BIO: Joseph Hartwell, Wyoming Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, PA & NY

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Judy Banja & Denise Phillips

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Chaffee, Amasa Franklin. History of the Wyoming 
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
New York: Eaton & Mains, 1904, pages 192-194.
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  HARTWELL, JOSEPH, passed to his reward from his late home in 
Binghamton on the morning of November 13, 1899.  He was born September 
22, 1816, at Summit, Schoharie County, N.Y.
  From his New England ancestry he inherited his radical convictions 
both in politics and religion.  Under the preaching of Isaac Grant, and 
itinerant Methodist, Joseph Hartwell, in his twelfth year, was 
converted.  He was licensed to exhort at sixteen, and to preach at 
eighteen; he joined the Oneida Conference in 1838.  He filled various 
appointments with growing acceptability, and in 1852 was made presiding 
elder of the Auburn District.  His health becoming impaired, Bishop 
Simpson recommended a change of climate.  He went West, accepting the 
position of financial secretary of the Northwestern University, 
Evanston, Ill.  Seeing a great field of usefulness, he relinquished 
this work for one of greater importance to the Church.  He organized a 
Society of Church Extension in Chicago, April 30, 1855, and was 
appointed financial secretary and field agent.  He traveled east and 
west, organizing Church Extension societies in nearly all the 
Conferences auxiliary to the Northwester Church Extension Society.  He 
raised thousands of dollars, secured donations of lots for parsonages 
and churches, and by addresses, articles to the Church papers, by 
personal appeal to our chief editors, secretaries, and bishops, he 
prepared the way and hastened the organization of the General Society 
of Church Extension, which took place at the General Conference in 
1864.
  He was married twice.  His first wife was Sarah A. Peacock, of New 
York Mills, to whom he was married in 1842.  She died in Utica, N.Y., 
on July 21, 1848.  Two daughters and twin boys were born to them.  The 
boys died in infancy.  The daughters grew to womanhood and were 
married.  Both daughters, however, preceded him to the better country.  
His second marriage was to Miss Sarah A. Rood, of Brooklyn, N.Y., on 
May 16, 1871, who survives him.  He was buried in Floral Park Cemetery, 
in Binghamton, N.Y.
  He moved to Binghamton in the spring of 1877, where he resided until 
his death.
  Appreciating the fact that he was the father of Church Extension work 
in our Methodism, Rev. A. F. Chaffee, at the Conference of 1901, 
suggested a memorial to him, and that the memorial should be the 
erection of a church on the typical Church Extension plan.  The matter 
was referred to the Conference Historical Society.  During the year Dr. 
Hard solicited subscriptions, and a comfortable amount was realized.  
At the Conference of 1902 this amount was increased to about $250.  At 
the Conference of 1903 the amount paid on these subscriptions and the 
unpaid list was sent to the Conference by Mrs. Hard.  The Conference 
decided to use this fund, add to it if possible, raise funds in memory 
of Dr. Hard, and combine the funds and start a Church enterprise at 
West End, in Binghamton, to be known as the Hartwell-Hard Memorial 
Church.
  Great credit is due Rev. A. W. Hayes, D.D., who, after Brother 
Hartwell's death, went carefully over his preserved correspondence, and 
sifted and orderly arranged the letters and clippings which prove 
conclusively that he was the father of the Church Extension movement.  
The correspondence, etc, was nicely arranged in a scrapbook and put in 
the library of Drew Theological Seminary.
  The following were his appointments:  1838, Otsego; 1839, Otego; 
1840, Hamilton; 1841, East Hamilton; 1842-43, Fabius; 1844-45, 
Stockbridge; 1846, Sauquoit; 1847-48, State Street, Utica; 1849, 
Skaneateles; 1850-51, Homer; 1852, Auburn District; 1853, Agent of 
Northwestern University; 1854-55, Agent Northwestern Church Extension 
Society; 1856, Aurora, Rock River Conference; 1857, in the East; 1858, 
Woodstock; 1859-60, sy.; 1861, First Church, Rockford; 1862-63, 
Superintendent of Missions in Liverpool, England; 1864, Sterling, Ill.; 
1865-66, Kankakee; 1867, Morris; 1868, State Street, Chicago; 1869-71, 
located; 1872, Le Roy; Wyoming Conference, 1873-75, High Street, 
Binghamton, N.Y.; 1876, Schenevus; 1877-78, sy.; 1879-99, sd.