Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-10-29
A Hundred Years in Gods Service
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF SOUTH
PARIS OBSERVES ITS CENTENNIAL.
Address Rev. Mr. BY Mrs. Moon
Special Music and Other Interesting Features.

Special Music and Otht
Ih hundredth anniversary was OBJ
served on Sunday by the First Con-
gregational Church Of South Paris, with
appropriate services which extended
through the day, and will be continued on
Monday. Such an event 10 of importance
In the life OF any organization, and the
attendance at all services thus far held
has testified to the great interest felt In
this occasion.
The special historical features were
given at the evening service on Sunday,
the principal one being the historical
address BY Rev. Charles D. Crane Of
Saylesville, K. l., q former pastor of the
church. OF 90 much interest Is this ad.
dress that the larger part of 1t, COM
prising all the historical portion, 10 here
given.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY NIB. CRANE.
It would have been altogether fitting,
had God 30 willed 1t, that Rev. DR..
Bolster should have stood here where !
stand tonight, and reviewed the sacred
past. South Paris was his birthplace,
and bis home for many years. He was
familiar with this church and town, and
the name of Bolster is name that from
the very beginning often appears In the
history We are to narrate.
DR.. Bolster was your first choice for
this place of honor, and 1t was . wise
choice. But the dusty seal Of death has
been set upon bis eloquent lips. God
had other work for him to do, and the
call came.
Ny own recollections of DR.. Bolster
are altogether delightful. He spent his
vacations here during my pastorate, and
I remember we'll how uniformly kind
and brotherly he was.
While was pastor at South Paris l
prepared with considerable care history
OF the church and parish. There were
q number of men and women with Us at
that time who were we'll along In years,
and thought 1t important to put In
writing some of the interesting things
they could remember before they were
taken sway by death. felt sure that
the time would come when such record
would be of value, and was not mis-
taken. This, 1 take It, is the reason why
you sent for me to fill the vacancy, tina:
1 prepared this history and when I went
away left 1t with my dear friends, Dea-
con and Mrs. q. N. Bolster.
South Paris will always be dear to me.
It was here that my married life began,
and the first home Of my own that ever
had was In the house across the street
from the church, at that time owned BY
Alvah Hersey, and occupied 10 part by
him. It was in that house that our hrst
child was born.
Suppose that we take . look at the
village of South Paris as 1t was ss late as
In 1886. Where the church IL now was
then the garden of AbIjah Hall who
lived In q house adjoining where the
church is; the house owned by Mrs.
Haskell when I was here. That house
was smaller then. Major bennett lived
where Mr.. Stowe lived when l was here.
The old "Field House." as 1t was called,
stood opposite where We now are. The
house 30 long owned and occupied by
Mrs. Hewett was standing, but 1t had .
fiat roof. The brick store that was torn
down to make room for the Odd Fellows
block had been built about two years.
There we're two stores on the other side
OF the bridge, and two ssw-mills, one at
either end Of the bridge. There was .
blacksmith's shop, Q cooper shop, the
public house and the post office; and
that was about all there was OF the busi
ness part OF South Paris In 1885. A
stage ran through the place three times
q week from Portland to Paris Hill with
the mail. The village school was down
| on the other side OF the bridge where
the old brick store used to stand. With
the advent OF the railroad In 1849 there
was q change and the village grew
rapidly.
We will now 20 back for moment or
two to time when there was no Con-
gregational church or parish at South
Paris. Then everybody went to the
Baptist meeting on Paris Hill whore
Parson Hooper preached. he was a
very good man, and as peculiar as be was
good.
He came to Paris In 1794 and was
ordained In 1895 In an old barn. He re-
NAMED at Paris Hill during long pas
torate of forty years. he never bad q
college training; didn't expect to live
long enough to 20 through college; but
he bad unusual natural ability; and he
had what few ministers bad In that day,
and what some ministers sadly lack In
our day-good terminal facilities. He
could say what he had to say in very
few words. His sermons were not more
than fifteen or twenty minutes long. OF
course he built the Baptist fence high
and strong.
Twas told by one who very often at
tended his meetings that II In haying
time be heard It thunder on Sunday dur
ling service he would abruptly close by
saving: "The indications are that We
are going to have shower and II any OF
you have hay out you had better 60
home and get It In"
Parson Hooper was very blunt man.
At an evening meeting appointed by him
at the house of Ezra Carey who was
a Congregationalist, but who's SOD,
Shepard, was q member of the Baptist
church on the Hill, Mr.. Hillisrd, mis-
siouary OF the Congregational Society,
was present. Mr.. Hooper observed him
and said: "Preach for me tonight, Mr..
billiard; my wife says she likes to 60
visiting sometimes even II she don't get
| Any O6tI6I NiCtuois tusu uot oWo'
The meeting on the Hill was at this
time the only ono within . radius OF
several miles. To this meeting all the
people went on horseback or on foot;
there were no wagons. Deacon Giles
Shurtleff, for many years member Of
this church, told mo that the first wagon
brought into this neighborhood was
owned BY Abijsh Hall. his wife's
father, whose nsme Was Matthews, came
down from Massachusetts, and brought
wagon and clock. Deacon Shurtleh,
then boy, went to see tho clock, the
first one be ever ssw. When he heard 1t
strike, it filled him with solemn swe.
When was at South Paris that clock
was In the house Of Mrs. Charlotte
Bolster, mother of Deacon II. N. Bolster.
The wagon was lumber wagon, but II
Was wonder, for wheels we're scarce 10
those days. Mrs. Charlotte Bolster told
me that she preferred to 80 to church on
horseback except when she had to carry
the baby In her lap and her grandmother
on behind, which made It . little too
Gro wded for comfort.
The first movement towards the for
nation OF Congregational church WAS
the holding of "family meetings," or
f.reading meetings" a. they were also
i - tha NNn-