TOWN OF COHOCTON. 



243 



On Sunday, Oct. 8, 1809, a regular church was formed 

 of the Congregational order, consisting of nine members : 

 " Thus the Lord planted a church in the wilderness, and 

 did not leave Himself without witness in this moral desert." 

 Of the original nine members, three had been admitted 

 by letter before the formal organization, in June, 1809, 

 viz., John Slack, Jerusha Slack, and Martha Fowler. The 

 other six who united by letter, Oct. 8, 1809, were Elijah 

 Parker, Mehitable Parker, Stephen Crawford, Ruth Craw- 

 ford, Obadiah Woodard, and Sybil Woodard. In 1811, 

 Levi and Anna Fowler and Jesse Atwell became members ; 

 in 1816, Horace Fowler and Rebecca Talbot; in 1817, 

 Susannah Rodney and Boice Shepard ; in 1818, Jothan 

 Hoar, Chloe Shattuck, Lucy Woodruff, and Silena Bentley; 

 in 1820, Nancy Weld, Polly Andrews, and Anna C. Clason; 

 in 1821, eight were received by letter and examination, viz., 

 Ezra Shepard, Sally Dubois, David Weld, Mary Fowler, 

 Hannah Bennett, Sally Ketchum, James Conn, and Anna 

 Conn. The following seven were received in 1822 : Daniel 

 Raymond, Clarissa Cook, Elizabeth Colly er, Sophia Shepard, 

 Sally Watkins, Mary Hoar, and Julia Wells. There were 

 ei^ht additions, as follows, in 1823: Benjamin Haight, 

 Asa Phillips, Joel Collyer, Eliza Haight, Tama Phillips, 

 Anna Bentley, Orlin Watkins, and Eletca Watkins. Eight 

 more united in 1824, viz., Allen Haight, Sally Haight, 

 Lucinda Bennett, Casey Crandall, Abigail Crandall, Lucy 

 Ann Raymond, Abraham Waugh, and Phoebe Raymond. 

 In 1825 there were eight more additions, as follows : John 

 Davis, Clarissa How, Orson Fowler, William Bagnell, Sally 

 Bagnell, Eunice Clary, Almira Lee, and Charity Smork. 

 In 1826, Rhoda Standclift, Martha Waugh, and Molly 

 Jones were received by letter. Eight more became mem- 

 bers in 1827, viz., Peres Powers, Mary Clary, Caroline 

 How, Abigail Henry, Harriet Cook, Laura StandclifF, Na- 

 thaniel Beetts and Mary Beetts. 



"Jan. 14, 1810. — This day the church met, according 

 to agreement, when Rev. Abijah Warren was chosen mod- 

 erator and Stephen Crawford scribe." 



" April 6, 1810. — The church met and made choice of 

 Elijah Parker for deacon. 



"June 2, 1811. — Voted, that Elijah Parker and Stephen 

 Crawford represent us in the Congregational Association at 

 Bath, and endeavor to have this church united with them." 

 In 1818, Rev. Robert Hubbard appears as pastor, though 

 the date of his settlement is not given. In 1820, Rev. 

 William Stone officiated, and, in 1821, Rev. Aaron C. Col- 

 lins. In 1823, Rev. Statham Clary became pastor, and 

 remained in charge till 1829 or 1830. Under his ministry 

 the first church edifice was probably erected. We find no 

 account of the building of it in the records, but the follow- 

 ing shows when it was dedicated : 



" Feb. 3, 1830. — The first Congregational meeting-house 

 dedicated to the service of Almighty God. Sermon by 

 Rev. Robert Hubbard; text, Haggai, ii. 9." 



Rev. Lewis W. Billington officiated after the erection of 

 the church till about 1832, when the name of Rev. Mr. 

 De Forest appears as pastor. 



April 10, 1823, the church was represented in the Pres- 

 bytery by its delegates, and thenceforward assumed the form 

 and order of the Presbyterian Church. 



Jan. 31, 1834, this church took the following decisive 

 action in favor of temperance : 



" Resolved, That this church admit none to its commu- 

 nion hereafter, who are not or do not become members of 

 the temperance cause at the time of their admission." 



Rev. I. Strough was pastor of this church from 1850 

 until his death in June, 1854. The following notice of 

 his death appears in the church record : 



" June 7, 1854. — Rev. I. Strough, pastor of the Pres- 

 byterian Church of Cohocton, departed this life, and has 

 gone to receive his great reward above." 



His successor was Rev. W. L. Andrews, who commenced 

 his labors early in 1855. He was succeeded, in 1856, by 

 Rev. A. T. Wood. Rev. J. Woodrufl" followed in Novem- 

 ber, 1857. Rev. M. B. Gettson, of the Naples Presby- 

 terian Church, officiated as pastor in 1861, and continued 

 till the close of 1871. 



The present church edifice was erected in the summer 

 and fall of 1872, and was dedicated at ten o'clock a.m. on 

 the 14th day of December, the sermon being preached by 

 Rev. Dr. William E. Knox, of Elmira. At two o'clock 

 P.M. Rev. Charles B. Austin was installed pastor of the 

 church. He remained with the church till Feb. 27, 1876. 

 The church was then served by supplies and candidates for 

 the pastorate till Sept. 1, 1878, at which date Rev. John 

 Waugh, the present pastor, began his labors. 



The Ladies' Missionary Society was organized April 11, 

 1878. Mrs. John Waugh, President ; Mrs. Carrie Harris, 

 Vice-President ; Mrs. Thomas Warner, Secretary ; Mrs. Dr. 

 Saxton, treasurer. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF COHOCTON. 



The records of this church begin with the following 

 entry : 



^' We, the suV)Scribers, do certify, that at a meeting in the town of 

 Cohocton, county of Steuben, on the 24th day of February, in the 

 year of our Lord 1829, of the male persons of full age, being mem- 

 bers and friends of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in pursuance of 

 public notice given two successive Sabbaths or meeting-days, and at 

 least fifteen days before the time of meeting, for the purpose of in- 

 corporating themselves, according to the act to provide for the incor- 

 poration of religious societies. Cyrus Story and Sylvanus Calkins, 

 two of the members of said society, were duly chosen to preside at 

 the said meeting, and that David Lusk, Isaac S. Kidder, Ebenezer 

 Connor, Paul C. Cook, and Cornelius Crouch, who were duly elected 

 trustees of the said society to be incorporated, and it was resolved by 

 the said meeting, that the society to be incorporated should be called 

 and known by the name or title of the ' First Society of the Metho- 

 dist Episcopal Church of the town of Cohocton.' And we do further 

 certify, under our hands and seals, that the above-mentioned pro- 

 ceedings were had in our presence. 



"Dated Cohocton, Feb. 24, 1829. . ---^ ^ 



*^ Cyrus Story. \ l. s. ^ 



"Sylvanus Calkins 



M/i!:l 



" Taken and acknowledged before me, this 24th day of February, 1829, 

 "Paul C. Cook, A Judge of the County Courts," 



*' Immediately after the election of the foregoing trusr 

 tees, they were divided by lot into three classes, numbers 

 one, two, and three ; and the seats of Isaac S. Kidder and 

 David Lusk, members of the first class, shall be vacated at 

 the expiration of the first year ; Ebenezer Connor and Paul 

 C. Cook, members of the second class, at the expiration of 



