Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-06-14
WORK OF A CENTURY.
METHODISM IN MlDDLEBURY MARKS
ITS CENTENNIAL.

June JAN interesting SioIy VI StTuSSle
Crowned with Success.
At the morning service last Sunday,
Rev. E. j. Guernsey of the NJ. E. church
took for his text Isaiah lvi:7, and said:
The exact date of the Introduction of
Methodist preaching into Middlebury is
not known. The published minutes of
the New York conference mention the
name of the town as the center of a
circuit in 1910 for the first time, but
there was Methodist preaching here
much earlier. An aged member of the
church living here in 1859 stated that she
came here with her husband in 1901, and
found Methodist society.
Rev. Ebenezer Washburn was one of
the early ministers who travelled in
western Vermont and was on the YER
gennes circuit in 1901. In 1912 he pub
lished in the Christian Advocate a series
of letters containing "reminiscences of
his early itinerancy. In those letters the
following paragraph occurs: "At Mid
dlebury | found small and prosecuted
class. Our preaching was at the house
of Lebbeus Harris; our average congre-
cation was from % to 30. Mr. and Mrs.
hoiliS NCiC uSCPiy Plouc anu lcduy W
| greet the preacher and render him
every service possible, to make him
comfortable and happy while he re-
NAMED" Lebbeus Harris and his wife
mentioned above were converted in the
spring of 1901. A record of their con-
version was made by MIR. Harris and pre-
served in his pocket Bible, afterward in
the possession of his son, DR.. Harris. 1t
is as follows: "Middlebury, April 81,
1901. This day Sally Harris made
profession of religion. Middlebury,
May IS, 1901. This day Lebbeus Harris
made profession of religion. Old
things are passed away and all things
have become new"
Taking into account the above dates
and facts 1t would be safe to believe that
Methodist preaching was had here from
the organization of the circuit in 1898;
but it is, however, entirely safe to
declare, with the few already here who
had been converted, early In the summer
of 1901, after the conversion of Mr.. and
Mrs. Harris, a society was formally
organized. Probably IN the year of their
early Christian life, Mr.. and Mrs Harris,
INSPIRED by their new and happy ex-
perience, gathered the scattered men,
bers together into Methodist Episcopal
society.
AT the beginning of 1906, the preach
ng place was an upper room in the
block at the north end of the bridge,
quilt by David Dickinson in 1901, owned
by o. Seymour in 1860, and H. l..
Sheldon in 1880, and afterward DESTROYED
I'll
}attell Block.
In the spring of 1913 Samuel Howe
vas stationed in Middlebury. 1t was
Turing this year that the first chapel was
rected. 1t was humble structure,
ocated on Seymour street, near the
louse of MIR. and Mrs. Noonan, yet it
vas doubtless much better than either
he room in the private house of Mr..
Iarrs or the upper room" mentioned.
BESIDES it was their own and erected
pecfically for the worship of God.
'hese were times of bitter prosecutions.
he rough element of the community de-
GIFTED in disturbing the meetings and
haltreating the ministers.
Samuel Howe was again pastor in 1916.
his was year of trial, and many were
istressed for food. 1t was called the
cold season." At the end of the con-
Prence year the following entry in the
ook of record appears, viz, paid the
E., Rev. II. Stead, S23. Paid the
hstor, S. Howe, $3.50. Cheap enough
pr the pure gospel; we hope to do
etter next year"
The New York conference held its
ession here In June, 1917. At that time
be whole number of preachers In the
difference was 81. Since that time the
difference has been divided, so that we
ave today covering the same territory
he New York, the New York east, and
roy conferences, numbering about 500
reachers. Bishop George was the pre-
ding officer. In 1917 the church here
as favored with the ministrations of
ev. Buell. Goodsell, the father of
ishop Goodsell.
In 1921 under the ministry of Rev.
benezer Brown, man of rare gift and
lent, the chapel proved too small and
e house was enlarged. Still, a portion
the "old fashioned Methodists'' were
BIT pleased with the preacher, He was
BIT loud enough for them, though suffi-
emily so to be heard with the greatest
stinctness and ease in all parts of the
buse. Besides he had fashion of
ing his white cravat in a double bow,
id moreover his hair stood up in front,
stead of lying down smoothly on his
rehead. He was faithfully labored
tn by some of the devoted for these
stakes and glazing faults. Notwth-
Rnding, the work of the Lord went
BADLY forward.
The church during these years was
Fored with some of the "stalwarts" as
stors. For example, Noah Levings,
I'm j. Matthias, Robert Seeney, John
Stratton, Charles p. Clark, Merritt
ties, and host of others. In 1886
seph Ayers became the pastor, and
ain in 1911 there was a great revival
ring his last term. Religion was the
of a.