Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-07-14
L SKETCH OF THE BAPTIST
CHURCH OF LANCASTER
FROM 1914.
BY Mrs. Phebe Chatfield.

church. DR.. cambridge was appoint
ed moderator and j. Miles clerk, and
the following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That we form our
selves into Baptist church, to
be known as regular Baptist
church of Lancaster"
Resolution carried unanimously
and was signed by the following
members: Geo. McFarlin and wife,
Rev. Jesse Miles, wife, his four sons
and their wives, VIM. n. Reed and
wife, and others.
A meeting had previously been
held, Nov. 16, at which the members
had met with the citizens who wished
to work with this little body in build
ing house of worship in Lancaster.
The first trustees chosen were Rev.
Jesse Miles, Evan Miles and VIM. n.
Reed. The first church clerk was VIM.
N. Reed. The first deacon was Geo.
Mcfarland.
In August, 1845, a committee was
appointed to purchase lots and 5
in block No. %, of Nelson Dewey, he
having moved to Lancaster from
Cassville in 1888. He was register of
deeds and county clerk from 1888 to
I1842.
Up to February, 1916, Rev. Jesse
Miles had served the little body as
pastor. Then a call was given to Rev.
N. E. Chaplin to serve for one year.
He accepted and began his labors in
June, 1916.
The Baptist organization being at
that time the strongest in the village,
the citizens offered to help the Bap-
lists build a church, thinking it now
necessary for Lancaster to have
house of worship.
By the beginning of 1847 100000
had been subscribed, and building
committee formed of the following
persons: Nelson Dewey, Alfred
Miles, J. G. Cover, Horace Liscum
and James M. Otis, the same being
also elected church trustees.
In July, there being money avail
able to the amount of $1,015.00, the
contract of building the foundation
was let to Jacob Cow for $18S.0O.
That work was finished in the spring
of 1848. Then contract to build
brick church was let to James NJ.
| Otis for the sum of $1,000, the
building to be finished by November
of the same year. This, however, was
not done, and it was several years
before it was ready for occupancy. In
the meantime public services were
held in the court house or a school
house in the north part of town.
At regular meeting of the church
May 10th, 1S4S, Alfred Miles report
ed that Nelson Dewey had made out
deed of lots and 5, block %, and
given them to the Baptist Church
Society on condition that they be al
| ways used for Baptist church pur-
= kIak \ \
his resignation as trustee and mem
Der of the building committee. May
Is, 184S, Mr.. Dewey was elected first
and on Jan. 1, 1850 he took the oath
of Office for a second term.
Rev. n. E. Chaplin resigned in 1851
and Rev. Matlock was called. He re-
NAMED until 1853.
The church building, being ready
for occupancy, was dedicated to the
Lord on July 4th, 1852, this being
quite an event in the village.
Upon Mr.. Matlock's resignation a
call was extended to Rev. E. M. Lew
is, who remained until 1856. The
| church was then without a pastor
until 1858, when Rev. E. B. Hatch
came for a short time, and Rev. A.
! A. Drown for a short time in 1853.
In 1852 Rev. d. Matlock returned
and stayed two years, when the
church was again left pastorless.
VIM. Roberts and wife united with
the church by letter in 1849. He was
later on appointed deacon, which
place he filled the remainder of his
life.
In 1869 Rev. Wade had charge of
the church, and in 1870 Elder Phil
lips was pastor and did a glorious
work. Rev. Prouty preached in 1875,
Rev. j. r. Wolf in 1887, Rev. Mac
Intosh in 1889, Rev. Lapp in 1928,
Rev. Atteberry in 1894. The Rev.
G.. ID. Stephens served as pastor in
1885 and 1886 very successfully. And
during some of these years we were
served by Rev. G.. w. Lincoln. Dur
ing 1898 we had Rev. G.. D. Mayhem
for nine months, and as supply, Rev.
Coburn and Rev. Clapp.
In the month of July, 1S48, during
a heavy thunder storm, a shaft of
lightning struck the spire Of the
church and the steeple was badly
shattered, and many panes of glass
were broken.
I can find no record of the pur-
chase of the church bell, but know
Il
lage. 1t was in use before August S,
1856, for at church meeting
held on that date a resolution
was passed that the church bell be
rung one hour before preaching time
and again Is minutes before and
then tolled until services began.
| In 1858 repairs were made On the
church which placed it in good order.
Along in those years on account of
emigration and death, there was
scarcely an organized body of men,
bers existing. But the dear old
church stood quiet and alone, gazing
out upon the west, a memorial of the
early days of Lancaster.
In the latter days of Gov. Dewey's
life, after he had grown old and
gray, he said to one of the Baptist
members that he and Lawyer Barber
spent a good deal of time writing and
fixing a deed to those lots in such a
way that the church could not be