The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-12-17
HISTORY OF METHO-
DIST CHURCH
Has For a Long Time
Been III Existence

what is now Skowhegan, back in the
old days when Jesse Lee, that bril-
liant evangelist and intrepid religion
list, a Virginian by birth, t%raversed
this section of Maine. This was in
1894, Lee having been appointed at
the session of the New England Con-
ference in Lynn, Mass, August /,
1893, to have in charge the circuit
embracing the Province of Maine"
and Lynn. A few weeks after the ad-
journment of the Conference, Lee set
out from Lynn, for his new field of
labor. 1t seems according to the
record of his journeyings that he did
not visit this vicinity during this first
trip, but according to his journal
which gives but an imperfect sketch of
his travels, it would appear that he
passed through this section during the
month of March in 1894. Notice is
made of his being in Norridgewock,
March Il, at Canaan on the 18th, at
Clinton on the 18th and at Fairfield
( on the 18th. From this it is to be
gathered hat Mr.. Lee, probably
preached within the limits of the pre-
sent SkoWhegan, as Canaan then in
cluded both Bloomfield and Milburn,
subsequently Skowhegan within its
borders. This noted religionist met
nth v,.,ah r,,oannn IL, hfa l5Fo ryArlr
and continued in his active labors
until 1916, when his death occurred
on the 18th day of September. He
held many important positions and
among these served as chaplain in the
House of Representatives in Washing
ton during the years of 1872, 1913, and
1914. In 1914 he was also chaplain
of the Senate. Mr.. Lees remains
we're inferred in the old Methodist
Burial Ground at Baltimore, Md.
From 1900 to 1927, the preachers
who were stationed upon Norridge-
wock circuit would visit this place and
preach to the people. Old Father
Wells, presiding elder in 1~824-26, it is
recorded. is known to have been
among those who visited the town.
No definite accounts of Methodist
preaching have been obtained how
ever until those of 1927, when Rev.
Ezekiel Robinson, then laboring on the
Fairfield Circuit, visited Skowhegan
n preached several times. a class
was subsequently formed, consisting
of Joseph Patten and wife, Chandler
Dyer. J. Atwood and wife, w. B. Nor
rill and Sally Flye. 1t is thought
that these meetings were held in the
houses of those interested, while for
over fifty years, Mr.. or Uncle Patten
as he was a~ffectionately called, held
the class meetings in the big kitchen
of his home. This house is still
standing, near the river bank. at the
foot of Patten Court, which takes it's
name from the Joseph Patten just re
ferred to. 1t is o owned by Ed
ward n. Merrill. Uncle Patten and
his wife seem to have been among the
most Jealous workers in the cause and
Mr. Patten was considered the leader
of the class This worthy gentleman
has been dead for more than fifty
years and of his children of whom
there were five, none survive. Milton,
the eldest, died in Illinois; Sumner A,
a physician, died in this place in 1902;
a daughter, Carolyn, who became the
wife of a Methodist preacher, Rev.
Mark Hopkins also died here. An
other son, Joseph, who was for a time
proprietor and editor of the Somerset
Farmer and the Somerset Telegraph
predecessors of the Independent-Re-
ported) died in Brooklyn. N. Y, and
his widow still lives there. William
B. Morrill,, was at one time one of the
large property owners of the town and
his home, while a part of the time in
the vicinity of what is now Railroad
Square and Water Street, was also
upon the present farm of Charles
Smith on the Norridgewock road. Mr..
MorriIl's daughter Hattie E. married
Mr.. Smith and is 10Y deceased, while
a son Will Morrill,, died about Is
years ago in Boston. Chandler Dyer
was a brother of the late General
Isaac Dyer and was never married.
He was born in Arlington, Mass, Sept.
80, 1912 and died in Skowhegan, Feb
ruary II, 1881. His remains were
buried in the North Cemetery.
The church itself appears to have
been organized with four members by
Rev. Ezekiel Robinson, but the first
pastor seems to have been Rev. Ben
jamin Jones. Mr.. Jones entered the
ministry in 1909 and died July 1S, 1850
aged "a years, his death occurring in
~Lincolnville. The first members it ap-
pears were all men and it is quite like
ly that the four gentlemen previously
named as forming the class were
those religious pioneers.
At the conference of 1928, Skowhe-i
gan was connected with the Norridge-
wock circuit and Rev. Henry True
was appointed the preacher in charge.