Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-22

visits is not known. As early as 1879 Matta- tuck, one of two newly begun settlements W4tn1h the colony, seeking minister. It IS Dene' el that John Erayser the people Of Waterbury tor Il part if the whole of the perlod rom Ioo4 1U lOSY. The history of the town and Ot the flfSt church blended, as it were, from the settlement of inc local colony to 173S. The Jeremiah Peck at the solicitation of the people or lnls SeI- 1leuleut came to Waterbury in 16o9 to undeftake the organization of church ill territory put III teen years of the wilderness state. Ills lapOrs here were very trying and difficult. lie was sue ceeded by the Rev John Read, who later became tue most learned and distinguished lawyer ln New Eng land. He remained here only a short tlme his sue tyessor being the Rev John Southmuyd, who was the ordained pastor of the First church from May 3O, 17O5 to March, 174O and acting pastor for Il years His ministry here so fruitful ot good results, lS closely entwined with the history of the town dur ing the same period. He was succeeded ln l'39 py the Rev Mark Leavenworth. For oS years MT Ieavenworth remained pastor of the church. He died August 26 1797, the last prominent public act of his life having been performed in 1790 when at the age 84 he laid the corner stone of new meet ing house for his people, the third erected by the ou society.
 The first meeting house begun in 1892, finished in 17O2 stood the center of the present green The second meeting house, begun ill 112I, and hnlsh ed two years later. also stood on the green The second meeting house served people for 68 years The Rev MT SOuthmayd was the only minister or the first church edifce, while the only pastors who ofticiated i'll the second were the Rev MT Southnayd and the Rev MT Leavenworth
 On January 2, 1705, it voted to build new meeting house the site of the old church. The new edifice probably dedicated May 3, 1197 In 1795 Edward Porter was appointed colleague pas tor with Mark Leavenworth. 4 catalogue of "church members in the record book Of the cove nant shows that the membership of the church num- bered at that time 93, 37 men, 06 women.
 For number of years after the revolution the First church suffered somewhat from religious de- clension. MT Porter remained pastor for only a short time, beginning January 1S 179S. David Smith administered to the needs of the church for few months and succeeded in April 179o, by John Clark followed by Holland Weeks, David Smith, Salmon King and William r. Ripley. Mir Weeks, who ordained pastor November 20, 179e remained years. The church experienc- ed many hardshps and prfvatons about this period but galIantly strove above thcm After Mir Weeks ss departure the pastOrate remained vacant from De cember, 1SO6 to November. 1908. The next pastor was the Rev Luke Wood, appointed August 9. 1908. He was dismissed November 19, 1927 For the three succeeding years the church without a pastor the pulpit being occupied during that time by Il number of different ministers The Rev Dan el Crane installed pastor on July 3, 1921. He also dismissed April 25, 1925. For six years more the church remained without pastor. Tn 1880