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/88

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

religious and material, will alw ays remain interwoven in the fibre o l the history of Penn­ sylvania, and brighten its pages for all time. Were it not for the custom of the Quakers to care for (lie education of the children, but few of the settlers o f other sects could have gained a knowledge of the necessar)* rudiments of the Knglish language. And still more cred­ itable to the admirable system of the Quakers was the fact that any could attend these schools without attempts being made to influence their religious belief. SOCKKTY OF FHJLNDS, OK gUAKERS

In the absence o f regular ministers the Society o f Friends was best equipped fo r establishing public worship, and the presence o f a considerable number o f this sect at Cata­ wissa led to the founding o f a meeting there in 1787. F o r twenty years il continued to be the rallying point for the denomination in this r ^ o n. A monthly meeting was established here in 1796, but in 1808 this w as removed 10 Munc)’ on account o f extensive emigration of the sect from Catawissa. In 179 5 a meeting was established in (jrcenwoud township, and a year later another was established in Locust. In 18 14 ^ monthly meeting was established at (he latter place and is still continued. A monthly meeting was also established at Berwick in 1800, which con­ tinued with gradually diminishing strength un­ til about 1865, when it ceased to exist. The society w as more firmly cstiblished in Greenwood township, where many members of the sect have resided continuously since the first settlement. In 1834 the different meet­ ings of the sect were associated in a half-yearly meeting here* and in 1856 the Muncy meeting w as transferred here also. A lth o u ^ the name is retained and occasional meetings held in I^ocust and Catawissa* the chief activity of this denomination is confined to Greenwood, where there arc two well supported meetings. PSUtSDVteitlAN

The Scotch-Irish were an important clement in the pioneer life o f this State and gave early prominence lo the Presbyterian denomination, to which they generally lielonged. )zm cs MeQ u rc, who came lo the region o f Bloomshurg in 1772, w as probably the first representative o f this sect in Columbia county, but it w*as some years later before any organized effort w as made to propagate its tenets here.

In 1789 this region is mentioned under the name ot ' Fishingereek, in connection with Mahoning* Chillisquaque and neighboring localities, as in the Presbytery o f Carlisle. This Presbytery had been formed three years be­ fore, but this r<^ion probably remained un­ occupied until 1792, when K ev. M r. Wilson, a licentiate of the Synod o f New* Y o rk, and a M r. Henry were appointed to cultivate the field. T w o years later R ev. John Bryson was sent to this region and became pastor at W ar­ rior's Run and Chillisquaque, where he con­ tinued to serve for nearly h alf a century. In the following year Kev. John Porter w as com­ missioned to start from Fishing creek and missionize up the river to W yoming and Tioga Point. T he names o f Rev. Benjamin Judd, Ira Condit and William S|>ear, the latter a licentiate, appear also as ap|>ointc<l to missionize at (his period along the cast branch of the Susquehanna. Revs. Andrews and G ray also did more or less missionary tabor in this field. The first church o f this denomination, known then as "B riarcrcek” and at present as "H id ­ la y " Church, was organized about 1796 in Centre township, the house o f worship being built in that year. In 1 8 17 a second church was organized in Bloomsburg with three mem­ bers, who immediately set about erecting a commodious building. A third organization was effected at Berwick in 18 2 7; another in Orange township in 18 4 2; in Greenwood the following y e a r; m Scott in 18 5 3; in Sugarloaf in 18 5 8; and in Centralia in i m j . T he Sugarloaf church w as later removed to Benton. T he first pastor to reside permanently in this section w as K ev. A sa Dunham, whose home w*as near Buckhom. H e was a soldier of the Revolution, having ser*cd directly under Washington. In 1799 he was appointed to serve in the counties o f Luzerne and N orth­ umberland, the latter (hen including Columbia county, and for many years sen*ed the churches at B ria r Creek and Fishing Creek, traveling through the entire region and preaching wherever a class could be assembled. A fte r 18 17 Rev. John B . Patterson and Rev, Samuel Henderson were engaged in the work in these counties, (he former at Rloomsbui^ and the latter at B riar Creek. From 1824 to 1R30 the pastors who labored in (his field were Revs. John Niblock, Jam es Lew ers, Crosby, Matthew B . Patterson, Robert Br)'son, Robert Dunlap and E zra S. E ly. In 1832 Rev. John P. Hudson, a V irginian, W'as appointed stated supply for the churches at Bloomsburg, B riar Creek and New Colum ­ bia. l i e alw avs rode a blooded liorse, fam ous