r '

NOTES m~ EARLY

IN THE TERRITORY NOW COVERED OR ONCE COVERED BY THE PITTSBifrtGH CONFERENCE

Compiled by Rev. Homer C. Henton, and Blanche Craig, Historian, First Methodist Episcopal Church, Tarentum, Fa. Bibliography

"Alleghen~ County - Its History and Subsequent Jevelopment"; Lamb­ ing and White; Allegheny County Centennial Commiss1on. nA Short Histocy of the methodists in the of America"; Jesse Lee; 1810. . "The Autobiography of Jacob Youngn; 1852. Bishop 's "Journal", Volumes I, II, III. "Centennial Address"i· Rev. W. B. Watkins; Pittsburgh Conference Ses­ sion, September, 883. 11 Churches of Allegheny Countyn - 1varner. 11 Cyclopedia of Methodismn; Bishop 1v1atthew Simpson; 18?8. Excerpts from 1~inutes of the First Held in America, 1??3-1?94"; :published 1?95, bl Henrv Tuckriss, Phila­ delnhia; also, "Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Metho­ dist E:p1sco:pal Church, 1?73-1828n, Volume I· :published by T. Mason and G. Lane, 1840. Copied from loaned volumes, October and December, 1934. · ttHistory of Allegheny County" - Emery. nHistory of P~legheny County" - Warner. "History of Butler County", Vol. I. -Hale F. Si:pe. ltflistory of :Elizabeth M.E. Church"; 1910; R. T. Viiley. nHistory of Methodismlf; Dr. James M. Buckley. "History of the Methodist Episcopal Churchtr; N. Bangs; 1839. nHistory of Pittsburgh and Its Environs". "Homestead Methodism"; Rev. W. G. Smeltzer. "Old Pittsburgh Daysn; T. J. Chapman. "Pioneer Life in the West"; Rev. James B. Finley. "Pittsburgh Conference Journaln (later nThe Pittsburgh Christian Advocate); first issue, Novemoer 15, 1833. ttPittsburgh Conference Manual". npittsburgh Today, Its hesources and Peoplen. "The Life of Robert R. Roberts"; Rev. C.E. 'Elliott, D.D.; 1844. Foreword

No mention of Pittsourgh Conference Methodism would be com­ ~lete without a brief statement of the movement in the United States. Whether it began with the New York group, comprising Barbara Heck, Philip Embury, and other Irish Palatinates who came in 1765, or with Robert Strawbridge, who arrived in Maryland in 1765 or '66, may al­ ~my be a moot question. The two groups were so closely contempor­ ary that the priority of one or the other is of small moment. In Western Pe~sylvania, Methodism was undoubtedly an outgrowth of Strawbridge s work~ and its earliest organizat1ons were a part of the old vonference. The following ~aragraphs, condensed from the ."Cyclopedia of Methodism", published 1n 1878 by Bishop N~tthew Simpson, depict the growth of the movement in Pennsylvania. Methodism in Pennsylvania

Methodism was introduced into this State by Captain Thomas Webb, a British soldier who vms one of Wesley's converts; he first visited in 1767 and formed a class of seven persons, which met in a sail-loft on Front Street near the Delaware River. Captain Webb visited the city at intervals and preached until the arrival in October, 1769, of Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor, whom had sent as missionaries. Pilmoor preached on the Commons and from the steps of the old State House. Boardman proceeded to New York, but thev interchanged regularly eve~ three months. Shortly before theirvarrival, Philadelphia was visited by Robert Williams, a local preacher. A. few weeks after 1tr. Pil­ moor began his work in Philadelphia, the building now known as St. George's Church was purchased from a bankrupt German Reformed congre­ gation; this was the second house 9f wotship belongi~ to the Metho­ dists 1n America. The next year ll770) Boardman and Pilmoor were joined by John King, an earnest local preacher from Epgland, who ~reached his first in the Potter's Field, now Washington Square. In 1771, Francis Asbury and Richard Wright arrived, Asbury beipg in general charge of the work until the arr1val of Thomas Rank1n in 1773. After Asburv's arrival, the missionaries extended their work more regularly into-the count~ · Pilmoor had previously preached at several points outside Philadelphia, but no societies had been formed . Thomas Rankin convened the first Conference at Philadelphia in 1773, at which 180 members were re~orted; probably more than half of these lived in the city itself. Conferences were also held in Philadelphia in 1774 and 1775, 264 members being reported for Penn­ sYlvania at the latter Conference. Iri 1774, a circuit called Ches­ ter was formed between Philadelphia and Baltimore, which reported 74 members the following year. The Revolutionary War retarded the growth of Methodism, and pastors and people were often subject to · persecution. In 1777, Philadelphia reported 96 members and Chester, 136. In 1781 the name of Chester disappears from the records, but Pe~lvania reports 271 members. Little York also appears with 90 mem ers, and the next year Lancaster is reported with 70 memberso These were the heads of large circuits. In 1783 , at the close of 2. the Revolution, the returns in Pennsylvania were:- Philadelphia, 470 members; Little York, 50 members; Juniata, 40 members. The previous year these had composed one district with Thomas Vas~y as . The followt·ng year the work extended westward to Alle- gheny_ and Redstone. Dr. J.M. Buckley's "History: of Methodism" lias Allegheny Circuit. in existence in 1782, with Wilson Lee as­ signed to it for his first pastorate.) It may not be amiss at this point to include two brief notes, one takenfrom "A Short History of the Methodists in the United States of America", written b~ Jesse Lee in 1810, the other from B~s' ffHistory of the Method1st Episcopal Uhurch", written in 1839. Jesse Lee says:- Win 1783 the eleventh conference began at Ellis' Meeting House, Virginia, and the same day 1t adjourned to Baltimore on the 27th day of the same montho At this time we took in eleven circuits which are as follows:- In Mary­ land, Caroline and Annamessex· in Virginia, Allegheny, Cum­ berland and Holstein; in Nortli Carolina, Guilford, Caswall, Salisbury,. Marsh, Bertie, Pasquotank. rr In addition to this, Bangs notes that there were reported 82 preachers and 13,740 members, an increase for the year of 1,955. He also sa¥s that the Conference took a strong stand against the li­ quor traff1c and slaveryo Members who had not then freed their slaves were given just one year's grace. The first Thursdays in July and October were appointed as days of thanksgiving "for our public peace, temporal and spiritual pros~erity, and for the glori­ ous work of God." The first Jfridays in January and April were set apart as days of fasting and pra~er. The next conference was a~­ ~ointed to be held in the city of Baltimore on the 4th Thursday 1n May, 1784. The question of slaverv, so strongly denounced at the Con­ ference of 1783, continued to plague Methodism for another half­ century, and finally split the church. The year 1784 saw the beginning of Pittsburgh Conference in the inauguration-of the histor1c Redstone C1rcuit, whose origi­ nal territory covered several hundred m1les and is now embraced in part in four Conferences. Redstone Circuit The first Methodist organization west of the Alleghanies was the Redstone Circuit, organized at the Conference in Baltimore, the latter part of May, 1784. There had been Methodist preaching, however, within its bounds for several years previous. Francis Poythress, assigged to "Pennsylvania Circuit", had gone as far westward as the Youghiogheny River, preaching in the scattered set­ tlements. Howe anu Roberts, on the Allegheny Circuit, a year or two previous, had followed Po1threes and preached at various ~oints in Redstone territory. The foundation, however, had been la1d be­ fore even these valiant circuit-riders crossed the mountains and, 3. as was ~o frequently the case in early Methodism, laid by a layman. Robert Wooster, a local preacher, who settled at Uniontown in 1777- 78,- exercised a helpful ministry throughout the Redstone country for several years ~rior to the organization of the circuit. In the be­ ginning, the Clrcuit-riders of old Redstone swept far beyond its geographical bounds, preaching to the pioneers as far north as the shores of Lake Erie; far soutli into what was then Virginia, now West Virginia; and westward across Ohio, not then a State. In three years the work grew so rapidl~ that the circuit was divided into three - Redstone, wholly with1n. Western Pennsylvani.a.; Cl&rksburg in the south; Ohio in the west. oeven preachers supplledtne circ~1ts. Regarding this pioneer circuit, Rev. W. G. Smeltzer, author of nHomestead Methodism", says:- "About 1777-?8 Robert Wooster came to Uniontown and began a ministry in that re~ion." He then quotes from Stevens' "History of Methodism regarding Wooster, and continues - "The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized just eighteen years after the first Methodist preach1ng in America. It was the first church west of the Alleghanies to organize here after the Revolution, had sufficient vitality to send its first re~ar preachers beyond the mountains in the first year of 1ts o~ganization, t~eir arrival coming in.eight yyars after the com1n~ of Dr. McM1llan of the Presbyter1ans, wh1ch denomination hau been actively at work in the country since the opening years of the 18th century.n Be also quotes from the writing of Rev. Thornton Fleming, who came to this field in 1791 did heroic service for many years, an~ ~hosy body rests in the old Met~odist.cemetery at Uniontown. Wr1t1ng 1n 1834, Rev. Thornton Flem1ng sald:- "In 1784 the first regular preaching by the Methodists west of the Allegheny Mountains in what was called the Red­ stone Circuit was introduced by John Cooper and Samuel Breeze, who were sent out by the Baltimore Conference. The former has long since finished his labor in the vine~ard of the Lord. The latter I was well acquainted with. His piety and usefulness were well known in his day. He died in peace and full of eternal life many years since. In 1785 the Baltimore Conference sent three preachers to the Redstone uircuit - Peter Moriarty, John Fidler and Wilson Lee. I knew Brother Lee for a number of ~ears; few were nis equ~l for piety, zeal and usefulness. He traveled verl extenslve­ ly and uncommon unction attended his ministry. In 1?84 he entered the travelin~ connect~on. . Twent¥ years after ~e died very suddenly wnile pray1ng w1th a s1ck person. His sudden death was attributed to the breaking of a blood ves­ sel.n 4.

The first Conf~rence west of the Alle anies was held at Un~ontoym, y n , • Ap:tJOlnumen. s were ma e for R~dstone, Oh1o, P1ttsburgh, Clarksburg, Ph1ladel:ph1a, Chester and Br1stol. The next year the Conference met in Ph1ladelphia, but several sub­ sequent early Conferences were held in Uniontown. In 17?6, members were reported for the first time by states; Pennsylvania, with 13 appointments, reported 2631 white and 380 colored members. The last report by states was in 1801; after that date, reports were made by Conferences, which did not always conform to state lines. Western Pennsylvania remained in the Baltimore Conference until 1824; that conference embraced all the state west of the Susquehanna R1ver, except the extreme northern portion, which belonged to the Genesee Conference.

METHODISM IN PITTSBURGH TERRITORY

Pittsburgh was laid out in 1788, becoming a borough in 1794. It is first mentioned in Pittsburgh Conference Minutes in 1788, when the Pittsburgh Circuit was formed, including much of Westmoreland, some of Fayette and Washington Counties, and all of the lew County of Allegheny set up two months later (September, 1788 • The new county reached northward to Lake Erie and from it, in 1 00~ were carved the counties of Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Crawforu, Erie, Mercer, Ven~o and Warren, though not all of these were immediately or~nized. Commenting u:pon Methodism in Pittsburgh territory, an Allegheny County histor1an writes:- "The itinerant Methodist preachers came into this section, hunted up every ~ethodist family they could hear of, traveled into every settlement, stopping wherever they could obtain hospitality, and preaching wherever they could get an audience ·- private houses, school-houses, in the woods, on the streets,- and organized classes wherever they could get half a dozen names. In this wal Methodist class­ es - incipient Methodist societies - were formed in various sections of t he county, but from the imperfect records kept of these societies, it is impossible to tell what year they were formed."

~ The Conference at Uniontown, Julv 22nd, 17~8, appointed the Rev. Charles Conawa (sometimes spelled "Conway"} pastor of the new 1 s ur '1rcuit. His mission was to go 1nto the wil- derness, preach he Gospel, and organize Methodist societies. He rode the circuit two years, preaching occasionally in the vil­ lage of Pittsburgho Gommenting on this, a Pittsburgh historian wr1tes:- ttA few years before this period, John Wilkins express­ ed the opinion that 'Presbyterian ministers were afraid to come to the town lest they should be mocked and misue·ed'. Nothing of that kind had any terrors for the early Methodist ~reachers. The more Satan lifted up himself, the more the .· 1tinerant raised himself up to smite him. To such sons of thunder as Lorenzo Dow, Peter Cartwright, Valentine Cook, and Asa Shinn, the rage or the mockery of man was as idle as the summer breeze.~ Another writer, commenting on the crude, rough condi­ tion of Pittsburgh's first days, and the indifference of the peo­ ple to religion, remarked that ~they were likely to be damned without benefit of clergy~. That was no longer true after the days of Rev. Charles Comaway and_his immediate successors. In 1'792-93 the Pittsburgh Circuit had three ministers- · the Reverends Charles Conaway, Valentine Cook, and.David Hitt. Bishop Asb~ made four visits to Pittsbur~ - in 1'789 1803, 1810, when he dedicated the first Methodist church there, and shortly be­ fore his death in 1815. First Sermon, 1'785 - First Services, 1'784

The first Methodist services in Pittsburgh, however, were held in 1?84, a year before Rev. Wilson Lee's sermon, and four Y-ears befo~e the organization of the circuit. The leader was Mrs. Marr, Gant)lsome county histories spell the name as "Grant", others as 1Gaut" , an Irish widow who was one of John Wesley's converts. Though recorded in several histories of Allegheny County, we turn to a letter written by the Rev. Peter McGowan,-in connection with the c~ntenary of Smit~field Street Church, September 23rd, 1888,- as be1ng most authent1c. The Rev. Peter McGowan was one of the gi~nts of the early y~ars.of Pittsburgh Conference •. Wh~n he wrote th1s letter to the Sm1thf1eld Street Church, he was 1n h1s 85th year, too frail phlsicalli to leave his home at California, Pa., but ~assessing ~Ul menta .vigor •. The.par~ of the l~tter con­ cernlng these f1rst Method1st serv1ces 1n P1ttsburgh lS as follows:- "In 1839 I was traveling the Butler Circuit. At one of my appointments I met with a precious old mother in Israel who gave me the following statement. She was born on Grant's Hill, Pittsburgh. Her father was Frank Wilson, who came to this country from Ireland before the Hevolutionary War. He had a sister he left in Ireland who married a Mr. Gant. She was converted through the labor of Mr. John Wesley. At the close of the war they took ~assage for this country, but be­ fore they got on shipboard mr. Gant died. As the passage money was ~aid, she got a nephew to accompany her to this country. On the passage he also died. A lonelv widow, she reached P~iladelphia and, after spending the ~nter,there, came to P1ttsburgh to her brother. She had Wesley s and Fletcher's "Checksr' (to Antinomianism) with her. On g~tting to her.brot~er's, who had three child~en, she c~uld f1nd no Method1sts 1n the town, and she must 1ntroduce 1t and began to speak to her nieces, who were led to see their need of Christ. Their Aunt Gant would read one of Mr. Wes- 6.

ley's sermons and pray with her nieces until they were con­ verted, when she formed them into a class and met with them in that carac~tJ regu!arli. One of these girls (Mary Ariri Wilson Wig ield was the old lady who gave me this account. After some time, a young man who was a Methodist from Mary­ land got to Pittsburgh, found out the nucleus of Methodism, and united with them. They soon appointed him class-leader. This young man was named W1gfield, who married the one who gave me what I have written. After their marriage, her aunt made her home with them while she lived. They moved to a home on Frankstown Road. Robert Ayres , the f1rst preacher they saw, found them1 and they had him preach to them. ~yres was that year tl?86) traveling the Redstone Circuit. He traveled one or two years with us, then went to the Episco~al Church~ and spent his life in Brov1nsville , Pa., as a mlnister. tlere, then, was the first of Methodism in ~ttsbur~. Auntie Gant died before I ever heard of her. s. Wig 1eld, the first convert, I knew well.n

Commenting on this, Warner's nHistory of A~leg4eny Coun­ ty" says that the Wilson family removed to Sandy Creek, a few miles up the Allegheny River, some time after Mrs. Gant's arrival, and there were no more Methodist services until Rev. Wilson Lee preached the first sermon in the autumn of 1?85. On the occasion of Bishop Francis ~sbu~ ' s first visit to Pittsburgh in the summer of 1?89, under da e o July 22nd, he makes the record in his "Journaln :- "We left Pittsburgh and came by the Allegheny River to ~ilson ' s, who was f~rmerly an eider in the Presbyterian Church. Brothe~s green, Wi l­ lls, and vonway were my compan1ons on the road." Th1s lS the only record we have of this nprophet of the long roadn ever being in the Allegheny Valley. Butler County Li nk

~nese Wilson-Wigfield services in Pittsburgh carry an i nteresting link with Butler County Methodism. In 1?9S, Matthew and Mary Ann Wigfield became Butler County pioneers, locating in Middlesex Township, where their home rema1ned a Methodist· center for more than fifty years, several chur ches apparent!~ growing out of the class-meet1ngs held regularly each Sunday. The class-meetings were for 2? years under the leadership of Robert Brown, who came from New Jersey in 179? and , with the Wigfields, was the founder of Methodism in Butler County • . Nine children blessed the Wigfield home ; one of the daughters, Nancy , married the Rev. James Watts, who was on the Shena~o Circuit of the old Ohio Conference in 1813. Va­ rious books cons ted, though they do not plairily state that Butler County and northern .Alle~henv County belonged in the first quarter of the 19th century to tne old Ohio Conference , leave that unmis­ takable inference. Until the signing of the Indian Treaty in 1?95 , all the l and west of the Alle~eny River and north of the Ohio River was known as "Indian Landn. Only the bravest pioneers ventured into it, though trade 1~ s had sought its furs for a century. From 1?95 on into the 19th centU!Y there was a rauid influx of settlers, and Methodism kept pace with t hem. Foremost in the van , we~e the Wigfields in 1?96. Matthew died in 1816, but Mary Ann surv1ved until 1855 , dying at the age of 95 years. Pittsburgh Conference Formed In 1824, Pittsburr Conference was formed from portions of the Baltimore, Ohio, an Genesee Conferences, its first session being held in September, 1825, in Pittsburgh. It comprised the terr1tory between the Alleghanies on the east, the Tuscarawas River in Ohio on the west, the Kanawha River on the south, and Lake Erie on the north. It grew so rapidly that in 1836 the Erie Conference was formed from its nort hern portion, and ~848 tne-­ West Virginia Conference was carved from its southern port ion. 1rhere were no more changes until Mat' 1876, when the General Con­ ference convening that month in Ba~1more, erected the East Ohio Conference from the Ohio a~pointments of the Pittsburgh and Erie Conferences. At its sess1on in March of that y_ear, the Pitts­ burgh Conference had petitioned the General Conference to divide its territory according to the State boundary line. To strengthen the Ohio section thus cut off, the General Conference added tlie Ohio section of the Erie Conference, which gave the new Conference 252 ministers and 47, 244 members.

Early Gro,~h of Pittsburgh Methodism "The first Methodiswthat settled in Pittsburgh were immi­ grants from England and Ireland in the years 1796 to 1803. They brought over some of the Methodist fire and entlnsiasm from the old country, held prayer and exuerience meetings, and sang joyful h~s. They were regarded as fanatics or religious enthusiasts, were ridi­ culed and despised, and the preachers denounced as ignoramuses." Down to 1796 , there was no Methodist organization in the city of Pittsburgh. If there were any converts, they were so few that no church resulted, but there is positive proof of the organization of a class. Mr. John Wrenshall, who early became a leading merchant in the city, had been a local preacher in England for sixteen years; he was a man of culture, deep piety, great intelligence and earnest­ nesso Soon after his arrival, Mr. Wrenshall began holding services in an old, deserted log church belonging to the Presbyterians, which stood on Wood Street near Sixth Avenue. Many in the first co~re­ ~tions were soldiers and officers from the garrison at Fort Pitt. The congregations continued to increase, but after a few weeks a padlock was put upon the door and notice served that no more Metho­ dist meetings could be held there. In this emergency, Mr. Peter Shiras, a class-leader who lived at the Point and owned Fort Pitt, kindly offered a room.in the barrack~ of the old fort, ~hich was gladly acc~pte~. .Th1s became th~ f1rst r~~ar preach1ng-~face for Method1sm 1n P1ttsburgh, serv1ces cont1nu1ng here for s1x years, until 1802, when Mr. Shiras sold the fort to Gen. James O'Hara and removed to his home in New Jersey. The removal of their class­ leader was a great loss to the little church in the wilderness but, in the summer of 1803, Thomas Cooper, Sr. and his family came from England, and proved a great acquisition to the strugEling congrega­ tion. Their coming brought new life and hope, and Mr. Cooper was appointed their class-leader by Rev. Wm. Page , then pastor of Pitts­ burgh Circuit. He was also a fine singer, had a seat within the altar, and "raised the tunes" - a precento:r, he would have been called in some churches. Both he and Mr. Wrenshall kept nopen 8. house" for Methodist preachers and people. For some time after the sale of the fort, the Methodists of Pittsburgh met in the home of Mr. Wrenshall on I~rket Street, preaching in summer-time often being held in the orchard in the rear of the house. Oc­ casionally services were held in the court-house, but dances and other assemblies were often arranged to prevent religious meetings there .. In 1806 Mr. Cooper removed to a house on Front Street - now First Av~nue - which had a room large enough to be used as a chapel, and ruethodist services were held there until 1810. That year, in the pastorate of Rev. Wm. Knox, a lot was purchased and a small stone edifice 30 x 40 feet erected on Second Street. On August 28th, 1810, Bishop Asbury stood upon the corner-stone of th1s church and preached. He also made the following entry in his _nJournaln:- "The society here is lively and increasing in numbers, and the prospect is still good in this borough." This was the only house of worship owned by the Methodists until 1817, when three lots were purchased and a church erected at the corner of Smithfield Street and Seventh Avenue, the location ever since known as "Brimstone Corner". It was a large brick building with a gallery around two. sides and one end. In 1820, a great revival came in the pastorate of Rev. Samuel Davis. It was so far-reaching that, as one historian says - nthe business of the city to a great extent was laid aside for a t~e during this religious awakening~" From that time on, Metho­ dlsm took fast hold of the popular m1nd, and the growth of the church was rapid; though temporarily handicapped oy the Methodist Protestant divis1on in 1828, it quickly recovered. Up to the session of Pittsburgh Conference in 1835, all the churches of the city were included in one pastoral charge or circuit, and each was served in turn by one of the three pastors assigned to the work. Beginning in 1835, the churches of Smith­ field Street, Liberty Street, B1r.mingham (Bingham Street), and Alleghenytown each had their ovm preacher. 'l'he populat1on of Pittsburgh and Alleg};leny together was then 22,800. Although there had been a class in Allegheny in 1829-30, its first mention as separate from Pittsburgh was in 1832, when Rev. Alfred Brunson was appointed pastoro Preachers on Pittsburgh Circuit, 1788-1834 . In the forty-six years of its existence as a circuit, Pittsburgh was served by the following Methodist ministers, many of them outstanding men:- 1788 - Chas. Conaway 1789 - Chas. Conaway, Pemberton Smith 1790 - George Callahan, Jos. Doddridge 1791 - Chas. Conaway 1792 - Valentine Cook, Seelz Bunn 17 93 - Daniel Hit t , ..Alward {fui t e 1794-5 - John Watson, Richard Ferguson 1796 - V~. Beauchamp 9. 1797-98 - Robert Manley 1799 - James Smith 1800 - Nathaniel B. Mills, J8llles Quinn 1801 - Lasley Matthews, Isaac Robins 1802 - Benjamin Essex, Noah Fidler 1803 - Wm. Page, Lewis Sutton 1804 - Wm. Page, Wm. Knox 1805 - Jesse Stoneman, Thomas Church 1806 - Thomas Daughaday 1807 -Robert R. Roberts, J. lf. Harris 1808 - l!'rederick Stier, Thos. Daughaday 1809 - 11m. Knox, Abraham Daniels 1810 - Wm. Knox, Joseph Langton 1811 - J. M. Hansom 1812 - Jacob Dowel 1813 - John Swartzwelder 1814 - Lewis R. Fechtig 1815 - Jacob Dowel 1816 - Thornton Flemi~, John McElfresh 1817 - Andrew Hemphill 1818 - Lewis R. Fechtig 1819-20- Samuel Davis 1821 - John Baer, T. J. Dorsey 1822 - Richard ~dings, Henry B. Bascom 1823 - Richar~ TYdings 1824 - .Asa Sh1nn 1825 - Wm. Stevens 1826 - Charles Cooke 1827 - John Watermanj Robert Hopkins 1828 - 1Y.m. Lambden, acob Flake 1829 - Robert Hopkins 1830 -.z. H. Coston, Wesley Brovming 1831 - Charles Elliott, W. Brown 1832 - Martin Ruter, Thomas Drummond 1833 - Martin Ruter, Peter McGowan, Hiram Gilmore 1834 - T. M. Hudson, , Wm. Hunter.

Of this list, Robert R. Roberts and matthew Simpson became bishop~. Charles Elliott was the first editor of THE PITTSBURGH CONFERENCE JOURNAL, which later became the PITTSBURGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE!· the latter merged with the New York edition of the ADVO­ CATE in 928. Asa Shinn was the leader of the revolt that result- ed in the Methodist Protestant Church. Many others were out- standing men. In connection with the centenary of Smithfield Street Church, on September 23rd, 1888, Rev. W. B. Watkins, who had been pastor from 1881 to 1884, delivered a sermon said to have been the finest ever delivered in that church. Much of it was historical and paid tribute to the circuit-riders, of whom he said - · "For the time would fail to tell ••••• of Lasle~ Matthews, converted from the Roman Catholic Church, ••••••• of Thornton Fleming, the aroma of whose life filled the churches for long years, •••••• of Robert R. Roberts, in 1816 elevated to the high­ est office in the church, •••••• of Peter McGowan, still surviv­ ing, as one of the links binding us with the heroic age of Me ­ thodism.n 10.

NOTES FROM ttPIONEER LIFE IN TEE WEST"

.. The Rev. James B. ~inl~y, 9f the Ohio Conference, was a~pointed ~res1d1ng elder of the Ohio District at a conference at Louisville, Ky., September 3rd, 1816. He says, in his "Pioneer Life in the ~Vest, page 285:- "My district embraced eight circuits,extending from the mouth of Cr:tptina, on the Ohio.River, to tp.e lake at the mouth _pf Huron, in-. eluding the State of Ohio. all the Western Reserve , all Western Penn­ sylvania from the Ohio and the Alleghanies, and Western New York, as far down as Silver Creek, below Fredonia. On this field of labor were ten traveling preachers and a membership of 4,050. My first round of quarterly meetings commenced October 19th and 20th at Leesburg on Tuscarawas Circuit. The next was on Beaver Circuit, at the Falls of Big Beaver, on the 26th and 2?th. Grand River and Mahoning at Hart­ ford, Western Rese~ve, on November 2nd and 3rd; Erie Circuit at Oil Creek, on the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania, November 9th and 10th; Chautauqua Circuit at Broken Straw, Nov. 16th and l?th; Shenan o Circuit at Jackman's meetin -house four miles below Pittsbur ov. r an • eu env1 e Ircui , a ong s mee Ing- ouse, ov., th and December ist; West Wheeling, Dec. ?th and 8th, at Andrew Scott s, near Wheeling. The second round of quarterly meetin.os commenced in January (181?) and closed on the first and second ofJMarch. The last round of quarterly meetings for the year were camp­ meetings, with few exceptions~ Our quarterly c~p-meE?ting commenced at Canadeway, or what is now Fredonia, July 24th ll8l?J and lasted four days. Brother James McMahon accompanied me to labor in word and doctrine. Brother McMahon preached Sunday morning in demonstration of the Spirit's ~ower. Our next camp4meetin~ was in Beaver Circuit at Zuver's camp­ ground and commenced on the th of August, 1817.n 1\An account of this camp-meeting on pages 294-5.

"At the Conference held in Zanesville, Sept . 3rd, 181? , I am re-ap~ointed to the Ohio District with the following brethren:- Beaver Circuit, Jacob Hooper and Samuel Baker; Erie Circuit , Ira Eddy~ Gr~nd View and Mahoning, D.D. Davidson and Ezra Booth; Chautauqua, ~urtiS Goddard ; Steubenville, Samuel Hamilton, Wm . Knox, and Calvi n Ruter; Tuscarawas , James McMahon; Huron, John C. Brooke. The Steubenville Conference of 1818 lasted eight days. I was re-appointed to the Ohio District. The Conference this year met in , August ?th, 1819. This year I was appointed to the Lebanon District.n 11.

NOTES FROM "THE LIFE OF ROBERT R. ROBERTS, ONE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE :METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH" By Rev. Charles Elliott, D.D. Pub.: G. Lane and C. B. Tippett for the M. E. Church, at the Conference Office, 200 Mulberry Street 1844.

urn the year 1785, Mr. Robert ~;: . Roberts, the father of Rob­ ert R. RobertsJ sold his property in Maryland, and moved with his family to the Ligonier Valley, ~ fustmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The country was then new, with scarcely any churches or schools. The people of the valley, as far as they were religious, were generally Presbyterians and Seceders. Mr. Roberts had been strictl¥ warned by his (Epis­ copal) before he left Maryland, aga1nst any religious alliances with the sectarians, especially the Methodists, whom he represented as peculiarly dangerous religious associates. In the year 1788, when Robert R. Roberts was about ten years of age, the Methodist preachers went to the neighborhood where his father resided, and preached within half a mile of h~s father's house. The preachers then on the circuit (Redstone) were Jacob ·Lurton and Lasley fuatthews. The older brothers and sisters of Rob­ ert R. frequently heard them and very often amused themselves by · making remarks upon the sermons and meetings. Mr. Robert M. Roberts would not hear tnese _preachers at all, as he believed them to be false pro~hetsr he adhered to his determination until some of his family jo1ned 1ihe Methodist church." - Page 19. "In 1796, Robert R. Roberts settled on the Shenango at the mouth of 1leshannick Creek. He crossed the Allegheny River at .l!'reeport and went up Buffalo Creek to the interior. - His sister kept house for him in his log cabin - the nearest women were 19 miles to Mercer and 22 miles to Meadville, Pa. In April of 1798 he made, with his younger brother, Lewis, a trip back to Ligonier (whence he had emigrated) , to convey to his new residence a part of his father's family. They were ten days in traveling from Ligonier to Shenango. · A large number of other families and individuals also c~owded into the new country. On every 400-acre tract one or more cab1ns were erected. Lon~ lines of family relatives were attracted t o this new neighborhood. ' 12.

''The Rev. Jacob Gurwell, an Irishman, and a local preacher of moderate talents, became a permanent inhabitant of the new colo~y, and upon his arrival (spring of 1798) commenced holding meet1ngs and ~reached every Sabbath. He was the ministerial a~ostle of th1s section {Shenango), as Robert R. Roberts was the p1oneer of its improvement and population. Soon another Methodist local preacher, Mr. Thos. McCle1- +and, ~ecame a se~tler in the community~ he had preached two years 1n Ire.1.and under Wesley. He and Rev. u-urwell labored in great harmony together and very effectively, and formed the first soci­ ety or class in the summer of 1?98. These local preachers were like so many to whom it pertains, as pioneers of religion, to or­ ganize the first classes everyvvhere. In 1797, Robert R. Roberts received his certificate of church membership from Rev. J. Smith of the Redstone Circuit, which then embraced Ligonier; thus he transferred to Shenango. Later, when the class was formed at Shenango, he was chosen leader. He generally went with the local preachers to their meetings or preaching places and frequently concluded them by singing and prayer. The coU11tr~ was rapidly filling up with inhabitants; con­ gregations were large, as the people came from a great distance. In 1799, a group of them went to Gre~nsburg with three horses laden with skins of a value of about $150.00. They applied the proceeds of the furs princinall¥ to the purchase of cloth1ng. From Greensburg they proceeded to L1gonier and visited a few weeks. In the first settlement 8f this region (Shenango), all the provisions had to be taken from assewago, or Meadville, by the settlers, and thev had to pack them on their backs, since thev could not then pack them on horse-back, because they had neither grass, pasture nor fodder on which to feed their horses. Canoes were sometimes used when the water was high. Next recourse was had to packing on horse-back. At first the mode of conveyance was descending the Youghiogheny, Monongahela and Ohio, and ascending the Beaver and two Shenangoes to the mouth of the ~eshannick Creek, where New Castle now sta~ds. Also up the Allegheny and French Creek to Cssewago (Meadville), and then by pack1ng on the back and traveling on foot to 0henango. They also tried boating up the Shenango, but this method failed. Later the pack-horse was used and a path made through But­ ler and Mercer, for in those days there were neither wagons nor wagin roads in fuercer and Butler Counties. In 1?98 a Mr. Thos. Jolly paid four silver dol+ars at Cas­ sewage (Meadville) for two bushels of corn meal, carry1ng one bushel home on his back, and then gpi~ a second time for the other bushel, thus traveling 88 miles in all. That same year 4e lived from April 1st to the end of June on bad potatoes without any other nourishment whatever. His teeth became loose, as he said, for · want of exercise in chewing. At Ligonier, on his visit in 1?99 (January), Robert R. Roberts was married and, with his bride, his brother Lewis, and four horses, set out from Ligonier for Shenango, along with many provisions, utensils, cast-iron kettles, etc., packed on the three horses, the two men walking." 13.

"According to some accounts, Robert R. Roberts obtained a li­ cense to exhort from Rev. Thornton Fleming, at a guarterlv meeting at Mumford's, near Meadville, in the summer of 1800. .. In the spring of 1801, Joseph Shane~ a young man of Baltimore, was sent to the ~henango Circuit from the ~alt~ore Conference . There had been a circu1t of that name the year previous, but it did not embrace the neighborhood where R. R. Roberts resided. James Suinn, in the year 1801, was appointed on the circuit north, called Erie. He and Mr. Shane exchanged labors with each other. Robert R. Roberts preached his first sermon late in the winter or early in the spring of 1802. Quinn was called by the presiding elder of Redstone District to leave Erie and take the Pittsburg!t C1rcuit about Christmas of !SOl. In March, 1802, Roberts came to see ~uinn to talk over being a preach­ er, and offering himself to the Baltimore Conference. At a quarter­ ly meeting held at Doddridge's meeting-house on the Ohio Circuit~ the following Saturday and Sunday, upon QUinn's and Shane's recommenaa­ tion, Shane being ~resent, Roberts was licensed to preach and recom­ mended to the Balt1more Annual Conference. He was nearly 24 years old when, in the spring of 1802, he was appointed to Carlisle. His colleague was James Smith, who had tra­ veled the circuit the preceding year. The circuit, reaching from York into the mountains and up the Susquehanna, included Carlisle, Turkey Valley, Pfort 's Valley, Millerstown and Thompsontown on the Juniata, Shippensburg, Chambersburg, Gettysburg, Port Chapel, and Berlin, in all about thirty appointments which they filled in four weeks. In April, 1805, Roberts was appointed to the Bhenango Circuit, which t)fen emb:raced Butler and Beaver Counties, _ . Penns~lvanla, and ex­ tended 1nto Oh1o as far as Yellow Creek, where llellsv1lle now stands, and contained several appointments in the Western Reserve. It did not embrace that part of Mercer County where his own land and cabin were located, or any ~art of Mer cer County. The nearest point to his home was 20-30 m1les distant. " -. Page 120. "At this time (1805) there was no Methodist preaching in Pitts­ burgh; and at the reauest of Mr. Wrenshall and others, he agreed to serve them. Having~no fixed place to hold meetings in, he preached in the old court-house. Some rude persons, however, commenced danc­ ing upstairs, which so amazed the congregation that he had to desist. He then went to Mr. Wrenshall's back yard. There slso, the congre­ gation was disturbed by the same rude persons throwing apples and sticks at the preacher. fievertheless he continued h1s labors among them, regulating the society, and making a favorable impression on the publ1c by h1s able ministrations, h1s kind manner, and dignified demeanor." - Page 129. "At the close of the second guarterly meeting, Rev. Roberts was transferred to Erie Circuit by liis ~res1dipg elder, Rev. James Hunter, for his own accommodation, as h1s family lived within its bounds (at Shenango). His colleague on the Er1e Circuit was Joseph A. Shackleford. Rev. Roberts was returne~ to the Erie Circuit by the Conference that met in Baltimore (1806) . Thornton Fleming was his· presiding elder and James ~iatts his colleague. n 14.

"The Erie Circuit was large, embracing all the territory now included in the Erie Conference except the part now in New York State. It required six weeks to go round it. Notwithstand­ ing he had sufficient work to do on his circuit, he ~ossessed a missionary spirit and therefore enlarged the field of his labors. He went into New York State and commenced preaching at the Beech Flats near Jamestown. During the year he preached in Meadville; at a tavern at Conneaut; near Waterford, there was a large congregation. Roberts occupied his own cabin at Shenango from 1805 to 1808, the years in which he traveled Shenango, Erie and Pittsburgh Cir­ cuits; also from 1816-1819, after he had been made bishop. In the spring of 180?, Rev. Roberts was appointed to the Pittsburgh Circuit. It embraced at that day all the tract of country lying between Laurel Hill and the Allegheny River. It extended to Conemaugh and Black Lick, and then on to Brush Creek. It comprised Pittsburgh, Ligonier Valley, Greensburg, Connellsville, Sewickle~, and indeed the country between the You~1ogheny and Al• le~eny Rivers. This year he took Pittsburgh again 1~to the ci~­ cult, 1t having been dropped a few years previously. lApparently a mistake, according to other records.) The Methodists in that place w~re principally English and ~ad kept a societY- am9.ng them­ selves 1n the absence of the travel1ng preachers. Mr. wrenshall, a local preacher, labored zealous~y to keep them together, and preached also to the c('tizens. Mrl Thos. Cooper a man of much worth, and who is yet August, 1843 alive, filleA the office of leader to great advantage. The vri ow of Dr. Tucker, who was a member of the church, opened her house for preaching. The a-ppoint­ ed colleague of Rev. Roberts for the Pittsburgh Circuit was John ~~ . Harrisi· but for some cause he never made h1s appearance in his field of abor. Mr. Roberts' family lived at Shenango, while he traveled the Pittsburgh Circuit." - Pages 146-151.

"In 1808, Rev. Roberts was appointed to West ~fueeling Cir­ cuit and Benjamin Roberts was his colleague. In November of 1808, Bishop Asb~y wrote to Rev. Robert Roberts, instructing him to leave West Wheeling Circuit and move to Baltimore. He arrived at Baltimore a little before Christmas. In 1809 he was a~pointed to the Baltimore station; in 1810 he was stationed at Fell s Point; in 1811 he was stationed at Alexandria. In 1812 he made a short visit to Shenango, returning through Ligonier. At that time there were no turn~ike roads across the mounta1ns, and the direction he traveled in, wh1ch was from Li­ gonier to Washington, crossed the leading roads. In 1816 he was elected Bishop - the first married bishop of American Methodism, as Bishops Asbvrv, McKendree and Whatcoat were all single men. Thev received ~b to $100 per year, with al­ lowance for their traveling expenses. Bishop and Mrs. Roberts decided to make their home in their old cabin at Shenango. At Baltimore, the friends procured for him Bishop As bur~' s carriage and traveling trunk. His two horses were harnessed and put to the carriage, in Which Mrs. Roberts, the Bishop, and their adopted son George all traveled, taking with them as much clothing and bed-clothes as possible.n 15. "The account of their ride over the mountains to Shenango and their mode of living in their cabin until November ~f 1819 (when they moved to a new cabin in the State of Indiana) is very interesting. " - Pages 260-272. "We have no journal of Bishon Roberts' travels. He wrote nothing of the kind himself, and consequently we have nothing from him except the br~ef narrative, already alluded to, written by Dr. Simpson, and reaching from his birth to the year 1808, or the sixth year of his ministry." - Page 262. *********** *********** Miscellaneous Notes nThe 'Pittsburgh District' in 1801, Thornton fleming pre­ siding over it, embraced all the territory now (1853) included in the Erie, Pittsburgh and West Virginia Conferences." urn 1808 , Asa Shinn had the Greenfield Circuit, then em­ bracing the whole of the state of Pennsylvania west and south of the 11onongahela and Ohio Rivers.n -Rev. C. Cooke's address on Asa Shinn, 1853. The first session of Pittsburgp Conference was hel d in Pittsburgh, September 13th, 1825, Bishop Georee presiding. Roll­ call was answered by 35 members , 13 were rece1ved on trial, and 72 preachers stationed. Baltimore Conference in 1784 embraced the Virginia Valley, the District of Columbia, westeriilVIaflland, what is now vJest Vir­ ~' all of Pennsylvania west of t e Susquehanna, and eastern Oliio~ .After Oh1o, ~¥est ·V1rg1n1a and Pennsylvan1a were separated into other conferences, that part of Pennsylvania lying between the Alleghanies and the Susquehanna still belonged to the Balti­ more Conference. The Philadelhhia Conference 1ncluded all of Pennsylvania east of the Susgue anna, also the eastern snores of Maryland and New Jersey. ·The first Methodist Church in \iashingtonJ. Pa. was erected in 1801, a second in 1816, a third in 1847, a rourth in 1876. The first Methodist class was formed in McKeesport about 1834, which formed the nucleus of the congregation recognized by Pittsburgh Conference in 1841 or '42. Bellevue Church holds a deed for its site dated June lOth, 1811, and was one of the oldest in the county outside of Pitts­ burgh. Tarentum congre~tion dates back to 1810, possibly two or three years earlier, ~t its first building was dedicated on October 27th, 1844. The first Methodist society was formed in the Sewicklev Vallev in 1809 by Rev. Thos. McClelland, a local preacher. !ts first~building was a frame structure upon a hill-top. 16.

Miscellaneous Notes - Con.

The Methodist Church at Elizabeth began with services in the home of Philip Smith in 1?90, but such were the exigencies of pioneer life that its first building was not occuQied until 1832. Philin Smith was a member of Fells· Church on Redstone Circuit, which had been founded ~n 1?85, ornpqssibly a year ~arl~er. In his "History of the Elizabeth 11.E. Church ~1910), Mr. R. 1. Vhley says:- "Fell~ Church was built in 1?92. For some y_ears before, ser­ vices were held in the homes of Benjamin Fell and Matthew Beazell •••• In the early days the Methodists of Elizabeth vicinity attended church serv1ces at Fell's and thought nothing of the journey there and back for preaching and even for prayer-meetin~. Fell's Church continued for many years to be the chief center or Methodism in this section and was the scene of some noted revivals, as were the camp-meetings held in the vicinity. For nearly three-Quarters of a century Elizabeth Methodism was closely assoc1ated with Fell's Church, 1n being on the same circuit, so that the history of that pioneer church 1s closely interwoven with that of ours.n Rev. James Quinn nRev. James Q,uinn, P.erhaps the first singer-evangelist of American Methodism, was born in Washington County in 1??5. be was converted and joined the Methodist Church in 1?92 and became active at once. He join­ ed the Baltimore Conference as a probationer in 1?99, and after traveling for five years was transferred to the Western Conference. His wife was a daughter of Edward Teal, one of the uillars of Fells Church, who had been a class-leader in Baltimore before his removal to Westmoreland County. As a minister, his labors were indefati~able. He died Decem­ ber 1st, 184?, his last words being 'All is peace • F~s biography was written by Dr. John F. Wright.n

Rev. Peter McGowan - (From Pittsburgh Conference Minutes for 1889.) Peter McGowan was born at Lisburn, Countv Antrim, Ireland, May 5th, 1804, and died at California, Pa., June 7th, 1889, his body being in­ terred in Redstone fuethodist cemetery. In 1811, the family came to America, finally locating in the Ligonier Val ley. Peter was educated there and became a successful teacher. There, too, he was converted and joined the Methodist Church. He was licensed as an exhorter by Rev. Jas. Paynter, Jan. 17th, 1823; as a local preacher, at Stahlstown, on July 8th, 1826, by Rev. Asa Shinn, then presiding elder of the Pittsburgh Districti· was received on trial by the Conference at Washington, Pa. in August, 826 and appointed to Monroe Circuit,. Ohio. The next year he was sent to Leesburg~ in 1828 was received into full connection, ordain­ ed by Bishop tloberts, and again aupointed to Monroe Circuit. In 1829, he was sent to Harrison, Va.; in 1~30 he was ordained as elder by Bishop Soule, and returned to Harr1son. In 1831, he was appointed to Somerset, Pa.; 1832, St. Clairsville, Ohio; 1833, Pittsburgh~ in 1834 he was agent for . +n 1835, he was transferrea t9 the. Missouri Conference and made super1ntendent of the Southern Ind1an Mls­ sionary District. In 183?, illness brought him back to Pittsburgh Con- ference, and he was superannuated for a year. Regaining his health, 1?. in 1838, he was appointed to Braddock's Field; in 1839-40, he was appointed to Butler Circuit, which then and for some time after in­ cluded Tarentum. He became pastor at Sewickley in 1841. In 1842~ he W&S returned to Butler Circuit. That year, in Tarentum, he lea a great revival, resulting in 90 conversions, practically quadrup­ ling the church's membership, and laying the foundations for the first church home after 32 years of being harried Ufrom pillar to post". In 1843, Peter mcGowan was appointed to Elizabeth; 1844-45, to Martinsville, Ohio; 1846, Chartiers; 184?-48, Connellsville; 1849- 50, Addison~ 1851, Br1dgenort; 1852, SUQe~annuated. He was tnen em­ ~loyed in tne publishing aepartment of THE PITTSBURGH CHRISTIAI~ AD­ VOCATE for seven or eight years, and also preached as long as possible. Mr. McGowan was first married to Maria Dana, ·the mother of his only child. She died early, and on Sept. 20, 1837, he was married to Mrs. Jane Ford Beazell, a yo~g, widowed daughter of Hugh C. Ford, a leader on Redstone Circuit. ~Her first husband was a grandso~ of the founders of Fells Church- Benjamin Fell and Matthew Beazell.J

Outstanding in preaching, prayer and evangelism, Pet~r McGowan was one of the most exceptional of the early preachers. H1s last years were spent in feebleness, but his mind remained clear. He was unable to attend the Centennial services of old Smithfield Street Church in 1888, but wrote a letter that was read at the services and later published in the history of the church. The letter records much valuable history of the beginnings of Methodism in Pittsburgh and vicinity, also of the beginnings of Butler County Methodism. 18.

Notes from Bishop Asbury's "Journal", Vols. I, II, III. 1?84

Tl,lursd~y, July 1st -"We began to ascend the Alleghaey (mountains), d1rect1ng our course towards Redstone. We passea the Litt le Mea­ dows, keeping the route of Braddock's Road for about 22 miles along a.rough pathwayi· .arriving at ~ small ~ouse and halting for the n1ght, we had, 1terally to l1e as th1ck as three in a bed. My soul has peace. For three days I have had a fever; the excessive labor I have undergone may have nourished it. When I arose yester­ day morning I was very unwell. After riding about seven miles, I was taken with a trembling and profuse persp1ration. I ate some­ thing and felt better, and my fever is now abated. My soul has been blessed in uncommon degree; and thou, my sould, bless the Lord; and 0, that He may be pleased to make me a blessing to the people in this part of the world. 11 Sunday, July 4th - "At Cheat River we had a mixed congregation of sinners, PresbYterians, Baptists, and it may be, of saints. I had liberty and gave it to them as the Lord gave it to me - plain enough. After, my Brother Bougpam spoke with life and power. I thinK the Lord wi ll bring a people to himself in this ~lace. Blessed be the Lord for a plentiful rain after a long droughtl Wedn)sday, July ?th - "We had nearly ?00 people at Beesontown (Union­ town • 'l'hey were, in general, serious and attentive. n (Bishop Asbury turned southward after this, but the next year he was in the Redstone country again.) 1?85 Sunday, July lOth- n •••••••• .A long, dreary ride brought us to Mor­ gantown; I preached, baptized, and was much spent." Tuesday, Julv 19th - "Came to Beesontovvn; gave an exhortation and rode on to .n 1?86 Tuesday June 13th - upraise the Lord! there is a little religion on the~aryland side of the Potomac, and this is some comfort, with­ out which this Alleghanv(mountains) would make me gloomy indeed. Sick and lame and must try for Redstone tomorrow. My mind has been deeuly impressed with the necessity of getting our people to set apart the five o'clock hour wholly for prayer; to establish prayer­ meetings, and to speak evil of no man." Saturday June l?th - !'We had a heavy ride to Morgantown. I was to have ~een there at four o'clock, but missed my way, and made it at six." Tuesdav, June 20th - "Being court time at Beesonto~, the congr~ga­ tion was large~ perhaps not less than 600 peopl e. My foot contln­ ues swelled ana uneasy, but I desire to praise the LOrd in every affliction." Asbury's "Journaln 19. 1786 - Con. Thursdah, June 22nd - "Crossed the Monongahela to Redstone at Old Fort, w ere thev are building a town. I am now among some of my old friends that removed from Maryland to this coru1try." Fridayf June 23rd - 1'I was much blessed and had many to hear at S. Litton s. We are now ~oing to the frontiers and may take a peep into the Indian land. lhis is a fruitful district and I hope it will prosper in religion. I have lately been sorely assaulted by Satan and much blessed in the Lord." Sundav June 25th - tt{'fe had a wild company at D 's, to whom I was led1 to be pointed on Isa. 55:6,7. After preaching, we ate a little bread and butter and rode 15 miles to Doddridge's Fort. We arrived just at sunset, and I was comforted in the company of Brother Smith and others of my old friends from Maryland •. They said 12 miles, but I thought 15 miles. We were lost in the woods and it rained all the way. We, however, came in about 8 o'clock, and about ten laid ourselves down to rest in peace.n Mondayl June 26th - npreached in Coxe's Fort on tb.e Ohio River and found 1t necessary to return (to Doddridge's Fort) . n Tuesdau, June 27th - "I had a large congregation and Divine aid. We hasted away to a little town called Washington- wicked enough at all times, but especially now at court time. We had uncomfortaole lodg- 1ngs.. • • • • • • n •

Thursday, June 29th - ur had ep~argement in speaking to three or four hundred people at Roberts' Chapel on Luke 4:18." Saturday and SundayE: July lst and 2nd - "I spoke in the new church at Beesontown, and we ad a feeling, gracious season. The was, I trust, attended with blessing." 1788 Tuesday, Julv 15th - nr had a lifeless, disorderly people to hear me at Morgantown, to whom I preached on 'I will hear what God the Lord will speak'. It is a matter of grief to behold the excesses, par­ ticularly in drinking, which obtain .here ••••••• " Fridav, July 18th - "Rode 40 miles to a quarterly meeting at Dodd­ ridge's Fort , where we had a melting season .. " Sunday, July 20th - ttFrom 12 o'clock today we rode 40 miles, and my soUl 1s in sweet peace.n Tuesdav July 22nd -"Our Conference began at Uniontown; we felt great ~eace wEilst together; our counsels were.marked by .love and ~rudence. ·we had seven members of Conference and f1ve probat1oners. \Vhatcoat gave us an excellent discourse bn '0, man of God, flee these thingsl' n Friday, July 25th - "We concluded our Conference." 20.

1789

Saturday, July 18th - n~Je passed Greensburg, stopping at Hanover Davi8 1 , a man Who has bad trouble and conviction· his three sons were killed by the Indians, his wife and two children taken prison­ ers, and detained from him 18 months.tt Sunday, July 19th - "Came to Rowlett's and dined; thence we set out and reached Pittsburgh, 25 miles.n :Monday, July 20th - rti preached on Isaiah 4:6,7; had some zeal and the people were very attentive; but alasl they are far from God and too near the savages in situat1on and manners. ~le were not agree­ ablv stationed at 's, who was continually a.runk, and our only alternative was a t avern.!!

Tue saay , July 21st - ni spoke on r the Son of r. an is come to seek and to save that whicli was lost 'i· we were crowded and I felt more courage. The night before the rude so diers were talkigg and dancing about the door; but now they were quiet and mute; this I jud~e might be owing to the interference of the officers or magistracy.

Wednesday, July 22nd - '~le left Pittsburgh and came by the Alle­ gJlany River to ~Jilson' s, who was formerly an elder in the Presbyte­ rian Church. Brothers Green, ·,Iillis and Conway were my conpamons on the road." Thursday, July 23rd - "•le had a number of poor, attentive people at tcG is. The we e.ther was excessively warm and 'v•Ie were in a close log house without so much.as a window to give us air." SaturdaygnJulv 25th - nwe rode over a heavy land to Yohogany (Youghio eny), to Brother 1Ioore's quarterly meeting. ·o/e had a shout among the peo~le, and I felt much liberty of soul in speak­ ing. In the love- feast the Lord manifested H1s power : one woman in particular was so wrought upon that she fell to the ground. ~ e came to Uniontown, where there appeared to be some melting love among the people. Now I believe God is about to work in t his place: I expect our circuits are better sunplied than for­ merly; many of the people are alive to God, and there are openings in many places. I wrote a letter to Cornplanter, chief of the Seneca band of Indians. I hope God will shortlv visit these out­ cas ts of men and send messengers to publish the glad tidings of salvation among t hem. I have constant consolat1on and do not feel like my former self. n 21.

1790 Mondatfi July 28th - naur Conference began at Uniontown on Wednes­ day, e 23rd of July. It was conducted in peace and love. On Thursday I preached. I 1'792 Thursday{ May 31st - nBoth men and horses traveled sore and wearily to Onion own. 0, how good are clean houses, plentiful tables and ~opulous villages when compared with the rough world we came through! I turned out our poor horses to pasture and rest after riding them ~ for nearly 300 miles in 8 days." 1'796 Saturday! June 11th - "I rode to Uniontown and after a solemn meet­ ing I sa in conference with the preachers." Monday, June 13th - ttWe left Uniontown and rode about 35 miles, and the next day 46 miles to J. F 's." 1803 ff~:s~i~i!~;o~~ ~~~~~ ;~8mSor:~~~~iet~u~t~;.s!~at~~o~~In!e~he Junia a, we came into pleasant Berlin about sunset, making a ride of 40 miles. We lodged with Squire Johnston."

Friday, August 5th - "Forti-two miles ov~r hills and rocks brought us down upon Connellstown \Connellsville) on the You~io~eny R1ver where we lodged with Anthony Banni~. On Saturday and Sabbath I rested in Connellstown and preached. On our way to Jacob Murphy's, we noticed Col. ~~son's superb stone mansion on Mt. Braddock.n Tuesday, August 9th - "At Murphy's barn I spoke on 1st Cor. '7:29-31." Thursday, Aug. 11th - ttl dined with the aforesaid Col. Mason, one of the great men of the west. Next day I came to Uniontown and returned to Jacob Murphy's. On Saturday I came to the guarterly meeting; I preached and we had an open time; at the night meeting, it was a shouting timei and our meetings, I believe, were warning times to Uniontown. ~ believe God will yet work in the Redstone settlement; he has already begun among the Presbyterians." Tuesdai, Aug. 16th - nr rode 20 miles to tlarry Stephens' u~on Mon­ on~he a; weak and afflicted. Next day I attended an appo1ntment at-Maple Town. I stayed with Mr. JackSon on Muddy Creek for the night.n Thursday, Au~. 18th- nr preached at Sheppard's meeting-house •••••. I suppose I ~ad 1,000 hearers in the two congregations. After din­ ner we rode down the heights of Ten Mile to a town called Frederick; thence to the Quaker settlement, and stopped at Alexander Frew's. Were the grounds not so uneven and so destitute of springs and 22.

streams, I should give the Redstone settlement the preference to almost any in Amer1ca; the soil is good, the timber lofty, and there is plenty of iron~ coal and l1mestone, ••••• the great pro­ mise of fruit has failea ••••• many drunkards will now be kept sober in this distilling county, and I hope some will be convert­ ed to God. " Friday, Aug. 19th - "Our campmeeting begins today. The ground chosen was 1V m. Jackson's near the old fort unon the Monongahela • ••••• On Saturday I ~reached to about 1,000 hearers. The Sabbath was wet in the morn1ng, but clearing away, both stands were occu- pied, and there might be in the two congre~ations nearly 4,000 peopleA there was a visisble impression maae upon many, and we ho~e 5u souls were converted to God. On Tuesday we came away wh1lst others were coming to the ground. Thornton .i!'leming and James Quinn went back and preached. We came to Samuel Hariimond' s. n Wednesdavd: Aug. 24th - nAt the Forks meeting-house (Fells Church) I preache upon 1st Thess. 3:1. Whilst we were at dinner at Benjamin Fell's, 1lm. Page came in with the agreeable intelligence of a revival at ConnellsVille. On Thursday we ·crossed the Mon­ ong:ahela at Elizabethtown and came to \lm. Jones' and preached to an unexpected congregation. Brother Page exhorted, but the peo­ ple would not disperse until he had given them a sermon under the sugar-maple trees. This has been a neglected spot." On Friday we rested.n

Saturday, Au~ 2?th - 11We had a sultry ride to Pittsburgh. In the even1ng ~. Page preached. In the Court-house I spoke on the Sabbath day to about 400 people; my subject lst Chron. ?:14. I would have preached again but the Episcopalians occupied the house. I come but once in 12 years out they could not consent to give way for me. It is time we had a house of our ovv.n, I thiiik I have seen a lot which will answer to build upon." Mondav Aus. 29th - ni came down and crossed at the old fort (]'ort~i ttJ, the point of confluence of the rivers Monongahela and Allegheny, whence these united rivers flow under the appro­ priate name of Ohio, beautiful.· I crossed Sawmill and the Shirtee and passed the lands of Gen'l Neville. At John Wren­ shall's I found an agreeable hostess and lovely children. Riding u~ the road, I met an aged Presbyterian, who told me that reli­ glon was at a great hei~t in Mr. Wood's congregation ••••• I stopped at John Fawcett s where, altho very sicR, I preached to a large congregation at seven o'clock on. TUesday. I baptized several children. On the same day I rode weak, faint and alone to Washiooton. It was the time of the court sessions; we had about 400 people to hear ••••••• I lodged at John Croucn's; God is in this house.n Wednesday, Aua· 31st - nwe rode 1? miles to Philip Doddridge's, near a new-ma e town called Middletown. n Friday, Sept. 2nd - wwe found a spot and made a pulpit between two sugar.-maple trees. Q,uarterly meeting was held and continued till m1dnight, re-commenced on Sabbath w1th a love-feast and sacrament, and at 11 o'clock I preached." 23. 1803 - Cont. Virfnia - Ohio County~ "'ro West flberty, to Qgarleston, to tl;le mou h of Buff~lo, 80 m1les from P1ttsburgh. We found the Oh1o so low that the boat of Col. Lewis, who is going to explore the Mis­ sissippi, would not float over the flats." Sept. 8th, Thursday- "I preached at Steubenville. ······" 1804 Aug. 27th-"······ rode to Jos. Cresap's on the north branch of the Potomac." Wednesdat, Aug. 29th- "I came to the Ten Mile house; ••••• we came ono Simpkins' store. Next day I breakfasted at the Great Crossings- Vfu. Smith's •••••• Once more I was compelled to walk d down the Laurel Hill. We came into Uniontown about ? o'clock, wearied by the heat and the toils of the day."

Fridav, Au~. 31st - "I ordained at Jacob Murphy's, Mount ~raddock, Wm. Page, raveling elder."

Sept. 1st- n ••••• I appointed James Hunter, who has been seven years in the work, president, pro tempore, of the Monongahela Dis­ trict, in the absence of Thirnton Fleming. ~ is next to him in standing and reputation." Fleming's wife had cancer, anQ. they had gone with their babe to Phi adelph1a to consult a doctor.) Sabbath{ Sent. 2nd - "I rode to Uniontovm and preached ••••• I also spoke a Murphy's barn at 4 o'clock." Monday, Sept. 3rd - "I visited Col. Mason -may it be for his good." Tuesdar Sept. 4th - nr ordained .Andrew Hemphill a deacon. News came a ter me that Bishop lhatcoat had appeared at Connellsville.n Wednesday, Se~t. 5th - "I came by Brownfield and Geneva, crossed the konongahe a River, and stopped with Stephen Gapen Wayne (Greene) County, Penna." Wednesday, Seht. 12th- (apparently mis-dated lOth) "···· Came to - Mapletown. T ursday to Car.michaeltown. Fridat to Crouch's near Washington, and Saturday we reached Philip Doddridge's." 29th - "Near to Washington. On Tuesday we gained Jose:ph Taylor's near the Old Fort. Wednesday we came to Unionto"Wn, l? m1les. Thursday to the Crossings, 24 miles. Friday to I\11usselman's, 39 miles, and on Saturday to Jos. Cresap's to breakfast. • ••• It is wonderful to see how Braddock's Road is c~rowded with wagons and pack-horses carrying families and their household stuff westward, to the new State of Ohio, no doubt; here is a state without slaves, and the better calculated for poor industrio~s families. 0 highly favored landl Thence to Old Town 1\.Cumberle.nd) and Winchester.n 24. 1805

Wednesday, Aug. 14th- nwe set out for. Carlisle (from Philadelphia), but I changed my mind and my route to Berlin; mhursday to Shippens­ burg, 30 m1les. On Friday we bent our course towards Pittsburgh, over the three mountains to J. Thompson's in Burnt Cabin Valle~. I have moved swiftly ••••••• I walked down the mountains , which fa­ tigued me. Sabbath day at Littleton Chapel I spoke •••••• " Mondar , 19th - "We reached Bedford. On Tuesday we rode 16 miles to break ast. Wednesday over awful roads brou~t us to Connellsville, 42 miles. I am resolved to quit this mountainous, rocky, rugged, stumpy route. It was a mercy of God we were not - men, horses, and wagon - broken in pieces: I praise God now, but I hardly had time to pray then." "C~pmeeting begins tomorrow at Short Creek near the Great River(Ohio?;. On Friday and Saturday we labored onward to Short Creek." Sunday, Aug. 25th - "I preached at the campground. On Monday I spoke again. It was judged there were 5,000 souls present to hear, and that 100 souls were converted to God." nr purchased a new horse and bent my course throush \Vheeling on the banks of the Ohio: we crossed •••••• thence in Oh1o, down to Kentucky." 180? ~¥~~Jea2~~ in~go~~~~o~a~m *~rf~~~~l ;~eth~ts~~~ea~~~~e~nd~~h~e~~t~d Berlin on Thursday.n

Frida{fi l ug. 14th - n ••••• at the Twenty-Mile House. Saturday we rode rough Connellsville to Uniontown." Sabbath, 16th - "I ordained on the campground, Dobbins, Fell (Benja­ min's son Peter) and Wakefield to the office of . I preached. • • • • • On Monday went to camp again and spoke. n WednaidaE, 19th - "We set out and came to the Old Fort; crossed the Mononga ela and lodged with Dr. Wheeler. Thursday from six in the morning to about seven in the_, evening we made about 40 mile~ over some rough roads and desperate. We are now on the route to arr1ve at John BecK's near W. Liberty, thence to Ohio and Tennessee." 1808 Via Cumberland, Sabbath, July 3, 1808 - nr preached at Uniontown". Sabbath, July lOth - "At Connellsville I preached in our new nouse, 60 x 40 feet ••••••• ~e dedicated the wal ls of the house of God· the roof was not ¥et on. On Monday I went to Col. fuason's and was kindly received in h1s splendid, useful house." Sabbath, 17th - "With the aid of two cwtches I hobbled into Browns­ ville and preached on John 3:17. On Thursday we set off for v'Jash­ ington. n 25.

1808 - Cont.

Sabbath, July 31st - "At Bethel Chapel, i:>hort Creek.n MondaUE August 1st - "Preached in the court-house at Vlheeling; thence into io and then i nto Kentucky. n 1809 August 2nd - "At Shippensburg - thence to Bedford, thence to Berlin." Campmeeting n~ar the Old Fort (20 miles, about ) - "We had 8 local preachers, ?3 tents, perhaps 3,000 people. The reli8ious exercises great and constant". (Bishop IvicKendree there, too.) Sabbath, Aug. 13th - tti preached; Bishop McKendree four times. We came away to Brightwell's on Wednesday. My subject at .l!'ell 's meeting house on Thursday at 11:00 o'clock was Titus 2:12, and at Philip Smith's in the evening, Beb. 2:?. ~e reached John Wrenshall's in Pittsburgh Friday evening. The Rev. Mr. Steel offered, unsolicited, in the name of the PresbYterian eldership, their large, elegant house for my Sunday's exercises. I pr~ached at Thos. Cooper's on Saturday. :' Sabbath, Lug. 20th - nr accepted the offer made and preached at three o cloclc; it was an o~en time. Could we unite nations and ~anguages , as well as spir1ts and tempers, we might do great things here. Twelve miles ~r~ught us to Fawcett's o~ Tu~sday morning. I gave them a ser'Dl.on. Weanesday we started for ~j ash1ngton. I spoke 1n our own house to a goodly .congregation as to numbers ••••• I came on to Middletown and we crossed 1nto Virginia ••••• thence into Ohio, and thence to Kentucky." 1810 Au~st lOth, Tuesdav- "Reached Carlislen. (A letter written by Al~n Green says he has 28 appointments to fill in 25 days, besides meeting 1?00 in classes.)

Au~s~ 9th Thursday - ttShippensburg; Friday, Chambersburg; Tuesday, (I h Bedford; Wednesday, Somerset7 Thursday reached Connellsville in the evening. I enter my protes~, as I have yearly for forty ~ears, against this road. Saturday, Brownsville, and dined at Mr . Hogg' s. rr Sabbath, Aug. 19th - nr preached at the campground morning and even­ ing; the congre~tion may have amounted to 3,000 souls. Monday, preached; about 100 tents, besides wagons; tonight a watch-night. n

ThursdaB, Aug,23rd - ni dine~ with B e~j~in Fell and family~ the old ~air, a out seventy, are ~t1ently wa1t1ng for t he consolat1on of Israel. I preached at Bh1lip Smith's at four o'clock after beating 20 miles over t he hills. Friday brought us to Pittsburgh.n 26.

1810 - ·cont. Sunday, Aug. 26th (in Pittsburgh) - 11Preached on the foundation of the new chapel to about 500 souls. I s:poke ag?.in at five o'clock to about twice as many. The society here 1s lively and increasing in number~. We arose at four o'clock on [ onday and hastened to Wash­ ington. It is reQorted at Short Creek 50 persons were applicants for membership; 335 communicants. .!here were at th~s campmeeting about 50 tents and 40 wagons.. Fr1day we rode 22 m1les to Barnes­ ville, thence Ohio, Kentuclq, etc." \He is next in Pennsylvania at Connellsville; then from Bedford to Pittsourgh.) 1811

Sabbath, Sept. 1st - "We lodged with John ~lrenshall. I preached twice. Monday, Sebt. 2nd - nr wrote to Dr. Coke, to Bros. Hitt, George, ~J ells, Gru er and Jackson." Tuesda),Sept. 3rd - "Came away 30 miles to Cross Roads (Washington Liounty .n Wednesday, Sept. 4th - "At Steubenville; thenee Ohio, etc." 1812 Tuesdat, Sept. 8th- "Came via Uumberland ••••• · had 10,000 people at the Li ert¥ campmeeting, and 5,000 at the meeting in this neighbor­ hood of Un1ontown. Forty :persons came forward to enroll the1r names in the society with us. We came away to George Hogg's, thence to Brownsville, to Washington, and on out into Oh1o.n 1814 July 23rd, Saturday- (In Pittsburgh) "Came via Greensburg". Mondayf July 25th - rrwe bent our way down the west side of the Ohio to ciew1ckley; here we were detained two days."

******* ***** *** * 27. Butler County Methodism

The Methodists had at least three classes very early in the 19th century, out of which grew several churchesi 1n fact, the Wigfield class began in the late 1790s. Matthew ana fuary Ann Wigfield, who had participated in the first Methodist services in Pittsbur~ in 1784, became Butler County pioneers in 1796, locat­ ing in M1 dlesex 11ownship. In 1797 they were joined by Robert Brown, from New Jersey, whom historians designate as the leader of Methodism in Butler County. Almost immediatelv he was made lead­ er of the Wigfield class, and held that office ror thirty years, when a class was formed to meet at his O\vn home, six miles from the Wigfield settlement. This. class was organized by Rev. John Rath­ bun, from Ohio, a doctor of medicine, and a local preacher. Among the principal members were Joseph Miller and family, the Adam and John Brown families, Robert Brown and family, and othe-rs. This was located near the Forward and Penn Township line. Adam Brown and family had come f:rom Cumberland in 1804, ptmhasi~ a trsettler's rigl:J.tn to 400 acres in Forward Township. John was h1s son. Adam died in 1815, m~ny years before the formation of the class. The Richmond Class was formed prior to 1827. Ualeb Rich­ mond was its class-leader. Robert Brown belonged to this class before the formation of the one at his home, about 1839. The Richmond class was made up of families of the "New York Yankeen settlement, among them the 0aleb Richmond, barney, Seth, Elijah and Perus Snow, Nathan Slater, Widow Larrabee families. Among the early preachers were Rev. Thos. Carr, Dr. Adams, who formerly ~racticed medicine, Wm. C. Henderson, vharles Thorne and Jonathan Holt. The Richmond Class met for years at the cabins of its members~ but finallv erected a small meeting-house and named it Richmona Chapel. When the Brownsdale Church was erected in 1860, the Richmond members merged vdth that congre~tion and sold their chapel to the Catholics. Under the labors of Rev. Dr. Storer, about ~5 members were added to the Brownsdale Church two years after its erection. It was then a part of Butler Circuit, Revs. T. Storer and H. Mansell being pastors in 1860, Dr. Storer and E. H. Baird in 1861. It originated in the Wigfield and Brown classes. The ~ev. John Chandler was appointed preacher-in-charge of the Methodist congregation at Butler in 1826. Records are missing for the years 1828-30, but it was one of the regular ap­ pointments of Butler Circuit until August 9th, 1851, when it be­ came a station. The first church was built in 1827 in the south­ west section of the town. On April 12, 1841, the membership was 79. Emory Chapel, the Methodist Church of Ekastown, was built in 1862. The Thorn Creek Church originated as Kennedy's Class in 183?. John Kennedi, a native of Ireland had emigrated to Virginia, served in the Revo utionary War, and was wounded in battle. About 1800 he settled in Winfield Township, and was a well-known teacher for a number of years, though wm. Powell was the first teacher, and taught in the old log school-house built by Thos. Denny in 1?96. 28.

Notes on Kittanning

\ Before the organization of Pittsburgh Conference and un­ . til.l861, K~ttanning church.was .on a circuit of varying dimensions. In 1ts earl1est days, the c1rcu1t was nat least 300 miles long", accordif!g to the h1stor;y· of Kittanning Church published some years ago. The name "Kittanningn does not appear in the Conference rec­ ords until 1830, -when the town became the head of a circuit to which ~stors were regularly assigned. The little history just referred to states that I.H. Tackett and H.R. Beacom preached at Kittanning before the organization of Kittanning Circuit in 1830. The Pittsburg& Conference Manual lists I. H. Tackett and H. B. Bascom, conference missionary, as preachers on the old Mahoning Circuit, Erie District, Pittsburgh Conference for 1825, which was the first year of that conference. The Manual has no name, "H.R. Beacom", so it is apparently a misnomer for Henry B. Bascom, who later became a bishop in the Southern church. The little booklet viTitten by the Rev. W. D. Slease for the dedication of Tarentum Church in 1887 stated - nDuring these years up to 1826, this aJ?pointment (Ta­ rentum} was one of a very lar&e circuit embrac1ng Greensburg, Kittanning, Butler, points in Beaver Count~ and on Lake Erie, having three ~reachers, each getting arounu once in twelve weeks, preach1ng three times on Sunday and generally once each week-day. The territory that was then embraced in this cir­ cuit now constitutes important parts of both the Pittsburgh and Erie Conferences. tt While recent research indicates that Tarentum Methodism's roots turn westward toward the old Ohio Conference, which included Western Pennsylvania north of tne-Ohio River and west of the Alle­ gheny River - the ancient "Indian Land" prior to 1'795 - this cir­ cuit that Dr. Slease referred to mal have been the old Mahonin~ Q~roui t of Baltimore Conference. t is possible that both Ki tan- nlng and Tarentum were put on the Butler Circuit at the organization of Pittsburgp Conference, Kittanning remaining on it until 1830. There is a record in the early annals of Redstone Circuit, of the Rev. T ornton Flemin travelin as far north as Lake Erie reach- lng an orB§nlzln~ c asses. 1oneer 1 e 1n e es · , wr1 en by the Rev. Jas.. Firiley, records considerable Methodist activity in Butler County and as far south as Bellevue, as a part of the work of the old Ohio Conference. Probably these ancient confer­ ences and circuits overlap~ed at ma~ points. Old records of the Baltimore Conference and of this old Ohio Conference might clear up some apparent discrepancies in-r.Ke records~

The ancient Indian to~n of Kittanning became the county­ seat of the newly-erected Armstrong Countl on Mareh 12th, 1800. Soon after the v1llage was laid out - in 804 or earlier - minis­ ters from the Balitmore Conference, aided by local preachers, held services in Kittanning, at first in private homes, under the trees, etc. Class meeti~gs were frequ~ntly held and pr~ach~ng serv~ces enjoyed, out of Wh1ch came the f1rst church organ1zat1on, bel1eved 29. to be about 1814. Smith's "Histo!'Y of Armstrong County" says that two ministers by the name of Barr and Baker preached in Kit­ tanni~ about 1816. In 1829, the Methodists built their first churc~ home, the firs~ chur9h building to be erected in the to~n. Of br1ck, one story h1gh, Wlth a basement room for prayer-meet1ngs and Sunday School classesi it was first lighted with candles in old-time sconces; later, ard-oil lamps were used, prior to the discovery of petroleum. The minister lined out the hyED£, two lines at a time.

Accordi~ to the Kittanning booklet~ in 1829, the Rev. T.M. Hudson had as his circuit all of Ai.mstropg vounty east of the Al­ legheny River. Another item in the booklet lists him as being at Kittanning in 1821. Other ministers listed before the for.mat1on of Kitta~ing C~rcuit were - I. H. Tackett, H.R. Beacom (probably He~ B. Bascom), J.W. Hill, L.D. Prosser, J.P. Kent, toseph Bab- cock. · For many years before Kittanning became a station, the Kit­ tanning Circuit also included the following places where services were held more or less regularly - Beck's, Glade Run, Smicksburg, Rural Valley, Brown's Furnace, Ore Hill, Colwell's Furnace, Speace 's, Milton, Rhoades's and Sturgeon's. In 1853 there were seven preach­ ing points, but no church building except at Kittanning. For the most part, the people were poor.