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AN ADDRESS BY THE REV. F.A. GOULD, D.D.

Mansfield was laid out by Gen. James Hedges, June 11, 1808.  The first cabin was built in 1809.  In 1815 the village consisted of two block-houses built for defense from the Indians and 22 log houses. But one of those houses is now standing (April, 1898).  It is the clap-boarded log house at the northwest corner of North Adams and East Third Streets, and has special interest as the birthplace of organized Mansfield and Richland County Methodism.

It was built by the Rev. William B. James, who, if not the first preacher of any denomination to preach in Mansfield, was certainly the first preacher of any denomination to live here.  He was not, however, the first Methodist preacher known to have been in Mansfield.  Mansfield was on the trail from Zanesville through Mt. Vernon to Lake Erie at Sandusky.

The Rev. William Gurley, a Methodist preacher, and the father of Leonard B. Gurley, pastor here in 1842-'43, spent the night of August 23, 1812 in Mansfield while fleeing with his family from Bloomingville, Erie County, to Zanesville, after Hull's surrender at Detroit.  His son says in his "Memoir of William Gurley" that Mansfield then "consisted of a few cabins only".  In 1808 the Rev. James Smith, a Methodist preacher, came to Mt. Vernon.  In August, 1812, while accompanying as chaplain, the soldiers who were moving the Delaware Indians from Greentown to their new reservation he married an Indian brave and squaw in one of the block-houses on the square, the first wedding ceremony known to have been performed by a Methodist preacher in Richland County.

As the organizer of the first Methodist society here, Dr. James has a special interest.  Dr. James was not a regular pastor.  He was a physician engaged in practicing his profession.  But he was a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church and as such would be expected to form classes and preach whenever opportunity offered.  He is said by one who knew him to have been "an excellent preacher".  He was tall and straight and a man of energetic character.  His grandson, Prof. Edmund J. James, of the University of Chicago, has furnished me with some interesting and valuable facts concerning this pioneer doctor and preacher.

William B. James was born in 1769 in Westmoreland County, Va.  After the revolution he emigrated to what is now Hampshire County, W. Va. and settled on New Creek.  Here in 1798 he was married to Elizabeth Dulling (born 1771, died in Mansfield 1818).  They soon removed to Randolph County, W. Va., where they remained 15 years and where six of their children were born.  In 1811 they came to Ohio, settling first in Jefferson County and in 1814 came to Mansfield.  When he received license to preach is not exactly known.  The records of the clerk's office in Romney, W. Va. show that permission was given January, 1797, "to William B. James, minister of the gospel, to perform the marriage ceremony according to the form of the Methodist Episcopal church".  He must therefore have been at that time an ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Shortly after coming here Dr. James built his now historic home.  Mrs. Elizabeth Grant, who came to Mansfield in 1815, says the house was standing then, and the Methodists held services there.  In this house was organized the first religious organization in Mansfield -- a Methodist class -- which later erected the first church building built in this county.  In this house also, Dr. James often preached and here the early itinerants found shelter and proclaimed the gospel.  In the summer of 1816 Dr. James, with others, laid out the town of Petersburg, now Mifflin, in Ashland County.

Dr. James' wife, Elizabeth, died in Mansfield in 1818.   March 2, 1820, he married Mary Waston [sic.] and shortly after he went with his family first to Richmond, Ind., and then in October, 1822, to a place called Helt's Prairie, on the Wabash River, in what is now Vermillion County, Indiana, not far from Terre Haute.  Here he died in 1826 as the result of an attack of cholera while on a trip to New Orleans.

His religious zeal is shown by the fact that he formed another Methodist class at Helt's Prairie, which like the Mansfield class grew into a church.  His grandson, Prof. Edmund James, says of him:  "He belongs to the earnest band of pioneer preachers who crossed the mountains into the Ohio Valley, and wherever he went he carried with him the burning zeal and restless activity of the pioneer Methodist."

To whom must be given the palm for preaching the first sermon and the first Methodist sermon in Mansfield is not certainly known.  It seems hardly probable that a group of a dozen or more houses, accessible by a well known trail and mail route, and included in a presiding elder's district, should have heard no Methodist sermon till Dr. James' arrival here.  The Methodist preachers of those days were traveling evangelists.  They preached in cabins, barns, taverns, sawmills, block-houses, under trees, anywhere an audience of a few hearers could be gathered together.  The First Methodist sermon in Mt. Vernon was preached under a tree.  These men formed classes and established preaching places, whenever possible.  Mansfield has been successively in the territory of four annual conferences.  From 1804-'12 it was in the bounds of the western conference which covered all the territory from the Great, Kanawha river in Virginia, to the Illinois river and from Natchez, Miss. to the lakes.  In 1812 the Ohio conference was formed.  It included all of Ohio, except the eastern part, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana to a line running from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River.  In 1836 it became a part of the Michigan conference and in 1840 of the North Ohio.

Those early days were days of magnificent distances.  Presiding elders' districts often covered whole states.  Circuits were from 100 to 400 miles around.  Four weeks' circuits had 20 to 30 preaching places and six weeks circuits sometimes 50.  As late as 1828 Mansfield Circuit had 28 preaching places and included all of Ashland and Richland counties.

Knox circuit was formed in 1802.  Regular Methodists preaching was established in Mt. Vernon in 1810.  The circuit included Mt. Vernon and the surrounding country, wherever the preacher in charge might choose to go or could find hearers.

That circuit included Madison Township.  Elisha W. Bowman was preacher in charge in 1811, and is known to have preached at Jacob Newman's cabin on the Rockyfork, at what was later known as Beam's Mill, in 1811, probably the first sermon preached in Madison Township.

The first pastors of Knox circuit were:  1809, Robert Cloud;  1810, James B. Finley;  1811, Elisha Bowman;  1812, Michael Ellis;  1813, William Knox;  1814, Samuel West;  1815, John Solomon and John M. M'Mahan.  Whether any of these men ever preached in Mansfield I do not know, but it is hardly likely that neither Ellis, Knox, West, Solomon or M'Mahan came here, when this was the last group of houses on the trail, and when it was a part of a presiding elder's district in 1810.  In all probability they all preached here.  Graham is in error in saying that Charles Waddle and John Somerville were the first Methodist preachers here and assigning them to 1816.  Somerville became pastor in the fall of 1817.  Waddle was never pastor.  He was presiding elder of Tuscarawas district the conference year 1818, and of Lancaster district in 1819, and again the conference year of 1821, both of which included Mansfield.  Jacob Young was presiding elder of Muskingum district, Ohio conference, of which Mansfield was a part, 1815-16-17.

In his "Fifty Years In the Itinerancy" he speaks of traveling over the counties of Wayne, Knox, Licking and Richland in 1816.  He must have visited Mansfield.  By that time there must have been several preaching places in this vicinity, for at the conference of 1816, held in Louisville, Ky., in September, a new circuit was formed, known as Mansfield circuit and Lemuel Lane was appointed pastor.  The conference minutes of a year later report 334 members, but do not give the number in each society.  The first quarterly meeting of that year was held in Mansfield.  Jacob Young thus describes it: "Mansfield was a new circuit, formed in a newly settled country -- land rich, mud deep, roads bad -- and the country intercepted by many rapid streams, but Lemuel Lane was well qualified to travel just such a circuit.  Endowed with a good degree of natural courage and not at all deficient in moral courage, having a constitution like elastic steel he could travel through the wilderness without compass or guide.  In a short time he formed a full four weeks circuit.  His first quarterly meeting was in the town of Mansfield, then very small.  "I held my quarterly meeting in the largest of the buildings, where they sold and drank whisky very free.  The prospect was discouraging enough, but I tried to peach.  Lane exhorted right among the whisky men.  At night I preached again.  Lane gave them a very rough talk and called for mourners right in the bar-room.  A number came up.  Sunday morning he held his love feast with closed doors.  Many contended they had a right to come into the public house, but he kept the door himself.  The angry people raged without, God worked within and we had a refreshing time."  The building in which that quarterly meeting was held was William's Tavern and stood where the Park Hotel now stands."

The first church building in Mansfield was built by the Methodists.  It is still standing in its original location on lot 56, at No. 54 North Adams Street, but not in its original form.  The Methodist Society sold it in 184? to the German Reformed Church, which sold it in 1852 to the Lutheran Church.  The same year that church sold it to Cyrus Hershiser, who took it down and rebuilt it as a dwelling house.  It is now owned by John M. Bell and is used as a dwelling.  It was of frame, a neat attractive building, and when completed was the best building in the city.  Tradition says the frame was raised on the day on which Dr. James' daughter, Mary, was born, March 4, 1818.  Matthias Day was master carpenter and his account book shows he sold the trustees the flooring, June 11, 1819, and lain it in October.  There was but little ready cash in those days and Mr. Day took from subscribers at their market value wheat, corn, oats, flour, sugar, whisky, buckwheat, molasses, shoe-making, etc.

I have no been able to find the names of the members of the class organized by Dr. James, nor the members at the time of the erection of the first building, but the first board of trustees consisted of Peter Pittenger, Richard Surpliss, Andrew Newman, Michael Newman, Joseph Williams, Amos Williams, John Casebear, Joseph Curran, Robert Ekey and Abner Chapin and to them James Hedges deeded the lot and it was a gift.  I have found an incomplete list of subscribers to the building fund of the first church.  In addition to the names of the trustees given above -- Robert Bell, Zephaniah Bell, Henry Beam, Peter Beam, Richard Boyle, James Brown, Isaac Charles, James Huffman, L. Gaston, Gen. James Hedges, Dr. W.B. James, Robert Foster, Sylvanus Kellogg, James McClure, Johnathan Oldfield, John Lewis, Mrs. Francis Morrison, Benjamin Potts, Andrew Perkins, J.C. Price, John Pugh, Philip Taber, H.O. Sheldon are given in Matthias Day's account book as contributing the articles named above and credited with them on his bill against the church.

Most of these were members of the church.  Other members at that date were Henry Nail and wife, Susanna, white of Jacob Newman, Elizabeth, wife of Michael Newman, wife of Dr. James, Mrs. J.C. Price, Mrs. James McClure, Mrs. Jonathan Oldfield, Mrs. Richard Surpliss, Mrs. John Casebear, Mrs. Peter Pittinger, William Cantwell and wife, and Hannah Weldon.

Other members previous to 1830 were Henry Leyman and wife, E. Wilkinson, Joseph H. Reed and wife, John W. Hooper and wife, Daniel Hiestand and wife, Harry Camp and wife, Mrs. Elzey Hedges.  Elzey Hedges became a member in 1830 and was baptized on a quarterly meeting Sunday, by Harry O. Sheldon, the pastor, and five of his children, Charles, Susan, Naomi, Harriet and Elzey were baptized at the same time.

Mordecai Bartley, governor of Ohio for one term and for four terms member of congress, was originally a Baptist, but about 1830 he became a Methodist and a member of the Mansfield church and one of its most valuable members.

Mrs. Samuel Carrothers, who united with the church in the first revival after the second church was built in 1836, is the oldest member.

It is greatly to be regretted that the class books from 1814 to 1836 are lost.  Some of these were among the earliest settlers in the county.  Michael Newman and wife came in 1808, Susan Newman, 1807, James McClure (afterward associate judge) and wife, 1809, Jonathan Oldfield and wife, 1809, Henry Nail and wife, 1810, Hannah Weldon, 1810.

James Brown and Robert Foster were the first colored citizens of Mansfield.  Both were here in 1820, both were Methodists and both contributed toward the building of the first church.  Robert Foster was a bachelor, a great lover of children and old citizens remember seeing him often with his wagon filled with them.  Foster Street was named for him.  James Brown was married and had a large family.  He had an albino daughter.  He was sexton of the church as early as 1829 and many years thereafter and for many years was the janitor of the court house.  Both Foster and Brown were men of character and thoroughly religious and highly respected.

The first Sunday School in Mansfield was a union school.  It was organized probably in 1817.  The Rev. George VanEman of the Presbyterian church, Harry O. Sheldon, then a young man of 18, and who became pastor in 1828, and Matthias Day are known to have assisted in the organization.  Matthias Day became the first and James Purdy (in 1823) the second superintendent.  In 1826 the Methodists organized a school of their own, and the other school continued as the Presbyterian Sunday School.

Only an incomplete list of the superintendents of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School can be given, but among them were Robert Williams, Henry Groove, Daniel Hiestand, John W. Hiestand, David Shellenbarger, Andrew Blymyer, T.J. Pope (who afterward entered the Methodist ministry and who married Mary, a daughter of Russell Bigelow), James Stevens, C.A. Croninger, Dr. Moses DeCamp, N.S. Reed, E.T. Cooke, E.S. Nail and W.T. Fulton, the present incumbent.  The first record of the Mansfield M.E. Sunday School found in the conference minutes, is for 1850.  The school then had an enrollment of 250 scholars and 30 officers and teachers.  The minutes of 1897 report 735 scholars and 61 officers and teachers, which includes the mission school.

In 1828, Jacob Dixon, preacher in charge, and the eccentric Harry O. Sheldon, junior preacher, a gallery was built in the west end of the church to accommodate the growing congregation.  John W. Hooper, Henry Leyman and Daniel Hiestand were the committee in charge of the improvement.

The church records of those days make interesting reading.  Those were frugal days.  In 1828-'29 there were two preachers, Jacob Dixon and Harry O. Sheldon, with 28 preaching places.  The former received that year $145.55 salary and the latter $156.82.  In 1829 the sexton of the Mansfield church was employed at the munificent salary of $12 a year and he was to "cut the wood, make the fires in cold weather an hour before meeting, trim the lights and sweep and cleanse the house as often as necessary".  The fuel that year cost nothing.  James Brown was the sexton.

The records of the trustees and the official board from 1828 to 1850 indicate marked changes in thought and custom.  The Disciplinarian can be traced unerringly by the church trials and that other concomitants of the rigid enforcement of the letter of the law, resignation of class leaders, stewards and trustees at almost every meeting.  A trustee meeting is recorded where a quorum of five elected four new trustees to take the place of four resigned and then four more resigned and their places were filed, the meeting closing with only one of the original trustees in the board.  One board fixes "early candle light" as the time for evening services, another appoints a member "to procure candles for the use of the meeting the ensuing year upon the most advantages terms".  Levi Zimmerman made the tin candlesticks with reflectors behind them for use in the second church and sold the trustee two Britannia spittoons for the use of tobacco-using pastors in the pulpit.  At another meeting of the official board the choir is instructed to leave their music books at home so that they would not sing unfamiliar tunes.

The church outgrew its first building and in January, 1834, the first steps were taken toward building a larger church.  William Runnels was pastor.  At a meeting of the board of trustees held Jan. 31, 1834, Elzy Hedges, S.B. Day and Henry Leyman, "were appointed a committee to estimate the expense of building on the different plans presented and report at the next meeting".  In December, 1834, it was decided to obtain a subscription "for the purpose of raising money for the erection of a new church". March 31, 1835, the board decided to build a church 45 by 60 feet, one story high, on lot 118, at the northwest corner of what was then East Market and Water Streets, and Russell Bigelow, Mordecai Bartley, afterward governor of Ohio, S. Ruark, the pastor, M. DeLany and D. Hiestand were appointed a committee.  The committee on subscription reported on April 6, 1825 that three-fourths of the amount necessary to build upon the plan accepted had been subscribed and it was resolved to "proceed immediately to erect said house and finish so far that the amount subscribed shall be at any time three-fourth of the amount expended".  Elzey Hedges, father of Hon. Henry C. Hedges, was chairman of the meeting and S.B. Day, secretary.  S.B. Day, H. Leyman and G. Buckingham were appointed the building committee and S.B. Day was employed to superintend the work at "one dollar per day".  The work proceeded slowly, on account of the purpose of the church to build free from debt if possible.  It was finally completed and dedicated in the fall of 1836, Adam Poe, the presiding elder, preaching the dedicatory sermon.  The trustees reported July 14, 1837, that they owed $650, which was evidently greatly burdening them, but this was at last paid and the church started on its second era of work and growth.

During Lorenzo Warner's first pastorate, 1848-'49, the church could no longer accommodate the people who wished to attend the services.  In September, 1849, the question of a second church was first discussed and in 1851 the second church was organized.  Samuel Meredith became its pastor.  Services were held in the old city hall on the corner of South Walnut and West Second Streets.

The conference minutes of 1852 report a membership in first church of 210 and in the Second church of 167.  First church Sunday school had 120 members.  Second church, 132.  The experiment of a second church proved a failure, however, and September 11, 1852, the official boards met in joint meeting,  Henry E. Ritcher, pastor of the first church presiding and the churches were formerly reunited.

The steadily growing membership finally made a new church an absolute necessity and in 1867 a lot was purchased on the east side of Central park and the work of collecting money for a new church begun.  The church, a large two-story Gothic structure, was dedicated July 3, 1870, by Bishop D.W. Clark and J.C. Pershing, D.D.  It cost about $33,000.  In 1876 a fine pipe organ was purchased.  In 1891, R.T. Stevenson, pastor, the church was thoroughly repaired and frescoed.  The growth of the church has been steady.  By decades for the last 50 years it is as follows:  1848, 270 full members and 5 probationists;  1858, 270 full members and 42 probationists;  1868, 333 full members and 23 probationists;  1878, 406 full members and 15 probationists;  1888, 661 full members and 26 probationists;  1898, 920 full members and 50 probationists.

MANSFIELD FEMALE COLLEGE

September 19, 1849, the official board appointed L. Warner, Alfred Wheeler and Dr. G.F. Mitchell a committee to "report with regard to the location of a female seminary in Mansfield".  September 23, 1850, Messrs. Mitchell, George Phillips, Adam Poe, Elzey Hedges and A. Blymyer were appointed a committee "to make arrangements for procuring a site".  September 30, 1850, the committee reported in favor of a lot at the corner of Lexington Avenue and South Main Street owned by A.S. Newman and for which he asked $900.  This lot was not bought, however, and during the period of the organization of the second church, the matter was dropped.  In the spring of 1853, the project was revived and in 1854 the "Mansfield Female Collegiate Institute" was incorporated, the name being soon after changed to "Mansfield Female College".  A beautiful two-acre lot on West Market Street was purchased of Dr. Swinney and a four-story brick building was erected.  The entire cost, including lot and building ready for use was $22,447.  It was finished November 7, 1855.  Edward G. Andrews, afterward bishop, was elected principal.  The school opened with great promise, with a talented faculty of thoroughly qualified teachers.  It had 113 students the first year.  At the close of the first year Professor Andrews resigned to become principal of Cazenovia Seminary, New York.

Although begun as a private enterprise it was offered to the North Ohio conference.  In 1853 it was accepted "provided that the conference shall not be required to raise any part of the funds necessary to purchase the premises or to erect the building".

M. Bartley, M. DeCamp, H.E. Pilcher, P.V. Fulton and C.H. Owens were appointed to fill vacancies in the board of trustees.

The conference of 1854 appointed Elzey Hedges, A.S. Newman, G.S. Dulin, Henry Lehman and G.F. Mitchell trustees for three years.  The conference of 1855 re-appointed John H. Power, J.J. Todd, J.Y. Cantwell and Benjamin Jackson trustees for three years and Barnabas Burns, James Stevens and Hiram Humphrey to fill vacancies in the board.  It authorized the trustees as soon as the debts were paid to endow the school by the sale of $50,000 worth of scholarships.  N.H. Barker was appointed financial agent and W.C. Peirce [sic.], Thomas Parker and H.L. Bradley a visiting committee.

A year later at the conference of 1856 held in Mansfield the conference decided it was "expedient to sustain the college and agreed to become responsible for the last $5,000 of the debt when notified that the balance was secured".  C.H. Owens, M. DeCamp, J.S. Stevens, C. Palmer and John T. Kellam and Dr. L. Warner were added to bhe board of trustees and A.C. Nelson, David Rutledge and T.J. Gard were appointed a visiting committee.  The trustees made every effort to raise the amount due during the year following but failed and sold the property to Messrs. Burget and Vance for $15,000.  The conference of 1857 approved the sale and appointed H. Humphrey, Elzey Hedges, A.S. Newman, G.S. Dulin, H. Leyman, and H.L. Parrish as trustees to settle up the business.  It was several years before the final settlement was made.  The school was continued for a time under other auspices and the building was finally sold to the present owner, and has for several years been used as a tenement and boarding house.

In 1859 a German society was organized.  In 1860 it became a part of Galion and Mansfield circuit, with G. Berg as pastor and 1861 it became a station with Charles G. Herzer as pastor.  The conference minutes of that year report 22 members and three probationers.  In 1863 a frame church costing $1,100 and a parsonage costing $750 were erected on South Diamond Street.  

The church continued with varying success till 1866 when it disbanded.  An attempt to revive the society in 1868 failed and in 1879 the property was sold.

Seven annual conferences have been held in Mansfield.  The Ohio conference in 1831, Bishop Elijah Hedding presiding;  the Michigan conference in 1836 and five sessions of the North Ohio conference, as follows:  1848, Bishop Hamline, presiding;  1856, Bishop Ames;  1866 and 1872, Bishop Simpson;  and 1891, Bishop Joyce.  At the Ohio conference session in 1831.  William Gurley, then 75 years of age, was elected and ordained elder.  The session of 1891 was made memorable by the "Pentecostal meetings" of the Rev. S.A. Keen, held at 4 p.m. each afternoon in the Presbyterian church, which culminated on Sunday evening, after a sermon of great power by the Rev. W.A. Spencer, of the Church Extension society, in an alter service, at which over 30 were converted and six united with the church.  At the close of the service, I asked the Rev. M.T. Ward how that compared with the old time conferences.  He said "I have belonged to this conference for 50 years, and never saw anything like this" and then added "The preachers of today are just as consecrated as those of 50 years ago and far better equipped."

In the list of pastors and presiding elders that I have been connected with the Mansfield church are some of the great names of Methodism.  The first two presiding elders, David and Jacob Young, were great men in their day.  David Young (1812-14) was a member of six general conferences.  "As an orator, in his palmist days, he had few equals.  In style he was clear, logical and chaste, when roused, grand and overwhelming."

Jacob Young (1815-17) was a man of great intellectual power.  He was "habitually prompt, laborious, unswerving, great in his Christian character, great in his fidelity, great in his success".  He was nine times a delegate to the general conference.   Russell Bigelow was presiding elder in 1829-30-31.  In 1830 he purchased the house built by Dr. James.  In 1834 he bought a farm one mile east of Mansfield and built a house -- still standing -- which his family occupied for thirty years.  He was one of the most marvelously eloquent men of modern times.  Bishop Thompson said of him "As a preacher, take him all in all, I have yet to hear his equal.  Thousands will rise up in judgment and call him blessed".  His power over an audience was indescribable.  In 1831 his health failed, but improving in March, 1835, he was appointed chaplain of the Ohio penitentiary at Columbus, but the work proved too laborious and he died July 1, 1835, in his 43d. year.

His successor was W.B. Christie, 1831-32-33.  He was a successful debater on the controversial questions of those days, but the pulpit was his throne.  He was logical and vigorous and swept his audience away with a flood of fervid, passionate eloquence and seldom preached without conversions.

Adam Poe was twice presiding elder, 1834-5-6-7-8, and 1850-51, and twice pastor, 1839 and 1845-6.  The general conference of 1852 elected him "book agent" at Cincinnati, which position he filled for 16 years.  He may fairly be called the founder of Ohio Wesleyan University, for it was he who suggested the purchase of the old Mansion house with its fine grounds and famous spring, as a site for a college, and by his energy and help made possible that great institution.  Dr. William Nash, the founder of German Methodism, was converted under his preaching.  Poe was a large, perfectly proportioned man of great mental and physical strength, of commanding, influence, greatly respected and admired by our own and other churches.

Associated with him as junior preacher in 1839 was William L. Harris, who nine years later became principal of Baldwin Institute and later professor at Ohio Wesleyan University, twelve years corresponding secretary of the missionary society and in 1872 a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Bishop Harris was born in this county and for several months was clerk in a store owned by John H. Power, near old Salem church, in 1835.  John H. Power was presiding elder from 1828-1843 and again in 1852-53, succeeding Adam Poe after his election as book agent.  He was book agent at Cincinnati from 1848-1852.  Physically Power was a giant, tall, angular, with long body, arms and head.  He was a blacksmith by trade and at 23 years of age entered the ministry with insufficient education, but when 40 years of age he had become a proficient Greek and Hebrew scholar and one of the greatest debaters on universalism Methodism has produced.

Alfred Wheeler was junior preacher with Dr. Lorenzo Warner in 1849.  He was a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University and of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.  During the war he was chaplain for one year and was for five months surgeon of a battery.  In 1876 he was elected editor of the Pittsburg Christian Advocate, continuing in that important position for eight years.

There are many interesting reminiscences of early pastors, told by those who knew them.  It is said that one of the early pastors, after the first church was built and while the Presbyterians were still worshipping in one of the buildings on the square, attended their services one very chilly day.  He said afterward "the weaver was cold, the house was cold, the people were cold, the preacher was cold, and the sermon was cold" and after service he invited them to hold their next service in the Methodist church, which was comfortable even in cold weather.

While Elmore Yocum was pastor here in 1831 he used to travel in a light, four-wheeled wagon with a blue body.  In cold weather he placed his feet in a coffee sack, with a live rabbit, to keep him warm.

Elnathan C. Gavitt was junior preacher with Elmore Yocum in 1837.  He was a short man and the old-fashioned box pulpit was so high that when he knelt in prayer he was entirely concealed from the congregation.

William Runnells, pastor here in 1833, was partially paralyzed in his 86th. year.  The facial paralysis was so great he spoke with great difficulty.  He used to decline to speak in the Cleveland preachers meeting by saying he was obeying James' injunction, "Be swift to hear and slow to speak".

John Quigley was presiding elder from 1844-47.  He was famous for his vivid preaching of a literal hell of fire and brimstone.  When Dr. George Mitchell was only 6 years old he heard Quigley preach a sermon on lost souls so vivid and awful that he was frightened by it and has now a vivid memory of his pictures of a lost soul in the seething waves of a material hell.  He was a man of strong opinions and easily ruffled.  One who knew him says "O, you ought to have heard him on sanctification.  He could preach it beautifully and he was a manifest example of its necessity."  He was a humorist and often told funny stories in the pulpit.

Hugh L. Parrish, pastor in 1856-57 and presiding elder in 1858-9-60, was a noted revivalist.  In the 10 years of his ministry he brought over 4,000 members into the church.  One of the speakers at his funeral said, "When you go to heaven and look about for him near the gate and not finding him, ask of someone you meet where he is, he will say "You are looking for him in the wrong place.  There he is yonder, close by the steps of the throne"."  

The following are the pastors in the order of services:

KNOX CIRCUIT

[N.B. -- It is not certain that Knox circuit pastors preached here, but Mansfield was in the territory of the circuit.]

MANSFIELD CIRCUIT

MANSFIELD STATION

1841	G.W. Howe
1842-3	L.B. Gurley
1844	J. M'Mahan
1845-6	Adam Poe
1847	H.S. Bradley
1848	L. Warner
1849	L. Warner, A. Wheeler
1850	George S. Phillips
1851	1st. Church - George S. Phillips
-	2nd. Church - Samuel Meredith
1852	Henry E. Pilcher
1853	Henry E. Pilcher, T.F. Hildreth
1854	William C. Peirce
1855	James F. Kennedy
1856-7	H.L. Parrish
1858-9	William H. Nickerson
1860	H.G. Dubois
1861-2	James A. Kellam
1863	L. Warner
1864	H.G. Dubois
1865-6-7	John A. Mudge
1868-9-70	William Pirritte
1871-2	S. McBurney
1873-4-5	G.H. Hartupee
1876	A.J. Lyon
1877-8-9	F.M. Searles *
1880-1-2	J.S. Broadwell *
1883-4-5	A.D. Knapp
1886-7	G.W. Huddleston
1888-9	N.S. Albright *
1890-1-2	R.T. Stevenson
1893-4-5	Duston Kemble
1896-7	F.A. Gould

[N.B. -- All pastors previous to 1870 are deceased except Elmore Yocum, T.F. Hildreth, William C. Peirce and James A. Kellam.  Pastors since 1870 deceased are marked *.  Elmore Yocum is still living at about 90 years of age.  James A. Kellam at 87 and William C. Peirce.]

Presiding Elders - Mansfield District

1850-1	Adam Poe
1852-3	John H. Power
1854-5-6-7	H. Humphrey
1868-9-60	H.L. Parrish
1861-2-3-4	H. Whiteman
1865-6-7-8	Joseph F. Kennedy
1869-70-1-2	C.H. Owens
1873-4-5-6	J.M. Buxton
1877-8-9-80	A.J. Lyon
1881-2-3-4	E.Y. Warner
1885-6-7-8-9-90	G.A. Hughes
1891-2-3	A.J. Lyon
1894-5-6-7-8	Elvero Persons

[N.B. -- The only living presiding elders are Elvero Persons, A.J. Lyon, G.A. Hughes and J.M. Buxton.]

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