Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-20
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
Laying of the Corner stone oil the
New Baptist Church at Rutland.
HISTORICAL sKETCH-BIoGRAPHI
SKETCH OF ITS CLERGYMEN-THE
NEW EDIFICE.

public institutions of town, it is fitting
10 put on record leaf of the past
that it may be preserved for the perusal
of future generation, in order that they
may know the work of the fathers, and
their struggles to establish education and
religion in their community. On the
occasion, therefore, of the commencement
of the erection of a new house of public
worship, as an introduction to- the services
OF the day, we give history of the Bap-
list Church in Rutland. This article en-
braces in substance the historical sketch of
the Rutland Baptist Church, read by Rev.
Edward Mills, Pastor of the Church, dur.
ing the services at the laying Of the Cor
ner Stone.
As far back as 1907, small but vigor.
GUS Baptist Church was in existence at
Center Rutland, but when it was formed,
or what was it's previous history, there is
no record extant. They had no house OF
worship, and like the primitive Christians,
they met and worshippcd in private dwell
lings, for the most part at the house OF
Allen Pooler. The Rev. Mr.. Hurlburt
was their minister at the time, laborinR
for them in word and doctrine until 1909,
when be resigned, and for an indefinite
period they were without pastoral care.
They enjoyed, however, the occasional
ministrations of Rev. Sylvanus Haynes,
of Middletown, Rev. Clark Kendrick, of
Poultney, Rev. William McCuller, of Ira,
Rev Joseph W. Sawyer, of Whiting, Rev.
William Harrington, of Pittsford, and
other itinerant ministers.
Prominent among this little band OF
Baptist communicates were Deacon Crit
fifth, Deacon Weller, Allen Pooler, Nehi-
biah Angel, Jedediah Walker, Benjamin
Farmer, Esq, Joseph Rodgers, Caleb
Whipple, Fri Kendall, Daniel Ford, Saml
Griggs, Ebenezer Rawlins, Philander
Grifiiths, and few noble devoted women,
among whom were Mrs. Griffith, Mrs.
Weller, Mrs. Angel, Mrs. Allen Pooler,
Mrs Mary Pooler, Mrs. Daniel Ford,
Polly Ford, Susan Ford, Mrs. Jesse Thrall,
Mrs. Beta Rodgers, Mrs G. Dyer, Mrs.
Capt. Jenkins, Mrs.. Woods, Phebe Briggs,
Polly and Fanny Daniels and Leupy
Maxy. These devoted men and women
were for the most part poor in the things
of this world. but rich in faith and good
works, with bright hopes of better things
to come, and all of them have been trans.
ferred from the Church en- earth to the
Church triumphant in heaven.
In the years 1894, becoming reduced
by death and removals, the meetings of
this first church were discontinued and
their organization broken up,the members
uniting with other neighboring schurches
In 1918 several families of Baptists
moved from Centre Rutland to Mill Will
age, now known as the Pooler District,
and Immediately commenced to hold
meetings at the house OF Daniel Ford and
at the school-house these were mostly
meetings for prayer and praise and con-
ference, with an occasional sermon by
SNihO VI lklhCtuhb tblhlbbSl'
For five years these pious and deyoted
men and women msiutained the means of
grace under adverse circumstances and
all kinds of weather &; and there are few
still living who date their first religious
impressions from the instructions and ad
monitions they then and there received
In 1928 this little band organized
themselves into Baptist Cbuacb, of fiji.
teen members, viz. Amos Weller, Den
mis- Weller, Joseph Barney, Experience
Barney, Benjamin Farmer, S4lome Ford,
Daniel Ford, Susanna Ford, Adonijah
Ford, Polly Ford, Allan Pooler, Elizabeth
Pooler, Campbell Simpson, Anna Greene,
Martha Fuller.
This church thus constituted completed
their organization by the adoption of the
ARTICLES of Faith and covenant" and
the choice of Daniel Ford as Moderator
and Adonijah Ford as Clerk.
On the 25th day of November, in &C
oordance with a previous vote of the
church, and in response to letters missive
sent by them TO neighboring churches,
Council of Recognition" convened in the
house of Daniel Ford, consisting of minis
tiers and delegates from the churches in
Poultney, Hubbardton, Brandon, Whit
ing, Pittsford, Ira, East Clarendon and
Middletown. Elder Isaac Fuller was
duly appointed Moderator, and Elder J.
w. Sawyer, Clerk.
After careful consideration of the rea-
sons for the organization of the Church
and the presentation to the council of the
"Artioles" and Covenant" it was voted
to proceed to the service of recognition in
the following manner 4
l. Consecrating Prayer by Rev. Isaac
Sawyer.
2. Right Hand of Fellowship, by Rev
Isaac Fuller
3. Charge to the Church, by Rev. Abel
Woods.
All these services were performed in
due form and with becoming solcmnity.
On the 9th of May 1924, the Church
voted to extend call to Elder Isaac
Fuller to preach for them half the time,
which service he accepted and continued
to discharge until December Cd, 1926,
when the Church called Rev. Hadley
Proctor of China, Me, to the pastorate,
which he accepted, and his labors com.
menced with the opening of the year
1927 and continued until 1884, seven
years of earnest labor and gracious in
gathering of souls.
Elder Isaac Fuller was faithful ser.
want in the ministry, and good chris.
tian. His labors were mostly itinerant and
missionary. He lived to an advanced age.
and died at Poultney some 25 years ago
Rev. Hadley Proctor was born at
Marblehead, Mass, in 1904, was converted
when seventeen years of age, and became