CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
DATE DUE 
 
 CAYLORO 
 
 PRINTCDIN U.S.A. 
 
The original of tiiis book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924029488669 
 
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 1808 
 
 1908 
 
 THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 I c^itd pre^IigferiaH ^harifh | 
 
 OF DRYDEN 
 
 Published under the Supervision of 
 THE CHURCH CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE 
 
 s Stilwei,!. & Ross, Printers : 
 
 ; DRYDEN, NEW YORK | 
 
 nill I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIINIIH I IIIHIIII ■■■■■ Illllll II IIIIIIMIiniin! 
 
'''^A ' 
 
 V79 
 
 CENTENNIAL HISTORY COMMITTEE 
 
 Geo. E. Goodrich, President 
 Dr. F. S. Howe, Vice-President 
 Frances M. Phillips, Secretary 
 Mrs. Geo. Cole, Treasurer 
 
 Horace G. Fitts Miss M. A. Mineah 
 
 Mrs. E. p. Wheeler Miss Mary Cady 
 
 Miss Julia R. Dwight 
 
AT least two prior efforts at different times have been 
 -^"^ made to preserve in written form to some extent the 
 early history of the First Presbyterian Church of Dryden. 
 One was printed in the year 1883 at the close of the seventy- 
 fifth year of its existence, and the other five years later in 
 commemoration of its eightieth anniversary. 
 
 Both efforts were commendable and useful in collecting: 
 together and handing down information and data which 
 might otherwise have been lost, but both were incomplete 
 and to some extent misleading and contradictory as to 
 historical details. It is the aim of the present centennial 
 history in addition to much new matter to incorporate all 
 that which is authentic while leaving out all of that which is 
 questionable or uncertain in these former efforts, and to 
 bring the record down so as to complete the first hundred 
 years of its history. 
 
 A very enjoyable celebration of the founding of this 
 Church was had on Feb. 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1908, in com- 
 memoration of the completion of the first century of its ex- 
 istence. At that time it was determined that a historical 
 record should be made, but in consequence of the time re- 
 quired to collect the data and the fact that those members 
 of the centennial committee who had charge of the matter 
 were busy people who could give only their spare time to 
 the work, the complete fulfillment of the project has been 
 delayed to the present time. 
 
 No formal index is contemplated but the subject matter of 
 this record has been arranged in chapters with headings as 
 follows : The subject being the First Presbyterian Church 
 of Dryden. 
 
 Chapter 1— Treats of The Organization. 
 Chapter 2— Its Church Society. 
 Chapter 3— The Site of the Church. 
 Chapter 4— The Church Edifice. 
 Chapter 5— Membership. 
 Chapter 6— Auxiliary Organizations. 
 Chapter 7— Choir and Music. 
 Chapter 8— Church Pastors. 
 Chapter 9— Parsonages and Cemetery. 
 Chapter 10— Progress and Present Condition. 
 Chapter 11— The Centennial Celebration. 
 Chapter 12— Reminiscences and Letters from Absent 
 Members and Friends. 
 
God of the past, accept our praise 
 For treasures of remembered days, 
 Wherein this grateful church can trace 
 The light and Comfort of Thy grace. 
 For saints whose words Thy flock have fed; 
 For warriors who Thy host have led 
 To battle with the Spirit's word— 
 For these, accept our praise, O Lord. 
 
 God of the present. Thee alone 
 
 Our Saviour and our King we own. 
 
 Grant us with open eyes to see 
 
 How rich in love Thy Church may be. 
 
 Touch heart and tongue with heavenly fire. 
 
 To holier service life inspire. 
 
 O consecrate anew, we pray. 
 
 And make us one in Thee today. 
 
 God of the future, in whose sight 
 The ages are as day and night. 
 Make Thou our church a light indeed 
 For coming stress of doubt or need. 
 Selected by 
 Rev. C. H. Phillips 
 
JABEZ CHADWICK 
 
 Copied from a Silhouette of Rev. Jabez Chadwick, who, 
 while Pastor of the " South Church, in Milton " (now Lan- 
 sing) came to Dryden "by particular request" and perfected 
 the organization of this Church at Dryden, February 17, 1808. 
 
 The original Silhouette is now in the possession of a rel- 
 ative of Mr. Chadwick, Mrs. Lillian D. Avery, of Pontiac, 
 Mich., to whom we are indebted for the copy and informa- 
 tion concerning Mr. Chadwick. 
 
THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF 
 
 The First Presbyterian Church of Dryden 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE ORGANIZATION. 
 
 The following: entry found copied into the earliest record 
 book of this Church tells the story of its origin : 
 
 "February 17, 1808. I, the subscriber, assisted by Deacon 
 Ebenezer Brown of the South Church in Milton, and Mr. 
 Amos Lyon, a ruling Elder in the" Presbyterian Church in 
 the said town, attended at Dryden by particular request with 
 a view to the forming of a Church, and after serious and de- 
 liberate examination, the persons whose names are sub- 
 joined appeared and publicly acceded to and acknowledged 
 the foregoing Confession of Faith and entered into the 
 Covenant and were regularly formed and constituted a 
 Church of Christ. 
 Attest, Jabez Chad wick. 
 
 Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Milton. 
 John Terpening Juliana Terpening 
 
 James Wood Sarah Wood 
 
 Stephen Myrch Rebecca Myrch 
 
 Benjamin Simons Isabel Simons 
 
 Derick Sutfin Elizabeth Topping 
 
 Abram Griswold Asenath Griswold 
 
 Jerusha Taylor" 
 
 Exactly where in Dryden this interesting event took place 
 we are unable to say, but it was presumably in a log house, 
 of certainly less than twelve years standing, for Dryden as a 
 place of habitation by a civilized people was not then twelve 
 year sold. 
 
6 THE ORGANIZATION 
 
 From a half-dozen pioneers who had settled here as early 
 as the year 1800, the population had rapidly increased by 
 new arrivals until, in 1808, the township contained perhaps a 
 hundred or more families. As each established a new home 
 in the woods, where trees and logs were abundant, but lum- 
 ber was impossible to obtain until means of manufacturing 
 it should be brought in and established, for temporary pro- 
 tection from the elements, a log house was constructed, 
 more or less hastily, with the material at hand. Each little 
 hut of logs had an opening for a door in front, a large fire- 
 place at one end and a small opening for a window at an- 
 other, which in winter time was covered over with greased 
 paper, in place of glass which was not then to be had, to 
 shut out the cold and let in some daylight. There were 
 then no stoves, a little rude furniture — mostly home-made — 
 and a great scarcity of what we would consider the neces- 
 sities of civilized living; but there was a sturdy, courageous, 
 resolute and ambitious class of men and women, recently 
 gathered together from various localities in the East, who 
 with scanty worldly goods but with stout hearts, and many 
 with large and increasing families of children, had ventured 
 to leave their old homes and come into the wilderness of 
 Western New York to people this new township of Dryden, 
 some of whom had already felt the need of a religious or- 
 ganization among them; and we can well imagine that on 
 that February day in 1808, the old-fashioned, deep, wide 
 fire-place in the main, and most likely only, room in the 
 house, was piled high with burning logs which warmed and 
 lighted up the scene, while prayers were offered and hymns 
 were sung and the solemn formalities took place which sig- 
 nalized the birth of this new "Church of Christ." 
 
 This was the second church to be organized in the town- 
 ship of Dryden, a Baptist organization having been effected 
 at Miller's Settlement (Etna) four years before. According 
 to Bouton's History of Virgil, a Congregational Church was 
 established in that town three years before by eight charter 
 members, three of whom were residents of Dryden (page 67 
 of supplement). The Church in Milton from which Mr. 
 Chadwick came to assist in forming the Dryden Church was 
 organized in the year 1805. For many years it flourished. 
 
THE ORGANIZATION 7 
 
 erecting a large church edifice at an expense of $2,000, but it 
 was never destined to celebrate its centennial, or even semi- 
 centennial on earth, for more than fifty years ago it was dis- 
 banded, its large building was taken to pieces, the material 
 used for other purposes, and its site, which as a church yard 
 had according to the early custom been used for burial pur- 
 poses, long since became incorporated with the Lansingville 
 Cemetery by a special act of the State Legislature passed 
 in the year 1853. What was then known as the township of 
 Milton has since been divided and included what is now 
 Genoa in Cayuga county and Lansing in Tompkins county. 
 
 Concerning Mr. Chadwick, of whom we are fortunately 
 able to give a shadow likeness, such as were taken in those 
 days by tracing the outline of the subject from a shadow on 
 the wall, we learn that he with his parents settled in Milton 
 as early as 1798, that the family to which he belonged was 
 noted for their musical talents (Storke's History of Cayuga 
 county, page 494) which leads us to believe that he could 
 lead his congregation of pioneers in singing as well as in 
 prayer, and that he continued preaching in and about Lans- 
 ing as late as 1830. He seems to have been an independ- 
 ent, energetic man, devoted to his calling and adapted to a 
 new country, but in his later years he developed special 
 views upon the subject of baptism which led to his with- 
 drawal from the established creed of the Church which he 
 had aided to extend. 
 
 It would be interesting if we could know how the Rev. 
 Jabez Chadwick and his two lay companions made their way 
 from Milton to Dryden to fulfill their mission on the occa- 
 sion of the organization of the Dryden Church; but they 
 doubtless either came on foot or horseback, for the roads of 
 that early day were seldom traversed by vehicles of any 
 kind, most of the families having come into the country on 
 foot, drawing all their earthly possessions and perhaps the 
 weaker members of the family on the traditional ox-sled of 
 those days. There certainly were no snow drifts to impede 
 the way, for the clearings in the universal forest had not 
 yet been extended far enough to give the wind any chance 
 to pile up the snow. Probably they crossed Fall Creek on 
 the ice, or possibly over a foot bridge of logs, for there were 
 
8 THE ORGANIZATION 
 
 yet no permanent bridges, and the main highways were for 
 the most part mere paths or trails through the woods indi- 
 cated by marked trees. 
 
 From the church record we find that John Terpening was 
 elected the first deacon and moderator of the new Church 
 and Derick Sutfin its first clerk, Mr. Terpening being also 
 selected as a delegate to attend the Association of Congre- 
 gational Churches to be held at Milton in this same year of 
 1808. While the church was organized as simply a "Church 
 of Christ" without denominational designation, its creed 
 was Congregational and it voted at its first meeting to adopt 
 the Congregational form of church government, which was 
 subsequently changed to that of the Presbyterian. 
 
 Of these thirteen founders of this church, the first six 
 seem to have died or removed from this locality without 
 leaving behind them here any descendants or representa- 
 tives at the present time, so far as we are now able to ascer- 
 tain. Not so with Benjamin Simons and his wife Isabel, 
 who had recently come from Orange county, settling in the 
 South Hill neighborhood, which was destined to become for 
 generations a stronghold of this church, and who left many 
 descendants who have been and some still are among its 
 staunchest members. Derick Sutfin lived on Fall Creek, a 
 short distance below what we now call the Red Mill, where 
 at the time of the construction of the church building, about 
 a dozen years later, he had a saw-mill which he devoted to 
 the use of the church for sawing lumber during the night 
 time so as not to interfere with the usual business of the 
 mill during the day. He is said to have soon after removed 
 from the locality, but his descendants are still represented 
 in the township. Elizabeth Topping lived in the Dryden 
 Lake neighborhood and was the mother of Jesse Topping, 
 who was the step-father of our Daniel Bartholomew, and the 
 ancestor of other members of the Topping family who now 
 live elsewhere. Jerusha Taylor was the wife of Dr. Taylor 
 who lived on what has since been known as the Messenger 
 farm southwest from the Green Hill Cemetery. She, with 
 Mrs. Terpening, afterwards joined the "Taylorites", a set 
 of religious fanatics, under the leadership of Dr. Taylor, and 
 were dropped from the membership of this church. John 
 
ABRAM GRISWOLD 
 
THE CHURCH SOCIETY 9 
 
 Terpeningf died soon after the organization of the church and 
 his farm was sold in the year 1816 to Elias W. Cady, thus 
 becoming the Cady homestead near Willow Glen. 
 
 Asenath Griswold was the ancestor of all of what is now 
 known as the "Griswold Family of Dryden" numbering over 
 one hundred of her descendants, among whom have been 
 many prominent officers and members of this church, includ- 
 ing one miissionary, Rev. Hervey Griswold, now and for 
 some years past laboring in India. She lived to be 95 years 
 old, dying in the year 1852, and was one of the last of the 
 pensioners in the town of Dryden of the War of the Revolu- 
 tion, as the widow of her husband, Capt. Edward Griswold, 
 who was an old Revolutionary soldier of Connecticut. He 
 had come here befor the year 1805, purchasing in that year 
 the square mile of land which includes the church site and 
 old cemetery owned with it. 
 
 Her son, Abram, the last and probably the youngest of 
 these charter members, is the only one whose likeness we 
 are able to present to our readers. Think not however that 
 at the time of which we are speaking he was the aged 
 patriarch who is shown in the engraving, but at that time a 
 stalwart, active young man, twenty-three years of age, prob- 
 ably clad in homespun garments, but coming with his 
 mother to join this movement to found a new church in the 
 wilderness, and destined for long years to serve it, as its 
 first chorister, afterwards as deacon, from time to time as 
 its clerk and trustee, and always as a steadfast, devoted 
 member until his death in the year 1862. 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 THE CHURCH SOCIETY. 
 
 To many of us the distinction between a Church and its 
 "Society "is vague, or at least very imperfectly under- 
 stood. Involving as it does to some extent the relationship 
 between " Church and State ", it is apt to be regarded as too 
 intricate for easy comprehension. A brief consideration of 
 
10 THE CHURCH SOCIETY 
 
 the circumstances which had brougfht about the conditions 
 existing at that time will aid us to solve the problem. 
 
 When the American colonies became independent of 
 Great Britain, less than fifty years before the formation of 
 this Society, they not only renounced their allegiance to the 
 King, as a civil ruler, but also to the Church of England, the 
 national church, of which the King was the acknowledged 
 head. At the same time they established absolute religious 
 as well as civil liberty in the several states, and the Consti- 
 tution of the United States as well as that of the state of 
 New York provided for religious freedom, divorced from 
 and uninfluenced by any civil authority. But while not 
 favoring or even recognizing any church creed or organiza- 
 tion, the State of New York provided by an early statute 
 that the members and friends of any religious body might 
 organize under the State law a religious society which 
 would be recognized by the laws of the State as a corpora- 
 tion competent to hold and manage in trust the property and 
 temporal affairs of the Church organization with which it 
 was connected ; and it was such a society which was formed 
 under the laws of the State of New York in the year 1823 for 
 the new Church at Dryden. 
 
 Up to about the time of which we are speaking the new 
 Dryden Church had no need of a society, for it had no 
 property or temporal affairs to look after. It had no place 
 for meetings but met in houses or barns or in the open fields 
 or woods as circumstances permitted. It had no pastor, but 
 considered itself fortunate when a traveling missionary or 
 evangelist happened to stop among them, holding a meeting 
 and perhaps administering the rites of communion and 
 baptism. Probably on these occasions a collection was tak- 
 en for the visiting clergyman to help him on his way to the 
 next settlement, but it was small. It is difficult for us of 
 the present age to realize the extreme poverty so far as 
 money or property is concerned, of the early colonists of 
 those times. It was then that the "cold season" of 1816 
 occurred when no crops matured and when the new settlers 
 were actually in danger of perishing from starvation, as was 
 later the case in Ireland and still after in India. 
 
THE CHURCH SOCIETY 11 
 
 But as the clearings were extended in the wilderness and 
 new settlers came in their conditions improved and the mem- 
 bers of the new Church were encouraged to hope for a per- 
 manent minister and a place of worship which they could 
 call their own. It was then that the incorporated society 
 was formed under the following charter which forms a part 
 of the official records of Tompkins county in Book A of 
 Miscellaneous Records at pages 9 and 10, and reads as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "This may certify that on the fourteenth day of January in 
 the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty- 
 three, a meeting was held at the dwelling house of Samuel 
 Moffatt in the town of Dryden, called Dryden Village, of the 
 First Presbyterian Society of said town, according to the 
 statute in such case made and provided, whereof Abram 
 Griswold and Samuel Moffatt were chosen returning officers 
 for said society, — then duly proceeded to the choice of 
 trustees, Samuel Moffatt and Benjamin Simons were chosen 
 for the first class whose terms are to expire on the first 
 Wednesday in January next ; Robert McKee and Abram 
 Griswold were chosen for the second class whose terms are 
 to expire on the first Wednesday in January in the year 
 1825 ; Nathan Griswold and Daniel Bartholomew were chos- 
 en whose terms are to expire on the first Wednesday in 
 January in the year 1826, making the third class for said 
 society ; and the said trustees being elected as aforesaid are 
 to take charge of the estate and property belonging thereto 
 and to transact business relative to the temporalities there- 
 of, and the said estate and property so vested in them and 
 to their successors in office as trustees during the continu- 
 ance of said society, and to be called by the name and style 
 of the First Presbyterian Society of the Town of Dryden. 
 That the annual meeting be on the first Wednesday of Janu- 
 ary in each successive year. 
 
 " As witness our hands and seals the day and year first 
 above written. 
 
 Samuel Moffatt. [Seal] 
 
 Abram Griswold. [Seal] 
 
 " (Duly acknowledged before G. B. Guinup, Commission- 
 er, Aug. 9, 1823,)" 
 
12 THE CHURCH SOCIETY 
 
 To determine the location of the house of Samuel Mofiatt, 
 where this society was formed, a search was made in vain at 
 the county clerk's office, but an inquiry made of Aunt Percy 
 Hiles, now 101 years of age, and whose early housekeeping 
 was commenced on Main street in Dryden village, at about 
 the time of which we are treating, elicits the information 
 that the home of Samuel Mofiatt was in those years a small 
 wood-colored frame house located near the site now oc- 
 cupied by the Southworth library, and just below it on the 
 same side of the street was an ashery and a log distillery. 
 What a transformation has come over our village since that 
 time! 
 
 In concluding this chapter we give the names in chrono- 
 logical order so far as possible of the officers of the Church 
 and Society from their organization to the present time, 
 thus recalling the persons under whose supervision and 
 guidance the affairs of the Church have been conducted. In 
 compiling this list, where a person is re-elected and con- 
 tinued in the same office his name is not repeated, and 
 where the letter D is placed after the name it indicates that 
 he held also the office of Deacon. 
 
 ELDERS CLERKS OF SESSION 
 
 1808 John Terpening D Derick Sutfin 
 
 1810 Timothy Stowe D 
 
 Benjamin Simons, Sr 
 
 1817 Jonathan Sperry Josiah Newall 
 
 1818 Thomas L. Bishop Thomas L. Bishop 
 
 1819 Nathan Griswold 
 1821 Ananias Scofield 
 
 Hugh Thompson 
 Daniel Bartholomew, Sr 
 
 1823 Seymour O. Clark D 
 
 1824 Abram Griswold 
 
 1825 Wm. S. Owen 
 Nathan Griswold 
 
 1847 Freeman Stebbins 
 
 1848 Benjamin Simons, Jr 
 Allen White 
 Albert M. West 
 
DANIEL BARTHOLOMEW 
 
THE CHURCH SOCIETY 
 
 13 
 
 1849 
 1854 
 1860 
 1865 
 1866 
 1868 
 1871 
 1877 
 1880 
 1885 
 1888 
 1893 
 1895 
 1897 
 
 1899 
 1900 
 1901 
 
 1905 
 
 1907 
 
 1823 
 
 1824 
 
 1825 
 1826 
 1827 
 
 Leonard Griswold D 
 
 Elson P. Wheeler D 
 Horace G. Fitts 
 Darius J. Clement 
 David A. Chatfield 
 Albert J. Baker 
 
 Martin E. Tripp 
 Frederick R. Wheeler D 
 Daniel Bartholomew 
 Frank Griswold D 
 
 George Briggfs 
 Duncan McLachlan 
 J. Giles Ford 
 James B. Fulkerson 
 D. P. Bartholomew 
 Guy E. Chew 
 Ernest Lewis 
 Charles D. Griswold 
 Enos D. Wheeler 
 Charles F. Strong 
 
 TRUSTEES 
 
 Samuel Moflfatt 
 Benjamin Simons 
 Robert McKee 
 Abram Griswold 
 Daniel Bartholomew, Sr. 
 Peter Butts 
 John W. Phillips 
 Hugh Thompson 
 Nathaniel Jones 
 Charles Griswold 
 Nathan Godard 
 Theophilus Williams 
 James McElheny 
 Benjamin Simons 
 Bradford Potter 
 Daniel D. Page 
 
 Freeman Stebbins 
 
 David A. Chatfield 
 
 Fred R. Wheeler 
 
 CLERK 
 
 Nathan Griswold 
 
 Parley Whitmore 
 
 Abram Griswold 
 
14 
 
 THE CHURCH SOCIETY 
 
 1829 
 
 Peleg Potter 
 
 
 1830 
 
 Robert McKee 
 Nathan Griswold 
 
 
 1831 
 
 Aaron Foster 
 
 
 1833 
 
 Joseph S. Weed 
 
 
 1834 
 
 Adam Simons 
 Lemuel Clark 
 
 
 1835 
 
 Isaac Ferguson, Sr. 
 Elihu Rogers 
 Erasmus Ballard 
 
 
 1836 
 
 Seymour O. Clark 
 Edward Griswold, Jr. 
 Eliada Todd 
 
 Daniel D. Page 
 
 1838 
 
 Samuel T. Wilson 
 
 
 1839 
 
 Benevolent Stevens 
 
 E. P. Healey 
 
 
 William Cramer 
 
 
 1840 
 
 Otis Murdock 
 
 
 1842 
 
 Williston Schofield 
 
 
 1843 
 
 Enos Wheeler 
 Willet Ellis 
 
 Nicholas Brown 
 
 1844 
 
 William A. Chatfield 
 
 
 1845 
 
 Thomas Mineah 
 
 James H. Hurd 
 
 1846 
 
 Alonzo L. Bushnell 
 
 
 1847 
 
 Leonard Griswold 
 
 
 1848 
 
 Thomas Space 
 
 
 1851 
 
 Ebnor Emery 
 Daniel Griswold 
 
 
 1852 
 
 Geo. D. Pratt 
 Daniel Bartholomew 
 
 
 1853 
 
 Freeman Stebbins 
 Archibald Miller 
 
 
 1855 
 
 S. MoflEatt 
 Francis White 
 
 
 1857 
 
 
 Geo. D. Pratt 
 
 1858 
 
 Daniel A. White 
 
 W. S. Moffatt 
 
 1859 
 1860 
 
 Albert Phillips 
 Albert M. West 
 
 
 1861 
 1862 
 
 Hiram W. Sears 
 David A. Chatfield 
 Freeman Stebbins 
 Job Pierce 
 
 William Moffatt 
 
THB CHURCH SOCIETY 
 
 15 
 
 1863 JohnMcElheny 
 Elson P. Wheeler 
 
 1864 Jeremiah W. Dwigfht 
 
 1865 Albert J. Baker 
 James H. Smiley 
 
 1866 John Simons 
 
 1867 George D. Pratt 
 Lorenzo Lewis 
 
 1868 Daniel Bartholomew, Jr. 
 
 1869 Leonard Griswold 
 Horace G. Fitts 
 
 1871 Frederick Stebbins 
 1877 Harrison Marvin 
 1878 
 
 1880 John Harlan Pratt 
 
 E. S. Rockwell 
 1883 George E. Monroe 
 
 John H. Kennedy 
 
 Jackson Lormor 
 
 1872 John Miller 
 
 1874 Darius J. Clement 
 
 1885 David E. Bower 
 
 1886 Morris Sweetland 
 1888 Adelbert Clark 
 
 1890 Fred R. Wheeler 
 Miss Atossa Holmes 
 Mrs. J. E. McElheny 
 
 1891 Dewitt T. Wheeler 
 Frank Griswold 
 
 1896 Martin E. Tripp 
 
 1898 Charles D. Griswold 
 Charles D. Williams 
 
 1899 Edwin C. French 
 
 1901 James B. Fulkerson 
 
 1902 Ernest Lewis 
 Hiram Foster 
 
 1903 Enos D. Wheeler 
 1907 Adelbert C. Scott 
 
 Adolphus Tanner 
 Eli A. Spear 
 
 John Miller 
 Fred Stebbins 
 
 Fred R. Wheeler 
 
 F. M. Phillips 
 James B. Fulkerson 
 
 D. P. Bartholomew 
 
 E. D. Wheeler 
 
16 the; site op thb church 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 the site of the church. 
 
 In view of the fact that the title to the church site has 
 been in its society so long, we are tempted to go back a step 
 farther and trace it to its original source. 
 
 Fifty years before it was acquired by the Presbyterian So- 
 ciety the site of its church was a part of the hunting 
 grounds of the Iroquois Indians whose title as original pro- 
 prietors from time immemorial no one could dispute. The 
 villages of the Cayuga and Seneca tribes of the Iroquois 
 were along the banks of the lakes to which they gave name 
 and their hunting grounds extended for long distances in 
 every direction. At the time of the War of the Revolution 
 the colonial outposts had extended to Wyoming in Penn- 
 sylvania and Cherry Valley in New York, but beyond, all 
 was Indian territory. During that war these outposts had 
 been continually threatened and harassed by incursions of 
 Indians and Tories, and near its close, when there was not 
 so much danger from the enemy on the Atlantic coast, Gen. 
 Washington organized an expedition under Gen. Sullivan, 
 whose name it has since acquired, which resulted in driving 
 out the Indians and destroying their villages so effectually 
 that they never returned in force. Soon after the war treat- 
 ies were made with these Indians by the terms of which all 
 this territory with the exception of certain Indian reserva- 
 tions was ceded to the state of New York. Subsequently the 
 state caused a considerable portion of it to be surveyed and set 
 off as the "Military Tract" and distributed among the New 
 York soldiers of the Revolution by lot as a reward for their ser- 
 vices. In this way lot No. 39 of township No. 28, which in- 
 cludes the church site and all of the northeast section of 
 Dryden village, being a mile square, was drawn by Bartho- 
 lomew Van Denburgh and from him deeded to Capt. Edward 
 Griswold, a Revolutionary soldier, recently emigrating from 
 Connecticut, for a consideration of $2250, Oct. 16, 1805. On 
 March 10th, 1811, Capt. Griswold conveyed to his son Abram 
 a farm of about 100 acres which included the old cemetery 
 hill and present fair grounds and also nearly two acres in 
 
HORACE G. FITTS 
 
THE SITE OF THE CHURCH 17 
 
 the extreme southwest corner of his lot, which included 
 nearly all of the present villagre park. On Aug. 11, 1820, 
 Abram Griswold conveyed to trustees for the Presbyterian 
 society, not yet legally organized, a strip of land extending 26 
 rods north from the southwest corner of lot 39 and 8}4 rods 
 east from the center of North street, but excepting six rods 
 square in the southwest corner " for the good people of the 
 town of Dryden " and a narrow strip in front of the present 
 M. E. church. This tract of about one and one-half acres 
 was the original church site and acsommodated the building 
 as originally located (facing the south and all within six 
 rods from the center of North street) but includes only a 
 small part of the present location of the building. In the 
 year 1834 Samuel Johnson, of Virgil, conveyed to the society 
 a strip in the rear of the original site three and one-half rods 
 wide and about fifteen rods long, which includes the greater 
 part of the present site of the church. As a matter of his- 
 torical interest the last mentioned conveyance contains a 
 reservation as follows: " Excepting and reserving the south 
 end (for SO feet) of said piece of land for the use and benefit 
 of the inhabitants of Dryden and the adjoining towns to 
 erect and build an academy" provided it should be ap- 
 propriated for that purpose within five years. This subject 
 of having a school building located between the present 
 sites of the two churches was from time to time agitated by 
 the early inhabitants of Dryden as appears by the church 
 and other records of that time. Since the purchase from 
 Johnson, additional land for the accommodation of the 
 church sheds has been purchased of Henry H. Ferguson and 
 the Southworth estate to complete the present church prop- 
 erty and certain rights and privileges have been conveyed 
 to the M. E. Church Society, leaving the present church 
 real estate about two acres in extent. 
 
 It is discovered from a perusal of the church records that 
 between the years 1840 and 1850 the subject of fencing the 
 "village common" as it was called, a large share of which 
 actually belonged to the Presbyterian society, was frequent- 
 ly agitated, and at the end of that period a substantial 
 fence was erected and the maple trees, many of which are 
 now dying out, were set along the fence. It should be re- 
 
18 THE SITE OF THE CHURCH 
 
 membered that in those days cattle and horses were per- 
 mitted to run at large in the streets as a public common and 
 the only way to be secure from their trespassing was by 
 means of highway fences. 
 
 Near the close of the year 1893, when the Dryden village 
 waterworks were being installed, the Hon. Andrew Albright, 
 whose native home was at Dryden, but who had then become 
 a wealthy and influential citizen of Newark, N. J., offered to 
 present to the citizens of Dryden a fountain at an expense of 
 $1000 and upwards in memory of his parents, provided that 
 a suitable place for it was secured on the village common 
 by the removal of the church sheds which had been per- 
 mitted to occupy the vacant ground between the churches 
 and by the grading and laying out of the old village green 
 into a village park. This proved to be quite an undertaking 
 but by the united efforts of all public-spirited citizens a fund 
 of about $1500 was raised, the grounds were graded and laid 
 out, the sheds removed and thousands of loads of earth and 
 gravel were drawn in to fill up and grade the low places. In 
 this way the old village green became the public park. The 
 Albright fountain was accepted and provided for and new 
 trees were set out. We wish here to call attention to and 
 make record of the fact lest it should hereafter be forgotten 
 that at that time, about the close of the year 1893, resolu- 
 tions were adopted and legally recorded in the minutes of 
 Dryden village and of both church societies providing for 
 the future care of the park by the village authorities and 
 prohibiting its obstruction or disfigurement by church sheds 
 or otherwise. 
 
 In addition to this public effort to embellish and beautify 
 the village park, we wish here to call attention to and record 
 the setting out of what is now a beautiful elm near the 
 northwest corner of the grounds about fifty years ago by 
 Aaron Foster, a worthy ancestor of some present Dryden 
 citizens, which tree is and should hereafter be known as the 
 Foster Elm. A similar elm further south in the row of trees 
 which marks the west line of the park is another elm said to 
 have been set out by Otis Murdock, another worthy ancestor 
 of Dryden citizens, which promises to rival in vigor and 
 strength, if not in beauty, the Foster elm, and it is hoped 
 
THE CHURCH EDIFICE 19 
 
 and believed that both will long: endure the ravages of 
 time as memorials of two stalwart Dryden citizens of old. 
 
 In May, 1902, the first planting- of evergreens was made 
 under the care of the Ways and Means Society. Some of 
 these died and were replaced with native trees by the court- 
 esy of Mr. Guy Chew. 
 
 The poplars, lilacs, barberries, and hydrangeas on the 
 north boundary were planted late in November, 1905, by 
 Mary A. Mineah. The border line of poplars at the east of 
 the park and in front of sheds was given by Julia R. 
 Dwight, and planted in April, 1908. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CHURCH EDIFICE 
 
 In a former historical sketch of this church, written and 
 printed in the year 1883, it was stated: "It is to be regretted 
 that now no records can be found which relate to the build- 
 ing of the original edifice ". The writer of that statement 
 as well as all others at that time was ignorant of the fact 
 that well preserved in a musty garret of a house almost 
 within stone's throw of the church was a box, soon to be 
 resurrected by Dr. Allen while remodeling the house, which 
 contained the original records in the form of both ledger 
 and day book, of all the labor and materials used in the con- 
 struction of the original building which still forms the great- 
 er part of the present structure. To the antiquarian these 
 books are very interesting. They are not only yellow but 
 brown with age. They are home-made with sheets of plain 
 paper hand ruled and fastened together in book form with 
 waxed ends. Some of the leaves are gone but those which 
 are left bear evidence of the fact that the work of building 
 the church was conducted in a very accurate and careful 
 manner. Seldom is bookkeeping done with better method 
 and system at the present day. To start with each con- 
 tributor was charged with an " assignment " or subscrip- 
 tion, and later with one or more pews of the church at prices 
 
20 THF CHURCH EDIFICE 
 
 varying from $275 to $10.50 each. As against this charge 
 each is credited with what he pays in money or contributes 
 in labor or merchandise, mostly the latter. It there appears 
 that on March 4, 1820, Edward Griswold worked one-half day 
 with team drawing stone for which he was credited $1.00. 
 On April 17 and 18, 1820, he worked one day each " with 
 oxen only " and received credit for 75 cents per day. In 
 August of the same year he is credited with the use of 
 " horse one day " 37 cents. In July he is credited with a 
 barrel of pork at $15, and with wheat furnished at $1.00 per 
 bushel. As already stated there was then but very little 
 money and little or no market for produce as there was no 
 means of transportation. In drawing a load of wheat to 
 market at Albany, the producer was gone for a week with 
 his team and the expense of the trip consumed nearly all of 
 the returns. This condition of things, as was explained by 
 Prof. Catterall in his centennial address, induced the farmers 
 to have their grain distilled into whiskey, then a common 
 article of legitimate trade, which was much less bulky than 
 the grain and could therefore be marketed with much less 
 expense. In turning to the account of Robert McKee, who 
 was a distiller of the farmer's grain, but one of the foremost 
 contributers to the building of the church and one of its 
 most steadfast members, we find that he paid his share of 
 $130, mostly in whiskey and lumber, the former at $24 per 
 barrel and the latter at $10 per thousand feet of first-class 
 pine boards and $7.50 for the second class. It may be asked 
 how this whiskey was used in building the church. The 
 books show that some of it was used by and charged to the 
 workmen while some was exchanged for other needed ma- 
 terials. 
 
 The books show that the work was commenced in January, 
 1820, and concluded so far as appears from them in 1823. 
 The completing of the foundation and the raising of the 
 frame was all that was accomplished the first year. As al- 
 ready stated, the building was first located facing the south 
 and near to North street. The original timbers which still 
 constitute the larger part of the frame are said to have been 
 hewn out from trees cut near the site. We have a very in- 
 teresting letter, written by the sister of Mrs. Elias W. 
 
BENJAMIN SIMONS 
 
The church edifice 21 
 
 Cady at Dryden to her mother in Columbia county, May 
 23, 1821, in which she speaks of the naked frame of the 
 building standing exposed to the weather all the previous 
 winter. It was no small task for a community of pioneer 
 farmers in a new settlement in the wilderness to construct 
 such a building. A great difficulty was found in procuring 
 the nails and glass which had to be brought from a long dis- 
 tance and paid for in money. We quote from a former writ- 
 er on this s ubject as follows : 
 
 " Glass and nails needed to complete the structure were 
 at that time cash articles. Neither produce nor lumber 
 would be received in exchange for them, but money was 
 absolutely required to procure them. Unfortunately, as it 
 seemed, the amount of money then circulating in this coun- 
 try was quite inconsiderable. How to overcome this new 
 embarrassment promised to be a problem difficult to solve. 
 But here, as in the case of the Israelites at the Red Sea, an 
 unexpected way was opened by the providence of God, 
 which led to a happy termination of this difficulty. Ben- 
 jamin Simons, Sr., a devoted Christian man, and member of 
 the Society, also, for many years after, of the session, was 
 the man whom God had chosen to lead his little struggling 
 band out of the perplexing embarrassment they were labor- 
 ing under. It was a bright spring morning, when Elder 
 Simons, with knapsack on his back and staff in hand — 
 equipped for a pedestrian tour to Orange county, this state, 
 from whence he had immigrated — proceeded to execute an 
 errand pertaining to the King's business. Reaching his 
 native place, he lost no time in making known to his old 
 friends and neighbors the destitute condition of this church 
 and solicited their cash contributions. When he had com- 
 pleted the canvass and was ready to turn his face home- 
 ward, he found himself in possession of sixty dollars as the 
 result of his mission, notwithstanding a representative of 
 the Congregational Church of Virgil had canvassed the 
 same community for a similar purpose in behalf of that 
 church, only a week or two previous. The sixty dollars 
 thus obtained enabled the society to procure glass for the 
 windows, and nails sufficient to complete the edifice. 
 Thus, the last obstacle had at last been surmounted, and the 
 
22 THE CHURCH EDIFICE 
 
 society were in possession of a house of worship and unen- 
 cumbered with debt. " 
 
 This origfinal Dryden Church was of the same width as 
 the present building of which it still forms the principal 
 part and of the same height, but it was 40 feet less in 
 length. An imposing spire ascended from the south or front 
 peak of the roof and directly under it was the old style of a 
 pulpit, high up from the floor, and commanding a good view 
 of the galleries as well as of the body of the church. We 
 have among the church relics an interesting diagram of the 
 slips and pews as originally located, showing the galleries 
 extending on three sides, and giving the names of the 
 original pew owners and the location of their respective 
 places in the church. There was no chimney on the origin- 
 al church and no place for a stove, the only means of warm- 
 ing the church in cold weather being the little foot stoves 
 which the women of the congregation filled with live coals 
 from the fire place when they left home and using them to 
 keep their feet warm in the bottom of the sleigh or wagon 
 on the way, transferred to their sitting places in the church. 
 The men were supposed in those days to be sufficiently 
 warmed up by and interested in the service so as not to 
 mind the cold, and we suspect that under these circum- 
 stances there was much less liability to go to sleep during a 
 sermon than there is at present. 
 
 So far as we can ascertain there was no considerable 
 change in the building during the first twenty-five years of 
 its existence, but at the end of that period, in the winter of 
 1849-50, the building was turned a quarter of the way 
 around so as to face the west and removed to its present 
 location. The written contract under which this work was 
 done is still preserved and shows that about $1500 was ex- 
 pended in this work. It was in the year 1861 that the old 
 spire was taken down and forty feet added to the front, in- 
 cluding the present vestibule and gallery, the former galler- 
 ies being then removed, a new spire being erected on the 
 northwest corner of the building. The old pews with high 
 partitions and doors at the entrance of each and the old 
 pulpit were then removed and the present seats and plat- 
 form at the other end of the building were substituted. 
 
MEMBERSHIP 
 
 23 
 
 Since then the " lecture room " on the east end has been 
 annexed and has from time to time been extended until 
 it now constitutes the church parlors and kitchen, and final- 
 ly, as a voluntary contribution on the part of the late David 
 A. Chatfield, he in one of the latter years of his life built 
 on the north side of the tower the covered driveway and 
 entrance from that side for the accommodation of the coun- 
 try members. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 The records of church membership seem to be complete 
 from the organization in 1808 down to 1826. From that date 
 until 1869 the most diligent research has failed to discover 
 any records. 
 
 A few names of persons who were members between the 
 years 1826 and 1869 have been ascertained from various 
 sources and a list of these is given. 
 
 It was found that five of the early members of the church 
 retained their membership in 1869, these were Seymour O. 
 Clark, Rhoda Clark, Margaret Hazlet, Jerusha Griswold 
 Topping, and Catharine White. 
 
 The following statistics are copied from the old records: 
 In January 1819 there were 46 communicants; in 1823, 67; in 
 1828, 101; in 1829, 105; and in 1830, 111. 
 
 Griswold, Abram 
 Griswold, Asenath 
 Myrch, Stephen 
 Myrch, Rebecca 
 Simons, Benjamin 
 
 Griswold, Margaret 
 Stowe, Timothy 
 
 1808 
 
 Simons, Isabel 
 Sutfin, Derick 
 Taylor, Jerusha 
 Terpening, John 
 Terpening, Juliana 
 
 1808 
 
 Stowe, Polly 
 Tears, Isaac 
 
 Topping, Elizabeth 
 Taylor, Jerusha 
 Wood, James 
 Wood, Sarah 
 
 Tears, Elizabeth 
 
24 
 
 MEMBERSHIP 
 
 
 
 1811 
 
 Ingersol, Nancy 
 
 
 Scofield, Theodosia 
 
 Jagger, Serren Halsey 
 
 Stowe, Rebecca 
 
 Lewis, Peggfy 
 
 
 Thompson, Hugh 
 
 Scofield, Ann 
 
 
 Thompson, Eleanor 
 1817 
 
 Ballard, Abigail 
 
 
 Maltbe, Phoebe 
 
 Bartholomew, Daniel 
 
 
 Moffet, Ann 
 
 Bartholomew, Lemi 
 
 
 Munson, Sarah 
 
 Bartholomew, Marmara 
 
 Nelson, Eleanor 
 
 Bartholomew, Sabra 
 
 
 Nelson, Margaret 
 
 Benedick, Solon 
 
 
 Nelson, Robert 
 
 Benedick, Elizabeth 
 
 
 Newel, Margaret 
 
 Bishop, Thomas L. 
 
 
 Newel, Josiah 
 
 Bishop, Ruby 
 
 
 Scofield, Joseph 
 
 Bramhall, Sylvina 
 
 
 Sperry, Jonathan 
 
 Clark, Delana 
 
 
 Sperry, Marthy 
 
 Freeman, Thomas 
 
 
 Southworth, Mary 
 
 Fuller, Margaret 
 
 
 Simons, Jane 
 
 Griswold, Nathan 
 
 
 Tompson, William 
 
 Griswold, Jerusha (Topping) Thompson, Isabella 
 
 Hoaglin, Asenath Griswold 
 
 Tears, Nancy 
 
 Lupton, Leah 
 
 
 Topping, Elizabeth 
 1819 
 
 Clark, Levi 
 
 Clark 
 
 , Rhoda Scofield, Ananias 
 
 Clark, Esther 
 
 Ewer, 
 
 1 Paul Scofield — , his wife 
 
 Clark, Seymour 0. 
 
 
 1820 
 
 Givens, Laura 
 
 
 Griswold, Patience 
 
 . 
 
 
 1821 
 
 Godard, Deborah 
 
 McKee, Robert Sperry, Beulah 
 
 Haight, Leah 
 
 Stone 
 
 , Esther Sager, Mrs. 
 
ft>;'4,-'. 
 
 ALBERT J. BAKER 
 
MEMBERSHIP 
 
 25 
 
 1822 
 
 Nelson, Royal C. 
 Nelson, Jane 
 Owen, William S. 
 Tompson, Eleanor 
 Todd, Eleazer 
 Todd, Sally 
 White, Francis 
 White, Hannah 
 
 1825 
 
 Mineah, Margaret McElheny Robertson, Dorcas 
 Pool, Betsey Simmons, Mary 
 
 1826 
 
 Blue, Mary 
 Cook, Lucy 
 Cooper, Ruth 
 Emery, Abner 
 Emery, Mary 
 Givens, Jane 
 Godard, Nathan 
 Goldsmitts, Catherine 
 
 Hazlet, Margaret 
 Mintory, John 
 Mintory, Fanny 
 
 Philo, Washington Shafer, Mrs. 
 Pitts, Nancy Wattles, Ruth 
 
 Ranney, Eliza White, Catharine 
 
 Between 1826-1869 
 
 Bushnell, A. L. 
 Bushnell, Mrs. A. L. 
 Cady, Mary Hamblin 
 Cady, Mehitable Bramhall 
 Chatfield, Elizabeth Brown 
 Clements, Nancy McGraw 
 Eastman, Lucy B. 
 Flint, Frederick W. 
 Griswold, Maria (Phillips) 
 Griswold, Nancy 
 (Bartholomew) 
 Healy, Dr. E. P. 
 
 Healy, Mrs, E. P. 
 Hurd, Harriett 
 McDougal, Mrs. A. 
 McDougal, Jennie (Parke) 
 Mineah, Harriet (Avery) 
 Phillips, Huldah Bramhall 
 Stevens, Benevolent 
 Stevens, Mrs. Benevolent 
 Wilson, Samuel 
 Wilson, Emmeline 
 Wright, Dr. Edwin 
 Wright, Mrs. Edwin 
 
 Entire Membership— 1869 
 
 Aldrich, Minerva 
 Ballard, Erasmus 
 Butts, Abram 
 Butts, Lydia 
 Butts, Rowena 
 Burch, James D. 
 Bartholomew, Daniel 
 
 Bartholomew, Dora Wheeler 
 Briggs, Diana 
 Brown, Alfred P. 
 Brown, Rhoda Jane 
 Baker, Albert J. 
 Baker, Helen Murdock 
 Baker, Mary H. 
 
26 
 
 MEMBERSHIP 
 
 Baker, Kate L. (Baucus) 
 Brown, Mary Delia 
 Clark, Seymour O. 
 Clark, Rhoda Dickerman 
 Carpenter, William 
 Carpenter, Harriett 
 Carpenter, Mary Elizabeth 
 
 (Fay) 
 Chatfield, Margaret 
 Chatfield, David A. 
 Chatfield, Mary J. Miller 
 Carmer, Sarah Griswold 
 Carmer, Myron 
 Cady, Cornelia A. Phillips 
 Cady, Harriett A. 
 Cady, Mary E. 
 Clement, Darius J. 
 Chew, Guy 
 
 Cole, Nancy A. Simons 
 Davis, Thomas 
 Davis, Thomas J. 
 Davis, Adelia Griswold 
 Draper, Sarah W. 
 Draper, Eli 
 
 Dates, Thomas Benton 
 DeCoudres, Georgfiana 
 Ellis, Maria 
 Foster, Betsey 
 Ferguson, Isaac 
 Ferguson, Sarah 
 Fitts, Leonard 
 Fitts, Julia H. 
 Fitts, Mary E. 
 Ferguson, Sarah Rosetta 
 Fitts, Horace G. 
 Fitts, Mary Jane Griswold 
 Fitts, Angeline 
 Fitts, Emma Jane (Mosso) 
 Griswold, Nathan 
 Griswold, Leonard 
 
 Griswold, Delana Wheeler 
 Griswold, Laura (Mahan) 
 Griswold, Hannah 
 Graves, Jackson 
 Graves, Mary Jane 
 Goodrich, Eunice Eastman 
 Goodrich, Evelyn 
 Griswold, Mary Ann 
 Hile, Nancy 
 Hurd, Martha 
 Hooker, Laura 
 Howe, Freeman S. 
 Howe, Caroline A. Baker 
 Houpt, Eliza Ann 
 Hiles, Asenath Griswold 
 Houpt, Henry H. 
 Houpt, Catharine P. 
 Hogland, Ulala 
 Herrington, Henry S. 
 Herrington, Margaret Stew- 
 art 
 Ide, Elizabeth Lindsey 
 Johnson, R. Gordon 
 Johnson, Lucinda 
 Jameson, Mary 
 Keeney, Maria Phillips 
 Knickerbocker, Sarah B. 
 Lindsey, Eliza 
 Lindsey, Mary 
 Lord, Erastus S. 
 Lord, Lavina Clark 
 Lindsey, Harriet 
 Lindsey, Rowena 
 Lormor, Jackson 
 Lormor, Lucy J. Sperry 
 Lormor, Elizabeth 
 Lewis, Lorenzo 
 Lewis, Harriet C. 
 Lewis, Nathan 
 Lord, Jerusha 
 
MEMBERSHIP 
 
 27 
 
 Lindsey, Sarah (Dedrick) 
 Mineah, Thomas 
 Mineah, Mary 
 Montgfomery, Eunice 
 Murdock, Otis 
 Miller, Mrs. R. 
 Mallery, Olivia 
 Miller, Archibald 
 Miller, Isabel McKellar 
 Miller, Janette 
 McGraw, Sarah Ann Sears 
 McGraw, Sarah Jane (Simp- 
 son) 
 McElheny, John E. 
 McElheny, Adelia Aldrich 
 Miller, John 
 Mason, Ellen J. 
 Mineah, Albina 
 Mineah, Mary Anna 
 Marvin, Kate Murdock 
 Mineah, Carrie Bower 
 Nellis, V. M. 
 Norwood, Edwin M. 
 Pratt, George D. 
 Pratt, Betsey Foster 
 Pierce, Job 
 Pierce, Sophronia 
 Phillips, Daniel 
 Phillips, Lydia Clark 
 Robinson, Mary 
 Rumsey, Henry D. 
 Simons, Benjamin 
 Simons, Mary 
 Smiley, Phoebe 
 Stebbins, Freeman 
 Stebbins, Antoinette M. 
 Sweetland, Lydia Griswold 
 Simons, Samantha 
 Simons, Parthena 
 Spear, Eli A. 
 
 Spear, Sarah B. 
 
 Sperry, Zina B. 
 
 Sperry, Magdaline 
 
 Simons, E. Adelaide (Hiles) 
 
 Simons, Catharine M. 
 (Moore) 
 
 Simons, Cornelia W. 
 
 Simons, Luther C. 
 
 Simons, Loretta Ann 
 
 Sharp, Adaline (White) 
 
 Stebbins, Frederick 
 
 Sweetland, Morris Fayette 
 
 Sweetland. Fanny (Daven- 
 port) 
 
 Tucker, Mary Maria 
 
 Tanner, Juliette 
 
 Tyler, Barnabas 
 
 Tyler, Hannah Maria 
 
 Topping, Jesse 
 
 Updike, Jacob 
 
 Updike, Olive 
 
 Updike, Jacob Sidney 
 
 Updike, Priscilla M. 
 
 West, Jane 
 
 West, Delia Ann 
 
 Wheeler, Mary Bartholo- 
 mew 
 
 Wheeler, Elson P. 
 
 Wheeler, Sarah Brigham 
 
 Wheeler, Almond L. 
 
 Wheeler, Mary Janette 
 
 Wheeler, Emory A. 
 
 Wheeler, Elizabeth Stewart 
 
 West, Flavilla A. (Ellis) 
 
 Wilson, Laura 
 
 Walker, Ebenezer M. 
 
 Williams, Hannaret 
 
 Williams, Ella A. (Severy) 
 
 Williams, Nancy (Dedrick) 
 
 Wilson, Sarah E. Cady 
 
28 
 
 MEMBERSHIP 
 
 Yearly Accessions. 
 
 Hart, Johanna 
 
 Church, Mary 
 Fitts, Alonzo 
 
 1869 
 
 Sperry, Hannah 
 1870 
 
 Fitts, Jessie 
 Frome, Caleb W. 
 
 Frome, Mary E. 
 Macy, Selina 
 Shepherd, Harriet 
 
 1871 
 
 Fitts, Charles T. 
 Fitts, Salome 
 Griswold, Marietta M. 
 
 Bartholomew, Lee 
 Bower, Ellen E. 
 Draper, Mary M. 
 Draper, Ella L. 
 Goodrich, Frank 
 Goodwin, Laura 
 Goodwin, Lucina 
 
 Kennedy, Persis E. 
 Miller, Emma (Cole) 
 Tripp, Martin Ely 
 Tripp, Eliza 
 
 1872 
 
 Griswold, Daniel 
 Griswold, Mrs. Daniel 
 Howe, Francis 
 Mallery, Frances L. 
 Nelson, William 
 Nelson, Ellen 
 Nelson, Frances (West) 
 Simons, Emma (Loomis) 
 
 Black, Anna 
 Dwight, Julia R. 
 Smith, Sarah 
 
 1874 
 
 Fitch, Pratt, Rose (Small) 
 
 Hamblin, Almira Rockwell, Mary D. 
 
 1875 
 
 Burlingame, Magfgfie C. 
 Hamblin, Cordelia 
 
 Murrock, Frederick 
 Otis, Sophronia 
 
 1876 
 
 Beach, Jane M. 
 Beach, Sarah 
 
 Gardner, Sarah 
 Handy, Eliza J. 
 
 Swift, Mary L. 
 Tucker, Mary A. 
 
MARTIN E. TRIPP 
 
MEMBERSHIP 
 
 29 
 
 1877 
 
 Bartholomew, Mary B. 
 Beach, Georgfiana (Perry) 
 Chew, Ida A. 
 Griswold, Celia H. 
 
 (McClintock) 
 Haight, Margaret 
 Miller, Zebulon 
 Miller, Jane 
 
 Murrock, Emily 
 
 Raymond, George 
 
 Raymond, Irene 
 
 Schutt, Mary J. 
 
 Stevens, Prudence 
 
 Stiles, Ella J. 
 
 Wheeler, Mary W. (Fortner) 
 
 1878 
 
 Smiley, Mary E. 
 
 1879 
 
 Bartholomew, Mary (Wood) 
 
 Black, Ellen O. 
 
 Briggs, M. C. 
 
 Cady, Sarah Elizabeth 
 
 Chatfield, Anna 
 
 Chatfield, Estella (Fitts) 
 
 Coombs, Josephine 
 
 Hill, Loretta 
 
 Holmes, Attosa 
 
 Long, Morgan 
 
 Long, Mrs. Morgan 
 Lormore, Minerva E. 
 Phillips, Frances M. 
 Pratt, Olive B. 
 Root, Edward T. 
 Root, William S. 
 Simons, Willison D. 
 Tucker, Addie (Miller) 
 Umbs, Christina 
 Wheeler, Jennie S. 
 Wheeler, Frederick R. 
 
 Ballard, Sarah 
 Bartholomew, D. Paige 
 
 Paine, Sarah 
 
 Dunning, Mary 
 Finch, William J. 
 Glazier, Ezra B. 
 
 1880 
 
 Burlingame, Mary A. 
 Dunning, Ellen M. 
 Griswold, Hervey D. 
 
 1881 
 
 Glezen, Betsey 
 
 1882 
 
 Phillips, Charles H. 
 
 1883 
 
 Glazier, L. Jane Kurtz, Ophelia 
 Glezen, William H. Kurtz, Caroline 
 Glezen, Henry G. Pratt, George F, 
 Pratt, Nellie 
 
30 
 
 MEMBERSHIP 
 
 1885 
 Cole, Georgriana (Fulkerson) Hanmer, Elizabeth 
 
 1886 
 
 Clark, Isabella 
 Clark, Eva N. Calvert 
 Goodrich, Grace L. Griswold 
 Hunter, Laura Maritt 
 Jennings, Frank S. 
 
 Jennings, Mary Givens 
 Montgomery, Mary J. 
 Prosser, Nancy M. 
 Prosser, Addie M. 
 Reichel, Mary Arnett 
 
 1887 
 
 Burlingame, Rose H. (Ellis) 
 Carmer. Jennie 
 Holden, Cora B. 
 
 Lord, Nettie (Mallory) 
 Montgomery, Josephine 
 
 (Pratt) 
 Vunk, Flora Tanner 
 
 Carmer, Edna (Whipple) 
 Carmer, Bertha (Ballard) 
 Caswell, Mary 
 Genung, Elmer S. 
 
 Allen, Lucy, E. 
 Fletcher, Milton J. 
 
 Barnard, Harriet N. 
 Barnard, Wenonah (Ford) 
 
 1888 
 
 Griswold, Frank 
 Griswold, Anna M. 
 
 (Hotchkiss) 
 Griswold, Kate C. (Ballard) 
 Mirick, Bonita Himrod 
 
 1889 
 
 Monroe, Mary Thorpe 
 Steele, Mary (Erway) 
 
 1890 
 
 Fish, Grace M. (Holmes) 
 Hiller, Margaret 
 
 1891 
 
 Dunham, Sarah 
 
 Green, Cordelia 
 
 Jameson, Lilian E. (Knapp) 
 
 Mirick, Lilian 
 
 Tucker, Minnie M. 
 
 Ballard, Frank 
 Barnum, Sarah J. Hill 
 Ford, J. Giles 
 
 Tamlin, Maud (Stickle) 
 Thomas, Jennie 
 Thorpe, Harriet A. 
 Tyler, Martha Maritt 
 
 1892 
 
 Glazier, Harlan E. 
 Kinney, Nora E. 
 Stedman, Alvah J. 
 
MEMBERSHIP 
 
 31 
 
 1893 
 
 Bartholomew, Ida V. 
 Carmer, M. Adeline 
 Caswell, Elva Hunter 
 Ellis, Ida L. 
 Forshee, Ella 
 French, Jennie Sperry 
 
 Butcher, Elsie 
 Hiles, Adaline (Foster) 
 Jehu, John C. 
 Jehu, Mary L. 
 Lacey, A. Jay 
 Mallory, L. Burton 
 Raines, Leslie H. 
 
 Brigrgs, George H. 
 Brigrgs, Abbie M. 
 Carpenter, John H. 
 Carpenter, Hattie 
 Chew, Jessie (Wheeler) 
 
 Howell, D. G. 
 Messenger, George 
 Munsey, Mary Steele 
 Rockwell, Anna (Grain) 
 Stiles, Simeon 
 Sweetland, Loretta 
 
 1894 
 
 Raines, Grace E. 
 Smyth, Mary 
 Strong, Charles F. 
 Strong, Mary E. Bradley 
 Thomas, Sarah 
 Williams, Charles D. 
 Williams, Emma Trapp 
 
 1895 
 
 Lacey, William 
 McLachlan, Duncan 
 McLachlan, Hannah E. 
 McLachlan, Maude 
 McLachlan, Argyle 
 
 1896 
 
 Roskelly, Mary A. Silcox, W. H. 
 
 Silcox, Delia 
 
 1897 
 
 Carpenter, Fred S. 
 Chew, Royal 
 Colwell, William J. 
 Drake, Jessie L. (Monroe) 
 Ellis, William H. 
 Foster, Hiram C. 
 Griswold, E. E. 
 Griswold, Jay W. 
 Griswold, Mary A. Space 
 Griswold, Edna M. (Gridley) 
 Hopkins, Maud (Baylor) 
 Hotchkiss, Charles J. 
 Keyser, Maud A. (Trapp) 
 Lacey, Eleanor A. 
 
 Lupton, Grace Griswold 
 Lusk, J. Hubbard 
 Manning, Gertrude C. 
 Mirick, Edward H. 
 Munsey, William A. 
 Purvis, Lilian M. (Heller) 
 Sheldon, Charles 
 Sheldon, Julia 
 Small, Bessie (Carner) 
 Small, Bertha (Abrams) 
 Sorrel, Anna 
 Stilwell, Robert 
 Stilwell, Delana Stewart 
 Tyler, Leila (Colwell) 
 Wickham, B. Frank 
 
32 
 
 MEMBERSHIP 
 
 1898 
 
 Adams, William W. 
 Adams, Minnie 
 French, Edwin C. 
 Fulkerson, James B. 
 Fulkerson, Elizabeth Fitch 
 Fulkerson, J. Elizabeth 
 Goodrich, Grace Evelyn 
 
 (Oliver) 
 Griswold, Mary Hart 
 Kennedy, Cora H. 
 
 Kennedy, Carrie R. 
 Kennedy, Jennie H. 
 Kingsbury, Charles D. 
 Knight, Henry C. 
 Knight, Ada H. 
 McLachlan, Donalda 
 Mallery, Leila M. (Grover) 
 Mather, Hattie A. 
 Rockwell, Georgiana Thomas 
 Thomas, Mary A. Baker 
 
 Briggs, N. Smith 
 Briggs, 
 
 1899 
 
 Clark, Albert H. Hart, Carrie A. 
 Clark, Lena M. 
 
 1900 
 
 Atkinson, Earl E. 
 Atkinson, Anna Steele 
 Griffin, Eugene 
 Griffin, Marguerite 
 Griswold, Charles D. 
 Griswold, Lida Sweet 
 
 Forshee, Grace 
 Glazier, Alice A. 
 Hart, Grover C. 
 
 Lewis, Ernest 
 Lewis, Elizabeth Colton 
 McWaters, William J. 
 Simms, Sabrah J. (Nye) 
 Small, Charles J. 
 Stewart, Helen (Williams) 
 
 1901 
 
 Houpt, Laura E. Tyler 
 Shaver, Leyetta L. (Hoben) 
 Stewart, Anna 
 
 1902 
 
 Glazier, William A. Munsey, John 
 Lathrop, Elberdene Steele, Andrew 
 
 Wheeler, Enos D. 
 
 1903 
 
 Angell, Harriet K. 
 Cuykendall, Celia Barnes 
 Hanford, Stella Lormor 
 
 King, Cora A. (Jewett) 
 
 Mahan, Edith 
 
 Stewart, Mary (Howlett) 
 
 Brass, Mary M. 
 
 1904 
 Fitzgerald, John D. 
 
 Fitzgerald, Eliza 
 
-^ 
 
 MISS FRANCES MALLERY 
 
AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 33 
 
 1905 
 
 Knapp, Albert C. Scott, Flora C. 
 
 Munsey, Rose Hubbard Whitlock, G. W. 
 
 Rummer, Laura Whitlock, 
 
 1906 
 
 Burch, Louise V. Hoehn, Ida B. Snyder, Carrie A. 
 
 Hoehn, Charles S. Powell Snyder, Iva 
 
 Hoehn, Minnie Snyder, C. B. 
 
 1907 
 
 Goodwin, Frances L. Powell, E. Leona 
 
 Mirick, Grace Pratt, Maude A. 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS. 
 
 The Sunday School — Among the earliest reminiscences are 
 frequent references to the Sunday School. Doubtless the 
 Bible and the shorter catechism were taught between ser- 
 mons as soon as the new church was open. The first or- 
 ganized Sunday Schools of New York and Philadelphia were 
 1810-15 ; Homer, 1819. Thus we see the advance was rapid 
 to the country towns. Many are the names of the Sunday 
 School workers recalled. Mrs. Stebbins, a most efiicient 
 teacher, influenced Miss Cady to leave her class and become 
 a teacher, a work she has continued for fifty years — a noble 
 crown of service. Miss Frank Mallery had charge of the in- 
 fant class long enough to receive the children of many of 
 her earlier pupils. Mrs. H. B. Williams, Adolphus Tanner, 
 Leonard Griswold, David A. Chatfield, and Deacon Benjamin 
 Simons were inspiring teachers. 
 
 In 1888, there were 19 classes with the following teachers : 
 Mrs. E. Rockwell, Miss Race, Julia Dwight, Anna Black, 
 Guy Chew, Mrs. E. P. Wheeler, John Miller, Mrs. J. E, Mc- 
 Elheny, Miss Mary E. Cady, Mrs. H. B. Williams, Miss L. 
 Wilson, Mrs. A. M. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Houpt, D. 
 Bartholomew, S. A. Tucker, Sarah Beach, Mrs. B. F. Pratt, 
 and Darius J. Clement. 
 
34 AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS 
 
 Mrs. Albert Baker and Horace Fitts recall Adam Simons 
 as the superintendent of their first years in Sunday School. 
 He was succeeded by Samuel Wilson, Benjamin Simons, Jr., 
 Dr. Edwin P. Healy, 41-59, Dr. E. B. Wright, Freeman 
 Stebbins, Benevolent Stevens, Leonard Griswold, 60-65, 
 Daniel Bartholomew, 66-67, Jackson Graves, Albert J. Bak- 
 er, 68-74, Rev. George R. Smith, 75, John Miller, 76-79, Lee 
 Bartholomew, 80-83 and 85-86, Rev. C. O. Hanmer, 84, Ellis 
 Southworth, 87, Rev. G. V. Reichel, 87-88, Fred R. Wheeler, 
 88-90, William Ketchum, 91, Milton J. Fletcher, 92-94, Fred 
 R. Wheeler, since 1894. Of these Mr. Wheeler has the long- 
 est service — fifteen continuous years. 
 
 Women's Missionary Societies — No records exist of mission 
 work in the early church. But the Homer church organized 
 for work in foreign fields in 1830, and in 1845 sent money to 
 sustain Miss Fidelia Fiske in Persia. This influence must 
 have touched Dryden. We know that Mrs. Aaron Foster 
 and her daughter, Mrs. George Pratt, were life members of 
 the American Missionary Society, and the memory still 
 lives of the zeal of " Aunt Katy White ", Mrs. Lucy B. East- 
 man and her daughter, Mrs. Milo Goodrich, and Mrs. Free- 
 man Stebbins. 
 
 During the Civil War, there was a strong organization for 
 relief and sanitary work. The Woman's Foreign Mission- 
 ary Society of Cayuga Presbytery was formed in 1876— that 
 of Home Missions the following year. In the records of 
 1885, Dryden is given with Mrs. J. E. McElheny as president; 
 Mrs. Peter Mineah, secretary; organized 1880, our first 
 authentic date of organization. In April, 1898, the present 
 women's society for home and foreign missions was or- 
 ganized by Mrs. O. T. Mather. Under her efficient guidance 
 the study of mission fields was begun, and interesting meet- 
 ings have been held monthly with a good attendance. Its 
 work includes home and foreign as well as local charity, if 
 needed. Mrs. Mather was succeeded by Miss Frank Mal- 
 lery, who has been annually re-elected to the present time. 
 
 Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor — February 
 14, 1887, Mr. and Mrs. Reichel invited the young people of 
 the church to their home for a social evening, when the so- 
 
DR. F. S. HOWE 
 
THE CHOIR AND MUSIC 35 
 
 ciety was organized with Fred R. Wheeler as president. 
 Within a year the membership had reached 40. 
 
 As a proof of its vital influence, we find many of the 
 names then enrolled now on the list of church membership. 
 
 Ways and Means Society — It would be of great interest 
 could we learn when the ladies first organized to assist in 
 the material support of the church. The first mention is 
 1873 of the Ladies' Aid, formed for the purpose of recarpet- 
 ing the church and refitting parsonage. The present ladies' 
 Ways and Means Society was organized Oct. 27, 1886, by 
 Rev. G. V. Reichel with the object "of developing the 
 character and usefulness of its members, co-operation in 
 church work, the cultivation of social intercourse, giving 
 financial aid and developing new lines of work." The mem- 
 bership fee was then twenty-five cents and the names of 
 twenty-four ladies were enrolled at the first meeting. Some 
 will recall the fair held in the old skating rink Dec. IS and 
 16, 1887. From the secretary's book we copy: "Jan. 4, 1888, 
 cash on hand, $460. The net receipts of the fair, $96. 
 
 This society still continues its work. By suppers, apron 
 and cake sales, the collection of old books and papers, ex- 
 perience socials, rummage sales, it contributes a yearly av- 
 erage of some $400, expended for various improvements, 
 such as cement walks and steps, renovation of church and 
 parsonage, as well as adding to the social life of the church. 
 
 The Busy Bees was a similar organization of the younger 
 ladies under the presidency of Miss Weaver, and will be re- 
 membered by their cook book, long after the carpet, which 
 they purchased, has been trodden to dust. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE CHOIR AND MUSIC. 
 
 From the days of the tuning fork and the long metre 
 psalms to that of the organ and oratorio, this part of the 
 church worship has been sustained by faithful devoted 
 workers. 
 
 Abram Griswold, as chorister, with tuning fork, was aided 
 by his daughter Mary, Mary Clark, the daughter of Priest 
 
36 THE CHOIR AND MUSIC 
 
 Clark, still remembered for her beautiful voice, Enos 
 Wheeler, Harvey Hurd, Theophilus Williams, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Benevolent Stevens, and Nancy Southworth. Henry Dakin 
 follows, with Mrs. Dakin, Henry Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. N. M. 
 Thorne and Elson P. Wheeler. Mr. Thome is the next 
 chorister; under him are recalled Julia Ferguson, Anna Up- 
 dike, Kate Murdock. Dr. Freeman S. Howe trained a larger 
 number, always a double quartette or more, Albert J. Baker, 
 Warren Tyler, Adelia Aldrich, Elson P. Wheeler, Hattie 
 Goddard, Josephine Murdock, Mrs. Spear, Letty and 
 Georgia McGraw, Saunders Rockwell, Mary and Kate L. 
 Baker, and Jenny McDougal. 
 
 In 1888 we have this record: "Albert J. Baker, chorister; 
 Mary Baker, Mrs. E. C. French, Jenny Wheeler, Anna 
 Rockwell, Lester D. Mallery, William H. Baker, Jennie 
 Tanner, Fred R. Wheeler, Albert M. Baker, cornet." 
 
 When Dr. Howe returned to make his home in Dryden, 
 he resumed his place as chorister, with increased zeal. By 
 his faithfulness and energy, his desire for the best music, 
 his patience in training the Sunday School for its usual and 
 festival services, not only the church, but the community 
 has profited. 
 
 Jessie Chew Wheeler, Georgia Cole, Mrs. George E. Mon- 
 roe, Mrs. A. D. Burlingame, E. D. Wheeler, Fanny Mont- 
 gomery Wood, Carrie Kennedy, Florence Montgomery, Guy 
 Chew, Georgiana Goodrich, James B. Fulkerson, D. P. Bar- 
 tholomew, F. R. Wheeler, during the past fifteen years have 
 contributed to a most satisfactory and efl&cient choir service. 
 
 In 1839 the trustees' book mentions the subscription for the 
 old organ. This was bought of Mr. House and was built in 
 the house which was the early home of Dr. Isaac Briggs, 
 then located on South street, but since removed, and now 
 owned by George McKeon on Lake street. Mr. House played 
 the organ until he left in 1848; Mrs. Benjamin Griswold 
 until 1858; Miss Henrietta Todd, an accomplished musician, 
 not only played the organ, but trained the choir until 1861; 
 Isola Houpt, to 1873; Jenny Marvin, to 1875, followed by Junia 
 Rockwell. A growing dissatisfaction with the old organ, 
 led the young people of the church to begin an organ fund, 
 which in various ways so increased that in 1883, Henry 
 
MISS MARY MONTGOMERY 
 
THE CHOIR AND MUSIC 37 
 
 Napier, in behalf of the church, went to Baltimore and pur- 
 chased the present organ. It was sent to New York for 
 renovation and was placed back of the pulpit during the 
 pastorate of Rev. C. O. Hanmer, an enthusiastic musician. 
 The present organist. Miss Mary Montgomery, began her 
 years of faithful service August 17, 1884. 
 
 It may seem a little far fetched to undertake to ring in the 
 church bell under the head of "Choir and Music", but the 
 old bell deserves a place in this record and we see none 
 more suitable for it than this. It has certainly served a 
 good purpose in faithfully calling together the members of 
 this church and congregation for nearly a hundred years, 
 and so far as we can judge from its sound and appearance it 
 is good for a hundred years more. True, it is not so music- 
 al and sonorous as some modern bells and probably would 
 not now be selected to form one of a set of chimes, but it 
 has an honest, substantial tone which seems in keeping with 
 its age. We are not able to say just when it was installed 
 in the Dryden church but we learn from good authority that 
 during the first few years of its usefulness it became 
 cracked and was sent back to the manufacturers and was re- 
 cast. It bears the date engraved upon its massive but un- 
 polished surface of "Albany, 1831" with the name of the 
 maker, which indicates, in view of the fact that it was recast, 
 that it had been in use at Dryden some years before that 
 date. 
 
 The duties of a church bell in the early days were very 
 much more arduous than at present. Sixty years ago when- 
 ever a death occurred in the neighborhood it was the custom 
 of the sexton to announce the fact by tolling the church 
 bell, in solemn, measured strokes, far apart, and at the close 
 to ring off the age in quick strokes of ten or less each until 
 the correct number was reached, thus giving to the listen- 
 ing pioneers of that time some clue as to who it was who 
 had died in the community. And when the funeral was 
 about to be held — always in the church in those days— the 
 solemn, measured toll of the bell announced that the funeral 
 procession was on its way to the church, and after the serv- 
 ice the same accompaniment attended the procession as it 
 proceeded from the church to the grave in the old cemetery. 
 
38 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 For many years after about 1850 this bell was used as a 
 part of the old town clock to ring out the hours of the day 
 and night, and whenever a fire occurred in the village it was 
 used to give the alarm, the village fire bell and the Metho- 
 dist church bell both being of comparatively recent date. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 CHURCH PASTORS. 
 
 Reuben Hurd : July 18, 1821— July, 1823. 
 
 Samuel Robertson : November, 1825— July 5, 1834. 
 
 Luther Clark: June 9, 1835— died March 28, 1845. 
 
 George W. Prudden. 
 
 Hiram Parker Crozier : 1845— January 5, 1848. 
 
 Russel Searle Eggleston : 1848—1852. 
 
 Francis Hendricks : 1852—1855. 
 
 A. V. H. Powell. 
 
 William Green Hubbard : 1856—1860 
 
 Archibald McDougal : 1860— August 28, 1867. 
 
 J. V. C. Nellis : 1868—1873. 
 
 George R. Smith : November 1, 1873— April 30, 1876. 
 
 Anson A. Chester : May 14, 1876— August 26, 1877. 
 
 Charles Ray. 
 
 Edward W. Root : 1878—1881. 
 
 Giles H. Dunning : January 19, 1882— July, 1883. 
 
 Charles O. Hanmer, November 18, 1883—1885. 
 
 George V. Reichel : July 27, 1886—1888. 
 
 Fred L. Hiller : 1889-1897. 
 
 Oliver T. Mather : January 1, 1898— September 1, 1904. 
 
 William C. Brass : 1904— 
 
 The early Dryden Church was a union of earnest men 
 and women striving to uphold the cause of righteousness in 
 a new community, who thus exerted an undying influence in 
 the town. In 1799 and in 1805 President Dwight of Yale 
 College made two horseback excursions as far as Niagara. 
 In 1803 Rev. Wm. Allen, president of Bowdoin, made the 
 same ride, and on his return published a plea for the people, 
 corresponding to present appeals for the mountain whites. 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 39 
 
 In response, the New England churches sent out young 
 men, at salaries fixed at forty dollars per month as mission- 
 aries. Seth Williston, a Dartmouth graduate, came in 1796 
 from Hartford, Conn., to Lisle. After returning for ordina- 
 tion he was stationed at Lisle until 1810, but he writes, " I 
 extended my ministry through all the country, preached at 
 Homer, Locke, Scipio, and Milton." 
 
 The pastor of each church felt bound to establish others. 
 So Jabez Chadwick came from Milton to Dryden and for 
 thirteen years the church was ministered to by missionaries 
 and the pastors of near-by churches. One of the near-by 
 churches was Homer, where in February, 1803, Nathan B. 
 Darrow was ordained by a council, composed of Congrega- 
 tional, Dutch Reformed, and Presbyterian ministers, repre- 
 senting the churches of Manlius, Geneva, Owasco, Lisle, 
 Pompey, Clinton, and Cazenovia. Each of the seven mem- 
 bers came from twenty to forty miles by trail over the 
 snow. Mr. Darrow was the first ordained Congregational 
 minister in the " Military Tract. " 
 
 The church records of preachings and baptisms are: 
 
 In 1808, Nathan Darrow baptized the children of Daniel 
 and Elizabeth Topping ; William, son of Abram Griswold, 
 by William Williston. 
 
 Joshua Lane, pastor of the church at East Locke, preached 
 Thursday, Sept. 7, 1809; Tuesday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, 
 Sept. 8, 1811. 
 
 March 8, 1813, Rev. Wm. Miller, a missionary from Con- 
 necticut, baptized several children. 
 
 March 13, 1814, Royal Phelps, a missionary from the 
 Hampshire Missionary Society, received Hugh Tompson 
 and his wife, from Grahams Church, Orange county, N. Y. 
 This Royal Phelps was probably the first pastor of the Mora- 
 via Congregational Church, 1809-1814. 
 
 According to Mr. Benjamin Simons, the Rev. Stephen 
 Crosby was engaged as the first stated supply in 1814, the 
 meetings being held in a barn. Sunday, Aug. 17, 1817, the 
 Rev. Elnathan Walker preached, and Mary Southworth, 
 wife of Thomas Southworth, and mother of John South- 
 worth, was received on profession of faith. In September of 
 the same year he again preached, and Sylvina Bramhall, a 
 
40 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 sister of Mrs. Elias Cady, was received on profession of 
 faith. 
 
 Mr. Walker was Mr. Darrow's successor at Homer and re- 
 mained there until his death in 1820. He was bom at 
 Taunton, Mass., and was a graduate of Brown University. 
 He is remembered as a man of fine presence, dignified bear- 
 ing, dressed in the old style — short breeches, long stockings, 
 and knee buckles. During his Homer pastorate that church 
 grew from ninety-nine to four hundred twenty-seven mem- 
 bers, including most of the adult population. Such was the 
 character of the men whose zeal fostered our infant church. 
 
 In May of 1817, the Rev. Stephen Crosby, then at Enfield, 
 preached. Sunday, Aug. 24, 1817, Rev. Samuel Parker re- 
 ceived Nathan and Jerusha Griswold and several others into 
 the church. Other recorded meetings are Monday, July 27, 
 1818, at Mr. Thomas Southworth's in the house now occupied 
 by Moses Rowland, at Willow Glen. 
 
 In 1819, Mrs. Mehetable Bramhall, the mother of Mrs. 
 Elias Cady writes, " It is a period of great sickness, over 
 fifty sick at a time caused by low dead water in the pond. 
 Mister Hurd, who thought he should never see death, died 
 Sept. 6. We have preaching here one-third of the time for 
 six months, a Mr. Ford, of Lisle. They hold meetings at 
 Abram Griswold's." April 23, 1820, the baptism of Laura 
 Givens, by the Rev. Mr. Ford, is given. In June, at a meet- 
 ing held at Mr. Goddard's, Sylvina Bramhall was given a 
 letter of dismissal. 
 
 Thursday, Dec. 21, 1820, a meeting held at Mr. Wigton's 
 appointed Benjamin Simons, Sr., and Nathan Griswold to at- 
 tend the meeting of the Presbytery in January at Aurora. 
 
 The first pastor of the new church was Reuben Hurd. 
 We quote from a letter written May 23, 1821, to her mother 
 by Sylvina Bramhall: 
 
 " I have just returned from meeting which was held at the 
 school house in the village. Our preacher entertained us at 
 some length on the subject of ministerial profession. He 
 dwelt largely on the importance of their station in society 
 and the difliculty of performing their duty aright without 
 the combination of circumstances in their favor. I must in- 
 form you that I expect this sermon was intended to let us 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 41 
 
 know what he expects from us, as well as what he feels 
 bound to do for us, for he is our pastor-elect. It will no 
 doubt surprise you to hear that the society in this place feel 
 themselves able to support a preacher of the Gospel. Yet 
 such is the fact. Some time in March last Mr. Hurd came 
 to town, a stranger to most of the society. He is a member 
 of Onondaga Presbytery, and was then itinerating to some of 
 the western counties, for he was without a pastoral charge, 
 and called on us on his way. He preached several times 
 with us and administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Sup- 
 per for the first time that it had been in this church since 
 you left this place, without any idea, as he says, of continu- 
 ing here longer than a few weeks. But when the people had 
 received at his hands the administration of the Gospel or- 
 dinances, they became so much attached to him that they 
 could not think of letting him pass without any effort to de- 
 tain him, for they fancied that they discovered in him all 
 the requisite accomplishments of a Gospel minister, and his 
 situation in life rendered it more practicable for us to sup- 
 port him than a young man. He has a family, and has not 
 yet made himself rich in temporals by his connection with 
 the Church of Christ, but there appears at present a will- 
 ingness on the part of the people to minister to his necessi- 
 ties. They have by subscription raised a salary of $350 or 
 $400. Mr. Griswold has given a lot of several acres of land 
 to the society on which they are to build a house for his use. 
 At present our meetings are held three-fourths of the time 
 in the school house in the village, and one-fourth in the 
 north part. 
 
 "Our meeting house progresses slowly. It was raised last 
 fall, 1820. The frame stood naked through the winter, but 
 we are in hopes to have it covered this season. I fear it 
 will be some time yet before it will be finished, notwith- 
 standing the people are much engaged on the subject, yet 
 they are rather feeble in strength. I would inform you that 
 the Constitution of our church is altered from the Congre- 
 gational to the Presbyterian form of government. " 
 
 The church records show that Reuben Hurd accepted the 
 call April 29, 1821. He was installed in July of the same 
 year by a Committee of Presbytery and dismissed July, 
 
42 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 1823. Jonathan Sperry and Benjamin Simons were deacons ; 
 Annanias Scofield, Seymour O. Clark, Daniel Bartholomew, 
 and Nathan Griswold were ordained elders. It was during 
 his pastorate, Augf. 22, 1822, that the children of Robert 
 Lormor, Matilda, Mary, Margaret, Eliza, Sarah, Robert, 
 Eleanor, Lydia, and Catherine, were baptized. 
 
 Reuben Hurd was of English descent, born, Feb. 14, 1782, 
 so was 39 years of age on coming to Dryden. He had 
 married Sarah Hills at Geneva, N. Y., Oct. 14, 1808, by 
 whom he had six children. Dec. 19, 1821, at Groton, New 
 York, he married Jane, a sister of Adam and Benjamin 
 Simons. The record of the baptism of Jane, daughter of 
 Rev. Reuben and Jane Hurd, is Jan. 26, 1823. 
 
 After leaving Dryden, he preached at Angelica, aided in 
 the organization of the Cuba Presbyterian church, and was 
 the first pastor of the Presbyterian church at Black Creek. 
 At his death in 1850, he was working under the American 
 Tract Society — a life devoted to church organization and 
 missions. 
 
 A daughter of Reuben and Jane Hurd, now living at Hor- 
 nell, writes: " He was an ' Old School Presbyterian', adher- 
 ing strictly to the Puritan ideas of amusement and the strict 
 observance of the Sabbath. We children committed to 
 memory the Westminster catechism, and this was made our 
 rule of life, for which we are thankful. My father had the 
 faculty of making friends among the young people, a genial 
 nature, and fond of children. He was preaching at Dryden 
 at the time of Morgan's disappearance, and then he became 
 prejudiced against Masonry, a feeling which was life-long. " 
 Yet his grandson was a 33d degree Mason— Grand Master of 
 New York state, 1904-1906. 
 
 July 6, 1825, Rev. Samuel Robertson was called, and was 
 installed in November by the Presbytery of Cayuga, as the 
 second pastor, giving one-third of his time to the Congrega- 
 tional church at Virgil. He had studied at Princeton and 
 preached at Huntington, Long Island, before coming to Dry- 
 den. 
 
 There were two notable accessions during his pastorate of 
 nine years, one in 1826 of 37, in 1831 of 71 members. The 
 completion and furnishing of the church was due to his zeal. 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 43 
 
 He visited Albany, appealing to wealthy friends and re- 
 ceived gifts of money and the furnishings for the pulpit, 
 which Mrs. Benjamin Griswold (Laura Hurd) describes as 
 of two shades of crimson cloth, which with carvings of 
 white wood, adorned the high box pulpit. " It was the finest 
 I ever saw — much handsomer than those of Ithaca or 
 Geneva. " 
 
 Mr. Robertson's home was the house east of the Green 
 Hills Cemetery, now occupied by Charles Lormor. It was 
 this house that was stoned by some members of the Masonic 
 organization, whose hatred of him was so bitter that while 
 on his way from the Virgil church, he was set on and horse- 
 whipped. Whether this was before the funeral described by 
 Mrs. Dwight, we do not know, but the excitement became so 
 great that the charter of the lodge was believed to have 
 been revoked. 
 
 Present Robertson's son returned to Dryden to teach the 
 private school held on the site of the Perrigo house on 
 Main street. At this time there were two district schools, 
 one on South st;reet where the Marvin house stands, the oth- 
 er on Mill street. 
 
 Mr. Robertson resigned July 5, 1834. 
 
 During one or two years, the church was assisted in Mr. 
 Robertson's support by the American Home Missionary So- 
 ciety, otherwise it has always been self-supporting. 
 
 Luther Clark, 1835-45, a New Englander by birth and edu- 
 cation, after preaching six years at Plymouth in the Pres- 
 bytery of Chenango, was installed at Dryden, June 9th, 
 1835. Forty-five members were added in the first year of his 
 pastorate, making the church number 231; these were the 
 days when all went to church. 
 
 It was during his pastorate that an organ was placed in 
 the church, which was played by its maker, Mr. House. 
 The choir was Abram Griswold, leader, his daughter Lydia, 
 Mary Clark, Enos Wheeler, father of Elson, James Hurd, 
 and Theophilus Williams. In the first church the choir was 
 opposite the pulpit. Mr. Clark had a salary of $400 with an 
 annual donation and wood bee, for which he preached three 
 times on Sunday— twice in the church, once in some coun- 
 try school house. The Sunday School was held between 
 
44 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 services. The mid-week prayer service was held at the 
 homes of the members, very frequently at the home of 
 James Hurd. 
 
 In 1845, a fever raged. Harriet Hurd was stricken down 
 while on a visit to Trumansburg. Her body was brought 
 home on Sunday. All the town went to the Hurd home that 
 night, and here in the west room Mr. Clark made his last 
 public prayer in Dryden. The next day he left to visit his 
 relatives in Connecticut. We copy an obituary sent to his 
 widow, Rachel A. Clark : 
 
 "Rev. Luther Clark, pastor of the Presbyterian church in 
 Dryden, while visiting his relatives in New England, died 
 suddenly, March 28, 1845, aged 53 years. In this town he 
 was born; and here sleep his dear remains, with those of his 
 parents. Twenty-one years he was an esteemed and an 
 efficient minister of the Gospel, and ten years pastor of the 
 church in Dryden, where a bereaved family and an affection- 
 ate people mourn his unexpected removal from the toils of 
 earth to the rest of Heaven. For him 'To live .was Christ, 
 to die was gain.' " 
 
 Mr. Clark's pastorate was the longest of the century. 
 The Rev. Mr. Wisner, of Ithaca, came to preach his eulogy. 
 The Clark home was the present French place on Main 
 street. The neighbors on the east, the Bushnell's; Squire 
 Tyler on the west. Here his family continued ;to live, the 
 church aiding by an annual donation. John Clark, the son, 
 recalls that George W. Prudden, who preached ^for a time, 
 lived with their family; that he was a man of brilliant mind, 
 but his health broke down through over application. 
 
 Next came Hiram Parker Crozier, a Congregationalist, 
 who studied at Oberlin and at Auburn, '45-'46. He married 
 and brought his wife to live in the house now occupied by 
 James Steele. His letter of resignation presented Jan. 5, 
 1848, is preserved among the church records. It brings be- 
 fore us a man of strong convictions, opposed to slavery, in- 
 temperance, bigotry, and "a creed which interposes so many 
 difficulties between conscientious minds and their Bible". 
 After charges at Peterboro and Huntington, about 1864, he 
 engaged in secular pursuits. 
 
REV. R. S. EGGLESTON 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 45 
 
 Russel Searle Eggleston, born in Westfield, Mass., in 
 1816, came to Dryden as his first charge in 1848. Here he 
 was ordained by a Council in October, 1849, and remained 
 four years. He first boarded at Samuel "Wilson's, but after 
 his marriage with Elizabeth Trowbridge, a cousin of Mrs. 
 Freeman Stebbins, he lived in the house now occupied by 
 John Munsey. In the first year of his Dryden pastorate he 
 induced Laura Hurd to play the organ, which had not been 
 used for some years; at Moravia, where he went after leav- 
 ing Dryden, it is said that on stated Sundays he preached a 
 sermon for children — two evidences of a progressive spirit. 
 During his pastorate the heavy Corinthian columns support- 
 ing the galleries were replaced by iron ones. There was 
 also an agitation of the relations of church members with 
 secret organizations and of the Presbyterian church in re- 
 gard to slavery. 
 
 No record remains of the action as to secret societies, 
 but the church withdrew from the Ithaca Presbytery placing 
 itself on record as opposed to slavery and remained an inde- 
 pendent church until June 14, 1859, it was received into the 
 Cortland Presbytery. After five other charges, in 1869, 
 Mr. Eggleston came to Gaines, N. Y,, where he preached 
 until 1876, retiring at the age of sixty. His last visit to 
 Dryden was at the installation of Rev. George R. Smith, 
 when he gave the charge to the people. He sent greetings 
 with his own hand, and with his faithful wife still lives at 
 Gaines, Tobit's prayer, "that they might grow old together," 
 having been mercifully granted. 
 
 Francis Hendricks, a native of Fayette, a graduate of 
 Union College 1846, studied in Auburn, 1849-52, like the ma- 
 jority of the ministers of the Dryden church, came to Dry- 
 den as his first charge and remained three years. His home 
 during that time was with the family of George Pratt. He 
 afterward had charges in Ohio and Pennsylvania and was 
 chaplain of the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia from 
 1880 to his death in 1890. 
 
 Of the Rev. Mr. Powell, who supplied the church in 1855, 
 it is recalled that he objected to the use of fans by the mem- 
 bers of his congregation and to the presence of children. 
 
 William Green Hubbard, 1855-60, a graduate of Hamilton 
 
46 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 College, 1844, of Auburn, '47, came to Dryden after preach- 
 ing: two years at Meridian and seven at Summer Hill, Af- 
 ter other charges in western New York he died at Albion 
 in 1905. 
 
 His memory is still cherished in the Dryden church. We 
 find the spirit of his life and work in his letter written for 
 the 80th anniversary : 
 
 " I begun my work at Dryden in December, 1855. The 
 resident membership was about 140. The meetings for pub- 
 lic and social worship were well sustained, as were also the 
 pecuniary interests of the society, and in Christian views 
 and fellowship they were well united. But in other matters 
 there was great diversity, and generally each contended 
 earnestly for his own position and plans. 
 
 "The temperance cause had long been in high favor there. 
 But, while some were slow to move on to the ' teetotal ' plat- 
 form, and so found themselves being left behind, many oth- 
 ers were ready for the use of as legal and decided prohibi- 
 tion as is advocated today. Our temperance gatherings 
 were frequent and lively— sometimes exciting. But there 
 was little drunkenness in the town and very little disorderly 
 conduct. The community was above it. Order was respect- 
 ed. 
 
 " But on the slavery question the great interest was then 
 centered, and from different views it was earnestly con- 
 tended. Some were for colonization. Some would prevent 
 its wider extent and provide for gradual emancipation. 
 Some, with no reference to consequences, would abolish it 
 at once and forever. And some, by constitutional amend- 
 ment and laws, would have it brought to its end. It was a 
 sore evil and all that was proposed or done only seemed to 
 leave it sorer, with little prospect of an early cure. In this 
 state of things it was hard to maintain as foremost a high 
 state of spiritual interest. But evidently it was better than 
 the deadness that would have followed the ignoring of those 
 great concerns. And yet that spiritual interest was, in a 
 measure, present with us, and manifest. Our gatherings for 
 public worship, and for conference and prayer, were prized 
 and gave us encouragement and strength from God, At 
 that time Kansas was offering great inducements to settlers 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 47 
 
 and many were flocking there. But what would be the state 
 of society there, was not yet determined. The North said : 
 ' It shall be free! ' and the South said : ' It's strength shall 
 be made to extend and perpetuate our peculiar institution, 
 and its soil shall be worked by our slaves! ' Fierce was the 
 fight. The South had control of the government and the U. 
 S. Army was readily called to their aid. And could Dryden 
 Presbyterian church quietly submit to that? Every man 
 and woman said ' No! ' — some few, softly ; but the mass, 
 No! as loud almost as the thunder that rolled over our hills. 
 Two of our members, with a large company, were wearing 
 their weary way over the plains, when they were confronted 
 by a regiment of soldiers and taken prisoners as if in war. 
 It was attempted to turn them back, but they could not be 
 intimidated nor turned from their course. They went on 
 and established their homes there. And to show our feel- 
 ings in view of such outrages, let me relate an incident : 
 Preaching to a congregation that filled the house, in the 
 spring of 1858, I was saying that it was generally conceded 
 that the wide-spread revival God had given the past winter, 
 was plainly in great measure the result of the more than 
 ordinary sense of religious obligations that had awakened 
 the energies employed to save Kansas from the blight and 
 curse of slavery,— and added : ' Whatever may be the re- 
 sult of the impending interests, two things are certain : God 
 reigns, and Kansas shall be free! ' At this a loud response 
 rang through the house, by voices, the clapping of hands, 
 and the moving of feet. At first I was abashed. I thought I 
 had committed a wrong, or at least an indiscretion in God's 
 house, but at once I recovered and accepted it as the most 
 appropriate and emphatic amen I had ever heard. And so it 
 was designed. The sentiments were accepted as right ; God 
 reigned, and Kansas was made a free state, and today she 
 adorns the map or our proud land by the number and rich- 
 ness of her great cities and large towns ; by her broad and 
 teeming agricultural districts ; by her network of thorough- 
 fares, crowded by commerce, and by travelers for business 
 or pleasures, and by her more than a million of people, as 
 intelligent, active, social and religious, as can be found in 
 any other part of our land. When that response was gives 
 
48 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 how little did we know what it would cost us to end the 
 great struggle between freedom and slavery ; little did we 
 expect that it would be through fire and blood— that so many 
 of those before us that day, and before others in like circum- 
 stances all over our land, would so soon be called to the ex- 
 posures and strifes and casualties of war, many never to re- 
 turn, many to come back maimed in their bodies and broken 
 in their health, while some would be permitted further to 
 share the blessings of a rescued land, be honored by their 
 grateful fellow-citizens, and entitled to the rewards of their 
 rescued and more firmly established free government. 
 
 " But though so much of blood and suffering was the cost 
 of the achievement, as our Martyr President once said, ' It 
 did not impeach the goodness of God. ' Over it all he 
 reigned and our freedom is from him. So we felt that day, 
 and we are glad to recall that such were our principles and 
 expressions that day. Dryden Presbyterian church aimed 
 to be as loyal and true to her country and its people of every 
 color and condition, as to her God, and the war record of 
 your church must show that their aim was maintained. God 
 bless the boys that wore the blue. God pity those who suf- 
 fer now from loss of limb or sense, or from ruined constitu- 
 tions. God watch over the dust of those who died, whether 
 it sleep in prepared and frequented cemeteries, or in prison 
 pens, or under the spot where they fell, and where now no 
 human recollection or search can find it. God regard their 
 lonely sleep. 
 
 " There were occasional accessions to our church by pro- 
 fession and letters, and at times a more than common re- 
 ligious interest was manifest, but no special revival was 
 granted until the winter of 1857-8. That was a wonderful 
 work over almost all our land. The special interest with us 
 first appeared in December, at Willow Glen. Soon it ap- 
 peared on South Hill, where I had been accustomed to hold 
 services on alternate Sabbath evenings. Then the work be- 
 gan in the village and spread out to the country around. 
 The means of grace chiefly used, with preaching the Word, 
 were prayer and conversation. Enquiries yielded readily to 
 consecrations that were earnest and full. Conversions were 
 decided. The characteristics of the converts were de- 
 
REV. W. G. HUBBARD 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 49 
 
 termination and strength. At once they joined in the work 
 of saving others. It all was truly of God. I can recall 
 scenes where the manifestations of the Holy Spirit were 
 given as I had never seen them before, nor have I since. It 
 was overpowering, but it was gentle—' the still small voice. ' 
 
 " The number added to our church about that time on pro- 
 fession was over thirty. And from seed then sowed by the 
 minister and his people, no doubt in after times, other pre- 
 cious fruit was gathered. Our congregations were full. 
 The word of the Lord was precious. Our Sabbath-schools 
 from that time on, afforded delightful scenes. The attend- 
 ance was large, punctual and interested. Of the fidelity of 
 the officers and teachers I could speak in terms that would 
 admit only commendations. 
 
 " On the 1st of April, 1860, I closed my labors, receiving 
 marked expressions of kindness from the people to me and 
 to my family, for which we shall ever cherish pleasant re- 
 membrances. " 
 
 Archibald McDougal was born near Campbelltown, 
 Argyleshire, Scotland, February 22, 1824. His parents 
 came to Lockport, N. Y., while he was a child. At the age 
 of eighteen he united with the Presbyterian church and soon 
 after began his preparation for the ministry. In 1843 he was 
 licensed to preach by the Ithaca Presbytery and he supplied 
 vacant churches and did mission work during his college 
 course. In 1851 he graduated from Union College, and in 
 1855 from Auburn. In 1849 he married Emily E. Walker, of 
 Havana, N. Y. His first pastorate was at Sherburne, his 
 second at Dryden. 
 
 The McDougals, pastor and family, won a large place in 
 all hearts. The children, Jenny, Annie, Lotty, Archie, all 
 bright-eyed, active, bubbling with life; Mrs. McDougal, 
 zealous, enthusiastic, a leader in all good works, whether in 
 church, social meetings, scraping lint, gathering blackber- 
 ries, or making cordial for sick soldiers. 
 
 Friday evening, April 14, 1865, the session of the Semi- 
 nary Lyceum was adjourned without motion, as Thomas 
 McGraw appeared at the door on an ox-cart and shouted the 
 news of Lee's surrender, just received, for we had no tele- 
 graph until the following winter. Then all mounted the 
 
50 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 cart, and singing "John Brown's Body," went slowly through 
 the streets to the parsonage, where Mrs. McDougal seat- 
 ed, like Priscilla, on one ox, Thomas McGraw on the 
 other, the cart crowded even to the tongue with excited 
 youth, made the circuit of the town. No one who had not 
 borne the strain of those war days can ever realize the pent- 
 up patriotism which swelled the hearts and voices that 
 night in which the pastor's wife shared. 
 
 Mr. McDougal's letter of 1882, which follows, gives a vivid 
 picture of his pastorate in Dryden : 
 
 Dear Brethren — In September, 1860, I accepted your call 
 and entered on my work among you as stated supply. Many 
 things were unpropitious; the condition of the old house 
 built by the fathers sixty years before; its leaky roof. Its 
 rattling blinds made strange music during our public wor- 
 ship. Its cold and open floor led the little praying band on 
 Wednesday evening to gather round a stove in one corner to 
 keep comfortable, but as often failing to do so. A few 
 faithful ones claimed the promises of God, and prayed that 
 he would come and remove our desolations. 
 
 " In December, 1860, we resolved to begin the work of visit- 
 ing from house to house, to hold free conversation on the sub- 
 ject of religion, and pray with each family. Pastor and 
 members of session went two-and-two from house to house 
 in the parish, and to our surprise the unconverted were glad 
 to see us and ready to talk about their souls. We reported 
 at the weekly prayer meeting our progress till the canvass 
 of the parish was completed. 
 
 " Godly fathers and mothers joined us in prayer for their 
 children, their grand-children, neighbors and friends. This 
 personal work was continued through the month of Decem- 
 ber, and when the week of prayer came the church felt the 
 glowing influence of the Holy Spirit in her midst. 
 
 " Meetings were continued from that on through the win- 
 ter. During the second week in January many hearts were 
 melted and asked Christians to pray for them. There was 
 no excitement, no forced measures. Feeling that the time 
 had come to favor Zion, that it was the work of the Spirit 
 among us, the session passed the following resolution : 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 51 
 
 " 'The Presbyterian Church sends greetings to the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal Church of Dryden, her Pastor, her ofl&cial 
 board, and members. It rejoices our hearts to say to you : 
 the Lord is with us. We cordially invite you to join with us 
 and share his blessing. ' 
 
 " Rev. Mr. Barnard was then in charge of the M. E. 
 church and nobly did he and his people respond by uniting 
 in the work of saving those who were without God and with- 
 out hope. Thus the work went on ; so quiet, but with such 
 power that people came from a distance to behold the 
 wonders of God's grace. So widespread did it become that 
 the M. E. church was used for the inquiry meetings, and our 
 old church resounded with the songs and prayers of devout 
 Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians. They besought 
 God to anoint them for service, and that showers of blessing 
 would descend on all homes and all hearts in the commun- 
 ity. These prayers were answered. The work spread and 
 souls by scores sought the cross. Men and women, heads of 
 families, came and said, ' Pray for me.' ' What must I do 
 to be saved ?' The galleries of the old house were crowded 
 night after night, and often many went away who could not 
 find standing room. 
 
 "As pastors and people labored so long, the question 
 arose : Who shall be called on to help ? Who can come in 
 and take up this work where it is ? Will such a man ? No ! 
 Will such a man do? No! No! Pastor McDougal sug- 
 gested that if the Rev. O. Parker, the evangelist, could be 
 obtained he was the instrument under God to follow up what 
 had been done. (The people had a mind to work.) Elder 
 Freeman Stebbins goes through the snow drifts to Trumans- 
 burg to have that church release Brother Parker from his 
 engagement for three weeks. Deacon Leonard Griswold 
 rides forty miles east in the storm to see Brother Parker, 
 who was closing a meeting in another county. At sundown, 
 the second day Deacon Griswold returned, and Parker with 
 him. He knew how welcome he would be at the parsonage. 
 Parker had spent forty years in revival-meetings, and knew 
 how to strike the current. Let me here say that he found 
 both churches prepared to cooperate with him. Pastors ex- 
 horted the people to pray for him, to hold up his hands. 
 
52 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 adopt his methods and they would see the salvation of God 
 more copiously than ever before. So they did. Brother 
 Parker knew the hiding places of the sinner and applying 
 the truth of God's word, sinner and skeptic were seen com- 
 ing from their 'refuge of lies' and standing up for Jesus. 
 Few pastors or churches witness such scenes as we beheld 
 in the winter of 1861. Some one said of it : ' That was a 
 genuine revival. There has been more dried-up drinking 
 and more dried-up swearing here than in all our past hist- 
 ory. ' One special feature of the revival arose from its un- 
 selfishness, its love for souls, its freedom from all sectarian 
 bias. Converts were told to select a church home for them- 
 selves. ' Go where you think you can do the most good, 
 where you and your family will feel the most at home.' 
 This was said to all, and so often, no one thought of influ- 
 encing the converts as to where they should go. This was 
 the advice of the pastors : ' First be a Christian ; get your 
 heart right, and God will direct you where to go. ' This 
 course the Lord approved and blessed. Men's prejuices 
 melted away and they became accessible— anxious and earn- 
 est about their soul's safety. When they felt their feet 
 were upon the rock, they wheeled into line and labored for 
 the salvation of others. In the evening meetings when test- 
 imony was called for, I have often counted fifty, sixty, and 
 over one hundred testify to their peace and joy in believing 
 in a dear Saviour. 
 
 "At our spring communion sixty-five united with the 
 church on profession; forty-two were baptized. They stood 
 in three rows around the pulpit. If I remember correctly 
 fifty or more united with the Methodist church. At the next 
 communion about twenty-five more united with our church. 
 Union prayer meetings were kept up for a long time every 
 Sabbath afternoon. Notice this fact. The oldest convert 
 was sixty-five years of age — Mrs. Wheeler, or Deacon 
 Wheeler's mother. The youngest convert was Miss Cady— 
 Oliver's daughter — seventeen years of age. 
 
 " The revival prepared the way for the present house of 
 worship, and its lecture room. Men in the community said 
 to us : ' Tear down the old house. We will help build a 
 new one, but not a cent will we give to fix up the old. ' 
 
REV. ARCHIBALD McDOUGALL 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 53 
 
 This gave rise to the subscription paper, which Deacon 
 Griswold, the pastor, and others saw grow day by day till 
 money enough was subscribed to make this house what you see 
 it now. Labor was then cheap, materials of all kind very 
 low, and willing hearts and hands pulled down the old, and 
 helped to build the present structure, One man said: 
 ' MacDougal is bound to make the Presbyterians repent. ' 
 How? 'They will repent,' said he, ' that they ever under- 
 took to build such a house. Why look at the plans and style 
 of architecture ! They can never build such a house for 
 twice the money. ' The builders, Daniel Bartholomew and 
 Page Gardner, are consulted. They figure, the pastor 
 figures, the lamented J. W. Dwight and other trustees figure. 
 They wisely counted the cost, and when the day of dedica- 
 tion came, all was complete, except the brackets under the 
 gallery, and these being more ornamental than necessary 
 were left out. To the living and true God, be all the glory 
 and praise for the temporal and spiritual prosperity that so 
 signally crowned that period with success. I may say here 
 in passing, that Mrs. MacDougal raised the money for the 
 chairs, cushions, and furniture of the church. 
 
 " No sooner had the flower of the community and others en- 
 listed in the service of the Lord, than war called for enlist- 
 ment in the service of their country. At the altar where 
 many entered into covenant, others enrolled their names for 
 the public defense. Some of them returned, but more laid 
 their lives on the altar of their country. Through their sac- 
 rifice the nation lives and the church has a wider and freer 
 -mission. Civil and religious liberty are more highly prized. 
 Our homes are more sacred, and our obligations greater than 
 ever to preserve the blood-bought inheritance. 
 
 "I would not open a single wound that has been healing 
 for a quarter of a century. No ! not I ; but children have 
 been born and grown up since those scenes in which their 
 ancestors, kindred, and neighbors were engaged. It is well 
 to remind those now coming upon the stage, that fervent 
 piety, that loyalty to Christ and his church, is not incom- 
 patible with loyalty to country and tender memories of the 
 patriotic dead. It seems strange to be writing away here in 
 Missouri of those scenes in which some of your number bore 
 
54 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 SO conspicuous a part. The ground where this youngf city 
 stands was raided over by bushwhackers and Kansas jay- 
 hawkers. Men are living: here who were for, and some, op- 
 posed, to the old flag-. But to-day it floats in peaceful 
 triumph over them and their children. Memory will not al- 
 low us to become oblivious to the past. There are forms 
 and faces that come up before us, that were in the session, 
 in the church, in the Sunday-school, and in the community, 
 that have gone home to glory. They rest from their labors, 
 and their works do follow them. Noble men and women 
 sleep in Jesus, to await the trump of the archangel. How 
 much they have done in their day to shape the moral tone 
 and the religious character of Dryden ! Peace to their dust 
 and joy to their souls. 
 
 " The Presbyterian church has been an important factor, 
 during the last eighty years, in holding forth the truth, and 
 conserving the best interest of society. She has borne a 
 part in every good enterprise and reform. In temperance, 
 in schools, in missions, and in training at least three genera- 
 tions for useful citizens. Not a few in all these years has 
 she helped train for elders and deacons in other parts of the 
 Master's vineyard. How many have gone out from her as 
 teachers ! How many into the various professions — I can- 
 not tell. And oh, how many old and young trained for 
 heaven ! Since my humble ministry of seven years many 
 then young have reached the prime of life. Some graduated 
 at the academy or high school. Some went through college, 
 and others will doubtless follow. Randall Pease is to-day a 
 successful minister of the gospel. The session will remem- 
 ber when he presented himself for membership. While I 
 was with you the contributions and benevolent work of the 
 church footed, one year, $3,333.33. Brother Stebbins, who 
 was then clerk, said : 'If any man had told me five years 
 ago, this people would give $3,333.33 to the cause of Christ 
 at home and abroad, I would have said he was a fool, but 
 these figures do not lie. ' 
 
 " God has been true to his covenant, and as his people 
 have served, sacrificed, and trusted him, he has blessed and 
 prospered them in a two-fold sense. Seven years, the most 
 toilsome of my life, were spent as your pastor, but they 
 
REV. J. V. C. NELLIS 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 55 
 
 were years of blessing after all. Together we have rejoiced 
 at the spiritual birth of many souls; we have often laughed 
 at the bridal; together we have wept at the grave of loved 
 ones; we have held sweet communion; we have sat together 
 in heavenly places in Jesus Christ. I look back and regard 
 my pastorate with you as the happiest and most prosperous 
 seven years of my life. Not as men count dollars. No ! 
 No ! But as we reckon this life and our well-grounded hope 
 of immortality. 
 
 " I know we left you in tears when we came west, for ties 
 the most sacred and tender were sundered. Then, when 
 misfortune overtook us and fire swept away our home, our 
 library, sermons, lectures, and the treasures of a lifetime, 
 you did not forget us. In our extremity you made haste to 
 reach us with your gifts of money and clothing, and we can 
 never, never forget you. It pains us both beyond all de- 
 scription that we cannot be with you to celebrate this eight- 
 ieth anniversary, and look once more into the faces and 
 grasp the hands of dear brothers and sisters that are yet 
 alive. 
 
 " Lastly, maintain the ordinances of God's house, continue 
 to send the gospel to the ends of the earth. Cultivate per- 
 sonal and household piety. Be faithful unto death and you 
 shall have crowns of everlasting life. Regard us both as 
 present with you in spirit, although so far away. Wife joins 
 me in love to you all, and our prayer is that the next eighty 
 years of your history as a church may show greater pro- 
 gress, more souls saved, a stronger church in every Chris- 
 tian grace, and a more holy membership and ministry to 
 work for the Master— a church without spot or blemish— one 
 on which we can all look down with joy and rejoicing from 
 our heavenly home." 
 
 Mr. McDougal was called from Dryden to the second 
 Presbyterian church of Bloomington, 111., where he remained 
 until 1870, when the loss by fire of his home, library, and 
 sermons, combined with failing health, caused him for a 
 time to engage in business. In 1879 he took the chair of 
 philosophy in Parke College but resumed preaching in 1883 
 at Grand Ridge, and Polo, 1886-90, both towns near Chicago. 
 In 1890-92 he preached at Rich Hill, Mo., when, needing 
 
56 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 rest, he moved to a ranch near Montevallo, Vernon county, 
 Mo., where in 1898 Mrs. McDougal died. 
 
 His last years were spent with his children, Archibald at 
 Wise, Mo., his winters, until her death, with his daughter 
 Annie at Redlands, Cal. He died with Jenny at her home 
 in Chicago. The last five years he was blind from cataract. 
 An operation on one eye gave him sight sufficient for mov- 
 ing about in well-known places. Mrs. Parke writes " to the 
 last he carried himself erect, walked brisk and strong, his 
 smile and face, sunny and sweet, interested in all life, 
 active in the Hyde Park church, his presence a blessing and 
 a benediction, he endured his trials without a murmur, wait- 
 ed cheerfully and patiently God's time to call him home. " 
 
 John V. C. Nellis had studied at Union College, graduated 
 at Auburn, and had preached three years at Jordan before 
 coming to Dryden in 1868. His years here were uneventful 
 ones of peace and prosperity. The parsonage was on South 
 street where Mrs. Nellis presided with gracious charm. Be- 
 fore May, in 1873, Mr. Nellis went to Addison, N. Y., and 
 had five other charges in the state. In 1880 Union College 
 gave him the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He 
 died at Walton, N. Y., in 1896. 
 
 George R. Smith succeeded Mr. Nellis, supplying the 
 church during the last year of his seminary course at Au- 
 burn. His first sermon was May 10, 1873 ; his second Sept. 
 21, of the same year. May 1, 1874, the first Sunday of his 
 service as pastor, a hymn of welcome, written for the oc- 
 casion by Miss Anna Black, was sung by the choir and con- 
 gregation. 
 
 At the same service copies of a paper edited by Mr. 
 Smith were distributed. This gives the names of the 168 
 members and of the nineteen classes of the Sunday School, 
 then numbering 175. This was the year that the Methodist 
 church was burned. 
 
 Mr. Smith held frequent services in the country school- 
 houses. Twenty, Willow Glen, and South Hill. 
 
 In June, 1874, subscriptions were begun for a new parson- 
 age. As the result of the pastor's untiring efforts, a thous- 
 and dollars were raised before August 12 of that year. Mr. 
 Smith brought his bride to the old parsonage on South 
 
REV. GEORGE R. SMITH 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 57 
 
 Street, where they lived until September, 1875, when they 
 had the pleasure of becoming the first occupants of the pres- 
 ent parsonage on Union street. 
 
 Mr. Smith was ordained and installed Nov. 18, 1874. The 
 charge to the church and society was given by a former pas- 
 tor. Rev. R. S. Eggleston, and the sermon in the evening by 
 Herrick Johnson. 
 
 Mr. Smith was a zealous worker, alive to the needs of 
 church and community. Jan. 12, 1876, a committee was ap- 
 pointed to collect the history of the church, the germ of that 
 published in 1882. In March, owing to some friction regard- 
 ing social amusements, Mr. Smith resigned and later re- 
 moved to Elbridge. In 1882 he was welcomed back to assist 
 in the celebration of the eightieth anniversary. He then 
 was pastor of the Presbyterian church at Campbell. Since 
 1896 he has been at Gilman, Illinois ; for five, pastor at large 
 in the Presbytery at Bloomington. 
 
 The Rev. Anson G. Chester, a graduate of Union College, 
 had preached in Buffalo, Albion, and Corning before coming 
 to Dryden. He gave his first sermon May 14, 1876, his last 
 Aug. 26, 1877. He had literary gifts and is best remembered 
 by his sermons, that of Feb. 18, 1877, on the sixty-ninth an- 
 niversary of the church organization with historical sketch 
 was committed to the care of the general assembly and de- 
 posited with the records of the churches. 
 
 Mr. Chester now lives in Buffalo, has no pastoral charge, 
 engages in literary work, but frequently preaches there and 
 in other adjacent towns. His poem, "The Tapestry Weav- 
 ers, " is widely known. 
 
 The Rev. Charles Ray while pastor of the Congregational 
 church at Moravia, 1872-80, supplied the church the next 
 year. He was born in Calcutta, India, where his parents 
 were missionaries. When ten years old he was sent to Am- 
 erica for his education. At the age of twenty he graduated 
 at Union College and afterwards studied at Princeton ; many 
 will recall his zeal for missions. 
 
 Edward Warren Root, whose Dryden pastorate was from 
 1878 to 1881, graduated at Yale with honor, where he after- 
 wards tutored, studied theology at Union and Yale. His 
 first pastorate was at Williamsburg, Mass.; other charges 
 
58 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 were Oxford, and Springfield, Ohio, Sunderland, Mass., 
 Westerly, R. I., Batavia, 111., Hudson, Ohio, Chenango 
 Forks, N. Y. Mr. Root was in feeble health when he came 
 to Dryden, but he was filled with spiritual life, and the 
 church felt his fervor. Many were then added to the church, 
 who are now among its efficient workers. Fred Wheeler, our 
 present Sunday School Superintendent, Elder, and clerk of 
 the session, united with the church Jan. 4, 1879, at the same 
 time with the two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Root. Willie, the 
 younger son, died, a blow from which his father never ral- 
 lied. In January of the next year he resigned and moved to 
 Schenectady, where, April 25, 1882, he died. On his tomb at 
 Fern Cliff, are inscribed his favorate words, "Looking unto 
 Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Mr. Root's 
 work was nobly sustained by his noble wife, earnest, self- 
 sacrificing, entering with fullest sympathy into the work of 
 the church. She writes, "The day that Hervey Griswold, 
 for many years a teacher and missionary in India, came to. 
 the study for guidance and consecrated himself to Christ 
 and his service cannot be forgotton." Mrs. Root now lives 
 with her son Edward, at Providence, R. I., where he is field 
 secretary, of the Men's Federation of Churches. Both sent 
 tender greetings to the Dryden church last February, 
 
 Oct. 25, 1881, Giles H. Dunning was called. He was then, 
 at the age of thirty, in the last year of his studies at Au- 
 burn. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Cayuga Sept. 
 19, 1882. In 1883 he issued a pamphlet, a short historical 
 sketch and directory of the church. June 18, 1883, he re- 
 signed and left in July to become pastor of the Brecken- 
 ridge Presbyterian church in Buffalo. After four years 
 there he became assistant pastor of the Old Stone church in 
 Cleveland. From a Sunday School organized by Mr. Dun- 
 ning grew the Bethany church of which he became the pas- 
 tor. Here he labored for thirteen years, seeing a beautiful 
 chapel erected and the church increased to some five hun- 
 dred members. 
 
 He overtaxed his strength, gave up this church, took a 
 smaller one in Orwell, Ohio, but in July, 1903, he was strick- 
 en by paralysis. He now lives in Cleveland. His wife 
 writes that his mind is clear, can read but is unable to talk. 
 
REV. GILES H. DUNNING 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 59 
 
 He sent kindly greetings to the Dryden church in February. 
 
 Charles O. Hanmer supplied the church from 1884 to 1886. 
 It was largely due to him that the present organ was pur- 
 chased and placed with the choir behind the pulpit. His in- 
 fluence enriched all musical services. Since 1904 Mr. Han- 
 mer has been pastor of the Dutch Reformed church at New- 
 burgh, New York. He writes, " I have a picture of the Dry- 
 den church at which I often look and recall the faces of those 
 who sat in the pews at Sabbath service. The songs of the 
 choir come back and the full tones of the organ linger in my 
 memory : the musical union with whom I enjoyed many an 
 hour of melody, the Sabbath School, the Christmas and 
 Easter celebrations, the Memorial Day services are all re- 
 membered. " 
 
 George V. Reichel, a graduate of Auburn, began his first 
 pastorate at Dryden, Tuesday evening, July 27, 1886. He 
 entered upon the work of the church with energy and spirit- 
 ual power, instituting some features which still exist. 
 
 His exposition of the Sunday School lessons in the class 
 held for teachers after the Thursday evening meeting, was 
 most inspiring. 
 
 The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was 
 organized; the Ladies' Society of Ways and Means, so 
 named by Mrs. Reichel, was organized; the church debt of 
 some $1500 was raised; a furnace placed in the parsonage; 
 the church interior \Yas redecorated, and the eightieth anni- 
 versary of the church celebrated. 
 
 Daniel Bartholomew and Frederick R. Wheeler were or- 
 dained by Mr. Reichel to the eldership Jan. 22, 1888. The 
 church membership in 1888 was 140; the Christian Endeavor, 
 41. The Ladies' Missionary Society was then but a part of 
 the Ways and Means. 
 
 Mr, Reichel was strongly urged to be present at the 
 centennary, but unable to attend, he sent congratulations 
 and the wish that the richest, divine blessing may ever 
 abide upon the Dryden church. 
 
 The Rev. Fred L. Hiller was called to the Dryden church 
 Sept. 26, 1889, and soon after began a service which ended 
 only with his death, although the pastoral relation was sev- 
 ered at the close of 1897. Mr. Hiller was born in Dover, 
 
60 CHURCH PAStORS 
 
 England, Jan. 27, 1828, coming to the United States when 
 only fourteen years old, to live with an uncle, Rev. E. W. 
 Breckinridge. He worked his way through Cazenovia Sem- 
 inary, then engaged in Tausiness, and July 24, 1850, married 
 Margaret E. Wentz, of Binghamton. Some years later he 
 was converted, and soon after entered the Wyoming Con- 
 ference of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 In 1861 he enlisted and left Binghamton in the 16th New 
 York Independent Battery, light artillery, as second lieuten- 
 ant, was advanced to captain until 1864, when disease con- 
 tracted in the malarial districts of Virginia compelled him 
 to resign. In 1865 he again entered the Wyoming Confer- 
 ence, and for twenty years* was an earnest worker in the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, was four years presiding elder 
 of the Oneonta District. Following what he believed to be 
 " The Divine Guidance " in 1886 he accepted the charge of 
 the Presbyterian church at Milford, N. Y., which he served 
 till coming to Dryden. 
 
 Mr. Killer's earnest, genial nature won the love and con- 
 fidence of the church. His ministry was marked by many 
 accessions, some at almost every communion. 
 
 There were also deep losses : March 9, 1895, the death of 
 Elder Leonard Griswold, at the age of 74, a member of the 
 church for fifty-three, its elder more than forty-six years. 
 In November of the same year, David A. Chatfield, at the 
 age of 70 ; thirty-seven years a member of the church, rul- 
 ing elder twenty-seven, clerk of the session, eighteen. 
 
 In January, 1897, Mr. Hiller felt that he should resign, but 
 it was not until the end of that year that his resignation was 
 accepted with many expressions of confidence and esteem. 
 
 Mr. Hiller continued to reside in Dryden, loved and re- 
 spected by the entire community. He was the ideal of a 
 Christian pastor, peaceful in disposition, prudent and faith- 
 ful, " pointing to Heaven and led himself the way." 
 
 In 1904, while on a visit to his son in Honesdale, Pa., he 
 was called from the Master's work on earth to His service 
 in Heaven. 
 
 Of his service, his son, the Rev. Wm. Hiller writes : 
 
 " His zeal counted no cost too great if souls might be won. 
 A man of strong convictions, fearless in their maintainance, 
 
REV. FRED L. HILLER 
 
CHURCH PASTORS 61 
 
 an able preacher of the Gospel, a successful and painstaking 
 administrator, a close student, a warm friend, a wise coun- 
 sellor, it is the statement of the simple truth to say that a 
 great multitude of redeemed souls attribute their conversion 
 under God to him, and those who knew him best and shared 
 his confidence are grateful beyond all expression that theirs 
 has been the privilege of calling such a man their friend. " 
 
 Oliver T. Mather was born of Christian parents at Wals- 
 ingham Center, Ontario, Canada, April 20, 1861. His school 
 training was for teaching, his work for several years. He 
 gave this up to study for the ministry, and was graduated 
 from Auburn Theological Seminary in 1893. May 16 of the 
 same year he was ordained pastor of the Westminster Pres- 
 byterian church of Auburn, where he remained until coming 
 to Dryden, Jan. 1, 1898. He left Dryden September, 1904, to 
 form the Bethany Presbyterian church of Tacoma, Washing- 
 ton, then a mission field, now a self-supporting church of 
 more than a hundred members. 
 
 The story of Mr. Mather's work among us is given from 
 his own statements : 
 
 " My pastorate began with a three-weeks evangelistic 
 service conducted by the Rev. C. W. Walker, of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal church, and myself. During my pastorate 
 the church sustained many severe losses by deaths and re- 
 movals. Thirty members were lost in one year, lit 1898 the 
 woolen mills closed with consequent depression to the busi- 
 ness life of the village. But notwithstanding these adverse 
 conditions it was a prosperous period in the history of the 
 church. A debt of $500 on the manse was paid at the end of 
 the first year. Then began an era of improvements on the 
 church and manse, which entailed an annual average ex- 
 penditure of from $400 to $500. Pew renting was discon- 
 tinued and the weekly envelope system was instituted. The 
 salary was paid promptly every month without a single ex- 
 ception. When the pastorate closed every financial obliga- 
 tion was provided for. This creditable financial record, not- 
 withstanding the many losses by death and removal is due 
 to the self-denial of the people, and the faithfulness of the 
 treasurer, C. D. Williams. In meeting the cost of repairs 
 and improvements the Ways and Means Society and Busy 
 
62 CHURCH PASTORS 
 
 Bees rendered great assistance. The present flourishing 
 Woman's Missionary Society was organized in the spring of 
 1898. Later a Girls' Missionary Band was formed. Each 
 year the church had three large social gatherings, the farm- 
 ers' chicken pie supper in the fall, the men's patriotic supper 
 Feb. 22, and the village supper in the spring ; these were all 
 largely attended and contributed greatly to the social life of 
 the church, bringing together in a most enjoyable fashion all 
 the congregation. 
 
 " During the six years and eight months of my pastorate 
 100 funerals were attended, 43 weddings were solemnized, 12 
 infants and 53 adults were baptized, 61 persons were re- 
 ceived into membership, 44 on profession of faith. 
 
 " The men's class of the Sunday School was formed, at 
 one time numbering nearly fifty members. In the summer 
 seasons a Sunday School was maintained with occasional 
 preaching in Irish Settlement school house. 
 
 " Mr. Hiller, the former pastor, until his death in the 
 autumn of 1904, continued his residence at Dryden. He 
 took a tender interest in all the work and his presence was a 
 benediction, his words of encouragement a source of in- 
 spiration, and his fervent prayers a means of great spiritual 
 uplift and comfort. This was an unusually happy pastorate. 
 Seldom are pastor and people united and in greater sym- 
 pathy with each other, than during this period. " 
 
 The present pastor. Rev. William Charles Brass, is a na- 
 tive of Bremen, Prussia. He was educated in Germany, and, 
 after coming to America, pursued his ministerial course at 
 Auburn Theological Seminary, from which institution he 
 was graduated in 1886. He was licensed to preach by the 
 Presbytery of Binghamton and ordained by the Presbytery 
 of Steuben. For a short time he engaged in home mission 
 work in Nebraska, after which he became pastor of the Pres- 
 byterian church at Hannibal, N. Y., and continued there 
 four years. This was followed by a pastorate of twelve 
 years at King Ferry, Cayuga county. 
 
 He began his labors as pastor of the Dryden church in 
 November, 1904, and has faithfully and acceptably min- 
 istered to the needs of this church to the present time. 
 
PARSONAGES AND CEMETERY 63 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ITS PARSONAGES AND CEMETERY. 
 
 Under date of July 4, 1831, Captain Edward Griswold, the 
 early friend and promoter of Dryden village and its Presby- 
 terian church society, conveyed to the trustees of the latter, 
 four acres of his premises, thence known as the " Priest 
 Lot " " for the express purpose of supporting the Gospel in 
 said society by the use of all income that arises from the 
 same " as expressed in the deed of conveyance. 
 
 This lot of four acres is located on North street directly 
 south of the Albright farm and is now owned and occupied 
 by F. E. Strong. It was then a vacant lot and was rented 
 out by the society for some years for about ten dollars per 
 annum, but in the year 1857, with the sanction of the Court, 
 it was sold for $200 and the proceeds invested in the first 
 Presbyterian parsonage, now the home of Dr. F. S. Howe on 
 West Main street. The county records show that it was 
 purchased of Dr. Edwin B. Wright for the consideration of 
 $1400 but was subject to a mortgage which was gradually 
 paid oflE by the society. The early pastors of the church had 
 furnished their own places of residence but from this time 
 this was their home until December, 1867, when it was ex- 
 changed with Dr. Howe for his house and lot "on South 
 street. During the pastorate of Rev. Geo. R. Smith, and 
 largely through his efforts, in April, 1875, this property was 
 sold to Abram Collings for $1500, to which was added $1000, 
 raised by subscription, and with the fund thus created a lot 
 was purchased on Union street and the present commodious 
 and creditable parsonage was built for the society. 
 
 To the original building there was added some years later 
 by the personal contribution of Miss Attosa Holmes, a de- 
 voted member of this church, a modern porch on three 
 sides, which greatly improved the structure, and other im- 
 provements have since been added. 
 
 Thus the society has come to be possessed of its present 
 parsonage free of incumbrance, furnishing a very suitable 
 home for its pastors, as the outgrowth of the original con- 
 
64 PARSONAGES AND CEMETBRY 
 
 tribution of the four acres of land by Edward Griswold, Sr., 
 in the year 1831. 
 
 Among: the church documents are two yellowed papers, 
 the one recording a lease made by Abram Griswold to the 
 trustees of the Presbyterian church of a roadway two rods 
 wide from street to cemetery for the use of all sects and de- 
 nominations. Mr. Griswold reserves the use of the gfround 
 for pasturing sheep, but for that purpose only. This lease 
 was made for 999 years, signed and sealed by Theophilus 
 Williams, Benjamin Simons, Sr., Peleg Potter, and Robert 
 McKee, in the presence of Samuel Robertson. It is attested 
 by Parley Whitmore, Commissioner of Deeds, November 6, 
 1831. 
 
 The second paper, made the same day as Feb. 10, 1830, 
 is the deed of the burying ground for the nominal sum of 
 five dollars. It is expressly stipulated that it is to be used 
 always as a burying ground, for all sects and denominations. 
 This deed bears the bold signatures of Abram Griswold and 
 Parley Whitmore. Both papers were recorded in the Tomp- 
 kins county clerk's office, Jan. 9, 1837, M. No record exists 
 as to date of first burial, but the deed refers to it as the 
 burying ground, so it must have been thus used before the 
 legal transfer. 
 
 It was the nearest accessible high ground and its close 
 proximity to the church made it desirable. Among the 
 stones still standing, the earliest dates are George E. Allen, 
 1816; Calvin Fay, 1818; Henry Lum, .1824, age 78; William 
 Lewis, 1829, age 24; Eliza, wife of Captain George Pierce, 
 1824; Rebecca, wife of Timothy Stowe; Mrs. Esther, wife of 
 Hugh Sloan, 1837, age 77; David Topping, 1824, age 63; 
 Henry F. Thompson, 1829, aged 84; David Hurd, 1826, age 
 20; Ruth, his wife, 1825, age 17. All these dates are previ- 
 ous to 1837. 
 
 Other stones of interest are Adelia, wife of Joseph B. 
 Corbin, 1845, age 20; Edward Davidson, 1855, said to have 
 built the first mill in the village; Joseph Baley, 1825, age 
 82; Zilpha, wife of Sylvester White, 1841; John W. Dodge, 
 son of Sally and Ira Dodge, age 19, was drowned near fact- 
 ory bridge while bathing, in 1846; Mrs. Esther, wife of Benja- 
 min Bennett, 1833, age 45; Mrs. Chloe, wife of Benjamin 
 
REV. O. T. MATHER 
 
PARSONAGES AND CEMETERY 65 
 
 Tucker, 1828, age 49; Ruth, the second wife of the same, 
 1838, age 37, 
 
 "There needs no verse her virtues to record 
 She lived and died a servant of the Lord." 
 
 Laura, daughter of E. S. and G. Green, 
 
 "The flowers that fall in the spring 
 Know not the frost that autumn brings." 
 
 Two Revolutionary soldiers rest in this cemetery, which 
 should be sufficient cause for its perpetual care : 
 
 Elias Larrabee, 1847, age 84 ; his wife, Cornelia, 1851. 
 
 And Seth Wheeler. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler's grave is near the south border of the 
 ground, is marked by a slate of good workmanship and de- 
 sign with these dates and lines : 
 
 Mr. Seth Wheeler, died Sept. 23, 1828, age 72. Rebecca, 
 his wife, died Feb. 25, 1821, age 62. 
 
 Affliction sore 
 My glass is out, Long time I bore ; 
 
 My race is run, Physicians were in vain; 
 
 My work in Christ Till God was pleased 
 
 Completely done. To give me ease 
 
 And free me from my pain. 
 
 How peaceful is the closing scene 
 
 Where virtue yields her breath ; 
 How sweetly beams 
 The smile serene 
 
 Upon the cheek of death ! 
 
 Seth Wheeler, was the ancestor of all residents of his 
 name. A full account of him is found in the Town History, 
 pages 87-88. 
 
 Their names are given as the earliest of the nearly one 
 hundred and fifty graves still left in this historic burial 
 place, and here were buried many of the founders of our 
 church. 
 
 When in 1863 Green Hills Cemetery was formed, many re- 
 movals were made; this ground was so neglected that in 
 1898, the Town History predicts that its existence as a bur- 
 ial place is likely to be entirely forgotten. Fortunately 
 this very prediction raised up far-away friends for the pres- 
 ervation of this ground as one of historic and poetic inter- 
 
66 PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION 
 
 est. Some still remember the delight of walks on its hill 
 top overlooking the town, the picturesque beauty of its 
 simple graves adorned with wild roses, lilac, and myrtle, 
 and felt that it should be preserved as the first cemetery of 
 the town, belonging to the Presbyterian church for a burial 
 place only; that the hill should not be carted away, but pre- 
 served as a feature of the landscape, seen by the eyes, trod 
 by the feet of the pioneers of Dryden. 
 
 Thus to the honor of the church and the town, through the 
 energetic efforts of the Rev. O. T. Mather, an association 
 was formed, and the fund subscribed was so wisely used, 
 that not only was the ground cleared and surrounded by a 
 substantial wire fence with gate, but a balance of some 
 eighty dollars remains in the bank for farther improvement. 
 Some time let us hope a driveway may surround this "God's 
 Acre," fittingly planted with trees, a memorial to the early 
 founders of our church, and an added beauty to the town. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION. 
 
 The task of reviewing for a century the progress, and in 
 conclusion summarizing the present condition, of the sub- 
 ject of this local history, is undertaken with hesitation and a 
 consciousness of inability to do the subject justice. Rarely 
 can the intelligent personal observations of an individual 
 span the period of even half a century and hence, in treat- 
 ing of the earlier conditions existing from fifty to one hun- 
 dred years ago, reliance must be placed upon such reliable 
 records and traditions as have been preserved. 
 
 The early effort to establish and maintain this church was 
 not of a strictly sectarian character but was joined in by 
 church people of different denominations and others who 
 had no church afl&liations. We accordingly find among the 
 first contributors and pew holders such leading men as 
 Abraham Tanner, afterwards postmaster and justice of the 
 peace, his brother, William Tanner, and John West, who 
 with their families were later identified with the Methodist 
 
PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION 67 
 
 church, as well as others like Captain Griswold and Elias 
 Larrabee, both Revolutionary soldiers, but not church mem- 
 bers. Public spirited people who had the good of the new 
 settlement of Dryden at heart no doubt realized then as they 
 do now the value and good influence of a church in a com- 
 munity and hence freely lent their aid. 
 
 There is said to have been an early rivalry between the 
 Willow Glen corners which then boasted of a tannery, hotel, 
 two stores, a grist mill, and two saw mills, and Dryden Corn- 
 ers, as to which should become the metropolis of the town- 
 ship, and it was the donation by Abram Griswold of the site 
 for this church which turned the scale in favor of the Dry- 
 den Corners. 
 
 There looms up out of the early religious history of Dry- 
 den the picturesque character of a man who, a few years lat- 
 er when the M. E. church was organized here, became a 
 leader in that denomination, by the name of Selden Marvin. 
 He with his boys cleared up from a wilderness the Albright 
 farm one mile north of Dryden village. Tradition tells us 
 that in the early days of Dryden his voice in earnest fervent 
 prayer, when meetings were being held in the school house, 
 could frequently be heard throughout the whole settlement 
 of Dryden Four Corners. Still he was not a boisterous man 
 but very quiet in his ordinary life, contributing to the good 
 of the conjmunity as its early commissioner of highways and 
 faithfully devoting himself to the welfare of his church and 
 family. He never sought distinction in public life, but one 
 of his sons became a noted U. S. District Judge, serving 
 at Key West during the war, and afterwards governor of the 
 state of Florida; another served twenty-four years as Justice 
 of the Supreme Court of the state of New York, while a 
 third, who still remains among us, has served a number of 
 years as supervisor of his native town of Dryden. The 
 prayers and exhortations of this early pioneer had their in- 
 fluence upon the religious status of the community in which 
 he lived and labored. 
 
 In thinking of the "good old times" which antedate our 
 memory we are apt to lose sight of the trials and perplexi- 
 ties which beset the church and those who had charge of its 
 affairs in those days. The agitation of the subject of 
 
68 PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION 
 
 "Masonry" and its embarassment to the church is elsewhere 
 referred to in these pages, but we believe that the perplexi- 
 ities attending the discussion of the anti-slavery question 
 upon which the members of this church as well as others 
 were very much divided in opinion has not been sufficiently 
 brought out. It should be remembered that in the earliest 
 times of which we are treating there were over twenty 
 thousand African slaves then being held in the State of New 
 York and at least one of them was actually held at that 
 time at Willow Glen in the town of Dryden, by Aaron Lacey, 
 as shown by the records of the Surrogate's Office of Tomp- 
 kins county in which his will bequeathing this slave to his 
 widow is recorded. In our state slavery was abolished in 
 the year 1827, but after that upon the subject as to how it 
 should be treated as existing in and extending to other 
 states and territories and the extent of the legal obligation, 
 sanctioned and enjoined by the law of the land, to apprehend 
 and return to their masters fugitive slaves from other states, 
 there was much diversity of opinion and bitter agitation, 
 both in the church and outside of it. We are forcibly re- 
 minded of this and other difficulties which beset the early 
 church in Dryden by the written resignation of one of its 
 clergymen, who in resigning frees his mind upon this and 
 other subjects : " The total inefficiency of the church in 
 discipline, its sectarian and unchristian organization which 
 renders it unconstituted to discipline wicked church mem- 
 bers for voting for rumsellers and slaveholders, its sin-fel- 
 lowshiping relation to slavery by virtue of its relation to the 
 slaveholding U. S. Gen. Assembly, " etc., are given as the 
 reasons for his resignation. There were then members of 
 the church in Dryden as well as elsewhere who professed to 
 believe that the Bible sanctioned the institution of slavery 
 and others who believed that the law of the land should be 
 respected or at least should not be repudiated by the 
 church, while others held quite contrary views, and this led 
 naturally to much trouble in the church. The subject of 
 disciplining church members whose views were not quite up 
 to the established creed of the church was also a matter of 
 much trouble and several cases of this kind are treated of in 
 the first pages of the official records of this church. In our 
 
REV. W. C. BRASS 
 
PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION 69 
 
 days the other extreme of enforcing little or no discipline 
 at all seems to prevail. 
 
 As viewed from our standpoint, the golden age of this 
 church was in the middle of its first century period, during 
 the pastorate of Rev. A. McDougall. In the first winter sea- 
 son of his ministry ( 1860-1 ) a great revival of religion took 
 place in Dryden. Mr. McDougall was an impressive man of 
 Scotch descent, tall in stature, a fluent speaker, and a man 
 of dignified bearing. He and the Methodist preacher, Capt. 
 Barnard, were aided by an evangelist by the name of Parker 
 whose stirring appeals and exhortations are still remem- 
 bered by those who heard him. The two churches became 
 thoroughly united in prosecuting the work. A personal can- 
 vass was made of the whole community from house to house 
 and great interest was centered in the meetings which were 
 held in the crowded churches. Ordinary business was laid 
 aside. Prayer meetings were held during the day and 
 everybody attended the evening meetings. The spirit of re- 
 vival seemed to be in the air and it literally happened at 
 that time that some " who came to scoff, remained to pray." 
 The singing as well as the preaching seemed to take hold of 
 everybody and all joined in the swelling chorus. To the 
 writer, who attended as a child, it seemed, after the sermon 
 was ended and the new converts had come forward and had 
 related their humble personal experiences in their efforts to 
 lead a better life, some confessing their sins and asking the 
 forgiveness of their neighbors, while nearly all joined in a 
 request for the prayers of all good people that they might be 
 led to do their full duty and serve God, and after the singing 
 of a familiar hymn started spontaneously in a sweet, shrill 
 voice by some Methodist sister in which all finally joined— 
 it seemed as though the gates of Heaven were opened and 
 that all present had been lifted up to a higher plane of ex- 
 istence and were breathing the purer air and sharing the 
 holier joys of Paradise itself. 
 
 As a result of this revival, which has not been equalled in 
 Dryden before or since, there were many accessions to the 
 membership of both churches in the following spring and 
 summer. Since then there has been some falling off in the 
 membership. In judging of this however we should remem- 
 
70 PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION 
 
 ber that the town of Dryden has been continuously decreas- 
 ing in population for the past seventy years and more, hav- 
 ing now about one-third less inhabitants in number than in 
 1836, when the greatest number was reached. The village 
 however has grown in population at the expense of the 
 more rural districts which has compensated somewhat, so 
 far as this church is concerned, for the general loss of popu- 
 lation in the whole township. 
 
 In a material point of view this church, beginning with 
 nothing, has acquired during the first century of its exist- 
 ence its present equipment, consisting of its edifice, fairly 
 well furnished; containing a good organ and accompanied by 
 a very respectable and commodious parsonage property, all 
 free from debt and reasonably adapted in every way to pres- 
 ent needs. 
 
 The original building although substantially built and of 
 liberal proportions for those times was at first awkwardly lo- 
 cated, but this mistake was rectified by its removal in 1849 
 to the present location, and with the additions, repairs and 
 improvements which have from time to time since been 
 made has become with its surroundings an ornament to the 
 village of which it forms a part. 
 
 It is not so easy to define and comment upon its moral and 
 religious progress, but it started in a new settlement in the 
 wilderness where a very rude state of society then existed. 
 We have been told by old men who have long since passed 
 away that at the military training days and early town meet- 
 ings of Dryden there was always more or less brutal fighting 
 among the drunken and disorderly elements of the popula- 
 tion. Some such conditions prevailed in the new settlement 
 as now exist in regions of Tennesee and Kentucky among 
 the mountain whites where, in the absence of religious influ- 
 ences, barn-burning and night-raiding are still tolerated. 
 Religious fanaticism was also in evidence and it is a sad 
 fact that some of the early families of Dryden and adjoining 
 towns were induced to join the Mormons, and their descend- 
 ants are still numbered among that sect. During the 
 century slavery has been abolished, the liquor traffic regu- 
 lated and largely done away with as compared with its form- 
 er unlimited prevalence, petty litigation, which was former- 
 
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 71 
 
 ly very common, has almost ceased to be known among us, 
 and a comparatively orderly state of society exists. The 
 unfounded prejudice which tabooed Masonry, as a sort of 
 witchcraft, at variance with the church, has disappeared 
 and it is now a matter of no concern that certain of our re- 
 cent pastors are members of this Order. 
 
 There always have been and probably always will be de- 
 fects and perplexing difficulties to be met with in church 
 organizations and church management, but it is believed 
 that if one of the sturdy pioneers who helped to cut and hew 
 the timbers which form the framework of our church edifice, 
 could come back and attend the present service, viewing the 
 interior of the church as it now appears, noting the carpet 
 on the floor, the cushions on the seats and the frescoing on 
 the walls — all unknown in his times — and then listen to the 
 music of the organ, the harmonious voices of the choir and 
 to the prayer and sermon from the pulpit, and finally at the 
 clo^e of the service, greet the members of the congregation 
 and observe the good feeling and general air of refinement 
 and good fellowship which prevails, he would be forced to 
 the happy conviction that in contributing to the foundation 
 and framework of the structure and in assisting in the or- 
 ganization of the church and society which, progressing 
 through the century, has reached the present state of devel- 
 opment, he and his associates builded better than they 
 knew. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. 
 
 The centennial celebration was held on February 15, 16, 
 and 17, 1908. The following account is reprinted from The 
 Dryden Herald of February 19, 1908 : 
 
 The celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the 
 organization of the Presbyterian church is an event that will 
 long be remembered by the people of Dryden and the socie- 
 ty enters upon its second century of usefulness with the 
 best wishes of the entire community. The celebration was 
 
72 THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 a great success, the people of the village and surrounding 
 country, irrespective of denomination, joining heartily in 
 the services, and as a result the church was filled at every 
 one of the six sessions. 
 
 That the event was so successful is due to the careful 
 planning of the chairman of the committee, Mr. Goodrich, 
 and to Miss M. A. Mineah, who conducted the work of the 
 correspondence, securing by her personal efforts the attend- 
 ance of several of the speakers, as well as to all the others 
 of the committee. The musical part of the exercises con- 
 tributed largely to the enjoyment of the occasion and for 
 this thanks are due Dr. Howe, the musical director, and his 
 orchestra, and those who assisted them, notably Edwin C. 
 Tichenor and Dr. F. B. Howe, of Ithaca. The decorations 
 of the church were the occasion of much favorable com- 
 ment ; in trimming the audience room the committee used 
 the national colors tastefully arranged and with the flowers 
 and palms the effect was very pleasing. 
 
 Nearly three hundred people were served at the men's 
 supper Saturday evening and but for the disagreeable 
 weather and bad roads there would have been many more, 
 as the country people could get to the village only with 
 great difficulty and a large number were obliged to remain 
 at home because of the high water. 
 
 After the supper Dr. Howe's orchestra rendered an excel- 
 lent concert and the formal exercises of the celebration 
 were opened with prayer by the Rev. J. H. Ross. Mr. 
 Goodrich as chairman of the centennial committee then an- 
 nounced that the committee had been disappointed by two 
 people on the program ; word had just been received from 
 the Rev. George V. Reichel, of Canfield, Ohio, that he could 
 not be present to preach the centennial sermon and Miss 
 Barton found it necessary to remain at home as she could 
 not be assured, because of the absolutely impassible condi- 
 tion of the roads, of returning to Cortland Sunday morning 
 in time to fill her engagement there. 
 
 Rev. W. C. Brass, pastor of the church, in welcoming the 
 visitors, said that it was significant of the character of the 
 early settlers that within eleven years after the first pioneer 
 had located here they should find it necessary to found a 
 
HON. JOHN MILLER 
 
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 73 
 
 church society, although there was already a church at 
 Etna, and that eight years later the Methodist Episcopal 
 church should be brought into existence. He said the 
 church was and had ever been an educational center and 
 that it was fitting that this important epoch in its history 
 should be celebrated and that the deeds of those who form- 
 erly occupied these pews and who had been called from the 
 church militant to the church triumphant should be properly 
 commemorated. 
 
 The address of welcome was responded to by Hon. John 
 Miller, formerly governor of North Dakota, and now of 
 Duluth, Minn., and by Clarence Chatfield, of Bay City, 
 Mich., both of whom were closely identified with the church 
 in their younger days. 
 
 Mr. Miller said that as one gets older the scenes of one's 
 early days come back more vividly and that his heart ever 
 went out to Dryden as there were no friends so dear as 
 those of his youth. After living away for a quarter of a 
 century it was a pleasure to return and pay a tribute to the 
 memory of the grand men and women, the founders of the 
 church, whom h,e compared to the pines of the forest, up- 
 right, sound and good. Mr. Miller closed his remarks with 
 a plea for Christian men in political life. 
 
 Mr. Chatfield said that it had been thirty-three years since 
 he left Dryden for the West and that the people who have 
 lived here during those years could not appreciate the pleas- 
 ure it gave to attend a celebration of this kind; he spoke of 
 many associations of his younger days and said that it was 
 the impressions received in youth that stay by one through 
 life. Mr. Chatfield brought greetings from Mrs. Curtis, who 
 is remembered here as Miss Georgia McGraw, and Mrs. Eli 
 Speer, both of whom now live in Bay City. Mr. Chatfield is 
 closely identified with the Presbyterian church of his city 
 and came to Dryden expressly to attend the centennial cele- 
 bration of the church of which his father, the late David A. 
 Chatfield, was for many years an elder. 
 
 The usual services of the church were held Sunday morn- 
 ing with an excellent musical program especially prepared 
 by the choir; in the afternoon there was a praise service by 
 the Sunday School in which the choir and Dr. Howe's or- 
 
74 THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 chestra participated. The evening service was devoted to 
 congrratulations by the pastors of the village churches, read- 
 ing letters from former ministers of the church and music. 
 
 At the opening of the morning service Mr. Brass an- 
 nounced that a letter had been received the evening before 
 from Mr. Reichel, who was to have preached the anniver- 
 sary sermon, saying that he was unable to be in Dryden. 
 He then introduced the Rev. J. H. Ross, of this village, who 
 became pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in the fall 
 of 1889, commencing his work at the same time that the 
 Rev. Fred L. Hiller entered upon his duties in the Presby- 
 terian church. Mr. Brass remarked npon the friendship that 
 existed between Mr. Ross and Mr. Hiller and how their 
 work had resulted in harmonious action and congenialty in 
 the churches which has continued to the present day. 
 
 Mr. Ross preached a powerful and able sermon and held 
 the attention of the congregation closely. His text was 
 Luke 5:3, " And he entered into one of the ships, which was 
 Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little 
 from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out 
 of the ship, " which he applied to the present occasion. 
 
 The praise service in the afternoon was attended by a 
 great number and every seat in the house was taken. The 
 musical program included an anthem by the choir, several 
 selections by the orchestra, and the song service by the 
 Sunday school. E. K. Butts rendered a beautifully execut- 
 ed violin solo, Borowski's " Adoration ". His work was pro- 
 nounced by competent critics to be absolutely correct and 
 was greatly enjoyed by the audience. 
 
 Hon. John Miller spoke for a few minutes, recalling many 
 incidents of the time when he was connected with the Sun- 
 day school as superintendent. Members of the school then 
 read letters from former residents who had been interested 
 in the Sunday school. 
 
 At the hour for the evening service Dr. Stevenson, of the 
 Episcopal church, and the Rev. Mr. King, of the M. E. 
 church, spoke briefly and congratulated the church and so- 
 ciety upon its hundred years of history. Mr. Brass then 
 read letters from two former pastors, Rev. George R. Smith 
 and Rev. O. T. Mather. 
 
THE CENTENNIAI, CELEBRATION 75 
 
 The morning: of the 17th, the real anniversary day, saw the 
 auditorium filled with eager listeners, when, at 10 o'clock 
 the services were opened with an orgfan voluntary by Melvin 
 Goodwin, organist of the First Presbyterian church of Ith- 
 aca. 
 
 Geo. E. Goodrich, whose zeal and untiring efforts have 
 helped to make possible this successful celebration, gave a 
 talk upon the early history of the church, telling of the erec- 
 tion of the building and reading extracts from letters of the 
 years 1821 and 1822, when the church was in process of con- 
 struction. He exhibited valuable relics in the form of 
 deeds of the church lands and old account books, referring 
 to the unique ways in which the enthusiastic people payed 
 their subscriptions, bringing of the products of forest and 
 clearing, as the small amount of money in the country was 
 needed for paionent of taxes. 
 
 With sympathetic expression Melvin Goodwin played the 
 " Meditation-Elegie " by Barowski, in memory of his aunt, 
 Mrs. Adelia McElheny, whose death occurred in 1905, after 
 years of quiet, faithful service in this church. 
 
 The Rev. E. W. Huelster, D. D., of Homer, N. Y., was 
 then introduced and presented resolutions of greeting from 
 the First Congregational church of Homer, which has seen 
 107 years of active life. The greetings read as follows : 
 
 "Greetings from the Congregational church of Homer to 
 the Presbyterian church of Dryden : 
 
 " We congratulate you on having attained to the anniver- 
 sary of your one hundredth birthday. We hope that the 
 history and the memories of the past are sacred in your 
 minds today and will prove a stimulus in your church life 
 in the future. 
 
 "The fathers and mothers of a hundred years ago were 
 courageous, self-sacrificing, and hopeful for the future of the 
 church they were then forming. We trust that their succes- 
 sors of today in their good work are equally self-sacrificing 
 and may have a similar ambition. May it be that your 
 church, while it is old in years, may be young in ambition, 
 in energy, and in force in its church life. And, as the 
 church has stood all these one hundred years, steadfast in 
 its service to the Master in the community in which it is 
 
76 THE CBNTENNIAI^ CELEBRATION 
 
 placed, may it be equally influential and uplifting during the 
 years that are to come. The fact that our first two pastors 
 assisted in some of your services makes us all the more in- 
 terested in you and your work and we are glad that our pas- 
 tor of today can be present with you on this occasion. The 
 work is one, we are all servants of one Lord and Master en- 
 gaged in advancing His Kingdom in the world. 
 
 " And, therefore, brethren, we extend to you our expres- 
 sions of love and fellowship. 
 
 Deacon E. G. Ranney, 
 Deacon E. H, Hastings, 
 
 Committee. 
 " Adopted Thursday evening, Feb. 13, 1908." 
 
 Dr. Huelster in his address, "Dryden's Debt to Congrega- 
 tionalism;" payed tribute to two early pastors of the Homer 
 church, the Rev. Nathan Darrow and the Rev. Elnathan 
 Walker, who lent their aid to the struggling little church of 
 Dryden during its first years. The speaker characterized 
 Rev. Elnathan Walker as the most remarkable minister who 
 ever blest the Homer church, or indeed this entire region. 
 During his pastorate of eleven years there was an addition 
 of five hundred and fifty-eight to the membership of the 
 Homer church. 
 
 The chorus choir made the walls ring with the grand 
 anthem " Guide Me, Oh, Thou Great Jehovah! " 
 
 The morning session was brought to a close by three of 
 the older members of the church, Horace G. Fitts, Daniel 
 Bartholomew, and Miss Mary E. Cady, who each in reminis- 
 cent mood, briefly told some of their earliest recollections of 
 the church and of its influence upon their lives. 
 
 The afternoon program was opened with prayer offered by 
 the Rev. A. Morrill, of Etna, followed by a response, " Hear 
 My Prayer, " by the quartet choir, consisting of Mrs. Cora 
 Genung Chamot, soprano, Mrs. Lelle Rhodes Mangang, alto. 
 Dr. J. B. Howe, tenor, and A. L. Gilmore, bass, Melvin B. 
 Goodwin, organist. 
 
 A notable feature of the celebration was the historical ad- 
 dress by Prof. Catterall, of Cornell University, on conditions 
 in America, and more especially in New York state, one 
 hundred years ago. Prof. Catterall put so much of earnest 
 
REV. GEORGE V. REICHEL 
 
THE CENTENNIAL CEIvEBRATlON 77 
 
 thought, of instruction, varied by flashes of wit, into his ad- 
 dress that it is difficult to give a brief summary of it. He 
 vividly portrayed the endeavors of our pioneer ancestors to 
 attain even a small degree of comfort and civilization, out- 
 lining the difficulties of travel and transportation of pro- 
 ducts owing to the mountain ranges, dense forests, and 
 rapid rivers, and said it was easier then to go from New 
 York City to Liverpool, than from New York to Albany. 
 The speaker mentioned the lack of agricultural implements, 
 and adequate shelter for stock, spoke of the prevalence of 
 contagious diseases, owing to the absence of hygienic con- 
 ditions, and dyspepsia caused by the universal use of pork 
 and other fried foods. He mentioned the apparent indiffer- 
 ence of the people to the importance of inventions, citing as 
 an example the appearance of the first steam-boat. In the 
 struggle for existence, little time was left for the culture of 
 mind and heart. Books were rare, there being only 50,000 
 volumes in all the public libraries of America. Boston and 
 Philadelphia were the centers of intellectual life, the New 
 Yorker then devoting his energy to the study and pursuit of 
 politics. Foreign visitors had the mistaken idea that the 
 American cared alone for the accumulation of money. The 
 true ideal of the American citizen was to add to the happi- 
 ness of the world, to raise the common man to a higher 
 plane of life. His aim was to put down tyranny, whether of 
 government, of a state church, or of a social aristocracy. 
 The thinking men of that day believed that man would be- 
 come morally better as the standard of his physical and in- 
 tellectual life was raised. 
 
 At this point in the program Mrs. Chamot charmed her 
 hearers by her rendering of the soprano solo, " My Redeem- 
 er and My Lord, " by Dudley Buck. 
 
 The Rev. J. F. Fitschen, pastor of the First Presbyterian 
 church of Ithaca, was next called to the platform and pre- 
 sented the felicitations of his church, which celebrated its 
 one hundredth birthday four years ago. He also brought 
 greetings from the Presbytery of Cayuga and from Auburn 
 Theological Seminary. He entertainingly described life in 
 the early day and spoke of the religious conditions in an4 
 about Ithaca a century ago. 
 
78 THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 Rev. A. Morrill brought greeting's from the First Baptist 
 church of Etna, and also the congratulations of the Cortland 
 Baptist Association! He forcefully contrasted the rigidity 
 with which the denominational lines were drawn in the be- 
 ginning of the nineteenth century, with the ever-increasing 
 spirit of unity prevailing at the present time. 
 
 A pleasing circumstance was the presence of Rev. Wm. 
 Smith, of Groton, who delivered an address at the eightieth 
 anniversary of this church. 
 
 In response to the request that all in the audience who 
 were descendants of the thirteen charter members should 
 make it manifest, fifteen persons arose, belonging to either 
 the Simons or Griswold families. 
 
 In five-minute talks personal memories were recalled and 
 tribute paid to the following pastors, officers, and workers 
 who have passed to the church triumphant : Rev. Archibald 
 McDougal, Mrs. McDougal, Deacon Freeman Stebbins, 
 David A. Chatfield, Leonard Griswold, Mrs. Sarah A. Barn- 
 um, Martin E. Tripp, Albert J. Baker, Elson P. Wheeler, 
 Rev. F. L. Hiller. This part of the program was given by 
 the following : Clarence Chatfield, Miss Albina Mineah, 
 John Miller, Webb Corbin, F. R. Wheeler, William Colwell, 
 
 C. D. Griswold, E. D. Wheeler, H. C. Loomis, and D. P. 
 Bartholomew. 
 
 A few of the many letters of greeting and regret from ab- 
 sent friends and members were read, among them being : 
 Rev. Herrick Johnson, D. D., Chicago, Rev. R. S. Eggles- 
 ton, a former pastor, now residing at Albion, N. Y., at the 
 advanced age of ninety-one years. Rev. M. Woolsey Stryker, 
 
 D. D., president of Hamilton College, Mrs. Lottie McDougal 
 Smith, of Chicago, Mrs. G. W. Lormor, of Olympia, Wash., 
 and Dr. Curry, pastor of the Cortland Presbyterian church. 
 
 The last number on the program was the tenor solo and 
 quartet, the words of Christ to His disciples, "Peace I 
 Leave with Thee," a very fitting selection for the close of 
 the centennial services. It was rendered in a most impres- 
 sive manner and will not be soon forgotten. 
 
 The benediction was pronounced by the pastor. Rev. W. 
 C. Brass, and the centennial celebration of the Presbyterian 
 church of Dryden had passed into history. 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 79 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS. 
 
 In the nature of an appendix to the narrative of the his- 
 tory of this church and its centennial celebration it is 
 thought best to here preserve certain letters and reminis- 
 cences relating thereto, which otherwise might be lost. We 
 first copy from the publication of 1888 certain reminiscences 
 by David Chatfield as follows : 
 
 The reader, in perusing these brief memoirs, will natural- 
 ly wish to know by what authority the writer makes these 
 statements. I answer : For more than half a century he 
 has been a member of this society, and most of the time a 
 member of the Sunday school; for thirty years a member of 
 this church; and for twenty years one of its elders. 
 
 Deacon Abram Griswold — The first character I desire to 
 mention is that of Deacon Abram Griswold. Born in the 
 year 1784, uniting with the church when twenty-four years of 
 age, at the time of its organization ; a man of great physical 
 power and endurance, and, better still, a man of unswerving 
 fidelity to Christ and his church. My first recollection of 
 him is in his office of deacon in the distribution of the bread 
 and wine. I distinctly recollect with what dignified solem- 
 nity all his ministrations were performed, giving to my then 
 boyish mind a sacredness and holy importance to these 
 sacraments that have in all my after life been of profitable 
 memory. He and his daughter were also for many years 
 leaders of the choir, with no guide but a pronged piece of 
 steel called a tuning fork, which, when bitten and held to 
 the ear, would feebly send forth the sound of one letter, 
 from which the chorister must get the "pitch" as best he 
 might. This good man served the church with faithfulness 
 until a ripe old age, dying at three score and eighteen, and 
 has gone home to enjoy that exceeding and eternal weight 
 of glory. 
 
 Benjamin Simons^ y>-.— Benjamin Simons, Jr., was born in 
 the year 1798; united with the First Presbyterian church iu 
 
80 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 Dryden in 1826, being twenty-eight years of age; has been a 
 member sixty-two years and an elder fifty-six years; also a 
 deacon many years. With his life and character I am better 
 acquainted than any other member of this church. All 
 of these fifty-six years have I known him and can truly say 
 he has lived the life of the righteous; he has been to me a 
 wise counselor, a judicious adviser, a wholesome pattern, 
 and a faithful and praying support; and what he has been to 
 me he has been to the church, one of its strongest pillars, 
 one of its most devoted, earnest and self-sacrificing sup- 
 porters. To him more than any other living man do I owe 
 my early regard for sacred things, and to his prayers am I 
 indebted more than I can tell or than can be estimated. 
 Many a time have I heard him in earnest prayer in his barn, 
 wrestling with God, that the Holy Spirit might incline the 
 hearts of his son and myself to seek the Savior. Although 
 we were boys, careless, and full of fun, I could but think 
 there must be something awfully important in the religion 
 he professed or he could not be so interested, and to this 
 day and ever I shall be more grateful than I can express for 
 his prayers and example. He yet lives, praying and waiting 
 for the summons that shall say, " Well done good and faith- 
 ful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. " I have 
 been personally acquainted with three of the Simons 
 brothers and with the father: Benjamin, Sr., Benjamin, Jr., 
 Adam, and Williston. I have worked for them and with 
 them and have known them intimately and can truly say of 
 each, what was said of Nathaniel in the forty-seventh verse 
 of John's gospel, first chapter. The word "simon-pure" was 
 a current phrase in the Homer shingle market, and meant 
 that a bunch of shingles warranted good by Benjamin Sim- 
 ons, passed for such anywhere without being tested. I have 
 heard it remarked of the father, "he had not an enemy in 
 the world." 
 
 Benjamin Simons, Sr. — I shall not say much of the elder 
 Benjamin Simons, as I presume his affection for and fidelity 
 to the church will be described by one much more compe- 
 tent than I. His long journey alone and on foot through the 
 wilderness from Dryden to Orange county and back again 
 will be graphically described. One little incident I would 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 81 
 
 like to relate, showing that he possessed physical courage 
 as well as moral, though not a professional Nimrod. At the 
 time of his first settlement in Dryden the wilderness was in- 
 fested with bears, wolves, wildcats, and other less ferocious 
 game. One evening while sitting with his family in their 
 primitive log-cabin a sound was heard echoing from hill to 
 hill. Though distant and faint, the father's quick and prac- 
 ticed ear immediately detected that it was the howl of the 
 ferocious wolf. He rose quietly and took down his 
 "Queen's-arm" and went out into the darkness with no pro- 
 tection but his flintlock. Carefully and silently he wended 
 his way through the woods in the direction of his enemy, un- 
 til as near as possible without being heard. Seating him- 
 self on a log, he commenced to answer his wolfship with a 
 "howl" so like his own that he was completely deceived. 
 So, continuing to answer, the midnight hunter drew his 
 game nearer and nearer, until the glaring eyeballs were dis- 
 tinctly visible, when, raising the old blunderbuss and taking 
 careful aim he fired — with what success he could not ascer- 
 tain in the darkness, but going back in the morning and pur- 
 suing the trail he soon found the wolf, dead, pierced by 
 several buckshot. 
 
 Hugh Thompson— Hnsh Thompson was born in the year 
 1780, in Ireland; his wife, Eleanor, in the year 1784. They 
 both united with Graham's church in Orange county, N. Y., 
 and in 1817 joined this church by letter. Hugh died in 1850, 
 being seventy years of age. His wife died in 1847, aged six- 
 ty-three years. 
 
 Brother Thompson belonged to the severe type of Chris- 
 tian; he had no sympathy with anything that was not strictly 
 orthodox, and any minister that did not come in at the right 
 door and subscribe to all the doctrines of the Westminster 
 catechism, met with his unqualified condemnation. Yet, 
 notwithstanding his austere manners, and his bigoted belief 
 in the rights and ceremonies of the Pilgrim Fathers, he was 
 a good man, a conscientious man, a praying man, a firm be- 
 liever in all the truths of the Bible, and his life was a "liv- 
 ing epistle known and read of all men." Living at least six 
 mil6s from church, often did he and his faithful wife travel 
 this distance on foot, and many times his wife on horseback 
 
82 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 and he on foot while the roads through the woods were yet 
 impassable by wagons. Brother Thompson served the 
 church many years in an official capacity, first as elder and 
 then as deacon, in both of which he was prompt, active, and 
 efficient. When we of today look back and see what our 
 fathers endured, what hardships they suffered, what ob- 
 stacles they surmounted, to found and build up a church for 
 us, it ought to lead us to double our diligence, to renew our 
 vows and consecrations, and to run with patience and re- 
 newed zeal the race that is set before us. 
 
 There are so many more worthies of whom time will not 
 permit me to speak, that I can only ask you to read the 
 eleventh chapter of Hebrews, beginning at the seventeenth 
 verse; and when you get to the thirty-second, you will find 
 my position described; for every Gideon, Barak, Samson, 
 Jephtha, David, and Samuel, I will cite you to their counter- 
 part in a Charles Griswold, a Seymour O. Clark, a Jonathan 
 Sperry, a Derick Sutfin, a John Terpenning, a Daniel Bar- 
 tholomew, Sr., an Ananias Scofield, and a David Brigham, 
 &c., &c., "ad infinitum." And for every Deborah and Han- 
 nah, a score for each might be named, but I can only men- 
 tion two, leaving the others to readier pens and more 
 graphic powers of description. 
 
 Mrs. Minerva Aldrich — Mrs. Minerva Aldrich was a mem- 
 ber of this church for about forty years. I cannot express 
 to you the faithfulness, neither can I impress you duly with 
 the undying love this woman had for the church, but I be- 
 lieve I may cite you to the thirty-seventh verse of the sec- 
 ond chapter of Luke's gospel. When health would permit, 
 she was a constant attendant on all the ministrations of the 
 church, and dying, left to the church not only the rich leg- 
 acy of her prayers, but also an elegant and costly silver 
 communion service, that if possible an additional charm 
 might be added to this ever memorable and glorious sacra- 
 ment. 
 
 Elder Freeman Stebbins—^X^^r Freeman Stebbins was 
 born in Dutchess county, N. Y., in the year of our Lord 1803. 
 When forty-five years of age he removed from that county 
 to Dryden and united with the First Presbyterian Church in 
 
REMINISCENCES AND I^ETTERS 83 
 
 this place by letter from the Smithfield church of his native 
 county. He was elected to the eldership March 3d, 1854, 
 and January 11th, of the same year, elected clerk of session, 
 which office he ably filled till his death, April 11th, 1877. 
 As a churchman, Mr. Stebbins was a man of more than ordin- 
 ary ability, being well versed in all the rules and regulations 
 of the Presbyterian church from its lowest court to its highest. 
 As a member he was constant in attendance, faithful in the 
 performance of duty, and whose daily walk and conversation 
 exerted a healthful influence. In all the official meetings of 
 the church he was an able, judicious, and discreet adviser ; 
 in conversation, interesting and instructive, and in general 
 deportment, an honor to the church and cause he loved. 
 His Christian life was beautiful and symmetrical, and his 
 death, though sudden, peaceful and triumphant, for he had 
 " fought a good fight, had finished his course and kept the 
 faith, and henceforth for him was laid up a crown of right- 
 eousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give him 
 at that day. " 
 
 Mrs. Rhoda Clark — Mrs. Rhoda Clark, wife of Seymour 
 O., lived to the greatest age of any member of this church 
 since its organization, and her church membership reached 
 the extraordinary compass of sixty-seven years, six months. 
 All these sixty-seven years have been years of labor and 
 sacrifice, praying and hoping, and though a woman of mod- 
 est and retiring disposition, she was always in her place, 
 and in every great revival of this church she was a faithful 
 worker. She died at the age of ninety-four years and six 
 months. 
 
 Extracts from a sermon commemorative of the late Sey- 
 mour O. Clark, preached in the Presbyterian church of Dry- 
 den, June 15th, 1879, by the Rev. Edward W. Root : 
 
 " Mr. Clark died at the good old age of nearly eighty-five 
 years. He was an elder in this church nearly fifty-eight 
 years, and for quite a number of years, a trustee in the so- 
 ciety. He was a church member sixty-nine years — from the 
 time he was sixteen years old. * * * * He was born at 
 Cheshire, Conn., May 14, 1794. His parents were pious and 
 gave him good religious training. When he was about 
 
84 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 twelve years old, his father removed with his family to Mt. 
 Holley, Vermont. * * * * jjjg conversion was due [the 
 sermon records] to the instrumentality of the Rev. Lemuel 
 Haynes, an able and eccentric colored minister, who wa« at 
 the time pastor of a Congregational church of white peo- 
 ple at Rutland, Vt. * * * * He married Rhoda Dicker- 
 man, April 10th, 1816. She still survives him. Mr. Clark 
 and his wife came to Dryden in 1819, and settled on a farm 
 about three miles south of the village, where they lived 
 forty years. Then they came to the village, ' to enjoy rest 
 and the privileges of the sanctuary, which he ever prized as 
 the chief blessings of his life.' After coming to Dryden, he 
 united with this church (then Congregational.) He was 
 elected tb the eldership in 1821. He was ordained by a com- 
 mittee of Presbytery, July 18, 1821. The older elders at 
 that time were Jonathan Sperry, Benjamin Simons, Sen., 
 Ananias Scofield, Hugh Thompson, and Daniel Bartholo- 
 mew, Sen. * * * * fjg ^[q^ April 12, 1879, at his residence 
 in Dryden." 
 
 The following sketches were written by Leonard Gris- 
 wold and printed among the reminiscences in 1888 : 
 
 Albert M. fF<?jif— Elder Albert M. West united with the 
 church in his youth, and was called to the eldership in his 
 early manhood. He proved a very efficient aid in the spirit- 
 ual, as well as the temporal, prosperity of the church. At 
 the outbreak of the Rebellion, when the government called 
 for volunteers, he said : " I will go." Leaving father, moth- 
 er, wife, children, and all that was dear to him, he buckled 
 on his armor and marched to the front. Although he was 
 robust and strong, yet the August sun of Virginia proved too 
 much for him. Disease marked him for its victim. Father 
 and wife started immediately for the front, but barely found 
 him alive. Imagine their feelings, if you can, when they re- 
 turned with only his remains. After the funeral, the elders 
 that had so frequently been associated with him, bore his re- 
 mains to the Green Hills cemetery. After the casket was 
 lowered, and the burial service read by Rev. A. MacDougall, 
 the feeling was such that not one of the congregation moved 
 away, but seemed crushed under the terrible blow. All felt 
 
REMmiSCENCeS AND LETTERS 85 
 
 that the citizens should take some part in the service. 
 Luther Griswold, supervisor of the town, led in some re- 
 marks, which were followed by the late Hon. J. W. Dwight 
 and the late Judgfe Van Valkenburg. Thus closed one of the 
 most affecting burial services in Dryden. 
 
 Charles Griswold — Concerning Charles Griswold, the 
 records of session bear the following note by the Rev. S. 
 Robertson : " At a meeting of session held April 7, 1834, 
 the death of Charles Griswold was the theme of conversa- 
 tion. He was killed suddenly on the 19th day of March, 
 1834, taken in the prime of life, and in the midst of useful- 
 ness. He was much beloved and greatly lamented by a 
 very large circle of friends. In him the church has lost a 
 friend indeed. " 
 
 Lemi Bartholomew — He took letters from this church and 
 removed to Westfield, Erie county, at an early date. He 
 lived at Westfield until his death. 
 
 John Terpettniiig — He was the first deacon of this church, 
 and is mentioned among the thirteen charter members. 
 
 The following sketch was written by Mrs. Asenath Hiles 
 and Benjamin Simons for the publication of 1888 : 
 
 Rev. Stephen Crosby— \ well remember him. He was the 
 first stated supply to this church, beginning his work about 
 the year 1814. One incident of his ministry I shall never fail 
 to remember. He had been holding services at stated inter- 
 vals in a barn in this vicinity. Indeed the first services of 
 our church organization were held in such places. On one 
 Sunday Mr. Crosby having preached in this barn in the 
 morning, returned again at noon to hold another service. 
 The building was filled with people. But instead of finding 
 a decorous, well-ordered congregation awaiting him, they 
 were rolling about upon the floor and screaming at the top 
 of their voices. I do not think any of us understood what 
 was said. Mr. Crosby waited awhile, hat in hand. He 
 stood calmly contemplating their ridiculous behavior, but 
 as the people grew more boisterous he quietly withdrew, and 
 started to return home, taking his family and friends who 
 had accompanied him. We had not gone very far, however. 
 
86 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 ere the whole crowd of howling people burst after us, yell- 
 ing in the most frightful manner, but as we neared the town, 
 to our great relief, they dropped off one by one, a few only 
 remaining to follow us to the very gate of our house. Cer- 
 tainly things are now changed for the better. 
 
 In connection with this incident related by Mrs. Hiles, 
 Benjamin Simons makes particular mention in giving his 
 recollections of the Rev. Stephen Crosby, of Mr. Crosby's 
 personal methods in the pastorate, and his simple, straight- 
 forward, urgent appeals, always faithfully made to the un- 
 converted heart, revealed a knowledge of men that was as 
 rare as it was a source of great power and largely the secret 
 of his success. During his pastorate in Dryden, a revival of 
 considerable power was experienced, which a few persons 
 still remember. After serving this church Mr. Crosby re- 
 moved to Penn Yan, where a few years later he died. 
 
 A few reminiscences written in 1888 by Benjamin Simons, 
 then the oldest living member of the church : 
 
 Concerning the first religious services regularly held in 
 this locality, I remember those particularly, which were 
 held at the house of Mr. Jagger, a shoemaker. In the ab- 
 sence of a minister, my father, Benjamin Simons, Sr., used 
 to read Strong's Sermons to the people. This volume of 
 sermons is, I believe, still in existence. 
 
 I can well remember also, how anxious many of the early 
 settlers here were to have our church located at Willow 
 Glen. The donation of the present church property, how- 
 ever, which was made about that time, very largely de- 
 termined the location of the church upon its present site. 
 The frame of the church was raised in the beginning of 1819.* 
 Schuyler Godard and Erasmus Ballard felled the first timber 
 for the construction of the church. After the frame of the 
 building had been raised, it stood almost three years with- 
 out being enclosed, the Society lacking funds. The frame 
 in that time became much weatherbeaten. By the latter 
 part of 1821, however, the church was enclosed, and by 1824 
 it was entirely completed. 
 
 *The written records since discovered show that it was raised in 1820 and 
 was enclosed in the latter part of the year 1821. 
 
RBMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 87 
 
 The house finished, the question concerning: the continued 
 financial support of the church was successfully met by a 
 plan proposed by the Rev. Stephen Hurd, then serving the 
 church as its first pastor. The plan of the church-sittingfs 
 was drafted upon paper, and these were then advertised to 
 be sold at auction. The prices realized were then con- 
 sidered excellent ; ten per cent was required to be paid in 
 cash, and the balance in lumber, etc. This diagram of the 
 sittings, now an old, faded sheet of paper, may still be seen 
 in the possession of our clerk of session, Mr. David A. Chat- 
 field. It contains the names of the pewholders and gives 
 the prices respectively paid by them. 
 
 As I recall the original building of the church, so I have 
 clearly in mind the time when this same structure was first 
 extensively repaired. This was in the time of Mr. Eggles- 
 ton's pastorate. A gallery then ran on three sides of the 
 building, which was supported by heavy Corinthian columns. 
 These columns were a great annoyance to many, so at the 
 time of repairing, they were all removed by the present 
 Daniel Bartholomew and iron posts substituted by him in 
 their stead. A new roof was also put upon the church, the 
 pulpit was altered from its ancient, almost inaccessible 
 position to a place nearer the floor, and additional rows of 
 pews were supplied. 
 
 For the centennial celebration exercises Mrs. Rebecca A. 
 Dwight, one of the oldest living members of the church, who 
 was then in declining health and sojourning at Atlantic City, 
 N. J., was requested to furnish her earliest recollections 
 connected with the church, and complied by contributing 
 the following reminiscences : 
 
 My earliest recollections of the Presbyterian Church of 
 Dryden are connected with the nine years pastorate of Mr. 
 Robertson which began in 1825 and terminated in 1834. I 
 was twelve years of age at the close of his pastorate, but I 
 recall several pictures of those early days and many people, 
 who then and later made the history of the church and town. 
 
 My first vivid recollection of the church dates from a very 
 impressive Masonic funeral service, held about 1830— seven- 
 ty-eight years ago. A review somewhat in detail of that 
 
88 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 memorable funeral occasion will serve the double purpose of 
 giving a general picture of those early days, and also to 
 note an event of historical interest in the life of the church. 
 
 On that day the pastor, Mr. Robertson, and a part of the 
 membership made their first open demonstration against the 
 Masonic Order, recording the bitter anti-Masonic sentiment 
 that prevailed in Dryden and which threatened later to di- 
 vide the church. From the perspective of 1908, with all the 
 good records of the Masonic Order intervening, it is difficult 
 to even imagine the strength of that early anti-Masonic agi- 
 tation or realize its influence later, even for years on every 
 religious, political and social question that concerned the 
 welfare of this community. 
 
 Therefore, at this centennial date I will recall even small 
 details connected with the funeral of Mr. Thompson, a 
 Mason, in order to give a correct picture of both church and 
 customs in 1830. I recall the simple and impressive funeral 
 procession as it started from the old Hurd farm house east 
 of Willow Glen. Horses, carriages, even the modern hearse 
 were lacking. The Masonic Chaplain, a visitor for the occa- 
 sion, walked at the head of the procession. The bier on 
 which the coffin, covered with Masonic emblems, rested 
 was carried by some neighbors. The others followed, and 
 all walked to the village church. The road seemed long as 
 it was for the most part of corduroy and sidewalks were un- 
 thought of. 
 
 When we arrived at the church the bier was placed in 
 front of the pulpit and we waited for the service to begin. 
 The pulpit, a high old-fashioned one, like a box, stood be- 
 tween the doors just opposite its present position. It was 
 approached by high steps on both sides and these were 
 guarded by doors furnished with locks. When the Masonic 
 Chaplain attempted to enter the pulpit to conduct the serv- 
 ice according to Masonic rites he found the doors locked, 
 but not by accident. The bitter opposition of "Priest" 
 Robertson, as he was called, and of some others had deter- 
 mined them to take this step to prevent, as they thought, 
 sacrilege of the pulpit, which would occur should a Masonic 
 Chaplain enter it. After discussion and a long delay a 
 meeting of the trustees was called and held ovit of doors and 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 89 
 
 there, after prolonged discussion, it was decided that the 
 church should be broader in its views, that the pulpit doors 
 should be unlocked regfardless of Mr. Robertson's narrow 
 prejudice. This was done, the tension relieved and at last 
 the funeral service was properly concluded according to 
 Masonic form. 
 
 As a child I could not understand the strange delay and 
 impressive situation. I could not then realize that the 
 locked doors meant an open declaration of war by the pastor 
 and a part of the church against the Masonic Order in Dry- 
 den; and that this funeral occasion was only the beginning 
 of controversies that would later threaten to destroy the 
 church organization. Soon after "Priest" Robertson began 
 to publish an anti-Masonic paper; and later all citizens 
 aroused from indifference on the subject, emphatically al- 
 lied themselves to either the Masonic or anti-Masonic party. 
 There were intense partisans, both in the church and com- 
 munity for many years. This continued during several 
 pastorates until so late as 1852. Then, as history relates,— 
 "some harmonizing resolutions were passed by the session" 
 —which settled the vexed question and made it possible 
 ever after for a Presbyterian church member in Dryden to 
 also be a member of the Masonic Order without unpleasant 
 consequences. 
 
 The appearance of the church edifice in 1830 was quite 
 different from that of today; the church faced the south. 
 The three aisles then in existence were the only feature in 
 common with the present interior. During my childhood 
 there were two kinds of seats— the large old-fashioned box 
 pews and smaller slips. All faced the front doors, south. 
 The large old box pews were built with seats around three 
 sides, were closed with small doors like the pews seen today 
 in the churches where Washington worshipped. The sys- 
 tem of box pews were built the entire length of both side 
 aisles and across the rear end of the church. On both sides 
 of the middle aisle were the smaller slips similar to the 
 seats which we have today. In addition, in front near the 
 doors, and really facing the sides of the pulpit, were two 
 very large semi-circular box pews that would accommodate 
 many and there especially the children gathered during 
 
90 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 Sunday School. The gallery was built around two sides and 
 across the end where the organ now stands and in addition 
 there was a front loft — a small connecting gallery — used for 
 prayer meeting. The choir, consisting mostly of several 
 Griswolds and McKees, occupied the gallery at the rear, 
 and sang the plain old-fashioned hymns after Deacon Abram 
 Griswold had pitched the tune with his tuning fork. The 
 large box stove was placed in the centre of the church in 
 the middle aisle— to save all the heat. Large wood was 
 burned and there at noon between the services the women 
 and children replenished their foot-stoves with coals. Then 
 the Sunday service meant really all day service and it was 
 so much enjoyed and considered so great a privilege that 
 when there was an attempt to shorten it later by omitting 
 the afternoon sermon, there was much complaint. I can 
 well remember the large lumber wagon loads of people who 
 came to church regularly. Sometimes these wagons were 
 filled with entire families, especially if it were a Griswold 
 or a McKee family. Again, some neighbors came together 
 and as it was before the days of rubber tires and cushions 
 all the wagons were filled with good strong board seats 
 placed cross-wise, and no complaint was ever heard of lack 
 of springs. The Simons, Hoagland, Hiles, Griswold, Top- 
 ping, and Givens families were always present; and later 
 the Millers, McKellers, Sutfin, Scofield, Brigham, Foster, 
 Pratt, Wheelers and others whose names are familiar added 
 their presence and influence to the early church. They all 
 came in the morning, many brought their luncheon and in 
 cold weather their foot-stoves and remained for the after- 
 noon service. The long morning service was discussed by 
 the older people during the noon hour while they enjoyed 
 their luncheons seated near the stove and while the children 
 were reciting and being catechised in Sunday School. The 
 Sunday School too was quite different from that of 1908. 
 The hour was spent in the recital of at least seven verses of 
 the Bible one for each day of the week, which every child 
 was supposed to have committed to memory. The com- 
 mandments were recited frequently and also alphabetical 
 rhymes which mentioned Biblical characters. Thus — 
 
 " A is for Adam and in his fall, 
 We sinned all." 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 91 
 
 By the time we had finished the alphabetical list of 
 rhjnmes we were supposed to possess a fair knowledge of 
 the principal characters and many facts mentioned in the 
 Bible. The modern Sunday School supplies now considered 
 necessities to induce attendance, were quite beyond the 
 imagination in those days. We were quite happy, however, 
 and satisfied to gather in the large old box pews near the 
 door and repeat the commandments, recite our verses and 
 eat our luncheon incidentally. Perhaps we had a certain 
 pride in trying to excel and win the prize of a catechism or 
 testament offered to the child who could recite the most 
 verses. Hannerette Barnum, later Mrs. Williams, was usu- 
 ally the prize winner. The superintendents were usually 
 Deacon Simons or Deacon Owen. The social life of the 
 church was also quite different from that of the present day. 
 The Ways and Means Society was then unknown by name 
 and accomplishment; in fact there were no reasons for such 
 an organization. Carpets, lamps, and gas were not counted 
 as among the possibilites to be worked out. Those were 
 strenuous days, when the question of "necessity" was para- 
 mount. A good, plain, uncarpeted fioor was quite good 
 enough and something to be thankful for. Each church 
 member and all good citizens seriously considered their ob- 
 ligations to "Support the Gospel," and work out his or her 
 financial problem usually in a strenuous and conscientious 
 manner. I remember hearing Mrs. Seymour O. Clark 
 (Deacon Clark's wife) tell that she worked out their yearly 
 church subscription by spinning and weaving for the minis- 
 ter three pieces of cloth consisting of one piece of table- 
 linen, one of household linen and one piece of flannel. The 
 flannel was taken to the fulling mill— finished for men's 
 wear— and thus the minister and his congregation were 
 dressed alike in "homespun". Others paid their subscrip- 
 tion in grain and wood, and many of the best products and 
 first fruits were given to the minister in lieu of cash which 
 was very scarce. It was a period of obligation and self-de- 
 nial—while many simple and wholesome pleasures were en- 
 joyed. With but few resources large families were main- 
 tained and during this period characters were developed 
 that have been a blessing to the church and strength to the 
 community. 
 
92 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 The following: sketches are adapted from obituary notices 
 of prominent members of this church as they have appeared 
 in the columns of the local press : 
 
 Martin E. Tripp— lAonAay evening, Oct. 10, 1904, at 7:00 
 o'clock, occurred the sudden death of Martin Ely Tripp, at 
 his home. Lake View Farm, two miles south of Dryden, 
 aged 79 years and 10 days. Mr. Tripp had been in ap- 
 parently good health and had worked about the farm nearly 
 all day ; he had finished his supper and sat at the table vis- 
 iting with Mr. Head, when he was stricken with apoplexy 
 and died. 
 
 Martin E. Tripp was the son of James Tripp and was born 
 in Dutchess county; when ten years of age he came to live 
 in this town, locating with his parents on the farm where he 
 lived for 69 years. He was the last of a family of five chil- 
 dren, one brother and three sisters, two of whom died when 
 young; the others were Mrs. Charles Sperry and Renselaer 
 Tripp. The nearest relatives surviving him are his 
 nephews and nieces, John and Frank Tripp, of Dryden, Mrs. 
 B. A. Davis, of Homer, Mrs. E. C. French, of Waverly, and 
 Charles Sperry, of Moravia. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Tripp was married to Eliza Burton, whose 
 death occurred about three years ago. 
 
 Mr. Tripp always took an active part in any movement 
 that was for the good of the town. When the First National 
 Bank of Dryden was organized in 1902 he was elected presi- 
 dent, which office he held until his death. With Mrs. 
 Tripp he united with the Presbyterian church in 1871 and 
 had ever since been an active member and supporter; in 
 1873 he was elected a ruling elder and held that office con- 
 tinuously until the time of his death. He joined Dryden 
 Lodge, No. 472, F. & A. M., in 1859 and was that body's old- 
 est Past Master as well as oldest living member. He had 
 also served the Dryden Agricultural Society as its presi- 
 dent. 
 
 His farm was his pride and he took great interest in all 
 agricultural matters, doing hard work at an age when many 
 others retire from active service. Several years ago he 
 built on his farm what is known as the Dryden Lake cheese 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 93 
 
 factory and leased it to the farmers of his neighborhood, 
 who ran it on the co-operative plan. 
 
 Freeman Stebbins, for many years a member and an offic- 
 er of the First Presbyterian church in Dryden, died sudden- 
 ly in that village on the 11th of April, 1877. He was at work 
 on his farm in the morning ; before sunset he was resting in 
 Heaven. 
 
 Mr. Stebbins was born in that portion of the town of Am- 
 enia, Dutchess county, N. Y., now known as North East, 
 Feb. 24th, 1803. His life occupation was that of a fanner. 
 In 1827 he united with what was known as the Smithfield 
 church, at " City, " in the town of Amenia, and soon after 
 was chosen as one of its elders — a position which he occu- 
 pied until his removal to Dryden. On the 10th of April, 
 1839, he was married to Antoinette M. Dakin, of Amenia, 
 who survived him. His removal to Dryden took place in 
 1847. On the 3d of March, in the following year, Mr. Steb- 
 bins was elected a ruling elder in the Dryden church, hold- 
 ing the office to the hour of his death— a period of nearly 
 thirty years. In January, 1854, he was chosen clerk of ses- 
 sion, in which capacity he also served until his decease- 
 over twenty-three years. Mr. Stebbins represented the 
 church at the meeting of General Assembly held in Har- 
 risburg. Pa., in 1868, and was elected delegate to the same 
 body in a subsequent year, but withdrew in favor of his 
 alternate. For many years of his life he discharged the re- 
 sponsible duties of the Sabbath School superintendent, and 
 that with a lovingness and fidelity that witnessed to his 
 deep interest in the work. Wherever he was called to 
 serve, his service was conscientious, thorough, invaluable. 
 One of his most pronounced characteristics was his enthus- 
 iastic fidelity to the standards of the Presbyterian church. 
 He was not only an unswerving adherent of her principles, 
 but a scrupulous observer of her forms. He used to boast 
 that he had read the Evangelist from the date of its first 
 publication. His name was enrolled among its subscribers 
 for over forty years. 
 
 Mr. Stebbins was a just man. In all his dealings he was 
 careful of the rights of others. His rule in his business re- 
 
94 REMINISCENCES AND I^ETTERS 
 
 lations and transactions, was that of square and simple 
 honesty. He was positive in his opinions, perhaps to a 
 fault ; and yet his opinions were always founded upon his 
 conscience. One of the sweet things to be said about him, 
 is that children loved him ; and it is a pretty safe rule to 
 trust those whonx the children trust. 
 
 The loss to Dryden church in the death of this good man 
 was incalculable. He was first in her administrative affairs. 
 He was chiefest in her councils. The rest all looked to 
 him. His loss became a perplexity to their minds, and a 
 challenge to their faith. His name was inseparable from 
 the minds of his brethren and sisters in the church, and it 
 was from the history of the church itself. He left behind 
 him the record of a conscientious and useful life, and the 
 glory of a consecrated example. Who could bequeath to a 
 church, to his friends, society, a legacy more precious? 
 
 As shown in the preceding chapter, one of the former act- 
 ive members of this church who attended and took a promi- 
 nent part in the centennial exercises was Hon. John Miller, 
 who died in the October following, before the completion of 
 this record, and whose obituary notice is therefore included 
 as follows : 
 
 Hon. John Miller died Monday morning, Oct. 26, 1908, at 
 his home at Duluth, Minn., aged 65 years, after an illness of 
 heart disease of about two weeks. He had been in poor 
 health for a year or more but had been seriously ill for only 
 two weeks. The remains were brought to Dryden for burial 
 at Green Hills. 
 
 Mr. Miller was one of the many successful men who have 
 gone out from Dryden and whose achievements have always 
 been viewed with pride by Dryden people. With the late 
 Jeremiah W. Dwight he organized the Dwight Farm & Land 
 Company, of which he was general manager for many years; 
 he was a member of the Territorial Council of the territory 
 of Dakota and was elected the first governor of the state of 
 North Dakota. Since 1896 he has lived at Duluth where he 
 has been engaged in the grain-commission business. 
 
 His parents, Archibald Miller and Isabel McKellar, emi- 
 grated from Tighnabruich, Argyleshire, Scotland, in the 
 year 1836 and settled in the South Hill neighborhood in the 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 95 
 
 town of Dryden, where John Miller was born October 6, 
 1843. He received a common school and academic educa- 
 tion, completed at the old Dryden Seminary. In 1861 he 
 commenced work as a clerk in the store of J. W. Dwight & 
 Co., becoming a partner in the firm in 1864. A few years 
 later with David E. Bower, he bought Mr. Dwight*s interest 
 and formed the firm of Bower & Miller, which continued the 
 business until 1891. During his residence in Dryden he 
 took an active part in the management of the affairs of the 
 village school and served as an officer of the school board. 
 Coming from Scotch Presbyterian stock he was a zealous 
 church and Sunday school worker, throughout his residence 
 in Dryden. His last visit to this village was last February, 
 when he came here to take part in the centennial celebra- 
 tion of the church which he had helped to build up in his 
 youth. He was a man of noble character and exemplary 
 habits both in public and private life. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Miller and Mr. Dwight organized the Dwight 
 Farm & Land Co., and a few years later Mr. Miller went to 
 Dakota and was made general superintendent of the com- 
 pany, holding that position until 1896, when he resigned. 
 He was elected president last February, succeeding the late 
 S. D. Halliday and managed the company's extensive busi- 
 ness until his death. When he left the company in 1896 he 
 organized the John Miller Co. and removed to Duluth for 
 the purpose of engaging in the grain-commision business 
 and had been president and general manager of that com- 
 pany ever since until his decease. 
 
 In politics Mr. Miller was a Republican and was elected 
 by his party to the Territorial Council of Dakota and when 
 North Dakota was admitted to the Union he was nominated 
 and elected as its first governor for the term ending July 1, 
 1891, declining to be a candidate for re-election. Much im- 
 portant legislation of necessity was passed upon by the 
 governor during the beginning of the state government. A 
 scheme to transplant the Louisiana Lottery to North Da- 
 kota, which then found some favor, was effectually shut out 
 and opposed by Governor Miller, whose ancestry and train- 
 ing were not of the character suited to tolerate gambling in 
 any of its forms. The state prohibition law of North Da- 
 
96 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 kota was also enacted during his term. An offer by his 
 friends to support him for United States senator was de- 
 clined, during this time, the acceptance of which would 
 have created a vacancy in the office of governor, and this he 
 did not feel at liberty to do. 
 
 In 1882 he married Miss Addie Tucker, of Dryden, who 
 survives him with one daughter. Surviving him also are his 
 brother and sisters, Mrs. George Cole and Miss Jeanette 
 Miller, of Dryden, Mrs. David Chatfield, of Slaterville, and 
 Archibald Miller, of Eagle Grove, Iowa. 
 
 Adelia Aldrich McElheny — If spirits have need of earthly 
 things she is with us today. How she rejoices over this 
 centennial gathering. The thought of her has inspired us 
 to larger efforts, as in past days her voice encouraged every 
 good work. This church was her most precious inheritance. 
 
 Its first timbers were felled by her mother's brother, 
 Erasmus Ballard — here her mother worshipped — this was 
 the church she loved and served. 
 
 Her's was a life of service. Some years of her early wo- 
 manhood were devoted to the motherless children of her 
 brother— children who lived to call her blessed and in turn 
 came to soothe her last hours. After her marriage she 
 took to her home, her mother, and guided and watched over 
 her feeble steps and growing infirmities with tenderest care. 
 Into her home the widowed and fatherless found a welcome 
 
 In her later years, she was devoted to the needs of her 
 husband, aiding in business, carefully providing for his per- 
 sonal comforts, often assuming labors far beyond her 
 strength. All her tastes were fine. The extreme neatness 
 and simplicity of her dress gave it always an air of ele- 
 gance. 
 
 Her love of music was intense. How she enjoyed the 
 hymns and the anthems by the choir ; the gift of a music 
 box from her niece was a comfort shared with her friends. 
 Her choice of books was good. How earnest was her desire 
 that the books of our town library should be carefully chos- 
 en, that it might become a power for great good in our com- 
 munity. 
 
 She felt the privations of a lessened income, not for her 
 personal needs, but because she could not maintain the ac- 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 97 
 
 customed hospitality of her home, nor increase the benefac- 
 tions of her church. 
 
 Only the Master knows the self-denial, economies, and 
 labors by which under all privations she never lessened her 
 church contributions. In her last years she hoarded, not 
 only her small income, but the gifts of loving friends to 
 provide, not for an age which never came, but to devote to 
 the church she served so many years, and thus bequeathed 
 the largest gift this church has ever received. Yet, seen as 
 the Master sees, her other gifts were greater. 
 
 The communion service in her mother's memory, the con- 
 sent that this should be set aside, when others plead sanita- 
 tion instead of sentiment, the upholstering of church chairs 
 with her own hands, the * secret placing the gas lamp in 
 front of the church were some of the deeds unknown to men 
 —the gifts the Father rewards. 
 
 Albert John Baker, son of David John and Samantha Bal- 
 lard Baker, was born at Dryden, March 16, 1826, in the Bak- 
 er homestead, where Henry Thomas now lives ; married 
 to Helen Teressa Murdock in October, 1849. 
 
 He learned the harness trade of his father and conducted 
 a business in a shop located between the Baker homestead 
 and his late residence. Afterward being employed in the 
 harness store of Geo. Pratt and continued for some time in 
 employ of John Harlan Pratt, who succeeded to his father's 
 business. 
 
 He joined the Presbyterian church in 1860, during the re- 
 vival, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Parker, and was ever 
 after, until unfitted by age, closely identified with the 
 church work, being an elder, chorister of the church and 
 superintendent of the Sunday school, for many years. 
 
 A great lover of children he was known by them far and 
 near, and they were frequent callers during his last sickness 
 often bringing flowers or tempting eatables showing their 
 love for him which pleased him beyond expression. 
 
 *At the death of Mrs. McElheny, Miss Julia Dwight felt free to reveal 
 the identity of the giver of the money entrusted to her for this purpose. 
 
 A strenuous effort has been made to procure for this publication a suitable 
 engraving of Mrs. McElheny, but it has failed in consequence of mabihty to 
 procure a photograph from which a plate could be made, she havmg been 
 very averse in her latter years to having her likeness preserved m any form. 
 
98 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 His love for music was always a source of great pleasure 
 and he was a cheerful worker in all the musical enterprises 
 of the village, and in the organization and maintenance of 
 the village band, he took great interest, attending their re- 
 hearsals even after he was physically unfit to do so, and 
 took keen delight in their frequent successes. 
 
 Coming of a strong, sturdy family, he always enjoyed good 
 health never having any sickness until his last trouble, 
 which, beginning about a year ago, he grew gradually more 
 feeble until at half past two o'clock Sunday morning, Oct. 
 19, 1902, almost unknown to his watchers, he passed peace- 
 fully away. 
 
 His happy genial manner, his hearty handshake, his pleas- 
 ant word for everybody, won for him a host of friends, and 
 their frequent visits, when he was unable to leave his home, 
 were his one great pleasure. He was loved in life, he will 
 be remembered in death. Let us hope that he has gone to 
 join that innumerable host who sing those songs of love and 
 praise around the great white throne of the Redeemer. 
 
 Elson P. Wheeler — After an illness lasting nearly ten 
 years Elson P. Wheeler died at his home northwest of this 
 village, Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, 1905, aged 77 years. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler was the son of Enos Wheeler, one of the 
 pioneer settlers of the town of Dryden and was born on the 
 old Wheeler Homestead on the north side of this village, 
 Dec. 23, 1827. He was married to Sarah Jane West in 1853 
 who died in 1854, leaving an infant son, DeWitt T. Wheeler, 
 of this village; in 1858 he married Sarah N. Brigham, who 
 survives him. 
 
 He united with the Presbyterian church in 1851 and was 
 made an elder in 1861 which office he held at the time of his 
 death. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler is survived by one brother, Elliott Wheeler, 
 of McLean, the widow and two sons, Dewitt T. Wheeler, and 
 Fred R., both of this place. Since the writing of the fore- 
 going, Dewitt T. Wheeler and his family have removed to 
 Sparrows Point, Md., where they now reside. 
 
 Jennie S. Wheeler— The death of Jennie S. Wheeler, only 
 daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elson P. Wheeler, occurred Mon- 
 
MISS JENNIE S. WHEELER 
 
REMINISCENCES AND I,ETTERS 99 
 
 day evening:, Sept. 12, 1898, at her home near this villagfe, 
 after a brief illness of brain fever. The circumstances 
 were peculiarly sad, for her father and brother were very ill 
 and unable to minister to the loved daughter and sister in 
 her last hours. The news of her death brought grief into 
 many a household, for "Jennie," as she was familiarly and 
 affectionately called, by her friends all over the village, 
 lived a life rich in self-sacrifice and a beautiful sympathy 
 and helpfvilness which endeared her to all who knew her. 
 Her wholesome, cheerful presence and bright face were an 
 inspiration wherever she went and Dryden sincerely mourns 
 the loss of a noble Christian woman. 
 
 Many speak of her kindly deeds with tearful eyes and 
 bring to memory her unselfish character. She was in the 
 prime of youthful life, being in her thirty-seventh year, and 
 had seemed to be possessed of unusual health and vitality; 
 thus the news of her death has come as a great shock to the 
 community. Faithfulness was her ruling characteristic. 
 With her brother she was the stay and support of her par- 
 ents in their old age and her death is a sad blow to them. 
 Reared in a Christian home she early became a follower of 
 Christ and united with the Presbyterian church, of which 
 she has been a devoted member. Its interests were always 
 hers and she work untiringly to advance the cause of Christ. 
 Year after year she sang in the choir and regularly attended 
 the mid-week services. Possessed of remarkable executive 
 ability she was invaluable in the social activities of the 
 church. At the time of her death she was treasurer of the 
 Sunday School, as well as a teacher, corresponding secre- 
 tary of the Christian Endeavor Society and an earnest mem- 
 ber of the missionary society. Her few vacation times were 
 nearly always spent at some gathering of Christian workers 
 and the Christian Endeavor motto, "For Christ and the 
 Church;" seemed ever before her. The influence of such a 
 life cannot be estimated, its blessedness can only be fully 
 known to the Heavenly Father, who knows the struggles, 
 courage, and faith it took to develop such a character. 
 
 Deepest sympathy is felt for the family who are mourning 
 the loved one and friends can only feel their powerlessness 
 to comfort them, but still realize that He who has promised 
 
100 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 will not leave them comfortless in this their hour of afflic- 
 tion. 
 
 Leonard Griswold was born in Dryden, N. Y., April 19, 
 1820 ; was married with DeLana Ann Wheeler, July 3, 1846 ; 
 died March 7, 1895, after nearly three-quarters of a century 
 of earthly life. 
 
 His wife, two sons, Jay and Charles D., and one daugh- 
 ter, Mrs. Laura Mahan, survive him. His brother Luther, 
 and sister, Mrs. Mary J. Fitts, are left to mourn his loss. 
 Several grandchildren and a large circle of relatives are 
 also bowed in sorrow because of their bereavement. 
 
 Though the deceased was nearly 75 years of age his death 
 occurred unexpectedly. The day preceding his death he 
 had been in usual health, excepting what he esteemed a 
 slight cold, and actively engaged in superintending some 
 improvements that were in progress in his home. In the 
 evening he spoke of feeling tired and unwell and retired for 
 the night. About midnight he arose and dressed, suffering 
 so much from pain that he could not rest. Medical aid was 
 procured, but was of no avail, and about 2 p. m. he quietly 
 and peacefully passed away. 
 
 Perhaps there is no one in the community whose decease 
 would be more universally lamented. He was interested 
 and helpful in everything that tended to progress and im- 
 provement, being public spirited to a degree quite remark- 
 able in one who lived the quiet life of a farmer. In busi- 
 ness he was alert, systematic, progressive and successful, 
 and all his business relations and transactions were char- 
 acterized by unswerving integrity. In social circles he was 
 always an honored guest, welcomed alike by old and young. 
 As a friend and neighbor he was always true, obliging and 
 kind. 
 
 A tender husband, in his later years ministering lovingly 
 and assiduously to her who was the sharer of his toils, his 
 joys and his sorrows, a loving father, generous, and a faith- 
 ful counselor in regard to all life's relations and interests. 
 Wife and children will feel that there is a great blank in 
 their lives. To his grandchildren his presence was a de- 
 light, and perhaps none will feel his absence more keenly 
 than those among them who are old enough to understand 
 
LEONARD GRISWOLD 
 
REMINISCENCES AND I^ETTERS 101 
 
 and appreciate gfrandpa's lovingr tones and touches. A 
 grand, good man has left us, but his memory is blessed, and 
 the influence of his life must tell for good on the future of 
 those who knew him. 
 
 The church laments the loss of one so fully tried and so 
 absolutely true. The ancient church record says of his 
 father, Charles Griswold, who was killed by a falling tree, 
 "his church membership, though short, was bright and 
 promising, and his death was greatly lamented by the whole 
 church. " Leonard, left fatherless at 14 years of age, be- 
 came the subject of deep religious impressions and on May 
 1, 1842, he united with the Presbyterian church of Dryden. 
 January 12, 1849, he was elected ruling elder, which office, 
 coupled with that of deacon, he held until his death. He 
 loved his church intensely, but was free from any taint of 
 bigotry. Nothing gave him greater satisfaction than the 
 active co-operation of Christians of varied denominational 
 names in work for the Master and the salvation of souls. 
 
 Till the growing infirmities and the care of his invalid 
 wife prevented, his place in the church was never vacant if 
 he was able to reach it. In his ofificial relation to the church 
 he was present and efficient, he did not shrink from respon- 
 sibility or shirk burdens. Latterly, at his own request, he 
 was released from some cares that he had carried for many 
 years ; not so much to be relieved himself, as to have young- 
 er men trained and experienced to take the places of the 
 fathers when they should be called away. He was a devot- 
 ed disciple, a safe counselor, a wise leader, and a sympath- 
 izing friend. He has gone, and his "works do follow him". 
 Shortly before his death he said to his daughter, " I seem to 
 be living in two worlds." He quietly passed from the world 
 of shadows to the world of blissful realities. He came to 
 his " grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in 
 its season. " He lived a life of faith evidenced by good 
 works, " and by it, he being dead, yet speaketh. " 
 
 David A. 0«^/«>/(^— Sunday morning, November 17,1895, 
 the neighbors and friends of David A. Chatfield were sad- 
 dened to hear of his sudden death at an early hour at his 
 home on South Hill. Many in the congregation of the 
 
102 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 Presbyterian church learned first of his death from the lips 
 of the pastor and could scarcely realize that never again 
 would they see their faithful member and elder in his ac- 
 customed place. During: the Sunday school, Dr. Howe 
 spoke feelingly of Mr. Chatfield and his love of music and 
 called to mind how only the Sunday before he sat on the 
 front seat and had asked for his favorite song, " Throw Out 
 the Life Line. " 
 
 For two or three years Mr. Chatfield had had serious heart 
 trouble and had felt that death might come at any time. On 
 Saturday he had felt well and walked a long distance. He 
 wakened between five and six Sunday morning a little dis- 
 turbed and Mrs. Chatfield gave him some medicine which it 
 was his custom to take and he lay back on his pillow and in 
 a moment or two was gone. 
 
 He leaves to mourn for him, his wife, and six children, 
 Clarence and Aaron, of Bay City, Mich., William, of this 
 town, Mrs. Charles Fitts, also of Dryden, and Archibald and 
 D. A., who live at home. 
 
 A good man is at rest after the allotted three score and 
 ten years of a lifetime, which from early manhood had been 
 spent in Christian service. 
 
 He was one of the most industrious and energetic busi- 
 ness men and ranked with the successful agriculturalists of 
 his generation. Of more than ordinary intelligence, a quiet 
 but keen observer, apt and generally correct in reading 
 character and forming estimates, his judgment regarding 
 men and things was seldom at fault. 
 
 Though not technically a scholar, he had acquired a good 
 English education, being in early manhood a successful 
 teacher, was conversant with history, superior to most men 
 of his day in his knowledge of mathematics and in his grasp 
 of general knowledge. Had Providence directed him into 
 some other sphere of activity he would doubtlessly have at- 
 tained a prominent position among his compeers. He was 
 passionately fond of music; to him it was an inspiration. 
 He once said to the writer: "If any one thing more than 
 another has power to draw me beyond the line of propriety 
 and Christian consistency it is good music." 
 
 He had been a member of the Presbyterian church since 
 
DAVID A. CHATnELD 
 
RBMINISCBNCES AND LETTERS 103 
 
 1858, was elected ruling elder as early as 1868, and contin- 
 ued by successive elections to serve in that relation till the 
 time of his demise. He held the office of clerk of the 
 Church Session for the last eighteen years. 
 
 He has frequently represented the church in Presbytery 
 and also served as commissioner to General Assembly. In 
 his various official relations he was always true, prompt and 
 efficient, and the church he loved and served so well deeply 
 feels and deplores his loss, yet bows in submission to Him 
 who "doeth all things well." 
 
 "He being dead yet speaketh." His body sleeps with his 
 kindred dead on the Green Hills. His soul hears sweeter 
 music than ever entranced him when on earth. 
 
 ' ' How beautiful it is for a man to die 
 Upon the walls of Zion ; to be called 
 Like a watchman and weary sentinel 
 To put his armour off, and rest in Heaven." 
 
 The following are among the numerous letters received 
 and read at the centennial celebration, extracts only from 
 some being given : 
 
 The Rev. Fred W. Flint., now of Los Angeles, Cat. — I have 
 most pleasant remembrances of and peculiar affection for 
 the Dryden church. My boyhood home was intimately as- 
 sociated therewith. My grandfather and uncle, who cared 
 for me were office holders therein for many years. Of its 
 Sunday School I was a member. Nearly fifty-seven years 
 ago I made confession of my faith in Christ as Lord and 
 Saviour, before its commtmion table; Rev. R. S. Eggleston 
 was then pastor. The session was composed of dear godly 
 men. 
 
 Dr. Herrick To^w^sow— Blessed is a church of Christ that 
 can look back on a hundred years of testimony for God and 
 his truth. 
 
 My hearty congratulations to the Dryden Presbyterian 
 church, on her privilege of a century of service. The 
 record in the world's annals may have no large place but in 
 the book God keeps there will be many an account of ala- 
 baster boxes of ointment broken, and cups of cold water 
 given, that will be heavenly surprises for the loving and 
 
104 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 lowly hearted. The memorial Christ lifted to Mary, "She 
 hath done what she could;" how it rebukes our thought of 
 bigness or loudness as the proof of service. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Stryker, President of Hamilton Co/Z^^f^— Twenty- 
 five years ago I had the privilege to preach in your church. 
 In earlier years Dryden had many of its youth in this col- 
 lege. No human reckoning can appraise the values of a 
 venerable and faithful church in a community. It is the 
 center of dear associations and the fountain of deep influ- 
 ence past computing. May the "bow abide in strength" and 
 the new time be as faithful as the old for all your people. 
 
 The daughter of Bejtevolent Stevens writes — As this was 
 the church to which my mother came as a bride, and the 
 one to which she first united, it has always had a special in- 
 terest for me. Both sang in the choir, and my grandfather I 
 believe was one of its deacons. Thus you see the family 
 helped to make some of the early history. This was in 1849, 
 just sixty years ago. 
 
 Some of the descendants of the late Deacon Seymour O. 
 Clark and wife united in the following letter : 
 
 A centennial celebration of the First Presbyterian church 
 of Dryden, New York, is an occasion at which three friends 
 of this church, living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, greatly re- 
 gret their inability to be present, to so joyous and yet so 
 solemn an occasion. 
 
 So joyous an occasion when we think of all the blessings 
 God has bestowed on the work of this church during a hun- 
 dred years; a solemn occasion when we think of all those 
 dear to us, who lived near this church and who worked in it 
 for so many years, have passed to the Heavenly church be- 
 yond. 
 
 Our grandparents, Seymour Orris Clark and his wife, 
 Rhoda Dickerman Clark, came to their farm three miles 
 south of Dryden in 1819, when they united with the Congre- 
 gational church of Dryden, which soon became a Presbyter- 
 ian church and Seymour O. Clark was elected elder in 1821. 
 
 The good which they did may be all forgotten but the 
 good which they received certainly passed as a benediction 
 upon the children and grandchildren. I think the times can 
 
REV. EDWARD W. ROOT 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 105 
 
 not be counted when they and their children drove down to 
 the Dryden church. 
 
 Sunday morning was a busy morning: at the farm, for 
 grandfather always meant to be punctual at the church 
 services. 
 
 They lived on the farm forty years and then moved to the 
 village, near the church, where many will remember that 
 Mrs. Lord, who died in November, 1905, lived for so many 
 years. 
 
 Only one of their children, Mrs. Elizabeth Whitcomb, is 
 now living. 
 
 Our mother, Mary E. Clark, belonged to the church a 
 number of years, and was married in Dryden to Enoch 
 Hood, whom we think was a member a short time before 
 moving to the West. 
 
 Our parents lived to see their golden wedding, a very 
 happy event to them, when they received a number of notes 
 of congratulation from Dryden friends. 
 
 Almost the last lengthy conversation they had previous to 
 mother's death was of Dryden friends and reminiscences of 
 Dryden church and people. 
 
 After living together fifty-two years and one week to a 
 day, mother was called "home" and in just four months 
 father was called to her, just as the church bells were ring- 
 ing at ten-thirty one Sunday morning. 
 
 That this church may have centuries of usefulness and 
 most of all be ever filled with the Holy Spirit and the love 
 of Christ is the earnest wish of 
 
 Seymour Clark Hood. 
 Mary May Hood. 
 Ella Denike Hood. 
 
 The widow of Rev. Edward W. Root, a former beloved 
 pastor, contributed the following letter, which is followed 
 by that of her son, Rev. Edward Tallmadge Root, now con- 
 nected with the Massachusetts Federation of Churches : 
 
 My dear Miss Mineah— Your letter and that of Miss 
 Phillips were received, and had not illness prevented, would 
 have met with an early reply. I thank you for the invita- 
 tions and proffered hospitality. What pleasure it would 
 
106 REMINISCENCES AND I<ETTERS 
 
 give son and mother, could they join with the dear church of 
 Dryden in the celebration now so near, yet, although absent, 
 we can be present in spirit and rejoice with God's people in 
 his great goodness to them. You ask, dear friend, for remi- 
 niscences of the pastorate of my husband in beautiful Dry- 
 den, but the present state of my health forbids my attempt- 
 ing that. Still, I must say that every remembrance of those 
 years, even that year of sorrow and bereavement calls forth 
 gratitude, that God gave us a people so considerate, 
 patient, and sympathetic, whose prayers and kind offices 
 brought comfort "when we had come into deep waters; when 
 the flood did overflow." My heart also gratefully treasures 
 the tender ministries of those connected with other church- 
 es, whose names are dear, and whom the giver of all good 
 will reward. 
 
 " O Friends! with whom my feet have trod 
 The quiet aisles of prayer. 
 Glad witness to your zeal for God, 
 And love of man I bear. " 
 
 Many have "fallen asleep in Jesus," they are missed but 
 not lost, we never lose those who are taken by the Lord. 
 "There is the sense of separation, but there is too the sense 
 of eternal possession." 
 
 May the hearts of all followers of Christ be filled with 
 greater love for the Master and his work and may we all be 
 drawn closer together. 
 
 With the church, I thank God for all that has been done 
 for Christ and his kingdom in the many years gone by, and 
 my heart shall join with all in the hymn so dear, "I love thy 
 kingdom. Lord ! " 
 
 May the coming years be rich in blessings for you all. 
 Yours gratefully and lovingly, 
 
 Mary T. B. Root. 
 
 Edward Tallmadge Root — Dryden and the Presbyterian 
 church must always hold a unique place in my memory and 
 in my affections. In Dryden I first attended public school. 
 In that church I first knew that I had given my heart to 
 Christ, and made public confession and united with Christ's 
 people, by the side of my brother, my own dear father, as 
 pastor, receiving us and laying his hands upon our heads as 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 107 
 
 he repeated Jacob's blessing in Gen. 48:15-16, "God, before 
 whom my fathers did walk, * * * bless the lads!" In that 
 old vestry, I first feebly took part in a young people's meet- 
 ing. In Dryden I met my first real sorrow, in the death of 
 my brother Willie, my constant companion and other self, 
 and the illness which compelled father to lay down his life 
 work. But, as a background, there is in my memory the re- 
 membrance of the sympathy, loyalty, and unstinted kind- 
 ness of the people of the church. In your church, the sum- 
 mer after I graduated from college, I preached my first "ser- 
 mon", on a day which one of our boyhood friends said ought 
 to have been called "Children's Sunday", since Hervey 
 Griswold preached in the morning and I at night. 
 
 The beauty of the village and its environment, the whole- 
 someness of its public-spirit and social life, the happy com- 
 panionship of my mates, and the kindly and dignified forms 
 of our elders all still stand out distinctly in my memory, and 
 their significance grows on ine with experience. 
 
 May the church enter on its second century with a fear- 
 less faith and fervent thankfulness to Him who is the same 
 yesterday, today, and forever. Christians are drawing near- 
 er together. The times demand that all the churches of a 
 community, though perhaps distinct as the fingers, yet be 
 one as the hand. May this be true of the sister churches of 
 Dryden! 
 
 Rev. David S. Curry— Your cordial invitation received. 
 I regret I am unable to be with your church on the occasion 
 of its centennial anniversary. The extra duties which press 
 in on me make it impossible, especially as I have only been 
 here a few weeks and find many things which demand im- 
 mediate attention here in the Cortland church, among them 
 a new church directory on which I am especially at work 
 every day. 
 
 Permit me, however, to convey through your committee to 
 the First Presbyterian church of Dryden the hearty con- 
 gratulations and the very best wishes of the Cortland 
 church. 
 
 Trusting that you may all feel inspired by the centennial 
 for a more whole-hearted and even grander century of 
 
108 REMINISCENCES AND I^ETTERS 
 
 Christian activity than that which has characterized the 
 past, and that you may not be unmindful of the saints un- 
 known who have labored in comparative obscurity for the 
 upbuilding of Zion, as well as those who are known, promi- 
 nent, and distinguished — mountain peaks that tower aloft on 
 your ecclesiastical horizon. 
 
 May the foundation so securely and excellently laid by 
 those who have gone before be buttressed and crowned by 
 all the strength and beauty of the Master Builder. 
 
 Jenny MacDougall Parkes, whose death occurred during 
 the year following the centennial celebration, wrote in be- 
 half of herself and the MacDougall family : 
 
 I was thirteen years old when we left Dryden. The years 
 spent there are filled with happy tender memories. The 
 peaceful, quiet Sabbath, the people gathering in the two 
 churches in the park, so simple the service, so devout ; the 
 church itself with steps ; and sheds for care of horses during 
 the service. Here I partook of my first communion. The 
 godly men of the eldership ; the prayer meeting ; Brother 
 Ballard warming himself at the stove. The singing school, 
 where Dr. Howe and Brother Baker taught us our do^ me^ sol 
 do^ or some itinerate teacher getting up cantatas. This 
 fitted me for the choir — a double quartet or more — with 
 Misses Baker, McGraw, and others, with Dr. Howe and Mr. 
 Baker to look after the giddy ones — almost as giddy them- 
 selves ; Isola Houpt, the patient organist. The Christmas 
 entertainments, one in particular, when some child was giv- 
 en a live sheep ; Santa Claus, Tommy McGraw, leading the 
 frightened animal down the aisle to the tree in front of the 
 pulpit. The parsonage and grounds where grew such Bunk- 
 er Hill apples, such luscious pears. The kind neighbors : 
 Dr. Fitch and family so dear; Barton, Draper, Rockwell, 
 Swift, Dwight, Spear, and Sears. The kind thoughtful care 
 of the pastor and family by the country people ; I doubt if 
 Job Pierce ever came to town without leaving something at 
 the parsonage. As youngsters watching for Joseph Mc- 
 Graw, when he came to town in his big sleigh, waiting in 
 the street for him to start for home ; his genial " pile in " 
 meant a ride to the bridge, possibly about town. The skat- 
 
FREEMAN STEBBINS 
 
REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 109 
 
 ing on the creek, coasting down hill by the Rockwell fac- 
 tory. The spring freshet, when we awakened in the morn- 
 ing to find the back yard under water; Anna asking if it 
 would be like the Bible flood ; our trying to float about in 
 wash tubs with brooms for oars ; the overturned tubs, great 
 disaster to our clothing. The coming of Prof. Graves ; open- 
 ing of the academy ; how proud we were to leave the small 
 public school for the larger one. Of the donation parties 
 when young and old brought of their substance to enrich or 
 deplete the pastor's larder. The kindly spirit that pre- 
 vailed ; all members of Christ's great family. The Mineah 
 family, whose daughters, one or more, or Teene Simons, 
 were summoned, when pastor and wife were going away, to 
 look after the little Macs until we felt they were next to kin. 
 The Hallowe'en parties at the Dwight's old house ; the par- 
 ing of apples to dry, preparing lint, etc., for the soldiers dur- 
 ing the War of the Rebellion ; the county fair ; the visits in 
 vacation time to the country ; two of us going home with 
 some family from church on Sunday, spending all or part of 
 the week ; the jolly time at the Miller home— such apples, 
 popcorn, jokes and fun. The delight to go home with the 
 Simons families. The hush of the Sabbath evening. The 
 morning and evening prayer time ; never the same anywhere 
 else; can see every figure in that household. We always 
 went to Mrs. Carpenter's in berry time ; to tramp about and 
 find the berries meant more to us than a visit to the sea- 
 shore or a trip to California. I recall becoming very home- 
 sick on one of these visits ; they were too busy to take me 
 to town ; next day I was up at four in the morning, had my 
 breakfast with the workmen, and walked home, much to 
 Mrs. Carpenter's disgust. 
 
 Elder and Auntie Stebbins hold such a dear place in mind 
 and heart; she always had a store of cookies with carraway 
 seeds; when leaving Dryden for our new home in the West, 
 we stopped at the house to say good-bye; Auntie came out 
 with a bag of carraway seeds, but we children miss our be- 
 loved cookies. Visits to the Cady, Pierce, and McGraw 
 homes and to the other side of the town at Deacon Gris- 
 wold's, where at prayer time we always had one eye open to 
 watch the cat— she usually found a resting place upon the 
 
110 REMINISCENCES AND LETTERS 
 
 back of one of the kneeling figures; Mrs. Griswold's salt-ris- 
 ing bread — better than any cake I ever tasted. The maple 
 sugar parties at Luther and Deacon Griswold's; how good 
 the wax on the snow tasted. The coming of Dr. Nivison. 
 As I turn memory's page, many faces and scenes pass be- 
 fore me: the Dwights, Goodrich, McElheny, and a host of 
 others, but I do not want to weary you. 
 
 When this nation wishes to send an ambassador to a for- 
 eign court or country, the President and his advisors select 
 the man who most fully represents the highest type of 
 American manhood; Dryden church has many such repre- 
 sentatives in the Heavenly country. Pastor, wife, elders, 
 and people, though unseen, are joining with you in your 
 hymns of joy and praise; rejoicing that during their earthly 
 life they were permitted to be of your number. 
 
 We complete the selection of communications from absent 
 friends, made use of and read as a part of the centennial ex- 
 ercises, with the following letter received from our recent 
 and much respected pastor. Rev. O. T. Mather, now located 
 on the far away Pacific coast. It is thus given the place of 
 a benediction at the close of this rather hetrogeneous collec- 
 tion of letters and reminiscences of which this concluding 
 chapter of our history is made up. 
 
 To the People of the Presbyterian Church, 
 Dryden, N. Y. 
 
 Dearly beloved— I sincerely regret that to write a letter is 
 the best response I can make to your kind invitation to at- 
 tend the centennial anniversary. I cannot tell you how glad 
 I would be to look into your faces once more and greet you. 
 Like Paul writing to the Philippians — I thank my God upon 
 every remembrance of you. 
 
 How strange it would have seemed to those who organized 
 the church, 100 years ago, to think of an ex-pastor writing a 
 letter at this time from the far-away Pacific coast. Dryden 
 was then on the frontier. Truly wondrous things have hap- 
 pened in a century. It is well worth observing the centen- 
 nial that the changes wrought in 100 years may be realized. 
 
 While I am writing in this strain let me remind you of 
 what it means to be in a church with a history such as yours 
 
REMINISCENCES AND I^ETTERS 111 
 
 has. There where you worship other hundreds of Godly 
 men and women— people of faith— have given praise to Al- 
 mighty God. From your midst have gone forth people of 
 great consecration to the uttermost parts of the earth. And 
 among the glorified host of those whose robes have been 
 washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb are multi- 
 tudes who first learned the way in your church and among 
 you. 
 
 How different with the church I now have the honor to 
 serve. We have no traditions and almost no history. Not 
 one of our number has yet been called home by death. It is 
 a great inspiration to have a past like that of your church, 
 and long may your church continue to be a light for the 
 King of Kings. 
 
 It is now ten years since I became your pastor and about 
 three and one-half since I left you, but not one of you is for- 
 gotten by me. Neither have I forgotten the many things 
 you did for me and mine and the many words of encourage- 
 ment you gave us. How nobly you worked together for the 
 good of the church and the glory of God. There was a 
 Christian fellowship among us seldom excelled upon earth. 
 I sincerely hope you are maintaining among you the same 
 brotherly patience aud Christian charity and that the work 
 of the Lord is prospering in our lands. 
 
 Were I there I am sure I would be grieved to miss so 
 many who have been called home since I came away. But I 
 am. sure that the thought of them is a precious memory to 
 you as it is to me. But their departure has left the burden 
 heavier for each of you who remain if the church is to be 
 maintained in her power and the pastor supported in his 
 work. But I know you are not of those who whine, and 
 shrink from duties because they are hard. 
 
 The good old church which we all love, for which we all 
 pray and into which we have put the best of ourselves can- 
 not be allowed to fail now. The few who remain are too 
 genuine and too heroic for that. There is but little danger 
 that you will be overcome by either adversity or depletion. 
 Like Paul you may be cast down but not discouraged. 
 
 There is one evil that I can imagine strong enough to de- 
 stroy the old historic church of Dryden— that is dissension, 
 
112 REMINISCENCES AND lyETTERS 
 
 Wherever and whenever that comes there is cause for 
 alarm, but that will surely never come to you. You love 
 your church too well for that, and you revere the memory of 
 the glorified brethern too much for that. You have entered 
 into the heritage of their good name and must preserve it 
 blameless. Do you, all of you, as Christ commanded his 
 disciples, love one another as I have loved you. Do that 
 and serve Him with a pure heart fervently, and you will 
 preserve His name blameless among you. The old church 
 which is needed in Dryden as much now as at any time will 
 enter the second century of her existence, a greater power 
 than ever. 
 
 Eph. 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God as dear chil- 
 dren and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and 
 hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God 
 for a sweet smelling savor. 
 
 Believe me most earnestly and lovingly your one time 
 pastor, Oliver T. Mather. 
 
 Tacoma, Wash., Jan. 30, 1908.