Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/209

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES 25. 18 0 1, the request w as granted. T he first attendants were Evan Owen. Joseph Stack­ house, .Andrew Shaner, W illiam Rittenhouse, Joseph Pilkington and Joseph Eck. T h e old meetinghouse w as used for a few years and then abandoned. In 1837 or 1840 it was tom down, (he site now being o cc u p i^ by the resi­ dence o f C. C . Evans. F irst M ethodist Church T o a narrative prepared for and published b y Rev. Martin L . Sm yscr. then pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church o f Berw ick, in “ T h e Berwick Methodist," under date o f M arch t8. 1882, the writer o f this sketch is indebted fo r the facts relating to the history of the local church from the beginning to the y e a r 1882. O r i c i n .— .Methodism entered Berwick amid the fervor o f a religious revival in B riar­ creek valley, about four miles distant from B erw ick, where resided Rev. Thom as Bown u n . .nn ordained local preacher of the Meth­ o d ist l-'piscopal Church, a man o f zeal and eloquence, who. with his brother, Rev. Chris­ tian Bowman, sowed pure Methodist seed in all this region o f country. In order that his neighbors might have the regular ministra­ tions of the gospel he fitted up the third story o f his dwelling, a stone house (still standing together with the original stone church near Fow lcrvillc in Briarcreek township), a s a place o f worship, and invited the McthotlLst itiner­ ants to hold scr'iccs therein. H ere in the w a r 1805, under the ministry o f Rev. Jam es Paynter and Rev. Joseph Carson, occurred a revival o f great power and widespread influ­ ence. A s an immediate result o f this re­ ligious awakening a Methodist class w as or­ ganized in Mcnvick, ihcn a small settlement on the frontier o f civilization. T his class con­ sisted of the following members: William Stahl, leader; Ja n e Ilcrin. Rachel T raugh, Hugh Thompson, Nanity Thompson, Robert Brow n. Samuel Slccle, Jam es H erin, William .Sisty, M ary Sisty. Andrew Pettit and Benja­ min Doan. Previous to this, however, occa­ sional visits were n u d e by Revs. William Colvcrt, Jam es Paynter, Xforris Howe and Robert Burch, who, if they attempted to or­ ganize a class, did not receive the encourage­ ment necessary to success. Following the organization o f this class Berwick became a r^fu lar appointment on the W yoming Circuit, which then extended from "n ear Northum­ berland in (he State to T i ( ^ Point in the State o f N ew Y o rk .” T h is circuit w as trav ­

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eled by R evs. Jam es Paynter and Joseph C ar­ son, who made its extensive rounds once in every four weeks. Rev. Anning Owen, a con­ verted blacksmith o f Kingston. Pa., and a zealous evangelist o f W yoming valley, was presiding elder, and w as untiring in lalMr to plant Methodism along the Susquehanna river and its tributaries. N o r t i i u m d e r l a n d C i r c u i t .— In i8o6 B er­ wick w as attached to what w as known as the Northumberland Circuit, with which it stood connected until 18 3 1, and w as served by the following regularly appointed m inisters: 1806, Robert Burch. John Sw artzw eldcr; 1807, Nicholas W illis, Jo el Sm ith; 1808, T h on u s Currcn, John R hodes; 1809, Timothy Lee. Loring G ra n t; 18 10, Abraham Dawson, Isaac P u ffe r; 1 8 1 1, B. G. Paddock, J. H. Baker, R. Lanning; i8 r2. George Thomas. Ebcnezcr D oolittle; 18 13, Joseph Kinkead, I. O iam berlain; 18 14, John Hazzard. Abraham D aw son; 18 15. R. N. E verts, I. C o o k; 18 16 , John Thomas, .Alphcus D av is; 18 17. Benjamin Bidlack, Peter B ak e r; 18 18, Gideon Lanning, Abraham D aw son; 18 19, John Rhodes, Darius W illiam s; 1820, John Rhodes. Israel C ook; 18 2 1. Marmaduke Pearce, J. T hom as; 1822, John Thomas, Mordecai B ariw; 1823, J. R. Shepherd, M. B a r r y; 1824, K. C^dden, F. Macartney, R. B o n d; 1825, Robert Cadden, R. B o n d; 1826, John Thom as, George H ildt; 1827. John Thomas, David Sh .iver; 1828, Charles K afbfus, William Ja m e s; 1829, Jam es W. Donahay, Josiah F o rre st; 1830, Jam es W. Donahay, A. A. Eskridge. B e r w i c k C i r c u i t .—O wing to the enlarge­ ment o f (he work, incident to (he opening up of the country', advancing population, multi­ plied congregations, and increasing demands for ministerial service, in 18 31 Berw ick C ir­ cuit w as funned, embracing twenty-eight preaching places in Columbia and Luzerne counties north of the river and including the following pastoral charges; Bloomsburg, nuckhorn, Jerscytow n, Benton, Orangeville, Espy. Light Street. Mifflinville, Beach Ilavcn , nioomingdalc, Muhlcnbui^ and Berw ick, all within the bounds of the Baltimore C on fer­ ence. T he following pastors served this cir­ cu it: 18 3 1. William Prcttyman, W esley H o w e; 1832, W illiam Prcttyman, O liver F.gc; 1B33. Marmaduke Pcarcc, Alcm B rittain; 'B 34 -3 S* }■ Rhodes, J. H. Y o u n g; 1836. J. Sanks. J. H a ll; 1837. J. Sanks, George G u y c r; 1838. Charles K albfus, J. H a ll; 1839, Charles K albfus, Pcnficid D ull; 1840. Jam es Ew ing, William R. M ills; 18 4 1. Jam es Ew ing, W. T. I). Clem m; 1842. Thom as Tanneyhill, Joseph