Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-03-26
AsHTABULA, OHIO, sATURDAY, MARCH 20, l87O.

lDe IouoWlnB blhtcIhcht ny ". IL.
Fitch, Esq, gives an account Of the
organization, (which l wiihcssed,) and
the present state Of this society:
The Presbyterian church in Ashtabula
was organized on the 9Th of December.
1921, 1y Rev. Giles Cowlcs aud Rev.
Joseph Badger, aud confession of faith
and covenant was adopted. The mem.
befs of the church at its organization
were Joshua Ncttle,on, Lot Newell, Mrs.
Sally Mcdonald, from the church in
Kingsvillc, widow Anna Carter, from
the church in LandsGeld, Mrs. lydia
Hall, from the church in Dover, Mrs.
Tabitha Smith, from the church in Sulli.
van, aud Mrs. Jerusha Cook, from the
church in Lislic. Two males and
FIVE females. The society had 30 house
for public worship until 1880 wheh The
present church, which was commenced
the previous year, was completed, and
an excellent fine-toned bell was presented
to the society by the late Nehemiah
Hubbard, Esq, of Middletown, Connect
cut, the original proprietor of the town
ship. The number of church members
is now about 100.
The Congregational ministers recol-
lectcd by the writer were Rcvs. JOSEPH
Badger, Perry Pratt, Urbane Palmer.
Mr.. Scott, Mr.. Root, Mr.. Conkling, Mr.
Smith, MIR. Ingersoll, Mr.. Waldo, and
Mr.. Pomeroy. The present minister is
the Rev, J. Mills Giilett. The society
Is prosperous and the members are it-
creased.
To the untiring zeal, the persevcring
labcrs, and unsparing sacrifices of the
Rev. Joseph Badger, more than to those
of any other minister, doubtless, the
Congregationalists of the Westtfn Re
serve are indebted for the sowing of the
seed, from which they reap their harvests.
For tanning the fcrocious W yandots, and
attaching their affections to the Whites
the inhabitants Of northwestern OHIO
and Michigan are indebted for the pre-.
scrvation of numerous lives, from the
fact that they considered him their good
father, aud were persuaded by him not
to lift the tomarawk against their white
brothers of the United States. during the
last war with Great Britain. | extend
these remarks no further since Mr.. Bad
ger has given his own memoirs to this
society.
The first Methodists in this township
were the family of Mr.. Thomas Bcnhani,
and the families Of his two sons, Samiipl
and Adnah Benham. They came into
this township in the summer of 1911.
They Immediately set up meetings in the
log dwelling Of the father, Thomas Ben
ham, which was continued without a
minister, until the winter of 1912, when
Father Erskie, of Jefferson, waited on
their first minister, i'll making them his
first visit. Their number soon increased,
by conversions and immigrations. The
locations of Father Thomas and his son
Adnah were on the hill, now called
Bunker HILL" at the junction of the
Austnburg aud South Ridge roads.
They continued to hold their meetings
i'll dwelling houses and schcolhouses, &c,
until they bniIt them block, or hewed
log chapel, near their own dwellings,, by
aid Of their brethren, ior the use of their
own society. THIS was the first house
built solely for public worship, in
Ashtabul2. 1t WAS erected in 1922.
In 1880 the society erected their present
chapel, on the west bank of the Ashta.
bula, i'll the borough, and finished it III
1886.
The following is brief but correct
statement of the rise and present state
OF the M. +. Church in Ashtabula, ac.
cordng to Joseph Leslie:
AsuTAnULA, February 90 1sl7.
| REV JoHN HALL.-Dsdr Sir: The first society in this
place was organized time i'll Fc ruHry A. ID. 1Sl2
by the Rev. MIR. WnslUw aud consisted of mem.
bers, mostly belonging to the family Thomas Ben
ham. This society. ON the Uth day of February, \. ID
1880 was incorporated constituted body polite
under the name of the NJ f. Church and Society Ash
| tabula, by an act OF the State Legislature. Thcil
chapel was built A. ID. 1885, The number in the
Methodist Society within this town amounts to l35.
JOSEPH LESLIE.
This determination is believed to Ut
prosperous and increased in number, in
1856. Their regulations in reference to
changing preachers often has caused
their number u be too great to be re-
collected or estimated.
sMr Harvey Nettleton, who present. thinks thai
the text was VINO shlil roll away the stone from the
door o the sepulchcrf" On that, pcrhaps, the man
preached two sermons.
(COntinued R6rt reek)
TIE TURN OF LIFE.-Between the