2nd Baptist Church - NYS Historic Markers and more.

Today I started the Eaton Churches corner of our historic markers and realized what an unbelievable history old Eaton and its churches have. Most people do not realize that two of the original incorporators of the Eaton Congregational Church were also 2 of the 5 original incorporators of the Baptist Church as well as the Baptist Theological Seminary, the Hull Brothers.  This incorporation became Madison University and then today's Colgate.  As a matter of fact the Eaton Baptist Minister at that time, Nathaniel Kendrick became the first President of Madison University!

Baptist Church no longer standing.

Not impressive enough..well the first graduate of the new school was Missionary Jonathan Wade of Eaton, a Baptist Missionary to Burma with Andoniram Judson.

 That Baptist Church was also the home church of Morse and Leland families.  As Presbyterianism moved through the village, young men liked Reverend Andrew Bigelow Morse, the son of Ellis Morse and grandson of Joseph Morse, turned to missionary work.

In 1849, at the early age of nineteen, Mr. Morse was graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, where his ranking as student admitted him into the scholarship roll of Phi Beta Kappa.  

After two years’ experience as principal of a Young Men’s Classical Institute in Albany, N.Y., he entered the Princeton Theological seminary, where he was graduated in 1864.  After another two years, part of which was spent in post-graduate work in New York and a part in the service of the church, he and his young wife, commissioned by the Presbyterian board of foreign missions, started for Siam.  This was the goal of their ardent ambitions and consecrations.  

Once in the field, he threw himself whole-heartedly into the work, but within two years Andrew’s health was shattered and he was ordered home. He continued working for several years on a literary work of permanent value.

 Because of his poor health during the Civil War, he was exempt from military service and debarred from the Christian commission.  So instead, he spent three years at Washington in the Treasury Department, ministering often in hospital and barracks.  In Washington he served in the somewhat famous “Treasury Guard” of which he frequently spoke with a smile.  

It is here he also became acquainted with many men who afterward became famous.  Among these was the one whom he always mentioned with a great admiration and reverence – the distinguished martyr President Lincoln.

Andrew takes his place of honor with the other young men of Eaton who also went to Siam (Burma) and China, Jonathan Wade and William Dean. **Newspaper stories filled with letters sent back to Eaton from Siam still exist in the Old Town of Eaton Museum today.

Eaton's 2nd Baptist Church was home to the family of  Emily Chubbuck -"Fanny Forester" who married America's famous Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson and returned to Burma with him as a missionary! After her marriage to Judson she and he returned to Eaton where he preached a special service.

In its "hay-day" Eaton had 3 churches with a population of about 450.  These churches remained in the community even though they became "Federated"as church going declined....

Eventually, the 2nd Baptist Church building was sold and torn down by Arthur Yale, a postman.  Industrious to the core Arthur used the building pieces to build three cottages on the Bradley Brook....I have a copy of one of the cottages using the wood, roofing, and pews from the church in the museum. I also have the only copy of the Historic Baptist Churches records, the original is preserved at Colgate.

Old Eaton's Missionary History

While working on a new book named “The History You Never Knew” the past few days, I came across much information that has actually never come to light in regular history books.  Many of the young folk in Eaton actually tried to become missionaries to exotic lands many were successful.  It seems the lure of Burma and Siam was a firm and large part of the missionary movement here in the early 1800’s.

Everyone remembers stories of Eaton’s Emily Chubbuck, the writer who wrote under the pen name “Fanny Forrester,” who married Adoniram Judson and went off to Burma, but what about Andrew Bigelow Morse???

The Reverend Andrew Bigelow Morse was the son of Ellis Morse and grandson of Joseph Morse. In 1849, at the early age of nineteen, Mr. Morse was graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton, where his ranking as student admitted him into the scholarship roll of Phi Beta Kappa.  

After two years’ experience as principal of a Young Men’s Classical Institute in Albany, N.Y., he entered the Princeton Theological seminary, where he was graduated in 1864.  After another two years, part of which was spent in post-graduate work in New York and a part in the service of the church, he and his young wife, commissioned by the Presbyterian board of foreign missions, started for Siam.  This was the goal of their ardent ambitions and consecrations.  

Once in the field, he threw himself whole-heartedly into the work, but within two years Andrew’s health was shattered and he was ordered home. He continued working for several years on a literary work of permanent value.

 Because of his poor health during the Civil War, he was exempt from military service and debarred from the Christian commission.  So instead, he spent three years at Washington in the Treasury Department, ministering often in hospital and barracks.  In Washington he served in the somewhat famous “Treasury Guard” of which he frequently spoke with a smile.  

It is here he also became acquainted with many men who afterward became famous.  Among these was the one whom he always mentioned with a great admiration and reverence – the distinguished martyr President Lincoln.

Andrew takes his place of honor with the other young men of Eaton who also went to Siam (Burma) and China, Jonathan Wade and William Dean. **Newspaper stories filled with letters sent back to Eaton from Siam still exist in the Old Town of Eaton Museum today.

Lecture, Emily Chubbuck, Fanny Forrester and the Missionaries of Eaton

The Historic Eaton Church 1833

At that time it was incorporated the Congregational Church's founding members included two of the original incorporators of the Baptist Theological Seminary that became Madison University and today's Colgate University.

The step which bore the inscription still sits in front of the church, but has been broken up and can no longer be read.  But the churches history has followed that of the Eaton Hamlet and has in fact helped the history of the United States.  

In 1848 the church hosted the Congregational Society’s yearly northeast meeting at which time the Congregational Society officially adopted an anti-slavery stand.  Some information on this is in the Cornell College Library.

The church had many noteworthy pastors including its first installed minister the Reverend E D Willis, a friend of Gerrit Smith and a noted abolitionist.  I became interested in Willis because he lived in my house, a house that Allen Nelson Wood and his wife would buy on their return to Eaton.

The church’s members at that time included Allen Nelson Wood founder of the Wood, Taber & Morse Steam Engine Works and both his partners Loyal Clark Taber and Walter Morse.

Other famous Eatonites who attended services were Melville Delancey Landon and his family. Landon became a well known as both a writer and as a lecturer. Many rich and famous people attended the church during the Victorian era during what time Grover Cleveland’s brother; the Reverend William Cleveland was its pastor.

The church still today houses a historic Meneely Clock and Bell, and the churches windows which bear the names of some of Eaton’s greats... still grace its interior; an interior that sports hand turned pillars turned by Allen Wood himself.

During the Civil War the Eaton Churches banded together and held services attended by each other patrons during the week to pray for the wars end.

Eventually, the Congregational Church became part of the Federated Churches of Eaton and then later became a Community Church under the Pastor Thomas Clark who improved not only the building, and but helped institute a fabulous AWANA program. During the time he was pastor the congregation also built a large activities build that is used today for youths to play basketball and games and to host special functions.

One of the best stories I have about the church is one that ended up involving me.  Melville Landon wrote a story on Mr. Wood and the Rev. Cleveland for one of his books. In the story Mr. Wood is hawking hymnals for sale in the back of the church while Rev. Cleveland was announcing the following weeks Baptism Service for children.  Wood only had one child and so when the minister said for the parishioners to bring their children… Mr. Wood piped up, thinking he was talking about the hymnal that “they could have as many as they wanted for 50 cents each.”

I wrote about this story for the Mid-York Weekly newspaper and the next week I received a package from Pennsylvania…it was the sermon handwritten that Rev. Cleveland delivered that day!...

History always returns to Eaton…so visit the museum soon and see the document for yourself…we are going to be open on Sundays 1-3 pm in the summer. Also be sure to attend the Lecture on Wednesday the 29th...rain date on Thursday of that week.  Subjects include Emily Chubbuck, Jonathan Wade and more!

Here's a video of the church!

This museum junkie does Eaton's Churches....at the Old Town of Eaton Museum

I have been working non-stop on the Eaton Museum for weeks and finally have gotten to setting up the displays....finally.  I had begun to drag under the load of getting the museum repaired and painted and then.... two friends picked me up and we toured two museum....I am energized...now perhaps I can have some fun!

So today I started the Eaton Churches corner and realized what an unbelievable history old Eaton has. Most people do not realize that two of the original incorporators of the Eaton Congregational Church were also 2 of the 5 original incorporators of the Baptist Theological Seminary that became Madison University and then Colgate.  As a matter of fact the Eaton Baptist Minister at that time became the first President of Madison University!

Not impressive enough..well the first graduate of the school was Missionary Jonathan Wade of Eaton, Eaton also was the home of Andrew Bigelow Morse an American youth missionary to Burma, also it is cool that the Rev. William Dean - missionary to China, is currently being recognized for his missionary work there.  Eaton's Emily Chubbuck "Fanny Forester"married America's famous missionary Adoniram Judson and returned to Burma with him as a missionary!

In its "hay-day" Eaton had 3 churches with a population of about 450.  These churches remained in the community even though they became "Federated"as church going declined....

Eventually, the 2nd Baptist Church was sold and torn down by Arthur Yale, a postman.  Industrious to the cored he used the building to build three cottages on the Bradley Brook....I have a copy of one of the cottages using the wood, roofing, and pews from the church in the museum.

The Methodist Church is gone..tho many thought it to be the prettiest..and the the only building standing is the Congregational ...now the Eaton Community Bible Church..and what a history that has.

It was from that church in 1848 the Congregational Society of the Northeast met and declared their abolition stanza.  It's famous members included all of the the Wood, Taber and Morse Company, as well as the Landon Family whose son Melville made it famous in his book "Saratoga in 1901", and also included in its many pastors was Rev. William Cleveland.. the President's brother.

Today with in the structure is a rare Meneely clock built by Andrew himself and a world class Meneley Bell...something the Meneely Company keeps check on....so do I!

So if you get a chance visit me when we get the museum finished....and view an interesting piece of not only Eaton's history but the history of Madison County.  For more history and videos go to www.historystarproductions.com.

Take a tour.....