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/243

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

and eleven in St. Ignatius cemetery. T he sur­ viving veterans in the town a re : Capt. John R. Porter, Borough T reasurer 0. B. Millard, Jolm W. Fortner, 1.4ifay«lte Fetterman, Jolm Curray, Joseph G e w s, S r., Jam es Brennan and (jcorgc M allcy.

Riddle, J. A. D ixon, C. D. McW illiams, S. R. N ankcrvis, A. C. Crosthwait, H. B. Fortner, Samuel Barnes, A. H. Mensch, G. W. L am er, N. S. Buckingham, G. W'. Marshall, T. H. Tubbs, J. P. ^ n f o r d, R. L. Arm strong. J. S. Buckley. T he present pastor is R ev. Robert W. Bryner. A fte r 1883 this church w as made Societies a separate station. T he church was complete­ ly rebuilt in 1886 and is a commodious frame Centralia Lodge, No. 586, I. O. O. F ., was building in the eastern part o f (he town, on chartered Sept. 22, 1866, but the cliarter being the trolley line. T he parsonage is beside it. burned another w as issued Nov. 2 5 ,18 7 2 . The first officers were Jam es Thomas, Jam es Rcnnan Catholic Thompson, C. B . Sp u rr and Seth Thomas. The membership is about one hundred now. The St. Ignatius' Roman Catholic Church o f Cen­ meeting hall on Centre street, above Locust, is tralia is in the diocese o f Harrisburg. R t. Rev. valued at $4,000. J . F . Shanahan selected V ery Rev. D. J . McW ashin^on Camp N o. 106, P. O . S . o f A., Dcnnott to organize it in 1869. l i e celebrated w as organized in 1866 with thirty-six mem­ two M asses in the schoolhouse in A pril and bers and these officers: J . P . Hoagland, presi­ on Ju ly t8(h the cornerstone o f (he church dent; C. G. Freck, secretary; J . F . Scott, treas­ was laid by Bishop Shanahan. F ou r lots on urer. It was r e o r ^ iz e d in 1872 and rc- which the church was built were donated by chartcrcd in 1883, with twenty-four members. the I ^ u s t Mountain Coal & Iron Company. T his order is now in a prosperous condition The building w as completed in 1870 and the pastoral residence in 18 7 1. Hy 1872 the num­ and owns its own hall. T he branch of the United Mine W orkers ot ber o f souls in the congregation had reached A m erica at Centralia has a membership which 1.500, with Rev. Edw ard T. Fields as pastor. includes practically all the men employed in Rev. Jam es I. Russell entered into the charge the coal mines and possesses a full treasury, in 1 8 ^. T he present pastor is Rev. J. F. from which various benefits are paid to the Crotty. 'rh e church has been constantly im­ members in sickness, im ury or old age. p r o v e and repaired and is in fine condition Council No. 1006, O rder o f Independent now. The convent beside it and the school Americans, has a large membership in Cen­ and meeting halt across the street w'ere built tralia and the surrounding villages. in t l ^. The electric line runs in front of these buildings and the street has been paved and RELICiOUS sidewalks laid by (he church, making this part o f Centralia quite metropolitan in appearance. In (he schoolhouse at Centralia, built in T he present congregation is large, and is com­ 1858. the organization o f most of the religious posed o f many n.ationalitics. denominations o f this township occurred. In this building services were held for some years, Episcopalians until it became engulfed by the caving in of an T he first resident m issionaiy of the Protest­ old mine working. The Methodists were the first sect to hold ant Episcopal Church in Centralia w as Rev. services in the bounds o f Conyngham. In Otto H. F ryer, who served there during 1864 Jan u ary, 1863. M orris T-ewis w as appointed and 1865. Services had been held there leader o f a class o f eight persons by Kev. W. previously by clergymen of the Ashland M. Showaltcr, pastor at Ashland. T w o years Church. A visit o f Rev. D. Washburn of later Rev. N. V. G uirc oiganizcd the congre­ Philadelphia in 1865 culminated in the organ­ gation and appointed W illiam M. Hoagland as ization of the Church of the H oly T rinity in re,ader. F o r three years thereafter Rev. J. M. M ay. 1869. T he first rector here in 1867 w as Mullen w as in charge. In the summer o f 1866 R ev. J. P. Fugctt. who w as stationed at A sh­ John Jam es and Joseph Steele e.xcavated the land. and served fo r one year. foundations fo r a church building at their own In August. 1867, Rev. M r. Washburn re­ expense, and in the autumn the cornerstone of turned fo r a time to recuperate his health, and the building was laid by Rev. W. A. Stephens. at the request of the Bishop reorganized the The church w as finally completed in 18 7 1. church and established the first Sunday school, Pastors o f this church have been: Revs. J. B. in a room opposite the "Centralia H o te l" In