The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-09-01

tionalists, and soon after the
organization of the town, in &C
cordance with the usages of that
day they began as a town to
make provision for preaching,
and for building church edltice.
This they proceeded to do by
pro rata town tax, eXempting
only those who filed a protest IN
the clerks Office, declaring that
they belonged to some other de-
nomination and were consclen-
tiously opposed to this.
Town records as early as 1852
show an appropriation of go to
pay for preaching with DR.. An
dross and Capt. Robert Hunkins
as committee. There is touch
of irony in these records, and 1t
was very evident that it was no
easy matter to agree to disagree.
!: At a Freeman's meeting Sept.
I'd, 1888, the town appointed
committee to "drive stake where
to set meeting house," and re-
port at the next town meeting.
"Oct. IS, it was decided by the
town that the meeting house
should be set on the flat near
ESQ. Peters barn, and that 1t
, should be so feet long, 40 feet
wide, and % feet posts" Then
: arose the troublesome question,
Who should be responsible for
| the expense, and in what way
, should the money be obtained!
Those old and ever recurring
questions that have vexed the
, brains of 1aymen since the dawn
( of history.
| After repeated town meetings
; had been held during period OF
y four or five years, and many plans
| we're advocated, adopted and
: again rejected. On March 10,
1898, town committee was
! elected to execute the contract tor
> building the church. The build
? ing was completed in the follow
| ing September. By vote OF the
r town, the pews had been sold in
: advance at public auction, before
| the contract with the builders
+ was made. Our first church was
:. thus built and paid for.
t "Let us go back a little and
4 see how the first minister was OBJ
p tained." At town meeting held
e October y, 1913, called for that
n purpose the following amusing
: record occurs, "Voted to hire
e some preaching this fall some
: candidate should chance TO come
: this 7vay." Mr.. Gardner Kellogg
CHANGED to come and was hired
!. Several subsequent records grant.
v ing money, labor, wheat and
j, wood to Mr.. Kellogg are found
: and he was duly and formally or
|. dained in September, 1875.
g This method of supporting q
h minister by a town taxation was
h soon a recognized and melan
y choly failure, and the town meet
l. ing in 1909, voted to request Mr.
e Kellogg to ask for a dismissal
!. To this rather cool application
:. he replied, that he would join II
n a council for his dismission whe1
# the town would pay up wha
o they we're owing him.
= The present Congregations
J. church of Bradford was organ
|. lied June "a, 1910, under the lea'
f. of Rev. Stephen Fuller pastor o
le the church at Vershire. 1t wa
re organized with a membership o
two men and five women, tn
first five years receiving occa
sional supplies, and Rev. S1la
in Mexican commenced his m1n1str
t. here July IS, 1914, was orda1ne
TT the next year and preached twelv
e years. His successors were KEYS
d Geo. w. Campbell, John Stod
re dard and Cephas H. Kent.
al The church heretofore use
e, was taken down in 1886, and tn
re frame new modelled was used ur
lie til 1876 when the present Con
N gregationa1 church was built
t, Rev. Silas Mexican was recalle
he in 1941, and preached his fare
is we'll sermon July %, 1866, ate
l. an active pastorate here OF 4
D. wears and s months, and subst
IN quently passed the remainder {
he his life here, in parsonage ths
IN was granted him as a life leas
OF free of rent by his gratett
d Pensioners.
The first pastor after Rev. M
40 Mexican was Rev. ]. K. Wi
e liams. In 1876 during the pa
IL torate of Rev. L. H. Elliot
81 new church was built at an e,
&c, pense of S16, 900, $4,000 of whic
:, - was raised by voluntary asses
~ ment on the pew holders and tt
i@ balance two wears later, Subs