The Portland daily press., 1893-02-08

Messrs. Wright and Pratt, Messrs. Lewis
o'Brion, John III. True, Charles E.Wyer,
Lincoln r.. Loring, DR.. Carlton Kimball
| and { theirs.
| The 10th anniversary of the organiza-
ton of the Williston Congregational
Church was celebrated last evening. 1t
was more than the usual annual review
OF the years work, being an historical
review OF the twenty years of the exis-
tence of the church. A large number of
the members of the church were present
at the supper early in the evening, at
least two hundred sitting down to the
well-laden tables.
At o'clock the pastor, Rev. Dwight
M. Pratt, opened the exercises by saying
that it is good thing to look back upon
the past and instroduced Mr.. Lincoln r.
Loring, who presented the facts of the
preliminary history of the church, from
the first establishment of the Sunday
school, in the Walnut street school house
by Miss Anna A. Sweetsir, in 1861. In
1868 the State Street Sunday School voted
to adopt this infant school and to en-
deavor to raise funds for chapel. tln
1866 there were eighty scholars but no
funds had been raised because of the war,
but in that year there were three sub
scriptions of $500 each, and in July, 1866,
the Sunday school, that for five years lad
hal re- in 4ba Wo1r
school house, moved into its new house
on the corner of Danforth and May
streets, that had been erected at cost of
$4,000. The school became known as
the Williston Sunday school and was
carried on by the State street society
In 1871 it became evident that in order
to hold together the increasing member
ship it was necessary to secure pastor
to. visit the parents of the pupils and
maintain their interest and support. Mr.
B. F. Leayitt was called and in 1872
began his earnest work. which resulted
in the formation of the present society,
on February 5, 1873, just 20 years ago,
when II members of the State street
church, one of the Bethel and four
others became the % first members of
the Williston church. Mr.. Leavitt was
ordained in 1878 and Mr.. Lewis O'Brion
was elected superintendent of the Sun
day school, a position he had filled be-
fore.
although now resident of Boston Mr..
Dr,a
succeeded Mr. Loring upon the plat
form. In recounting some "reminiscences
of the Walnut street Sunday school
he said that it received it's
name in memory of Mrs. Maria ,Williston
Walker. He said that the character of
that early chapel work brought loving
hands and hearts, where they were most
needed. They clothed one family of
children, the father of which was obliged
to lock up the clothing at night to keep
it from the mother, who would sell it for
liquor. There were about $50 connected
with that early school and as he looked
at the audience before him he saw only
three who were of that number besides
himself
DR.. Carlton Kimball of the State street |
church next addressed the audience. He |
was one of the early superintendent of |
that Sunday school. He said that he
well remembered when those rude, wild
boys, that they had brought in from the
streets, used to leap over the desks and
windows during prayers.
He spoke at some length and was fol-
lowed by Deacon John III. True, intro
duced as one of the fathers of the church,
who gave an outline history from the first |
pastorate of Mr.. Leavitt to the building
of the new church, saying that the sec
ond pastor, Rev. f. E. Clark accepted |
their call on two conditions, that they |
should move to another locality and in |
year take measures to build new
church. They agreed. In 1876, the eff
fort was inaugurated, and Mr.. Rand the |
present sexton, made the first Offering, of |
$10 which was soon swelled by subscrip- I
ton to $9425. The church was ready |
for occupation in 1878. Then the |
question was how to nay the debt of
$4,000. But ON certain Sabbath the |
pledges of first $500, then $1,000 and then
smaller amounts were made and the
enthusiasm was so great that one man,
having pledged $50, offered his watch if |
necessary to make up the amount. Mr.. /
and Mrs. Clark were SO Jealous in their |
efforts among the young people that
the Y. P. S. c. E. was the well known
result
Mr. II. B. Pennell, clerk of the society.
then read the following statement of the
annual growth of membership, starting
in 1870 with % and increased as follows i