The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-07-23
Laying the Corner Stone Of the New
Presbyterian Church.


Laying the Corner Stone of the New
/ Presbyterian Church.
The corner stone of the new Presbyterian
Church, was laid on the afternoon of Thurs
day last. At three o'clock, a large number
of our citizens having assembled, portions of
scripture were read by the pastor, Rev. E.
Bushnell. After singing and prayer, DR.. T.
Stilwell made the following address:
.BRETHERN AND FELLOW CIrIzENs:-We
have met to lay corner stone. On account
Of the relation / bore to the old church,
Brethren having charge of the ceremonies
thought it appropriate that should address
you on this occasion. While came to do
their bidding, and will occupy the platform
few moments for that purpose, / came here
to witness a ceremony that seldom repeats
itself in mans lie time. 1t isSrepeating
itself in mine to-day.
Twenty-Five years ago l stood upon this
ground, and saw settled into its place this
old corner stone, and in it deposited these
relics of the past-one Of which hold up to
your view. II is a document which this
hand wrote, and which this faithful Gus
tOdian 1.-THE corner stOne1 has securely kept,
and to whose care we are about 10 recommit
it, with others, to-day, to remain a memorial
of the times in which we lived, when we
ourselves shall have mouldered into our ma
tive dust, and the people who pass through
the doors of this temple, shall sit in our seats,
unconscious that we had ever had a name or
habitation among the children Of men. 1t
is list of the officers of the village Of Lower
Sandusky, in the year when this old corner
stone was laid. g.
As l stand in your presence, twenty five
years from the day it was written--exercis-
ing the prerogstivs of the Office Of Recorder,
which l then held in the bOard--I once
again call the roll:
Mayor-John Bell.
RecOrder-Thomas StilWell
Trustees-Samuel Thompson, Isaac Van
DOren, John R. Pease, John Stabl, David
Burger.
Marshal-Jeremiah P. Brown.
Treasurer William N. Morgan.
But one to answer our esteemed fell
low citizen, Capt. Thompson. The Others
are dead. All dead.
What a significant admonitiOn to as who
are here to-day TO re-perform the ceremony
of eighteen hundred and forty y-four, The
march of times goes on. The gap made bv
the dropping out Of many or the few by the
way, is more than illed-a village, unpre.
tending twenty-five years ago, becomes a
city. Front street pulls down her low, frame
buildings, and erects in their stead, stately
brick blOcks-ereditable to art, and mou1=
ments Of enterprise. The shadow of the old
stone school house, which stood in wonder
corner, is overcast by the lengthier shadow
of that, its more pretending successor.
| The hot rays of the MONDAY sun descend |
1 Int fhead L. II
no longer unObstructed, but steal down
through the thick foliage of well grown trees
| The pasture field, across the way. incloaed |
by rail fence, when this old corner stone /
| dropped into its place, is now the site of /
tasteful residences. The oOmmon tbst
stretched out in front, marked only then bv
q deep raYine and an enemy's grave, Tthe
site of old Fort Stephenson, and the graves
OF the British and Indians who fell before its
brave defenders, has become -0cal with
hundreds of children's voices, as they issue
from the capacious halls erected thereon for
schools. In the rear, railways and depot.
and thickly built Streets occupy the site of
the hazel thickets of twenty-five years ago.
And in the county surrounding-the gir-
died tree and the log cabin-stump and root
roof and foundation block, have disappear
ed, and where they stood, the eye rests upon
clear fertile fields, and waving grain, and
fOcks, and herds, and commodious and
cOstlier houses. The wilderness of twenty
five years ago blossoms as the rose.
Everything betOkens development-ex-
pausion, progress, Because, Fellow Citizens,
OF these changes which time has wrought,
we, the members of the PRESBYTERIAN Church
believed the time had come, when. in the
fulfillment of our mission here we ought to
enlarge the walls of our Lords house, to
make room for the growing multitude, and
to raise upon it lOftier spire, to point the
gathering masses to "the city which hath
iSc;..,,,ndations, ic.,, whose builder and maker is
God"
The tin box, containing the articles for
deposit was then closed up, putin the stone,
aud the stone lowered to its place.
Brief remarks were then made by the
Pastor, after which the dOxOlOgy was sung
and the benediction pronounced.
In addition to the articles contained in the
first corner stOpe-Aug. "a, ls44-vere the
following:
Historical Statement of Ministers and e.
ders, from 1e44 to present time. Names of ,
present Trustees aud Building Committee.
Names of members who have united with !
the church since 1874. Copies of the New
York EUaRgelist, July g.; 1869, and ohris- /
tain Herald, July l, 1869; list of Municipal I
Officers of City of Fremont, for 1859; Har- /
per's Weekly, Tribune almanac. The Jour c
nal, Messenger aud Courier, published in c
Fremont; American Messenger and Childs 7
Paper; list of subscribers to the Building l
Fund; Christian Family Almanac for 1863;
One dollar note First National Bank Of FIRE. |
mont; Globe, April 18th, 1869; Toledo Com 6
mercidl July 10, 1869; American silver half 8
dollar, 1858; American silver twenty-five G
cent 1857; 10 cent postal; 10 cents, 5 cents, 7
cents, cents and cent In coin, variety =
of postage and revenue stamps; report of the Y
American Bible Society for 1868; Jubilee /
Memorial A. B. Society, 1867; History Of
the Operations and Principles of the Ameri-
can Bible Society; also Addresses at the SD
Anniversary of American Bible Society; s
Photograph of the old church; Premium List S
of Sandusky county Agricultural Society,
1865; New York Observer, July 9Th, 1869; a
Cleveland Daily Herald, July IA, 1869; a =
paper containing the names of the President q
and Vice President of the United States; v
general and Lieut.. General of the United s
States Army; Governor and Lieut.. Governor a
of Ohio. 4
The tin box was deposited in the corner T
stone of the former church, which was so soft e
a stone that it was put IN The center of the o
wall The northeast corner of the water t
table of the old church was placed as
a memorial stone in the course just below
the water table in the present charch; on the
south face of the stone 1874 is chisel' d, on
the east face 1869
The Galaxy for August has made ita /
appearance. Itsliterary productions are a. {
mpng the best. Terms $500 per year. Ad. !
dress Sheldon d Co., 49s and 500, Broad