LDS BAPTISMS in ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 183 1- 1833 by Cheryl Hamon Bean
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LDS BAPTISMS IN ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 183 1- 1833 By Cheryl Hamon Bean Erie C'ounty. Pe~uls!jl\~:iniais just across the Petln- of these con\!erts and V. Alan C'urtis. .4t the close of his syl\:ania/Oliio border--fort\; tniles from Kirtland. Ohio. thesis. Mr. C'urtis said: "The present study is u thn~stinto U'hile searching for In!/ relati\,es in Erie C'ounty. 1 lo- an area of reseal-ch that is virtually bri~nming\\lit11 future cated a list of early converts to Mortnonisrn prepared by possibilities. Each of the indi\:iduals chronicled herein V. Alan Curtis for his master's thesis. 1Missror1:ir-JJActivi- as accepting the gospel in Pennsylvania are potential ties arid Church Orynnizntioos ir~Pennsj~//lc.nnirr. 1830- fi~turepro.jects." 1810. Many of Iny relatives and ancestors \\/ere on that list. along \\lit11 their friends. The search \\!as on! My Parn ant1 I lia\:e carried forth this \\!ark by takiny cousins, Pamela Call Johnson, Beulah Loosli Hall. and I Mr. Curtis's list and disco\~ering\\111o these con\,el-ts began to stud!; these converts in earnest--attetnptitig to \\lere. \\/here they li\ed. and \\!llat they did follo\\!ing identify each one. We fonned a Family Organization baptism. C1.e contacted some descendants \\.ho \\/ere called Hulda's Helpers and I was assigned the responsi- surprised to learn they had "Mol-tnon" ancestry. Others bility to research the Erie Count!! converts. I undertook included people \ye knew froln out' own comlnunlties: this pro,iect in search of Hulda V31tyli11 Harlno~lBassett's one con\lert became the father of n fltture Prophet of the parents. This project is dedicated to Hulda who was "fill1 Clit~rcliof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This project of zeal for the Latter-day work." has been a lnbor of 1oL.e: ho\ve\~er.it is still 11ot a "coin- plete" record. We hn\.e attempted to identify as Inany As Patn and I Iia\te worked together on this converts as possible, but we recognize that Inany natnes project for three years, \\/c have come to know and low were never publicly recorded. By publishing this re- these Erie County people. We Iia\,e had numerous spiri- search. \ve hope descendants of these people \\fill contact tual experiences no less atnazing than the henlings or us to share histories and fnrnily information. If you call speaking in tongues tnetitiolied later. Many of the Erie add to or make corrections to any of this information. C'ounty con\ierts lost their lives: some cane \\jest: Inany feel free to contact me. did not. We have been in touch with tnan!; descendants BACKGROUND Diantlia tlancliett Ciartlner \\.as co~i\.ertetlto the after\\:ard to "large and attentl\,e congregiitions :inti many gospel in Erre C'ounty. In 1631. she described Erie were nielted to tears--the Lord \\,as \\lit11 us." Fi\v or si\ C'ounty. Penusyl\.ania as follo\\:s: calne fol-\\.ard and were baptizetl in S~)ringfieltlincluding one Christia~ipreacher \\lit11 \\,horn tlie!? had labored in nie town of Erie, Erie C'ounty. Penn- pri\.ate tlilipently after ~neeting.Tlie ~iiissionariesstayed ';yl\,ania \\,:is ;i s~nallto\\,n of n few hundred \\;it11 Mr. Reed, Mr. Hanshor~iatid Mr. B;trrs. Before pc-ople ill 183 1. People yot about on horseback leaving Springfield. 111ey"ordained Brother Si~ii~iionsan :ind \\,rth 01 te:ims and \\ agons ant1 slianks niare elder and inst~~~ctetlliim in tlie kno\\/ledge of the king- [i.e.. tliey \valketl]. They Iia<l a ne\\,spaper com- dom and church." ing out once a \\,eek. The use of c:indles \\,as tlie~ro~il!. nieanx of ligliti~iyat night. ;inti all Elclera Hyde and Srnitli preaclietl ill every to\vn- cooklng \\?asdone in open firel)laces \\,it11 \\,ootl. ship and most of the \.illages along tlie Ridge Road There \\.ere no sidewalks. and few roads \\;ere across Erie C'ounty. finding "prospects poor" east of paved. C'hurclies had no heat in tliem. There Sprinyfieltl. In Fairview. Elder C'arter said tlielr testi- \\.ere no public schools and only one pri\.ate Inon! was "as idle words to the people." Tlic! found the school. hllost of the liouses \\/ere of logs and people in Mill C'reek "\.ery hard--seerningl! no salvation ge~ierall!, only one room with no plu~nbing. for tlie~n." In Wesle!/\,ille. the!/ like\\.ise found no suc- cess. despite preaching from house to Iiouse. In Harbor Jared C'alter. one of tlie first ~nissionariesto C'reek. one was "almost persuatletl to beco~nea Chris- Erie C'ounty. joined the C'hurch in Ne\\. York u~lienlie tian." In No~-thEast. five ~neetinyswere held \\;itliout l~eiirtlabout tlie Book of.~Io~'~no~lfrom an anti-Mor~iion. success. As the Elders tm\?eleci and preached. they said: Jared sought out tlie church and \\/as baptized by Hyrurn "[\\,el lifted up our warning \roice by the spirit. and shooli Smith about February 20. It13 1. He stated in liis journal off the dust of our feet against almost all, aricl sealecl that lie \vas "so \\ar~nedby the spirit ofCiod that lie didn't many o\,er to the day \\.lien tlie \\:rat11 of God shall be feel the cold of tlie \vater on him at that \\inter se:lsoli poured out." Orson H!cle and Samuel H. Sniitli contin- during the half-mile \\:alk to shelter :~ntl1.1 clianye of ued east ant1 "built 111) four churches--one 111 ~Maine,t\\:o clothing." On Septe~iiber22. 153 1. Jared. :iccornpnnietI in Massachusetts, and one in Perinsylvania--baptized by Ebenezer Page, embarked on a nlisslon fi-om Kirtland sisty." to tlie East. Two da! s later. E,lder C'arter recol-(led in liis journal that "\ve baptized one and ordaineel Brother Read Elders Hyde and Smith niet fello\\j Elders Carter an Elder \\,here Brother Rend li\,ed." 111 111sjour11:il. and Page returniny from their missior~to Ne\\ York. Tlie .Inred Carter described experiences one after another. of four ~nissionarlesl~eld t\vo lneetinps from .4pril 27-Ma!, being called to heal the sick or cast out de\,ils. In one 2. 1832. Brother Simrno~isand t\\!o other ~nembersliad incident lie healed a boy nnmetl C'harles Craton of deaf- fallen n\\,ay from tlie C'hurch in the t\\o months since ness while riding in Craton's oxen-drawn u:agon. He their baptism. Tlie ~iiissionaries\\/ere able to reclalm t\\/o also told of an experience where the rain di\:ided o\,er a of tlie three and baptized eight Inore: Kanclall Wheeler. corigregation as they were preaching. allou'i~igthem to .41idrew M.G. .4da1ns. Abigail Spencer. Experience remain dry ant1 coliti~ii~ethe ope])-air meeting. Wheeler. C'orrielia Cattles. Fanny Mar~nliRudd. Pliebe Tliornpson. a~iclC'loa Rudd. Tlie ~nissioriar~eslneritioried Missionaries Orson Hyde and Sa~nuelH. Smith staying at Brother Heart's home arid they me~itio~~a I:iboretl for one month in Erie Countv. beginning Febru- Brother Rudd. These brethren Inn!) lia\,e bee11among the ary 16. 1832. Eltlers Hyde iintl Slnitli spent the first unna~nedindividuals baptized earl~er. '4 creek ill Erie t\vel\:e days in Springfield. Orson Hyde recorded that County was called "Monnon Ruri" because of tlie nu- they Iieltl ii meeting the first day and allnost e\,erjl day merous baptisms perfoniied there. Lodi in Ciirard. Erie. Penrls!,l\.ania on the 26. Summarizing his mission. Jared Carter said: Here they preached on the 27 in the hoose of Ms. Matthe\\:s In Elk ('reek. Erie. P.4 and bap- Slrlce I left Ilome and was ordained to preach tized five: namely. Stephen L\!incliester. Nancy the pospel and \\/as preaching from place to \\iillchester. Beli,jamin L\;i;illchester, Polly \\'aldo. place no\v. 1 thouyht that I had ,('reat reason to and Wm. H. Sayers. That same (lay. In the thank and praise the Lord for \\that he had clone evening. they preached in a school house in tor me and m!; brothers and sisters of lny father's C'onneaut. Erie. PA: and tlie nest day in an fmnily. For the whole famil\, had no\\] come empty school house in the snlne township. On . into the glorious work of C;ocl. with their corn- Saturday. Feb 2, they lield a tneeting at Brothel. panions. except one sister. My three brothers CVincliesters and con finned those who had been \ifere preachers in this glorious gospel. I reachecl baptized. Amherst the last day of February. having been yone on this mission fi\,e months and up\vards. On Sunday, Feb 3, they preached to a I can say tliat God has blessed rne according to large congregation in Elk Creek. The next day. the propliec! of Brother Joseph. before I went Feb 3, the!) went to Sprlngfieltl \\!here they met ti-om Ohio. He has blessed Ine \\,it11 sliea\~esarid Wm. Smith and on the 5th they held a glorious with health and blessed by his name. meeting, at whicll \Vm. Smith spoke in tongues with ~nuchpower. Jane Fuller was baptized. As early as No\:elnber of 1832. some Pennsyl- The next day, Feb 6. they \.isited some of the vania converts made their way to Zion In I\llissour~. The Saints in Springfield and held a lneetiny in the E\.eniny 2nd iVor711ng Star- reported that Hpltn and school house in the e\:ening. Elder \Vrn.