498 - HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER XIX.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY-SABBATH SCHOOL UNION.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.

IN the Ohio Republican., published Monday, April 10, 1815, in the town of Dayton, we find the following editorial notice: " Those ladies of Dayton and vicinity who are disposed to aid in the establishment of a Bible society are requested to meet at Mrs. Brown's, on Wednesday next, at 3 P. M." In response to the notice, a few Christian women met in the bedroom of Mrs. Catherine Brown, mother of Henry L. Brown, on the 12th of April, 1815, and organized the Dayton Female Bible Society, which subsequently became an auxiliary of the present society. At the time it was formed, there were but seven Bible societies in Ohio. The first Board of Officers consisted of the following ladies:

Mrs. Col. Robert Patterson, President; Mrs. Thomas Cottom, First Vice President; Mrs. James Welsb, Second Vice President; Mrs. Eliza Phillips, Corresponding Secretary; Mrs. Julia A. Crane, Recording Secretary; Mrs. Henrietta Pierce, Treasurer; Mrs. Nary King, Elizabeth Reid, Martha Hannah, Hannah Spinning, Phoebe Steele, Catherine Brown, Mrs. Curtner and Miss Spinning, Managers. Two of the officers, Mrs. Steele and Crane, continued in office forty-six years, until their decease, in 1861.

On the 20th of August, 1822, the following notice was published in the Dayton Watchman:

"A public meeting will be held in the Presbyterian Meeting-House on Wednesday next, at 2 P. M., to form a Bible society for Montgomery County. The Rev. Richard Hall, agent of the American Bible Society, will address the meeting. All persons respectfully invited to attend. " Agreeably to the above notice, the meeting was held, with Hon. Joseph H. Crane as Chairman, and George S. Houston, Secretary. The following resolution was adopted: "Resolved, That this meeting form a Bible society auxiliary to the American Bible Society of New York," after which a committee was appointed for subscriptions and donations, to report at a meeting September 14, 1822. After an address by Rev. Richard Hall, the meeting adjourned. and the proceedings were ordered to be published in the Dayton Watchman. On the 14th of September, 1822, the following officers and Directors were chosen, to hold their offices until a general meeting, to be held in January, 1823:

Dr. Job Haines, President; William King, First Vice President; Aaron Baker, Second Vice President: Rev. Nathan Worley, Third Vice President: Luther Bruen, Treasurer, James Steele, Corresponding Secretary; George S. Houston, Recording Secretary.

Managers-John Miller, John Patterson, James Hanna. O. B. Conover. Robert Patterson, Joseph Kennedy, Robert Kennedy. David Reid, James Slaght, David Pierson, Hezikiah Robinson. John H. Williams, John B. Ayers and Robert McConnell.

A committee consisting of Col. Reid, Dr. Job Haines and Rev. Thomas Sullivan, was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws for the government of the society. In 1873, the semi-centennial anniversary of this society was hold in Raper Chapel, and we learn from the proceedings that only two de-

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scendants of that first board were connected with the board of 1873. Judge James Steele was a member until his death, and was immediately succeeded by his son, Robert W., who served as a member of the board for more than thirty years. Robert Patterson was represented by his grandson, Henry L. Brown, who was first elected Manager in 1843, and served as Director, Secretary or President until his death, in 1878. William B. King, a member of the board up to the last annual election, in 1882, is a son of the First Vice President of the society. Rev. Nathan Worley, the first Third Vice President, was represented in 1873 by William Worley, President of the Madison Township Branch Society; and Rev. Thomas Sullivan, a member of the Constitutional Committee of 1822, was represented by his nephew, S. M. Sullivan, as Secretary from December, 1871, up to the annual election of 1881. The following additional names have been prominently connected with the society for many years, and deserve honorable mention: Thomas Parrott, deceased; Dr. John Steele, deceased; J. D. Loomis, deceased; George M. Young, deceased; John Powell, deceased; Patterson Mitchell, Alexander Gebhart; T. N. Sowers, deceased; and S. C. Crumbaugh, deceased. The Presbyterian Meeting-House, where the Bible society was organized, stood on the corner of Second and Ludlow streets, the present site of the First Presbyterian Church of Dayton. The Methodist Meeting-House, in which the first anniversary was held, was located on Third street, near Main, and was known as Wesley Chapel M. E. Church; the same society is now known as Grace M. E Church. At a meeting held April 15, 1823. the following resolution was adopted: " Resolved, That Messrs. Baker. Bruen, Steele and R. Patterson be a committee, and authorized as such to make arrangements with the different Assessors to make inquiry of the different householders and ascertain who and how many are with out the sacred Scriptures." In this way, a large number of destitute families were found and furnished with Bibles. At an annual meeting held January 4, 1828, the following resolution was adopted: "Resolved, That this society authorize the Board of Directors to employ a suitable agent to visit every family, as far as he may be able, taking the county by townships." The spirit of this resolution was carried out by the board, who appointed local agents in each township to distribute the Scriptures among those families not already supplied with a copy of the Word. On the tenth anniversary of the society, the Secretary, in his report, said: "The first great object which this society had in view on its formation, viz., the supplying of the destitute of this county with the Bible, is now, as they believe, completed." On the 29th of June, 1835, the board resolved to refurnish every destitute family with Bibles; also, every child under fifteen years of age who could read was to be supplied with a Testament at cost, part price or gratis, and for thirteen years the work was carried on in accordance with the spirit of this resolution. The board passed a resolution, January 5, 1856, to employ an agent for the purpose of organizing branch societies in every township, which was carried into effect. In 1867, the agent of the society visited 5,734 families of Dayton, and supplied 1,099 with Bibles. Since then, the female branches. one of which is the same that was organized in 1815, have annually attended to this work in the city up to within a few years ago.

At a meeting of the board, April 5, 1823, a letter was read from the Rev. Thomas Winters (father of David Winters), requesting the privilege of forming a branch society in Germantown, which request was granted, and a supply of Bibles and Testaments was furnished them to form a depository in that town. Since that date, the following branches have been formed, and are active co-workers as auxiliaries to the Montgomery County Society, as is also the Dayton Female Bible Society, which antedates it by seven years:

500 - HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

East Dayton Female Bible Society, German Township Bible Society, Miami Township Bible Society, Jackson Township Bible Society, Perry Township Bible Society, Clay Township Bible Society, Washington Township Bible Society, Van Buren Township Bible Society, Mad River Township Bible So ciety, Wayne Township Bible Society, Butler Township Bible Society, Harrison Township Bible Society, Randolph Township Bible Society, Madison Township Bible Society, Jefferson Township Bible Society.

To show the value of these societies as auxiliaries, prior to their formation only $363.77 was contributed by Montgomery County outside of Dayton, and since, up to 1873, the amount realized was $9,830.89, and in the past nine years has been steadily increasing. November 30, 1830, a Mr. Kincaid was employed and paid $12 to canvass and supply German Township with Bibles. At a meeting held April 5, 1836, two young men from Oxford College were employed at a salary of $15 per month to explore the country and furnish the destitute with the Scriptures, while others were working without compensation. In the summer of 1848, four young men were employed for the same purpose, and in March, 1856, Robert Anderson was regularly engaged as County Agent to organize branches and supply Bibles. He began the work and had organized societies in one-third of the townships, when he was taken sick, and died after a lingering illness. In the following October, Rev. Samuel Scott was appointed to finish the work, and, in the summer of 1867, Charles Roder canvassed the city very thoroughly. There are now in the sixteen branch societies about one hundred and forty local agents, mostly ladies, who are appointed annually, and are very efficient aids to the work. In addition to private families, the society has furnished a number of missions with Bibles; also the Y. M. C. A. rooms, jail, infirmary, Soldiers' Home, and the hotels of the city with a copy for each room, free of charge. During the war. thousands of Bibles were furnished to the several regiments passing through the. city for the seat of war. The railways passing through Dayton have also been supplied with Bibles and Testaments. Since its organization, the Montgomery County Bible Society has distributed the following number of Bibles and Testaments:

From 1823 to 1833, 1,774 copies; from 1833 to 1843, 3,450; from 1843 to 1853, 1,965; from 1853 to 1863, 9.478; from 1863 to 1873, 38,196: from 1873 to 1876, 1,917.

For the next three years the cost of the books distributed is given, and not the number of volumes. The records of the society show that $559.53 was paid for Bibles and Testaments distributed during the years 1877, 1878 and 1879. In the latter year, the society sold its stock of books on hand to the United Brethren Publishing House, where the depository had been kept for many years, since which time they purchase whatever number of copies is wanted from time to time. In 1880, seventy-seven families were found destitute and supplied with Bibles free of charge. In his report for 1881, the Secretary says: " Bibles and Testaments costing the society $116.06 have been donated during the year, many being supplied to the soldiers at the National Home, with very satisfactory results, as attested by the Chaplain, Rev. William Earnshaw, and others by the Woman's Christian Association, which very efficiently co-operates in the work of our society, and, although not an auxiliary, as were the female Bible societies in years past, in a great measure is a worthy successor in their work." The township of Harrison was canvassed by Mrs. Mary C. King, and twenty-three copies of the Scriptures supplied to destitute families. This venerable lady is the only survivor of that band of Christian women who organized the first Bible society in Montgomery County. Since its organization, this society has contributed to the American Bible Society the sum of $15,131.31. Every church in Montgomery County in harmony with this society takes up an annual collection, which goes to support the work in hand.

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From this source the society derives its principal assistance, although many private donations are received yearly. Judging from the Secretary's last report, there seems to be a lack of interest in the cause throughout the county at the present time, and little is being done by the township societies to forward the work. No doubt this apathy will soon give place to vigorous measures, and the good work prosecuted with its old-time energy. The female branches have not been actively engaged for the past few years, and, although not literally disbanded, have to a certain extent ceased to have life, their work now being efficiently carried on by the Woman's Christian Association.

The present officers are as follows: Patterson Mitchell, President; D. L. Rike, First Vice President; Henderson Elliott, Second Vice President; A. M. Powell, Secretary; J. C. Reber, Treasurer; Eugene Wuichet, Corresponding Secretary; Rev. W. J. Shuey, Depositary.

Directors --Alexander Gebhart, First Lutheran Church; Henry Dornbusch, German M. E. Church; L. D. Reynolds, Grace M. E. Church; Edward Brenneman, Fourth Presbyterian Church: C. V. Osborn, Park Presbyterian Church; L. Woodhull, Memorial Presbyterian Church: D. E. McSherry, Raper M. E_ Church; Frank Mulford, First Presbyterian Church; E. A. Daniels, Third Street Presbyterian Church; Joseph Bigger, United Presbyterian Church; John Schoenherr, Evangelical Church ; E. A. Parrott, First Presbyterian Church; John H. Weller, Park Presbyterian Church; Rev. G. A. Funkhouser. United Brethren Church; Rev. W. T. Maxwell, African M. E. Church.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SABBATH SCHOOL UNION.

While 1882 is the semi-centennial anniversary of the organization of the Montgomery County Sabbath School Union, the good work had really begun nearly twenty years before the society was organized.

April 10, 1815, the Female Bible and Charitable Society of Dayton was formed. The good works and influence of that band of women, among whom were Presbyterians, Methodists and New Lights, led to the establishment of the Presbyterian Sabbath school in 1817, and the next year that of the Methodist Sabbath school that held its sessions in the old academy on St. Clair street, opposite the park. Shortly after that, union meetings of the two Sabbath schools were regularly held. In 1822, the County Bible Society was organized. The Montgomery County Sabbath School Union was organized at a meeting held at the Presbyterian Meeting-House, at the corner of Second and Ludlow streets, Dayton, on Wednesday, February 15, 1832.

Dr. John Steele was Chairman of the meeting, and E. M. Burr, Secretary, and upon motion of the Rev. Ethan Allen, of the Episcopal Church, it was determined to organize the society.

The following officers were chosen for the year:

President, George B. Holt; Vice Presidents, Hon. Joseph H. Crane, Dr. John Steele, William L. Helfenstein; Secretary, James Young; Treasurer, William Davie; Executive Committee, Rev. E. Allen, Rev. F. Putnam, Rev. William Yonge, Ira I. Fenn.

Board of Directors-Rev. L. H. Belville, Benjamin Maltbie, John Woodman, W. Munger, C. Taylor, John McClure, James Guthrie, John Protzman, Samuel Kelly, Samuel King, John H. Williams, Moses Greer, Philip Bilbee, George Spinning, Joseph Kennedy, George Drill, Luke Fish. Norman Fenn, William Sawyer, Elias Matthews, Moses Shearer, William Mason, James Ensley, James Steele, G. T. Bostwick.

Now, in the, year 1852, there are about one hundred Sabbath schools in the county; seventy-three of them report regularly to the County Sabbath School Union: twenty-seven of them do not.