half the proceeds
from its use be given to
missions and one half to worn-out preach-
ers. This house is now
used as a parsonage, and the Ingalls
property has been sold.
In 1871 a revival here
added fifty-four to the church. About
1882 Urbane Burrows gave
by will $3,000 to the society, the in-
terest of which is to be
used for the support of the pastor,
perpetually.
South Gibson. Mrs.
Fitch Ressiguie was the leading spirit of
this class at the time
of its formation in 1838. The class was
organized by Rev.
William Reddy, who was one of the preachers
on Brooklyn Circuit at
that time. This was in the first school-
house, built by H. P.
Miller, and located near his home, on what
is now known as the
Wilbur Gardner property. This class
consisted of Fitch
Ressiguie, Benjamin Snyder, his son James
482 Wyoming Conference
Snyder, Asa Howard,
Michael Belcher, and their wives. Michael
Belcher was the first
class leader.
In the day of turnpikes
Gibson Hill was the central point for
miles around. About the
time the class was organized a revival
occurred which had a
far-reaching effect. Among those who
joined the society at
this time were Charles Edwards, James
Chandler, Wesley
Carpenter, Hamilton Bonner, and their wives,
and Miss Mindwell
Sparks. The first quarterly meeting was
held the ensuing summer,
in Fitch Ressiguie's barn. People
SOUTH GIBSON CHURCH [photo]
came from all points on
the charge — Brooklyn, Jackson, and Ken-
nedy Hill. Of this
occasion Mrs. Manzer (she who was Miss
Mindwell Sparks) wrote:
"I remember with pleasure the event.
The multitude had come
on Saturday from Brooklyn, and many
miles away, to enjoy the
Saturday and Sunday morning services,
and especially the love
feast; and how to dispose of so many for
the night, in a
neighborhood so sparsely settled, was a question
submitted to Sister
Ressiguie, who, in her Christian benevolence,
characteristic always of
herself, replied, '0, well, I can keep as
many as there are hoards
on the floor.' Owing to her mathe-
matical genius forty
persons were comfortably lodged and fed
under her hospitable
roof."
South Gibson, Pa. 483
Difficulties arose
between the Methodists and Freewill Baptists
concerning the use of
the schoolhouse. Each had occupied it
alternately. The
Methodists now deemed it wise to build a
church. James Chandler,
Asa Howard, and Charles Edwards
were appointed a
building committee. They met at Fitch
Ressiguie's house with
the pastor and Urbane Burrows. Mr.
Burrows started the
subscription list with $50. In a short time
subscriptions enough
were secured to insure the success of the
enterprise. The church
was located on Fitch Ressiguie's land,
on the lot now used as a
cemetery, and was dedicated in January,
1841, by Rev. J. M. Snyder.
"In 1853 this class
was taken from the Brooklyn Circuit and
put with Harford.
Harford Circuit at this time included Har-
ford, Wade's, South
Gibson, Kentuck, Burrows Hollow, East
Hill, Smiley, Heine's,
Gibson Hill, Jackson Center, Cargill's,
North Jackson, Savory's,
Page's Pond, and Sweet's." This state-
ment has reference to
the circuit in 1853. In this year Gibson
charge was created, and
consequently could not have been a part
of Harford Circuit. As
Harford does not appear as a charge
until 1868, it is
probable that the writer quoted above should have
said Gibson instead of
Harford.
In the latter part of
October, 1853, Wesley Carpenter invited
Rev. S. Weiss, one of
the preachers on the charge, to conduct a
series of revival
services in the schoolhouse near Wade's tavern.
The meetings continued
six weeks, resulting in about one hundred
conversions. Nearly
every home in the vicinity became a praying
one. In 1870 another
revival occurred in which fourteen heads of
families came into the
church.
The main part of the
present church is the Kennedy Hill
church. The frame,
outside covering of walls, wainscoting, pews,
and doors of the Kennedy
Hill church are in this building. A
lecture room was added
in the rear, similar to the lecture room at
Gibson. The church was
dedicated on Wednesday, June 29, 1870,
by Rev. B. I. Ives.
South Gibson has not
continuously been a part of Gibson
charge.
Two women of this
society have been eminently useful — Mrs.
Mary Tewksbury
Ressiguie, and Mrs. Mindwell Manzer, the
latter having done
considerable evangelistic work.
The following have
served as class leaders: Michael Belcher,
Asa Howard, Charles
Edwards, Hamilton Bonner, James Snyder,
Wesley Carpenter, Charles
Bennett, Elisha Keech, and George C.
Brundage. The latter
served over thirty years.
484 Wyoming Conference
Pastorates
1853-54, R. Ingalls, S.
W. Weiss; 1855, W. Round, M. Car-
rier; 1856, W. Round, L.
Peck; 1857, L. Peck, W. W. Welch;
1858, W. W. Welch, J.
Whitham; 1859, D. Worrall; 1860, D.
Worrall, W. H. Gavitt;
1861, J. V. Newell; 1862, W. B. Thomas,
G. Westfall; 1863, W. B.
Thomas, S. Elwell; 1864, G. A. Sever-
son, S. Elwell; 1865, G.
A. Severson, J. D. Woodruff; 1866, G. A.
Severson; 1867-69, G. R.
Hair; 1870-71, George Forsyth; 1872-
73, A. J. Arnold;
1874-75, D. C. Barnes; (1876-86 Gibson was
with Harford;) 1876-78,
G. T. Price; 1879-80, C. M. Surdam;
1881-82, Thomas Burgess;
1883-85, J. R. Wagner; 1886-88, J. D.
Bloodgood; 1889-90, P.
R. Tower; 1891-95, G. C. Jacobs; 1896-
97, G. N. Underwood;
1898-99, Isaac Jenkins; 1900, L. T.
Van Campen; 1901-03, G.
Gorisse.
Great Bend, Pa.
Nathaniel Lewis resided
down the river, in the edge of Oakland
township. He was
ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury in 1807.
He held meetings in
surrounding settlements at an early day, and
is supposed to have done
so in Great Bend. John Buck wrote as
follows in 1869:
"Seventy-five years
ago there was a log dwelling house north
of where the Erie depot
now stands, at Great Bend, used as a place
of worship. The
congregation was scattered up and down the
river, in cabins. The
only means of getting from here was by
canoes. They went as far
as the rift or rapids, where they left
their canoes, and walked
past the rapids, then took passage in a
large canoe around by my
father's. For dinner they carried
milk in bottles, and
mush. They listened to one sermon in the
forenoon, and then came
back to the canoe and ate dinner, then
went back to second
service; Daniel Buck was minister. In sum-
mer this was their means
of travel.
"With increasing
families the means of communication in-
creased. In winter there
was no other way save by footpaths.
For many years there
were no denominations save Presbyterians.
About seventy years ago
[1799] the Methodists began an influence
about two miles from
here. Everybody espoused Methodism —
men, women, and
children. They frequently walked from five to
six miles to be present
at prayer meetings.
"My sisters were at
one of the prayer meetings, and, as an
evidence of the change
in the spirit, understanding, and manners
of the people, I give
language used in two of the prayers on that
Great Bend, Pa. 485
occasion. The reader
will bear in mind that this was seventy
years ago, and that the
people were poor, and had little of the
means or knowledge of
the present day. I do not conceive that
either of the
individuals mentioned cherished a wrong spirit
toward their fellows,
but their language gives an illustration of
the strength of party
spirit at that time.
"Elder Lewis said,
'Send the mind of the people up the river
GREAT BEND CHURCH [photo]
down to me, and the
people down the river [the Presbyterians]
may go to hell, and I
care not.'
"Mrs. Stid, at the
same meeting, said, 'O Lord, take Captain
Buck by the nape of the
neck and shake him over hell until his
teeth chatter like a
raccoon.'"
The above shows the
intensity of the people, at least.
Shortly after Conference
in 1843 the class received notice from
the trustees of the
school district to cease using the schoolhouse.
The notice was by Rev.
McRary, the pastor of the Presbyterian
church, and a Mr. De
Bois, a deacon of the same church. Squire
Lusk, a warm friend of
the father of Asa Brooks, though not a
Christian, was much
displeased at this move. Being agent of
what was known as the
"Block House," he seated it, put in a
486 Wyoming Conference
stove, and gave the
class the use of it. About this time a Mr.
Emmons, who owned a
cooper shop on the opposite side of the
river, near where the
Erie depot now stands, gave the Methodists
the use of it, he
sweeping and seating it for each service. Meet-
ings were also held in a
schoolhouse about a mile out of town.
Early in 1846 the
preachers of Susquehanna District petitioned
for the formation of
Great Bend Mission. Accordingly, the Con-
ference of 1846 created
the mission and appointed Rev. R. S.
Rose to it. The mission
was intended to include Great Bend,
Liberty, Franklin, part
of Silver Lake, and part of Conklin. Rev.
Mr. Rose writes that his
preaching places were as follows: "At
Great Bend, in a
schoolhouse for a short time and then the class
hired the Baptist church
(this Baptist church was located in what
is now Hallstead); at
Conklin Forest, in a schoolhouse; at Cor-
bittsville, in a
schoolhouse; at Snake Creek Forks, in a school-
house; at Liberty, or
Tanney, in a schoolhouse; at McKinney, in
a schoolhouse." At
the end of his year's work he left eighty mem-
bers on the circuit. The
next year (1847) this territory is put
with Montrose.
The society at Great
Bend grew slowly; it was small" for many
years. When Riley Case
moved to Great Bend from South Gib-
son the leading members
were Dr. James Brooks (class leader),
John McKinney, Mrs.
Summerton, Mrs. Painter, Mrs. Trow-
bridge, Mrs. Goble, and
Nathaniel Banker. Mr. Case at once
joined the class.
About 1851 Jonathan
Weston was teaching school in Great
Bend, in the house now
occupied by Mr. Chaffee. Mrs. Clara
Guernsey and others
secured the use of the room from Mr. Wes-
ton, and invited Rev. N.
S. De Witt, then at Conklin, N. Y., to
come and hold some
meetings in this room, which he did. This
was undoubtedly by
consent of the Montrose pastor, who had
charge of this class at
this time. It is very probable that Metho-
dism was at a very low
ebb at this time.
In 1854 a small church
was erected on the present site.
The society was
incorporated on November 10, 1869, with
Bradley Wakeman, E. F.
Wilmot, George Griggs, A. W. Lara-
bee, A. P. Stephens,
William Painter, Eli Wilcox, Selah Belden,
and Alonzo S. Cahoon as
trustees.
The church was rebuilt
and enlarged at a cost of $11,400, and
was dedicated on
Wednesday, September 21, 1870, Rev. B. I.
Ives preaching in the
morning and W. H. Olin in the evening. It
was dedicated at the
close of the evening service by D. W. Bristol,
the presiding elder.
This church burned on Saturday evening.
Great Bend, Pa. 487
November 18, 1871. At
the time of the fire the society had not
yet paid for the church,
so that the fire left the society with a lot
and an indebtedness of
$1,500. The construction of a new church
was at once begun. The
new structure was dedicated on March
13, 1873, Rev. W. P.
Abbott preaching in the morning and Rev.
D. D. Lindsley in the
evening. The building cost $11,500. The
society had a long and
bitter struggle in paying for this property,
receiving some liberal
contributions from outside the charge. In
1880 the society was
still $2,000 in debt. Mr. B. Wakeman made
a very liberal
subscription, and the hvely efforts of the young
people reduced the debt
to $900. In July, 1881, $200 more was
paid on the debt. On
January 8, 1882, a jubilee service was held
over the hquidation of
the debt. Toward this the widow of Rev.
W. P. Abbott paid $200.
In 1888 the church was
carpeted, painted, and frescoed, and
mortgaged for $500.
Incidental indebtedness increased so that
in 1894 the society was
$800 in debt. In 1895 and 1896 $200
was spent in repairs and
the indebtedness reduced to $300. In-
debtedness was allowed
to accumulate until $600 must be raised
to pay all indebtedness.
On November 6, 1898, a rally day was
observed, and
announcement made by the pastor that the debt
was all raised and
enough more to insure the church.
This building seems to
stand in an electrical storm center. "The
church which burned was
struck by lightning, but without much
injury. The present
structure was hit by lightning about 1886,
and quite seriously
damaged.
The society has no
parsonage.
Pastorates
Prior to 1841 its
preachers were probably from Wyoming and
Bridgewater Circuits;
1841-45, with Montrose (1841-42, E. B.
Tenny, George C.
Thompson; 1843-44, J. R. Boswell; 1845,
W. Round); 1846, R. S.
Rose; 1847-54, with Montrose (1847,
Asa Brooks, D. Torry;
1848, D. Torry, G. P. Porter; 1849, E. B.
Tenny, G. W. Leach;
1850-51, John Mulkey; 1852-53, P. Bartlett;
1854, Joseph Whitham, J.
H. Cargill); 1855-56, New Milford
and Great Bend, H. R.
Clarke; 1857, Great Bend and New Mil-
ford (the two places
continuing together until spring of 1869),
W. Silsbee; 1858, Luther
Peck; 1859-60, H. Wheeler; 1861, S. S.
Barter; 1862, G. A.
Severson; 1863-64, P. Bartlett; 1865-66, S.
Elwell; 1867-68, A. F.
Harding; 1869-71, I. N. Pardee; 1872-74,
E. P. Eldridge; 1875-76,
C. S. Alexander; 1877, W. B. Kinney;
1878-79, C. H. Jewell;
1880-81, J. W. Mevis; 1882-84, O. L.
488 Wyoming Conference
Severson; 1885-87, E. B.
Olmstead; 1888-89, J. B. Sweet; 1890-
91, W. R. Turner;
1892-93, J. A. Faulkner; 1894-97, J. S. Cromp-
ton; 1898-1900, J. N.
Lee; 1901-02, S. G. Snowden; 1903, E. B.
Singer.
Hallstead, Pa.
Methodists commenced
work here as early as 1842, holding
services in an old
Baptist church and in a schoolhouse that stood
on the site of the
present church. Between that time and the
organization of the
Hallstead church several ministers of the
Great Bend and New
Milford and Great Bend charges held
services here. Rev. J.
B. Sweet held meetings in the schoolhouse
HALLSTEAD CHURCH [photo]
on Franklin Street, and
afterward in the Stockholm Hall, corner
of Pine Street and Chase
Avenue. Rev. J. A. Faulkner held
services in the Baptist
church and in the Young Men's Christian
Association Hall.
"As the town grew
and the number of Methodists in Hallstead
increased it was thought
that the interests of Methodism could
best be conserved by
erecting a church. Growing out of this
thought, at the third
Quarterly Conference of the Great Bend
Methodist Episcopal
Church, held in October, 1894, a resolution
was adopted to the
effect that 'it was now time that the Methodist
people in our sister
town of Hallstead should have a church of
their own.' The
following trustees were elected, who at a future
meeting held in
Hallstead were confirmed and elected to the offices
Hallstead, Pa. 489
indicated, namely, L. D.
Miller, president; B. F. Bernstein, sec-
retary; L. N. Frudd,
treasurer; A. Watson, and J. Bogart.
"The following
Monday night a meeting of all interested was
held in Hallstead, at
which time, as above stated, the trustees were
confirmed, and a site
for building the church was selected. Three
lots were obtainable
free of cost, namely, the Rose property on
Church Street, adjoining
the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western
Railroad track; a lot
offered by the Hallstead Land Improvement
Company, together with a
pledge of $500; and a lot on Pine
Street, offered by
Captain R. C. DuBois. After a general dis-
cussion a vote was
taken, by which it was unanimously decided
to accept the offer of
the Rose property on Church Street.
"A subscription was
soon after started, and nearly $1,500 was
pledged. To decide where
to build was one thing; to decide what
to build was another
thing. On the subject of the size and cost
of the church-to-be
there was difference of opinion. Owing to
this the building
project was delayed for some time, and at one
time it seemed that the
whole matter would fail of success. Plans,
procured from the Church
Extension Society, were at length de-
cided on, the contract
was awarded to F. H. Johnson and the
work of building' pushed
rapidly forward.
"The corner stone
was laid September 11, 1895. The following-
named articles were
placed in the corner stone, namely: A Bible;
a copy of the Methodist
Episcopal Discipline; a photograph of the
pastor. Rev. John
Crompton; a copy of each of the following pa-
pers: The Christian
Advocate, the Northern Christian Advocate,
the Hallstead Herald,
and the Great Bend Plaindealer, and an
historical statement of
the movement. Addresses were made by
Presiding Elder
Woodruff, Revs. Stephen Jay, H. H. Wilbur,
J. B. Wilson, and
others. Rev. J. S. Crompton laid the corner
stone, assisted by the
trustees."
The church was dedicated
on Tuesday, March 17, 1896. At
the morning service
speeches were made by the Rev. Mr. Church,
pastor of the Hallstead
Presbyterian Church, Rev. Mr. Davis pas-
tor of the Hallstead
Baptist Church, Revs. J. S. Crompton, J. H.
Race, C. H. Hayes, and
A. F. Harding, Mr. Adar, secretary of
the Hallstead Young
Men's Christian Association, and Mr.
Moore, editor of the
Great Bend Plaindealer. Rev. W. H. Pearce,
D.D., preached at 2 p.
m., and in the evening Rev. J. B. Sweet.
The cost of the church
and furnishings, exclusive of lot, was
$3,600. There was needed
$2,000, the balance having been raised.
Rev. J. H. Race did the
soliciting during the day, and $1,700 was
secured, leaving an
unprovided-for debt of $300. The church
490 Wyoming Conference
was dedicated by Rev.
Stephen Jay, in the absence of the presiding
elder, who was sick.
On the succeeding Sunday
a Sunday school was organized, with
Charles Banker
superintendent. Subsequently Senior and Junior
Leagues were organized.
On Thursday, October 28,
1897, a Rally Day service was held.
Rev. M. S. Hard, D.D.,
preached in the afternoon, and the even-
ing service was in
charge of Rev. J. H. Race, the Carmel Grove
Trio furnishing several
songs. The sum of $875 was raised,
which a little more than
paid the indebtedness of the society.
The Ladies' Aid Society
was organized about the time the
building of a new church
began to be agitated, and has done
fine service.
The first death of a
member of the society was that of John
Austin, who fell dead on
July 18, 1897, while leading the Ep worth
League service.
Some singular
coincidences: The church was dedicated on
St. Patrick's Day; the
first pastor was of Irish descent; the first
lecture delivered in the
church was by an Irishman and on Ire-
land; and the first
funeral in the church was that of an Irishman.
The pastor at Great Bend
served this society until Conference
in April, when it
received a pastor by appointment of the Confer-
ence.
Pastorates
1896, E. E. Riley;
1897-98, D. L. McDonald; 1899, H. A.
Williams; 1900-01, E.
Colwell; 1902, W. L. Linnaberry; 1903,
G. A. Warburton.
Harford, Pa.
Presbyterianism and
Congregationalism preceded Methodism
in Harford, having been
brought here from Massachusetts by the
earliest settlers, known
as the "Nine Partners."
The first Methodist
class formed in the township was in North
Harford, about 1839. The
following were its members: Tyler
Carpenter, Miles
Dikeman, Julia Dikeman, Daniel Green, Edward
and Wealthy White, John
and Sarah Dikeman, Louisa Payne,
Catharine Briton, Mary
Sophia, Jane Dikeman, Simeon and
Nancy Sloat. Tyler
Carpenter was the class leader.
In 1841 another class
was organized in the village of Harford,
consisting of fifteen
persons. William Raymond, Amos J. Rice
and wife, Silas B.
Guile, Harvey Sibley and wife. Dexter Sibley
and wife, Penuel
Carpenter and wife, Elenora Sweet, John Dike-
man and wife, Augustus
Sophia and family. William Raymond
Harford, Pa. 491
and Amos J. Rice were
the first leaders. Dexter Sibley, J. C.
Edward, and S. B. Guile
have since served in that capacity. Meet-
ings were held in a
large upper room in Harvey Sibley's house,
afterward owned by Zerah
Very, and finally demolished. In 1842
there were no regular
services, preaching being supplied occa-
sionally by neighboring
pastors. The Quarterly Conference of
Brooklyn Circuit,' held
in Gibson on July 1, 1843, adopted this
resolution:
"Resolved, That
this Quarterly Conference request the presid-
mg elder to use his
influence with the bishop at the next session
of the Oneida Conference
to have three preachers appointed to
this circuit for the
next Conference year, provided the friends in
Harford will pledge
themselves to raise the amount necessary to
support a preacher with
a small family."
Harford agreed and was
added to the Brooklyn Circuit. The
class, had grown so that
now it had thirty-two members: William
N. and Mary Raymond,
George W. Leach, Dexter and Thankful
Sibley, Amos J. and
Sally Rice, S. B. Guile, Harvey and Mary
Sibley, Penuel and
Caroline Carpenter, Francis Sanford, Stead-
man Marean, Julia
Thatcher, Peter V. and Lois Dunn, John E.
Richardson, Ezekiel T.
Seeley, Maria Thatcher, Mary M. For-
sythe, Hulda A. Dunn,
Sarah A. Rice, C. M. and Jerusha Paine,
William Gillon, O. G.
Coughlan, Cyrus C. Carpenter, Florilla
Tucker, David Foreman,
Julia Fuller, and Mary C. Marean.
The class grew until the
upper room was too small for them.
Early in 1844 they
decided to build a church. The present site
was donated by Harvey
Sibley. Materials were collected and the
building commenced; but
being unable to finish, the basement was
fitted up and used for
church work until 1850, when the audience
room was completed and
the building dedicated. This year was
noted because of a great
revival which swept the town.
In the spring of 1846
Harford had its first quarterly meeting.
In 1869 and 1870 the
church was thoroughly repaired — painted,
newly roofed, pews
rearranged and painted, new pulpit, new altar
rail and place for
choir, new organ put in, walls papered, and
horse sheds erected, all
at a cost of $1,400. The church was re-
opened on Friday, March
18, 187a, Rev. B. I. Ives preaching in
the morning and Rev. S.
W. Weiss in the evening. There was
raised on this day $700,
the balance needed to pay for repairs. In
1878 the old steeple was
removed and a modern tower erected, a
one-thousand-pound bell
put in the tower, and the church re-
roofed. These repairs
cost $542, of which the Ladies' Aid Society
paid $292. In 1881 a
picket fence was built along the front of the
492 Wyoming Conference
lot, costing $90, and in
1884 $160 was invested in more sheds. In
1886 the church was
again renovated and repaired, at a cost of
$625. Improvements
consisted in a new roof, new windows, walls
repapered, building
painted outside and in, and a new fence.
In April, 1889, the
parsonage, located on Water Street, was
purchased of James A.
Savage for $400. The property was
valued at $800, Mr.
Savage donating $400.
The Sunday school has
existed since about 1845, and the fol-
lowing have been
superintendents: William N. Raymond, A. J.
Rice, S. B. Guile, O. G.
Goughlin, J. C. Edwards, E. M. Osborn,
W. S. Sophia, W. B.
Guile, and E. M. Tingley.
The years 1861, 1871,
1874, 1875, 1879, 1888, and 1889 were
seasons of good revival
work.
On May 28, 1853, the
Quarterly Conference at South Gibson
"Resolved, That in
view of the extent of territory, nature of
the roads, necessity for
greater amount of pastoral and- pulpit
labors than can be had
under the present arrangement, we recom-
mend to the Annual
Conference a division of Brooklyn Circuit,
and that the lines of
division be along the Martin Creek to the
Milford and Owego
turnpike, by the turnpike to Lenox Corners,
and thence down the
Tunkhannock Creek."
The Conference divided
the territory forming the Gibson Cir-
cuit, which embraced
Gibson, Jackson, and Harford townships.
This arrangement
continued until 1868, when the Gibson Circuit
was divided into two
circuits — the Gibson and Jackson Circuit,
and the Harford and
South Gibson Circuit. Harford and South
Gibson continued until
1874, when it was united with Gibson,
forming Gibson and
Harford charge. In 1886 Gibson and Har-
ford were divided by
mutual consent.
Kingsley. For some years
the people of various beliefs united
with the Universalists
in church work. But some devout Chris-
tian ladies, unwilling
to be swallowed up by that body, and to be
compelled to teach
doctrines which they could not indorse, with-
drew and organized a
Sunday school in the schoolhouse. Shortly
after this the Rev.
Thomas Eva, of Harford, preached to this
people twice a week in
the schoolhouse. Some conversions oc-
curred, and a class was
organized. In 1897 this class was added
to the East Bridgewater
charge, where it remained until 1899,
when it was put with
Harford.
In 1897 and 1898 the
church was built, the lot and building
costing $1,150. The
church was dedicated on March 31, 1898,
Rev. L. C. Floyd, the
presiding elder, preaching in the morning
Hawleyton, N. Y. 493
and Rev. E. B. Olmstead
in the afternoon. At these services $400
was raised, which a
little more than provided for the amount of
indebtedness.
Pastorates
1843-52, with Brooklyn
Circuit (1843, William Round, H.
Brownscombe, W. H.
Miller; 1844, William Round, G. H. Blakes-
lee, John Hersey; 1845,
Thomas Wilcox, Asa Brooks, N. S. De
Witt; 1846, J. W.
Davison, Asa Brooks; 1847, M. Ruger, J. W.
Davison; 1848, M. Ruger,
L. D. Tryon; 1849-50, E. P. Williams,
D. C. Olmstead; 1851, E.
W. Breckinridge, S. S. Barter, William
Shelp; 1852, E. W.
Breckinridge, W. B. Thomas); 1853-67, with
Gibson (1853-54, R.
Ingalls, S. W. Weiss; 1855, William Round,
M. Carrier; 1856,
William Round, Luther Peck; 1857, W. W.
Welch, Luther Peck;
1858, W. W. Welch, Joseph Whitham;
1859, D. Worrall; 1860,
D. Worrall, W. H. Gavitt; 1861, J. V.
Newell, G. Westfall;
1862, W. B. Thomas, G. Westfall; 1863,
W. B. Thomas, S. Elwell;
1864, G. A. Severson, S. Elwell; 1865,
G. A. Severson, J. D. Woodruff;
1866, G. A. Severson, J. B.
Davis; 1867, G. R. Hair);
1868-73, Harford and South Gibson
(1868, Jesse T. Crowell;
1869, G. Westfall; 1870-72, A. C.
Sperry; 1873, H. G.
Harned); 1874-85, with Gibson (1874-75,
D. C. Barnes; 1876-78,
G. T. Price; 1879-80, C. M. Surdam;
1881-82, Thomas Burgess;
1883-85, J. R. Wagner); 1886-87,
W. H. Bailey; 1888, J.
W. Nicholson; 1889, G. E. Van Woert;
1890, H. A. Greene;
1891-93, F. D. Hartsock; 1894-96, Thomas
Eva; 1897-98, J. M.
Correll; 1899-1901, G. D. Fisher; 1902-03,
T. R. Warnock.
By comparison it will be
seen that the above does not agree with
Brooklyn Circuit and
Gibson. Those were taken from the pub-
lished Minutes, this
from the church records. The presiding elder
undoubtedly added to the
appointments a supply after Conference.
Hawleyton, N. Y.
Hawleyton and
Brackneyville were taken from the Vestal Cir-
cuit at the formation of
this charge. Hawleyton was at one time
called "The
Hemlocks" and later "West Chenango." We are un-
able to state the time
Methodism began its work here. Its early
days are lost to view.
In 1845 a revival strengthened the class
very greatly. By some
this is claimed to be the origin of the
class. The church and
parsonage were built by J. M. Hawley —
that is, he left
direction in his will for the building of the church
and parsonage, which was
done by his son as executor. The
494 Wyoming Conference
place is named in honor
of him. The church cost about $2,oo0,
and was dedicated on
Thursday, January 1, 1857, at 11 A. m., by
Dr. N. Rounds. Prior to
this the society used the schoolhouse.
This building was
remodeled in 1877, at a cost of $440. It was
newly sided,
replastered, steeple built, and the inside somewhat
changed and refurnished.
It was reopened on Thanksgiving Day
by the Rev. William
Bixby.
A meeting to incorporate
the society was held at the house of
Edwin J. Sterns, on
February 22, 1854, at 2 p. m. Marvin Lath-
rop and Eli Meeker were
judges, and the following were elected
trustees: James S.
Hawley, Ebenezer Miller, Edwin J. Sterns,
Samuel Meeker, John A.
Severson, Henry Jacox, and Amos Bray-
man. The corporate name
of the society is "The Hawleyton
Methodist Episcopal
Society."
Brackneyville. As early
as 1818 an effort was made to organize
work here, but failed on
account of the unsettled condition of the
people. About 1831
regular services were established, and held
in schoolhouses and
houses of the members. The Heath, Jaycox,
Minkler, and Miller
families were among the early members. On
New Year's Day in 1840 a
series of revival services was com-
menced which resulted in
forty conversions. This meeting was
referred to for many
years afterward as the "great reformation."
This added much strength
to the class.
In 1846 a plain frame
church was built on the northeast corner
of the crossroads, south
of Brackneyville, and opposite the school-
house, in which meetings
were held. The church was dedicated
in February, 1847. In
1867 this building was moved to a more
desirable site on the
same road, farther north, improved and en-
larged at a cost of
$2,000. The society became incorporated on
January 24, 1868, with
the following as trustees: J. S. Gage, R. B.
Meeker, William Meeker,
Benjamin S. Gage, Mortimer Gage,
Aaron Meeker, and John
W. Brackney.
Conklin Forks is on the
Little Snake Creek. We know very
little about this
appointment. The society was incorporated on
February 22, 1872, as
"The Methodist Episcopal Church on Little
Snake Creek." Rev.
C. V. Arnold presided at the meeting for
incorporation, and Eli
S. Meeker acted as secretary. D. N.
Clure, Daniel Lockwood,
Albert Spafford, Samuel Clement, Jef-
ferson T. Finch,
Sylvester M. Finch, and Richard Van Patten
were elected trustees.
The church was dedicated on Wednesday,
December 18, 1872, D. W.
Bristol, D.D., preaching in the morning
and H. R. Clarke, D.D.,
in the evening.
Heart Lake, Pa. 495
Pastorates
Prior to 1861 with
Vestal. 1861, supply; 1862, L. Pitts; 1863-65,
George Comfort; 1866-67,
D. D. Lindsley; 1868, William Round;
1869, W. Round, A. F.
Harding; 1870-72, C. V. Arnold; 1873-74,
E. Sibley; 1875-76, S.
W. Spencer; 1877-78, Asa Brooks; 1879-80,
T. Burgess; 1881-83, J.
F. Jones; 1884-86, P. Holbrook; 1887-89,
F. H. Parsons; 1890, G.
W. Saunders; 1891-92, J. S. Lewis; 1893,
J. S. Crompton; 1894, A.
Eastman; 1895-96, J. H. Weston; 1897,
J. H. Taylor; 1898-99,
Robert McLaren; 1900-01, N. A. Darling;
1902-03, Philip Houck.
Heart Lake, Pa.
Mr. Gates, of
Binghamton, while taking his vacation at Heart
Lake in the summer of
1896, instituted prayer meeting services
which were held in the
homes of this vicinity. Several conver-
sions occurred. The
pastor of New Milford held preaching
services, here in 1897,
organized a society, and circulated the sub-
scription paper for the
building of the church. The lot was given
by Mr. David L. Kimber
in August of 1897, and the work of
building commenced at
once. The church cost about $1,000, and
was dedicated on January
20, 1898, by Rev. L. C. Floyd. In the
spring of 1898 it was
put with the East Bridgewater charge.
East Bridgewater.
It is claimed that a class was formed here
in 1813 with Nathaniel
Reynolds leader. Another writer says
that there were
occasional preaching services here as early as
1816. It is evident that
Methodism was planted here at an early
day. Meetings were held
in private houses and barns, and sub-
sequently in the
schoolhouse until the building of the church. A
revival of over one
hundred conversions in the winter of 1876-77
gave new life and
strength to a class which had struggled for
years. In 1877 a site
was given the society by Windsor Aldrich
and Mrs. Hattie E.
Gardner. The church was begun in the fall
of 1877 and completed
the following spring, at a cost of $2,500.
It was dedicated by Rev.
William Bixby, the Wyoming Trio and
some adjoining pastors
being present.
There have been three revival
seasons which are recalled as
really great — the
winters of 1858-59, 1859-60, 1876-77.
This place was on the
Bridgewater Circuit until the formation
of Brooklyn Circuit,
when it became a part of it. It remained
with Brooklyn until 1881
or 1882, when it was put with Mon-
trose. The pastor
appointed to Montrose in 1892 refused to serve
the outlying
appointments. Rev. J. D. Safiford served this point
496 Wyoming Conference
and Alford one year, and
was followed by G. B. Rogers, who
continued until 1897. In
1894 East Bridgewater appears among
the appointments, the
charge consisting of East Bridgewater and
Alford. In 1898 the name
of the charge was changed to Alford,
Heart Lake being added
to the charge this year. In 1899 the
name was changed to
Heart Lake. Kingsley was with this
charge in 1898.
Alford. The first class
organized here was in 1858 by the pastor
of Brooklyn Circuit. In 1860
the appointee to the circuit refused
to serve any of the
outlying appointments except East Bridge-
water, which left Martin
Creek (now Foster), Union (now West
Nicholson), Meshoppen
(now Heart Lake), and Montrose Depot
(now Alford) without
pastoral oversight. The presiding elder
secured Rev. G. B.
Rogers to care for these places. During the
winter of 1860 and 1861
a good revival work added to the class,
until it numbered
thirty-five. For years after this there were
occasional services
only, and the class became somewhat scat-
tered. In 1892 work was
resumed under Rev. J. D. Safford.
Services were held in
the schoolhouse, and souls were added to
the kingdom. A class was
formed with C. T. Brown as leader.
In 1893 there were still
other additions to the membership. One
evening in August, 1896,
the presiding elder, during the service
which he was conducting,
suggested that a church ought to be
erected. It pleased the
people. A subscription was started, and
$200 was subscribed in a
few days. The lot was given by Messrs.
Tiffany and Cramer,
valued at $100. The foundation was laid
by men of the
neighborhood free of charge. On October 16, 1896,
the corner stone was
laid by the presiding elder. The stone was
the gift of Moses
Shields, of Nicholson, and was valued at $25.
It contains a record of
subscriptions, history of the church, list
of members, list of
trustees, history of the Sunday school, a
Discipline, a Northern
Christian Advocate, an Independent Re-
publican, and a Montrose
Democrat. The contract for the build-
ing was let to J. A.
Whitman, of Lindaville, for $690. While the
carpenters were at work
Mrs. Perry Sweet solicited for the carpet,
which cost $45; Mrs. C.
T. Brown solicited for the chairs, which
cost $25; and Mrs. J. S.
Marean solicited money for the bell,
which cost $40. Mr. A.
S. Minor, of Binghamton, donated two
Rochester lamps; Mr. M.
Norton, of Scranton, gave the pulpit
Bible; and Mr. J. W.
Guernsey, of Scranton, gave the communion
table. The church was
dedicated on December 17, 1896, by Rev.
L. C. Floyd, Rev. E. B.
Olmstead preaching the dedicatory ser-
Hickory Grove, Pa. 497
mon from Acts ii, 39.
Revival services followed which resulted
in twenty conversions.
In 1899 Mrs. W. H. Tiffany presented the
society with a silver
communion service. The trustees at the
time of building were W.
H. Tiffany, J. S. Marean, C. T. Brown,
L. F. Van Housen, and H.
Y. Page.
A Sunday school has been
maintained at this place quite steadily
since 1873, and with
good results.
The Ladies' Aid Society was
organized in 1893, and has been
of great service to the
society in many ways.
Pastorates
East Bridgewater, 1892,
J. D. Safford; 1893-96, G. B. Rogers;
1897, E. Colwell;
Alford, 1898, E. Colwell; Heart Lake, 1899-
1900, E. E. Barker;
1901-02, R. F. Ruch; 1903, H. L. Hubbard.
Hickory Grove, Pa.
The early days of this
charge are shrouded in obscurity. It
was probably with Tioga
Circuit in the beginning, afterward a
part of Windsor Circuit,
became a part of Conklin Circuit at its
formation, and was a
part of Kirkwood Circuit in 1851, again
became a part of Conklin
Circuit, and about 1860 became once
more a part of Kirkwood
Circuit, where it remained until Ran-
dolph charge was
organized. Since the charge was formed in
1870 it has successively
been known as Randolph, Flowers, Locust
Hill, and Hickory Grove.
The parsonage is located at Hickory
Grove. About one and one
half miles southwest of Hickory
Grove is the Locust Hill
church. Two miles west from the Locust
Hill church is Beavans
appointment, where the society uses the
schoolhouse. The Edson
church is about two miles west of the
Beavans schoolhouse, and
about two miles a little south of west
is the Randolph church.
The parsonage was bought
of Mrs. Hayte in the spring of 1901
for $400, and the barn
was built in the fall of the same year. For
this purpose the society
bought an abandoned Advent church,
situated near Edson, for
$25. The building was torn down,
moved, and made into the
barn by members of the society
making bees.
Locust Hill. The
church was erected in 1875 at a cost of about
$2,000. Addison Brush
gave the ground for church and sheds.
The church was dedicated
by Rev. H. R. Clarke, D.D. Calvin
Brush and C. B. Dickson
were among the first trustees. S. L.
Beavan has been a trustee
here over twenty years.
498 Wyoming Conference
Beavansville. This is a
thrifty schoolhouse appointment, and
services have been held
here since 1870. Among the early mem-
bers were Thomas
Beavens, Samuel Howe and wife, Cornelius
Scouten, William Poole,
Mrs. Saxby, and Nathan Hawkins and
wife.
Edson. Work was begun here at
an early date, and known in
early days as
Bartonville class. We give the list of members
taken from the class
book of Bartonville class of 1858: Ashahel
Stevens, leader, Polly
Stevens, Hiram Barton, Eliza A. Barton,
Julia A. Mayo, Agnes
Hubbard, George Pulz, Caroline Spoor,
William Spoor, Polly
Williams, Samuel Skinner, Emily Frost,
Ephraim Titus, Mehetabel
Titus, Charles and Levina Hufman,
Chloe Hawkins. All of
the above are now dead except Chloe
Hawkins (now Mrs. J. S.
Pulz). At this time services were
held in the evening once
in four weeks, and the class formed a
part of Conklin charge.
The site for the church
was donated by Eben Hawkins and
Mrs. H. A. Spoor, each
giving one half. The building committee
consisted of H. A.
Spoor, Oscar Barton, Lewis Stanmard, Lewis
Rude, Adelbert Mayo, all
of whom are trustees, and Rev. J. J.
Henry. The building cost
$1,150, and was dedicated on March
20, 1902, by the Rev. L.
C. Floyd.
Services are held at
this station now once in two weeks
at 2 p. M.
Randolph receives its name from
being a part of the Randolph
patent on the original
survey. When a post office was established
here a few years ago it
was called Flowers. The office has been
discontinued. The first
sermon preached here was by the Rev.
David Dunham, who was at
the time on Tioga Circuit, who
preached in the house of
a Mr. Jewell, in 1799, from Rev. vii, 17.
A class was formed soon
afterward, consisting of Mrs. Mollie
Andrews, wife of Levi
Andrews, Reuben Stevens and wife,
Frederick Goodell and
his wife Rhoda, and their son William.
Reuben Stevens was
appointed leader. During the next forty-five
years we know little or
nothing of Methodism in this place. In
184s a class was
organized with Axel Stevens leader, R. S. Rose
and Henry Pelham being
the preachers in charge.
The church was built in
1866, and dedicated by Rev. Zechariah
Paddock, Levi A.
Williams, James W. Bell, and Luman D. Judd'
being the trustees. The
building is owned jointly and equally by
the Methodist Episcopalians
and Wesleyan Methodists. Mr. W.
Burt Bell was the
recording steward from 1883 to 1895.
Kirkwood, N. Y. 499
Pastorates
1870, E. Ketcham;
1871-72, L. F. Ketcham; 1873-74, C. H.
Jewell; 1875, G. W.
Christian; 1876-77, W. F. Boyce; 1878, _____;
1879, H. H. Williams;
1880, E. B. Meaker; 1881-82, D. Malpass;
1883-84, W. H. Stang;
1885-86, T. Burgess; 1887-89, W. M.
Shaw; 1890-91, E. F.
Lyon; 1892-93, A. O. Williams; 1894-95,
S. A. Luce (in 1895
called Flowers); 1896, D. F. Unangst;
1897-98, W. F. Boyce (in
1898 called Locust Hill); 1899-1902,
J. J. Henry (in 1902
called Hickory Grove); 1903, William
Rawlings.
KIRKWOOD, N. Y.
The territory of
Kirkwood charge received its first regular
pastoral oversight from
the preachers on Windsor Circuit. How-
ever, it is claimed that
prior to 1803 a class was organized here
consisting of Asa Rood
and wife, Peter Wentz and wife, Clara
Mapes, and Thomas Gray.
While George Lane was
teaching school in 1803 he experienced
religion. He left school
for a few days. On his return he told
his scholars of his
experience, exhorted them and prayed with
them. A great revival
broke out at once. The schoolhouse in
which Mr. Lane taught
was near the present village of Kirkwood.
The Kirkwood class was
organized in 1851. It was formed to
take the place of the
Michigan class, which was abandoned and
absorbed by the Kirkwood
class. Kirkwood at this time formed
a part of Conklin
Circuit, where it remained until the Kirkwood
charge was organized.
The church was erected
in 1860, at a cost of $1,500. It has
been twice repaired,
enlarging and beautifying the building. The
parsonage was built in
1870.
A great revival was
experienced in the winter of 1891-92.
Riverside. This
appointment was known for many years as
Conklin, and was the
head of the old Conklin Circuit. The class
was organized about
1838. Services were held in the schoolhouse.
In 1844 a church was
built on a piece of ground donated by
William A. Conklin. The
society was incorporated on February
15, 1845, with William
Conklin, Alexander Brown, Joseph Conk-
lin, Tobias Van Buren,
William Brown, William Broadfoot, and
Alvin Conklin trustees.
At that time there was no Methodist
church nearer than
Windsor or Binghamton. In 1849 the society,
with others, was taken
from the Windsor Circuit and formed into
Conklin Circuit. A
parsonage was built that year. In 1851 the
500 Wyoming Conference
circuit comprised the
following: Conklin, Locust Hill, East Ran-
dolph, Randolph Center,
Grigg's Corners, Hazardville, Barton
settlement, and
Kirkwood. When the Kirkwood church was
built in 1860 it was
thought best to change the name of the circuit
to Kirkwood, which was
done in 1861. The pastor, however, con-
tinued to live at
Conklin until a parsonage was built at Kirkwood
in 1870, after which the
Conklin house was rented. In 1872
Conklin was taken from
Kirkwood and added to Great Bend,
where it continued until
1876 or 1877, when the church was sold
to the Christians, and
the proceeds divided between Great Bend
and Kirkwood.
It is evident that
Methodism did not die at Conklin, though
greatly weakened. On
February 11, 1880, the society was in-
corporated with Thomas
Conklin, William Brown, Tobias Van
Buren, Simon K. Wilsey,
and John Van Auken trustees.
Questions: Was the
society anticipating the erection of an-
other church? And was it
for this that this incorporation took
place? And what had
become of the first? In 1895 the society
bought back the old
church for $500, and rededicated it with
proper services.
Pastorates
1849 (Conklin, 1849-60),
C. V. Arnold; 1850-51, N. S. De
Witt; 1852, A. C.
Sperry; 1853, A. C. Sperry, W. B. Thomas;
1854-55, A. F. Harding;
1856, E. B. Tenny; 1857-58, W. Round;
1859-60, J. M. Grimes;
1861-62 (Kirkwood, 1861 to date), P.
Holbrook; 1863-64, A.
Brigham; 1865-67, Levi Pitts; 1868, E.
Sibley; 1869-71, J. N.
Lee; 1872-73, D. Personeus; 1874-75, T.
Burgess; 1876-77, J. W.
Hewitt; 1878-80, W. B. Kinney; 1881-82,
C. V. Arnold; 1883-85,
J. H. Weston; 1886-88, H. G. Blair;
1889-90, J. S. Lewis;
1891-92, J. S. Crompton; 1893-95, J. B.
Wilson; 1896, J. M.
Correll; 1897-99, C. P. Tiffany; 1900, M. L.
Andariese; 1901, W. M.
Shaw; 1902-03, W. D. Lathrop.
Lestershire, N. Y.
This society was
chartered on January 31, 1889, under the
corporate name of
"The Methodist Episcopal Church of Lester-
shire," with the
following trustees: H. R. Clarke, E. B. Green,
C. F. Johnson, W. M.
Fletcher, A. D. Rockwell, Law S. Brooks,
and George Johnson. Mr.
G. H. Lester gave the society two
lots on Main Street,
valued at $1,500. In 1890 L. B. Weeks was
appointed pastor of
Clinton Street and Lestershire. He arranged
to hold services at
Clinton Street morning and evening, and in
Lestershire, N. Y. 501
Lestershire at 12:30. Of
the $900 salary promised, Lestershire
was to pay one third. On
April 20 the first service was held in
the packing room of the
Lestershire Boot and Shoe Factory, the
second at the house of
G. F. Johnson, and the third in a storehouse
near the Delaware,
Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. At this
meeting it was decided
that steps must be taken to secure a
permanent place of
worship, and a temporary building was pro-
posed. During the week a
temporary building was erected, and
the following Sunday
services were held in it. Dr. H. R. Clarke
assisted in these
services. Five hundred dollars, the cost of the
LESTERSHIRE CHURCH AND PARSONAGE [photo]
building, including organ
and furniture, was soon raised. At
this time the society
numbered ten, and the next spring it num-
bered thirty-three.
In 1891 plans for a new
church were adopted, and work begun
on May 14. The
excavating was done by W. D. Roberts, founda-
tion laid by E.
Telleson, and the superstructure put up by G. M.
Horton. The building
committee consisted of N. B. Russell, C. F.
Johnson, and Rev. H. H.
Wilbur. The church, furnishings, and
sheds cost $5,296.64.
Dedicatory services were held on Tuesday,
January 5, 1892. Rev. C.
C. McCabe, D.D., preached in the after-
noon, from Exod. xxv, 8,
and Rev. M. S. Hard, D.D., in the
evening, from Acts i, 8.
Dr. Hard managed the finances. An
indebtedness of $2,000
was to be carried; $1,505.60 had already
502 Wyoming Conference
been provided for, and
$1,791.04 was needed. During the day
$2,220 was subscribed.
The Ladies' Aid Society
had paid the rental of the parsonage
during the year,
furnished it, and on the day of dedication gave
the trustees their check
for $500.
The girls' society,
"Willing Workers," bought the pulpit chairs,
and afterward purchased
the altar table and a communion set.
A good revival work
followed, and at the end of this year the
society had eighty-two
members and thirty-five probationers.
The parsonage, built
1894, has few superiors in the Conference.
Pastorates
1890, Clinton Street and
Lestershire, L. B. Weeks; Lestershire
alone, 1891-93, H. H.
Wilbur; 1894-96, W. J. Hill; 1897-1900,
H. M. Crydenwise;
1901-03, L. B. Weeks.
Maine, N. Y.
The territory embraced
in this charge was formerly a part of
the old Union Circuit.
However, work was done here some years
before the formation of
Union Circuit, probably by the preachers
from Pike Circuit. A
meeting was held at the house of George
Rexford on April 12,
1833, at which time the society was first
incorporated. Revs. S.
Stocking and Rosman Ingalls presided,
and Elijah Bancroft,
James Howard, Gardner J. Bowers, James
Bratt, John R. Durfey,
and Norman Smith were elected trustees.
According to the
Minutes, S. H. Stocking served Pike Circuit
this year. While this
claim is made by good authority, it
is difficult to see how
the preachers from Pike Circuit could
give this section any
attention. (See index for Pike Circuit.)
We have been unable to
find anything concerning this cir-
cuit, other than the
appointees to it. The above is valuable, as
it is evidence showing
that Methodism had taken root here in
1833. Meetings were held
in a schoolhouse in the center of the
village. Severe
opposition from the Baptists and Congregation-
alists closed the doors
of this schoolhouse to them, and they were
compelled to go to a
schoolhouse about three quarters of a mile
below the village, in
what is known as the Curtis neighborhood,
where meetings were held
several years. A revival in 1845
strengthened the class
considerably. On-August 19, 1845, a meet-
ing was held in Maine
village, and the society again incorporated
with the corporate title
of "The First Methodist Episcopal Church
in Maine Village,"
with Ebenezer Allen, Gardner S. Bowers,
Henry C. Howard, James
M. Howard, and Orange H. Arnold as
Maine, N. Y. 503
trustees. In 1848, Mr.
William Lincoln, a prominent merchant in
the town, though not a
Christian, gave the site for a church and
contributed $100 toward
building the church. The effort and
sacrifice which the
erection of this church demanded may be seen
from the fact that when
the frame was up it stood about a year
before it was inclosed,
and after inclosure another year passed
before the building was
finished. The building, which cost about
$2,000, was dedicated on
October 17, 1850, by Rev. J. M. Snyder.
On September 30, 1851,
the society again met to incorporate.
James M. Howard and
Nathan Legg presided. The corporate
title is the same as
before, and Amos C. Payne, George M. Har-
dendorf, James M.
Howard, Orange H. Arnold, Isaac Holden,
James Briggs, John H.
Brooks, Orwin Carley, and Nathan Legg
were elected trustees.
This charter being considered extinct, the
society met on April 16,
1866, and again incorporated, with Russel
Dodge, James Howard,
Daniel Dudley, C. Cleveland, and Henry
Turner as trustees. On
December 19, 1877, after $1,300 had been
expended in repairs, the
church was reopened. Rev. I. T. Walker
preaching in the
morning, from "What think ye of Christ?" and
Rev. W. Bixby in the
evening, from "I am the light of the world."
We are unable to state
when the first parsonage was built, but
in 1886 the old property
was sold and the present parsonage
property bought. In the
purchase a debt was incurred which
consumed several years
in paying.
On November 15, 1895, a
fiftieth anniversary service was held,
at which Rev. J. H. Race
preached at 2 p. m., and Rev. J. O.
Woodruff in the evening.
This occasion was made notable by
the burning of the $750
mortgage against the parsonage.
When Maine charge was
first formed it had three out-appoint-
ments — North Maine,
Lamb's Corners, and the Councilman
neighborhood. These are
now known as Tiona, Nanticoke, and
Glen Aubrey.
Ketchumville has been added in recent years.
North Maine is
situated four miles northwest of Maine village,
and Methodism is about
as old here as in the village, services
having been commenced
here about 1835. The schoolhouse was
used for church work
over thirty-five years. In 1844 the class
had thirteen members.
Among the members at this time were
Marsena H. Mclntyre,
Orange H. Arnold, Russell Robinson, and
George M. Hardendorf. A
meeting was held in the schoolhouse
on January 15, 1869, at
which Rev. T. Burgess presided and
H. W. Slosson acted as
clerk. The society was incorporated as
"The First Methodist
Episcopal Church of North Maine," and
504 Wyoming Conference
William H. Ashley,
Charles C. Smith, James Eckerson, George
M. Hardendorf, and John
Pier were elected trustees. The site
for the church was given
by Adoniram Church, the son of a
Baptist preacher. The
architect of the church was Gifford Har-
dendorf. The building
cost $2,800, and was dedicated on March
8, 1871, by Dr. D. W.
Bristol, Rev. William Searls preaching the
dedicatory sermon at 11
a. m. It is claimed that the spirit of the
church was so strong and
vigorous for many years that sinners
had either to submit to
God or move out of the neighborhood.
Glen Aubrey is
situated about five and a half miles northeast of
Maine village. A class
was organized here about 1842 which
used the schoolhouse
until the church was built. The society was
incorporated on March
18, 1867, as "The Glen Aubrey Methodist
Episcopal Church,"
with Hiram J. Dietz, Abraham P. Hawver,
Nelson A. Simpkins,
Lorenzo D. Tanner, and Horace Walker
trustees. John C. Couse
presented the society with a lot upon
which the church was
built at a cost of $2,500. It was dedicated
on Thursday, March 19,
1868, at 10:30, by Rev. B. I. Ives. The
moving spirit in the
enterprise was Hiram J. Dietz.
Nanticoke is
situated six miles north of Maine village, and
became a preaching place
for the Methodists about 1846. About
1850 Mr. John H. Brooks,
a brother of Rev. Asa Brooks, became
interested in this
community, organized a Sunday school, and
became its superintendent.
Through his efforts a revival broke
out in the Sunday
school. He called in the aid of his pastor. Rev.
J. M. Grimes, who at
once began a series of revival services which
resulted in nearly one
hundred conversions. This was virtually
the establishing of the
Methodist and Baptist churches in this
place. On December 12,
1851, a meeting was held at the house
of Archibald Hartwell,
when the society was incorporated, with
Levi Hartwell, Correlli
Cady, Lorano Gates, Thomas Cary,
Gaviah P. Spencer,
Harvey Baird, and Morgan Spencer as trus-
tees. A lot was
purchased of Thomas Lamb for $50, upon which
the church was erected
at a cost of $1,000. It was dedicated in
1852 by Rev. Z. Paddock,
D.D. In 186g the building was thor-
oughly repaired at a cost
of $1,000. It was reopened on October
14, 1869, Rev. D. W.
Bristol preaching in the morning and Rev.
W. H. Olin in the
evening. During the day $832 was raised, the
balance having been
previously raised.
In 1875 this point was
made a Conference appointment, with
Ketchumville, East
Berkshire, Japhet Hollow, and Cadwell settle-
ment as
out-appointments, and was served as follows; C. Sweet,
Montrose, Pa. 505
S. W. Cole, A. Brigham,
and L. B. Weeks. In 1879 it again be-
came a part of Maine
Circuit.
Ketchumville is six
miles northwest of Maine village. Work
commenced here as early
as 1840, but seems to have subsided. In
1886 or 1887 the Maine
pastor began working at the place, and
organized a class. About
this time the Salvation Army visited the
place, and their labors
resulted in the conversion of a number of
persons, among them Rev.
C. E. Sweet, of this Conference. The
church was dedicated on
December 12, 1888, Rev. M. S. Hard,
D.D., preaching at 10:30
a. m., and Rev. Thomas Harroun at
7 p. M.
Pastorates
1854-55, A. C. Sperry;
1856, P. G. Bridgeman; 1857-58, S. G.
Stevens; 1859, P. G.
Bridgeman; 1860-61, F. L. Hiller; 1862,
P. S. Worden; 1863-65,
A. W. Loomis; 1866-67, E. Sibley; 1868-
70, T. Burgess; 1871, J.
A. Wood; 1872-74, J. N. Lee; 1875-76,
A. Brooks; 1877-79, C.
V. Arnold; 1880-82, C. D. Shepard; 1883-
85, G. O. Beers;
1886-87, J. R. Wagner; 1888-91, G. L. Wilhams;
1892-96, E. P. Eldridge;
1897, J. R. Angel; 1898-1902, C. C.
Vrooman; 1903, S. E.
Hunt.
Montrose, Pa.
Just when Methodism
began to take root in this soil is uncer-
tain. Montrose was taken
from the Bridgewater Circuit in 1841.
Though Bridgewater
Circuit was formed in 1813, a number of
years passed before work
was organized in Montrose. The fact
is, Montrose, and the
surrounding territory, was preoccupied, and
not favorable to the
growth of Methodism. The class was or-
ganized in 1841 by
uniting two classes, one from South Montrose
and one which had met in
a schoolhouse about one mile and a
half northeast of the
village, which stood near the spot later
occupied by Mott's
factory. The society was soon chartered with
the corporate name of
"The Methodist Episcopal Church of the
Borough of
Montrose." The most prominent members of the
new society were Timothy
D. Shay, Simeon Lewis, Joseph R.
Lewis, George H.
Crocker, Jacob Tewksbury, and their wives,
George Lewis, and Ariel
Vaughn. They worshiped in the old
courthouse, where they
had preaching and class meeting biweekly,
holding the prayer
meetings in private houses. "The Methodists
held their services at
10:30 a. m. and the Universalists at i p. m.,
and frequently the
latter would come in and ring the bell for their
worship before the
former were through with class."
506 Wyoming Conference
At the formation of this
circuit it included the following ap-
pointments: Montrose,
Miller Hill, Franklin, J. Hancock's, B.
Shay's, M. Hall's, M.
McKeeby's, Liberty, Conklin, Great Bend,
and New Milford. In 1847
the circuit had fourteen preaching
places, and in 1849 it
included Fairdale, Franklin Forks, Heart
Lake, New Milford, Great
Bend, and four appointments now in
Kirkwood and Hawleyton
charges. This last statement is from
Rev. G. W. Leach. Six
thriving charges have been carved out of
the Montrose Circuit.
The society continued to
worship in the courthouse until going
MONTROSE CHURCH [photo]
into the church in 1845.
In 1843 the society met on November i
to consider the
propriety of building a church. At this meeting
a building committee,
consisting of Simeon Lewis, George H.
Crocker, Jacob
Tewksbury, and a committee, consisting of John
Comfort, Urbane Burrows,
Simeon Lewis, George H. Crocker,
Jacob Tewksbury, A.
Vaughn, and Rev. John Boswell, to locate
a site and determine the
size of building, were appointed. The
committee settled upon a
building 38x50 feet, and a lot on the
public ground above the
Universalist church, if it could be ob-
tained. It was also
decided to build a church without a steeple,
that the building should
have two outside doors, and six windows
on each side. The
society could not secure the site at first se-
lected, The Hon. William
Jessup donated a lot upon which the
Montrose, Pa. 507
building was erected, at
a cost of $1,800. It was dedicated on
November 26, 1845, by
the presiding elder. Rev. J. M. Snyder.
After going into the new
church services were held once a
Sabbath, and continued
after this plan about twenty years. The
building was generally
repaired in 1857, and reopened on Thurs-
day, December 10, 1857,
at 11 a. m. Dr. Thomas Bowman
preached, and Revs.
George Landon and H. H. Jessup, a mission-
ary, preached in the
afternoon and evening. The class, though
small, grew slowly,
against opposition. In 1865 the newly ap-
pointed pastor began
holding services twice on the Sabbath. At
the session of Conference
in 1866 the outside appointments were
detached, and the work
at Montrose started on an independent
basis. The membership at
this time was ninety-two. In the fall
of 1872 the society was
visited by a gracious revival "stirring the
entire community as with
a mighty earthquake." Hundreds were
converted, and among the
number some of the most substantial
citizens. While the
various churches in the town were enriched,
the Methodist church
found itself suddenly lifted into a strong
and vigorous society.
The membership at the beginning of this
Conference year was
ninety-four, and at its close three hundred
and twenty-nine. This
rendered necessary better church accom-
modations. Either the
old church must be enlarged or a new one
built. The society chose
the latter. In August, 1873, the old
church was removed, and
the foundation for the new church laid.
The new building was
27x45 feet, with a transept 32x36 feet.-
E. L. Weeks, J. D.
Goodwin, and S. F. Lane constituted the build-
ing committee. E. L.
Weeks was made general superintendent,
he hiring the help as
needed. The financial depression of 1873
rendered worthless
$2,000 of $9,000 which had been secured in
subscriptions before the
work was begun. The financial de-
pression caused the work
to move slowly. In August, 1874, a
contract was made with
W. J. Gordon to complete the work, ex-
cept slating, for $4,850
and the material on hand. In November a
windstorm destroyed the
nearly finished spire, causing a loss of
about $1,000. The
contract price being too low, the committee
found it necessary to
spend $2,000 more to secure the completion
of the building. The
ladies of the church and congregation pro-
vided the furnishings.
The church was dedicated on Sunday,
May 16, 1875, Bishop E.
G. Andrews preaching in the morning
and Rev. B. I. Ives in
the evening and managing the finances.
The building cost
$17,000. While enough subscriptions were
secured on the day of
dedication to cover all demands, the strin-
gency of the times was
such that after all available subscriptions
508 Wyoming Conference
had been paid the
society found itself about $6,000 in debt. In
1880 by determined
effort $3,500 was raised, which, with what
had previously been
paid, left the indebtedness $1,500. In Jan-
uary, 1886, $1,100 was
raised to liquidate the debt. Of this
amount Mr. Clement R.
Woodin gave $600. In 1902 $900 was
expended in new
furnaces, painting, and frescoing the walls.
In the spring of 1899
the pastor in a week of vigorous work
raised $3,600 to provide
for an indebtedness caused by building
the parsonage and
accumulated incidentals.
In 1901 the pastor made
application to Mr. Andrew Carnegie
MONTROSE PARSONAGE [photo]
for a pipe organ. The
application was granted, and in 1903 an
organ was purchased
costing $1,500, of which Mr. Carnegie paid
one half.
February 19, 1902, was a
notable day in the history of the
church. Thirty-three
hundred dollars had been spent in remodel-
ing the church, inclined
bowling floor, new pews, choice win-
dows, church repainted
and frescoed, and some improvements
made in the parsonage.
At the reopening notes and mortgages
amounting to $3,700 were
burned, so that the church was re-
dedicated without debt.
Rev. W. H. Pearce, D.D., preached in
the afternoon and Bishop
Andrews in the evening.
New Milford, Pa. 509
The old parsonage was
purchased in 1856. In 1894 this house
was moved onto a lot,
which the society bought for that purpose,
just below the church.
It was repaired and painted, and is now
used by the sexton. The
present commodious parsonage was
built on the old site at
a cost of $2,800.
While most of the
pastorates have witnessed accessions to the
church, the years of
1875 and 1886 were years of more than
ordinary interest, large
numbers being converted.
In later years East
Bridgewater was served by the Montrose
pastor.
Pastorates
Prior to 1841 on
Bridgewater Circuit. 1841-42, E. B. Tenny,
George C. Thompson;
1843-44, J. R. Boswell; 1845-46, W.
Round; 1847, A. Brooks,
D. Torry; 1848, D. Torry, G. P. Porter;
1849, E. B. Tenny, G. W.
Leach; 1850-51, John Mulkey; 1852-53,
P. Bartlett; 1854, J.
Whitham, J. H. Cargill; 1855-56, S. S.
Barter; 1857-58, B. B.
Emery; 1859-60, J. K. Peck; 1861-62, R.
Van Valkenburg; 1863-64,
A. Schoonmaker; 1865-67, L. Peck;
1868, J. L. Legg;
1869-70, King Elwell; 1871-72, A. D. Alex-
ander; 1873, W. J. Judd;
1874-76, W. L. Thorpe; 1877, L. Cole;
1878, W. B. Westlake;
1879-81, H. H. Dresser; 1882-84, T.
Harroun; 1885-87, H. C.
McDermott; 1888-89, J. N. Lee; 1890-
91, E. L. Santee;
1892-93, P. R. Hawxhurst; 1894, J. F. Jones;
1895-97, I. N. Shipman;
1898-1901, H. B. Benedict; 1902, A. W.
Cooper; 1903, F. W.
Young.
New Milford, Pa.
Methodism early took
root in this place. Meetings were held
in dwellings and in the
"East Woods" shortly after the settle-
ment of the place. Enoch
Smith is said to have been a class
leader here from 1827 to
1840. Services were frequently held in
the houses of Captain
Dean and Benjamin Hayden, who were
class leaders in the
forties. The class grew slowly. While in
the earlier days
preaching services were irregular, prayer meet-
ings were sustained with
much earnestness. Nathaniel Lewis, a
local preacher of note,
did some work here in 1827 and 1828.
Preachers from Wyoming,
Bridgewater, or Brooklyn Circuits
were probably among the
first to enter this field. This point was
with Montrose in 1841
and until made a charge.
On November 18, 1848,
the members of the society met for the
purpose of electing
trustees and to plan for building a church.
Thomas Dean, Jared Beardsley,
Joshua Phinney, Solomon R.
510 Wyoming Conference
Williams, Enoch Smith,
Amos M. Brant, Dennis McKeeby, James
B. Warner, and Reuben
Hatch were elected trustees. After dis-
cussing various plans it
was finally decided to build a church
38x53 feet, and on
January 22, 1849, the contract was let to
Simeon Lewis for $1,500.
Meanwhile a suitable lot had been
secured, at the foot of
the Duga Hill, where the Jackson road
enters the town, the
deed for which was given by William C.
Ward and wife on January
15, 1849, as a donation to the church.
The society received its
charter on April 20, 1849. The church
was dedicated on
December 25, 1849. Rev. G. Peck, D.D.,
preached at 11 a. m.,
and Rev. Z. Paddock, D.D., in the afternoon,
the presiding elder, D.
A. Shepard, having charge of the services.
The building and
furnishings had cost about $1,700, and $400 was
raised to complete the
amount of funds needed in about forty
minutes' intermission
between sermons. A Mr. Pratt, not a mem-
ber of the church,
trimmed the pulpit and gave the Bible. Mr.
Wright, another friend
outside the church, after subscribing
liberally, put a
one-thousand-pound bell into the belfry, and gave
the society ample time
to pay for it.
About 1880 the plot of
ground now occupied was bought of
Mrs. Ellen B. Whitlock
for $650, $50 of which she donated to the
church. A parsonage was
built, and in 1886 the church was
moved to the lot beside
the parsonage, a spacious basement put
under it, and several
minor improvements made, all at a cost
of $1,100.
East New Milford.
Meetings were held in a Good Templars'
hall for some time, and
subsequently in the schoolhouse, the
services here being held
in the afternoon. The corner stone for
the church was laid on
Friday, May 4, 1883, by the presiding
elder. Rev. J. G.
Eckman. Prayer was offered by Rev. P. Hol-
brook. The ritual was
read by Rev. J. R. Wagner and addresses
were made by Revs. J. G.
Eckman, P. Holbrook, J. R. Wagner,
H. S. Parker, and S.
Green. The church was dedicated on
Thursday, November 15,
1883. The morning sermon was by
Rev. J. G. Eckman, after
which $500 was raised to finish the
$2,000 which the
building had cost. Several members of the Con-
ference were present. Thursday
evening Rev. C. V. Arnold
preached. On Friday
sermons were delivered by Rev. A. Brooks
in the forenoon. Rev. P.
Holbrook in the afternoon, and Rev. J.
Brown, a Freewill
Baptist, in the evening. Saturday morning
Rev. J. A. Ropeel,
pastor of the Presbyterian church, preached,
in the afternoon Rev. H.
S. Parker, and in the evening Rev.
Newton, Pa. 511
Thomas Harroun. Sunday
closed the feast of dedication. Love
feast was led by a
Brother Harrison, sermon by Rev. Thomas
Harroun, followed by the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The
afternoon sermon was by
Rev. George Forsyth, and the evening
sermon by Rev. J. R.
Wagner. The dedicatory services were fol-
lowed by a series of
revival services.
Pastorates
From 1841-54 with
Montrose; 1855-56 (New Milford and
Great Bend), H. R.
Clarke; 1857 (Great Bend and New Milford,
the two places
continuing together until the spring of 1869), W.
Silsbee; 1858, L. Peck;
1859-60, H. Wheeler; 1861, S. S. Barter;
1862, G. A. Severson;
1863-64, P. Bartlett; 1865-66, S. Elwell;
1867-68, A. F. Harding;
1869-70, R. J. Kellogg; 1871, I. S.
Thompson; 1872, A.
Brooks; 1873-74, O. M. Martin-; 1875, J. W.
Hewitt; 1876, C. V.
Arnold; 1877-79, J. H. Weston; 1880-81,
J. L. Wells; 1882-84, J.
L. Race; 1885-87, J. F. Warner; 1888-91,
J. R. Wagner; 1892, E.
L. Santee; 1893-94, J. Underwood; 1895,
W. L. Linnaberry;
1896-98, C. W. Babcock; 1899-1902, Charles
Smith; 1903, H. D.
Smith.
Newton, Pa.
This circuit was taken
from the Abington Circuit at its forma-
tion in 1851. Prior to
the organization of Abington Circuit it
was probably served by
the preachers of Wyoming Circuit. At
its organization Newton
charge embraced Newton, Milwaukee,
Falls, Mill City
(familiarly known then as Mill Town, Block
Schoolhouse, or Block),
Lake Winola (commonly called Pond,
Crooked Lake, or
Breeches Pond), Shook's Schoolhouse, La
Grange, Schultzville,
and West Abington. For some time Shultz-
ville was with the
Factoryville charge. West Abington has been
with Factoryville a long
time. Shook's appointment was dropped
about 1875. In 1888 the
charge was divided, the Falls charge
being formed out of some
of the appointments of Newton charge.
Since then Newton charge
has embraced Newton, Schultzville,
and Milwaukee.
The old schoolhouse at
Newton Center was used by the class
here twenty years before
the incorporation of the society in 1846.
The first trustees were
Jacob Smith, Nathaniel Richards, Timothy
Drake, Peter Bedell,
Jesse Beemer, Alexander Beemer, George
Albright, Noah Patrick,
and John Weiss. In 1847 a church costing
$600 was erected. The
building committee consisted of Peter
Bedell, Jacob Smith,
James Van Sickler, Nathaniel Richards, and
512 Wyoming Conference
Peter Rutan. This
building still stands beside the Baptist church
at "The
Ridge." When it was abandoned, on December 8, 1875,
the site reverted to the
former owners. It is now a part of the
hotel property.
The present site was
purchased of William C. Ayres in 1875.
The church is 44x32
feet, has a class room 28x18 feet, a vestibule
16x8 feet, and its
steeple is 80 feet high. It cost $4,204, and was
dedicated on December 9,
1875, Rev. R. L. Dashiell preaching in
the morning and Rev. I.
T. Walker in the evening. Eleven hun-
dred dollars was raised
on this day to complete paying for the
church. The building was
quite extensively repaired in 1892.
The parsonage is located
at Newton Center, and was purchased
of Lewis Litts. It was
repaired and enlarged in 1882 and again
in 1896.
Milwaukee is one
and one half miles south of Newton Center.
The site for this church
was purchased of Zachariah Bedell in
1859 for $100. The
church, which cost about $4,000, was dedi-
cated in January, 1860,
by Dr. George Peck. Prior to going into
the church the society
worshiped in the schoolhouse. At this
writing the society has
purchased a lot of Mr. William Zeiss for
$145 across the street,
and south of the old church. The corner
stone for a new church
was laid on June 18, 1903, by Rev. J. B.
Sweet, D.D., and Rev. A.
J. Van Cleft. The old church is to be
torn down and the
available material used in the construction of
the new church, which
will cost about $4,000. The old church lot
will then be added to
the cemetery, which is owned by the Meth-
odist church.
Schultzville is about
three miles from Newton Center. This
place was with Clark's
Green during the days there was a Clark's
Green appointment, and
with Clark's Green was added to the
Waverly appointment in
1883. The chapel was built and owned
by McKinstry and Childs,
proprietors of the old tannery, as a
private school building,
and was used as a place of worship as
early as 1866. The
society bought it in 1885 for $250, and it is
valued at $700. Before
the erection of this building the Metho-
dists worshiped in the
schoolhouse at Weiss's Corners.
Newton charge was on the
Wyoming District until 1891, when
it was put on Binghamton
District.
Pastorates
Prior to 1851 with
Abington; 1851, E. F. Roberts; 1852, J. D.
Safford; 1853, C. L.
Rice; 1854-55, J. La Bar; 1856, P. Holbrook;
Nicholson, Pa. 513
1857, J. W. Munger;
1858, C. Perkins; 1859, D. Personeus;
1860-61, J. La Bar;
1862-63, G. W. Leach; 1864-65, L N. Par-
dee; 1866, A. J. Van
Cleft; 1867-68, I. Austin; 1869-70, R. S.
Rose; 1871-73, A.
Brigham; 1874, A. J. Arnold; 1875-77, I.
Austin; 1878-80, William
Shelp; 1881-83, F. Gendall; 1884-85,
H. G. Harned; 1886-88,
J. R. Angell; 1889-90, A. H. Maryott;
1891-95, J. C. Johnson;
1896-98, G. C. Jacobs; 1899-1901, A.
Wrigley; 1902-03, E.
McMillen.
Nicholson, Pa.
The first service by
Methodists was held about 1830 in a little
log schoolhouse which
stood on the ground occupied by the
Methodist church for
many years, just above the railroad. Here
one of the old circuit
riders preached once in four weeks. Services
were also held
occasionally at Bacontown. There is no record of
an organization having
been formed until May 22, 1840, when
a class was formed
consisting of Jesse Stephens, leader; Juliana
Stephens, Samuel A.
Rose, Mary Bacon, and Nancy Marshall.
In 1841 four were added
to the class, and James Roberts was
appointed leader. In
1842 Lewis Thomas united with the class.
In 1842-43 the class was
largely increased, until it had fifty mem-
bers. In the next two
years seventeen members were lost by
death, reducing the
membership to thirty-three. The class seems
to have had troublous
times. Interest decreased and the class
diminished until in 1848
it had only twelve members, and in 1849
four of these were
stricken off the class book. When the class
was organized its
meetings were held in the "square-top school-
house," opposite
the graveyard, about one mile northeast of the
present village. Here
the meetings were held for a number of
years, under the special
patronage of Jesse Stephens, who paid
most of the preacher's
salary. About 1850 the place of meeting
was changed from the
"square-top" to the Thomas schoolhouse,
on the hill about midway
between Nicholson and Factoryville,
where some glorious
seasons of refreshing were experienced.
About the same time
services were opened up in the schoolhouse
at the foot of Roberts
Hill, about a mile below the village.
Nicholson charge appears
in the Minutes in 1854, and embraced
Factoryville, West
Abington, Thomastown, Little Scranton, and
Stark Church.
This territory was on
the Brooklyn Circuit from the time of
organization until 1850
or 1851, when it was put with Springville,
where it remained until
1854.
514 Wyoming Conference
After the completion of
the Delaware, Lackawanna, and West-
ern Railroad in the fall
of 1852 a village began to spring up about
the depot. For twelve
years very little was accomplished. The
few inhabitants were
almost destitute of religious advantages,
being without regular
preaching or Sunday school. Sunday was
a day of drinking, and
the barroom and stores were kept open
seven days in the week.
About this time a union Sunday school
was organized, and
regular preaching services established in the
old schoolhouse west of
Martin Creek. An improvement was
NICHOLSON CHURCH [photo]
soon observed in Sabbath
observance and in the morals of the
community.
In 1865 the Thomas Hill
appointment was moved to Nicholson
village, and a class
formed with the following members: J. C.
Rhodes and wife, E.
Wright and wife. Griffin Stephens and wife,
Jesse Stephens and wife,
Mrs. George Candee, Mrs. Ebenezer
Stephens, and William N.
Raymond, the latter being the leader.
At this time preaching
services were held on alternate Sundays at
3 p. M. In 1866 the
church used by the society from 1867 to 1903
was put up, costing
about $3,000. On August 23, just after the
frame of the building
was erected, the pastor, Davison Worrall,
Nicholson, Pa. 515
died. The balance of the
year was filled out by Rev. J. V. Newell.
The building committee
were J. C. Rhodes, Griffin Stephens,
George Candee, W. N.
Raymond, and E. Wright. The dedicatory
services were held in
December, 1866, Dr. James Porter, of New
York, preaching the
sermon. In 1869 this building was some-
what improved, at an
expense of $1,000. This with $1,300 in-
debtedness incurred in
building the church necessitated the raising
of $2,300 on the day of
reopening, which was December 2, 1869.
Rev. B. I. Ives preached
at 11 a. m. from I Pet. i, 3, and after the
sermon proceeded to
raise the needed amount, in which he suc-
ceeded. In 1878 the
church was again remodeled, at an expense
of about $1,000.
On February 27, 1895,
the lot occupied by the present church
and parsonage was bought
from Galusha G. Rought for $700.
There was some
opposition to the purchase of this property, but
time has shown that it
was a very wise move to make. The old
parsonage on the hill,
which was bought by the society in 1886,
was sold for $1,100 to
Mr. Gilbert Brown, in 1898, and the present
brick parsonage erected
at a cost of $1,500. The old church
property was sold to Mr.
J. M. Carpenter, in 1902, for $565. On
July 4 of the same year
ground was broken for the present church,
and on July 25 the
corner stone was laid by Rev. J. B. Sweet, the
presiding elder, several
ministers from adjoining charges being
present. The church,
exclusive of ground, cost $7,000. The
foundation is of blue
stone ashlar, and the superstructure of wood.
The basement has
parlors, primary room, kitchen, library, store,
toilet, and boiler
rooms. The main floor has a vestibule, square
auditorium with bowled
floor, a pastor's study, and a large class
room, and is carpeted
throughout. The building committee were
Rev. L. E. Sanford, Miss
V. V. Walker, H. W. Kling, J. E.
Harding. The church was
dedicated on May 10, 1893. Services
for the day were as
follows: At 10 A. m., sermon by Rev. John
Krantz, D.D.; at 2:30 a
platform meeting, led by Rev. J. L. Race;
and at 7:30 p. m. a
sermon by Rev. J. B. Sweet, D.D. Dr. Krantz
handled the finances and
secured $4,100, which covered the in-
debtedness of the
society. The dedicatory day was followed by a
feast of dedication.
Monday evening Rev. A. J. Van Cleft lectured
on the "Battle of
Life;" Tuesday evening Rev. A. W. Hayes,
D.D., lectured on
"The United States Life-saving Service — Prin-
ciples Applied;"
Wednesday evening Rev. G. E. Van Woert de-
livered a sermon;
Thursday evening Rev. A. Griffin, D.D.,
preached; and on Friday
evening Miss Belle Kearney spoke on
temperance.
516 Wyoming Conference
The Ladies' Aid Society
has done great work here for years.
South Gibson was with
Nicholson a number of years.
Glenwood. This
class sprang into existence early in the
seventies. About 1871
the Nicholson pastor held a series of
evangelistic services-
in the Baptist church, with large results.
Mrs. Samuel Grow,
sister-in-law to the Hon. Galusha A. Grow,
was the real founder of
Methodism in Glenwood. She kept the
people together. The
class was formally organized in 1875, hav-
ing among its members G.
N. Hardy, D. G. Black, James Clear-
water, D. N. Hardy,
Alonzo Miles, Benjamin Miles, James Con-
rad, and in most cases
their wives, and Mary P. Conrad. The
above-named church
became a union church, and was extensively
repaired in 1875. It was
built in 1856.
In August, 1882, upon
petition of C. W. Conrad, J. T. Bennett,
L. M. Hardy, A. A.
Clearwater, B. E. Miles, D. N. Hardy, W. C.
Clearwater, D. O.
Farnham, and J. W. Height, the society was
given a charter, and the
church purchased by the Methodists for
about $500. This society
is not so strong as at the time the tan-
nery was in operation.
Except the years from 1893 to 1896,
when Rev. S. J. Austin
was its pastor, this appointment has been
with Nicholson from the
beginning.
Pastorates
With Brooklyn until 1850
or 1851, and with Springville from
that time until 1854.
1854, G. L. Griffin; 1855-56,, B. B. Emory;
1857-58, D. Worrall;
1859, I. D. Warren; 1860-61, J. F. Wilbur;
1862-63, J. La Bar;
1864-66, D. Worrall; 1867, E. H. Hynson,
T. B. Jayne; 1868, C. V.
Arnold; 1869, G. Greenfield; 1870-72,
J. B. Sumner; 1873, D.
C. Barnes; 1874-76, J. L. Race; 1877-79,
S. J. Austin; 1880, J.
Weston; 1881-83, F- A. King; 1884-86,
C. M. Surdam; 1887-90,
H. H. Wilbur; 1891-92, J. R. Angel;
1893-96, G. E. Van
Woert; 1897-98, G. F. Ace; 1899-1903, L. E.
Sanford.
Rush, Pa.
This circuit was taken
from the Springville Circuit in 1866, and
lies along the Wyalusing
Creek. During the early years of its
history it was called a
mission, as it received funds from the Mis-
sionary Society. The
work of its first pastor must have been of
exceptional qualities,
as it is said still to have an influence.
Prior to the building of
the church at Rush Center the society
worshiped in the
schoolhouse. The church was erected in 1870-
71, and cost $2,300,
$1,300 of which was raised on the day of
Rush, Pa. 517
dedication, which was
Thursday, February 23, 1871. Rev. E. M.
High preached at 11 a.
m., and Rev. S. F. Brown at 7 p. m. The
presiding elder, D. C.
Olmstead, managed the finances and dedi-
cated the church. In
1900-01 the present church was erected, at
a cost of over $2,000.
The auditorium is finished in hardwood,
seated with chairs, and
has stained-glass windows.
The parsonage was
purchased in 1877 at a cost of $600. This
property was sold in
1902, and the present property bought, which
is more desirably
located.
East Rush was at
one time a part of the Auburn Circuit, and
known as Eddy, and was
put on the Rush Circuit in 1892. Among
the early members of the
class were Charles Eddy, S. S. James,
Samuel Bartholf, and A.
W. Gray. A church was erected about
1859, which burned on
August 29, 1887, inflicting a great loss to
the society. A. B.
Linnaberry, T. A. Roberts, and Z. Cornell were
appointed to solicit
subscriptions for a new church. In March,
1888, over $1,200 had
been secured and some lumber given. The
corner stone for the new
church was laid on June 5, 1888, by Rev.
Thomas Harroun, Revs. J.
S. Lewis, G. W. Saunders, and W. H.
Stang assisting in the
services. The building was dedicated on
December 27, 1888, by
Rev. T. Harroun, assisted by Rev. W. H.
Stang. The cost of the
building was $1,253, and of the furniture
$223, making a total of
$1,476. One hundred dollars was raised
on the day of
dedication. So carefully were the finances handled
that the indebtedness
was all canceled in the spring of 1889.
Rhetta was once a part of
Auburn Circuit, and known as Carter-
town. A post office was
located here and given the name of
Rhetta, since which time
the appointment has gone by that name.
Services were held in
the schoolhouse many years. In January,
1902, the church was
dedicated. On the day of dedication $770
was raised to complete
paying for the building. The church
bears the name of
Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, and
is unique in that it has
a memorial window to the Grand Army
of the Republic.
Beaver Meadows.
Here a union church was built some years
ago by the Wesleyans,
Protestant Methodists, and Methodist
Episcopalians. The
latter body now practically controls the
property.
Rush Four Corners,
which at one time was known as Dunmore,
was at one time a
preaching place. No services are held there
now.
518 Wyoming Conference
Pastorates
1866, G. S. Transue;
1867, I. P. Towner, William Shelp; 1868-
69, William Shelp; 1870,
P. J. Gates; 1871-72, M. Swallow; 1873-
74, G. O. Beers;
1875-76, F. A. Dony; 1877-78, A. W. Hood;
1879, T. C. Roskelly;
1880, A. F. Harding; 1881-82, C. H.
Basford; 1883, W. C.
Norris; 1884-86, G. C. Jacobs; 1887, T.
Burgess; 1888-89, G. W.
Saunders; 1890-92, G. E. Van Woert;
1893-94, Abram
Schofield; 1895-96, A. W. Phillips; 1897, R.
McLauren; 1898-1900, G.
Gorisse; 1901-02, H. B. Burns; 1903,
A. E. Potter.
Springville, Pa.
Springville Circuit is
the remnant of the old Bridgewater Cir-
cuit. Several charges
were carved out of its territory, and in 1841
the name was changed
from Bridgewater to Springville.
A class was organized
here in 1816 with seven members, of
which Abiathar Tuttle
was the leader. Betsy Sutton and Sarah
Hankins were active
members. Services were held in private
houses, and in an old
log schoolhouse near Ezra Tuttle's. For a
time services were
discontinued here, and the few members went
to services at Dimock
Four Corners. As the result of a revival,
services were resumed,
and about 1861 a church project was
begun. The society
secured a vacant storehouse, and remodeled
it, so that the
enterprise cost $800. It was dedicated on February
13, 1862, Rev. William
Wyatt preaching at 10:30 a. m. On
November 22, 1865, the
society was incorporated as "The Second
Methodist Episcopal
Church of Springdale," with Abiathar Tuttle,
John Compton, Jacob N.
Vought, Loren Newton, J. W. Rhodes,
and Joseph S. Risley as
trustees. In 1878 or 1879, at a cost of
$700, the galleries were
removed, pulpit and seats remodeled,
walls papered, church
painted inside and out, new roof, and new
chimneys built. The
building was rededicated by Dr. Copeland.
This church is claimed
to be the second one built within the bounds
of Bridgewater Circuit.
In 1886 the room was ceiled with Georgia
pine, floors carpeted,
pulpit, altar, platform, and seating re-
arranged, and the
building newly roofed, at an expense of $400.
In 1890 a house and
fifteen acres of land were bought of Isaac
Meserole for $2,000. A
portion of the land was sold for $500,
leaving the house and a
lot large enough for a church costing the
society $1,500. On
September 29, 1892, the corner stone was
laid by Rev. Thomas
Harroun, and on May 10, 1893, the church
was dedicated. Revs. A.
Griffin and Thomas Harroun preaching
the sermons. The
building complete cost $4,500. It has a bell
Springville, Pa. 519
which cost $250, and a
memorial window to Rev. G. H. Blakeslee,
who was raised in this
community, the only memorial window on
the charge.
The Ladies' Aid Society
raised $950 toward the church and
parsonage.
Lymanville. Soon
after the settlement of the county Metho-
dist meetings were held
in the southern part of Springville, where
the Lymanville class was
afterward formed. This class was com-
posed largely of the
Lyman family, Joseph Earl, George Atkinson,
William Belcher,
Nathaniel Sheldon, John Oakley, and William
Taylor. Meetings were
held in private houses, barns, and woods
when the season would
permit, and in the schoolhouse as soon as
it was built. Preaching
services were irregular until 1830. About
1840 a committee to
supervise building a church was appointed,
consisting of Gideon
Lyman, Joseph A. Lyman, Samuel Lyman,
William Taylor, and
Henry Elsworth. During the winter of
1840-41 timber was cut,
drawn to the mill, and, after sawing,
carried to the building
site. The contract for the building was
given to Lyman Avery,
who employed two architects, Benjamin
Hanna and David McBride.
The work progressed so that the
frame was raised in
July, 1841, and the building inclosed that
season. The following
year it was finished, and dedicated in
August by Rev. David
Holmes, the presiding elder. The building
was 36x48 and cost about
$2,000, $600 of which was raised on the
day of dedication, the
balance having been previously secured.
This church came to be
generally known as the Lymanville church.
On September 2, 1848,
the society became incorporated, upon the
petition of Joseph
Whitham, Samuel Lyman, Timothy D. Walker,
George Atkinson, Joseph
A. Lyman, N. Sheldon, Prentiss Lyman,
Landis Lyman, Elihu H.
Lyman, William Belcher, Whitham
Earl, and William
Taylor, its corporate name being "The First
Methodist Episcopal
Church of Springville." The site for this
church was given by
verbal contract from Mr. J. C. Smith. How-
ever, it was not yet
clear from the land office. A deed was ob-
tained later from
William Harkins and wife. This building was
repainted and
replastered in 1856, and in 1878 it was generally
improved by repairs, and
again in 1896 it was thoroughly repaired
at an expense of about
$600.
Previous to the building
of the church a home for the preacher
had been built on the
land of Gideon Lyman. This house was
torn down and a new
parsonage built in 1851. Here the pastor of
the circuit lived until
the purchase of the house at Springville.
520 Wyoming Conference
A Sunday school was
organized at the old Spencer schoolhouse,
which stood nearly on
the spot where the old Presbyterian church
now stands, instigated
by William Taylor, Justus Knapp, and
Thomas Lane. Mr. H. A.
Spencer was five years old at the time,
and was one of the
scholars. He has attended Sunday school con-
tinuously from that time
to this. We are indebted to him for
much of the information
concerning Springville charge. He gave
two sons, John O. and
David S., to missionary work in Japan,
and a daughter married a
member of our Conference. The Revs.
G. H. Blakeslee, G. C.
Lyman, and Francis Spencer came from
this territory.
Lemon. The site for this
church was donated by Mr. Peter F.
Stark. The church, which
cost about $1,000, was dedicated by
Rev. Thomas Harroun in
1891. The trustees at the time were
Isaac Dayton, Peter F.
Stark, E. Miner, Lewis Stark, R. E.
Bisler, and George
Kintner.
Lynn. This society was
organized about 1880. The ladies or-
ganized an aid society
and began to raise funds for a church.
Mrs. Abram Luce gave the
site for the building, and was a
moving spirit in the
enterprise. The church is 30x50 and cost
$1,800, about one third
of which was raised by the ladies. It was
dedicated on November
22, 1883, by Rev. J. G. Eckman, Rev.
S. F. Brown preaching
one of the sermons. Since erection $450
has been spent in
repairs and swinging a $75 bell in the tower.
The trustees are Abram
Luce, Plias Titman, D. E. Taylor, H.
and D. E. Spencer.
Dimock. This class was
organized in 1875. Meetings were
held in the Presbyterian
church until the spring of 1886, when they
were taken to the school
building. In 1890 the society bought the
Presbyterian church for
$550, and thoroughly refitted it at a cost
of $500. It was
dedicated in 1890.
East Lynn is a
schoolhouse appointment, of which we have
been unable to secure
any definite information.
Some years have been
notable in the history of the circuit as
revival years. In
1833-34 over two hundred conversions occurred.
The years 1837, 1840,
1852, 1858-59, and 1876 were extraor-
dinary.
Pastorates
Bridgewater Circuit,
1813, John Hazzard, Elijah Warren;
1814, Elisha Bibbins,
Wyatt Chamberlain; 1815, James Hall,
Nathan Dodson; 1816,
Isaac Grant; 1817, Israel Cook; 1818,
Susquehanna, Pa. 521
Ebenezer Doolittle,
Edward Paine; 1819, George Peck, Edward
Paine; 1820, John
Griffing; 1821, Joshua Rogers, Hiram Moore;
1822, Asa Cummins, Mark
Preston; 1823, Caleb Kendall, Sophro-
nius Stocking; 1824,
William W. Rundell, Sophronius Stocking;
1825, Philetus Parkus;
1826, Philetus Parkus, John Wilson;
1827, Joshua Rogers,
Daniel Torry; 1828, Daniel Torry, Peter
Wentz; 1829, Silas
Comfort, V. M. Coryell; 1830, Joseph Towner,
C. W. Harris; 1831,
George Evans; 1832, George Evans, M. R.
Cushman; 1833, Benjamin
Elhs; 1834, Benjamin Ellis, S. B.
Yarrington, L. S.
Bennett; 1835, E. Smith; 1836, E. B. Tenny,
C. T. Stanley; 1837, E.
B. Tenny, A. Benjamin; 1838, King El-
well, Thomas Wilcox;
1839, King Elwell, Philo Blackman; 1840,
William Round, William
Reddy; 1841 (the name of the circuit
changed to Springville),
William Round, H. Brownscombe;
1842, Thomas Wilcox, J.
W. Davison; 1843, J. W. Davison, E. A.
Young; 1844, J. O.
Boswell; 1845-46, Ira Wilcox; 1847, J.
Whitham; 1848, J.
Mulkey, O. F. Morse; 1849, J. Mulkey;
1850-51, Erastus Smith;
1852, C. L. Rice, E. F. Roberts; 1853,
E. F. Roberts, Luther
Peck; 1854, F. S. Chubbuck, J. K. Peck,
A. B. Lung; 1855, Z. S.
Kellogg; 1856, J. D. Warren, A. P.
Aiken; 1857, J. D.
Warren, H. Stanley; 1858-59, J. V. Newell,
I. T. Walker; 1860, E.
W. Breckinridge, C. Pearce; 1861,
E. W. Breckinridge, C.
W. Todd; 1862, A. F. Harding, S.
Elwell; 1863, D.
Worrall, G. Westfall; 1864, J. V. Newell; 1865-
67, J. F. Wilbur;
1868-70, J. S. Lewis; 1871-73, R. S. Rose; 1874-
76, H. G. Harned;
1877-79, P- Holbrook; 1880-82, G. O. Beers;
1883-84, J. B. Santee;
1885-87, G. L. Williams; 1888-91, C. D.
Shepard; 1892-94, J. H.
Weston; 1895-97, A. Schofield; 1898-
1901, G. H. H. Davis;
1902-03, J. W. Price.
Susquehanna, Pa.
Susquehanna began to
grow in 1850 on account of the locating
of the Erie shops there,
the place being called at that time Lanes-
boro Depot. Rev. C. V.
Arnold, who was pastor on the Lanes-
boro Circuit, discerning
the future, went into the rapidly growing
town and organized a
class, in July or August of 1850, with the
following members: S. C.
Robinson, leader; William Smith,
George Petit and wife,
W. C. Adams and wife, Mrs. Robert Mc-
Kune, and William McKune
and wife. Mr. Robinson was suc-
ceeded as leader in a
short time by George Petit.
Before the church was
built the class meetings and preaching
services were held in
the Pine Street schoolhouse, and after the
522 Wyoming Conference
schoolhouse was moved to
Washington Street the services were
held there. A Sunday
school was organized in the Pine Street
schoolhouse and George
Petit appointed superintendent, who
served until the fall of
1852, when he was succeeded by F. L.
Clarke, who served until
his death, in 1868.
During the first year preaching
services were held on week-day
evenings. In 1851
Susquehanna appears among the appointments.
Rev. C. V Arnold is
appointed to "Susquehanna and Lanesboro
Mission." The
society received an appropriation of $100 per
year from the Missionary
Society a number of years. In 1855 it
SUSQUEHANNA CHURCH [photo]
was detached from
Lanesboro. A charter having been obtained
from the court, William
Smith, S. C. Robinson, and William Mc-
Kune were elected the
first trustees. In the fall of 1851 a site
was secured from the
Erie Railroad Company, and the work of
building a church began.
The work was under the supervision of
William Smith, who
employed the men, furnished the material,
boarded the workmen,
gave a large share of his time to super-
vising the work,
advanced money necessary to keep the work
moving, and of the
$1,400 expended on the structure he con-
tributed over one half.
Preacher Arnold did the shouting when
the frame was raised,
and it is said that never in Susquehanna,
Susquehanna, Pa. 523
before or since, was
such a shout heard as when he cried, "Heave,
O heave!"
According to an item in
the Northern, published at the time, the
church was dedicated on
Thursday, February 5, 1852, at 1 p. m.
According to another
writer, it was dedicated in June.
The building was
enlarged and improved in 1858-59, and at
the reopening Rev.
William Wyatt preached his famous sermon
on "The Old Stone
Kingdom."
In 1862 a steel
composition bell weighing one thousand pounds
was put in the belfry at
a cost of $163, and at the same time new
heaters were installed
at a cost of $130.
In 1888-89 the building
was very thoroughly repaired at an
expense of $4,000. The
basement was enlarged and divided into
three rooms, which may
be thrown into one, and these rooms were
carpeted and seated with
chairs. A new entrance way to the
auditorium was built, a
new floor put in the auditorium, new
carpet, seats, cushions,
pulpit, stained-glass windows, reflector,
and some minor
improvements made. The reopening occurred on
Sunday, January 27,
1889, Rev. M. S. Hard, D.D., preaching in
the morning and Rev.
Thomas Harroun in the evening. There
was needed $1,800, and
the people gave $2,300.
There was undoubtedly an
enlarging and remodeling of the
church in the seventies.
Rev. William Wyatt and Dr. James Porter
being present at the
reopening. We have been unable, however,
to receive definite
information.
The parsonage was
purchased in 1872.
Susquehanna entertained
Wyoming Conference April 8-
14, 1863.
The society celebrated
its semicentennial on July 26 and 27,
1900. Rev. C. V. Arnold
was to have been present; instead, his
funeral was held in
Binghamton during the progress of the anni-
versary services.
Thursday evening the service opened with a
praise service, which
was followed by an address on "Fifty Years
of Methodism," by
Rev. George Forsyth, A.M. Friday after-
noon's service opened
with a prayer and praise service. The
pastor spoke upon
"The Reason for Our Coming." Rev. G. W.
Leach read a history of
the church, and Rev. George Comfort
spoke upon
"Susquehanna Fifty Years Ago." Rev. D. L. Meeker,
pastor at Lanesboro,
represented the "Mother Church," and Rev.
William Bouton, of
Oakland, spoke for the "Daughter." The
afternoon services
closed with an address by Rev. William M.
Hiller on "What the
Planting of the First Church Means to a
Community." At the
evening service Rev. William M. Hiller
524 Wyoming Conference
conducted a testimony
meeting, which was followed by an address
by Rev. A. J. Van Cleft
on "An Up-to-date Methodist Episcopal
Church." On the
following Sunday the pastor preached an anni-
versary sermon.
On July 4, 1854, Rev.
James H. Cargill, a former pastor, by
invitation, delivered an
oration in this place. As he was passing
along the sidewalk in
front of the "Old Harmony House" a cry
was made, "Get out
of the way, they are going to fire!" He
sprang in the wrong
direction, and fell mortally wounded, receiv-
ing the full force of
the shot from the cannon, and died a few
minutes afterward.
During J. A. Wood's
pastorate the society experienced the re-
vival of its history.
McKune's, one and a half
miles below Susquehanna, formed a
part of Susquehanna
charge until the organization of Oakland.
Pastorates
1851, C. V. Arnold;
1852, G. H. Blakeslee; 1853, G. H. Blakes-
lee, J. H. Cargill;
1854, H. R. Clarke, C. W. Judd; 1855, E. B.
Tenny; 1856-57, J. A.
Wood; 1858-59, S. W. Weiss; 1860-61, O.
M. McDowall; 1862, J.
Miller; 1863-64, N. W. Everett; 1865-66,
G. H. Blakeslee; 1867,
J. V. Newell; 1868-70, L. W. Peck; 1871-
72, W. B. Westlake;
1873-75, A. J. Van Cleft; 1876-78, W. J.
Judd; 1879-80, W. S.
Wentz; 1881-83, George Forsyth; 1884-86,
J. B. Sumner; 1887-91,
C. M. Surdam; 1892-95, S. Jay; 1896-97,
William M. Hiller;
1898-1900, C. H. Newing; 1901-02, I. N.
Shipman; 1903, A. D.
Decker.
Union, N. Y.
This charge, with
surrounding territory, was a part of Broome
Circuit until its
formation in 1844. Union Circuit had eight ap-
pointments in 1845, and
in 1853 the circuit comprised the follow-
ing preaching places:
Union, Campville, Whittemore Hill, Bos-
well Hill, Centerville,
Hooper, Dutch Settlement, Maine, Nanti-
coke Springs, Mclntyre
Settlement, Stone Settlement, and Oak
Hill.
A meeting was held at
Union Corners (now Union) on Novem-
ber 6, 1838, at which
the society became incorporated as "The
First Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church at Union Cor-
ners," with Josiah
Cafferty, Jr., Nathaniel R. Locke, Andrew N.
Boswell, William
Boswell, Amos G. Bowker, and Peleg S. An-
drews as trustees.
Nothing seems to have been accomplished by
Union, N. Y. 525
this incorporation. It
serves as evidence of church activity and
that the society was
probably contemplating the erection of a
church then. A meeting
of the society was held on March 21,
1842, at the schoolhouse
in district No. 3, at which Rev. Levi
Pitts and Mr. E. P.
Warner presided. The society became in-
corporate as "The
Second Methodist Episcopal Church in Union,"
with David Scovill,
James Guyon, Jr., Charles Moody, Alfred
UNION CHURCH [photo]
Jones, and E. P. Warner
trustees. The society is operating under
this charter now.
The first church was
built about 1848, at a cost of $1,100. When
the present church was
built the first one was sold to Mr. George
LeBarron, and is now
standing near the parsonage and being used
for mercantile purposes.
The present church was built in 1871-72,
at a cost of $12,000, I.
V. Whittemore being the contractor. At
the time of dedication,
on March 20, 1873, a large amount was
subscribed, enough to
cover all indebtedness. However, shrinkage
in subscriptions
occurred so that in 1879 the society found it neces-
sary to raise $6,000 to
free itself from debt. It did it by great
and self-sacrificing
giving. The dedicatory services were con-
526 Wyoming Conference
ducted by Revs. D. I.
Ives and W. H. Olin. The church has been
kept in good repair.
The first parsonage was
built in 1858 at a cost of $1,000. When
the society purchased
the site where the church now stands, it was
occupied by a building
which had been used for a schoolhouse,
store, and private
dwelling. This old building was moved to a
lot directly opposite
the present parsonage and used as a parsonage
many years. The first
parsonage was sold, and occupied by Mr.
Jerry Barnes a long
while. The present parsonage was built in
1899, at a cost of
$2,000, A. E. Pierson being the builder. The
second parsonage was
sold to Mr. N. S. Warrick, the same year,
for $850.
The church has been
visited by a number of gracious revivals,
notable among them being
in 1842, 1851-52, and 1887.
Whittemore Hill
was with Union a number of years.
Pastorates
Prior to 1844 on Broome
Circuit. 1844, Elijah P. Beecher;
1845-46, T. D. Wire;
1847-48, A. G. Burlingame; 1849-50, W.
Silsbee; 1851-52, J. M.
Grimes; 1853, A. F. Harding; 1854, E. B.
Tenny; 1855-56, Levi
Pitts; 1857, P. G. Bridgeman; 1858, N. S.
De Witt, A. P. Aiken;
1859, N. S. De Witt, W. J. Judd; 1860,
H. R. Clarke, C. W.
Todd; 1861, A. F. Harding, W. M. Hiller;
1862-63, S. S. Barter;
1864, D. C. Olmstead; 1865-67, D. A.
Shepard; 1868-69,?• S.
Worden, M. D. Matoon; 1870-72, A. J.
Van Cleft; 1873-74, W.
N. Cobb; 1875-76, O. M. Martin; 1877-79,
J. C. Leacock; 1880-82,
S. J. Austin; 1883-84, H. N. Van Deusen;
1885-87, G. T. Price;
1888-92, A. F. Chaffee; 1893-94, C. H.
Hayes; 1895, J. F.
Jones; 1896-98, J. C. Johnson; 1899-1900,
J. E. Bone; 1901-02, A.
D. Decker; 1903, A. W. Cooper.
Union Center, N. Y.
This charge was formed
by taking some appointments from
Union charge in 1869.
Work was begun here at
an early day. A meeting was held on
May 18, 1825, at which
Chester Adgate and William Bowker pre-
sided. James Whittemore,
Jr., Robert 3?. Bartholomew, James
Williams, and Josiah
Cafferty were elected trustees. The society
became incorporate under
the title of "The First Methodist Epis-
copal Church of
Union." We have no knowledge that property
was bought or that any
business was transacted by this body.
However, it evinces the
fact that a class existed in 1825, and that
it was alive and
ambitious. Another incorporation occurred on
Union Center, N. Y. 527
June 20, 1835, from
which nothing resulted. A meeting was held
At the schoolhouse in
Union Center on Wednesday evening, Feb-
ruary 12, 1852, at which
Rev. Mr. Silsbee presided. Justice
Knapp was chosen manager
and James Ward secretary. The
society incorporated and
elected Justice Knapp, William South-
worth, Daniel Boswell,
Isaiah Brigham, and Rev. J. R. Boswell
trustees.
The church was begun in
1852 and dedicated on Saturday,
April 23, 1853, at I p.
m. In 1886 the building was thoroughly
repaired at a cost of
$400, all of which had been raised prior to
the reopening, which
occurred on Saturday, November 20, 1886,
Rev. M. S. Hard, D.D.,
preaching the sermon.
The parsonage was
purchased in 1898 of Mrs. Abigail Ketcham
for $900.
Oak Hill society was formed by
uniting a portion of two
societies. The
Methodists of East Maine, which class belonged
to the Choconut Center
charge, had united with the Presbyterians
and built a church at
that place, with the understanding that each
society should share in
the use of it. Soon after it was finished the
Presbyterians gave the
Methodists to understand they were not
wanted, and utterly
ignored their rights. This caused the Meth-
odists to take measures
to build a church. The people in the
Shores school district
were consulted by the Oak Hill people
counseling a union of
forces in the erection of a church about
midway between the two
points. Shores Hill class belonged to
Choconut Center charge
many years. When Union Center charge
was formed Shores Hill
was made a part of the charge. Israel
Chauncey gave the site
for the church and an acre of land for a
cemetery. A meeting was
held at the house of Israel Chauncey
on July 19, 1876, of
which Rev. D. Malpass was chairman and
Silas Barnum secretary.
Seth Gallup and Israel Chauncey acted
as tellers. The people
incorporated themselves with the title of
"The Second
Methodist Episcopal Church on Union Center
Charge," with Seth
Gallup, James L. Roberts, Silas G. Barnum,
Oliver Russell, and C.
Higbee trustees. The building, which cost
about $2,000, was
dedicated free of debt on December 13, 1876.
The pulpit Bible was the
gift of Rev. A. Brigham, and the
chandelier was given by
Mr. Charles Shores in memory of his
deceased wife.
Extensive revivals have
occurred here in the fall of 1877, winter
of 1886-87, and in 1894.
During the latter Rev. J. W. Johnson,
of our Conference, was
converted.
528 Wyoming Conference
Pastorates
1869-70, 1. P. Towner;
1871, C. W. Sartell; 1872, C. H. Jewell;
1873, J. D. Woodruff;
1874-75, L. Pitts; 1876, D. Malpass;
1877, P. J. Gates; 1878,
G. C. Andrews; 1879, Asa Brooks; 1880-
82, J. W. Hewitt; 1883,
H. A. Blair; 1884-86, F. H. Parsons;
1887, T. M. Furey;
1888-89, W. H. Bailey; 1890-91, J. L.
Thomas; 1892, H. L.
Hubbard; 1893, C. L. Rice; 1894-95, M. V.
Williams; 1896, G. D.
Fisher; 1897, E. D. Cook; 1898-1900, A. O.
Austin; 1901, J. H.
Taylor; 1902-03, Levi Jennison.
Vestal, N. Y.
The Vestal charge is the
remnant of a circuit of considerable
proportions, which first
appeared among the appointments in 1831.
In 1845 the circuit
contained the following preaching places:
Vestal, Apalachin (one
mile up the creek from the present town),
Little Meadows, South
Owego, Brackneyville (Quaker Lake),
Choconut, Forest Lake,
Vestal Center, Catlin Schoolhouse, Hard
Scrabble (Tracy Creek),
South Chenango, and Eel Hill. In
1847-48 the circuit was
somewhat changed: Vestal, Catlin's,
Apalachin, Little
Meadows, South Owego, Hemlocks, New Con-
necticut, Quaker Lake,
Choconut, Forest Lake, Eel Hill, and
Spaulding Schoolhouse.
In 1852 the circuit was substantially the
same as in 1845, with
the addition of Meeker's Schoolhouse.
There were church buildings
at Vestal, Little Meadows, and
Brackneyville. At
Choconut Center the society used an old
Baptist church. Catlin
Schoolhouse was so called after Nathaniel
Catlin, father of the
general, and father-in-law of General Tracy,
who was a class leader.
At a meeting held on
July 1, 1831, at which Rev. John Griffing
and John Dunbar presided
and Edmund H. Robinson acted as
secretary, the society
became incorporated, with Samuel Murdock,
John Dunbar, Daniel
Foster, Edmund A. Robinson, and Lewis
Seymour as trustees. The
corporate name of the society is "The
First Methodist
Episcopal Church of Vestal."
The old brick church was
built prior to 1845, and is one of the
first Methodist churches
built in Broome County. In 1852 it was
largely repaired, at a
cost of $1,000. It was rededicated on Thurs-
day, December 9, 1852,
Rev. Z. Paddock preaching and dedicating.
The building was
enlarged and refitted in 1882-83, at a cost of
$2,322. Of this amount
the Ladies' Aid Society paid $360, and
$600 was raised on the
day of dedication, which was May 16,
Vestal, N. Y. 529
1883. At the dedicatory
services Rev. J. G. Eckman preached
morning and evening.
For some reason the
first incorporation was considered invalid.
Consequently a meeting
was held on January 24, 1889, at which
Rev. D. C. Barnes
presided, and Walter Aldrich and George Bar-
tholomew acted as
judges. Theodore Randall, H. D. Harrington,
William L. Pierce, E. B.
Mercereau, and F. G. Harrington were
elected trustees.
In the winter of 1890-91
work was begun in the schoolhouse at
Willow Point, which
resulted in thirty conversions and the organi-
VESTAL CHURCH [photo]
zation of a Sunday
school of sixty scholars. This work was con-
tinued for a while, and
then dropped.
The parsonage is located
at Vestal.
Vestal Center. Work was
begun here prior to 1845. A meet-
ing for incorporation
was held on October 26, 1875, at which
Rev. W. R. Cochrane
presided and E. L. Towner acted as clerk.
James C. Brown, Marvin
M. Mericle, Henry S. Park, George W.
Landon, and Ernest
Towner were elected trustees. The society
took the corporate name
of "The Vestal Center Methodist Epis-
copal Church." The
church was dedicated on March 23, 1876,
Rev. B. I. Ives
preaching at 10 130 and Rev. A. Griffin at 7. Rev.
530 Wyoming Conference
H. R. Clarke presided
during the day and dedicated the church.
In 1883 the society
freed itself from debt by raising $700.
Tracy Creek. The first
meetings held at Tracy Creek were held
prior to 1845, but it is
believed not long before. The class was
organized in March,
1863, with the following members: John
Whitaker, exhorter;
Chester Potts, leader; Clarissa Potts, Lois
Whitaker, and Belinda
Drake. The society worshiped in private
houses and the
schoolhouse until the erection of the church. The
site for the church was
purchased of James Russell and the
church erected in 1871,
being dedicated on January 17, 1872, by
Rev. D. W. Bristol. The
building cost $2,100. Mr. A. P. Plough
has been a class leader
here over thirty years.
Pastorates
1831, John Griffing;
1832, S. H. Stocking; 1833, H. Shepard;
1834-35, John Griffing;
1836, D. Torry, W. Wooley; 1837-38,
E. Smith; 1839, J. O.
Boswell; 1840, E. B. Tenny; 1841, M.
Ruger, G. H. Blakeslee;
1842, M. Ruger, Lewis Brown; 1843,
Lucas C. Woodford; 1844,
A. P. Burlingame, H. Pilbeam; 1845,
G. H. Blakeslee, G. W.
Leach; 1846, H. Brownscombe; 1847-48,
R. S. Rose; 1849-50, M.
Ruger; 1851, A. C. Sperry; 1852, C. V.
Arnold; 1853, H. T.
Avery, S. E. Walworth; 1854, L. Pitts, S. E.
Walworth; 1855, W. B.
Thomas; 1856-57, J. F. Wilbur; 1858-59,
E. W. Breckinridge;
1860-61, W. Smith; 1862-63, E. Sibley;
1864-65, P. Holbrook;
1866-67, T. Burgess; 1868-69, J. M.
Grimes; 1870-71, S. W.
Lindsley; 1872, J. D. Bloodgood; 1873-
74, J. B. Santee;
1875-77, W. R. Cochrane; 1878-79, C. D. Shep-
ard; 1880, C. V. Arnold;
1881-83, Asa Brooks; 1884-86, J. F.
Jones; 1887-89, D. C.
Barnes; 1890-91, F. H. Parsons; 1892-94,
Isaac Jenkins; 1895-96,
J. R. Angell; 1897-98, E. L. Jeffrey; 1899,
G. C. Jacobs; 1900-01,
H. A. Williams; 1902-03, I. C. Estes.
West Nicholson, Pa.
This charge was formed
in 1871 by taking West Nicholson from
Nicholson, Lakeside from
Brooklyn, Stark from Factoryville, and
Union, which had not
been connected with any charge. The
charge now has five
preaching places — West Nicholson, East
Lemon (for some time
with Factoryville), Shupp Hill, Union, and
Wallace Schoolhouse.
West Nicholson church is
an old one, having been built about
forty-five years ago,
and is valued at $2,000. The parsonage was
West Nicholson, Pa. 531
bought in 1871 of Joseph
Speh for $800. It has been improved
considerably since then.
East Lemon church
was built in 1870-71, at a cost of $3,000,
and was dedicated on
October 20, 1871, by Rev. B. I. Ives, D.D.
The building committee
was William M. Stark, Henry Harris,
William S. Shaw, and
Joseph Shupp. The first trustees were
William S. Shaw, William
M. Stark, Henry Harris, Cyrus Shaw,
Joseph Shupp, Fletcher
Dixon, Otis N. Stark, Lewis H. Shales,
and Orville Ball.
Union. Preaching services were
held for some time at Park-
vale, but subsequently
moved to Union, where a church was built
in 1899 and dedicated on
Thursday, August 8, 1899, by Rev.
Thomas Harroun. This
church is valued at $2,000. In 1901 it
was seated with chairs,
carpeted, and painted, at a cost of $400.
Shupp Hill and Wallace Schoolhouse are schoolhouse appoint-
ments, having Sunday
services, however.
There is an old church
on this charge situated not far from East
Lemon, called the Stark
church. It has probably stood fifty years.
The growth of East Lemon
absorbed this society. The building
is now used only for
funeral and special occasions.
Pastorates
1871-72, J. F. Warner;
1873, A. C. Sperry; 1874, A. Brigham;
1875, E. W.
Breckinridge; 1876, A. W. Hood; 1877-79, G. O.
Beers; 1880-82, S. H.
Wood; 1883-85, J. S. Lewis; 1886, I. P.
Towner; 1887-89, J. L.
Thomas; 1890, W. H. Alger; 1891, A. S.
Holland; 1892-93, G. M.
Chamberlain; 1894-97, L. T. Van
Campen; 1898-99, J. H.
Taylor; 1900-02, J. W. Johnson; 1903,
G. H. H. Davis.