Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century (1896) (14745565986)

Identifier: onondagascentennial01bruc (find matches)
Title: Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Bruce, Dwight H. (Dwight Hall), 1834-1908
Subjects:
Publisher: (Boston) : The Boston History Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive



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ery early effort towards the organization of churchesand the early building of houses of worship; but it should not be in-ferred on that account that the people in Salina and Syracuse and Geddeswere less God-loving or more lax in morality than those of other similarcommunities. There were other and more commendable reasons forthe fact, the most important being the existence on the Hill in 1803, inthe Valley in 1809, and in Liverpool at an early day of churches withwhich many of the families of Salina and a still larger proportion ofthe pioneers of Syracuse had affiliated; many of the inhabitants of thesetwo latter villages had removed from the older ones named and hadbecome members or supporters and attendants of the churches there THE VILLAGE AND THE CITY OF SYRACUSE. ■ 509 prior to their removal. It was, therefore, quite consistent and naturalthat they should, for a time at least, continue their allegiance to thesocieties with which they had been identified. Nor does it argue that
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The Original First Baptist Church. (Sketched from memory by M. \Y. Hanche because there was no church organization in Syracuse previous to L821,the people were not religiously inclined, for services were held Longprior to that date in the old school house in both Salina and Syracuse, aswell as in private dwellings. Baptist services had been held in Syracuse with regularity from about 510 ONONDAGAS CENTENNIAL. 1819, and in February, 1821, thirteen persons held a council in theschool house, and after consultation organized the First Baptist churchof Syracuse on the following- day. The thirteen persons were DavidJohnson, James Wilson, Thomas Spencer, Alvin Walker, Rufus Cram,Benjamin G. Avery, Wyllys Brown, Braddock Dart, Polly Walker,Rhoda Wilson, Eliza Spencer, Hannah Fish and Sally Dart. Rev. J.G. Stearns, a graduate of Hamilton Baptist Seminary, preached aboutsix months for the new society, and was succeeded in May, 1823, byRev. Nathaniel J. Gilbert. In that year the church was begun