The Portland daily press., 1881-03-22
BATHS CENTENNIAL.
Anniversary Sermon by Rev. j. 0.
FiSke.

FiSke.
At Winter street church, Bath, Sunday
Rev. j. o. Fiske preached p sermon commem-
orative of the one hundredth anniversary OF
the organization of Bath as town. Naturally
Mr. Fiske's sermon was largely historical
sketch of the religious denominations of that
town.
The text was from Psalms rs: 81 will open
my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark say
ings of old, which we have heard and known,
and our fathers have told us. We will not
hide them from their children, showing to the
generation to come the praises of the Lord,
and His strength, and His wonderful works
that He hath done" Recognizing the fact that
the scriptures convey very much important
religious instruction, in the form of history,
Mr.. Fiske proceeded to review our growth,
from the small beginning of twelve houses
along the shores of our river in 1879, and the
less than 500 people in 1881, to the nearly 5000
people of today. Our progress, from an esti-
mated value of about $4,000 in 1881 to the
nearly $6,0OO,0O0 of today, from the first
diminutive craft built on our river in 1862 to
the majestic creations of today. We have
been moral, quiet, intelligent, patriotic COM
munity for many years. The men who laid
the foundations of what is good in this city
and in all New England, were men who re-
spected the ideas and institutions of religion
and sacredly maintain ed those institutions.
Robert Clutch was the first Congregational
preacher here. His church was just over the
river at the head of Arrowsic Island, from 1865
to 79,when he and his wife were both drowned
in Back River. In 1874 church was es-
tablished in Georgetown, in which Rev. James
Morton began to preach in 1876, and Rev. VIM.
McLanathan was employed from 1874 to 1744.
Rev. Robert Rutherford, man of distin-
guished parts, preached here for time, begin
ming in 1743 in the meeting house on the
Morse farm at the lower end of Long Reach.
In 1760 the meeting house was commenced
which stood until 1925, on the hill just beyond
witch Spring." and all our people in this
vicinity were accustomed to worship there.
They had no fires in their houses of worship in
the coolest weather Little hand-stoves, used
chiefly by the wives and mothers of the con-
gregation, were all the heat employed. Still
the great mass OF the population were constant
in attendance, and the discomforts and perils
endured from the cold were often serious,
while listening to the sermons of very different
lengths from the fashionable sernoonettes of the
present day. The first stove in meeting
house in this town was placed there in 1916.
Rev. Solomon Page, father of Major Ed
ward FL. Page, was the first regular minister
in the old Westinghouse Just beyond the
Witch Spring. His successors and their pecu-
liar religious sentiments were dwelt upon. In
1898 was organized an association of Christians
who 'feeling the importance of eternal things,
and being DESTROYS of maintaining the power
of godliness, and of cultivating christian fell
lowship, agree to form ourselves into religious
society, agreeable to the following articles
Some portions of their constitution were quot
ed, they being of a tenor exceedingly strict,
disciplinary and binding. The names of the
first signers were Joshua Rogers, Gushing AL
len, Rebecca Marsh. Stephen Sewall, Elijah
Low, Mary Loring, Caleb Marsh, Charles
Clapp, Abigail Sewall, James Sewall, Benz,
Foster, Esther w. Moody, Laban Loring,
Henry Sewall, Hannah Sewall, samuel Sewall,
James Robinson, Lydia Marsh, Drummer
Jerome Loring, Samuel Moody, Jr., Susanna
Philbrook, Thos. Clapp, Martin Cushing ,Debo-
rah Rayns. This meeting began to be held
weekly and was known as the Tuesday night
meeting. Their prayers were net in vain. A
reat revival occurred in 1898, and the Rev.
Abraham Cummings preached here with
marked success.
The revival prepared the way for the organ
ization of the Old North church in 1895. Rev.
Hugh Wallis was ordained pastor. Dea.
James Lemont, David Trufant, Joshua Phil
brook, Joseph White, James Loring, Samuel
Sewall, Stephen Sewall, Joshua Rogers, David
Shaw, Gushing Allen, Martin Cushing, Beni
Foster and Charles Clapp constituted the
church. Among the nineteen persons added
to the church during the ministry of Rev. Mr..
Wallis was the distinguished Colonel and Dea-
con, Dummer Sewall, the grandfather of the
late Joseph and VIM d. Sewall. Col. Sewall
served in the siege in 1858. He was among
the provincial troops commanded in 1775 by
Gen. Washington. He died in 1882, having
long been pillar of strength in the church.
Mr.. Wallis used sometimes to preach in the
erudition school house next to the store now
occupied by Mr. Simpson.
In August, 1901 measures were inaugurated
to erect new meeting house on the corner of
Centre and High streets. There were two dis
tinct and sharply opposing religious classes IN
thr community, and their theological peculiar.
tiles were manifested in warm discussion as
to how the new meeting house should 'front.'
The building committee consisted of David
Trufant. Drummer Sewall, Samuel DANA
Christopher Gushing, Edward Hall Page, An
drew Greenwood and Jonathan Croker. 1t
was finally settled by the committee that ''the
meeting house should be erected so as to stand
porch end west" to the great disgust of the
party which had opposed Mr.. Wallis, who at
once set about the erection of the old South
porch end east Until 1926 the South church
united with the North in public worship, al
though the porch end of the North church was
west.
Rev. Seneca White was pastor of the old
South church until 1880, beginning his minis
try twelve years after the first pastor, Rev. DR..
VIM jerks
The present Central church was organized in
1885, and ordained Rev. Ray Palmer as their
pastor. The old North meeting house cost
nearly $6000,a sum which indicates great earn
estness and liberality in regard to maintaining
public worship.
In 1906 the most wealthy man of the town
was Gov. King, who was rated by the assessors
as possessing $4,000 Next to him was Peleg
Tallman, estimated at ST. 800, and so on down
to Dea. Levi Houghton, whose whole property
was then reckoned to be worth $500.
The Methodists commenced holding religious
services here in 1900.
Rev. Silas Stearns began to preach for the
Baptists in a hall on Summer street in 1870
The Baptists erected brick meeting house on
the site of their present edifce in 1876
After long years of various experiences, the
Rev. John W. Eilingwood, d. D., was Or
dained as the pastor Of the North church in
1872, continuing till 1843. He was most faith
full, laborious and successful in his ministry,
preaching for twenty-five years lecture ON
Tuesday evenings as we'll as two sermons on
the Sabbath. At the time of his resignation
the church numbered 277 members. He MAIN
tanned long and happily his Bible class every
other Thursday evening, was eminently wise
as pastor, a man of great prudence, frmness,
zeal and soundness of Judgment, and widely
influential Throughout the State.
The fathers of this city were men who did
not hold the highest part of human nature
and their eternal interest in disregard.
A thousand years scarce serve to form State
The foundations of its prosperity or decay are
laid in principles, and above all in religious
principles.