The Newtown bee., 1908-09-18
The NewtoWn Bee.
 Newtown. Friday. September IS, 1908,
Woodbury.
A REMARKABLE MINISTRY.

A remarkable, fruitful and blessed
 ministry is coming to a close in the voluntary retirement of Rev J. L. R.
 Wyckoif from the pastorate of the
 North Congregational church, after 3s
 years of honored service. Few men
 have been permitted to accomplish for a church and town what Rev Mr Wyck- off has done for Woodbury, and to day
 we are glad to note the great majority
 of it's citizens give him full credit he deserves as a leader in public and civic
 matters.
 Rev MT Wyckoff was called to the
 Dastorate of the North Congregational
 church in July. 1870. His coming to
 this church seemed Providentlal. The
 church had been rent into factions un-
 der Rev MT Churchill. Spencer Bronson,
 a man who lived in Wellesville, O.,
 came to Hotchkissville and bought out
 the store of Reuben Allen. He knew
 Rev MT Wyckoff and laid his name be-
 fore the committee of the North
 church. Ninety candidates had been
 heard by the North church, and they
 were hopelessly divided. MT WycKoff came to Woodbury, to visit MT Allen,
 having no intention of preaching. But unbeknown to MT Wyckoff MT Bronson
 had written to MT Wyckoff's wife to send along two of his sermons, and they came on Saturday night and were laid in MT Wyckoff's hands. He ac- cordingly supplied the pulpit and as a result a paper was drawn up and signed by every person in the church request ing him to accept the call of the church and parish which was extended to him. At their urgent request he came one more Sunday and finally accepted their call.
 MT Wyckoff comes of ministerial stock. His grandfather. Rev Joseph Campbell, D. D.. was 40 years pastor of the.Presbyterian church atN Hack ettstown. N. d., and a director of the Princeton Theological Seminary and
 trustee of Princeton college. His father, Rev James Wyckoff, was pastor of the Presbyterian church, Dover, N. Y. His brother, Rev Joseph c. Wyck- off, was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and his life was spent as prin- cipal and proprietor of the Collegiate School for boys. Mir Wyckoff's son was ordained as a Congregational min- ister. At present he is associate pas tor in the United Church, New Haven. Rev James L. R. Wyckoff was or dained as sPresbyterian minister at Wellsyille, O., was pastor of the Pres byterian church, Wellsville, O., for two years and called to the North Con- gregational church, Woodbury, July 1870. s."4....
 Great and enduring as has been his work in the ministry, as a leader in the civic life of Woodbury,it is not over stating the truth to say that no man who has lived in the town in the last 50 years has had a more potent and uplifting influence.
 An indefatigable worker he soon be- gan to beautify the grounds about the North church and parsonage. The in- fuence of this work spread through out the town, till to-day Woodbury is the best kept town in the state as to lawns and surroundings. He early be- gan campaign for the removal of the ob"oxious fenc es, writing numerous articles for the local paper. For this he was often soundIy abused, but to- day even conservative men have to ac- knowledge that he looked to the fu- ture. MT Wyckoff naturally took deep and abiding interest in the public schools and served for 25 years on the school board. To Rev MT Wyckoff and James Huntington are due more than any other persons the splendid school system the town now enjoys. When MT Wyckoff advocated the charges 16 years ago he was soundly abused, but to-day all see the benefit of his large ness of vision. It was to MT Wyckoff that the late Charles Wyckof made his offer of fund for a public school. When the project for the Water Co. was started Rev Mir Wyckoff labored with Senator A. w. Mitchell and oth- CTS in pushing the matter forward to success. He personally did what he could to get subscriptions to the stock and pleaded with some wealthy men to subscribe. To-day any one of them would be willing to buy it up at $125 I share. Mir Wyckoff was a pioneer worker for better sidewalks and for years wrote frequent articles to the Reporter favoring them. In the sev- enties the walks were simply paths and in winter the mud and slush was ankle Ipan To dov fna lar ualkc avtond