TOWN OF CAMERON. 



205 



CHURCHES. 

 BAPTIST CHURCH OF CAMERON. 



A meeting was held in the school-house, near the present 

 church, June 12, 1844, for the purpose of forming a sepa- 

 rate organization in the town of Cameron. Rev. Moses 

 Rowley, who had been an early missionary preacher, was 

 moderator, and David French clerk. A committee was 

 appointed to obtain the names of those who wished to form 

 a separate organization. Previously the Baptist residents 

 of Cameron belonged to the church in Bath. Meetings 

 were held in the school-house, and at the residence of David 

 French; Rev. John B. Chase preaching there as early as 

 1832. Occasional meetings were held, but no regular preach- 

 ing was had previous to about 1842, when Rev. Mr. Ray- 

 mond supplied them. July 11, 1844, under the pastorate 

 of the Rev. Moses Rowley, a council of the neighboring 

 churches of the Canisteo River Baptist Association met in 

 the French school-house, and Rev. D. M. Root was chosen 

 moderator. Thirty-six persons presented themselves and 

 were organized into the Second Baptist Church of Cameron, 

 the first being the church of Bath. Among the first mem- 

 bers were Moses Dudley, Elias Mason and wife, John L., 

 John, and David French, Isaac C. Forgus and wife, Wil- 

 liam Johnson, Orange W. Hines, Peter Chase, Samuel 

 Watrous and wife, Barnabas Robinson and wife. Elder J. 

 D. Carr, and Elisha Thayer, who was licensed to preach the 

 same year. David French was made clerk, and Isaac C. 

 Forgus, David French, and Barnabas Robinson were the 

 first deacons. On the dissolution of the Canisteo River 

 Association in 1848, the name was changed to the Cameron 

 Baptist Church. During the pastorate of Revs. Rowley and 

 Carr, in 1844-45, a great revival added over 100 converts 

 to the church, including nearly all the population within 

 reach of the French school-house, where the meetinsrs were 

 held. During the pastorate of Rev. T. R. Clark, the old 

 Presbyterian church was purchased and moved from the 

 river to its present site near the old school-house, where 

 the early meetings were held, and rededicated by Rev. Mr. 

 Todd, Oct. 18, 1871. The trustees rebuilding this church 

 were Elmer French, John French, George Wolverton, 

 Samuel Watrous, Clark Ellis, and Benjamin Swartz. 



The following pastors have been assigned to this charge : 



1832, John B. Chase; 1842, Raymond; 1843-44, 



Moses Rowley; 1845, J. D. Carr; 1846, Jesse Gr. Williams ; 

 1847, J. D. Carr; 1848, J. S. Chapman; 1849, John C. 

 Mallory; 1850, Allen B. Chase; 1851, Benjamin Balcam; 

 1852, Wm. H. Prentiss; 1853, J. Scutt; 1854-55, A. B. 

 Chase; 1856-57, Jesse O. Williams; 1858, W. H. Pren- 

 tiss; 1859, J. a. Williams; 1860, Francis Sherer; 1861, 

 Thomas B. Clark; 1862, S. B. Peck; 1863-64, T. B. 

 Clark; 1865-67, C. C. Park; 1870, Ira Thomas; 1871, 

 T. B. Clark; 1872, H. Chase; 1873, Rev. Mr. Bron- 

 dage; 1874-75, Comfort Beebe ; 1877-78, I. M. Taylor. 

 John C. Mallory was ordained here in 1849, and Francis 

 Sherer in 1860. I. C. Ferguson, David French, B. Robin- 

 son, Thomas Horton, Samuel Watrous, Henry Rising, Jas. 

 N. Jack, Harvey Halliday, and John French have been 

 deacons ; the last three still serving. Byron French is the 



present clerk, and John French, Spencer Merrill, and Ben- 

 jamin Swartz are trustees. 



There is also in the south part of the town of Cameron 

 the East Cameron Baptist Church, whose organization con- 

 sists mainly of residents of Woodhull. This society is de- 

 scribed in the history of that town. The church, which 

 was erected at an expense of $2000, was dedicated by Rev. 

 Alanson Tilden, June 3, 1861. The trustees were G. 

 Northrup, William Allen, and P. Northrup. The present 

 trustees are William Allen, D. Northrup, and S. Newell. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 



The first religious meetings in the town of Cameron were 

 held by Rev. Abner Chase, a preacher who was admitted 

 to the New York Methodist Episcopal Conference in 1812, 

 and preached at the house of Phones Green, in the Canisteo 

 Valley, the same year. Rev. Mr. Chase, at that time, made 

 his circuit of four hundred miles on foot, preaching several 

 days in a place, and doing much to awaken an interest in 

 religion among the pioneers of Cameron. He followed this 

 circuit for a number of years, and was afterwards assisted 

 by Revs. Ebenezer White and Charles Giles. The first 

 regular organization was effected in 1834, during the pas- 

 torate of Rev. Ira Bronson. Early meetings were held also 

 at the house of Isaac Santee, who was the first class-leader, 

 and afterwards at the school-house near. Luther White 

 was the first steward. Isaac Santee and wife. Phones Green 

 and wife, and Luther White were early members. 



The first church building was made from the store of 

 Merriman & Co., at West Cameron, which was purchased 

 by Luther White, and converted into a church at his own 

 expense. This church was dedicated in June, 1842, by 

 Rev. Mr. Babcock, presiding elder ; Rev. John Bowman 

 was the pastor in charge. This church was private property 

 until 1865, when it was deeded by Mr. White to the Metho- 

 dist Episcopal Church, on condition that they make the 

 necessary repairs. 



The present officers of this church are Rev. J. H. Blades, 

 Pastor ; Charles Bateman, Recording Steward ; Jesse San- 

 tee, Erastus Dickey, Stewards ; William Santee, Class-Leader. 

 The following have been pastors of this church : 1812-20, 

 Abner Chase, Ebenezer White, Charles Giles, I. J. B. 



McKinney, Dubois; 1834, Ira Bronson; 1835, 



Thomas Wheat; 1838, Chandler Wheeler; 1840, Philo 

 P. Tower; 1841, R. T. Hancock; 1842-43, John Bow- 

 man; 1844, Carlos Gould; 1845, Samuel Nichols; 1847, 

 E. Colson; 1848, J. Ashworth ; 1850, Daniel Clark; 

 1851-52, Wm. Potter; 1853-54, Henry Wisner; 1855- 

 56, R. D. Brooks; 1857, C. Goal; 1858, Joseph Chap- 

 man ; 1859, Jared Copeland ; 1860, H. C. Brown, Elisha 

 Sweet; 1861, J. Thompson; 18M, Wm. Sharp; 1865-66, 

 Charles Bush; 1867-69, M. D. Jackson; 1870, D. D. 

 Van Allen; 1871-72, Carlton G. Lowell; 1873-74, F. 

 M. Smith ; 1875-76, Harris Peck ; 1877-78, J. H. Blades. 



The late pastors of the Cameron village church were: 

 1856, Carlos Gould, J. L. S. Granden ; 1857, C. Gould ; 

 1858, J. Chapman; 1859, H. C. Brown; 1860, J. Thom- 

 son, Jr.; 1863-65, C. Bush; 1866-68, M. D. Jackson. 



In February, 1851, a class was formed at Cameron vil- 

 lage, with 13 members, of which Samuel M. Reynolds was 



