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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



agreeable to adjournment. Voted, that a meeting-house be built at 

 the place before mentioned, in size thirty by forty on the ground, the 

 height not to exceed one story. Voted, that a general invitation be 

 given to the inhabitants to meet for the purpose of hewing the timber 

 for said meeting-house, on Monday, the 3d inst. Meeting closed in 

 due form, March 4, 1812. 



" Arch A Campbell, Clerk." 



" At a meeting of the First Presbyterian Cohocton Society, in the 

 county of Steuben, at the house of Frederick Stewart, on the 26th 

 day of June, 1812, Col. David Holmes was chosen moderator and 

 Solomon Campbell clerk. Voted, we do proceed to build a meeting- 

 house at the place heretofore named. Col. David Holmes voluntarily 

 proposed that he would give the society a title to the said place, and 

 he would, after the expiration of five years, pay the society for the 

 said house, if they then had no further use for it. Voted, unani- 

 mously, to accept said proposals. Voted, that the size of said house 

 be 22 feet by 32 feet and 13-feet posts. Voted, that John White be 

 authorized to employ a carpenter to do the necessary work on and 

 about the house. Voted, that Obed Nute be a collector for the pur- 

 pose of collecting the several sums subscribed for the support of the 

 Eev. Clement Heckman, in Campbell Settlement. Voted, that James 

 Faulkner be a like collector for that part of the society which 

 includes Mud Creek. Voted, that the house of Archa Campbell be 

 the place to hold public worship until otherwise directed by the 

 society, or until the contemplated house be built." 



At a meeting of the society, Jan. 19, 1813, Asa Milli- 

 ken, Archa Campbell, and James Fulton were elected 

 trustees for the ensuing year. In 1814 a new board of 

 trustees was also elected, and with this the record closes. 



PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CAMPBELL. 



The first regular Presbyterian preaching began in 1830, 

 in which year Rev. Benjamin B. Smith moved into the 

 town, and was engaged as stated supply. His family occu- 

 pied part of the great red house just below the Narrows, 

 which at that time formed the residence of Joseph Stevens; 

 and his little salary was supplemented by about ten dollars 

 a month, which he received in winter for teaching district 



school. 



Mr. Smith held a noted revival in a school-house on the 

 west bank of the river, opposite Gulp's Hill ; and, the 

 attendance going beyond the capacity of the building, a 

 shed was erected against the outside, and the windows taken 

 out between it and the school-room, to accommodate those 

 who could not get in. Many came from a distance to 

 attend this meeting, and there was an unusual religious 

 interest awakened. 



Soon after this revival. Rev. David Higgins, then of 

 Bath, said to Deacon Jared Stevens, " What will you do 

 with that little handful ?" and Mr. Stevens answered, '' We 

 will make a church of them, and God will take care of it." 

 On the 25th January, 1831, the Presbytery of Bath, 

 then holding its session at Havana, was applied to for the 

 organization of a Presbyterian Church in Campbell. The 

 request was granted, and Rev. David Higgins, and Rev. 

 Mr. Harmon, and an elder from the church in Painted 

 Post, of the name of Fry, came by appointment to consti- 

 tute the church. 



They met on the 14th day of February, 1831, for that 

 purpose, in the same school-house where the Four Days' 

 Meeting had been held. 



It was constituted of seven members, and those mostly 

 received by letter. Six of the seven members were from 

 the Stevens family, viz., Joseph Stevens and Abigail, his 



wife ; Jared and Jonas, his two sons ; Eliza, his son's wife ; 

 and Mrs. Rhoda Nute, his sister. The seventh was Mrs. 

 Hannah Campbell. Thus began the church, — three men 

 and four women. More came soon, however ; and the 

 seed-corn planted on that cold February day soon gave 

 token of genuine vitality. 



On the 6th day of March, 1831, less than one month 

 from its organization, three persons came forward to unite 

 by profession. Their names were Rachel Mulliken, Sarah 

 Campbell, and George Teeple. In about two months more 

 there was a still further accession. Mrs. Lucinda Gay lord, 

 Mrs. Pamelia Pratt, Mrs. Lucy Teeple, and Mrs. Rhoda 

 Ann Nute united by profession ; and Mrs. Hadassah Hor- 

 ton, by letter, from the church in Pulteney, N. Y. In July 

 following eleven more came forward, among whom were 

 Mrs. Sally Ann Knox, wife of W. Douglas Knox, and 

 Aden J. Pratt. Deacon Pratt held the office of deacon of 

 this church for thirty-five years, ending only with his 

 death. In October following there was another accession, 

 Ralph Stevens, Joseph Stevens, Jr., and James Wheat. 

 In November, one more, Plyna Cobb. 



This completed the year. During that time the church 

 increased greatly : beginning the year with seven members, 

 it closed with twenty-eight. Of the members ten were 

 males. No deaths occurred that year to weaken the little 

 flock, no one asked for a letter of dismission, and no one 

 had to be excommunicated. All that had been gained was 

 saved. Before the year closed the organization was per- 

 fected by the appointment of three elders, Jared Stevens, 

 George Teeple, and Aden J. Pratt. Mr. Stevens had pre- 

 viously been ordained. The other two received ordination 

 on the 6th day of November, 1831, at the hands of Rev. 

 B. B. Smith. Mr. Pratt died in this town, June 29, 1865. 

 Mr. Stevens died at Canton, Mich., in February, 1866. 

 Mr. Teeple died quite recently. 



The church building was erected in 1833, at a cost of 

 $850. They had a fashion in those days of getting on 

 with a great enterprise without much money ; and, in 

 building a church, every one who had lumber, every one 

 who had a team, and every one who could chop or quarry 

 stone, could pay his subscription easily. Even the builder 

 would be glad to take his pay in produce ; and for glass 

 and nails and paint, a load of boards, or a stick of timber, 

 would pay as well as gold. In the winter of 1832-33, the 

 timber was got out for the frame ; and by the time haying 

 was over in the following summer they were ready for the 

 raising. They raised the building without whisky. 



The architect and builder was Philip Gettur, son-in-law 

 of John Tanner ; and when the raising day came, he found 

 himself at the head of a force of men and boys from all 

 the country round. 



The church was dedicated on Thursday, the 5th of No- 

 vember, 1833. 



Rev. B. F. Pratt, of Southport, preached the sermon. 

 He was afterwards for ten years pastor of the church. 



Rev. B. B. Smith was the first stated supply. The 

 church changed often, was often without preaching for 

 months together, and often was supplied for only a few 

 Sabbaths in succession. 



Next after Mr. Smith came Rev. Calvin Bushnell, as 



