244 



HlSTOliY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



the second year ; and Cornelius Crouch, of the third class, 

 at the expiration of the third year. The following-named 

 persons were present, and considered members of said so- 

 ciety, viz. : 



Cyrus Story. 

 Sylvanus Calkins. 

 Isaac S. Kidder. 

 David Lusk. 

 Constant Cook. 

 Samuel Chamberlain. 

 Anson Delamater. 

 William Walker. 

 Levi Smith. 

 Zina Alford. 



Paul C. Cook. 

 Cornelius Crouch. 

 Ebenezer Connor. 

 Caleb Crouch. 

 Lucius Shattuck. 

 David Parmenter. 

 Amos Cornell. 

 Andrew Conn. 

 Adin Parmenter. 



In 1830 a subscription was circulated for the purpose of 

 erecting a chapel or church edifice. At the annual meeting 

 of that year a resolution was passed to have the subscription 

 " recorded in the book of the society for the purpose of ex- 

 hibiting the manner and principle on which the proposed 

 chapel is to be erected." The following is a copy, as we 

 find it in the records : 



*' We whose names are hereunto subscribed do agree to pay to Eb- 

 enezer Connor, Paul C. Cook, Cornelius Crouch, Isaac S. Kidder, and 

 Constant Cook, trustees of the first Methodist Episcopal Church in 

 the town of Cohocton, the several sums set opposite our respective 

 names for the purpose of erecting a chapel at or near Liberty Corners 

 in said town. Said house is calculated to cost about $1400. It is ex- 

 pressly understood that said house, if built, is to be free for all author- 

 ized preachers of the gospel to preach in when not wanted to be 

 occupied by said Methodist Society. It is also agreed that those who 

 pay for materials for building shall pay the same at Liberty Corners 

 by the 1st day of May next; those who pay in labor, on demand, and 

 those who pay in cash or produce, in three semi-annual payments 

 from the date hereof, provided the sum of $500 be subscribed, otlier- 

 wise said subscription to be null and void. 



'' Dated at Cohocton this 10th day of February, 1830." 



The meetings of the society and trustees were held chiefly 

 at the house of Caleb Crouch till the completion of the 

 chapel. We find a record of one of the meetings, held at 

 the store of Orton & Cook, on the 81st of December, 1832, 

 at which a committee, which we take to have been the build- 

 ing committee, made their report. It appears from the fol- 

 lowing that the chapel was at this time finished and ready 

 for use : 



" Whcreasy The Chapel in this place was built by the subscriptions 

 of individuals of diflerent denominations, we the trustees of the Soci- 

 ety do hereby ordain and declare that the Methodist Society shall 

 have the privilege to occupy the chapel the forenoon of each Sabbath 

 (and in case of a quarterly meeting or any extra meeting, they may 

 occupy the house the whole day) and the remainder part of the day 

 said Chapel shall be free for all authorized preachers to occupy. 



''Jesse P. Brace, Clerkr 



Rev. Samuel Bibbins presided at the annual meeting of 

 March 10, 1832, and is the first minister mentioned in the 

 record. In 1835 we find llev. Joseph Pearsol ^' presiding" 

 at the annual meeting '' held at the school-house in District 

 No. 5, in the town of Cohocton." The first annual meet- 

 ing recorded as " held at the meeting-house" was April 26, 

 1836, ^' Paul C. Cook presiding." 



From 1839 to 1845 there are no meetings recorded, and 

 it appears that at the latter date the society was reorgan- 

 ized, and held its regular annual meetings thenceforward on 

 the " last Monday in January of each year." 



The new organization, dated " Cohocton, 13th January, 



1845," and signed "Andrew W. Moore, clerk," was consti- 

 tuted of '^ the following persons, who were present and con- 

 sidered members of said society," viz. : 



Calvin Blood. 

 David Parmenter. 

 Fletcher C. Bateman. 

 James Draper. 

 Hiram Dewey. 

 Orin Marshall. 

 Harry Field. 

 John Lake. 

 Albert S. Henry. 

 A. L. Shattuck. 



Thomas Hendryx. 



Valentine Van Wormer. 



Andrew W. Moore. 



Benjamin P. Arbour. 



S. Hagadorn. 



M. T. Coaley. 



John L. Van Wormer. 



Henry G. Blood. 



C. J. McDowell. 



J. H. Mills. 



Calvin Blood was president of the board of trustees till 

 1854, when Amos W. Chase appears as president, and L. 

 D. Conner as clerk. In 1857, Stephen Hagadorn was 

 president, and in 1858, Y. Van Wormer. Lewis Marsh in 

 1859, and H. Rathbone in 1860. In 1861 we find the 

 name of Rev. Mr. Mandeville presiding at the annual meet- 

 ing ; in 1862, y. Van Wormer. No further record of an 

 annual meeting occurs till Jan. 27, 1873, at which time 

 "the meeting was called to order by Rev. Mr. Vosburgh, 

 and G. E. Ackerman was elected secretary." This year a 

 new board of trustees was elected, as follows : Valentine 

 Van Wormer, for three years ; James Draper, for three 

 years; John Adair, for two years; Isaac Palmateer, for 

 two years ; Lewis Knapp, for one year ; E. A. Draper, 

 clerk of the board of trustees. 



In 1875, James R. Wilson and Isaac Palmateer were 

 elected trustees for three years, and M. E. Harris for two 

 years. In 1876, G. W. Marsh and Valentine Van Wormer, 

 for three years. 



In 1873 this church was set off as a separate charge, 

 called Liberty Charge, to which the society at Loon Lake 

 was attached, and so remained till 1877, when it was dropped 

 and Wallace attached. Wallace was dropped in 1878, and 

 Lent Hill attached. Since the change in 1873, the follow- 

 ing ministers have officiated : Rev. Mr. Vosburgh, two years ; 

 Rev. William Wardell, one year ; Rev. D. W. Gates, three 

 years ; Rev. Dr. A. Purdy, present pastor. 



The church edifice was remodeled and enlarged at a cost 

 of about $2000, in 1872. Present membership, 69 ; Sun- 

 day-school, 75. 



FIRST UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF COHOCTON. 



Among the earliest settlers in Cohocton there were many 

 of the more respectable and influential citizens who were 

 believers in the doctrine of the final salvation of all men. 



Such men as Peter Haight, Levi Smith, Simeon Holmes, 

 Elizar Tucker, Benjamin Warner, David Parmenter, Lucius 

 Shattuck, Darius Crosby, John Larrowe, were men who 

 styled themselves Universalists ; and although they did not 

 organize as a society, they often held meetings at their own 

 houses, or in some school-house in the town, where they 

 listened to such ministers as the Revs. A. G. Clark, 0. B. 

 Clark, Mr. Payne, Cheny, Richardson, and others. After 

 the Methodist Episcopal church was built in Liberty, they 

 held meetings more frequently in that church until about 

 1858, when, one Sunday upon going to the church to hold 

 services, they found themselves shut out, the door being 

 locked, and no one knowing where the key could be found, 



