Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-07-20

Tho the fral tablets broken line
The honored tenants name denies,
They know that here, embalmed by time,
The earliest village pastor lies.
For they have heard their fathers tell
What their forefathers told to them.
And fond tradition knows full well
The story of the best of men.
That what was good, or kind, or true,
OF morals pure, or faith unfeigned
Which his adopted village knew
His precepts taught, his life explained.
DIR. Wells's family lot is in the north
| end Of the Prospect Hill cemetery.
| Jonathan MCGEE was settled over
/ the church in January, 1919 the first man
/ ordained within the township. Mr.. MCGEE
| served the church 10 years. with marked
| efficiency, and himself greatly respected.
/ The years during his ministry show
! larger accessions to the church than any
similar period There were marked re-
vivals &C coming into the church at one
time in 1881 and a large number on other
occasions Need of a chapel for midweek
/ services developed, and of n building To-
| Gated more conveniently than the church.
! The chapel on Elliot street, now occupied
by ST. Germaine's bakery. was built, and
dedicated in December 1888. The large
revival of Mr. McGee's pastorate grew
out of deep interest developed In a mid
week meeting in 1881, when Joseph Steen
! rose TO express ms LONGING TO See II re-
| vival. saying that If he had offended any
one, or stood in the way Of any he then
| and there begged forgiveness Mrs. John
HolbrooiS then 60 years old and as highly
esteemed for pety and loveliness as any
body in the village, rose to make a sim
liar remark and ended IL 1t with n fer
vent Amen" The incident shows the
deep religious feeling of the men and
women of the church in that day. 1t
moved the community, and their example
should stir us.
There were many fine men and women
in the church in these early days. One
naturally puts first Deacon John Hol-
brook father of Governor Holbrook. His
figure bulks large in the early history of
Brattleboro. He carried on an extensive
West Indies trade, bringing his goods all
the way by water. He inaugurated
freighting up the river from Hartford by
fiat boats to the dock near where the
Whetstone brook enters the Connecticut.
His store was the building made over into
the American House. From 1915 he car
ried on a printing establishment. chiefly
for the publishing of family Bibles, which
was for years the chief industry Of the
village. Whatever he set his hand to went
forward.
He set his hand to the affairs of the
| church with a will He was the first
deacon. and to 1898, the year Of his death,
the only deacon of the church The
! early records OF the eccleSlHSltsil sOCitNN
are in his hand. The first name on sub
scription lists is his. He started the
first invested fund of the ecclesiastical
society. and his wife gave the parsonage
lot. Both gave of themselves as freely
as of their means. AS one goes over the
records he finds that Deacon HolbrooR
led off every undertaking. Just before
his death he asked that two additional
, deacons be appointed as he was not
longer equal to carrying the burden he
had borne long and lovingly His request
was acceeded to, but when he died II
was a year before the people took hear
to try to choose any one to take his place
l have spoken of the fervid piety of his
wife His was as simple When, on hi:
=, death bed, a friend tried to comfort hin
! by reciting the things he had done which
ought to bring satisfaction, he quickl!
replied that his trust was in Christ. Of
he should have no hope.
= There is one incidental thing in hi
= ! life which should not depend for preser
walton on the memory OF his son. WHIT
loves to tell IL. A minister who wal
being entertained at his home. as mos
: ministers were, made a statement in thu
! course of a conversation while he and tn
: deacon We're waiting dinner, that the chill
q dren of unbelievers went to hell Gov
ernor Holbrook, who was then a littl
T. boy, remembers the anger with whicl
i his father rose and said: Get out O
{ my house. I will not entertain maj
> that believes such doctrine" Whe
:, Mrs Holbrook came in to announce din
u ner she asked for the minister, and Of
l. learning the situat ton said Mr.. Hol
brook, / am afraid you have failed t
! show hospitality to the stranger" TIL
d Deacon was determined and answered
; Il don't care. l won't entertain a ma
II who holds such a belief"
l. Deacon Holbrook was the leader 4
:, church affairs. but strong men stood abou
III 1T Ifavfa,
= The leading business men of the villag
u represented the church at councils an
! conferences. They made religious in
u terests part of their work. One is i'm
l. pressed by the dispatch with which churc
e business was carried through. The churc
!, was built quickly after IL was decided I
II have regular services in the village Their
y was no gap between pastorates. d.
y Wells left for England in April, 1918, an
;. Mr.. MCGEE began work in June. Nj
y MCGEE was dismissed Sept. 10, 1884 an
Is the next Sunday the pulpit was supple
by the man who succeeded him. Nj
IS Clapp's letter of resignation, which wa
II anticipated because of his i'll health,
dated Boston, Sept. 1, 1853 On Sep
y the clerk of the ecclesiastical societ
"a gave warning of a meeting to act upo
II the resignation and consider the questio
le of the future supply of the pulpit. Tha
IL meeting occurred the Sth. The resigna
,; ton was accepted and committee az
~ pointed to solicit subscriptions for til
81 settlement of George p. Tyler as pasJo
~ This committee reported to a meetiu
~ held the 18th, at which the call was vote
10 and the council that dismissed Mr. ClaI
le installed his successor.
H. The ladies' organization in our churc
Is has always been felt through all its lif
nt The first one was organized in 1871
"a Particular mention must be made of IL
90 ladies' benevolent society of the ear
is days. The ladies met Wednesday aftel
ne Moons, at the homes of different member
Sc There was a meeting for prayer followC
~ by any business that concerned need
OF the community, or any enterprise of Il
m church which the ladies had taken upC
at themselves. Tea was then served and Il
IN afternoon ended with a friendly hou
ne These meetings were evidently n founta
head from which the religious life of Il
OF church was constantly refreshened al
ne quickened. They gave a dignity az
Sc delghtfulness to the social life in Il
or church. One who moved from Brattl
e. boro to Boston, and subsequently travel'
re widely, said that he had never met a boo
od of women the equals Of those in the o
ladies' benevolent society of this churc
as This was the only church in the villal
as until 1881, when the Unitarian chur'
I'D was organized and ten members withdre
OF from our church to unite with 1t. SO lol
wv as DR.. Wells lived, the people were he
g together. He was large enough to salts
G. ~