The Republican journal., 1906-09-27
A RELIGIOUS LANDMARK.
The Old Free Baptist Church in Thorndike.

Standing on one or the nlSHtSl llllo
of Thorndike, Maine, commanding
panoramic view Of the surrounding
country, is the old Center Free WIN
Baptist Church, which was erected IN
1889. The society was organized IN
1903 with Joseph Higgins as pastor,
who for fifty years labored six days OF
eyery week on his farm and preached
two sermons every Sunday during that
time, reluctantly surrenderlng the &C
tive pastorate at the age OF n years.
On neighboring farm, which he Gull
tivates with the apparent vlgor and en-
durance of a half century ago, resides
Deacon Joseph Higgins, Jr, the Oldest
man in the township, who for the past
forty years has continuously ofhclated
as superintendent of the Sunday school.
Regular church services have, at com
paratively recent date, been suspended
for lack of support, the Sunday school,
however, has been kept alive by Its ven
cradle superintendent. \ faithful shep-
herd, he is loyalty standing guard over
his young flock.
Could its ancient walls speak, what
an interesting story the church could
relate of the men and women VINO nave
passed its portals, Worshipped at its al
Tar and been baptized in its faith.
The families of Higgins, Coffin, Files,
Gordon, Hunt and Morton, large IN
numbers and radical in zeal tor the
church, with other individual family
groups, have nearly ali passed the othef
side or removed, leaving only one OF the
'old guard" there, in the person OF Dea-
con Joseph Higgins son OF Elder JOS
eph who has been identified with the
fortunes of this organization from BOY
hood and now. when nearing hlS S1th
birthday is in perfect health ana Vlgof
and can offer that most rare experience
of an individual who has never known
illness enough to require the prescrlp-
ton of a physician or a cup OF calhlp
tea from his mother.
The church was not painted 10. Sixty
wears after its erection, as IN those ear
" DAYS while labor and lumber were
cheap. paint was luxury which those
old Puritans could not countenance
when making all sacrifices to find food,
raiment, shelter and place to hear the
gospel.
In 1892 the church was generally re-
paired and improved, somewhat mod
ernized inside, the innovation of car
pet permitted and the building rededl-
Gated. The old church was for term
of wears, the mecca" of members OF
the Free Will Baptist denomination OF
Waldo and Southern Penobscot coun-
ties. Its frequent quarterly meetings
were events never to be forgotten by
the Younger generation, when permit
ted by their parents to bundle into the
rear of the family wagon and with their
feet dangling over the end ride to the
place which in their youthful minds
took rank with July 4th and other pub
lie occasions.
The surrounding country tor miles
sent large delegations, for some OF the
towns. notably Monroe and Montyllle,
contained several live Free Will Bap-
list churches where now one is scarcely
maintained Jackson sent Deacon JOS
eph Rich, his brothers John, Ihorndlke
and Levi. and a host of the younger
members of the Rich tribe, Deacon
Fletcher. Deacon York and Reuben and
Isaac Deering David Bracket, ST.;
from Brooks came Samuel Rich, Almon
Forbes and Rev. Alvin Narney: from
Monroe the Mansurs, Clements. Boyds,
ForQs and PatteeS; from Unity the
Chases, Bartletts and Foggs; from
Moutville the Trues, knoWltons, Pres
colts. Carriers aud RandallS, the above
comprising a few recalled to memory OF
the muItitudes that coDgregated at that
roomv tabernacle for the closing sun
day OF the quarterly meeting which
ended tie conv0cation of a week.
The religious enthusiasm of the great
majority was most intense and beautl-
ful to witness, greatly impreSSlng old
and Young who We're not i'll the fold and
usually resulted in a revival spirit that
added new members to the church.
The earnest and devout eloquence of
Ebenezer knoWlton, Orren b. Cheney,
Jason Mariner, Tisdale ID. Clements,
AZtl Lovejoy and others of equal ell
thusiasm, stirred the blood; not forget
ting that rough diamond and forcibe
old man eloquent, Elder Samuel Whit
ney, who i'll his younger days helped
organize this church and was the
preacher politician of Waldo county
As delegate to the convention from
Brooks in 1919 he helped construct the
constitution Of the new State of Maine,
was the first and for several terms
representative from Brooks, senator
from Hancock county, member OF
Governors council, and twenty years
later a noted advocate for the New
Liberty party for free soil, free speech
and free men.
At these religious conventions every
home was open to the crowds in atten-
dance, the women occupying the BEDS
and III many cases exceeding the ordl-
nary limit of two persons, While the
men slept on the floor. The sermons,
with occasional exceptions, were short
but charged to the muZzle with gospel
truth, fired burning from the lips into
the ears of devout hearers packed into
every space of the big auditorium:
while the singing from the congrega-
ton, when breaking INTO a great vol
ume of voice, of the old fashioned
hymns SO full of genuine melody,
warmed all hearts and touched every
fibre.
The writer last had the pleasure of
witnessing one of those famous quar-
terly meetings at the old church in the
fall of 1860, but memory calls to mind
a long procession Of those devout John
the BaptiSts," who lifted their voices
in that old house of worship to call to
repentance the multitudes who gather
ed there Among those other than pre-
viously mentioned were Elders Nathan
j. Robinson, Colamore, Purinton, Jas.
Small, W. II. Littletield, Hugh q. Car
ley, j. \. Rines, William Penn Mer-
rlI, Dexter Waterman. Elders Couli-
ard, Lambert, Rigby, Ford, HalloWell,
Noyes, Pratt, Coombs, Whitcomb,
Norton, Hutchinson, Savage, Hodsdon,
Strout, Sawyer, Washburn, Fletcher,