<5gs.,_^#«^,.e_ '=>>:-* fera BY 4 7 7 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM fit- Cornell University Library BX9211.B92 G77 1847-1922: the North Presbyterian Church olin 3 1924 029 488 628 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029488628 North Presbyterian Church, Main and Chippewa Streets, dedicated, Dec. 29, 1847. 1847 1922 The North Presbyterian Church BUFFALO * NEW YORK A Brief History Prepared for the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary December Twenty-Ninth Nineteen Hundred Twenty-Two Compiled and Written by REBECCA McDOUGALL GRAVES V - CONTENTS Page Foreword 1 1 The History of the North Presbyterian Church : The Founders 13 The First Quarter Century, 1847- 18 72. . . 20 The Second Quarter Century, 1872-1897. . 35 The Third Quarter Century, 1897-1922. . 39 War Records 55 The Trustees 61 The Session 64 Financial Reports, 1857, 1887, 1922 69 Letters to the Congregation: Rev. Wolcott Calkins, D.D 75 Rev. William S. Hubbell, D.D 83 Rev. Edwin H. Dickinson, D.D 86 Rev. Charles H. Stewart, D.D 88 The Program of the Seventy-fifth Anni- versary 94 FOREWORD ^s'OO frequently are we apt in these modern V^V days, to feel that our age has little or nothing to learn from the past; that we have passed beyond the need of any lessons history can teach us. So it is with the hope of serving a double purpose that this History of our Church is presented, not to be merely a record of dead things, but to be a living memorial and inspiration. For the greater our familiarity with the hardships and the victories, the heroism and the sacrifices, the ideals and the aspirations that have made the North Church, the greater must be our respect for and devotion to this institution which is our inheritance. 11 THE FOUNDERS j^s^HERE were in Buffalo in the year 1846 but V ^y three Presbyterian Churches, the First Pres- byterian Church, the Central Presbyterian Church, and the Lafayette Street Church. It had been felt for a long time that another church was needed as the size of the city was increasing rapidly. At the next census, in 1850, the population numbered 50,000, including Black Rock. Other denomina- tions were extending their work and it was felt that Presbyterians also should make an effort to meet the growing needs of the city. Accordingly Dr. Asa T. Hopkins, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church called a meeting and definitely proposed that a new church be started at once by such of the members of his church who would be willing to enter upon this new enterprise. At this meeting the new church was informally organized and it was decided that the erection of the edifice should be begun immediately. On March 10th, 1846, provisional trustees were elected and the society was organized so that real estate could be held by the corporation. Mr. George B. Walbridge was elected president of the board. The other members were : Jason Sexton, John R. Lee, Thomas J. Dudley, Elias S. Hawley, Dennis Bowen, Gaius B. Rich, Morris Butler, Gurdon C. Coit. The location of the building was their first con- sideration, the neighborhood of Main and Chippewa 13 THE FOUNDERS streets being finally determined upon. This was thought far enough if not too far uptown — so far north at least to suggest the name of the "North Church". The lot which was bought was the loca- tion of the first home of Dr. Ebenezer Johnson, Buffalo's first mayor. This house had been attacked by the Indians and burned during the war of 1812, but by some means, its front door, which bore the marks of the Indian tomahawk had been preserved and was used in the construction of the new house which was removed to make way for the North Church. This lot of 94 feet front on Main street, 130 feet in depth, was bought for the sum of $6500. A subscription to raise funds necessary for the erection of the church was started, the subscribers being allowed to apply any amount paid by them, on the purchase of pews in the church when it should be completed. Pews were bought, not rented in those days. A valuation of all the pews amounted to $30,000, on which the owners paid an annual tax of 10 per cent, yielding thereby an income of $3000, an amount considered at that time ample to pay all the annual expenses of the society, including pastor's salary, music, fuel, etc. The total number of subscriptions received amounted to $13,085.90. Plans for the building were drawn up by various architects, that of Mr. C. N. Otis being finally accepted. We find this description of the original building in an early manual of the church. 14 THE FOUNDERS "The building is 74 feet wide and about 122 feet deep. The vestibule is a circular hall 30 feet in diameter, and the audience room 91 feet long and 71 feet broad, containing 150 large sized slips. There are also 50 slips in the gallery, exclusive of the com- modious organ loft. The church will accommodate, without additional seats, twelve or thirteen hundred persons, and can be made to seat eighteen hundred. The basement is divided into several rooms; the lecture room, which will seat from four to five hundred persons; the Prayer meeting room, which will accommodate an hundred or an hundred and fifty ; the Session room still smaller, and the Furnace room. The organ is one of Appleton's of Boston, and cost about $3,500. The pulpit is of white Italian marble ; the seats are trimmed with drab damask. The walls are frescoed in a chaste and beautiful manner. The bell weighs about 3,500 lbs. The cost of the whole building, with its furni- ture, has not been far from $40,000." The work of clearing the ground of old build- ings, the excavations and foundations had so far progressed during the month of July, that about the 1st of August, 1846, the cornerstone was formally laid. It contained copies of the Bible, Confession of Faith, "Missionary Herald", "Home Mission- ary", "New York Observer", "New York Evan- gelist", Buffalo Daily Papers, City Directory, a Map of the City, with the names of the Architect, 15 THE FOUNDERS C. N. Otis; Master Builder, J. H. Selkirk; and Master Mason, J. D. Berry. Meanwhile, although the edifice itself was pro- gressing to completion, it was still a matter of uncer- tainty except in a few cases, what members of the First Church would go into the new organization. It became necessary to settle the question. On the 25th day of March, 1847, at the regular Thursday evening lecture, Dr. Hopkins, acting as a committee of the Presbytery of Buffalo, organized the new church. The names of forty-three persons were read, all members of the First Church, who received regular letters of dismission and then and there, as they rose in their places, they were solemnly set apart and were declared to be a new church, to be called the North Presbyterian Church of Buffalo. The following is a copy of the letter of dismission, the orginal of which is in the archives of the First Presbyterian Church of this city. Buffalo, Mar. 21, 1847. To the Pastor & Session of the First Presbyterian Church. Reverend & Beloved: — The First Church & Society having become so numerous that all the members could not well be accommodated with seats in the Meeting House, some having from time to time been prevented from joining us for the same reason, a number of the brethren, together with brethren from other churches, 16 George B. Walbridge, Trustee— 1846-1852 Elder— 1847-1852 Elias S. Hawlev. Gaius B. Rich, Trustee— 1846-1848 Pascal P. Pratt, Trustee— 1848-1905 THE FOUNDERS after maturely considering the matter, came to the conclusion that the interests of religion demanded the formation of another church and the erection of another house of worship in this city. In accordance with this conclusion a Society has been formed under the name of "the North Presbyterian Church & Society of Buffalo" and a house of worship erected, the lecture room of which is nearly ready for use. And in further pursuance of this matter, we, the undersigned, being desirous of uniting, together with the brethren from other churches, in visible relation as a Church; do now request Letters of Dismission and Recommendation in such form as you shall see fit to grant, with reference to a speedy organization as above set forth. And dear pastor & brethren we cannot make this request without regret. We have met and prayed and worshipped with you, some of us for many years, and we cannot leave without expressing our deepest interest in your future welfare, asking your prayers for our temporal and spiritual well being and signifying to you our earnest hope, that although our outward church relations may be different, our hearts may be filled with the most earnest desires for the mutual advancement and prosperity of the respective churches to which we may belong and of the Zion of God throughout the world. Signed George B. Walbridgc Wilhelmina C. L. (Mrs. G. B.) Walbridge 17 THE FOUNDERS Gaius B. Rich Aphia (Mrs. G. B.) Rich Andrew J. Rich Harriet Rich (Mrs. E. Mulligan) Gurdon C. Coit Sophronia (Mrs. G. C.) Coit Chauncey D. Cowles Jane E. (Mrs. C. D.) Cowles Lyman Dunbar Cornelia M. Dunbar (Mrs. L.) Charles G. Miller Horace Stillman Dennis Bowen Mary E. (Mrs. Dennis) Bowen Mrs. Eunice Bull Susan S. Bull (Mrs. T. J. Dudley) James G. Dudley Elias S. Hawley Lavinia H. (Mrs. E. S.) Hawley John R. Lee Elvira (Mrs. J. R.) Lee Benjamin Hodge Eliza (Mrs. B.) Hodge Mary E. Davis (Mrs. Morris Butler) Harry H. Bissell Betsey F. Bissell (Mrs. H. H.) Morris Butler Sarah H. (Mrs. Morris) Butler Joseph Johnson Sarah (Mrs. Joseph) Johnson IS THE FOUNDERS Caroline Post (Mrs. Henry Spayth) Emily (Mrs. J. W.) Hotchkiss Harriet C. (Mrs. A. A.) Howard Cyrus M. Fay George L. Hubbard Juliana (Mrs. Geo. L.) Hubbard Mary W. (Mrs. B.) Timmerman Elizabeth Woodruff Almira Woodruff Waity Walker (Mrs. S. G.) Amintor Davidson At this meeting also were elected the first Elders, who were at once ordained and installed by Dr. Hopkins. They were Benjamin Hodge, George B. Walbridge and Chauncey D. Cowles. The North Church had now a separate existence, but as their church building was not yet completed the members continued to meet with the First Church for Sunday services, holding their prayer meetings, however, by themselves at houses of differ- ent members until their church should be ready for occupancy. On October 3rd, 1847, the first ser- vices were held in the new building. On Wednesday, the 29th of December, the edifice was solemnly dedicated and the North Presbyterian Church of Buffalo took its place in the Christian work of the city. We will ever hold in grateful remembrance these founders of our church, who gave so generously and worked so untiringly for its establishment. 19 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY 1847 — 1872 In the fall of 1847, Rev. Charles Rich of Nan- tucket accepted the call of the church and entered upon his duties October 3rd. At the first service after the dedication of the new building, sixty per- sons united with the church, making the total number of communicants nearly 100. Mr. Rich was installed as pastor by the Presbytery of Buffalo on the 27th of January, 1848. On April 3rd the Pro- visional Board of Trustees was superseded by a board regularly organized under the statute. Many of the old board held over. There were added to this list Pascal P. Pratt, James Wadsworth, Gibson T. Williams and Charles G. Miller. The report made to Presbytery June I, 1848, reads: Number of Members, 51 males, 89 females. Total 140. Benevolences : Monthly Concert Collection $140.75 Ladies' Home Missionary Society. .112.00 American Bethel Society for 1847 87.00 $339-75 On account of failing health Mr. Rich resigned and was dismissed March 1st, 1849. The church was without a pastor for almost a year, though during that interval the pulpit was sup- plied by Rev. Joshua Cook. I cannot forbear from quoting from a letter written by him in 1872 telling of his experiences of those months, for even its few 20 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY sentences gives us a picture of devotion and courage, we must be proud to have in our annals. He wrote : "My year with the North Church was a memor- able one to me. It was the first year of my ministry, a crisis year to the dear church itself, and a year of terror to Buffalo. It was the cholera-smitten year of 1849. Candidates would not come and expose themselves in that summer pestilence, and I had to struggle on through the months of the plague, inex- perienced, with no previous pulpit preparation, pros- trated twice by the disease, twice having the funerals of the three Presbyterian churches on my hands and their pulpits to supply. Twenty-three years have passed since then and I bear the scars of that sum- mer's service yet." On Nov. 5th, 1849, Rev. Albert T. Chester, D.D., then pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Sara- toga Springs, N. Y., accepted a call from the church, and commenced his duties as pastor Dec. 23rd. He served for ten years during which many new mem- bers were added to the roll, notably during the years of 1853 and 1858, when special revivals were held. Aside from the accessions to the church, the financial condition of the society was vastly improved. In 1857, the debt of $15,000 under which the church had been struggling, was successfully raised and paid. That same year, 1857, was a year of great finan- cial depression. For several years following, its influ- ence continued to hinder and embarrass the church in 21 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY its benevolent work, and it was even difficult some times to meet the ordinary congregational expenses. In the minutes of the Trustees' meeting of March 5, 1858, the following resolution was passed, which suggested a most unique way to reduce expenses without loss of services: "Resolved that in view of the present embarrassed and depressed condition of business in the community and of our finances, it is expedient to reduce the expenses of our Church and Society and that there- fore the Committee on Music be instructed to advise Mr. KrausskofI that his services as organist will not be desired after the expiration of his present contract and that such committee also advise Mrs. Ives and the other singers in our choir, who have heretofore received pay for their services, that our diminished resources will not longer warrant our paying for their services but that we shall be very glad to have hereafter their assistance in the choir as formerly if agreeable to them." It was during Dr. Chester's pastorate that an unusual and unique event took place in the North Church. In the minutes of the Trustees for October 8, 185 1, we find that Miss Jenny Lind's agent applied for permission to use the church for a con- cert. Mr. Charles E. Walbridge has given us a most interesting account of that occasion. "There was no other building in the city which met the approval of her business agent, and this 22 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY Church was chosen, for its excellent acoustic prop- erties. Extra seats were built around the walls and in the aisles, and I believe an audience of nearly 1800 was thus accommodated. It was my privilege to hear the celebrated singer on both these occasions, once from a seat in the gallery and once with a boy comrade in a window of his home on Pearl Street, for as it was summer time, the windows of the church were wide open, and all the roofs of the neighboring sheds and low buildings were covered with benches and chairs, and these as well as the neighboring windows were rented by their owners at high prices. The streets were not paved, and of course there were no noise of street cars, so that the outsiders could hear quite distinctly the beautiful voice." In those early years one of the chief duties of the session consisted in taking a deep, personal, and no doubt in some cases embarrassing interest in the spiritual well being of the church members. In reading the minutes of the session of this period we find such items as these: "The moderator and Elder Clark were appointed to inquire into the rumors respecting a member of the church charged by common fame with the sin of drunkenness, to take the incipient steps in disci- pline if it be required." "Elders Clark and Butler were appointed a com- mittee to have an interview with two members of 23 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY the church who attended a meeting of the spiritual- ists on the Sabbath a few weeks since." A few weeks later we are glad to find the follow- ing: "The Committee satisfied themselves that the brethren — would do so no more." "Whereas S C. C has habitually absented himself from the House of God according to his own confession made to the session, and whereas he has given no signs of repentance, therefore, be it Resolved that he be excommunicated." "The moderator and Elder Taintor were appointed a committee to visit a member charged by common fame with conduct inconsistent with a Christian profession. "The member acknowledged his fault and gave a written pledge of reformation." And in the minutes of the Trustee meetings we find a request from the Fire Department to use the church bell as a fire alarm for the uptown district. It was so used for sometime, but it proving too great a distraction during services when fires occurred on Sundays, permission for such a use of it was withdrawn. In September, i860, Dr. Chester presented his resignation as pastor, to become the Principal of the Buffalo Female Academy (now known as the Buffalo Seminary). An interval of thirteen months occurred between Dr. Chester's pastorate and the beginning of his suc- 24 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY cessor's. It was the year 1861, a time of depression and foreboding for the whole country. The church suffered greatly also from the lack of a pastor. It was not until February, 1862, that a call was accepted by Rev. Henry Smith, D.D., who was Professor of Biblical Literature at Lane Seminary, Cincinnati. He served as pastor of the North Church until September, 1865, so that his entire term of office was covered by the deep and gigantic shadow of the Civil War. Of the intense patriotism and zealous loyalty to our government in this crisis, there cannot be too much written. It found expres- sion not only in service with the troops in the fields, but in every possible civilian channel, as well as in the stirring utterances from the pulpit. In another part of this volume may be found the list of those members of the Church and Sunday School who served in the army during this tragic struggle. Dr. Smith, in speaking of those dark days said: "We can never forget the call for volunteers, the drafts for the army, the work of the Christian com- mission, the call for clothing, for blankets, for lint, for nurses, for Bibles, for tracts, for books, for old clothing, old furniture, for vegetables, for canned fruit, for anything that could be used by our soldiers or sold for their benefit; we can never forget these things, for our fathers and brothers and sons and lovers, not only the best muscle and sinew, but the best brain and heart and hope of the nation were 25 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY in the army; we, I say, can never forget these things, but it will be difficult for the next genera- tion to realize the deep, intense, all engrossing inter- est and excitement, which burned with an undying flame at the bottom of our hearts. * * * One deep, overwhelming sentiment, patriotism pervaded and ruled our souls. * * * Our tendency was not only to make our religion patriotic, but to make patriotism our religion." It was during Dr. Smith's pastorate that the Seneca Street Sunday School was started under the guidance of the North Church. From this school, the East Presbyterian Church soon developed and was organized, 1869, by the Presbytery with Rev. Henry D. Ward as pastor. Several other mission schools were also started and successfully carried on by the North Church, among them the Harbor Mission in Evans Street, and Olivet on Pennsyl- vania and Seventh. We find in a manual of the church, published during this period these "hints and helps, the session recommend to the members of the Church." We reprint them here as affording an interesting and illuminating conception of Christian duties. 1. Read in your Bible daily. It was prepared for you at great cost; and it is your best counsellor, comforter and companion. 2. Pray in secret at a stated season at least twice each day. 26 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY 3. Observe the strictest truthfulness in every word, and the exactest honesty in every dealing. 4. Endeavor constantly to be the best of hus- bands, the best of fathers, the best of wives, the best of brothers, the best of sisters, the best of daughters, the best of sons. 5. Be sparing of personal indulgences, plain in your dress, economical in your way of living, dili- gent in your business, earnest in your religion, gentle and benevolent in your deportment. 6. Love your Pastor. Never unnecessarily fail to be present at any of his ministrations. Always remember him in your prayers. Invite others to attend his ministry. Honor him for his work's sake. Guard his reputation. Co-operate earnestly in his plans for doing good. Inform him of everything you learn, which has any importance for the welfare of the church, or the spiritual interest of any of the people. 7. Take a deep interest in all the members of your own church. If not, to what purpose are you joined in this holy bond ? Take pains to become acquainted with every one. Visit and try to com- fort them when they are sick, or bereaved, or dis- appointed. Relieve, encourage, help them, like brothers, in things temporal as well as spiritual ; and pray for them. 8. Make the most of every Lord's day. It is your fountain of soul-benefit for the week. Your 27 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY sabbaths are going swiftly by; one lost is lost for- ever. If others violate, or misimprove the day, this is no excuse for your guilt, and no alleviation of your loss. Use this sacred time carefully for prayer, for religious reading, for serious thoughtfulness. Remember that as a stream runs ever lower than its source, so the tone of your week-day religion will never be found above, but always below the spirit- uality of your sabbaths. 9. If a parent, have regular family worship; and see that every member attends with punctuality and solemnity. Return from your daily avocations, like David, to "bless your house." 10. Go early to church. Make it your business to attend to strangers. Always open to the chapter and follow the reading of the Scriptures. Always find the hymn, and, if you can, join in the singing. 11. Never willingly be absent from the week-day lecture, or the prayer-meeting. Staying away when there is health and ability to attend, is both sinful and exceedingly injurious in its effects upon our- selves and others. Be ready to aid in such meet- ings, and cultivate the gifts that are in you for the edification of the church. Endeavor to make your remarks and prayers as far as lies in your power, clear, concise to the point; but always be short and fervent. 12. Always come to the Lord's table. Let no- thing but absolute necessity keep you away. If you 28 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY feel unworthy, this is the place for you, the table is spread for the unworthy. If you know that you have grievously sinned, this is the place to come and repent and be forgiven. If you esteem some of the communicants unworthy, dare not to stay away on this account! Christ could partake with Judas. Examine not others, but yourself, and partake in pious love and humble faith, — the Master will meet you and bless you there. Rev. Wolcott Calkins of Calvary Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, became the pastor of the North Church in the fall of 1866. During his pas- torate of nine years many notable events occurred in our history. The year 1867 was memorable for the great meeting of the American Board of Commis- sioners for Foreign Missions held in our church. Some six hundred of these distinguished visitors were entertained by the families of this congregation. A treaty of peace and commerce had just been con- cluded between China and the United States, thus opening for the first time the whole Chinese Empire to the outside world. It was at this meeting and in our church that it was decided to undertake the work of evangelization of that country. It was in 1868, that a movement was successfully launched for the addition of a chapel and parsonage to our property. It had been felt for many years that the basement of the church, which was used for the Sunday School and Prayer services was most 29 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY inconvenient as well as unwholesome. The Trus- tees had in 1862 purchased a lot at the rear of the church fronting on Pearl St., 45 ft. in width, at a cost of $1600. Now it was decided to buy the addi- tional 50 ft. on Pearl St., so that the church prop- erty ran through from Main to Pearl. The follow- ing summer the buildings were ready for occupancy and added very much to the efficiency of the church. This property was purchased for the sum of $4000, so that the total cost of the entire lot was $5600. A committee consisting of Jason Sexton, Pascal P. Pratt, Elton Beals, Richard D. Sherman and Nelson Holland were appointed to procure plans and super- intend the erection of the building as soon as the necessary amount of money should be raised. Accordingly Mr. Pratt sent out invitations for a social gathering at his home on Main Street, at which subscriptions were made amounting to $25,- OOO. A second subscription raised the amount to $40,000. The plans submitted by Mr. Wm. Perkins were accepted. "The North Church Extension" included a parsonage, a chapel containing a large prayer- meeting room, social parlors and ample space for the various Sunday School departments. The cornerstone was laid by Jason Sexton, on August 1, 1868, with appropriate ceremonies. The following articles were placed in the cornerstone— a hymn book, the Buffalo papers, sermons by Rev. THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY Henry Smith, D.D., and a list of the subscriptions to the Building Fund. They were removed when this building was demolished in 1904 and were found intact. They are now preserved in the archives of the church. Mr. Orton Clark in his address delivered at the quarter centennial gave the following description of the Sunday School rooms: "They are situated on the second floor of the chapel and are approached by wide and easy stair- ways from the main entrance on Pearl Street. The main room is 5 1x53 feet, giving ample accommoda- tion for seating comfortably two hundred and fifty children. The seats are tasty benches. In the center of the room and immediately in front of the desk is a tasty fountain, the gift of some of our kind friends, which adds very much to the attractiveness of the place. In the rear of the desk is a handsome and serviceable organ, which was in part paid by the children and some of our liberal-hearted North Church people. Adjoining this large room and con- nected with it by large folding doors are the infant class room, and the church library; the latter used for Bible class purposes, and also two smaller Bible class rooms, the whole forming about the most complete Sunday School quarters to be found any- where." Extensive repairs were made also to the church itself, a new spire and roof were added, and the 31 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY interior of the building re-decorated, with a new pulpit, carpets and upholstery. It is worthy of men- tion that at the end of three years, by the self-sacri- ficing generosity of the congregation the entire indebtedness for these additions amounting to $58,000, was paid in full. Another event of interest was the visit of the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, brother of the Czar, who was present with his suite at the service on Christmas Sunday, December 29th, 1 87 1. On that afternoon there were about a thousand children, from our own school, East Church and the Harbor Mission, filling the galleries on three sides of the church. They presented a musical program that so pleased the Grand Duke that he insisted upon giving to the church a momento of the occasion. His gift of one hundred dollars was used to purchase the baptismal font which is in use now in our present edifice. March, 1872, saw the formation of a Ladies' For- eign Mission Society, organized in connection with the Ladies' Board of Missions in New York, with Mrs. John C. Bryant, as the President. The name was changed in a short time to the Women's Mis- sionary Society, the scope of their work and interest including Home as well as Foreign Missions. It was during these early years that Miss Mary K. VanDuzee was first sent under its auspices to the foreign field in Persia as a missionary. 32 Miss Marv K. Van Duzee THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY A history of our church would not be complete without more than a passing reference to this noble, consecrated woman. Miss VanDuzee was a mem- ber of our church and at one time a most able and devoted assistant to the pastor, Dr. Calkins. She wrote thus in describing the reason of her decision to go to Persia: "My call to be a missionary came to me while I was teaching in Wheaton Seminary. One of Dr. Cochrane's sisters" (Dr. Cochrane was the mis- sionary from Westminster Church at this time), "was there in the senior class, and, of course, was constantly receiving letters from her mother in Urumia. Sometime in the winter of 1874-5, there came a letter telling of the necessity of closing Fiske Seminary in Urumia for lack of a teacher. Miss Cochrane asked me if I could not go. So I thought the matter over. I felt that my place in Wheaton could easily be filled, and the girls in Urumia with no one to open the school for them, appealed to me very strongly." She decided to go, and sailed for Urumia August 1st, 1875. Her labors among the Moslem women of Persia were singularly blessed. The influence of her personality and Christian character cannot be estimated in too high terms. Mention must be made of the great revival meet- ings held in St. James Hall during this period. North Church united with Calvary, Central, First 33 THE FIRST QUARTER CENTURY and Lafayette Street Churches for a series of meet- ing extending over several weeks. Services, once a day, sometimes twice or three times, were thronged. Interest and enthusiasm ran high. It was felt by all that a distinct spiritual advance had been made in the community. After the union meetings were discontinued the North Church still kept up the special services for some time. Quite a number of accessions were made to the church at this time. The Quarter Centennial of the founding of the North Church was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies at the close of the year, 1872. Dr. Cal- kins, whose installation had been delayed for five years was installed as pastor at that time. It was a time of congratulation as the past twenty-five years were reviewed. The church, after these early years of struggle and oftentimes discouragement, now stood on a firm basis. It had recently acquired an equipment equal to any in the city ; it was free from the burden of debt ; its membership increasing yearly numbered 455 ; the Sunday School was in a flourishing condition with an average attendance of 440. The influence of the church in the city was being felt more and more and the feeling within the church itself was one of enthusiastic co-operation and of high hope for the future. 34, THE SECOND QUARTER CENTURY 1873— 1897 Dr. Calkins continued as pastor of the North Church until February, 1880, when he accepted a call to Eliot Church, Newton, Mass. It was with great reluctance and deep sorrow on the part of both minister and congregation that the pastoral relation with this church was dissolved. For a year and a half the church was without a leader, but in November, 1881, Rev. William S. Hubbell, D.D., of Somerville, Mass., entered upon his duties as pastor of the North Church. Dr. Hubbell had a most distinguished war record as a member of the Federal army. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he left the Theological Seminary where he was a student, to shoulder the musket as a private soldier. He was in time promoted to the grades of lieutenant, captain and brevet major, acted as adjutant general of the brigade, and was awarded by the War Department one of the rare medals of honor, for distinguished personal bravery at the cap- ture of Fort Harrison in Virginia in 1864, in which engagement he was severely wounded. Dr. Hubbell served as pastor for fifteen years. During this period the work of the church went steadily forward. The two Mission Schools estab- lished almost twelve years previous had become a most important part of our church interests. The 35 THE SECOND QUARTER CENTURY Harbor Mission, at 73 Main Street was making its influence felt most satisfactorily under the wise guidance of Mr. Sidney Adam. The names of Mr. William Parsons, Dr. Charles S. Butler and Dr. J. W. Grosvenor were identified with the Front Ave. Mission School which later became known as the Olivet Mission. Our own church Sunday School was maintaining a high standard under the leader- ship of Mr. Charles E. Walbridge. Can any of us who were members at that period forget the Chinese department of the school under Mr. Lyman Hub- bell? The work of Mrs. Thomas C. Pears, for so many years Superintendent of the Primary depart- ment of our Sunday School will always be remem- bered with gratitude. Its various departments were very well organized and the church itself was most fortunate in the personnel of its boards. The names of Pascal P. Pratt, Frederick L. Danforth, Horace Stillman, John V. W. Annan, A. R. Ketcham should be especially mentioned. Their efficient self-sacri- ficing devotion and loyalty to this church must ever serve as an inspiration to its members. In the summer of 1887, various changes and improvements were made in the church edifice. The galleries were removed, stained glass windows were put in, as well as new pews, carpets and lighting arrangements and the church walls re-decorated. It was proposed at first that the debt of about $10,000 should be raised in small amounts by fairs, 36 THE SECOND QUARTER CENTURY sales or entertainments of that nature. Dr. Hubbell determined, however, to make a direct appeal to the congregation. With such success that, due to the loyal generosity of the members, within a week's time the entire indebtedness was cancelled. It was through Dr. Hubbell's noteworthy interest in the Indians of New York State that the North Church became known through all the state reser- vations as "the Indian's Friend". It was mainly through his influence and effort that many of their wrongs were righted, and largely due to his inter- est that groups from the various reservations were sent to schools and colleges by the United States Government. It was no uncommon sight in those days to see groups of these Indian boys and men being entertained at North Church, for in most cases they were brought to our church from the reserva- tions and from there sent to Carlisle, Pa., and Hampton, Va., under the care of Dr. Hubbell. As fifteen years of service in the North Church drew to completion, Dr. Hubbell asked to be relieved from his duties. His resignation was accepted with regret November 25th, 1896. His was the longest pastorate yet held in the North Church. fThe close of the following year 1897, marked the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the North Church. Impressive ceremonies, at which were reviewed the achievements of the past, informal 37 THE SECOND QUARTER CENTURY gatherings, where delightful reminiscences were exchanged, reached a climax in the last service, the installation of a new pastor, Rev. Edwin H. Dick- inson, who had come to us from the Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls, N. Y. It was with far dif- ferent feelings, however, that the church celebrated its 50th anniversary than were experienced twenty- five years previous. It was realized by all that the church faced a serious crisis in its history. Burdened with debt, an increasing deficit to face each year, a very rapid decrease in membership, all added to the feeling of depression. For the growth of the city had in these past twenty-five years been so rapid that the residential district had removed from the vicinity of the church and on that account had caused a great many losses among the membership. The church could not fail to feel the change in its gen- eral efficiency. But with the remembrance of the splendid history of fifty years just completed and with the inspiration of a devoted leader and loyal membership, the church crossed the half century mark with courage and faith in its ability to sur- mount all difficulties. 38 THE THIRD QUARTER CENTURY 1898 — 1922 In the opening years of Dr. Dickinson's pastorate it seemed that the church's faith in itself was justi- fied, for renewed efforts on the part of pastor and congregation put fresh life and vigor into all its branches. The struggle was against too great odds however, so that it was resolved that when oppor- tunity to sell the church property should arrive, it must be to our very great advantage to move farther north towards the center of the residential portion of the city. In August of the year 1903, a contract was made with a group of Boston capitalists to sell the prop- erty for the sum of $240,000. The sale was con- summated January 1st, 1904. The church was required by the purchaser to give possession within ninety days from the first day of April, 1904. The buildings were not included in the sale of the prop- erty, but were sold to other parties and removed before possession of the land was given to the pur- chaser. This was done so that these buildings dedi- cated to the service of God should never be used for base purposes. And now began those sad leave takings and final services which marked the passing of the old North Church. On April 17th, 1904, was held the very last service. The church was thronged morning and 39 THE THIRD QUARTER CENTURY evening. Our own congregation, with a large rep- resentation from the East Church, and many other friends filled the church to overflowing. Mr. Dick- inson's sermon was on the text, "I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord". Isaiah 63, 7-9, in which he reviewed the past history of the church and God's goodness to it through all the years of its existence. "After the benediction, the deep voice of the great bell tolled its farewell to the old house of God — 57 strokes, then silence. All felt the deep solemnity of the hour — old things, old times, were passing." The hearts of all were filled with sad- ness and emotion, as they reluctantly passed through the doorways and down the well-worn steps, never again to meet within those historic walls, about which clung so many tender memories of joy and of sorrow, of hardships overcome and of achieve- ments realized. From April 24th, 1904, to May 7th, 1905, ser- vices of the church and Sunday School were held in the Twentieth Century Club Hall. These were well sustained but general satisfaction was felt by the congregation when the Temple Beth Zion was secured for our use. The church continued its ser- vices in the Temple until February 24th, 1906. (Meanwhile the plans of the new church edifice were progressing rapidly and were nearing comple- tion. The building committee with Mr. Luther P. Graves as chairman, Mr. Sidney McDougall, Mr. 40 THE THIRD QUARTER CENTURY H. Ernest Montgomery and Mr. Charles E. Wal- bridge, member ex-officio, had lost no time in pro- curing plans and starting the work. Land had been purchased early in April, 1904, on the southwest corner of Delaware Avenue and Utica Street. The amount paid was $40,000. Plans for the church and a chapel were submitted to the building committee, that of Mr. George F. Newton, of Boston, Mass., being accepted. Contracts were awarded for the masonry work to Charles Berrick's Sons at $54,800; for the carpentry work to Joseph Metz & Sons at $22,689. The ground was broken in October, 1904. The cornerstone of the church was laid July 7th, 1905. It is interesting to note that at the lay- ing of the cornerstone of the old North Church in 1846, Mr. George B. Walbridge was President of the Board of Trustees; now in 1905, Mr. Charles E. Walbridge, his son, held the same office. A large gathering witnessed the ceremony. In the corner- stone were placed: A brief historical sketch by Mr. Walbridge. Address by the Pastor, Dr. Dickinson. Buffalo Commercial of April 23rd, 1904, con- taining historical sermon, the last one delivered in the old church on April 17th, 1904, by Rev. Edwin H. Dickinson, D.D. An account of the last services of the church and Sunday School held in the old edifice April 17th, 1904, written by Mrs. Wilhelm Kaffenberger. 41 THE THIRD QUARTER CENTURY Order of services of the semi-centennial week held December 29th, 1897 — January 3rd, 1898, together with the historical sketch of the church by Mr. Charles E. Walbridge, an historical sketch of the Women's Missionary Organizations by Mrs. John C. Bryant, and the order of services at the Installa- tion of the Pastor, which occurred during that week. Last financial statement, 1905, of the Parish. A number of Church leaflets, including that of the last services in the old church. A copy of the last publication of the Y. M. C. A. journal called the "Men of Buffalo" which con- tains an excellent portrait of Pascal P. Pratt. Piece of the bell rope of the old church. Photographs of the old Church and Sunday School. Copy of the order of service used this day at the laying of the cornerstone. JBuffalo Daily papers of this date. In less than a year, the chapel was ready for use, the first service being held March 4th, 1906. The regular week-day and Sunday services were con- ducted there until the church edifice was completed. On January 6th, 1907, the well-known tones of the bell which had been brought from the old North Church, rang out from the tower of the new, for the dedication services of the beautiful new edifice. 42 THE THIRD QUARTER CENTURY Surely no congregation had a right to feel prouder than we with such a church home as this. All that was due to the wise choice, the untiring watchful- ness, the attention to details of the building com- mittee was appreciated now as the buildings were seen in their entirety. Mr. Newton's beautiful design is drawn from the English Gothic architec- ture, not the Gothic type of the great cathedrals, but of those charming parish churches of the small towns and countryside of old England. The soft tones of the gray stone, the graceful tower, the quaint cloister all add to the harmony and charm of the design. On entering the auditorium one feels the beauty still more — the great arch of the roof, the broad nave, the transepts and above all the beautiful lines of the chancel produce at once an impression of dignity and grace incomparably blended. But the glory of the interior lies in the warmth and richness of the exquisite color that filters through the stained glass windows. And, indeed it would seem as if they were expressive of the very soul of the church itself, for they are all gifts of men and women who wished in this way to express their devotion and reverence to the old North Church and in many cases they stand as memorials to those noble men and women whom the church must ever remember with respect and gratitude and to whom it owes its very life. 43 The Chancel, Easter, 1920. Miss Mary M. Hawley, Miss Lavinia S. Hawley and their brother and sister, in memory of their father and mother, Elias S. and Lavinia H. Hawley. icib, in mcmury ui nei~rni5Dan• J u B ° -Q 8S^ w 1° > S 3 h -a o o a c s^ ^ 1 ■ - f- uc 32 « S XW 2 z z - Wk «5 - u w < §a yg %<* a ■ **< a ■- •-(- . a * . to 8 -afc L-g 52 oQ jjW I z a si OS £-7 -« 7 X a w S o Q ; • "m i» gw too o J c'S! .. O O 4J O -> re j « .. 5 01 w TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH CHURCH (Provisional) 1846 George B. Walbridge — President. John R. Lee Elias S. Hawley Dennis Bowen Morris Butler Thomas J. Dudley Gurdon C. Coit Gaius B. Rich Jason Sexton (Elected under the Statute) Geo. B. Walbridge, 1848 Jason Sexton, 1848 Gurdon Coit, 1848 James Wadsworth, 1848 Pascal P. Pratt, 1848 Thomas J. Dudley, 1848 Gibson T. Williams, 1848 Charles G. Miller, 1848 Dennis Bowen, 1848 Andrew J. Rich, 1850 Austin A. Howard, 1852 Henry C. Walker, 1853 Estes H. Cowing, 1854 Orrin P. Ramsdell, 1855 61 THE TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH CHURCH H. N. Loomis, 1856 Francis P. Wood, 1856 William C. Young, 1857 T. Hough, 1857 C. L. Avery, i860 George L. Hubbard, i860 John V. W. Annan, 1863 Richard D. Sherman, 1863 Nelson Holland, 1865 Charles W. Butler, 1865 William Ives, 1869 Edward P. Beals, 1871 G. Barrett Rich, 1871 Geo. Wadsworth, 1877 Jas. H. Lee, 1877 James H. Jewett, 1880 Wm. B. Flint, 1881 Sidney McDougall, 1886 Robert B. Adam, 1886 James M. Bemis, 1886 Sidney E. Adams, 1888 Frederick L. Danforth, 1888 Edward R. Spaulding, 1890 Luther P. Graves, 1892 Charles E. Walbridge, 1894 Charles S. Cadwallader, 1899 Walter G. Robbins, 1899 H. Ernest Montgomery, 1900 William E. Danforth, 1901 C2 THE TRUSTEES OF THE NORTH CHURCH VanHorn Ely, 1905 Daniel Good, 1908 Seth W. Warren, 1908 Charles Sumner Jones, M.D., 1913 George C. Laub, 191 5 George F. Rand, 1 91 7 John M. Hull, 1919 James N. Byers, 1920 Jacob H. Hackenheimer, 1920 PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES George B. Walbridge Jason Sexton Richard D. Sherman Nelson Holland Frederick L. Danforth Charles E. Walbridge G. Barrett Rich H. Ernest Montgomery Luther P. Graves Charles Sumner Jones, M.D. Charles S. Cadwallader George C. Laub John M. Hull 63 THE SESSION OF THE NORTH CHURCH Ruling Elders George B. Walbridge, 1847-1852 Benjamin Hodge, 1847-1868 Chauncey D. Cowles, 1847-1854 Cyrus M. Fay, 1848-1850 John R. Lee, 1852- 1886 Charles E. Clarke, 1852-1870 Morris Butler, 1856- 185 7, 64-75 Charles Taintor, 1 856- 1 864 Joseph D. Husbands, 1856-1857 Joshua M. Whitcomb, 1858-1866 Horace Stillman, 1860-1900 Francis P. Wood, i860- 1868 William E. Chittenden, 1864-1870 Alonzo R. Ketcham, 1864- 1890 William Ives, 1869-1916 John V. W. Annan, 1869-1906 Merritt Brooks, 1869- 1869 Henry Howard, 1870-1878 Charles Townsend, 1871-1877 Nelson Holland, 1871-1896 Charles E. Walbridge, 1875-1913 Zenas Clark, 1875-1882 Frederick L. Danforth, 1878-1897 Sidney E. Adams, 1885- 1907 64 THE SESSION Wm. W. Parsons, 1887-1916 Samuel Freeman, 1 890- 191 1 Lyman Hubbell, 1896-1902 Charles S. Butler, 1896-1919 Charles S. Cadwallader, 1 896- 1 920 Sidney McDougall, 1898-19 19 Charles A. Clark, 1898- 1900 Thos. P. Watson, 1901 Henry I. George, 1903 John D. McCalmont, 1903- 1907 Fisher C. Atherton, 1907- 1 912 G. Barrett Rich, Jr., 1907 Edward N. Wilkes, 1907-1917 Franklin Agge, 191 1 James A. White, 1911-1916 John B. Squire, 1911-1912 John S. Chittenden, 1914-1921 'Frederick W. Danforth, 1914 George L. Traenkle, 1914 John W. Cockburn, 191 7 Frank L. Danforth, 191 7 Charles Sumner Jones, 19 19 Joseph M. Ziegler, 1 919- 192 1 Thomas H. Noonan, 1919 Ralph R. Blackney, 1919 Frank D. Jackson, 1919 Horace W. Pomeroy, 1 92 1 Seymour G. VanArnam, 1921 Charles H. Wright, 1921 65 Deacons THE SESSION Morris Butler, 1848-1856 Charles Taintor, 1848- 1856 Horace Stillman, 1852-1860 George L. Hubbard, 1852-1868 Joshua M. Whitcomb, 1856-1858 Francis P. Wood, 1856- 1860 Phineas H. Strong, 1858-1874 Alonzo R. Ketcham, 1863- 1864 William Ives, 1 863- 1 869 Zenas Clark, 1864-1875 William W. Parsons, 1867-1887 Charles E. Walbridge, 1869-1875 Levi S. Gates, 1869-1874 Nelson Holland, 1870-1871 Frederick L. Danforth, 1871-1878 Lyman Hubbell, 1875-1896 Samuel Freeman, 1877-1890 James H. Jewett, 1878-1881 Sidney E. Adams, 1880-1885 William C. Cornwell, 1878-1889 Edward A. Cooper, 1882- 1890 Charles S. Butler, 1885-1896 Charles S. Dakin, 1887-1898 Louis Van den Steen, 1889-1890 Charles S. Cadwallader, 1890- 1896 Luther P. Graves, 1891-1917 66 THE SESSION Thomas C. Pears, 1891-1898 John S. Chittenden, 1897-1914 Fisher C. Atherton, 1 897- 1 907 Frank L. Danforth, 1897-1917 Fred D. Corey, 1898-1908 Henry I. George, 1901-1903 George J. Kennedy, 1904- 1904 G. Barrett Rich, Jr., 1904-1907 George C. Diehl, 1907-1914 James F. Rice, M.D., 1907- 1922 Wm. F. Elmendorf, M.D., 1908-1911 Persen M. Brink, 1911-1911 George L. Traenkle, 1912-1914 John W. Cockburn, 1914-1917 Frank S. Jackson, 1914-1919 Harold A. Rockwood, 1914-1915 Carl E. Rockwood, 1915-1921 Joseph M. Ziegler, 1917-1919 Ralph R. Blackney, 1917-1919 Chester W. Graves, 1918-1920 Charles H. Wright, 1919-1921 Walter B. Hawke, 1919 George C. Laub, 1919 Horace B. Pomeroy, 1919-1921 Fred G. Batchellor, 1919-1920 Clifford R. Tatem, 191 9-192 1 Joseph W. Noble, 1919 John G. Stumme, 1920 William E. Lyle, 1921-1922 67 THE SESSION Walton O. King, 1921 Frank D. Miller, 1921 George A. Webb, 1921 Lester W. Elias, 1922 Louis Dodd, 1922 Sumner B. Emerson, 1922 Clerks of the Session Chauncey D. Cowles, 1849-1850 Rev. A. T. Chester, D.D., 18501860 Charles E. Clark, 1860-1868 Morris Butler, 1 868-1 871 William W. Parsons, 1871-1880 Samuel Freeman, 1 8801 891 Charles S. Cadwallader, 1891-1920 G. Barrett Rich, Jr., 1920 68 FIRST RECORDED FINANCIAL STATE- MENT OF THE NORTH CHURCH 1857 Disbursements Pastor's Salary $2,500.00 Choir expenses 1, 08 1. OS Z. Clark's services, sexton, etc 282.27 Insurance 30.OO Gas bill 56.40 Wood 162.50 Water Tax 5.00 Sundries 120.93 To Balance Cash 16.98 $4,255-13 Receipts Cash on hand 5.33 Pew taxes collected 4,249.80 4,255.13 Benevolences 3> I 70.55 69 FINANCIAL RECORD FINANCIAL STATEMENT— 1887 Disbursements Pastor's Salary $4,000.00 Pulpit Supply 200.00 Music 2,008.19 Sexton 420.OO Fuel, Water, Gas 641.73 Taxes 199-44 Repairs and Sundries 5!0.3i $7,979-67 Receipts from pew rents 6,569.44 Deficiency 1,410.23 NOTE: This deficiency was provided for in full by the collection on Sabbath 27th inst., and subse- quent subscriptions — R. B. Adam, Chairman Fin- ance Committee. Benevolences $1 1,004.33 FINANCIAL RECORD FINANCIAL REPORT— 1922 Disbursements Salaries : Minister $10,000.00 Pulpit Supply 400.00 Director of Religious Education 675.00 Church Secretary .... 1,500.00 Choir 4,458-33 Choir substitutes and extra 178.00 Choir Music 59-70 Honorarium 1 00.00 Sexton 1,500.00 $18,871.03 Light, Heat and Power: Natural gas 32.49 Light 293.25 Power 130.90 Coal 1,380.63 Wood 6.00 Water 74-92 1,918.19 Cleaning 253.OO 71 FINANCIAL RECORD Church Envelopes for 1922- 1923 47-67 Sundries 167.21 Supplies 126.93 Printing, Stationery and Postage 161.35 Telephone 143-99 9QO-I5 Repairs : General 283.99 Organ 129.80 Plumbing 130.87 544.66 Equipment 361. 00 Interest 198.17 Insurance 544.50 Taxes 18.06 23,355.76 Paid on Loans 5,000.00 28,355.76 Receipts from rentals, en- velopes, etc $28,861.86 72 FINANCIAL RECORD Benevolences : To Home Missions. . . $10,375.78 To Foreign Missions.. 8,130.25 To Board of General Education 240.00 To Board of Publica- tion and Sabbath School Work . . . 60.00 To Board of Church Erection 60.00 To Board of Minister- ial Relief and Sus- tentation 1,083.00 To Board of Freedmen 387.50 To Board of Temper- ance 85.20 To Bible Society .... 60.00 To General Assembly. 342.95 $20,824.68 To Miscellaneous . . . 3,393-63 $24,218.31 73 Rev. Wolcott Calkins, D. D LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION A FEW INCIDENTS IN MY SERVICE OF THE NORTH CHURCH By Rev. Wolcott Calkins, D.D., pastor of North Church, 1866-1880 When I announced my resignation in Philadel- phia in order to accept a call to Buffalo a friend said to me: "I am sorry you are going to Buffalo, its one of the wickedest cities in our country." I replied: "I never have any trouble with sinners if the saints are manageable. The sinners know what to expect. Very few of them pay much attention to my rebukes but they stand and take them without a word. But the saints! They are not so amenable. They have a great many words to say about the preaching and the mangement of church affairs. And sometimes these interviews cost me sleepless nights." So I begin these delightful reminiscences of the North Church with the grateful assurance that the saints were always good. My only distress as I recall them is that so many of them never united with the church. They worked as hard and gave as generously as my elders and deacons, but they would not make a "profession of religion." In vain I assured them that none of us made any "profes- sion." We confessed our sins, and our joining the 75 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION church was our seal of thanksgiving for pardon and peace. On the other hand I remember with rejoicing the multitude who did come into the fold. We had to pull down some fences to get them in. There was a creed with the spiney ferocity of old theological con- troversies. And there were very solemn promises from which timid believers shrank, and children could not understand. We pulled them all down ! There was a German family who would not join any of the German churches in the city because Mr. Sexton had been so kind to them and Mr. Sexton's church was the only one for them. So they came before the session and I began to translate to them the long formula then in use which left them and, I confess, myself also, in much bewilderment. One of the elders said : "Ask them if they love the Lord Jesus Christ and promise to obey him all their lives". "Ja wohl" ! was the instant reply, "that is what we are here for!" Another instance of the excellent result of sim- plifying our rituals : One of our best girls, a mem- ber of the church from early childhood was engaged in marriage and came with her beloved to "rehearse the ceremony". I told them this was not necessary. It consisted of a few simple questions which they would answer, and then with a prayer I would pro- nounce them husband and wife. 76 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION "But I want to hear the questions", said he. "All right", I replied : "Do you take this woman to be your wife?" "Of course. What else must I pledge?" "Will you rent a pew for her in the North Church?" "Is that a part of the marriage ceremony?" I could not say that it was usually, but I assured him it would be a good investment in his case. "All right", he exclaimed, "What will it cost?" This was soon settled and then I had only one more question to ask: "Will you come to church with her to one of our services, either morning or evening?" This was a poser, the bride-elect had often told me with tears that he never came to church, but he was a good man and she loved him. He hesitated a good while and then replied to my test question : "Only once every Sunday? Well, I'll do it! You're worth that much, my dear." And he did do it, one service for a while, then all the services. On my first visit to Buffalo when I baptized one of his children, he took the vows with its mother, not only a member of the church, but one of its board of finance and a leader in all its good works. Finance was almost the only serious difficulty I had to face in my whole ministry with you. We were always coming out with a deficit for current 77 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION expenses. I had a horror for church debts. And yet we were ambitious and planning improvements. One Sunday while we were tearing down the brick wall back of the pulpit to make room for a new organ, worshipping meanwhile in the chapel, I took for my text, "Owe no man anything but to love one another". Then we circulated cards for sub- scriptions. I had it all figured out : — so many for at least $500.00; so many for at least $100.00; when we got down to $50.00 the number of these pledges was mounting up, and the $25.00 pledges were enormous in number ! Our treasurer brought me next day an envelope with this little note: "Mr. Calkins begs for a good many 25's, I was sure the pinch would come about there, so I came prepared". That envelope con- tained six new bills of $25.00 each! Monday morning early I went in to see how the work was getting on, "You are raising a big cloud of dust here" I said to Mr. Dean. "My grief!" he replied, "don't talk to me about clouds of dust after that sermon of yesterday". It happened a few years later that an evangelist, not a revivalist, but a true evangelist in the best sense of the word was making a tour of the churches with a scheme for getting out and keeping out of debt. "I have found in Buffalo" he told me, "ten churches in debt and not one of them will let me into its pulpit." 78 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION "Now you have found one which is out of debt", I replied, "come into my pulpit and we will have a thanksgiving service." Our new chapel, with its commodious rooms downstairs and its Sunday School room, fountain playing, upstairs, crowded with new scholars gath- ered largely from the streets, became a great resort for all sorts of meetings. An Episcopal church, whose meeting house was rebuilding, held services simul- taneously with ours in the morning. Civic improve- ments were often planned there. One of these was the first use of the newly invented telephone. A wire was laid to Black Rock. The operator accepted my invitation to make our chapel its city terminal. There our leading business men heard for the first time voices instantly recognized many miles away. After the exhibit the operator said to me : 'This has been one of my most successful exhibits and I want to make some return to you for offering me such a convenient place. The stock will soon be on the market and will rise rapidly. I can get you in and keep you in on the ground floor. Invest $1,000 if you have to borrow it. You will live to see it worth $10,000!" I thanked him and assured him speculation was not my business. But what a risk I ran of becoming a very rich man! Perhaps it was that very wire which afterwards connected our bell with the city fire-alarm. Any 79 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION way such a connection was made and some of you will remember one Sunday when Newman Hall was preaching and was greatly annoyed by the repeated strokes. At last he turned to me and begged me to go and stop it. "My dear brother", I replied, "the fellow ring- ing that bell is more than three miles off!" The new chapel and the change from morning to afternoon of the Sunday School immediately swelled the number from one hundred and fifty to over five hundred at this which henceforth became the second service of the church. And then began a revival of spiritual interest, especially among the children. I had a class of over twenty boys and girls prepar- ing for church membership. Emma was one of the most earnest scholars. But at our last meeting, when the covenant they were to take was explained, she was absent. One of her friends explained why, "She told me: 'Mr. Calkins will make us all cry; he always does, and I have forgotten my pocket hand- kerchief!'" Lucy was another convert. She came to me after this last meeting in tears. "I want to be a Christian but I can't." "Why can't you?" "Because I prom- ised my mother long ago that I would be an Episco- palian, and now Mother is dead and I can't get that promise taken back!" 80 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION But the greatest revival in my service in Buffalo, in fact, the greatest in my life, was during that long series of meetings in the North Church with Dr. Clarke as our preacher. All our churches were united. An early morning prayer meeting was held in our prayer-room. Not one meeting passed, if my memory serves me, without one or more new con- verts asking our prayers and remaining for conversa- tion. Not many children this time, but men and women, who since have been pillars in all the Buffalo churches. I am not sure it was at that time, but later when an incident occurred which belongs here without regard to date : An officer of the United States reg- ular army was stationed at Buffalo in command of all the forts and small garrisons scattered along our northern frontier. He and his family were con- stant worshippers with us. One day he came to my study and said he was ready to join the church. At the next communion he was received with many others and he was in full uniform as he kneeled down for baptism! As his work was chiefly in commissary business, he was not obliged to wear the uniform usually and in fact I had never seen him in it before. After the service he explained : "I have been today surrendering myself and the whole United States Army to the Lord Jesus Christ, 81 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION the Commander in Chief of my country and of His own redeemed world !" WOLCOTT CALKINS. Newton, Mass., Oct. 27, 1922. 82 Rev. William S. Hubbell, D. D. LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION A LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION From Rev. William S. Hubbell, D.D., pastor of the North Church, 1881-1896 On Thursday, September 23, 1881, as I was busy in my study at Somerville, Mass., preparing for a service the next Sunday in memory of President James A. Garfield, three callers were announced as awaiting me. They proved- to be Messrs. Pascal P. Pratt, Nelson Holland, and G. Barrett Rich, all of Buffalo. They brought a pro- posal that I should become pastor of the North Pres- byterian Church of that city. They stayed several hours, and at their request I told them of my work of ten years in Somerville. A little later Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adam attended the morning service at my church and called afterward at my home to add their invitation to that of the gentlemen mentioned. As I was unwilling to preach as a candidate in any vacant pulpit, we decided that I should visit Buffalo on a Wednesday, see the city, and give the mid-week lecture in the chapel. What I saw and heard, and the welcome I received, led me to accept the formal call offered at once on my return. In December, 1881, we removed to Buffalo, and I began a happy pastorate of fifteen years. 83 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION At that time the session and the trustees of the North Church were conceded to be the strongest of any Presbyterian church in the city. The Sunday School was large, and, with Orton S. Clark as super- intendent followed by the beloved Charles E. Wal- bridge, it was second to none in Buffalo. Our Harbor Mission had a fine record and a hopeful future. The proximity of the parsonage to the church enabled the pastor not only to preach twice each Sunday, but to address the Sunday School as well. We secured our share of the new families taking up their residence in our vicinity, and the tide of removal by the congregation to more commodious up-town homes was scarcely felt. Eventually, as the lower city was more and more given up to business, the down-town churches were forced to follow their people northward, but the question of removal was not agitated during my pastorate. I do not venture to specify my dearest friends in the North Church. I should not know where to stop; but their names are graven on my heart. Most of them have passed to the fuller life; but their works do follow them, and I am glad to hear that their children have taken up their tasks. Not an unkind word was ever spoken or written to me by any member of my congregation. 84 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION Nor will I mention noteworthy events of my pas- torate from 1881 to 1896. They are recorded in the monthly written reports filed with the clerk of the session. Now in these new times, with a new church edifice of such beauty and availability, with a new pastor, and largely a new congregation, let me say from a loving heart: GOD BLESS YOU ALL! WILLIAM S. HUBBELL. New York City, Nov. 10, 1922. 85 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION A LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION From Rev. Edwin H. Dickinson, D.D., pastor of the North Church, 1897-1916 Geneva, N. Y., Nov. 14th, 1922. The Members of the North Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, New York. My dear Friends: Most vividly do I recall the Christmas evening of 1897 when I arrived in Buffalo for the beginning of my pastorate with you. The following week was given over to the celebration of the fiftieth anniver- sary of the organization of the North Church. Now you are approaching the celebration of its seventy- five years of history in the Kingdom of God. Nineteen years of the past twenty-five of that history it was my high privilege to serve as your pastor. For that great blessing in my life, so long continued, I shall ever be deeply thankful. During the early years of my ministry we wor- shiped in the fine old sanctuary on Main Street, south of Chippewa, the church standing near the center of the city's commercial life, but far south of the center of our resident parish. That the church was able to maintain its worship according to the standard of its earlier years when its mem- bership lived in its neighborhood, was largely due to that fine spirit of loyalty and devotion which char- acterized the life of the church. The opportune sale of the down-town property 86 Rev. Edwin H. Dickinson, D. D. LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION made possible the removal to the present beautiful edifice and was unaccompanied by the necessity for great sacrifice on the part of the membership which the erection of such a noble structure as the present church usually occasions. That the blessing which always follows self-sacri- fice in the cause of our Lord might not be wanting, your officers with the hearty acquiescence of the entire membership, assumed the support of a parish abroad and Dr. Hamilton's remarkable ministry in the Philippines has been the sequel. My memory lingers close to the years of ministry in both the noble old edifice down-town and the beautiful new church uptown and about the three years of worship we shared together in the transi- tion from the old to the new; one year in the build- ing of the Twentieth Century Club, one in the Temple Beth Zion, one in the new chapel while the auditorium was being erected. That memory is luminous with the light of the Christian character and devotion to the cause of Christ of the noble men and women and young people who made the North Church measure to its obligations in the life of the city and in the winning of the world for our Lord. I rejoice with you in the record of the past and in the success and promise of the present ministry and church life. May the guidance of the Divine Spirit with ever increasing clearness reveal and character- ize the onward way! 87 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION THE NORTH CHURCH OF THE FUTURE By Rev. Charles H. Stewart, D.D., pastor of the North Church In these days, celebrating the Seventy-fifth Anni- versary of the Founding of this dear, old North Church, we have been living in the land of mem- ories, a past that must seem to some of our older members more like a dream than the cold reality of history. Joys, sorrows, successes, failures, great achievements, bitter disappointments, times of great national prosperity, other times of panic and advers- ity. Days that ran like rivulets into the stream of years and years gliding swiftly on their way to the mighty shoreless sea of time. Over all these past years, memory waves her magic wand, works her never understood miracle and as though rivers reversed their course, the years come flowing back again, mellowed by the gentle touch of time, but still freighted with memories that make the dead past live again. Oft in the stilly night, When slumbers chains have bound me Fond memory brings the light, Of other days around me. It is with extreme reluctance that I rouse the dreamer of the past and bid him look and shape his LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION dreams of years to come. But, I would have him, with apocalyptic vision, look into a world that never yet has been to follow — "The long, long trail awinding into the land of our dreams" and see what the next three quarters of a century may hold on the lap of the gods. No doubt, that then, as now, North Church will stand, with many sister churches in the midst of a very great city and with service of Psalm and song and Gospel preach- ment woo the souls of men from all sordid things to God. The eyes of generations not yet born will scan the pages we are writing now; some faint rumors of us, what we were and did, what odd things we thought and said, yet how well we meant, will no doubt reach their ears and will be duly chronicled in words of eulogy or pity that, could we but hear them, would set our ears aringing even now. Yes, these unborn ones will search our record ; would to God they may find some worthwhile things to write down when they prepare the records of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of their Church and ours. Perhaps they may smile when their eyes fall upon these lines, but I cannot forbear to speak a word out of their long and well- nigh forgotten past to these, the unborn members of this Church. Dear Friends of the future children's children of this Church, before passing your judgment upon us, there are some things which we are most anxious to 89 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION speak down the years to you. They may help to moderate your judgment and to explain some things that otherwise may sorely puzzle you and to pre- vent you from thinking and saying many foolish things. On the one hand, do not look back to our days and say: "The good old days". As sure as fate, you will both think and utter this foolish thing spite of all our solemn warning. Our days were not better than yours; we tolerated many appalling abuses and conditions of which you have wholly forgotten. You spend your public money for the health, happiness and welfare of your people. In our "good old days" we spent about 93% of our public money on war whereas you settle all our international disputes by reasoned justice, before your great World Court. In our day, we used to settle our industrial disputes by what we called strikes which was just another kind of war. You know far better how to settle your troubles. Then, we had only begun to understand how to treat disease, insanity and crime and our world was the victim of very much suffering and sorrow of which you know nothing. All this and very much more to the same effect robbed our old days of much of the glamor through which you see them. On the other hand, you are not to compare our age too unfavorably with your own ; we had limita- tions and handicaps, ignorance and prejudices to fight against, which made our progress slow com- 90 Rev. Charles H. Stewart, D. D. LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION pared with yours. We didn't live in an immense city extending clear from Lake Erie to Niagara Falls, as you do now. Of course, North Church in our day was not the vast and imposing structure that it is now, though even then it was a gem of ecclesiastical architecture and was one of the happi- est church homes in the entire city. Its membership, small compared with yours, was made up of true, loyal, devoted Christian people who "loved righteous- ness and hated iniquity" ; people who had even then, something of the world-vision that you have today. The work of our church reached all the way to Persia and the distant Philippine Islands, besides which we gave a friendly helping hand to many of our weaker sister churches and were ever ready to respond to the calls of every worthy cause. You have many advantages over the people of our day. You people of the future North Church, you have only two branches of the Christian church, the Roman Catholic and the "United Church of Christ". Your churches are, therefore, all properly placed in the midst of great parishes; they are prop- erly manned, not only with a minister but with a whole staff of workers and teachers. Your School of Religious Education, with its hundreds of pupils receiving religious instruction every day of the week, as the most important part of their training for Christian citizenship, is a very striking contrast to our old-time Sunday School that met for religious instruction for but a single hour once a week, with 91 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION no examination required and attendance entirely optional with the child. Your statesmen and leaders of thought and your entire population just take it for granted that education in religion is an absolute necessity for every child and every citizen and you support religion in accordance with your belief. In our day, we had only got the length of believing a public school education necessary, and strange to say we passed laws against having any religion taught in our schools even against having the Bible read in the school. The people at large regarded religion as a kind of emotional luxury, of doubtful value for this practical life, but necessary to secure some reasonable claim upon one's share of the life to come. Of course, the whole attitude of the people in your day has changed so that religion has something of the recognition which it deserves as a supreme life value; accordingly, it has made life in your time vastly happier than in "the good old days" of which you hear so much. You know the value of religion as a life force, no wonder then that your churches and schools of religion are all crowded and your places of amusement, relatively few in number, and but slimly attended. In our "good old days", it was just the reverse. A prize fighter or a screen star was the object of well-nigh universal attention and admiration ; their names were house- hold words while the names of teachers, preachers and real artists were scarcely heard of. 92 LETTER TO THE CONGREGATION My last word to you is: Keep the good work up, crown Jesus Christ King of your lives. Far as you may progress in ages yet to come, remember that you will still be whole ages behind Him, for in Him, moral and spiritual mankind has reached, once and forever, the sublimest and divinest heights to which the soul of man can aspire. 93 OUR SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OUR SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY THE PROGRAM As planned by The Committee On Sunday morning, December 24th, which is Christmas Sunday, the congregation will be asked to make a Christmas gift to the church in the form of a Free Will Offering for seventy-five years of great history. Sunday evening, Christmas Musical Service ; anthems, carols, vocal and instrumental music by the choir and other artists. Friday evening, December 29th, which is seventy- five years to the day since the founding of the church, there will be a Reception from 5 to 8 P. M. Substantial refreshments will be served by the ladies. At 8 o'clock, there will be a great gathering in the church. Greetings will be presented from representatives of other Christian Churches in the city. We expect all present members of the church and many former members and friends and repre- sentatives from all other Presbyterian Churches of Buffalo to be with us. On Sunday morning, December 31st, the Right Reverend Charles H. Brent, D.D., Episcopal Bishop of Western New York, will preach the Anniversary sermon. Our Baptist neighbors of the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church are to be invited to join 94, OUR SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY with us in a great Watch-Night Service, this being the last day of the year. On Sunday, January 7th, we shall have our reg- ular quarterly Communion at the morning service, at which time, we hope to receive a large number of new members into the fellowship of this church. At the evening service, which will be the last in the series, Dr. Stewart will speak on : "A look into the next seventy-five years." 95