^^^^^^M r-f-^ ...■CT'^ .aA ■^ , ■ A KK\. WILLIAM JOHN CHICH KSTICK, D.l). THE First Presbyterian Church A HISTORY OF THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION IN CHICAGO With Biographical Sketches of the Pastors and Copious Extracts from the Choir Records BY PHILO ADAMS OTIS Member of the Committee on Music since 1874 With Illustrations Clayton F. Sum my Co. Chicago 1900 Copyright, 1900, By Philo a. Otis. PRESS OF Strombkrg, Allen & Co., CHICAGO. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Rev. W. J. Chichester, D. D. Memorial Tablet, Fort Dearborn, Rev. John Blatchford, D. D. "Brick Church," First Presbyterian Church (1859), Wabash Avenue M. E. Church, Mr. James Otis, First Presbyterian Church (1899), Mr. George F. Bacon, First Presbyterian Church (Inte Mr. Charles A. Havens, Mr. Clarence Eddy, Second Presbyterian Church, Mr. Charles D. Irwin, Mrs. Christine N. Dreier, First Presbyterian Church (1887 Choir (1892-1895), Mr. Francis S. Moore, Mrs. Clara G. Trimble, Mr. Glenn Hall, Choir (1899-1900), Mr. Alfred Williams, First Presbyterian Church (1866) Mr. Horace G. Bird, Mr. Augustus G. Downs, Mrs. S. M. Fassett, Name-Plates of Organ Builders, Rev. Jeremiah Porter, D. D., Rev. Flavel Bascom, D. D., . Rev. Harvey Curtis, D.D., Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D. D., Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D. D., Rev. John Henry Barrows, D. D. page. Frontispiece. 6 16, 144 20 26 26 32 42 46 50 54 56, 84 62, 102 64 68 70 76 90, 92 94 96 98 104 112 118 120 122 124 140 152 154 156 160 164 CONTENTS. PAGE. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, 1 PRELUDE, 5 HISTORICAL, 7 Fort Dearborn, 9 Arrival OF Rev. Jebemiah Porter, D.D., ... 10 Organiz-A-Tion of the First Church, .... 11 First House of "Worship, 12 Mr. Porter Accepts Call to Peoria, .... 13 Incorporation of Society and First Board of Trustees, 14 Rev. John Blatchford, D.D., 1.5 Rev. Flavel Bascom, D.D., 17 Purchase of Corner of Clark and Washington Streets, 18 Dedication OF "Brick Church," 18 Resignation of Rev. Flavel Bascom, D.D., . . 21 Rev. Harvey Curtis, D.D., 21 Slavery Question and Organization of Second Church, 23 Sale OF "Brick Church," 24 Purchase of Lot on Wabash Avenue, .... 25 Dedication of New Church on Wabash Avenue, . 25 Resignation of Dr. Curtis, 26 Acceptance of Call by Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D,, 28 Resignation of Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D. , . . 29 Call to Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D. , ... 30 CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH— Organization, 32 Rev. F. W. Graves, 35 Rev. Edward Anderson, 36 Purchase of Corner of Indiana Avenue and Twenty- second Street, • • 37 Rev. J. H. Trowbridge, 37 Rev. E. a. Pierce, 38 Rev. W. C. Dickinson, 39 Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., 39 New Edifice of Calvary Church, 40 The Great Fire, "*! Union of First and Calvary Churches, . . . 42-44 Calvary Church Choir, 45-47 CONTENTS. THE UNITED CHURCHES. pagk. New Organ and Dedication, 48-51 Trial of Rev. David Swing, 52 THE CHOIR JOURNALS. 1876-1878-1879— Engagement of Mr. Eddy, . . . 55-57 1880— Resignation of Dr. Mitchell, .... 58 1881— Call to Rev. John H. Barrows, D.D., . . 59 1882-1883 — Fiftieth Anniversary, 61-64 1884-1885-1886, 65-67 1887-1888-1889, 69-73 1890-1891-1892 75-77 lg93_DEATH OF Dr. Mitchell, 78, 79 1894-1895 — Resignation OF Mr. Eddy; Resignation of Dr. Barrows, 80-87 1896-1897— Call to Rev. W. J. Chichester, D.D., . 87-93 1898-1899 94-105 A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. The Village Choir, 106 Early Music in First Church, 109 First Choir Members, 110, 111 First Organ in Chicago, 113 Choir Leaders of First Church, 121 Members of the Choir in 1857, .... 122, 123 GREAT ORGANS OF THE WORLD, . . . 124, 125 PSALMODY, TUNE AND HYMN BOOKS, ... 126 LIVES OF PASTORS OF FIRST CHURCH. Rev. Jeremiah- Porter, D.D., Founder, . . 140-143 Rev. John Blatchford, D.D., First Pastor, . 144-151 Rev. Flavel Bascom, D.D., Second Pastor, . 152-154 Rkv. Harvey Curtis, D.D., Third Pastor, . . 155,156 Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D., Fourth Pastor, . 157-160 Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., Fifth Pastor, . 161-164 Rev. John H. Barrows, D.D., Sixth Pastor, . 165-168 POSTLUDE, 169 OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH, 170 ERRATA AND ADDENDUM, 171 INDEX, . . 173-179 Abbreviations. O., Organist. -S., Soprano; A., Contralto; T., Tenor; B.,Bas.s; PRELUDE. In presenting a history of the First Presbyterian Church I shall consider : 1. The history of the church from its foundation in 1833 to the consolidation v/ith the Calvary Presbyterian Church in 1871. 2. The histor}-- of the Calvary Presb3^terian Church from its foundation in 1859 to the consolidation with the First Church in 1871. 3. The period from the consolidation of the two churches in 1871 to the present date, 1900. In preparing- this volume I have consulted the records of the Session of the First Church commencing May 30, 1833; the files of newspapers in the Historical Society and Public Library; Captain A. T. Andreas' History of Chi- cago; the Historical Sketch of Rev. Zephaniah Moore Humphrey, D.D. (1867) and the Historical Sermons of Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D. (1878) and Rev. John Henry Bar- rows, D.D. (1883). In January, 1875, I became especially interested in the musical part of the service, and at that time started a semi-official choir journal, in which were recorded every Sunday the names of the members of the choir present, titles of choir and organ selections, name of the officiating minister, occasionally noting text or subject of sermon, as well as important pulpit announcements. Funeral services of members of the church and congregation, in which the pastor and choir have taken part, are also noted therein. This book, therefore, is largely devoted to the history'' of music in this church as a part of its service; and, as, to my knowledge, there exists no other work covering this subject, I have attempted to present a number of facts connected with church music with which I have become acquainted during my investigations, and which seem to me to deserve an authentic record in connection with a history of church life in Chicago. 6 PRELUDE. All the former pastors of the First Church except- ing" Rev. John Henry Barrows, D.D., have passed away. Rev. Y/iiliam John Chichester, D. D., the seventh and present pastor, began his labors October 3, 1897. Rev. Edward Anderson is the only surviving- pastor of Calvar}- Church, the Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., having- been called to his rest September 10, 1899. My thanks are due to many friends who have assisted in the preparation of this work, and especially to the following-: Mr. Eliphalet W. Biatchford, for the article on the life of his father. Rev. John Biatchford, D.D., the first pastor; Mr. Georg-e H. Ferg-us, author of " Fergus' Historical Series" and "Early Illinois"; Mr. Henry Eckford Seelye, member of the Session (1856--72), and Rev. William Willis Clark, for data pertaining to the early history of the church and its members; and to Mrs. William Saltonstall, of Plainfield, N. J., Mrs. Margarette Clarkson Hoard, of Ogdensburg, N. Y., Mrs. Oliver Kepler Johnson, Mr. Edward C. Cleaver and Mr. Charles O.Bostwick, of Chicago, for information pertaining to the choirs of earlier days. I also feel under great obligations to Mr. Edward DuncanJardine,of NewYork City, Mr. George S.Hutchings, of Boston, Mr. George N.Andrews, of Oakland, Cal., Henry Pilcher's Sons, of Louisville, Ky., Mr. W. A. Johnson, of Westfield, Mass., the late Mr. Charles Rollin Larrabee and Mr. Charles David Irwin, of Chicago, for their aid in col- lecting data regarding the organs of Chicago, and to many other kind friends for valuable suggestions. If after the manner of "Old Mortality," who went about carving anew the head lines on the tombstones of the Covenanters, I have been able to place in clearer light any facts regarding those who, in the past, have given so much time and labor to the work of building up this church, then my task is done. We owe much to the founders and the pastors; as much and perhaps more to the faithful men and women by whose devotion, exertion and sacrifice the church has been maintained to this day; and as we pass from pulpit to congregation, it is but fitting" to include the influence of the choir loft. P. A. O. MEMORIAL TABLET ON THE SITE OF FORT DEARBORN. '■*■ My heart is inditing a good matter T — Psalms xlv: /, HISTORICAL. Little remains to-day of early Chicag-o. The few his- toric building-s which escaped the Goths of 1856-57 in their crusade for public improvement and extension of business, were consumed in the conflagration of 1371. While Fort Dearborn lasted, it was, as some one has well said, "the connecting- link between us and the Indians and the wilder- ness." The block-house held out until 1857. Then it had to go, "and the place thereof" v/ould "know it no more," but for a marble tablet attached to the north wall of the building- at the intersection of Michig-an Avenue and River Street, facing- Rush Street bridg-e. Let us stop and read, for our ecclesiastical records start with Fort Dearborn: This building- occupies the site of old Fort Dearborn, which ex- tended a little across and soaiewhat into the river as it now is. The fort was built in 1803-4, forming- our outmost defense. B3^ order of Gen. Hull it was evacuated Aug. 15, 1812, after its stores and provisions had been distributed among- the Indians. Very soon after, the Indians attacked and massacred about fifty of the troops and a number of citizens, including- women and children, and next day burned the fort. In 1816 it was rebuilt, but after the Blackhawk war it went into g-radual disuse, and in Ma3% 1837, was abandoned by the army, but was occupied by various government officers until 1857, when it was torn down, excepting- a single building- which stood upon this site till the g-:-eat fire of Oct. 9, 1871. At the suggestion of the Chicago Historical Society this tablet was erected by W. M. Hoyt. Nov., 1880. Why was this particular point on Lake Michig-an selected by our g-overnment as a position of "outmost defense " ? Why was the fort placed at the mouth of the Chicag-o River, the least important of all the rivers flowing- into the lake, an insignificant stream, with no harbor facilities, with few natural advantag-es? And yet on the site of this fort has g-rown up one of the great cities of the world. A few historical data may here be permitted, though a full presentation would be outside the scope of the present w'ork. One hundred years ago the great highwa}^ "f?-^. 8 A HISTORY OF THE from the Canadas to the lower Mississippi was up Lake Michig-an to the Chicago River, thence by the Illinois River into the "Father of Waters." This was the route of Marquette in 1675, of La Salle in 1679, and of the Jesuit fathers in the eighteenth century in their mis- sionary journeys from Quebec and Montreal to New Orleans. The agents of the trading companies having stations throughout the northwest and along the great lakes could send their goods to the Mississippi only by means of the Chicag-o portage. Fort Dearborn was built for the protection of the trading interests, to counteract the influence of the British on the Lidian tribes scattered along- the lake, and to control the gateway to the Mississippi. August 17, 1803, a company of United States soldiers, under the command of Captain John Whistler, arrived at the Chicago River, and during that summer and autumn built what has since been known as the first Fort Dear- born, named after^ General Henry Dearborn, at that time secretary of vv-ar. The fort was destroyed at the time of the massacre in 1812, but was rebuilt in 1816 on the same spot, after the plan adopted by the war department for most of its frontier posts, and consisted of quarters for the officers, barracks for the soldiers, magazine and provision storehouse and a block-house at the southwest corner, which served not only as a means of defense, but as a tower from which a view could be had of the surrounding territory. The officers' C[uarters were on the v/est side, and the soldiers' on the east side. The entire premises covered an acre or more of g-round and were enclosed by a stockade, fourteen feet in height, made of pieces of timber driven into the ground and firmly bound together. It had two gates, one on the north and the other on the south side. The land to the south of the fort, reaching as far as Madison Street, was enclosed with a fence, and for a long time was known as " Fort Dearborn Reservation."^ Dearborn Park, now occupied by the Public Library, was a part of this reservation, and ' Historical Sprnioii, by Rev. Abbott E. Kittreclffe, D.D.. July 2, 1376. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CEURCH. 9 Wabash and Michig-an Avenues were laid out as a mili- tary g-arden and graveyard. Mr. Addison Ballard, who has been identified with the First Presbyterian Church for at least thirt}^ years, writes of Fort Dearborn as he first saw it : Chicago, February 7, 1899. In reply to your letter asking for my recollections of Fort Dear- born, I will say that I came to Chicago first in April, 1843, a wet spring, mud everywhere. Fort Dearborn stood on the highest and driest spot that I could see or find, and was located at about the junction of what is now Michigan Avenue and River Street. At that time the land was not subdivided, as it was when I came to Chicago to live in 1852. The block-house was the distinctive feature of the fort; it remained long after the other buildings had disappeared. The stockade was still standing in 1843. It ran along the west line of Michigan Avenue to the present alley between Michigan Avenue and River Street, thence along the line of this alley to River Street. The opening of River Street ma}' have removed the stockade from the north boundary of the fort prior to the year 1852, The stockade was made of puncheons^ four to six inches thick, driven into the ground. The lighthouse stood on the bank of the river just west of the south end of Rush Street bridge, as it now is. In 1856 John S. Wright, a. manufacturer and dealer in agri- cultural machinery, bought the block-house and all that remained of the stockade, removing it in 1857 to his new factory on the north branch of the river, and manufacturing the old timber into furniture as souvenirs for himself and friends. The old log's were native oak, and all well seasoned. At that time [1856] I vv^as manufacturing sash, blinds and doors at my factory, corner of Market and Congress Streets. Mr. Wright wished me to saw up the logs into lumber, but not having machinery adapted to such work, I could not take the order. So he did not remove the block-house and stockade until 1857, when he procured the necessary machinery. Chicag-o in 1833 consisted of a collection of log" houses, or huts rather, built by the traders and settlers, on both sides of the river, for a mile or so from its mouth. The only frame buildings were those occupied b};- the stores, of which there were three, standing- about half a mile back from the lake. The first minister to preach the Gospel in Chicag-o was an ag-ed Methodist, Rev. Jesse Walker, who came in April, 1833. "He lived in a log- cabin," says Dr. Mitchell, "on 1 The halves of a split log^, with the faces sincxithed with au adze or ax. are callert pup.cheons. 10 A HISTORY OF THE the west side of the river, near the north branch, and preached there on the Sabbath. "^ Just at this time, the spring- of 1833, the Indian War having" terminated by the surrender of Blackhawk to Gen- eral Scott, ^ the troops at Fort Dearborn were ordered elsewhere. They were to be relieved by two companies then at Fort Brady, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Territory, under the command of Captain John Fowle,^ and Brevet- Major De Lafayette Wilcox.* Rev. Jeremiah Porter, who had been at the Sault since 1831, doing missionar}'^ work at this frontier post and preaching- to the men in the fort, was invited by Major Fowle to accompany the expedition to Fort Dearborn. He decided to g-o, as he had been re- quested by the Missionary Society to explore the shores of Lake Michigan, at that time almost an unknown region, and see if there were any settlements where the preaching of the Gospel would be received. The trip from Fort Brady "was then," says Dr. Mitchell, "almost an ocean voyage." It took seven days to come from Mackinac. The little schooner, " the 'Mayflower' of our history," at last arrived off Chicago on Sunday morning. May 12, 1833, only to pass another drear}'- day waiting- for the boisterous waves to subside, that a landing- might be effected. On Monday, the 13th, the lake having- calmed sufficiently for the vessel to enter the river. Major Fowle landed his troof)s and passeng-ers. May 19, the Sunday following the landir;- of Major Fowle and the troops. Rev. Jeremiah Porter held the first religious services in the history of the church, in the carpenter shop of Fort Dearborn, preaching from the words ' Hisloi-ical Sermon, by Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., 1878. 2 In 1832 my grandfather. Deacon Philo Adams, of Milan, Erie county, Ohio, took a drove of cattle to Fort Dearborn for the supplj' of General Scott's army. He left Milan, May 10, delivered the cattle June 20, and arrived home July 1. The diarj' he kept on this trip is now in the possession of my uncle, Mr. Jay Adams, of Toledo, Ohio. When a lad, I often heard my grandfather speak of General Scott and Fort Dearborn. He told me that the Indians called this place Chi-Ca-Guh, the last syllable spoken as a g-uttural and with a stron;^ accent. M3' jrreat-grandfather, Daniel Adams, was one of General Stark's Green Mountain Uoys, and was present at the surrender of Fort Ticon- derog-a. Deacon Pliilo Adams was born December 12, 1786, and died July 15, 1864. = Captain John Fowle was killed April 25, 18SS, by a steamboat explosion, on the Ohio River. " Major Wilcox distinguished himself in the wnr of 1812 and died at Palatka, Fla.. January 3, 1842. FII^ST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. \\ of the Carpenter of Nazareth: "Herein is my Father grlori- fied, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."^ In the afternoon Mr. Porter preached, in Father Walk- er's cabin; at six o'clock he held a prayer meeting at the fort, and later in the evening- attended another service at Father Walker's. About a month later wq find the second entry in Vol. I. of the records of the Session, which reads: June 26. The church was organized by adopting the Covenant and Articles of Faith in the Presbyterj^ of Detroit. The following persons were received at the formation of the church, viz. : in garrison. Capt. D. Wilcox. Richard Buktis. Mrs. S. G. Wilcox. Benjamin Bkiscok. LiKUT. L. T. Jameson. Ebenezer Ford. Sergt. J. Adams. John Guy. Mrs. H. Adams. Isaac Inghram. Sergt. William C. Cole. William Johnson. Mrs. Julia Cole. David Lake. Mrs. Ruth Ward. James Murray. CHICAGO. Mr. John Wright. Mrs. Elizabeth Brown. RuFus Brown. " Mary Taylor. " John S. Wright. " Clark. " Philo Carpenter. " Syntha Brown. " Jonathan H. Poor. At the jubilee celebration of this church, held in 1883, the name of Miss Eliza Chappel, whom he had known in Mackinac as a teacher, was added to the above list "on the authority and by the request of Rev. Jeremiah Porter." The first public school in Chicago was organized in the meeting house of the First Presbyterian Church, and Miss Chappel was the first teacher in this school. She was married to Rev. Mr. Porter June 16, 1834, in Rochester,N. Y. The membership of the church increased within a few months from twenty-six to fifty-seven, and to accommodate both soldiers and citizens, preaching services were held fora time both in the fort and at Father Walker's cabin on Wolf Point. June 11, 1833, a committee had been appointed to solicit subscriptions for the construction of a meeting house, Mr. Porter generously suggesting that any money subscribed toward his support might be applied to the Historical Sermon, by Rev. John H. Barrows, D.D., 18S3, pasre 16. 12 A HISTORY OF THE building- fund. In the meantime the Home Missionary Society made proper provision for Mr. Porter. The erection of the first house of worship was quite an event in the little settlement. "Nearly all the inhab- itants aided in the construction of this building-, and the undertaking was so stupendous that every shoulder was needed at the wheel." ^ Themeetinghouse,builtby Mr. Joseph Meeker,^ "stood out in the open field, without any fence around it, on what is now the alle}' of the lot at the southwest corner of Lake and Clark Streets," on the south twenty -five feet of lot 1 in block 34 in the Original Town of Chicago. The Chicago Daily Denioc7'at (1834) says: "The First Presbyterian Church has purchased lot 1 in block 34." The books of the Title Guarantee and Trust Co. do not, however, show any record of such a purchase. Y/e can only infer that for the two years or more the Society was in possession of this lot it must have been by permission of the Trustees of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, who held title to the land. The lot was purchased at the canal sale, June, 1836, more than tv\^o years after the meeting house was built, by James Curtiss, secretary of the Illinois Hotel Co. The hotel scheme collapsed in the panic of 1835-37, and thus the church was providentially permitted to continue in posses- sion another year, until a new location was procured farther south on Clark Street, below Washing-ton Street.'^ It was a frame structure of the plainest character, about forty feet in length and twenty-five in width, with plastered walls and bare puncheon floors. The cost was > Hurlbut's " Chicag'o Antiquities," page 615. - Mr. Joseph Meeker was born in Elizabethtown, N. J., September 29,1805; came to Chicago early in 1833; was received into the membership of this church September 8. 1833; librarian in the first formal organization of tlie Sunda3' School March 16, 183S; one of the founders of the Calvary Presbyterian Church, June 20, 185'); died in Chicago January 4, 1872. I was a member of his Sunday Schixil class at the South Congrega- tional Church in 1857, and often heard him speak of his early life in Chicago. ^ Rev. A. D. Field, in speaking of the early churches of Chicago, sa.vs : " There was this 3'ear [1836] a small Catholic chapel, a block south of the Tremont House, and the Presbyterians had a house about 20x30, seated with school bonclies, wliich served as church and school house, situated on Clark Street, between Randolph and Lake Streets, where the present writer received many of the elements of an education, and often sat with aching bones through the long Sabbath services." (" Chicago and Her Churches. Phillips, 18C7.) FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 13 $600. The seating arrang-ements consisted of benches made of ordinary pine boards, which would accommodate about 200. The settlers and the troops from the garrison "filled the building- comfortably every Sunday." In the spring- months, when the water in the ditch in front of the church made it almost inaccessible, the benches taken from the church were the ordinary means for bridging the slough. "Several of the members of the church," says Dr. Mitchell,^ "lived on the West Side, where there were then three houses, but one of those houses, though only 20X14, accommodated that winter seventeen persons. For them it was quite a circumstance to reach the church. The river had to be crossed by a sort of floating bridge, near what is now Randolph Street, and they must then go skipping from one log to another, across the swamps and bogs of the muddy prairies. Sometimes they were sadly bemired on the way, and more than once ladies had to be picked up by strong arms and lifted across the black and treacherous holes." Such was "Chicago's first built Protestant meeting house, commonly called 'the Lord's House,' and a useful building it was to the first settlers." It was dedicated January 4, 1834, Mr. Porter preaching a sermon from this text: " Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may la}^ her young; even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts ; my King and my God." (Psalms Ixxxiv: 3.) Mr. Porter was assisted in the dedicatory services by Rev. A. B, Freeman, pastor of the First Baptist Church, who offered the consecration prayer. From 1833 to 1835 the membership increased to about one hundred, and, as the church was then self-supporting, Mr. Porter felt justified in accepting a call, in the autumn of 1835, to the Main Street Presbyterian Church, of Peoria, "a place which had been settled some fourteen years earlier than Chicago." Mr. Porter was very reluctant to sever his relations with the work he had founded in Chicago, and did not go, ^ Historical Sermon, by Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., pag'e 7. 14 A HISTORY OF THE as he wrote Dr. Mitchell many years later, without an earnest effort to find in his successor, "the best minister in the land." While a delegate to the General Assembly at Pittsburg- in May, 1835, Mr. Porter was in hopes of finding- some one there who would believe in the possibilities of a great city on the banks of Lake Michigan. Rev. Edward Humphrey, D.D., of Louisville, Ky., brother of Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D.; Rev. E. N. Kirk, D.D., of Albany; Rev. J. W. Adams, D.D., of Syracuse ; Rev. Joel Hawes, D.D., of Hartford, and Rev. Derrick Lansing, D.D., of Auburn, "were besieged in vain." There was no g-reat desire on the part of any of these men to leave their comfortable homes in the east for pioneer life in a place which was generally supposed to be "in a great swamp back of Lake Michigan." The people had already taken the name of the First Presbyterian Church, but no steps had been taken for the purpose of incorporating the Societv. November 24, 1835, a meeting of the members was held, in pursuance of an act entitled, "An Act Concerning Religious Societies," approved February 6, 1835, at which the Society assumed the name of "The First Presbyterian Church and Society of Chicag'o," and elected five trustees thereof, to hold their office for one year, viz.: Louis T. Jamison,^ Peter Bolles,- WilliamH. Brown, ^HiramPearsons*andWilliamH. Taylor,^ ' Captain Louis Titus Jamison, U. S. A., a native of Virg-inia, was one of thie officers of the g'arrison who came with Mr. Porter in May, 1833, from Fort Bradj'. At this time (183S) he had cliarare of the government worli on the harbor; died in October, 1856, ag'ed fifty-one, at Rio Grande, Tes., where he resided after the Mexican War. - Mr. Peter Bol]es was a member of the committee for obtaining' a charter to the citj"^ of Chicasfo. At the first city election in 1837 he was chosen alderman from the sec- ond ward ; school inspector in 1839 ; died in New York City August 19, 1839, aged forty- five. ^ Mr. William H. Brown came to Chicago in 1835, and was received into the mem- bei'ship of the church November 3 of that year. In June of the following j^ear he was chosen an elder, an office he continued to hold until 1842, when he withdrew with others to organize the Second Church. He was a philanthropist and an influential friend of the Chicag-o public Schools, acting as school agent from 1840 to 1853. He served the peo- ple so ably in this capacity that Brown Schtx)!, built in 1855, was named tor him. The Chicago Historical Society chose him as its first president in 1S50. Mr. Brovvn died in Amsterdam, Holland, June 17, 1867, aged seventj'-two. * Mr. Hiram Pearsons came to Chicago before 1833. At the first city election in 1837 he was chosen treasurer; afterward alderman of the sixth ward. He was a larg'e real estate operator ; died at Alameda, Cal., August 11, 1S6S, aged fifty-seven. ^ Mr. William Hartt Taylor is now living at Brookline, Mass. While in Chicago, he was a shoe merchant, and resided at the southeast corner of Wabash Avenue and Congress Street. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 15 a certificate of whose election was made and recorded according- to the provisions of the said act. During- the two years which elapsed before a succes- sor to Mr. Porter was secured, the pulpit was supplied partly by Rev. Isaac T. Hinton^ pastor of the First Bap- tist Church, Rev. William McLean^ and Rev. J. J. Miter.-'' "Mr. Hinton became virtually the pastor of the Presby- terian as well as the Baptist Church," says Dr. Mitchell; "both congregations were his auditors." Mr. Porter, in his pamphlet on "The Earliest Religious History of Chicago" (pages 59 and 60), shows how intimate were the relations between the tv/o churches. "The First Baptist Church was org-anized October 19, 1833, under the pastorship of Rev. Allen B. Freeman. Previous to his coming, his prin- cipal supporters, Dr. John T. Temple and others, had attended our meeting-s in the fort and at Wolf Point, and until our church was built, Mr. Freeman and I preached alternately in a room on Franklin Street." Mr. Freeman died of typhoid fever December 17, 1834, aged twenty-seven, and his funeral services were held in the First Presbyterian Church, Mr. Porter preaching the sermon. These cordial relations between the two churches continued during the pastorate of Rev. Isaac T. Hinton, as the ministers " felt bound together by the warmest and strongest bonds." There were at that time two men in the west who were afterward to become devoted pastors of this church — Rev. John Blatchford and Rev. Flavel Bascom. Each > Hon. John Wentworth, in a lecture delivered May 7, 1876, said of Mr. Hinton : " He was a man who never seemed so happy as when immersing- converted sinners in our frozen river or lake. It was said of his converts that no one of them was ever known to be a backslider. It is also claimed for Mr. Hinton that no couple he married was ever divorced. He was just as careful in marrying- as he was in baptizing-. He wanted nobody to fall from g-race." (Andreas' ■' History of Chicag-o," Vol. I, page 318.) Mr. Hinton died of yellow fever in New Orleans, August 28, 1847, aged forty-eight. - MissFrancesL.Willard,oneof the early teachers inChicago, wroteof Mr. McL,ean in a letter, May 25, 1836: " He preaches with eloquence and in a studied argumenta- tive style. Mr. McLean says that in all his travels he was never in a place where money was talked of as here. Ten thousand dollars is nothing ! fifty thousand! one hundred thousand only are named." (Andreas' "History of Chicago," Vol. I, page 301.) Rev. William McLean was afterward pastor from 1837 to 1840, of the First Presby- terian Church of Washington, D. C, where he died February 13, 1873, ag-ed sixty-six. ^ Rev. John J. Miter was the stated supply, 1839-40, of the Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, 111. 16 A HISTORY OF THE had visited the scene of his future labors, each appreciated the responsibilities of the work, each recog-nized the grow- ing- importance of the young- city and the great need there for the preaching of the Gospel. December 25, 1836, Miss Willard wrote to a friend: We have prospects of a minister at last. Rev. Mr. Blatchford, from some town near New York City, has received a call, has not accepted it, but will preach here this winter. Thirty thousand dol- lars are subscribed for the erection of a meeting- house which is to be built of marble. It is not calculated by the committee that it will be finished in less than two years. * Rev. John Blatchford started west in 1836, and after a brief stay in Chicago, went to Jacksonville, 111., where he spent the winter of 1836-37. There he received acall from the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, which he accepted, and was installed as its first pastor July 1, 1837. All thoughts the people may have entertained as to the erection of a costl}?^ house of worship, "to be built of marble," were soon dispelled by the financial depression of 1837. For a few years they had to content themselves with their simple frame meeting house, although some desired changes were effected in its condition and location. The former situation had become undesirable, as the adjacent property was in demand for business purposes, and the people were going to the southern part of the city for their homes, "away out on the prairies below Van Buren Street." The building was moved in 1837-38 from its original position on Clark Street, near Lake Street, to the corner of Clark Street and the alley now known as Calhoun Place, south of Washington Street and facing Clark Street, being the south fifty feet of lot 1, in block 56, Original Town of Chi- cago. During the seven years following and prior to the purchase of the land by the Society, the owners did not demand any rental, as they "regarded the presence of the church a blessing to the whole community." After two years of unceasing labor. Dr. Blatchford's health gave way and he was obliged to terminate his work in Chicago. He was dismissed from the pastorate August 18, 1839, at his own request. 'Andreas' " History of Chicriffo,"' Vol. I, pa-jft- 301. REV. JOHN BLATCHFORD, D. D. From a dajruerreotj'pe in the possession of Mr. E. W. Blatchfor*'. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 17 October 6, 1839, a call was extended by the church to Rev. Albert Hale. The records of the Session read: Session met at the house of Mr. Carpenter. Present, Mr. John Wright, moderator, Philo Carpenter, B, W. Raymond and W. H. Brown. After prayer, on motion, resoh'ed that we g"ive a call to the Rev. Albert Hale to become the pastor of this church at a salary of $1,000, pledging^ the church for a larger sum should the first be insufficient. Mr. Hale, afterward known as "Father Hale," the friend of Abraham Lincoln, declined the invitation. Rev. Flavel Bascom first came to Chicag-o on his wed- dings journey in July, 1833,^ and was invited to preach, as Mr. Porter had an appointment in the country. Unwill- ing- to accept the accommodations at Beaubien's Hotel, and finding- Rufus Brown's^ log- boarding- house full, he was at leng-th induced to encamp in the study of the absent minister, above Peck's store. Provided with matches and a tallow candle by Mr. Brown's family, he escorted his bride throug-h the prairie grass to that home of commerce and piety, and in the pastor's study, furnished with calico hang-ing-s, made his abode while in Chicag-o. On Sunday he preached, in the carpenter shop at the fort, the first sermon which he ever delivered in Illinois. The text was: " Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." In the winter of 1839-40, Mr. Bascom came to Chicag"o as an ag-ent of the American Home Missionary Society, and beg-an preaching- for the First Church, " having- been ex- cused from traveling- over the Illinois prairies in winter." A formal call was extended to him to become the pastor of the church at a meeting- of the Session, held January 21, 1840: Mr. Bascom having vacated the chair, Mr. Carpenter was ap- pointed moderator, when it was voted that a call be given, in pursu- ance of a vote of the church and congregation, to the Rev. F. Bascom to become the pastor of this church, and that a salary of $1,000 be in- cluded in said call. 'Historical Sermon, by Rev. John H. Barrows, D.D., pa;je 23. 2" Most of the members of my orig-inal church," says Mr. Porter, "except those in the arm3% were of this family, so that Mrs. Brown could with much truth say, ' the church that is in my house.' " (" Earliest Religious History of Chicag'o," pag^e 58. 18 A HISTORY OF THE Mr. Bascom accepted the pastorate " with the under- standing that he mig-ht do missionary work during- the summer." He was installed on Sunday, November 11, 1840. The nine years' ministry of Rev. Flavel Bascom, D.D., covered a period of remarkable growth in the mem- bership and affairs of the church. The old frame meeting house was again enlarged by increasing its width, and, as the Society was now in a condition to have a home of its own, plans vv'ere under consideration for a permanent building. May 7, 1844, the church purchased from Samuel and F. A. Russell, all of lot 1 in block 56, Original Town of Chi- cago, on the south end of which the "Wooden Church" was then standing. Though the trustees acquired a frontage of eighty feet on Washington Street and one hundred and eight}'^ feet on Clark Street, the space was not suf&cient to give proper light and ventilation for the building contem- plated. An agreement was thereupon entered into with Robert Freeman, whereby title was acquired to the east twenty-seven feet of lot 2 in block 56, immediately west of and adjoining lot 1. The deed from Freeman to the church trustees was recorded December 19, 1849. This made a total frontage of one hundred and seven feet on Washington Street. The foundations of the "Brick Church" were laid in 1847, and in September, 1849, the building was dedicated.^ In the meantime the financesof the Society were in such a condition that it became necessary for the trustees to sell a portion of the lot, according to an advertisement which appeared in the Daily Tribune of July 20, 1848 : VALUABLE LOTS FOR SALE, The south fifty feet, fronting- on Clark Street, of lot 4 [should be lot i — Author], in block 56, being- the same on which the old building- of the First Presby- terian Church now stands. Terms of sale, cash. By order of the board of trustees. Samuel Howe, Sea clary.''- ' " The cost of the building- was about 524,000," sa: s Dr. Mitchell, "and a serious debt was incurred, which greatly embarrassed the Society." = Mr. Samuel Howe, an early member o( the Chicago Board of Trade, was born at York, Pa., December :^0, 1S12. During- his life of thirty years in Chicai^-o he was an active worker in the interests of a number of relisyious, charitable and educational institutions; amonsr them may be noted the Presbyterian Theolog-ical Seminary of the FIRS T PRESB YTERIA N CHUR CH. 19 This piece of ground, including- the portion of the east twenty-seven feet of lot 2, immediately in the rear thereof, was purchased by Mr. Philip F. W. Peck, November 23, 1848, for $1,850, the deed being- sig-ned by Sylvester Lind^, Jabez Barber-, Sylvester Marsh ^, R. C. Bristol S and Claudius B. Nelson^, trustees. On or about the time of this sale it'was discovered that the proceedings and certificates of election of the church trustees had not been made in all respects according- to the law. A special act of the leg'islature wa.s passed Februar}'^ 8, 1849, leg-alizing- all former acts of the Society, and declar- ing- Sylvester Lind, Jabez Barber, R. C. Bristol, Sylvester Marsh and Samuel Howe, who were elected trustees February 22, 1848, "to be the leg-al successors in office of any trustees of said church and Society at any time here- tofore elected, . . . and that the property of said First Presbyterian Church of Chicag-o shall vest in the above named trustees and their successors in office," etc. Seven years later it became necessary for the church to move still farther south, and on October 19, 1855, the Northwest, the Half Orphan Asylum and the Howe mission. Mr. Howe died in Oak Park May 2, 1872. ^ Mr. Sylvester Lind, a native of Scotland, came to Chicag-o in 1837, and for a long- time was engag^ed in the lumber business. He was a member of the Session from May 8, 1848, until January 7, 1856. He had charge of the rebuilding- of the "Wooden Church" on Clark Street (about 1842), during- the ministry of Rev. Flavel Bascom. Lind University was named for him. Mr. Lind died at Lake Forest, 111., February 6, 18'32, ag-ed eighty-four. - Mr. Jabez Barber was in the lumber trade, and accumulated a large fortune. He was clerk of the Session from October 24, 1848, until November 29, 1849. In 18SS he, with his wife and one child, went to Europe, embarking on the return voyage at Liver- pool January 23, 1856, on the ill-fated Collins' Line steamer " Pacific," which was never heard from. ^ Mr. Sylvester Marsh came to Chicago in 1834. He was a pioneer in the packing business. He organized the White Mountain R. R. Co. Died at Concord, N. H., De- cember 30, 18S4, aged eighty-one. * Mr. Richard Clarke Bristol was an early lake captain; an insurance agent in 1842, and a member of the Board of Underwriters. Before that time he was engaged in the forwarding and commission business with Mr. Hibbard Porter, under the firm name of Bristol & Porter. Mr. Bristol died at Brooklyn, N. Y., July 10, 1806, aged fiity-eight. ^ Mr. Claudius Buchanan Nelson came to Chicago in 1842, and entered the hardware firm of Blair & Stimson, afterwr.rd known as William Blair & Co. Later he became a partner, and continued with this firm until 1881, when he withdrew. Mr. Nelson was received into the membership of the church August 5, 1844, by letter from the First Presbyterian Church of Erie, Pa. He was one of the founders of the Lake Forest Uni- versity, and a director in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of the Northwest; died at Hyde Park, March 29, 1885, aged sixty-five. 20 A HISTORY OF THE trustees entered into a contract for the sale of the remain- ing" portion of this g-round, covering- the one hundred and seven feet frontag-e on Washington Street and the one hundred and thirty feet on Clark Street, with the brick edifice, to Mr. Hug-h Maher^ at a price of $65,000. Mr. Peck purchased this contract from Mr. Maher, and received a deed, dated November 22, 1855, sig-ned by Charles N. Henderson, ^'Amzi Benedict,' Claudius B. Nel- son, Samuel P. Farring-ton* and Augustus G. Downs, trustees. The heirs of the Peck estate have kindly g-iven me the opportunity of examining- the two deeds conveying- the church property to Mr. Philip F. W. Peck, documents pre- pared by Mr. Peck with great care. He wished to g-et all the title the church had, and that he mig-ht be sure he was dealing- with the people calling- themselves the First Pres- byterian Church, he named the Society in the body of the deed in four distinct w^ays : The First Presbyterian Church and Society £>/ Chicago, other- wise known as The Presbyterian Church and Society of Chicago, otherwise known as The Presbyterian Church of Chicago, otherwise known as The First Presbyterian Church in the City of Chicago. This property is now the site of the Chicag-o Opera House building-. After the Society moved to Wabash Ave- nue in 1857 the "Brick Church" was used for various pur- poses. In 1858 it was occupied by the Mechanics' Institute. About the beo-inning- of the war it was converted into a 1 Mr. Hug-h Maher, a native of Ireland, came to Chlcag-o in 1837. He was one ot the boldest, shrewdest real estate operators of his day. " At one time he owned the entire frontajre of both sides of the Chicago River from Sixteenth Street to Eig-hteenth street." He died in Hyde Park, January 22, 1884, aged sixty-six. 2 The name of Henderson has been associated with the boot and shoe industry of this country for nearly fifty years. Mr. Charles Nelson Henderson founded the firm of C. N. Henderson & Co. in 1852. After his death, January 4, 1859, the business was car- ried on by his nephew, under the name of C. M. Henderson & Co. . ' Mr. A mzi Benedict, oneof the earlyjmerchants in the dry goods trade of Chicago, was received into the fellowship and communion of this church September 17, 1849. Mr. Benedict now lives at Latona, Fla. * Mr. Samuel Putnam Farrington was born at Hopkinton, N. H., January 29, 1819. He came to Chicago in 1850, and founded a wholesale grocerj' business, continuing in that line until 18S4, when he removed to Minneapolis, Minn. He was received into the membership of the church July 5, 1862. He died at Minneapolis May 7, 1897. Copyrighted, 1894, by Dibble Publiihi.ig Company. CI icag-o. Reproduce.! ny c.nseiu ot Dibble Fuhlishing- Co. THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1857 ("THE BRICK CHURCH"). FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 2\ music hall, known as Smith & Nixon Hall, and was a popu- lar place for concerts and lectures. The "Brick Church" had been dedicated in Septem- ber, 1849, and soon after, Rev. Flavel Bascom, D.D., sev- ered his connection with the church. The Chicag-o Weekly Democrat of December 4, 1849, contains this parag-raph : On Tuesday evening- last the Society (First Presbyterian Church) met and called Rev. Georg-e F. Magoun, of Galena, 111. Mr. Magoun is said to be a preacher of eminent ability and fine social accomplishments. It was also resolved to g-ive to Rev. Dr. Bascom, the late popular pastor, a friendly call at his residence on Madison, between Wells and Franklin Streets, on Monday evening- nest. The Sessional record of the year 1849 ends with this note: The past year, full of mercies and testifying to the forbearance and long- suffering of our Saviour Lord, has closed upon the history of this church. In addition to the numerous vacancies made in the church rolls by dismissions and deaths, especiallj' b3'- the awful visitation of cholera, the church has to record the separation between themselves and their esteemed pastor. Rev. Flavel Bascom, who was dismissed at his own request on the 4th of Decem.ber, after laboring among them with much acceptance for ten years. On the same day a call was forwarded to the Rev. George F. Magoun, of the Second Presbyterian Church at Galena, to take upon himself the pastoral office of this church; and Rev. Mr. Walker, late pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church of this city, was invited to fill the pulpit ad interun. (Signed) Sam'l Brookes, Clerk. The invitation to Mr. Mag-oun v*'as followed by the ap- pointment of deleg-ates to visit him and urge his accept- ance. On March 16, 1850, another invitation was sent to Mr. Mag-oun : The church and Session, having resolved to send a second invi- tation to the Rev. George F. Magoun to become pastor, a call and letter to the church at Galena were forwarded per mail. The income to be fourteen hundred dollars. As Mr. Magoun's name does not appear ag^ain in the record, the call from the First Church of Chicag-o must have been declined. Rev. Harvey Curtis v/as called to the pastorate of the church at a meeting held Monda3S July 1, 1850: Session met after a full meeting of the church and coiigregation, at which a vote was taken, with but one dissentient voice, to call the 22 A HISTORY OF THE Rev. H. Curtis, of Madison, Indiana, to take upon himself the pas- toral office of this church, with a salary of $1,500 per annum. Mr. Curtis beg-an his pastorate Aug-ust 26, 1850, ac- cording- to the record of a Session meeting held that day. The installation services of Mr. Curtis are thus noted: On Sabbath Day, October 7, 1850, the Rev. H. Curtis v^^as in- stalled as pastor over this church. The Rev. Mr. Patterson preached the sermon, the Rev. Mr. Goss gave the charge to the pastor, the Rev. Mr. Bascom gave the charge to the people, and the Rev. Mr. Weed offered the prayer. The first part of Dr. Curtis' ministry was a period of trial and anxiety, but he conducted the church through those perilous times "with consummate wisdom." "He beg-an his labors under difficulties. An embarrassing debt was on the church. There were painful differences among the members as to the best methodsof anti-slavery work." The affairs of the Society were in such a state at this time that at a meeting on Thursday evening, September 11, 1851, "the question of separation and division of church property was seriously entertained." At a joint meeting- of the Session, trustees and pastor, on Monday evening, September 22, the matter was finally " left in the hands of the Session," who resolved, on October 27, "that a separa- tion of the church was not desirable at the present time." The members of the church had very decided views on the subject of slaverj^ as may be seen from the record of a meeting on January 3, 1853: The first Monday in the New Year was spent by the church in religious exercises and review of God's dealing with it during the past year. The following declaration of sentiment in relation to some of the moral questions of the day, in which Christian feeling is deeply interested, was adopted. Passing- over the preamble, which declares that, "the will of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures is the only authoritative and infallible rule of duty to all mankind," and article I, which sets forth the duty of Christians and all philanthropists, " to abstain from and discountenance in others all violations of the Sabbath as a heaven appointed day of rest," we come to the remaining portion of the FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 23 *' declaration," the discussion of which had for a long- time threatened the very existence of the Society : Article II. We regard the system of American Slavery as a gross invasion of the natural rights of man and a grievous outrage upon the principles of that civil libertj' we enjoy and that Protest- ant Christianity we profess, amoral wrong which must be offensive to God, and which is most injurious to the temporal prosperity and happiness and to the spiritual well being of all connected with it. And for its speedy overthrow, we invoke the co-operation of all humane and philanthropic and Christian people, and the interposi- tion of Almighty God. Article III. We hold the recent "Fugitive Slave Law " to be a palpable violation of some of the fundamental principles of our Fed- eral and State Constitutions ; and opposed to the natural promptings of humanity and the precepts of Christianity, and as such v/e shall not cease to demand and labor for its repeal. Article IV. We regard the laws of this State in respect to col- ored people as most oppressive and needlessly cruel, and altogether unworthy of a free and generous a,nd Christian people ; and we will heartily co-operate in any wise and effectual means for their repeal. Article V dealt with the subject of intemperance. The members "hailed the passage of the ' Maine Liquor Law ' as a wise and proper and effectual means of suppress- ing" the evil." In consequence of dissension on the slavery question, twenty-six members withdrew in 1842 to form the Second Presbyterian Church. " During that time," said Dr. Patterson^ in his address at the jubilee celebration of the Second Church in 1892, "there was a further development in the church of extreme abolitionism and of sympathy with what was then st3ded Oberlin Perfectionism, which led to a distinct and visible growth of aggressive and conservative parties." It led to the inauguration of "a movement for the establishment of a second church, where the more conservative Presbyterian families of the city might find and enjoy a quiet, religioi^.s home suited to their wishes and wants." "I have said," continued Dr. Patterson, "that the Second Church was a: first conservative in regard to the slavery question and Christian doctrine. It was, hovvever, alwa3^s decidedly anti-slavery, averse to revolutionary action on that ' "History of the Second Presbyterian Church, Chicago," 1892, pages 269 and 270. 24 ^ HISTORY OF THE subject. On these accounts the pastor and the church were denounced from the beginning- as pro-slavery, and it was openly claimed that all the piety remained in the mother church." Then came the rupture between Cong-regfationalism and Presbyterianism, resulting in the withdrawal in 1852 of forty-eight members from the First Church for the organization of Plymouth Congregational Church, "At that critical epoch," said Dr. Patterson, "it was confi- dently predicted that in ten years there would not be a Presbyterian Church left in Chicago. But this intense denominational feeling soon abated, and Christian comity prevailed, as it has continued to do ever since." The withdrawals from the First Church continued until the membership had declined from 456 to 254. May not the "declaration of sentiment" of January 3, 1853, be regarded as a shout of victory from the survivors, who, having routed all their opponents, were now in undisputed possession of the field ? Relieved of all disturbing elements, the church entered once more on a season of prosperity, and was greatly blessed during the remaining years of the pastorate of Dr. Curtis. The membership, which had been depleted fully one-half by this "period of strife and rebuke," was in- creased in "the v\/inter and spring of 1852 by a gentle but precious season of spiritual refreshing-." The "Brick Church" was sold because "it was found," says Dr. Humphrey,^ "that the location was not good, the surrounding population being driven away by the encroachments of business, and the place becoming con- stantly more and more dusty and noisy. At the same time an increase of chvirch sittings was needed to supply the wants of the rapidly increasingpopulation." It was decided, after paying the outstanding indebtedness, " to divide the proceeds in such a manner as to secure the speedy erec- tion of three church buildings in the three divisions of our city. This plan was carried out with the generous hope that the members on the West Side would unite with the Historical Sketch, by Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D., 1867, pa?e 5. FIRS T PRESB YTERIA N CHUR CH. 25 Third Presbyterian Church, and those on the North Side with the Westminster, now the Fourth Church." November 6, 1855, the trustees — Charles N. Hender- son, Claudius B. Nelson, Samuel P. Farrington, Aug-ustus Gould Downs and Amzi Benedict — purchased from Mr, Carl- ton Drake the north half of lot 8 in block 10, in Fractional Section 15, Addition to Chicag-o. Six months later to a day, May 6, 1856, Mr. Austin Goodrich conveyed to the same trustees the south half of said lot 8, makino- a total front- ag-e of eig-hty feet on Wabash Avenue. ' The cost of the entire property was about 812,500. The new edifice was commenced in 1856, and com- pleted in October, 1857, under the supervision of Eoying-- ton & Wheelock, architects.^ The Chicago Daily Press of Friday, October 16, 1857, g'ives the following- account of the dedicatory services, v/hich took place on the previous evening-: Therewas an impressive sermon by the pastor. Dr. Curtis. Mr. W. H. Currie, the accomplished organist of St. Paul's, brought out the power of the fine organ in a striking manner. Although the weather was unfavorable, there was a large audience present. The house is finely lighted by day through the rich stained glass vvindows in the ceiling, and the effect of gas light on the interior at night is the finest possible. The same paper in their issue of Monday, October 19, 1857, gives further details of the interior finish : The pulpit is located in front of the organ gallery (at the west end of the church), semi-octagon in form, and is grained in imitation ' This property is now known as the premises Nos. 307-313 Wabash avenue. In 1872 the church had the opportunit3- of seUing this land at $8U,000, cash, but declined the offer, to accept one of $100,000, of which 520,000 was in cash and $80,000 in deferred pay- ments. It was the expectation at the time (1872) that the proceeds of the sale of this property wuul : pay the cost of the new edifice at the comer of Indiana Avenue and Twenty-first Street. But the purchaser could not even pay the interest on the deferred payments, and the property, after some j'ears, reverted to the Society. In the mean- time a mortgag-e of 570,000 had to be raised on the Indiana Avenue edifice for its comple- tion. The Wabash A venue lot was finally sold in 1S80 at about 5400 per front foot. As an evidence of the enormous prov.th in real estate values within the last fifteen years the forty feet (one-half of.the old church lot), covered by the building-s 307 and 309 Wabash Avenue, were sold in 1897 for 5150,000. 2 Mr. W. W. Boyino-ton was born July 18, 1S22. in Southwick, Mass.. came to Chicag-o in 1853, and died at Hig-hland Park, 111., October 16, 18'18, agred sevent.v-six. He built the St. Paul's Cniversafist Church (1856). First Presbyterian Church (1857), Wabash Avenue M. E. Church (185S), and in later years the Board of Trade, E.xposi- tion buildinor, Columbus Memorial and i ther important buildin.jrs. He was Chicago's first professional architect. Otis Leonard Wheelock died at San Jose, Cal.. January 23. 1893, ag-ed seventy-seven. 26 ^ HISTORY OF THE of Eng-lish oak. The organ is a splendid instrument. The case, or screen, is executed in the same style of architecture as the other parts of the house, and was designed by the architect to fill the place arrang-ed for it. It is a perfect model. The instrument is one of the largest first-class org-ans made by the well known firm of Hall & Labagh, of New York City. The case of the organ has -been grained to correspond with the pulpit and pews. The Daily Press closes its articles on the description of the church with this notice from the trustees, reg-ard- ing the saleof pews to be held on the evening- of October 19 : In view of the favorable circumstances of the Society and the present stringency in monetary affairs, and wishing to place it within the means of everj^ member of the Society to purchase a seat, the trustees are induced to oft'er the most favorable terms, viz. : Ten per cent cash, ten per cent in three months, five per cent in six months, and the balance in one, two and three years from day of sale, with interest at ten per cent. The prices of pews range from $25 to The total cost of the land, building-, org-an and f urnish- ing-s was about $135,000. Early in the year 1858 Dr. Curtis was elected pres- ident of Knox Colleg-e at Galesburg-, 111., and on the even- ing- of June 8 his resig-nation as pastor was laid before a meeting- of the church and cong-reg-ation. A resolution of- fered by Mr. E. S. Wells was unanimously adopted : Resolved, That in reviewing the past eight years of Christian labor, counsel and fellowship under the leadership of Dr. Curtis we can see how kindly have been the dealings of God with us, in giving us one so pre-eminently qvialified as an expounder of the Bible, a faithful and affectionate pastor and sympathetic friend. The members of the church and cong-reg-ation met on Monday evening-, July 12, 1858, the late pastor. Rev. Har- vey Curtis, D,D., acting- as moderator, and Mr. J. H. Brown as secretary, and unanimously adopted a resolution offered by Mr, S. H. Pierson : That the Session be and are hereby authorized to extend an unanimous call to Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler, of New York City, to be- come pastor of this church. The Session and trustees met on the following- even- ing-, July 13, and appointed Mr. E. S. Wells and Mr. Henry E. Seelye a committee to visit the Rev. Theodore L. Cuvler and tender him the call. At the next meeting- THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1859- WABASH AVENUE, NEAR CONGRESS STREET. From the collection of Mr. Frank W. Smith. WABASH AVENUE M. E. CHURCH, 18.^9 — N. W. CORNER HARRISON STREET. WITH THE FIRS r PRESBYTERIAN AND ST. PAUL'S UNIVERSALIS!- CHURCHES IN THE DISTANCE. From the collection of Mr. Frank W. Smith. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 27 Monday evening-, September 6, the committee made a re- port that it was doubtful if Mr. Cuyler would accept the invitation to become pastor of this church, whereupon a resolution offered by Dr. R. C. Hamill was adopted : That Rev. Theodore L. Cuj-ler be advised of the unanimity of this church in the continuance of the call, and that a committee of five be appointed to draft a series of resolutions expressive of the sense of this meeting-. A committee v/as thereupon appointed, consisting- of H. T. Wilson, Dr. R. Ludlam,' J. V/. Smith, J. M. Mather and Georg-e W. Perkins, who broug-ht in a report before the close of the evening-, which was in substance : That the committee heretofore appointed to confer with Mr. Cuyler be continued, and that they are hereby authorized to convey to him the unanimous, the unqualified and earnest assurance of this church and congregation that it is their sincere and fervent desire to obtain an early acceptance of their call. Resolved, That it is still the unanimous conviction of this church that God in His Providence has designed the Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler to be its pastor. In the meantime it was necessary that some one should act as pastor of the church. The Session, accordingly, at a meeting- September 20, invited the Rev. S. S. Smith to serve as temporary supply for three months or less, com- mencing- October 1, with a salary at the rate of $2,000 per annum. Monday evening-, September 27, the orig-inal committee who were appointed to wait upon Mr. Cuyler appeared before the church and cong-reg-ation and reported : We have received a letter from Mr. Cuyler, in which he states that, having again taken the matter into prayerful consideration, and carefully weighed the importance of the two fields, he was still of the opinion that the interests of Christ's kingdom at large could and would be better promoted without a change of field, and that he must, therefore, decline the call which had been extended to him. The name of Rev. John G. Atterbury, of New Albany, Ind., was then presented by Mr. G. H. Hazelton as one in every way qualified to become pastor of the church. Mr.S. H. Pierson sugg-ested the name of Rev. Dr. Bur- chard, of New York City, as a candidate for the pastorate. •Dr. Reuben Ludlam, Sr., president of Hahnemann Colleg-e, and one of the best known surgeons and homeopathic practitioners in America, died April 29, 1S99; born at Camden, N. J., in 1831; g-raduate of the University of Pennsylvania. 28 A HISTORY OF THE A ballot was then taken, resulting" in eighty-seven votes being- cast, of which thirty-three were for Rev. J. G. Atter- bury, and fifty-four were blanks. A resolution offered by Mr. C. A. Norton shows that the people had hopes of yet securing Mr, Cuyler: Resolved, That the orig:inal committee be requested to again confer with Mr. Cuyler, and, furthermore, that they earnestly en- treat Mr. Cuyler to visit the church before the matter is entirely dismissed from his mind, and to see for himself what are the wants of the church. "Early in the month of October," says Mr. Henry M. Curtis, "Mr. Cuyler came out from Brooklyn and preached for us. The church was crowded at each service." The committee reported October 18: Tliat they had conferred with Mr. Cuyler, and that there was no hope of his accepting^ the pastorate of the cliurch. A resolution offered by Mr. J. W. Smith was then adopted : We do still believe that God has some good man in reserve for this church, and that'the only way to secure a permanent pastor is to refer the matter to the Session; that the Session carefully lool< into the qualifications of tlie different men who are now before them^ or who may be suggested to them, and when they are able to recom- mend the name of one who will not only be acceptable to our whole church, but who also manifests^a willingness to accept the call, that they invite him to preach before the congreg^ation. Monday evening, April 4, 1859, Mr. F. V. Chamber- lain, on behalf of the Session, reported that they had con- ferred with Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, of Milwau', and admitted to the membership of the Calvarj' Presbyterian Church. After the consolidation of this church with the First Church, Mr. Hollini^sworth was again elected an elder, continuing- in ofiBce until his death, January 25, 1889. CAL VAR Y PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH. 35 Mr. and Mrs. Leander Reed, Dr. George C. Reynolds, Mrs. M. F. Ripley, Mr. and Mrs. Junius Rog^ers. Prof, and Mrs. Alonzo Jesse Sawyer,^ Mr. and Mrs. George Atwell Spring-er (Mr. Spring-er died February 10, 1899; ag-ed eig-hty-three years), Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sherman. Mr. and Mrs. B. W. Thomas, Miss Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. A. Walling-ford, Mr. H. J. Walling-ford, Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Wilmarth (,Mr. Wilmarth died Feb- ruary 27, 1885), Mr. and Mrs. John Wrig-ht, Mr. Albert Wilcox, Mr. Philo Adams Wilbor, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wood. For a year or more the members of the new church worshiped in the school room of the Orphan Asylum. Rev. Frederick William Graves, the first pastor of Calvary Church, was born at Leverett, Mass., March 9, 1805. His father. Colonel Rufus Graves, was one of the founders (1825) of Amherst Colleg-e, and it was for him the Graves professorship was named. It is worthy of note that Dr. Zephaniah Moore, for whom Rev. Zephaniah Moore Humphrey was named, was the first president of Amherst, and that the Rev. Frederick William Graves was a member of the first class g-raduated from this honored institution. After leaving- colleg-e he spent eig-hteen months in teaching-, and in the autumn of 1829 entered the Theolog-ical Seminary at Andover, g-raduating- in 1833. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Geneva, N. Y., and after preaching- one year to the First Free Church of Lockport, N. Y., he removed in 1835, to accept the pastorate of the church at Alton, 111. It was during- his ministry there that Rev. Elijah P. Love- joy was murdered. Owing- to the terrible state of affairs following- the martyrdom of Lovejoy, Mr. Graves reg-arded ^ Mr. Alonzo Jesse Sawyer, professor of mathematics and astronomy in the old University of Chicafro (18S9 to about 1S70), was born in 1819 at Crown Point, Essex county. New York. He came to Chicag-o in 1853 and was eng-ag-ed as principal of an English classical and high school, which met in the basement of the " Brick Church " (corner of Washington and Clark Streets). This school had been org-anized two or three years previously, and i;s first teacher was iVIr. D. H. Temple. Professor Sawyer was an elder in Calvary Church, a member of the music committee, and, havinR- a profound knowledge of the Bible, taught the Bible class for several years. Hon. Philetus Sawj'er, ex-senator from Wisconsin, is his brother. Mr. Elihu Burritt, the reformer and " learned blacksmith," who died November 10, 1879, was his brother-in-law. Professor Sawyer died in Chicago September 16, 1882. 36 A HISTORY OF it his duty to leave Alton. In the following- year he re- turned east, where many churches and ministers were greatly helped by him in promoting- revivals of religion. Thus he labored for some nine weeks in the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Albany, and afterward with churches in Buffalo, Elmira, Corning and Philadelphia. For a year he traveled over the greater part of the state of New York lecturing in the interest of the temperance reform. After leaving Chicag^o, where he was pastor of Calvary Church from June, 1859, to June, 1860, Mr. Graves accepted a position with the Christian Commission, doing much good in the hospitals during the war. He died of consumption at Canandaigua, N. Y,, December 8, 1864, and was buried at Corning, where, in 1834, he had married Miss Susan Hayt, daughter of the late Dr. John C. Hayt, of that city. Mr. Graves' son. Major E. P. Graves, of Corning, has kindly furnished many of the foregoing particulars. During the summer of 1860 a lot had been purchased on the west side of Indiana Avenue, midway between Ring- gold and Palo Alto Places (now Twenty-second and Twenty-third Streets) on which the Society began the erection of a frame church, under the charge of Messrs. James Otis and Ebenezer Jenkins, building committee. The new building was about completed when Rev. Edward Anderson, the second pastor, began his labors, in the autumn of 1860. The records of the Session meeting held October 27, 1860, speak of the dedication of this building: On motion it was resolved to hold the dedicatory services in our new house of worship on the eleventh day of November next at 7:30 p. M., and that Rev. Z. M. Humphrey, D.D., be invited to deliver the dedicatory sermon, Rev, Arthur Swazey to act as alternate. Rev. Edward Anderson, in a letter dated November 17, 1898, at his present home in Quincy, Mass., gives a few facts reg-arding his life work. He was born in Boston, November 19, 1833, his father, Rev. Rufus Anderson, D.D., LL.D., being for many years foreign secretary of the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions. Mr. Anderson was educated in and about Boston. When only twenty years of ag^e, he went to Kansas with the Massachusetts men, and was in every important engagement CA7^ VAR Y PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CB. 37 there with John Brown and General "Jim" Lane. After his ordination as a minister in 1858, he was called in 1860 to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church in St. Joseph, Mich., from whence he removed to Chicag-o in October of that year to take the pastorate of Calvary Church. He resigned in July, 1861, to accept the chap- laincy of the Thirty-seventh reg-iment of the Illinois Volun- teer Infantry. Later Mr. Anderson raised three regiments in Indiana, in one of which, the Twelfth Cavalry, he served as colonel until the end of the war. In recent years Mr. Anderson is better known as the author of a collection of short sketches entitled "Camp Fire Stories," in which are set forth in a picturesqueway the variousscenesof army life. After Chicag-o and our old church [says Mr. Anderson] my principal pastorates were Jamestown, N. Y. ; Quinc3', 111. ; Westminster Presbyterian Church, Toledo, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Norwalk and Danielson, Conn. I have now practically retired from pastoral work, though I am preaching at the Washington Street Church here, trying to build it up. I am engaged in literary work. After Mr. Anderson went away the pulpit of Calvary Church was supplied by different ministers. It was not uncommon when vSunday morning- came, and no minister had been secured, for one of the elders to conduct the services. A member of the pastoral committee would often visit the hotels on Saturdays to look over the regis- ters and thus secure a minister, if possible. During theyearl862thesocietypurchased at the north- east corner of Indiana Avenue and Ringgold Place (now Twenty-second Street), a lot having a frontage of ninety- eight feet on Indiana Avenue and one hundred and seventy- eight and one-half feet on Ringgold Place, for a consider- ation of $4,500. The east seventy-eight feet of this lot was subsequently sold, leaving a frontage of one hundred and three and one-half feet on Ringgold Place. The church building was moved to the new location, its length increased and a brick basement constructed, thus giving accommodation for the Sunda}^ School, prayer meeting and pastor's study. In the meantime Rev. James Hewit Trowbridge had commenced his labors as third pastor. Mr. Trowbridge 38 -4 HISTORY OF was born at Plattsburg-h, N. Y., May 27, 1820. He was graduated from Middlebury Colleg^e, Vermont, in 1847, and then studied theolog-y at Union Seminary and in New Haven under Dr. W. W. Taylor, g^raduating- in 1850. From 1850 to 1854 Mr. Trowbridge preached in North Haver- shaw, N. Y.; from 1854 to 1856, in Marshall, Mich.; from 1856 to 1862, in Dubuque, Iowa, He accepted a call to the pastorate of Calvary Presbyterian Church, of Chi- cago, in the autumn of 1861, beginning- his duties January IS, 1862, the installation services taking place in March, 1863. He tendered his resignation in March, 1865, and was appointed district secretary of the New School Committee on Home Missions, and continued in this work until 1870, when the office was abolished at the reunion of the Old and New School Churches. His old friend. Rev. Georg-e C. Noyes, D.D., says of his further work: "Mr. Trowbridge was one of the chief workers in org-anizing the Presbyterian League. He was for a time editor of the Interior, a paper which he, more than any other man, was instrumental in establishing-, and to which he gave the name. He was pastor of the church in Riverside from 1873 to 1885. The last work of his life was in the Reunion Church (now the Ninth Presbyterian). At the request of the Home Missions Committee he undertook with energ-}- the difficult task of buildings up this church, which was discoura,g-ed by its long strug-gle with debt and dis- aster. In the midst of these labors he was arrested by the messenger which summoned him to his reward." Mr. Trowbridge died at Riverside, 111., January 9, 1887. His widow, Mrs. Alice L. M. Trowbrldg-e, a daughter of the late Hon. R. B. Mason, now resides in Chicag-o. It will always be a source of much regret to me that I never had the opportunity of meeting Rev. Edward Arthur Pierce, who was the fourth pastor of Calvary Church. During the two years of his pastorate I was ab- sent from Chicago, and did not return until some time after his death. Mr. Pierce was born at Woodbury, Conn., September 15, 1835. Two years later the family removed to Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio. He entered the C4 Li/AFY PRESS Y TERIA N CH UR CH. 39 sophomore class of Williams College in 1855, g-i-aduating- in 1857. After a three years' course at the Theolog-ical Seminary of East Windsor Hill, Conn., he visited Chicag-o in 1861, and was cnlled to the pastorate of Westminster Presbyterian Church, v/here he labored from December, 1861, until November, 1865. Mr. Pierce was chosen pastor of Calvary Church October 24, 1865, and sent his letter of acceptance November 24 following-, the installation serv- ices taking place December 22. In consequence of ill health he was granted nine months' leave of absence on December 1, 1867, and started south immediately, hoping that a warmer climate would be beneficial. He died Feb- ruary 26, 1868, at Tallahassee, Fla. His widow, now Mrs. Emily A. Taylor, resides in Philadelphia. The communion table and two chairs, with the three pulpit chairs in the present edifice, were the gift of Mrs. Taylor. Some time elapsed before the selection of a new pastor. When Mr. Pierce was given leave of absence in December, 1867, Rev. W. C. Dickinson was appointed pulpit supply. He was so highly esteemed by the church that on May 26, 1868, an unanimous call was extended to him to become its pastor ; but he did not think it best to accept.^ Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., who was at this time in charge of the South Congregational Church of Bridgeport, Conn., received, April 5, 1869, a formal invitation from Calvary Church to become its (fifth) pastor. In aletter of Decem- ber 15, 1898, written at Jordansville, Herkimer County, N. Y., where his home had then been for eighteen years, Dr. Lord has given me some particulars of his life and pastoral work : I was born in New York City April 21, 1821; entered the sopho- more class of the University of Pennsylvania in January, 1842, and was grraduated from Rutgers College, in 1847. I studied theology in the seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church of New Brunswick, N. J. In 1864-1865 I was a member of the United States Sanitary Commis- sion. My pastorates have been with the First Reformed Dutch churches of Piermont, Nyaclc and Jersey City. While pastor of the South 1 Rev. V/illiam Covvper Dickiuson was born January ZO, 1817, in Longmeadow, Mass., and died in Evanston, 111., March 12,189'). The org-p.nist. Mr. Clarence Dickin- son, o{ Chicag'i), is his son. 40 ^ HISTORY OF Congreg'ational Church of Bridg-eport, Conn., I received in 1869 three calls almost simultaneously, from the Third Presbyterian, Fuller- ton Avenue, and Calvary Presbyterian churches of Chicag-o. I ac- cepted the call from the latter church, and was its pastor until the absorption of its members by the First Presbyterian Church after the great fire of 1871. On giving- up my work with Calvary Church, I turned to the study of medicine, and was graduated from the Chi- cago Medical College in 1873. Later I was appointed pliysician in chief of tile South Side Dispensary. I was for a time professor of natural sciences in Rockland County Institute. I am now meeting a handful of my old friends and neighbors on Sundajj^ morning in a little box we call Christ Church. On some accounts missionary work is needed here ( Jordansville) as much as in South Africa. I am happy with my work and people. Dr. Lord died on Sabbath morntng, September 10, 1899, in his pulpit at Jordansville. He had just finished his sermon, and was making- some announcements, when he was stricken with apoplexy, fell to the floor, and died in a few moments, without regaining- consciousness. Dr. Lord possessed tlie charm and power of extemporaneous address, a tender spirituality and a finished culture. So attractive was his personalit3'' that the distinguished Roman prelate. Arch- bishop Ireland, meeting him on shipboard, was so impressed and won that in recording his travels for publication he could not refrain from making appreciative mention of his Protestant fellow-traveler. Dr. Lord's death was most fitting. It was an ascension front the high places of his power and joy. ' The steady growth of the church under its sev^eral pastors received such a marked impetus after the Rev. Dr. Lord was called to the pastorate, that it was soon evident that a larg-er church edifice was needed. June 6, 1870, the trustees of Calvary Church purchased from the Trinity M. E. Church, for a consideration of $33,000, the northeast corner of Indiana Avenue and Twenty-first Street, being- a part of lots 15 and 18, in block 4, in Georg-e Smith's Addition to Chicag-o, having- a frontag-e of ninety-eight feet on Indiana Avenue and a depth of one hundred and seventy-eight feet on Twenty-first Street. The premises were at this time (1870) occupied by the stone edifice of Trinity Church. Subsequently the east twenty-three feet of this lot, together with the brick 'Thp fitti-n'or, Chicago, September, tS'J' CAL VAR V FRESH YTERIAN CHURCH. 41 house (now 66 Twenty-first Street) were sold by Calvary Church for $5,000. In order to make this new purchase it was necessary for the trustees to dispose of the former lot and building- at the corner of Twenty-second Street. This property was sold by Calvary Church to Mr. Harvey M. Thompson, by deed bearing- date August 6, 1870, for a consideration of $26,750.^ Preparations for the erection of a new church were commenced immediately ; the old building- of Trinity Church was taken down, and the new edifice of Calvary Church was begun under the direction of Mr. J. C. Coch- rane,^ architect. The corner stone was laid in November, 1870. Little or no prog-ress was made that winter, but work was resumed in the spring-, with the expectation that the basement would be completed before the autumn, and ready for church services. In the meantime the Society continued to hold services in the old frame building- at the corner of Twenty-second Street. Sunday, October 8, and Monday, October 9, 1871, will never be forgotten by those who were here and witnessed the terrible scenes that occurred. After the morning ser- vice at Calvary Church, in company with other members of the choir, I visited the new building at the corner of Twenty-first Street. The west, north and south walls were completed, but the east wall had not been carried to the finish. The trusses supporting the roof were in posi- tion and some of the roof boards on, but the interior was filled with scaffolding and builders' material. An organ committee had already been appointed, consisting- of Mr. Henry Wood, Mr. Georg-e F. Bacon and myself. We had practically decided on the firm of Messrs. Hook & Hasting-s, of Boston, as the builders, and were then considering some plans and specifications they had submitted. On this Sunday morning- Mr. Bacon and I climbed to the main floor •These premises were conveyed bj- Mr. H. M. Thompson to Messrs. Daniel A. Jones and Leonard Hodges, by deed dated August 6, 1871. This lot is now a part of the site of the present " Hodges Block." ^Mr. John Crambie Cochrane built the Church of the Messiah, Jefferson Park Church, Cook County and Michael Reese Hospitals, and the Iowa and Illinois State Capitols. Mr. Cochrane difd in Chicago November 13, 1887. 42 A HISTORY OF of the building' to note the position that the org-an was to occupy. As our church was closed that evening", I attended ser- vice at Grace Episcopal Church. When the cong-regation had been dismissed and was passing out, every one observed that the western sky was flaming red and that a fire was in progress. There had been an extensive fire the night before (Saturday) in a district of the West Side, filled with lumber yards and frame buildings, and some apprehension was felt on that Sunday as to the consequences which might result if another fire should break out in the same locality. But no one even dreamed of the awTui scenes of desolation we were to witness in the morning: churches, homes, offices, banks, warehouses, all in ruins. Plymouth Congregational Church (at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Harmon Court) and Grace Episcopal Church were not in the line of the fire, and thus escaped. But every church between Cong-ress Street and Lincoln Park was destroyed, thus entailing- enormous losses on religious societies. There were at this time (1871) in the district between Twenty-second Street and the river four Presbyterian Churches — the First, Second, Olivet and Calvary. Strictly speaking-, there were but three, as the Second Church had already effected a union with the Olivet Church, and had held its first services with that Society on the day of the fire. The First Presbyterian Church having- lost its home, and the Calvary Presbyterian Church, with a iit \ build- ing barely started, concluded for their mutual interests also to consolidate. Thus four strong org-anizations, all having- larg-e con- gregations in attendance, each doing- a great work, were welded into two. At the time it seemed as though these consolidations meant a great loss to Presbyterian in- terests. At all events, the members of the Presbytery took that view, for their consent to the consolidation of the First Church with Calvary Church was only granted after long- and serious consideration. The affairs of Calvarv Church at this time were in THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH— N. E. CORNER INDIANA AVENUE AND TWENTY-FIRST STREET. CAL VAR V PRESS YTERIAN CHURCH. 43 such a condiuon that no other course but a union with the First Church seemed pi-acticable. It had undertaken the erection of a costly edifice; the members had suffered heavy losses by reason of the fire, and it was evident that the building- could only be completed by heavily mort- g-aging- the property. It was furthermore apparent that the First and Second Churches would both be ultimately located in its neighborhood, thereby interfering with its future usefulness. What other course but a consolidation with the First Church was open to the people of Calvary Church? Subsequent events have fully sustained the sound judgment and forethought of thor,e who had these interests at heart. On Sunday afternoon, October 15, toe members of the old First Church g-athered together for worship in Christ Reformed Episcopal Church. At a meeting of the mem- bers of Calvary Church, held October 17, a committee was appointed to confer with the Session of the First Church, on the subject of uniting. Its members were Messrs. James Otis, Daniel A. Jones, G. S. Ingraham, Henry Wood and Joseph N. Barker. At a subsequent meeting Hon. Jesse O. Norton was added to the committee. At a joint meeting of the committee from Calvary Church and the Session of the First Church, held at the residence of Mr. George F. Bissell, on Friday evening, October 27, a basis of union was agreed upon: (1). The name of the united church shall be the First Presby- terian Church of Chicago, and the present pastor of the First Church, Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., shrill be the pastor of the united church. (2.) The united church shall pay to Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., the present pastor of Calvary Church, the sum of Twenty-five Hun- dred Dollars ($2,500.00) and Calvary Church shall be allowed to divert $2,500 from the amount subscribed towards the building- of the church edifice, before making over their personal property to the First Church, Or, that in lieu of the above payment of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), if Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., shall so elect, the united churches will pay him a salary of Twenty-five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) per year, for two years, provided he will take charge of the Forty-first Street Presbyterian Church; Dr. Lord to receive such additional salary as said church may be able to pa3'^. 44 A HISTORY OF (3.) That all the property, real and personal, of the two churches shall become the property of the united church, the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. (4.) That the churches so united shall proceed to finish the edifice now in process of erection on the corner of Indiana Avenue and Twenty-first Street, in accordance with the plans and specifi- cations heretofore adopted by Calvary Church, subject to any modi- fications or alterations mutually agreed upon. The expenses of such completion to be paid out of any available means now belong- ing to the First Church, after having paid the above sum of Twenty- five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) to Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., and the sum of Sevent3'-five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00), heretofore borrowed by Calvary Church, for use in the construction of said church. The Trustees of Calvary Church shall convey by proper deed of conveyance their real and personal property to the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, upon the acceptance of this basis of union by the two churches. It is understood in this basis of union that the civil existence of the First Church rem.ains uninterrupted. (5.) The churches shall be united by an act of Presbytery, and all arrangements as to trustees and Session shall be left to future consideration and conference. This plan of union was adopted by each of the churches. At a meeting- of the Session of Calvary Church, held on the evening- of November 2, Rev. Daniel Lord, D.D., asked the Session to join v^^ith him in an application to the Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relation existing- betv^^een the pastor and people of Calvary Church. This request was g-ranted. It was also voted that application be made to the Presbytery, at its first meeting-, to take the necessary action for uniting- the membership of this church with that of the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. James Otis was appointed delegate to this meeting- of the Pres- bytery. The Session of the First Church also took action: November 5, 1871. Session of First Presbyterian Church met and appointed Mr. Henry E. Seelye delegate (Mr. O. D. Ranney alternate) to the Pres- bytery to represent the Session of this church in the matter of the consolidation of the First with the Calvary Presbyterian Church. November 13, 1871. Session met in the basement of Christ Reformed Episcopal Church. Present, Messrs. Ranney, Bissell, Hamill and Penfield, of CAL VAKV PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH. 45 the First Church, and Messrs. Wood, Norton and Otis, of the former Calvary Church. The pastor being; absent, Mr, Bissell acted as moderator. Mr. James Otis, as deleg-ate to the Presbytery from the late Calvary Church, and Mr. Ranney, of the First Church, reported that application w^as duly made to tlie Presbytery at its meeting- on Wednesday, November 8, to unite the First and Calvary Presbyterian Churches; that the Presbytery voted "to unite the chvirches, and appointed Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D.D., Hon. Samuel M. Moore and Mr. James Otis a committee to prepare the necessary papers for record in the minutes of the Presbyter3^" CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CHOIR. In parting- with Calvary Church it may not be un- interesting- to cast a g-lance at the musical part of the serv- ice before its consolidation with the First Church. In the record of one of the first meetings of the So- ciety I find the first allusion to any music : Mr. James Otis, having- been appointed a committee on hymn books, reported in favor of the collection known as the " Church Psalmist." While the services were held in the Orphan Asylum the music was of the plainest character. Some one played the melodeon, a few sing-ers gathered about the player and sang a number of simple hymns ; that was all. Our first choir, a volunteer chorus, was organized dur- ing- the summer of 1860 by Prof. Ebell, who was some- thing of a character in his way. He kept a photog-raph gallery on Ringg-old Place during- the week, and on Sunday played the melodeon and sang- tenor. He was born in the East Indies, of American parentage ; a tall, slender man, with swarthy complexion and jet black hair. As I think of him now, I am reminded of the East Indians who haunted the Midway Plaisance at the World's Fair. Afterward he attended the old University of Chicag-o. Here he org-an- ized a singing class, of which I was a member, and, I think, later he studied for the ministry. Prof. Ebell was succeeded by Mr. James Murray (B.), an old time singing schoolteacher of the most pronounced type, who hailed from Hornellsville, N. Y. He had charge of the music for about a year, and we then fell in line with 46 ^ HISTORY OF the down town churches and talked of a quartette. We were inspired to this course by the presence at a Sunday evening service, of two members of a city choir, who came out to help us. Their sing-ing was so acceptable that one of them, Mr. J. B. Sutton (B.), was prevailed upon to org-anize a quartette for our church. This was soon after Rev. James H. Trowbridg-e began his ministry, in 1862. Mr. Sutton w^as a good singer and leader, but the other members of the choir were not at all satisfactory, so this arrangement did not last long. Our next leader, Dr. Warren N. Dunham (T.), who led the choir at the dedication of the "Brick Church" (First Presbyterian), in September, 1849, organized a quartette May 1, 1863. Its members were Miss Sarah Sanger (S.), Mrs. Strong (A.), and Mr. Mohte (B. ). Miss Anna Cornwell Strickland, a niece of Prof. Alonzo J. Sawyer, played the melodeon. Dr. Dunham resigned May 1, 1864, and was succeeded by Mr. E. M. Booth (B.), who led the choir until May 1, 1866, assisted at various times during these two years by Mrs. Sampson (S.), Miss Scott (S.), Miss Sarah Sanger (S.), Miss Richards (A.), the Misses Turner (S. and A.), and Miss Strickland (O.). The tenor part was taken by different singers. The members of Calvary Church choir during the vears 1866, 1867 and 1868 are all mentioned in the treas- urer's ledger as follows: May 1, 1866— Miss Mae French (S. ), Miss Lizzie Allen (A. ) , Dr. Lucian A. Clarke (T.) and Mr. Frank A. Bowen (B.). The position of organist was filled by various people during the year. During- the year 1866 a two-manual cabinet organ (Mason & Hamlin) was purchased- at a cost of $475. This cabinet organ is now in the prayer meeting room of the First Church. May 1, 1867— Miss Mae French (S.), Miss Lewis (A.), Dr. Lucian A. Clarke (T.), Mr. Frank A. Bowen (B.) and Miss Emma Lander (O.). MR. GEORGK FRANCIS BACON. CAL VAR Y PPHSBYTERIAN CHURCH. 47 May 1, 1868— Miss Mae French (S.), Miss Hubbard (A.), Dr. Lucian A. Clarke (T.), succeeded by Mr, A. B. Stiles,' Mr. Frank A. Bowen^ (B.), Miss Lander (O.), succeeded by Miss Weeks. May, 1, 1869— Miss Mae French (8.), Mr. and Mrs. Frank Slay ton (T. and A.), Mr. A. L. Goldsmith'^ (B.), Mr. J. H. Hansen (O.), succeeded by Mr. Georg-e F. Bacon. May 1, 1870— Miss Mae French (S.), Miss Fowler (A.) for portion of the year, Mr. Philo A. Otis (T.), Mr. A. L. Goldsmith (B.), succeeded bv Mr. E. S. Evarts, Mr Georg-e F. Bacon (O.). MayI, 1871— Miss Mae French (S.), Miss Hawkes (A.), Mr. Philo A. Otis (T.), Mri E. S. Evarts (B. ) and Mr. Georg-e F. Bacon (O.) This was the personnel of the choir at the morning- service on the day of the great fire, October 8, 1871. ' Deceased. He was a brother of General I. N. Stiles. ^ Mr. Bowen remained in the choir until 1869, and was succeeded by Mr. A. L. Goldsmith. Mr. Bowen now resides in London, England. ^ Mr. Goldsmith resigned May 1, 1870, going- to the choir of Olivet Presbyterian Church. He returned to his old position in the First Church May 1, 1872, remaining un- til 1874. Since 1874 he has been with the choir of the Third Presbyterian Church, a" con- tinuous service of nearly twenty-six years. 48 A HISTORY OF THE THE UNITED CHURCHES HEREAFTER KNOWN AS THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. All the formalities reg^arding" the union of the two churches having- been duly arrang'ed, the people of Cal- vary Church worshiped with the people of the First Church for the first time on Sundayafternoon/Nov^ember 5, 1871, in Christ Reformed Episcopal Church. The united churches, or First Church, as they will hereafter be called, continued to hold services, with Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., as pastor, in Christ Church until February, 1872, when a chang-e was made to the Immauuel Baptist Church for the rest of the winter. The lecture room of the present edifice was completed about the end of April, 1872, and here the newly consoli- dated church at last found a permanent home. In following- the history of the First Church from this time I have mainly relied on records kept by myself, and on the Choir Journal, which I instituted in 1875, and in which, besides an account of the musical doings of the choir, most of the events of interest to the members of the church were noted down. In arrang-ing- the details of the union it was ag-reed that the choir of Calvary Church should be retained: Miss Mae French (S., afterward Mrs. W. H. Aldrich), Miss Ilawkes (A.), Mr. Philo A. Otis (T.), Mr. E. S. Evarts {^:). Miss Hawkes resig-ned soon after the union of the churches had been effected, and was succeeded by Mrs. Oliver K. John- son, who continued with the choir until May 1, 1872. The choir and congreg-ation suffered a g-reat loss in the death of Mr. Georg-e F. Bacon, the organist, who was killed in an accident on the Pennsylvania R. R., at Mifflin, Pa., Decem- ber 5, 1872. Mr. Bacon was an excellent musician and a church org-anist of experience. He took g-reat pride in the FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 49 work of the choir, and was looking- forward to the comple- tion of the new organ, the contract for which, with Messrs. Hook & Hasting-s, of Boston, had been sig-ned during- that summer (1872). Mr. Bacon ^ was succeeded by Mr. Henry- Fuller,^ who continued with the choir for the g-reater part of the time until his death in September of the following- year. There were a few chang-es in the choir May 1, 1872. Mrs. Oliver K. Johnson (A.) was succeeded by Miss Antoinette French, and Mr. E. S. Evarts by Mr. A. L. Goldsmith (B.). By the terms of the contract, the org-an was required to be completed by the end of November, 1872. The builders were ready at the time specified, but the church was not ready. Finall}^ the org-an was broug-ht to Chicag-o and kept in storag-e (some of the parts piled up in the base- ment of the church) for at least two months before the main audience room w^as completed. The cost of the instrument was about $9,000. SPECIFICATION OF THE ORGAN, I Manuale. 1. 16-foot Open Diapason. 4. 8-foot Viola d' Amour. 2. 8-foot Open Diapason. 5. 8-foot Doppel Flote. 3. 8-foot Viola de Gamba. 6. 4-foot Flute Harmon- ique. 'Mr. Georg-e Francis Bacou was born December 13, 1839, in Geneseo, N. Y. When quite a j'oung^ man he removed to Galesburg', 111., where he was an orpranist for a few years. He then came to Chicag-o and was with the firm of Ro t & Cady for two years. Afterward he took up his residence in Peoria, 111., residing' there seven years as organist of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He came to Chicago in 1S6S and was organist of Cal- vary Presbyterian Church, and of the First Presbyterian Church, until his death, December 5, 1872. Mr. Bacon was married first to Miss Emma Ra3'mond, daughter of Rev. Louis Raymond, of Chicago, in November, 1865. His first wife died about a year afterward. He was married the second time to Miss Mar3r Myrick, October 15, 1868. His children are Lillian F. M. Bacon and Jennie G., wife of Mr. Charles A. Ford. Mr. Bacon's brother, Mr. Henr3' M. Bacon, has been for many years an officer in the First Church. Mr. Bacon at the time of his death was a member of the firm of Kuowles, Birdsell & Bacon, tea and c,-:i:v.z>; THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1866 — WABASH AVENUE NEAR CONGRESS STREET. A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. 113 that can afford to remunerate the members of the chorus, and the strug-g-ling- church that is oblig-ed to depend upon volunteers. In the latter case it is very often necessary for the musical members of the congreg-ation to give fullest exercise to their spiritual grace, in order to overlook the lapses from musical grace in the choir loft. "How is it," said one minister to another, "that you are advocating a paid choir, when I have alwa3's understood that you were opposed to paying for the singing of God's praises?" " Well," he answered, "I find it will soon be necessary to pay the congregation for coming to our services, if the volunteer singers remain, and I think it will be cheaper to pay a choir." This was not so badly put. Indeed, the vain and torturing struggles of many volunteer choirs (and some paid ones, for that matter), with nondescript anthems, implies a large amount of Christian patience and fortitude on the part of the pews. Is it any wonder, then, that church committees, com- posed of men actively eng-aged with their own affairs, should cast aside all sentiment and look at religious matters from their practical point of view? To a business man and his way of thinking, it was a plain proposition: it is better by far to have four people who can sing well, than fifteen or twenty who cannot. If, to bring about this result, it cost a little money, it was no matter. So the congregations in 1857 were calling for a new order of affairs in the choir gallery; they demanded better discipline and better sing- ing. Thus the old time volunteers were summarily sent to the rear, and the field was left to the regulars. As to church organs, as nearly as I can learn, St. James' Church was the first in Chicago to have an organ. "The first organ in St. James' Church," Mr. C. R. Larrabee^ writes to me, "must have been built in 1838, probably by Henry Erben.^ In 1857 we contracted with 'Mr. Charles Rollin Larrabee, for nearly fifty years identified with St. James' Episcopal Church, was born at Ticonderog-a, N, Y., February 17, 1825; came to Chicagro in 1844; died June 3, 1899. =Mr. Henry Erben was born in New York City in 1799, and died there in May, 18SS. When a young- man he served as a workman in the factory of Mr. Thomas Hall, an Eng-lish organ builder; in 1824 he began business for himself in New York City. Mr. Erben's son, Rear Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., in a letter of October 6, 1899, says: " My father was one of the first to build church organs in America. These instruments can be found, monuments of his skiU, from Montreal to Cuba. My brother followed him. in business, but he died and the concern is not now in existence." 114 A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. Hall & Labag-h, of New York, for an organ for our new church, which was delivered in due time. My recollection is that it had thirty stops and two manuals. Mr. C. B. Nelson, for 3^our society, contracted at the same time for a larg-er instrument." When Mr. Dudley Buck came to Chicag-o as organist of St. James' a three-manual organ was built (1870) for the church by Mr. Vv". A. Johnson, of Westfield, Mass. The Hall & Labagh organ was sold to the Church of the Epiph- any, of Chicago, and in 1892 was rebuilt by Farrand & Votey, of Detroit. The First Unitarian Church, then at the northwest corner of Washington and Dearborn Streets, had a one- manual organ with ten speaking slops, built by Jardine & Son, of New York, in 1850. This firm, in 1858, also fur- nished a two-manual instrument for the Third Presby- terian Church, then on West Washington Street. St. Mary's Catholic Church, at the southwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Madison Street, bad a one-manual organ, built early in the "fifties." Dr. Patton's church, the First Congregational, then at the corner of West Washington and Green Streets, had a two-manual organ. Under April 1, 1865, I find in my diary : Visited the Second Presbyterian Church this morning. The organ is a fine one ; has forty-six stops, three banks of keys and two octaves of pedal. This organ was set up in September, 1854, by An- drews & Son, of Utica, N. Y., in the Second or "Spotted Church," then at the northeast corner of Wabash Avenue and Washington Street. Mr. George N. Andrews, the son, removed in 1886 to Oakland, Cal., where he continues the business of organ manufacturing. The first organ constructed for Chicago by the well known builder, Mr. W. A. Johnson, of Westfield, Mass., was a two-manual instrument in the Wabash Avenue M. E. Church,atthenorthwestcorner of Wabash Avenueand Har- rison Street. This church VN^as commenced July 13, 1857, and finished and dedicated (organ and all) July 15, 1858. A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. 115 The best org-an in Chicag-o in 1857, and the one most used for concert purposes, was in St. Paul's Universalist Church, at the northwest corner of Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Street. The instrument was built by Mr. Henry Erben in 1855-56. It stood at the east end of the church, had three manuals, and with its elaborate case, made an imposing- appearance. The first org-an in the First Presbyterian Church was built by Hall & Labagh, of New York City, for the edifice on Wabash Avenue, and v/as completed and in readiness for the dedication of the church October 15, 1859. The instrument had three manuals and thirty-eight stops. Messrs. E. & G. G. Hook, of Boston, were not repre- sented in Chicag-o until 1862, v.'hen they built an org-an with two manuals and tvv^enty-eight stops, for the New England Cong-reg-ational Church. There were not many org-anists in Chicag-o in 1856 — if the word org-anist means a musician who is familiar with the mechanism and capabilities of the instrument, and has the musical education to exploit its possibilities. Mr. W. H. Currie, an Eng-lish organist, came here in 1855, and was engaged in St. Paul's Universalist Church, remaining there until the beginning of the war. *'His style was that of the English cathedral organist," says Mr. A. W. Dohn. " He was a good musician and a reliable player." Mr. Currie was succeeded at St. Paul's by his pupil, Miss Sarah Tillinghast, daughter of Mr. W. A. Til- linghast, then teacher of music in the public schools. Miss Tillinghast afterward married Mr. A. O. Frohock, and re- moved to Boston, where she was well known as teacher and organist, and gave recitals for several seasons on the great organ in the Boston Music Hall. The successors of Mrs. Frohock at St. Paul's Church were Mr. Charles Ansorge, Mr. Adolph Baumbach and Mr. G. C. Knopfel. Mr. Ansorge came to Chicago in 1860-62, and for some years was instructor of music in the Chicago High School. He was a man of letters, a graduate of a German univer- sity, and a good musician. He was the first to tell me of Handel's "Messiah." Mr. Ansorge died of cholera in 116 A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. September, 1866, on a Sunday afternoon after having- played at his church in the morning- as usual. Mr. Baumbach, well known as the author of a collec- tion of church music entitled "Baumbach's Sacred Mo- tettes,"came to Chicag-o in 1863, and succeeded Mr. Ansorg-e at St. Paul's Universalist Church. I think he went from St. Paul's to the New England Congregational Church, and that he remained there two or three years; afterward he became org-anist of Grace Episcopal Church, beginning his work at the consecration of the present edifice on Wabash Avenue, near Fourteenth Street, Easter Day, 1869. Mr. Baumbach continued at Grace Church until his death in Chicago, April 3, 1880. When I first knew Mr. Knopfel (1864) he was engaged in business and had been in Chicago a year or two. He first played at St. Paul's Universalist Church, and after- ward at Trinity and St. James' Episcopal Churches. After the fire of 1871 he was engaged at the Immanuel Baptist Church on Michigan Avenue. The first organist of the Second Presbyterian Church was Mr. Thomas Crouch (1854-56). His successor was Mr. H. W. Chant, afterward of the firm of Pilcher Bros. & Chant, organ builders. In reply to my inquiry about Mr. Chant, I have this letter from Henry Pilcher's Sons, now of Louisville, Ky., successors to Pilcher Bros.: Louisville, Ky., June 16, 1899. Mr. Chant was associated with the firm from March, 1864, to February, 1866. They built the organ in the North Presbyterian Church; completed September 15, 1865. We regret that we cannot give any information about Mr. Chant. Some years ago we heard of his being in Florida, and are under the impression that he has since died. Pilcher Bros, left Chicago soon after the great fire in 1871. Mr. Chant introduced the first quartette choir in the Second Church.^ 1 As to the membership of this quartette choir, I have the following- information: the soprano was Mrs. F. A. Thomas, who was afterward soprano in the First Church in 1865. She died October 31, 1890, on the train coming- from California. The alto was Mrs. Casandana ("Cassie") Mattison [nee D3-er). She was born in Shaftsbury, Vt., in the early "thirties." She was married to Mr. Robert Mattison, of the same place, and the young- couple came to Aurora, 111., in 1S54. Mr. Mattison en- tered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co. and they soon A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. 117 Mr. Charles A. Havens followed Mr. Chant as organist of the Second Church, and was succeeded by Mr. Daniel N. Hood, who resig-ned in 1881, and is now organist of the First Church, of Woburn, Mass. Mr. Havens returned to the Second Church in 1882, remaining until 1890, when he was succeeded, December 1, 1890, by the present organist, Mr. A. F. McCarrell. One of the early organists was Mr. Emil Rein, who came here in 1855, as teacher of piano, church organist and conductor of a German singing society. He played for a time at Trinity Episcopal Church,^ St. James' Episcopal Church, and last at the Church of the Messiah. He died in this city in 1884. Mr. Theodore S. Payne was organist of St. James' Episcopal Church in 1857, when Mrs. Emma G. Bostwick^ came out from New York City to take a position in the moved to Chicag-o. Mrs. Mattison possessed an alto voice of phenomenal rang-e and qualit}', and strong- musical temperament, and through her cousin, Mr. W. A. Tilling- hast, soon took a commanding position among the public singers of Chicago. She was engaged for the Second Presbyterian Church, where she remained till 1861. She then joined the choir of Trinity Episcopal Church, but returned to the Second Presbyterian Church in 1865, remaining there until 1869, when she went to Melbourne, Australia. She was a member of the choir in St. James' Catholic Church in Melbourne, and was well known as a concert singer in that city and in Sydney, appearintj^ often with Arabella Godard, Carreno and other artists. She returned to Chicag-o and sang at a concert of the Mozart Club in Central Music Hall, May 12, 1885. Her voice was considerably im- paired at this time, and this was her last appearance in public. Her death occurred July 16, 1897, in Oshkosh, Wis. Mr. Charles H. Seavems was the tenor of the quartette, and was well thought of. He died March 22, 1871, in Chicago. The bass was Mr. Harry Johnson, who remained with the choir until he removed to New York Cit}', where he is now living. 'The corner stone of Trinity Church, on Madison Street, was laid on Wednesday, June 5, 1844. The first services were held August 25, 1844. The edifice on Jackson Street was consecrated June 16, 1861. A lady, now residing in the East, who was a member of the choir of the First Presbyterian Church early in the " forties," and afterward sang- in the choir of Trinity Church, answered my inquiry as to the organ of that church: " About Trinity Church my memory is more distinct, as I became a member of it in 1847, under Bishop Philander Chase, Rev. W. W. Walker being the first rector. The choir in the new wooden church on Madison Street was in a gallery over the entrance, and was conducted by George Davis, Esq., a fine tenor singer. Among the volunteers were C. Rollin Larrabee, Miss Dix, Miss Haight and m3'self. There was neither organ nor any other instrument in the first years of Trinity Church, but about 1S49 the place of the choir was changed to the back of the church, and a small organ was put in, with a single bank of keys." ''Mrs. Emma Gillingham Bostwick, the best soprano soloist of her day in Chicago was born in Philadelphia. She commenced her career at an early age, appearing at a concert of the Handel and Haj'dn Society in Boston in 1828, when she was hardly sixteen years old. In 1836 she married Mr. Charles J. Bostwick, who died in 1853. Mrs. Bost- wick sang in concert at Niblo's Garden, New York City, soon after its opening, and in 118 A CHAPTER ON CHOIRS. choir of that church. He remained in St. James' Church until 1860 or 1861, and was succeeded by his brother, Mr. E. A. Payne. Mr. Theodore S. Payne then played for some years at the Church of the x\scension. He died at Oak Park, 111., October 7, 1898. Mr. A. W. Dohn v/as the first org-anist of the First Presbyterian Church. He was born at Breslau, Silesia, in 1835. He came to Chicago in the summer of 1857, and for a few months was org-anist at Dr. Patton's Church (First Congregational), going from there to the First Presby- terian, Y/here he remained until the winter of 1859-60. After leaving the First Church, Mr. Dohn was engaged at the Unitarian Church (Rev. Robert Collyer's), and later at the Westminster (Fourth Presbyterian), remaining there until Prof. Swing resigned the pastorate of the Fourth Church to commence (1879) his new work in Cen- tral Music Hall. Mr. Dohn organized the Mendelssohn Society in 1857, and conducted the concerts of the Apollo Musical Club during its first two seasons (1872-74). A few weeks after the dedication of the First Presby- teria,n Church on Wabash Avenue (October 15, 1857), Mr. A. W. Dohn vv^as appointed organist, and the first quartette choir in the history of the church was engaged — Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Fassett (T. and S.), Miss Elizabeth Boy den (A.) and Mr. J. T. Jewett (B.). Mr. Dohn, during his two years of service, although the choir was in the immediate charg-e of Mr. Fassett, interested himself much in its affairs and was occasionally assisted at the Sunday services by members of the Men- delssohn Society, of which he vv^as then (1857) conductor, in selections from Mendelssohn's "St. Paul" and "Hymn of Praise." This class of music, however, did not prove 1853 she appeared with the New York Philharmonic Sodetj'. In the autumn of 1857 Mrs. Bostwick came to Chicago to take a position in the choir of St. James' Church, remaining- there several j'ears until a new choir was oru-anized for Trinity Episcopal Church, then on Jackson Street, when Dr. Cummin Above these gloomy shades, Diminuendo. < Crescendo. X Inverted swell, diminishing and increasing. — Contradicts all former marks. An English edition of Dr. Watts' hymns was used by some Presbyterian churches: The Psalms of David. Imitated in New Testament lan- guage, together with Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in three books, by the Rev. Isaac Watts, D.D. A new edition, wnth an index of the first line of every verse, and the names of tunes suitable to every hymn, selected from "The Psalmist." Printed and sold by J. Haddon, Castle Street, Finsbury, London, 1853. People began to realize at last the inconvenience of separate books for words and music, and, that if congre- gational singing was ever to succeed, words and music PSALMODY, TUNE AND HYMN BOOKS. 139 must be put together in some compact form. The Con- g-reg"ational Church was the first to bring about this much needed change, with a book of words and music, called the "Plymouth Collection," which came out in 1855, edited by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. " The Plymouth Collection marks the time when the change took place from 'Words Only' to 'Words and Music,' in our church hymn books. "^ Two other works appeared under the auspices of the Congregational Church, the "Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book" and the " Congregational Hymn and Tune Book " (1859). The Presbyterian Church was slow in recognizing the worth of this new form of hymnal, and continued with the old method until Rev. Charles S. Robinson, D.D., brought out in 1862 "The Songs for the Church," followed by "The Songs for the Sanctuary," 1865. The latter work met with favor at once, as it satisfied the wishes of the congregation in its selection of old tunes, and was welcome in the choir galler}^ for the many new tunes it contained. Dr. Robinson's hymnal, "The Songs for the Sanctuary," was used in the First Church until 1888, when the present hymnal, " Laudes Domini," was introduced. ^Letter from Mr. Henry B. Barnes, of A. S. Barnes & Co., New York City, March 6, 1899. 140 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. REV. JEREMIAH PORTER, D.D., FOUNDER. Rev. Jeremiah Porter was born in Hadley, Mass., December 27, 1804. He came of a lineag-e which repre- sented the best families in that commonwealth: his g-rand- father, Hon. Samuel Porter, having- married Susanna, a g'randdaughter of Jonathan Edwards, the elder, "one of the brightest luminaries," says Robert Hall, "of the Christian Church, not excluding any country or age, since the apostolic, and by whose death Calvinism lost its ablest defender." Jeremiah Porter was educated at Hop- kins Academy and Williams College, entering Williams in the same class with David Dudley Field. In the year ahead of him were Mark Hopkins and Brainerd Kent, our "Father Kent,"^ who founded Railroad Mission May 10, 1857. Mr. Porter was graduated in 1825, and in the same year entered Andover Theological Seminary. Doubting if he was called to the ministry, he left the seminary after two years, and in the spring of 1828 took charge of a high school in Troy, N. Y. He entered Princeton Theological Sem- inary in 1830, and in the autumn of 1831 after graduation, was ordained at the request of the American Home Mis- sionary Society as a Missionary Evangelist. In November he began his missionary work at Fort Brady, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Territory, holding a revival in the fort and town, and organizing a church of five members, which soon increased to thirty-three. The Home Missiojimy for May, 1832, contains an article by young Porter, giving some experiences of pio- neer life at Fort Brady, with an account of his journey from the East and the primitive conveyances in use at that time. After eight days and nights of continuous travel he reached Detroit (Fort Gratiot), only to wait another ten days for a vessel going up the lakes. Seven days more >Rev. Brainerd Kent was born in Dorset, Vt., April 25, 1802; died in Chicago, January 29, 1888. REV. JEREMIAH PORTER, D.D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 141 were consumed in g-oing- to Mackinac, where he was again "held up" (the last vessel for the season having gone) until a canoe was sent for him from the Sault. In this frail craft, propelled by two French boatmen, whose lan- g-uage he could not then speak,with a black man for a com- panion, in bitter cold weather, the last ninety miles of his voyage were accomplished. In later life Mr. Porter often spoke of the long voyage in May, 1833, when he accompanied the troops, under the command of Major Fowle,from the Sault Ste. Marie to Fort Dearborn. He dwelt with pleasure on his recollections of a little child, then only a year and a half old, the daughter of Major Fowle, who helped to brighten this tedious trip. "It was her mother," says Dr. Mitchell, "who may be said to have brought to this place the founder of its first Chris- tian Church, or at least to have been the right hand helper of the pioneer." Forty years after that voyag-e, when Mr. Porter was in Boston, a lady sought him out and asked him if he were the minister who accompanied Major Fowle and the troops to Chicago in 1833. Learning- that he was, she replied: " Do you remember the little girl that was on board? I am she." She became the wife of Mr. Henry F. Durant, of Boston, and at that time (1873) she and her husband were engaged in the generous enterprise of founding Wellesley College. Rev. Jeremiah Porter organized the First Presby- terian Church, of Chicago, in the capacity of a Missionary Evangelist, representing the American Home Missionary Society, but never having- been installed, he could not be properly called its first pastor. The First Presbyterian Church, founded by him on June 26, 1833, is the oldest religious society in Chicago— older than the town of Chi- cago, which was not incorporated until August 10, 1833. Mr. Porter aided the Baptists in starting their first Society, October 19, 1833, and gave the use of the Presby- terian meeting house to the Episcopalians for the organi- zation of St. James' Church in October, 1834.^ » The records of St. James' Episcopal Church show that its first service " was held in the Presbyterian Church on October 12, 1S34, by the Rev. Palmer Dyer. Rev. Isaac Hallman, who had been sent out to this western land by the Domestic Board of 142 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. During the first two years of its existence the infant church was more or less dependent on the Home Mission- ary Society for its support, Mr. Porter's position being- that of stated supply. His whole life seems to have been consecrated to missionary work on the frontier, organizing- churches and planting the good seed in carefully selected places, leaving to others the care and management and gathering of the fruit. And what a goodly heritage has come down to us! In 1835 Dr. Porter accepted the call to the Main Street Presbyterian Church, Peoria, where he felt there was great need for the preaching of the Gospel. Dr. Porter's next pastorate was in Farmington, Fulton county, where he labored until the spring of 1840, and then accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church of Green Bay, Wis., remain- ing there eighteen years. From Green Bay he came, in 1858, to the Edwards Congregational Church, of Chicago. I cannot give a better account of the noble services of Dr. and Mrs. Porter in the Sanitary and Christian Com- missions during the Civil War than by quoting the words of Dr. Barrows, in his sermon at the Jubilee Services in 1883: Mr. and Mrs. Porter joined the army for service in the field at Cairo, in March, 1862, and labored in the hospitals at Cairo, Mound City, Pittsburg Landing, .Memphis and Vicksburg. His regiment was the 1st Illinois Light Artil- lery, and his eldest son, James W. Porter, was a member of it. Mr. Porter entered Vicksburg on July 6, 1863, and helped bury the dead found in the hospitals. During the next winter he ministered to the Presbyterian Church in Vicksburg, and served in the city hospitals, while Mrs. Porter followed with sanitary stores the army corps in Tennessee and Alabama. Mr. Porter joined his wife under Kennesaw Mountain, and passed the summer of 1864 at Marietta, Ga., until the capture of Atlanta, ministering to the wants of the sick and wounded of our army, and also to the needs of the Confederate prisoners. Five of the Confederate officers and twenty of the Confederate sol- diers gave to Mrs. Porter certificates testifying to her great kindness to them, and asking like kindness to her, if Missions, arrived in Chicag-o on the evening- of October 12, and preached his first sermon in the Baptist Church at Franklin and South Water Streets, the following Sunday, October 19. On October 26, 1834, the parish was organized in an unfinished frame build- ing- on North Water Street, near tlie Dearborn Street drawbridge." LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 143 she should ever become a prisoner. Mr. and Mrs. Porter were at Savannah a fev\^ days after General Sherman made a Christmas g-ift of that city to the nation. After the sur- render of Lee they went to Washington to labor with the troops there, and, later, accompanied General Log^an's army to Louisville, Ky., and remained with that corps till July 31, 1865. Later in the year, Mr. Porter was sent by the United States Christian Commission to the troops on the Rio Grande, who were ordered there to protect our border from the agg-ressions of France under the Emperor Maximilian. Mrs. 'Porter was sent there at the same time with supplies, by the North West Sanitary Commission. Their work with the troops having- been accomplished, and the 'Rio Grande Seminary having been revived by Mrs. Porter, they were recalled to Chicago in the spring of 1866. That year Mr. Porter accepted the call to the Congrega- tional Church at Prairie du Chien, Wis., and in 1868 he be- came pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Brownsville, Tex., and with his wife and the Misses Grant, of Chicago, took charge of the Rio Grande Seminary. In 1870 Mr. Porter was appointed by the United States Senate Post Chaplain, U. S. A., at Fort Brown, and officiated there until 1873. He was then transferred to Fort Sill, Indian Terri- tory, and in 1875 to Fort Russell, Wyoming Territory. He was retired from service by act of Congress, June 30, 1882. Few lives have been as eventful and useful as those here sketched. There are multitudes on earth and in heaven who call them blessed. Dr. Porter's last days were quietly passed in the home of his beloved daughter at Beloit, Wis., where he died on the 25th of July, 1893, in the ninetieth year of his age. At the funeral services, held in the college chapel. Pastor Hamlin preached from the text of Dr. Porter's first sermon in Fort Dearborn: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit," a text happily illus- trated by the fruitful life of this beloved, successful mis- sionary. 144 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. MEMORIAL SKETCH OF REV. JNO. BLATCH- FORD, D.D., FIRST PASTOR. PREPARED BY HIS SON, ELIPHALET WICKES BLATCHFORD. Rev. John Blatchford, D.D., who is honored as being- the first installed pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicag-o, arrived in our city in September, 1836 — the brig "Erie," on which he and his wife came from Detroit, being- wrecked off the foot of Madison Street. After a brief stay here they proceeded to Jacksonville, 111., where Dr. Blatchford filled for the winter of 1836-37 the of&ce of President of Illinois College, at the same time preaching regularly. A friend, who well knew him then, said of his pulpit work: "Seldom have I heard more pow- erful exhibitions of Gospel truth, or more impressively de- livered, than those which fell from his lips during- that winter." Early in 1837 Dr. Blatchford accepted the call of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicag-o, and was in- stalled as its pastor on July 1 of the same year. John Blatchford was born at Newfield (now Bridge- port), Conn., May 24, 1799. His father, Rev. Samuel Blatch- ford, D.D., born at Devonport, near Plymouth, England, of parents, "both of whom were eminent for piety," was educated at the Dissenting College of Homerton, near Lon- don. His studies in the ancient languag-es were pursued with special thoroughness, thus laying- the foundation for his permanent and successful career as a classical teacher, duties often associated with the pastorate in those days. He came to America in 1795, and after a successful minis- try of seven years at Bridgeport, Conn., removed to Lan- sing-burg-h, N. Y., where he was for twenty-four years the honored pastor of the united Presbyterian churches of Lansing-burgh and Waterford, at the same time being- Principal of the Lansingburgh Academy. Dr. Samuel Blatchford died March 17, 1828. John Blatchford, after being graduated at Union College in 1820, studied theology at Princeton, where he was gradu- REV. JOHN BLATCHKOKD, D.D. From a dawuerreotj-pe in the possession of Mr. E. W. Blatchford. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 145 ated in 1823, and was in the same year licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Troy, N. Y. After two years' labor in a home missionary church in Pittstown, N. Y., he was called to Stillwater, in the same state, M'hence in 1830 he removed to Bridg-eport, Conn., where he enjoyed six years of successful work as pastor of the First Cong-regational Church,^ the same church to which his father had minis- tered thirty years before — an unusual coincidence. When Dr. Blatchford reached our city in May, 1837, its population was less than 4,000. The frame building-, sometimes called the "Lord's Barn," occupied by the First Presbyterian Church, was then situated on the rear of the lot on the southeast corner of Lake and Clark Streets, a little north of the Sherman House. It was soon removed to the rear part of the lot on the southwest corner of Clark and Washing-ton Streets, "widened, and its leng-th doubled." Diagfonally from this corner was the parsonag^e, called "the yellow cottag-e," from its color, a modest story-and-a-half cottagfe, enlarged to provide the study and library for the minister. In those early years of foundation laying-, the work of Dr. Blatchford was essential, and permanent, moulding- as he did, with skillful hand the varied, often heterog-eneous, elements pouring- into this young- city, and so helping- to establish that marked esprit de corps characteristic of the Presbyterian Church. It has been well said of him: "With gifts and powers, such as few possess, with an all ruling love presiding over his unusual abilities, it is not surpris- ing that this church flourished under his laborious minis- trations. For a little more than two years he gave himself to the preaching of the Word, with a zeal which consumed 1 Now called the " North Congreg-ational Church." The present ediiice, erected in 1850, contains a number of memorial windows, one given by Mr. Eliphalet W. Blatch- ford, of Chicag-o, at the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the church in 1895, and bearing' this inscription: In Memory of SAMUEL BLATCHFORD, D.D. Pastor of this Church. A.D. 1797-1804. And of His Son JOHN BLATCHFORD, D.D. Also Pastor of this Church A.D. 1830-1836. 146 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. his vital forces, and materially shortened his life." His convincing-, practical preaching-, combined with faithful pastoral work, resulted under God's blessing-, in a revival in the winter of 1838 and 1839, which extended to the Methodist and Baptist churches on either side. For two months, with his nearest ministerial brother some ninety miles away, sing-le-handed did he conduct this work, preaching- almost daily, and twice and three times on the Sabbath. Many who have since been prominent among- our citizens in every good work, date the consecration of their lives to that memorable winter. But for the young pastor the burden was too heavy — he fell by the way. An attack of brain fever prostrated him, and it was eight months before he could even occasionally resume pulpit work. One who knew him well wrote: "He seems never to have been fully himself afterward, in vigor and endur- ance of constitution." From a small volume of manuscript sermons of Dr. Blatchford's, open before me, it may prove of interest if I quote a few texts of discourses, with dates attached, deliv- ered duringhis pastorate in the First Presbyterian Church. These will indicate the character of the Gospel truths, the presentation of which produced resultant influences vt'hich still move on into the eternity before us. The volume is marked: "John Blatchford, Chicago, 111., No. 6." March, 1838, Prov. xxvii: 18: "He that waiteth on his Mas- ter shall be honored." Read Matthew xxv: 14-30. November, 1838, Mark vi: 20: "He did many things and heard him gladly." [Johnxv:24: "But now have they both seen and 1838,^ hated both me and my Father." ( Rom. i: 30: "Haters of God." Acts xviii: 6: "And when they opposed them- selves and blasphemed, he shook his rai- September, J ment, and said unto them. Your blood be 1838, ' upon your own heads. I am clean." Hosea xiii: 9: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is there help." October, 1838, II Cor. v:20: "Be ye reconciled to God." LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 147 October, 1838, Isaiah xlviii:22: "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." October, 1838, Matt. xi:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will g"ive you rest." March, 1839, Acts xxiv:25: "Go thy way for this time: when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." While the ill health of his wife brought him westward. Dr. Blatchford's broken condition compelled his return to eastern friends. As illustrative of the duties for the church at larg-e. which the pastor was called upon to perform in that early day, the following- incident and letter will be of interest. In company with Elder Benjamin W. Raymond, on Febru- ary 19, 1838, Dr. Blatchford went in a sleigh to Mechanic's Grove (now Ivanhoe), about thirty-five miles northwest of Chicago, in Lake county, for the organization of a church. They crossed the Des Plaines river on the ice, at which point, with kindly solicitude, they were met by Elisha Clark, of Mechanic's Grove, and were by him guided over the intervening prairie. The following is a copy (taken from the church rec- ords) of the certificate recording the formation of this church, written and signed by Rev. John Blatchford: This may certify that in obedience to the order of the Presbytery, I visited Mechanic's Grove, February 20, 1839, and organized a church in accordance with the constitu- tion of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A. The following persons composed the church as organized. [Here follows a list of sixteen persons.] Elisha Clark, Hiram Clark and Oliver L. Payne were elected ruling elders, and were regularly ordained to the office. (Signed) John Blatchford. A true copy. Elisha Clark. Much and valuable work, however, in response to his earnest nature, was he able to accomplish in after years, in spite of frequent weakness and suffering. He spent the winter of 1840-41 in Wheeling, W. Va. From 1841 to 1844 he was connected with Marion College, Mo., first as professor, and afterward as president. In this region of northern Missouri he became widely known and beloved, aiding in the formation of Home Mis- 148 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. sionary churches, by which his acceptable and gratuitous ministrations were constantly soug-ht. An illustration of his preaching- services at this time, and of the kind of work in aid of the early foundation of Presbyterianism in a new country, is afforded in a letter recently received from a minister now retired from active work, who remembers the scenes of fifty-five years ag"o. He writes: "The occasion and place of my first acquaint- ance with Dr. Blatchford was at a Presbyterian camp meeting-, held near the Des Moines river, in Clark county, Mo. The reason of this kind of meeting- was the scarcity of meeting- houses for the use of the then scattered families of this denomination. To unite these loyal Christians, it was deemed well to have an occasional camp meeting, answer_ ing in some degree to the three or four days' meeting-s to which they were accustomed in their old home churches. The preparations for the meeting- would be quite primi- tive. The friends would g-ather tog-ether, decide on the location, clear the ground, cut dov/n trees, using- the smaller ones for 'stringers,' and splitting- the larger ones into 'puncheons' for seats. A few log- cabins were built, with a specially larg-e one for the preachers. This was furnished with a half dozen split bottomed chairs, a small table, and an abundance of new, sweet straw. Then the rustic stand for the minister completed this line of prepa- ration for the big- meeting-. But this was by no means all the preparation made for the occasion. The faithful and devout women, not a few, had been saving- the best of their poultry and of their pantries for weeks, to g-ive of their best to the expected friends. "Among- the ministers present at this first meeting-, held, I think, in the fall of 1843, was Rev. Dr. John Blatchford, who made a deep impression upon my then youthful mind. He was about forty-five years of ag-e, yet seemed like a young- man of twenty-five. He was in g-ood health, of beaming- countenance, filled with joy- g-iving- life. Every one around him seemed to catch the inspiration that animated him. He was the manliest min- ister I had ever met. He was a living- representative of LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 149 Him who said: 'I came that they may have [Greek] a superabundance of it'; i.e.^ enjoy and manifest life's brig-ht- est privileg-es and blessing-s. (The idea is, the overfiow- ing-s of life for others.) As our Lord saith again, ' The water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up into the eternal life.' Dr. Blatchford seemed to have a connection with this fountain, and after refreshing- his own soul with these life giving waters, he opened all the outlets of holy, loving life for others. Freely he received, f reel}^ he gave. In his daily social and official duties he could but pour forth the inflowings of the Spirit from his own enriching experiences of the love of his Saviour and King. "No vv^onder the people listened to the words of truth and grace that poured from his lips ! His preaching was in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He brought to his arrested hearers the confirming" power of his own experiences of the love and mercy of God toward sinners in the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. He gave them the assurance that the joy of the Lord is God's blessed tonic for the debilitating influences of sin. He proclaimed the Holy Spirit, as the enlightener and com- forter of God's people. "Thus these memories of teachings of over fifty years ago come to me with refreshing influence and cheering- grace." In his own house Dr. Blatchford conducted the educa- tion and training of theological students; and may be called the pioneer of New School Presbyterianism in Missouri. The last years of his life were spent in Quincy, 111., to v/hich he removed in 1847. "The object much engaging him the last year or tv/o of his life was an enterprise for establishing a Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the Northwest, of the Board for accomplishing- which he was president at the time of his decease," which occurred at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Morris Collins, in St. Louis, April 8, 1855. Dr. Blatchford's winning personality and g-enial nature, his g-enerous hospitality and sense of humor, combined with 150 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. strong- social instincts, made him a delig-htful companion, and cemented friendships among- both young- and old, the memory of which still ling-ers in the communities which enjoyed his ministrations. His peculiar influence in aiding- inquirers after lig-ht and consolation is shown in a letter unexpectedly received a few days since from an elderly lady, the daug-hter of a Presbyterian clerg-yman, eminent in his day. Referring- to Dr. Blatchford, she writes: " More than half a century ag-o, when in great mental dis- quietude, I expressed intense longing- for that which alone could bring- rest. I had an unquenchable desire to become a Christian. It v/as a ' narrovv^ way ' to me, and a very ob- scure one. Thoroug-hly imbued with mediaeval theolog-y, with its arbitrary God, whom I could not but reg-ard as an Almig-lity tyrant, at the same time tortured with fear, for surely such impious thoughts indicat'^.d that the Holy Spirit had been g-rieved av/ay forever! — a stricken soul, yet too timid to tell my traditionally relig-ious teachers that which I believed would put me outside of the pale of all orthodox forbearance. Urg-ed to unite with the church, I had a con- ference with one of clear vision, who carried with him an atmosphere of peace and spiritual serenity. The intona- tions of his voice are as unforgotten to-day, as his words to me: 'You have only to return to your Father's house.' That was a new note, new light — direction in obscurity; and even gladder the tidings as he proceeded: 'God is your Father. He is not only your Father, but He is your loving Father, and cannot forget His erring child, even when the child forgets Him. However far you 've wandered from Him, He is never fai' f)-om you. You've only now to go back to your Father's house.' Thus my miserably trem- bling hope grew all at once into an assured conviction, so much to me were these simple words! They have been emphasized b}^ our Quaker poet: I know not where His islands lift Their fronded palms in air, I only know I cannot drift Beyond His love and care. "A dear lady friend of mine, who went to him almost crushed under a weight of sorrow, told me that so helpful LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 151 had his counsel proved to her that she had g-rown not only resig-ned, but hopeful and almost happy." By an intimate friend and brother-minister it was written of him: "That life is successful in the best sense, that ends in heaven, and that leads others thither. In estimating- his life, we are to remember he lived in this country in a period when the powers of a life are vastly multiplied, and are not to be reckoned on a common scale. I listened to the public statement of a clergyman in St. Louis, who knew our brother well in the West and the East, who gave his opinion, that within his own knowledge 1,000 souls at least had received their first effective relig"- ious impressions, or had been brought to Christ, through the ministrations of the deceased. Surely of such an one it is true that in his works he shall never die." 152 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. REV. FLAVEL BASCOM, D.D., SECOND PASTOR. The memorial published the year following- Dr. Bas- com's death contains the sermon of Rev. G. F. S. Sav- age, D.D., prepared for the funeral services of "this devote^ servant of the 'Lord," whose "long- and eventful life of four score and six years has been mostly spent in faithful and successful service in the Christian ministry." Dr. Bascom was born June 8, 1804, in Lebanon, Conn., a town remarkable as the birthplace of many noted states- men, g-overnors, judg-es, divines and theolog-ians. As early as 1735 Rev. Dr. Wheelock, afterward president of Dart- mouth College, was pastor of the church in "this little country tovv^n on the rocky hills of eastern Connecticut." He was an intimate friend and co-worker with Whitefield, and, as a preacher, is said to have had the same remark- able power and control over his audiences. Five govern- ors of the State of Connecticut were born at Lebanon, viz.: two Jonathan Trumbulls, Joseph Trumbull, William A. Buckingham and J. Clark Bissell. "The first governor Trumbull," says Dr. Savage, "was the 'Brother Jona- than' of Revolutionary fame, the right hand man and-trusted counselor of Washington during all that terrible struggle for independence, and whose influence was said to be sec- ond only to that of Washington." Among the eminent divines and theologians whose birthplace was Lebanon, we find the names of Dr. Joseph Lyman, Dr. Eliphalet Williams, Dr. Elijah Parish, Dr. R. R. Gurley, Dr. Will- liam Lyman, 'Rev. David Huntington, Rev. Daniel Hunting- ton, father of Bishop Huntington, of central New York, Rev. John Bartlett, and many others. Flavel Bascom entered Yale College in 1824, and was graduated in 1828. Among his classmates were Prof. Ben- jamin D. Silliman, Judge O. S. Seymour, Rev. T. S. Clark, D.D., and Hon. Linus Child. His theological studies were RKV. P'LAVEL BASCOM, D. D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 153 pursued at the Yale Theologfical Seminary, from which he was g-raduated in 1832. Hewasoneof theband of Yale grad- uates who, in 1833, came as Home Missionaries to Illinois, entering- the state at its upper g-atewa)'-, Chicag-o, and afterward founded the Illinois Colleg-e at Jacksonville. Mr. Bascom found in Fort Dearborn Rev. Jeremiah Porter and Rev. Aratus Kent, a heroic missionary, who had just come over to Chicag-o from his work in Galena, and who after- ward wrote to the secretary of the Home Society: " If the pier now commencing- should be permanent and the har- bor become a safe one, Chicag-o will undoubtedly g-row as rapidly as any village in the western country." Dr. Bascom's first pastorate was in Tazewell county, 111., and here he was ordained in 1833 as an evang-elist, by the Sang-amon Presbytery. During- the next six years he labored as a home missionary, org-anizing- churches and preaching- in Peoria, Tremont and Pleasant Grove. He came to Chicag-o in the autumn of 1839, as ag-ent for the American Home Missionary Society for the state of Illinois, and preached for a time to the people of the First Presbyterian Church after the departure of Dr. Blatchford. This resulted in a call being- extended to him January 21, 1840, to become the pastor of the church. He accepted this invitation with the understanding that he mig-ht continue his missionary labors during the summer months. As a result he was not installed until November 11, 1840. The first five years of Dr. Bascom's pastorate in Chi- cago, particularly the years 1841, 1843 and 1845, were dis- tinguished by extensive revivals of religion, resulting in the addition of large numbers to the membership of the First Church. The records of the Presbytery show that in 1846 the Society had 456 members on its rolls. Within the next five years, in consequence of the bitter dissen- sions among the members, caused by the discussion of the slavery question, the membership declined nearly one-half. The population and wealth of the city, however, increased enormously during the nine years of Dr. Bascom's pastor- ate. When he began his labors in 1840 the population 154 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. numbered A^AI^^ increasing- to 23,047 when he tendered his resignation nine years later. As a consequence of this extraordinary growth of the city, the church property at the corner of Clark and Washington Streets had appre- ciated so much in value that the trustees were enabled to mortgage the property for the money necessary to complete the "Brick Church." At the dedicatory services of the new building in September, 1849, Dr. Bascom preached the sermon from the text, which the Rev. Mr. Sewell used at the dedication of the historic Old South Church in Boston, Haggai ii, 9: " The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts." Dr. Bascom's ministry in Chicago terminated in De- cember, 1849, he being dismissed from the pastorate at his own request. "At the urgent solicitation of friends of Knox College, and of the First Church of Christ, at Gales- burg, he removed there, and continued as the pastor of that church from January 1, 1850, to May, 1855." The following year he again took up missionary work, and at the close of this agency he removed to Dover, 111., serving as pastor of the church there from April 1, 1859, to April 1, 1864. The establishment of Dover Academy was one of the results of this pastorate. From July, 1864, until Novem- ber, 1869, he was pastor of the church in Princeton, 111., removing afterward to Hinsdale, where he continued to supply the Congregational Church from time to time until 1887, when extreme age made it necessary for him to lay aside the burdens of a regular pastor. Six months were spent by him in Montgomery, Ala., in happily ministering to a colored church in that city. " Feeling the infirmities of age, he returned to Princeton to be near his son, and to end his life work among his former parishioners, whom he loved, and by whom he was loved and honored." Dr. Bascom died at Princeton, 111., August 8, 1890. KEV. HARVEY CURTIS, D. D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS, 155 REV. HARVEY CURTIS, D.D., THIRD PASTOR. Rev. Harvey Curtis, D.D., the son of Elisha and Resign (Clary) Curtis, was born in Adams, Jefferson county, N. Y., May 30, 1806. He was educated at Middlebury Colleg-e, Vermont, g-raduating- in August, 1831, with the hig-hest honors of his class. After studying- two years in Princeton Theological Seminary, he returned to Middle- bury as a tutor. In 1834 he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Troy, N. Y., and in the spring of 1835 be- came the stated supply of the church in Whiting, Vt. Later in that year he was ordained by the Brandon Con- gregational Association as pastor of the Congregational Church in Brandon, Vt., where he remained until 1841, when he removed to Cincinnati to assumetheagency of the American Home Missionary Society. In 1843 he accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church, of Madison, Ind., where he remained until the call came to him from the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. The records of the Session contain this note, under date of August 26, 1850: Session met and opened with prayer by the Rev. Har- vey Curtis, who sat as moderator for the first time after his acceptance of the pastoral charge of this church. Dr. Curtis' pastorate in Chicago was characterized by unusual acceptance and usefulness, though he came at a critical period in the history of the Society, when its property was incumbered with a heavy debt and its mem- bership much reduced by strife and dissension. Subse- quent revivals, under his earnest ministrations, added large numbers to the membership of the church, and the growth in the wealth and population of the city (23,000 in 1850 and 97,000 in 1857) enabled the Society to dispose of its prop- erty to advantage, pay its debts, and secure for itself a better location on Wabash Avenue. 156 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. " He was prevailed upon against his own desires," says Dr. Barrows, "to accept the presidency of Knox Colleg-e, Galesburg-, 111., in 1858, where he laboriously and honorably served till his death, September 18, 1862." Dr. Joseph F. Tuttle, president of Wabash College, in a letter to Dr. Barrows, at the time of the Jubilee Services in 1883, giving some recollections of Dr. Curtis, says: He was a charming- companion. As a preacher he im- pressed me with the feeling that he v/as very sincere and earnest. He was an able preacher, and not unfrequently truly eloquent. In the General Assembly he was a fine debater, clear, earnest and master of himself. He shared in the great debates which made the Assembly (New School) so fascinating and aggressive, especially when slavery and the subject of church extension and home mis- sions were discussed. Not an extremist, he was strongly in favor of the plans which were so splendidly fore- shadowed in Dr. Mills' great sermon on Home Missions before the Assembly at Utica in 1851. Dr. Curtis, when I first saw him, was, physically, very vigorous; he had a good presence, a ringing and manly voice, an easy command of strong English words, and an air of earnestness that had no hint of affectation, and that made him a strong man in the pulpit and on the floor of an ecclesiastical assembly. Speaking of Dr. Curtis' pastorate here, Dr. Humphrey says : Though his church was more than once sorely tried during his administration, he conducted it through its perils with consummate wisdom, and left it a strong and harmonious body. I am indebted to Mr. Henry M. Curtis for the excel- lent portrait of his father which accompanies this article. REV. ZKPHANIAH MOOKE HUMPHREY, D.D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 157 REV. Z. M. HUMPHREY, D.D., FOURTH R\STOR. While collecting- material for this work, I wrote to Mrs. Humphrey, asking where I mig-ht obtain a copy of the Memorial Sketch of her husband, prepared by Rev. David Torrey, D.D., of Cazenovia, N. Y. In her reply she said: New Haven, Conn., May 24, 1899. It is as if a hand had touched the strings of an instru- ment which had stood a long- time silent, to have you ask for a copy of the Memorial of my dear husband. And from what source would I so like to have the touch come as from the dear old First Church of Chicag-o, the Zion to which was g-iven the freshest, ripest and best period of his ministry. The Memorial Sketch is an affectionate testimonial from one who knev/ Dr. Humphrey well, from the time he entered college " until he finished, his course on earth and entered into rest." ^ Zephaniah Moore Humphrey was born November 30, 1824, at Amherst, Mass., and was named in honor of Dr. Zephaniah Moore, the first president of Amherst Colleg-e. His father. Dr. Heman Humphrey, was at that time it second president. The ancestors of Dr. Humphrey, both on his father's and mother's side, were of g-ood New Eng-land stock. In the Humphrey line may be found one governor of Massa- chusetts, and one governor of the New Haven colony — men whose strong characteristics were " piety and integrity." Zephaniah's paternal grandmother was Hannah Brown, a direct descendant of Peter Brown, who came over in the " Mayflower " in 1620. She was sister of Capt. John Brown, of West Simsbury, Conn., and he was father of John Brown, of Ossawatomie, so that Zephaniah's father was own cousin to John Brown, of Ossawatomie. Zephaniah's mother was 1 Memorial Sketch of Zephaniah Moore Humphrey, by David Torrey. Lippincott &. Co., Philadelphia, 18S3. Dr. Torrey died September 29, 1894, at Cazenovia, N. Y. 158 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. Sophia Porter, daug^hter of Noah Porter, of Farming-ton, Conn. Her brother, Noah Porter, became pastor at Farming-ton, honored and esteemed in a pastorate which covered nearly sixty years. Of the children of the latter his son, Noah, became the disting-uished professor of philosophy, and afterward president of Yale University, while the daug-hter, Sarah Porter,^ was for thirty years pro- prietor and beloved principal of the well known Farming-- ton school for young- ladies. The years of Dr. Humphrey's childhood were passed at Amherst, among- the wooded hills of the Connecticut val- ley, in the midst of a panorama of natural loveliness and beauty, scarcely to be surpassed in the whole world. He entered Amherst College in 1839, and after gradu- ation in 1843 spent a year or more in charg-e of a select school at Crednal, Loudon county, Va. He returned north to spend a year at Union Seminary before going- to Andover in 1847, where he came under the guidance of that prince of teachers, Professor Park, completing- his course in 1849. In 1850 he became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Racine, Wis. On April 20, 1853, he married Miss Har- riette Sykes, of Westfield, N. Y. In 1856 he accepted a call to the Plymouth Congregational Church, of Milwaukee, remaining there until he began his work in Chicago. Dr. Humphrey's pastorate in Chicago commenced May 15, 1859. At the installation services on Tuesday evening, June 17, Rev. Yates Hickey, the moderator, offered the introductory prayer, read the Scripture lesson and propounded the usual questions to the pastor and people. Rev. Henry Neill, of Detroit, preached the sermon from the text, Romans ix: 16, 17: So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that My name might be declared through- out all the earth. Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D.D., offered the installa- tion prayer. The charge to the pastor was delivered by 1 Miss Sarah Porter died at Farmington, February 17, 1900, aged 87 years. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 159 Rev. A. L. Brookes, and the charg-e to the people by Rev. Harvey Curtis, D.D. Dr. Humphrey's ministry covered the entire period of the Civil War, four j^ears of intense excitement and stirring- events. "The pastor of the First Church," says Dr. Barrows, "was not found wanting- in this g-reat national emerg-ency; nor were its members, for they were enrolled among- the nation's defenders and among- the nation's martyrs." After nine years of earnest, blessed work, Dr. Hum- phrey tendered his resig-nation for reasons which were set forth in a letter read to the congreg-ation Monday evening-, February 3, 1868: Dear People: Grace be unto you, and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is with unfeigned reg-ret, that I lay before you my request that you will unite with me in ask- ing the Presbytery of Chicag-o to dissolve the ecclesiastical ties which now subsist between us; our present relations to cease with the last Sabbath of February. It is now nearly nine years since I became your pastor, and I may truly say, that while those years have consti- tuted a period of prosperity to the church, they have been as full of happiness to me as you could make them. The cordiality with which you welcomed me at first has been more than sustained. I have long- felt sure, not only of your interest, but also of your love. Until within a few months, I had cherished no thoug-ht or wish to leave you. The pastor then referred to the call he had received from Calvary Church, of Philadelphia, and the health of a beloved member of his family which had been seriously im- paired during- the previous winter by the rig-orous climate of Chicago, for whom a further residence in this city would be hazardous. I at once communicated these facts and my impres- sions to your Session and promised to visit the church which had called me. My reception, my observations and inquiries, were most satisfactory, and left but little doubt in my mind that a removal to Philadelphia would promote the health and lengthen the life so dear to me and of so much consequence to my work. May God bless you for the past, and send you a pastor around whom you will gather with the unanimity with 160 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. which you have g-athered around me and mine, and who will do far more for your spiritual prosperity than I have been able to accomplish. Dr. Humphrey removed to Philadelphia in the autumn of 1868 and remained there seven years as pastor of Calvary Church. When the General Assembly met in the First Church of Chicago in May, 1870, Dr. Humphrey was chosen moderator. In September, 1875, he entered on the duties of professor of " Ecclesiastical History and Church Polity " in Lane Theolog-ical Seminary at Cincinnati, con- tinuing- there until his lamented death, which occurred No- vember 13, 1881. Dr. Humphrey was buried in Graceland Cemetery, Chicag-o. Ki:V. ARTHUR MITCHELL, D.D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 161 REV. ARTHUR MITCHELL, D.D., FIFTH PASTOR. Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D. was born at Hudson, N. Y., Aug-ust 13, 1835. After his graduation from Williams Col- leg-e in Aug-ust, 1853, he was engaged one year as tutor at Lafayette Colleg-e in Easton, Pa. He then devoted one year or more to foreign travel. His theological studies were pursued at Union Theo- logical Seminai-y, entering in 1856 and graduating in 1859. He then accepted a call to the Third Presbyterian Church, of Richmond, Va., where he remained until May, 1861. He was married October 9, 1859, to Miss Harriet E. Post. The following- letter from Rev. P. B. Price, who succeeded Dr. Mitchell at Richmond, gives an interesting- account of his work while in the south: Roanoke, Va., June 9, 1899. Rev. Arthur Mitchell entered upon his duties as pastor of the Third Church, of Richmond, on the last Sabbath in May, 1859, and continued in this relation till the 27th of June, 1861, when he returned to New York City. During- this time I resided within the bounds of the con- g-regation, of which I afterward succeeded him as pastor. His preaching- and his pastoral work, his social quali- ties and his zeal and diligence attracted much attention from the beginning- of his ministry; the church grew and prospered under his care. His voice and manner in preaching were pleasing, and his sermons gave evidence of careful preparation. The Spirit attended the word spoken by him, the people sustained him by their sympathies and prayers, and through the blessing of God upon his faithful labors in private as well as upon his sermons, there were frequent professions of faith and additions to the church. He was distinguished for conscientiousness in the per- formance of all his duties, and would make important sacri- fices for conscience' sake. Under this influence he reached the conclusion that he ought to spend his vacation in preaching to the destitute, rather than in idle rest, for recreation. He went away in the summer to southwest Virginia and preached in pro- tracted services to some obscure people in Grayson county. 162 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. His labors were blessed, and the people showed that he had won their affection and excited their gratitude. The breth- ren of the Presbytery were warmly attached to him. After he left Richmond I visited him in Morristown, N. J., in 1866, where he was pastor of a larg-e and impor- tant church, and was much esteemed. He told me that he was preaching- there the same simple Gospel sermons that he had preached in Richmond. I had the use of Mr. Mitchell's library until I could send it to him after the war. It abounded in evidences of his studious and pious habits. When he came to Richmond, soon after the war, he left with me $200 to be distributed among- those of the congre- gation who were in need at that time; some were in this condition who had not known the ills of poverty before. Dr. Mitchell's next pastorate was with the South Street Presbyterian Church, of Morristown, N. J. Here he labored from October, 1861, until he began his work in Chicago in the autumn of 1868. In his letter of acceptance to the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, dated August 24, 1868, he says: I accept the call which you have tendered me to be- come your pastor. It is with many fears, lest I shall prove insufficient for so great a work; but relying on your effect- ive co-operation and on the aid of the Holy Ghost, and, praying for that "sufficiency which is of God," I am will- ing to undertake the sacred task. I hope to remove to Chicago by the middle of October, but doubt whether I shall be able to enter fully upon the labors of my pastorate before the first of November. If it is possible for me to do so earlier, I will. Upon one point allow me a frank, plain word. I fear that in a congregation of the size of yours I shall not be able to maintain that system of general visitation which some pastors have the strength to observe, and which I know is of the utmost usefulness. Pray, dear brothers, that God may be my daily wis- dom and strength, and that I may come to you in the full- ness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. May g^race and peace be multiplied unto you all. Dr. Mitchell preached his first sermon as pastor of our church October 25, 1868, from Isaiah Ixiv: 6: "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." He was installed November 10, 1868. It was my privilege to hear him for the first time on a LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 163 Sunday morning* soon after his installation. When the hour for opening divine service had arrived, the new pastor came promptly into the pulpit — a slig-htly built man, about five feet six inches in heig"ht, with dark brown hair, mous- tache and eyes, and a kindly, earnest face, which fairly glowed with enthusiasm as he became interested in his subject. The sermon that day was on cong-reg-ational sing-ing, how to promote it, how to elevate it; a subject with which the preacher, a g-ood singer himself, was per- fectly familiar, and which he handled ably and skillfully. Dr. Mitchell believed that much of the music used in church worship should be of a kind in which the congregation could take a hearty part. The minister spoke simply and unaffectedly, without anyattempt at oratory; but there were few in the congregation that morning who did not go away fully convinced that here was a man of whose sincerity and piety there could not be the slightest question: ele- ments of his character which afterward won for him the respect and esteem of all the people in this city. Dr. Mitchell always took a great interest in municipal reform; he attended the primaries regularly, worked at the polls, and often preached from the pulpit on the re- sponsibilities and obligations of citizens in such matters. The scenes in connection with the ballot box stuffing at the South Town election, April 4, 1876, which he wit- nessed with other citizens, and the outburst of popular indignation when three disreputable candidates declared themselves-elected collector, assessor and town clerk — all these matters will be recalled. When the election of these men was contested by a citizens' committee before the jus- tices of the peace of the South Town on April 15, the evi- dence of the witnesses showed conclusively that the ballot boxes had been tampered with; the statement of Dr. Mitchell was particularly clear and positive. The court decided accordingly, declaring that there was no valid election and that vacancies existed in the of&ces of col- lector, assessor and town clerk. The Chicago Tribune of April 17 said of Dr. Mitchell's action in this election: 164 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. Rev. Arthur Mitchell, D.D., "the little dominie" of ad- mirable resources in connection with the recent stirring- events in the South Town, preached yesterday in the First Presbyterian Church on the duties of Christian citizens in the present crisis. A clerg-yman who knows how to act, oug-ht to know how to preach about an emerg-ency. Among- the important sermons of Dr. Mitchell was that on systematic g-iving, entitled "The King-'s Business," on the text, I Cor. xvi: 1, 2: " Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Ga- latia, even so do ye," delivered from the pulpit of this church January 19, 1879. This sermon resulted in estab- lishing- the system of annual pledg-es and weekly offering's, for the various benevolent causes. In Aug-ust, 1880, the pastor accepted a call from the First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, Ohio, and preached his farewell sermon in Chicag-o October 17, 1880. He resigned his pastorate in Cleveland to accept the position of secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions, en- tering- on his duties in New York City July 4, 1884. Few men were better informed on the work of foreig-n missions than Dr. Mitchell. It had been with him a subject of care- ful, earnest study from the commencement of his ministry, and he knew the needs and resources of the Board and the work in the mission fields, as he knew his Bible. In July, 1889, he started, under the appointment of the Board, to visit the mission stations in Japan, Korea, China, Siam and Syria, returning- to New York City in July of the following- year. While on that tour he was taken seriously ill in Siam, and several months elapsed before he could resume work; the Board accordingly requested him not to begin his duties in New York City until October, 1890. In the spring- of 1892, his health again showing symptoms of giving way, the Board allowed him a vacation of three months for a trip to the Pacific coast, where he regained a fair amount of vigor. In November of that year he went to Florida by the advice of his physician, returning north early in the following year. His death occurred at Sara- toga, N. Y., April 24, 1893. His last public address was at Albany in October, 1892, before the Synod of New York. KEV. JOHN HKNRY BARROWS, D. D. LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 165 REV. JOHN HENRY BARROWS, D.D., SIXTH PASTOR. Rev. John Henry Barrows, D.D., was born July 11, 1847, in Medina, Lenawee county, Mich. His parents were Rev. John M. Barrows, afterward professor of natural sciences in Olivet Colleg-e, Mich,, and Catherine Payne Moore, an early g-raduate of Oberlin Colleg-e. He united with the church in Olivet in 1863, and was g-raduated from Olivet College in June, 1867. After studying- one year in Yale Theolog-ical Seminary and one year in Union The- ological vSeminary, Dr. Barrows went to Osag-e county, Kan., remaining- there two and a half years, doing- home missionary and educational work. He then preached one year or more to the Cong-reg-ational Church in Spriug-lield, 111., and after a year abroad and five months of study at Andover Theolog-ical SemJnary, he was settled in 1875 as pastor over the Eliot Cong-regational Church, of Lav/rence, Mass., where he labored nearly six years. In December, 1880, he was installed over the Maverick Church, of East Boston, Mass., from which he was called in 1881, to the First Presbyterian Church of Chicag-o. During" the fourteen years of his pastorate in Chicag-o, 1,200 members were received into the church and Railroad Chapel, of which, for so many years. Rev. Charles M. Mor- ton was the faithful minister. In all missionary and reform work, in every enterprise for bettering- the civic life of Chicag-o, Dr. Barrow^s always took an active part. He is among- the most noted speakers of this country, whether before missionary, temperance or Christian Endeavor con- ventions, or on the lecture platform. His address on "America," given at the opening of the Spring- Palace, Fort Wayne, Tex., before the Presbyterian Social Union^ of St. Louis, and before the Synod of Indiana, rings with patriotism, and is a powerful argument in support of Home 166 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. Missions. His lectures on "Samuel Adams," "James Russell Lowell," "Hug-h Miller," "John Stuart Mill," "Shakespeare," "Wendell Phillips" and "Jerusalem," have been delivered in many parts of this country. Among the notable sermons preached to the people of the First Church, which, afterward published, had a wide circulation, are those on: "The Perfection of the Bible," "The Nation and the Soldier," "The Nation's Hope," "Religion the Motive Power in Human Progress," " Christian Manhood," "Reason in Temperance," "Christ and the Poor," " Martin Luther," " Christian Hospitals," " The V/orld of Books," "Municipal Patriotism," "Saving- Our Country," "Glorifying God" and "Eternal Enjoy- ment." The Pnlpit Treasury, of New York, June, 1884, says of Dr. Barrows: His peculiar function is to preach. It is at the altar his lips are touched. His extraordinai-y gifts are all arranged along the line of power in spoken speech. His sentences are polished shafts. Even his voice, which is of a rich and peculiarly resonant quality, contributes toward magical effect. There is something magnetic about his personal appearance. He is noticeably tall and lithe in form. His physique, at first sight, does not indi- cate such enormous endurance as he seems to possess. Perhaps no preacher in America carries a heavier min- isterial responsibility. The parliament of religions, which met in Chicago during the World's Fair, was organized by Dr. Barrows, as a plan for bringing together in one assembly " rep- resentatives of all the great historical faiths in the world — Brahmans, Buddhists, Moslems, Parsees, Confucians, Jews and the great churches of Christendom." In this work he had the cordial assistance of religious leaders in every part of the world. One direct outcome of this religious convention was the founding by Mrs. Caroline E. Haskell of a lecture course at the University of Chicago, with an income suffi- cient to provide a series of lectures in India, on the rela- tions of Christianitv and other religions ; these lectures to LIVES OF THE PASTORS. 167 be g-iven in the large cities of India. Dr. Barrows was in- vited by Mrs. Haskell to open this course of lectures. Realizing- that his heart was in this new and broader j5eld of work, to which he had been called, and that a change of scene and labor would be to his benefit. Dr. Bar- rows tendered his letter of resignation Sunday morning, November 25, 1896 : I desire to present to you this morning a communica- tion similar to the one I have already offered to the Session. Fourteen years and morejhave elapsed since the call to the pastorship of this church was placed in my hands. In ac- cepting that call I was clear as to my duty. The acquaint- ance which I have had with this company of Christians has only deepened my affection for the mother church of Chi- cago. Its history, benevolence, its devotion to the kingdom of Christ and that spirit of unity which has marked its life, are widely known and honored. Among the ministers of this church I have served you longest. But the time has now come when I am clear in my judgment that I am called of God to resign this charge in order that I may have the privilege of establishing the Christian work in India, to which I have been providentially summoned. It is my purpose and hope in December, 1896, to go to Bombay, Calcutta and Madras to deliver courses of Christian lectures, to which I have been appointed by the University of Chicago, and to which invitations have been extended by several missionary conferences and by many men of wisdom and influence in the East. I do not need to reaffirm my faith in the great and use- ful future of this church. The workmen change, but the work goes on. My loving interest in this people will be unabated and abiding. It is no easy thing to sever ties of such strength and preciousness, — ties which have never been so strong as during this last j^ear of my ministry among you. Your kindnesses in joy and sorrow have been numberless and will always be gratefully cherished. In whatever part of the one field, which is the world, my lot may be cast, wherever, in the providence of God, I may continue my life work of preaching the Gospel of Christ, the strong affection which I cherish for this church and community will be continued. Dr. Barrows' last service in this church as its pastor was on Sunday morning, February 16, 1897. He passed the summer and autumn in Germany, preparing for his 168 LIVES OF THE PASTORS. work in India, and the winter of 1897 and 1898, delivering- a course of lectures on the Christian religion in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. Since his return to Chicago, in May, 1898, he has broug-ht out three works: "Christianity, the World's Religion," "A World Pilgrimage" and the "Chris- tian Conquest of Asia" (1899). At a special meeting- of the Board of Trustees of Oberlin CoUeg-e, held November 29, 1898, Dr. Barrows was unanimously elected president of the institution. He entered on the duties of his office January 4, 1899. POSTLUDE. The history of the First Presbyterian Church of Chi- cag-o, as given in these pages, treats chiefly of the growth of the Society and of matters of immediate interest per- taining to the services, v^ithout touching on other depart- ments of its work, such as the Sunday School, the Rail- road Mission and the various missionary and benevolent organizations sustained by the church — a field which has been of great import in its life, but for which exhaustive resources are not at hand. In the articles on choirs and psalmody I have by no means intended to oifer a scientific essay on the develop- ment of church music. Aside from giving some informa- tion regarding persons and events comparatively little known, I have confined myself to an outline of the prog- ress in the musical part of divine worship, since the time when our fathers and mothers sang in the choir. If, in presenting the growth of this venerable Society, "The Church on the Frontier," "whose life and influ- ence," as Dr. Barrows says, "has run parallel with the strenuous and widely expanding life of a city which has in a generation and a half become one of the chief commer- cial centers of the world," I have added any facts which will be held dear by the present generation, and which would otherwise have faded into oblivion, I shall feel that my task has not been entirely in vain. 169 OFFICERS. •1900. Rev. W. J. Chichester, D.D., Pastor. ELDERS. Franklest Ames. Hamilton Borden. Samuel Baker. Henry W. Dudley. Addison Ballard. Henry H. Hunger. Charles L. Bingham. Henry D. Penfield. William H. Swift. deacons. Charles Alling, Jk. Earl C. Greenman. Henry M. Bacon. William A. Magie. Walter Frazer Brown. George W. S. Matheson. Tracey C. Drake. Josiah W. Perrine. Alexander H. Seelye. trustees. William H. Swift. Marshall Field. Caryl Young. William E. Kelley. Tracey C. Drake. committee on music. Philo a. Otis. William H. Swift. Charles D. Irwin. sexton. Charles Hugo Koehring. 170 ERRATA. Page 34, 30th line. For "Lorena," read, "Lurena. " Page 34, 31st line. For '-Adella," read, "Delia." Page 53, 30th line. Read, "Mrs. F. A. Thomas, Miss Jessica Haskell and Mrs. J. Schmahl." Page 55, 3rd line. For "Januar3' 1, 1876," read, "January 9, 1876." Page 55, 11th line. For "January 1, 1877," read, "February 18, 1877." Pages 72, 73, 74, 75. For "Mrs. Katherine Fi.sk," read, "Mrs. Katharine Fisk. " ADDENDUM. Mrs. Antoinette Whitlock Freer, widow of the late Mr. L. C. P. Freer, died Sunday, March 11, 1900. She was received into the membership of the First Church, April 5, 1845, and at the time of her death was the oldest living member. 171 INDEX, Adams, Rev. J. W., D.D., 14. Adams, Deacon Philo, 10. Allen, W. T., 29. Allen, Rev. Dr. (of Freadmen's Board). 66. Ailing, John, 63. Anderson, Rev. E., 6, 36, 37, 85. Anderson, Rev. Rufus, D.D.. 36. Atterbury, Rev. J. G., 27, 28. Bacon, Rev. L., D.D,, 79. Ballard, Addison, 9. Barber, Jabez, 19. Barker, J. N., 43. Barrows, Rev. J. H., D.D., 5, 6, 17, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, (!5, 6(5. 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 79, 80, 81, 83, 85, 87, 88, 92, 93, 98, 142, 156, 159, 165. Barrows, John M., 79. Barrows, Rev. W. M. , D.D., 65. Bartlett, A. C, 63. Bartlett, Rev. W. A., D.D., 67. Bascom, Rev. Flavel, D.D., 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 56, 64, 68, 111, 123, 152, 153, 154. Beaubien's Hotel, 17. Beecher, Rev. H. W., 65, 139. Benedict, Amzi, 20, 25. Bissell, Geo. F., 43, 44, 45. 63, 84. Blackburn, Rev. W. M., D.D., 55. Blatchford, E. W., 5, 144. Blatchford, Rev. John, D.D., 6, 15, 16, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149. Bliss, P. P.. 54. Bolles, Peter, 14. Bostwick, C. O., 6. Bostwick, Emma G., 117. Botsford, Henry, 95. Bowen, F. A., 47. Boying-ton, W. W., 25. Bristol, Rev. Frank, 63, 64, 66. Bristol, R. C, 19. Brooks, J. P., 29. Brookes, Samuel, 21. Brown, J. H., 26. Brown, Rufus, 17. Brown, W. H., 14, 17. Burchard, Rev. Dr., 27. Burnham, Rev. Mr., 58. Calvary Presbyterian Church, 5; organization, 32 ; members of church and cong-regation, 33, 34, 35; choir, 45, 46, 47; edifices, 36, 37, 40, 41. Calvary Church, Philadelphia, 29. Carpenter, Philo, 17, 119. Carville, 32. Central Music Hall, services begin, 63. Chambers, Mr. and Mrs. B. B., 33, 86. Chamberlain, F. V., 28, 104. Chappell, Miss Eliza, 11. Cheney, Rt. Rev. C. E., D.D., 64. Chichester, Rev. W. J., D.D., 6, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 103, 104, 105. Choir, First Church. First Leaders, 121. First Quartette, 118. Members prior to 1857, ill, 121, 122, 123. Members from 1857 to 1371, 116, 119, 120. Organists from 1857 to 1871, 115, 118, 119, 120. Members from 1871 to 1900 : Sopranos, regular: Aiken, Miss Fannie, 71, 72, 74. Aikman, Miss H. E., 90. Aldrich, Mrs. W. H. (Mae French), 48, 52, 58, 59, 61. Buckbee, Mrs. J. C, 55, 64. Butler, Miss Esther, 55, 61, 69, 71. Chenejs Mrs. R. L., 54. Crocker, 'Miss E. M., 55. Davis, Miss Carrie, 67, 68. GiiTord, Miss Electa, 74, 75, 76, 78, 80, 82, 83, 87, 90. Gurler, Miss L. M., 91, 94. Haskell, Miss J., 53, 54. Schmahl, Mrs. J., 53. Trimble, Mrs. C. G., 91, 94, 96, 99, 101. Whitney, Miss Fannj'' L., 55. Sopranos, occasional and as- sisting: Arters, Mrs. E. P., 75, 76. Baldwin, Miss G. M., 69, 72. Beidler, Mrs. A. W., 87, 89, 90, 91. Butler, Miss Bessie, 70. Carlson, Mrs. P. R., 70. Chappel, Miss Grace, 94. Davis, MissM. L., 73, 75. Dudley, Miss Grace E., 91, 92, 94, 98, 103, 105. 173 174 INDEX. Sopranos, occasional and as- sisting-. — Cot! tinned: Dunlap, Miss E., 93, 101. Easter, Miss M., 89. Etting-er, Miss Alice, 83. Evans, Mrs. W. J., 77, 81, 101, 105. Foreman, Miss Dora B. , 63. Gifford, Miss G., 80. Goodman, Miss E. M., 93, 94, 95. Goodwin, Miss Edith, 95. Hansel, Miss May, 105. Hatheway, Miss L. E., 99. Henderson, Miss F. H., 69, 71. Hiltz, Miss Grace, 71. Hinman, Miss Lillie, 69. Hotchkin, Miss, 87. Hvale, MissN., 105. Jenks, Miss Jessica, 59, 61, 63, 69, 80, 81, 83, 87, 89, 90, 91 92 93 94. Joslynr'Mrs. D. C, 70. Keller, Miss May, 76, 77, 78. Mallory, Miss H., 95. Martens, Mrs. R. S., 82. McCord, Miss A., 58. Munson, Miss Sarah, 101. Pomeroy, Miss M. L. , 78. Pine, Mrs. F. G., 101. Prentiss, Mrs. L, M., 59, 61. Randall, Miss L. E., 73, 75, 76, 82, 83, 90, 91. Rhodes, Mrs. C. W., 69. Russell, Miss J. F., 81. Sheib, Mrs. A. M., 64. Sperry, Miss M. P., 64. Stein, Miss Pauline, 82. Thomson, Miss Mary P., 105. Wallace, Miss Kittie, 61. Williams, Miss F. M., 64. Wilson, Mrs. P. B., 80. Wilson, Miss Ruth, 95. Altos, regular : Custer, Mrs. J. R. (Ella A. White), 53, 58. Dreier, Mrs. Christine Niel- son, 67, 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 80, 82, 83, 84, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 101, 104, 105. Fisk, Mrs. Katharine, 72, 78, 74, 75. French, Miss A., 49, 51, 52. Hawkes, Miss, 48. Johnson, Mrs. O. K., 48, 49, 51, 52, 54, 76, 85, 111. Kempton,Mrs. J. T., .56, 68,64. Remmer, Mrs. O., 87. Altos, occasional and assisting: Allen, Miss L. B., 69. Bag-g-, Mrs. F. S., 61. Balfour, Mrs. J. A., 59. Barnes, MissE. M., 101. Bilton, Miss Rose, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78, SO, 81, 82, 83, 87, 89, 90, 91. Elish, Miss Louise, 94. Burton, Mrs. Helen, 99. Campbell, Miss Bessie, 95. Campbell, Miss Florence, 95. Carpenter, Miss E., 91. Clarke, Miss A. H., 82, 83, 87. Clark, Miss J., 105. Coffey, Miss A., 59. Cox, Mrs. Agnes, 69, 70, 71. Edmands, Miss Gertrude, 73. Fleming, Miss Laura, 92, 94. Harrison, Mrs. Fannie, 64. Hauser, Miss A., 101. Holden, Miss Mary, 51. Holmes, Miss J. R., 76, 82, 83. Hubbard, Miss D. J., 91, 92, 93, 95. Johnson, Miss J. R., 101. Kirkland, Miss M. J., 70. Lawrence, Miss Stella, 70, 71. Lee, Miss Lucinda B., 89, 90, 91. Miksch, Miss Viola, 80, 81. Miles, Miss Myra, 89. Millar, Miss Anna, 81, 94. Millar, Miss Henrietta, 94. Murphy, Miss Nellie E., 99, 105. Ockenga, Miss E. W., 101. Phoenix, Miss May, 63, 64. Plumb, Miss E. M., 93. Read, Miss A., 105. Rommeis, Miss Pauline, 61. Rj'an, Mrs. Cecilia, 90. Sabin, Mrs. A. R., 51, 52. Smith, Miss Clarissa, 91. Summy, Mrs. C. F., 61. Tuthill, Miss Lulu, 61. Upton, Miss Annie, 61. White, MissM., 94. Tenors, regular : Abercrombie, Charles, 69. Gill, James, 52. Hall, Glenn, 95, 97, 98, 104, 105. Hine, W. S.. 89, 91, 92, 95. Otis, Philo A. , 48, 51, 52, 54, 64. Rollo, Alfred, 99. Root, F. K., 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 78,80,82,87,89,91,92,93,94. Sterritt, E. M., 67. Swift, James, 96. INDEX. 175 Tenors, occasional and assist- ing : Barnes, Chas T., Gl. Clippinger, D. A., 70. Crankshaw, C. W. , 75, 76, 77, 87. Dawson, Geo. E., 64. Greenleaf, E. C, 73. Holder, F. W., 82. Kov/ard, R. T., 51, 52, 61, 85. Key, P. V. R. , 80, 81. Knorr, C. A., 64. Lamson, W. A., 83. Leach, C. E., 59. Mix, H. A., 101. Otis, Philo A., 70, 71. 72, 7G, 80, 81, 82, 83, 89, 90. 91, 92. 93. 91. 95, 99. 101, 105. Rattenbury, J., 58, 59, 61. Sabin, A. R., 51, 52. Shuart, J. J., 90. Smith, CM., 58, 61. Snider. O. C. 61. Tobey, C. H. M., 78. Wait, E.F.. 89. Wall