History: Local: Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church 1801-1951: Ellwood City, Lawrence Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Submitted by Tami McConahy TEDTAM@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. _______________________________________________________ A Brief History of Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church 1801-1951 Located Near Ellwood City, Pennsylvania On the Occasion of the One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary On this, the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the organization of the Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church, we look back upon past years of faithfulness with gratitude in our hearts to Almighty God. For we not only learn the lesson which the past has to teach us, but we gather information from it. And the story of the past one hundred and fifty years since the organization of the Slippery Rock Church contains much to inspire and encourage. The decisive victory of Gen. Wayne over the Indians in the region west of here, in the year 1794, led to a treaty of peace that has never been violated, so far as this section is concerned. This treaty made possible the settlement of the region lying between the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers and Lake Erie. The tide of population began moving north and west and by 1798 there were, for those days, a good many people scattered through this whole section. A stupendous burden lay upon these for the most part Scotch-Irish pioneers. A vast forest was to be felled, roads were to be made, and fields to be cleared. The bread of these settlers was actually wrung from the ground, a soil rich indeed, but rugged and untamed. But the task developed great energy and self-reliance. Nor did they forget their religious faiths. In their former homes they had been trained in the Bible, the Shorter Catechism, and the Psalms of David, so that they brought with them a piety sturdy and sincere. A historian says they made their cabins, and the very forest, ring with their unsophisticated praise and prayer. The first to settle in this vicinity were some eight persons who came from Fayette County in 1796. They were William and Benjamin Cunningham, Abel Hennon, Robert and Samuel Gaston, William Cairns, Charles Morrow and John Moore. Only a portion of these, however, settled in what is known as Wayne Township. Others, who settled near here, in 1800, or before, were Joseph Hennon, Hugh Wilson, Abraham McCurdy, John Newton and Moses Matheny. The greater part of the land in Wayne Township was in the Chew District and was divided into four hundred acre tracts. Each settler on a tract was entitled to ettlers moving their families and household goods on horseback. Salt, so essential an article of diet, had to be brought over the mountains in this way. When travelers came to a stream they must either wade or swim, for there was not a bridge between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. There was no mills for grinding grain for at least two years. It is related that William and Benjamin Cunningham hewed out the end of a block dish fashion and pounded their corn in it. This was used until a grist mill was built near the mouth of Slippery Rock Creek by Annanias Allen. But we are especially interested in the beginnings of this church. Mention has already been made that the early settlers brought with them training in the Bible and Catechism. Many of them had been members of the Church in the regions from which they came, and it is not surprising that they should desire the privileges of the Preached Word in their new home. Consequently they arranged to have some of their former pastors visit them. In 1799 Elisha McCurdy and Joseph Stockton made their first preaching tour through these settlements and were in fact the first Presbyterian ministers to traverse these hills and valleys. In 1800 the Reverends McCurdy, McPhersin and Marquis visited different parts of the region and held services. It was their custom to get the scattered settlers from far and near into little groups to worship God and hear again the preaching of the gospel. On their tours these men would go as far north as Erie and it is not possible for us to appreciate roads they often got lost in the by-paths that led through the woods, so that when night came on they had to sleep under the trees. With no bridges over the streams they had frequently to swim or miss an appointment, with the result that often they had to meet people at the appointed preaching places with dripping clothes. Among the first ministers who settled permanently in this region was Thomas E. Hughes, who located at Greensburg (now Darlington) in 1799. He was a man of marked ability and the first settled pastor north of the Ohio River. Time will not permit naming other ministers who labored in this region and visited this Church. We know that the name of this Church has always been Slippery Rock, named from the creek on whose banks the first meetings were held. But when organized and by whom, we cannot tell, for no date of organization is given in the record of the Presbytery. And the lips that might tell are all silent in death so that this will probably never be known. In a number of brief histories of this Church we find they all give April 13, 1802 as the first official record of the organization of the Church. This date appears on the record of the first meeting time a supplication from Slippery Rock Congregation for supplies and that the ordination for the Lordís Supper might be administered was brought forward. But this is not the first official record of the Congregation, for almost three years before this, or June 26 1799, at a meeting of Ohio Presbytery held at Upper Buffalo, Rev. Samuel Donnell was appointed to supply at Slippery Rock, the second Sabbath of the following August. After exhausting the possibilities, we set June 26th, 1799, as the first official mention of this Church and would place the date of organization as 1800 or 1801. The first meeting place seems to have been the Allen Grist Mill, which was located near the mouth of Slippery Rock Creek. Here as early as 1800 the people gathered for worship. All traces of the Old Mill have gone long ago. A complete list of the original members would be interesting, but that we do not have. However, some of them were: Jesse Bell, William Cairns and his wife Nancy, Joseph Hennon and Margaret, William Cunningham and Mary, Jonathan Peppard and Elizabeth, Jacob Van Gorder and Margaret, Andrew Elliott and Lucy, Isaac Cole and Jane and Thomas and William Henry (these two seem not to have been married at the time.) It is interesting to know that the latter was the first sheriff of Beaver County, having received his office by appointment from the governor. In the records of Presbytery we find fourteen communicants reported in 1804, one year later there were thirty-three and in 1806 forty-five. At a meeting of Erie Presbytery held Sept. 30, 1802, the congregation of Slippery Rock and Lower Neshannock (i.e. New Castle) reported that they were together able to support a minister full time and requested that they be permitted to present a call to the Ohio Presbytery for Mr. Alexander Cook. This request was granted, and on April 12, 1803, Mr. Cook, then a licentiate, accepted the call and was taken under the care of Erie Presbytery. June 22nd of the same year Erie Presbytery met at Slippery Rock and Mr. Cook was ordained to the Gospel Ministry, and was installed, the first pastor of this congregation and New Castle. On this occasion Mr. John Boyd preached the sermon, and Mr. Thomas Hughes presided and gave the charge. At this time Slippery Rock was stronger in numbers than was the congregation at New Castle, so that Mr. Cook took up his abode within the bounds of this congregation. After the coming of Mr. Cook, the people continued to meet for preaching services at the Allen Mill and Mr. Allenís house which was near the mill. Mr. Cook had not been here long before the Log Church was built in the hill near the present building, located just in front or west of the monument of Mrs. Martha Cunningham. (A monument marker recently built designates this spot.) This church lacked many of things which we now deem essential, and there were some features of this early building that are interesting. One of them is that the fireplace was in the center of the church and on the ground. Above the fireplace two logs were thrown across the church form side to side at the eaves, and upon these logs was built a large chimney of split sticks, straw and clay, for the purpose of drawing smoke out of the building. The success of this scheme seems not to have appealed to all alike, for while some said it kept the air cleared, others said it cleared the air merely of the smoke that happened to go toward it and not into the faces and eyes of the minister and people. This building for a long time lacked seats, so that people were compelled to stand or sit upon the ground. But this condition was not to last for long, for soon one of the families worshipping here constructed for themselves a seat, being a split log with four sticks driven into the legs. It is interesting to know that some of those who did not have seats criticized this new departure severely, saying They want to be more aristocratic than the rest of us, and such like. This, shall we call it Puritanic attitude was seen at other times. When stoves were put in for the first time some of the good old men wondered, Well what are we coming to anyway-such extravagance and effeminacy will be our ruin. Let it be said by no one that this old log church, because inexpensive, involved no sacrifice. While it is true that They went in the morning with their axes and the church was finished by night (as some one has said), reckoned in relation to their store of this worldís possessions, this first church did involve both work and sacrifice. The people who had to do with the early history of Slippery Rock were liberal indeed, for it must be remembered they did not have much from which to give. We are told of one who split rails for a whole week and received one silver dollar for his work. The missionary came along soon afterward and the dollar went toward paying for the Sabbath service. It is said of Jonathan Peppard that he was not able to support the Church and at the same time buy shoes for his children in winter. Every fall, however, he fattened a beef and sold it and gave the money for the support of the gospel in this community, while his children were allowed to go barefoot. Not only did the pioneers sacrifice to support the preaching of the Gospel, but the sacrificed and endure harness that they might have the privilege of attending church. Many of them would walk four or five miles, and were glad of the opportunity. In many instances the mother was the only member of the family that would ride, and this she did often not so much for comfort as to have a means for crossing streams that lay in the way. Having no bridges across the streams, the members of the family would wait at the edge of the water until the mother would come with the horse and then she would ride back and forth till all were over. If the family were large, this would naturally mean quite a number of trips for mother. People of those days had to take the best of care of their possessions and it is strange to us, perhaps, that even the fair sex of those days would often walk barefoot to church, and just before reaching their destination, sit down on a log and put on their shoes. Mr. Cook was a Scotchman born near Glasgow, in 1760. He was a silversmith by trade. He came to America in 1785 and at near forty years of age decided to become a minister. He died in 1828. Mr. Cookís pastorate continued until 1810, when at a meeting of Presbytery held at Plaingrove he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Hartford. This pastorate was better than six years in length, and after his departure the church was without a pastor for a little over a year. During this time Mr. Hughes of Mt. Pleasant Church (i.e. Darlington) came to hold a Communion service, and in connection with this an interesting incident occurred. He expected Help from the Lord but none seemed to come. The hour for service arrived and everything seemed ready, but Mr. Hughes said to the people, I canít preach till I have more strength and light. He left the Church and went a little distance and pled with the Lord for help. Before long he returned to the waiting people and preached what was described as one of the greatest sermons in the history of the congregation. On the 10th of April, 1811, the Rev. Robert Sample was ordained to the Christian Ministry and installed second pastor of the churches of Slippery Rock and New Castle. Mr. Sample was born in North Carolina in 1775, and was a large and finely proportioned man, a man of very respectable talents, genial and pleasant socially, but firm when occasion demanded. He was faithful and laborious in his pastoral work and served this church for twenty-four years, making his home during the time in New Castle. The salary received from the two churches was three hundred dollars a year, each church paying half. And even this was not all paid in cash, the larger part being in oats, wheat, corn, linen and wool. In the days of Mr. Sample it was customary to have but one service, with two sermons. Between sermons there was an interval of one hour. During this interval the people would eat their lunch, discuss the sermon, talk on topics of the day, and perhaps take a smoke. An important event in the pastorate of Mr. Sample was the building of a new church. The congregation worshipped in the Log Church until 1825, at which time a frame building was erected. This second building stood parallel with and a few feet to the north of the present building. (A marker recently built designates this spot.) It was of frame, substantial and comfortable and in appearance, much like the present building, only not so large. It stood until 1863 when the present building was erected. Mr. Sample remained with the congregation until 1835, at which time the church at New Castle felt able to support a minister full time. Mr. Sample remained with the New Castle church but three years after leaving Slippery Rock, however. After the Rev. Robert Sample left Slippery Rock the Church was vacant for about three years. These were rather gloomy years, during which the people became considerably discouraged, because of several unsuccessful attempts to settle on a pastor. Finally they made out a call for the Rev. V.C. Critchlow, then a young man just out of the seminary, and in 1838 he was installed pastor. For one year Mr. Critchlow served Slippery Rock only, after which he served New Brighton also, himself moving to New Brighton and living on that field. This pastorate lasted for sevhalf of it for settling. A word concerning the homes and peculiar difficulties which the pioneer fathers and mothers had to face is in order. The first houses were constructed of unhewn logs, covered with rough clapboards four feet long, which in turn were held to place by long, heavy poles. The doors were also of clapboards and were hung on wooden hinges and had a wooden latch. Glass was rarely seen, greased linen or paper usually taking its place. Furniture was only of the most essential pieces. A table was made of a split slab, set upon four legs, while the chairs were three legged stools., and the beds were made of poles. Their clothing was wool, prepared and woven by hand. Flax was woven into linen and used for bedding. Their shoes were of heavy leather, roughly tanned, and their hats were of straw and leather. For coffee they used roasted rye, and for tea the roots and boughs of trees. There were no roads to haul over, nothing but paths through the forest. All carrying was done on horses, the first ten years, and was a pleasant one. It is worthy of note that during the pastorate of Mr. Critchlow, after the consuming of much time and much discussion, there were passed, in 1841, strong Temperance Resolutions. In 1845 Mr. Critchlow was released from the care of this congregation, giving all his time to New Brighton Church, where he preached for thirty years. After a short vacancy, the Rev. James S. Henderson came and was installed in the fall of the same year. Shortly after his coming a Spiritual Awakening was experienced in this church and community, at which time some fifty or sixty confessed Christ and united with the church. Mr. Henderson was a very energetic man and lived at the edge of the congregation, near North Sewickly, where he founded a prosperous Academy, and in 1846 organized the North Sewickley church. In 1848 Mr. Henderson and another member from Presbytery were a committee to organize a church at Newport, but at that time this church was not united with Newport. The Zelionople Church was supplied for a time by Mr. Henderson, and we are told he so revived that church as to give it impetus for after time. Mr. Henderson is described as rather an impulsive man, not calculated for long pastorates, but capable of doing a great amount of work when he came into a congregation. When he came to Slippery Rock this church had but 130 members. Although two churches had been organized in different parts of the field during his ministry, at North Sewickly and at Newport, yet when he was released in 1850 Slippery Rock had a membership of 184. Moreover all the churches in the community with which he had to do were revived and quickened and seem to have caught inspiration from the man himself. In 1854, after an interval of a little over three years, the Rev. Amos Billingsly was installed the fifth pastor of Slippery Rock, Mr. Billingsly having supplied the Congregation for some months previous. His stay here was pleasant and peaceful but his pastorate was brief and uneventful, being released in 1856. After Mr. Billingsly left, the church was without a pastor for a longer period than any other time during her history, almost six years. But we must not understand that the congregation was without pastoral oversight during all this time for the Rev. Henry Webber was here during the Civil War, those awful days of suffering and suspense. Here, as in so many other places, soldier boys were being sent home to be buried, having been killed in battle or died of disease. Those were hard days and many hearts had to be comforted. It is a source of gratitude that Old Slippery Rock Church has always been loyal to her God and to her Country. Away back in 1812 the patriotism of the people of this Church and community prompted them to raise a company of Volunteers for the service of the nation then so young. Headed by William Morton as captain, this company went to Lake Erie and offered themselves for service but were never called into battle. Call after call was sent out by Our Beloved Lincoln, and never once did the call fall upon deaf ears, for this Church always supplied her quota. This same spirit was manifested in the war with Spain during the closing years of the last century, and during World War I and World War II this Church again sent a goodly company.