The Press., 1904-04-07


their proportions at foresaid by giving
three weeks notice to the other de-
nominations. We therefore promise
to pay the several sums annexed to
our names to Calvin Edison Esq
Samuel Alden John Brady William
Rice and Samuel Strong and said sum
to be applied for the purpose aforesaid
and it shall be the duty of the afore-
said persons or either of them upon
application of the subscribers to this
paper to warn a meeting of all the
subscribers by legal notice in writing
put on the Public Sign post in the
first society in said town for the pur-
pose of choosing a committee and
other officers necessary to direct the
appropriation of the money that shall
be subscribed for the purpose afore-
said % July 1914, it is understood
that if any denomination should
neglect to occupy said house their
proportion that the other denomi-
nation may improve the same --
The above and foregoing is true
and attested copy of the original sub
scription paper certified and signed by
CLERK
The whole expense of building said
meeting house as per bills examined
by the committee amounts to 1886. rs
This was at first union church
under the control of the Universalists
and Baptists, but soon came into pos
session of the society. How much
earlier than this there was a society
is not known. Many prominent
preachers preached in that old church,
which stood near where the residence
of Mrs. Adams now stands. The So
ciety reorganized Dec. 81, 1874, with
the constitution under which it now
works, and arrangements we're made
to build new church at the Hollow.
This building was dedicated Oct. 80,
1916, Rev. Hosea Ballou preaching
the dedication sermon At this time
Rev. Ira Washburn was installed as
pastor. The Stafford Ladies' Bene-
VIOLENT society was organized July 25,
1874. In 1851 the name of this society
was changed to the Social circle. It
still holds weekly meetings in hall
known as Ladies' hall. In 1847, Oct.
II, the church as distinguished from
the society was organized by Rev. D.
P. Livermore, and since that time the
ordinances have been regularly OBJ
served. The Ladies' Benevolent So
ciety has always been very active in
all good works, and had for it's secre-
tary the famous Mrs. Livermore. She
was sought by old and young for
counsel and help, tho a woman of
twenty five. The parsonage came into
possession of the society in 1862
Messrs. M. B. Harvey, Elijah Fair
man and E. A. Converse, who each
owned one-fourth of it, gave their
shares to the society. In 1891 Lorin
Bugbee left, by will, to the society
three hundred dollars as a basis for a
permanent fund. On Easter Sunday,
April II, 1892, an offering of $40, 600
was made to this fund. Mr.. and Mrs
E. G. Pinney gave five thousand in
memory of Moses B. Harvey, and
Mrs. Charles and Miss Celia Holt gave
Eve thousand in memory of Charles
Holt.
The Baptist church was organized
in 1909. A preliminary meeting was
held April goth of this year at the
house of Samuel Bloss at Stafford
Springs. The house yet stands, and
is known as the "Bloss house. - At
this meeting Jacob Leonard, the father
Of the late Deacon Leonard, was
moderator, and Samuel Bloss, Jr.,
was clerk. All necessary action was
taken for convening a council, which
met the 18th of June following, at
the house of Jacob Leonard. At this
meeting, in accordance with the
usages of the Baptist denomination, a
Baptist church was recognized, con-
sisting of eighteen members. Shortly
after this Samuel Bloss, Jr, was ap-
pointed to preach regularly to the
church, and the next year he was or
dained as pastor, which Office he held
for three years. For three years, be-
ginning with 1916, there was very
large ingathering, called the "great
reformation. Until 1884 the church
had no stated place of meeting, but
the members met frequently, both for
business and worship, in the house of
Samuel Bloss at Stafford Springs, also
at Jacob Leonard's, at the school
house at the Village, at Stafford Hol-
low, in the hall of the public house
at Stafford Street, and for one year,
at least, once in every four weeks, in
the them new meeting house at
Stafford Street. The present church
was probably built in 1884, and there
fore is the Oldest church building in
the town. After being in use for
twenty years, it was in 1866 thorough
ly repaired and remodeled, and an ad-
dition, for evening and other purposes,
was built on in 1890.
The date of the origin of Methodism
in Stafford cannot be found. In 1890
the Hartford circuit was. formed, in
GLIDING Tolland and Wilbraham.
Natanile B. Mills was preacher. In
that year he preached at Square Pond
In 1899 Hope Hall was known to have
preached at least once in the Congre-
gational church at West Stafford Hill.
When the Methodists first started in