Methodist Church in Owens Mills - Historical Sketch
Typed verbatim by Mary Ellen Kunst, Written by Rev. Ezra O. Morgan, 1919
Owens Mills is one of the many hamlets of the Town of Chemung
Owens Mills is one of the many hamlets of the Town of Chemung
The history of Owens Mills goes back probably to the days just after the Indians were driven out of New York State. It was along about that time that a man, by the name of Malory, moved into this section, cleared land and built a settler's cabin, on the site of the present home of Charles Green. It is quite probable that there were very few people besides the Malory family living in this locality during the first half of the nineteenth century. At any rate there was very little land cleared before 1860. And this whole section down to about 1860 was known as Malory, being named of course, after the first settler.
In 1860 new life came to Malory and it began to grow rapidly into a community of the open country. It was in that year the tanneries discovered that the tanic acid found in the bark of trees was well neigh indispensable for taning hides. As a result there immediately came a great demand for bark. This was the great opportunity for Malory. There were hundreds of acres in this section at that time covered with a virgin growth of hemlocks and pines. And it was in that year, of 1860, that Harry and Jesse Owen Co. built their large saw mill at Malory. This mill stood on a piece of ground now owned by L.B. Grace and just a short distance from the present house now occupied by Mr. Grace. This mill proved to be the beginning of a real community, and very soon a village of the open country sprang up. Beside the mill, there came into being around it a store and postoffice, a blacksmith shop and several houses. The place soon dropped the name of Malory and became a regular postoffice, known then and t itself provided a place where the neighborhood could gather toether for socail entertainment. o this day, as Owens Mills, Jesse Owen himself was appointed the first postmaster.
Of course the neighborhood owes its growth to the coming of the mill, which remained for a number of years the most important institution in the place. The Owen company bought up some 1400 acres of land covered with virgin growth of hemlock and pine. In order to get this lumber out of the woods and strip the bark and ship it, workers were needed, and they began to come. The Owens and the Swains were among the first comers. The coming of these early workmen was the beginning of what is known today as Owens Mills. When the day came that there was no longer demand for the mill, the most of these people remained in the locality and turned to farming.
As has been said the mill was for many years the chief institution in the community. It was the principal means of livlihood and the building itself provided a place where the neighborhood could gather together for a social entertainment. It is said that one of the principle ways used for recreation and for entertaining the frequent social gatherings was dancing. Of course we must bear in mind that the dancing of those days was so far different from the wild art of dancing today that one would have great difficulty in finding anything similar in the two. It is really a pity that the dancing of today should be allowed the favor of so general a title.
There are many descriptive titles we could attach to our dancing of today but it is enough to say here that it is in no detail like the dance of fifty years ago. There may be those loving today who can go back in memory to those nights of long ago, and dance again the old "Virginia Reel" in the big planing room of the Owen's saw mill.
As Owens Mills continued to grow, it proved to be not unalike other communities. There was a leaven there at work which soon created a demand for religious growth. It is said that Loren Grace was for a number of years the only church member living in the neighborhood, and it was largely through his efforts that services were finally begun at Owens Mills. Perhaps the first preacher to hold services in the place was a Baptist preacher by the name of Bishop. Then we hear of Rev. C.M. Gardner, who served the Chemung Circuit in 1873 and 1874. After him perhaps a Baptist preacher by the name of Runney. And so for a number of years, and down until possibly 1890, the community was served by first a Baptist preacher and then a Methodist. These services were irregular and were carried on in a voluntary way by the preachers, who offered their services from time to time. They were paid for their efforts by a free-will offering being taken up among the people.
All these services down until about 1890 were held in the same big planing room of the saw mill. And there are those living today who can remember many of these good old saw mill meetings. It was about that year that the people got together and decided to improve the external conditions surrounding their services. So the top floor of the store was rented and remodeled into a meeting house. An organ, chairs and fixtures were brought and for the first time Owens Mills had a suitable place for worship.
The store building, with the upper room meeting house still stands, but the saw mill has long since disappeared. Some of the fixtures of that first meeting place are still in existence. One of these fixtures is the organ. This first organ was one time borrowed to be used in a funeral service, but for some reason the instrument never came back. However, the good old organ is still doing valuable service in another place. So we all say amen.
The people by this time were growing in numbers and religious strength and the day was approaching when the community would need some definite and regular pastoral oversight. The first regular pastor to put in an appearance was a Methodist local preacher from Waverly, by the name of Denslow. Mr. W. H Denslow began holding regular bimonthly services in this little upper room meeting house in 1896. He continued his good work for about a year and a half. Then becomming convinced that the people ought to be organized into a society and attached to some denomination he proposed that Owens Mills be added as a regular poing to the Chemung Methodist Circuit.
Rev . F.W. Sessions was the pastor at the time on the Circuit and at the first Quarterly Conference held in October 1891, the plan of organizing Owens Mills and receiving it as a poing on the Circuit was proposed. Rev. Sessions took charge of the work the first Sunday in November, 1898. As there were both Methodists and Baptists in the community a vote was taken to find the feeling of the people as to which denomination they should join. The vote was unanimous to make the new society a part of the Methodist church. So at the close of the best revival Owens Mills has ever had, Rev. Sessions organized the thirty three converts, and the ten holding church memberships elsewhere, into a Methodist class, March 3, 1899.
Immediately the inspiration came for a new church building. This inspiration very soon took definite form, and a building committee was appointed. The members of the first committee were: H.T. Tregoning, W.H. Denslow, C.W. Harlow, Joseph Swain, Ambrose Grace and J. W. Guild. Mr. L.B. Grace donated a corner lot of his property and ground was broken for a new church November 23, 1898. The corner stone was laid March 14, 1899 and by the last of June of that year the present pretty little church was completed.
The organization of this society and the building of this splendid little church in the open country was a great accomplishment and has been owned of God. Although the class at Owens Mills was the last to be organized on the Circuit, and that only twenty years ago, it is today in respect of strength and numbers, next to the strongest point on the Circuit, which of course is the Chemung point. And not only is it at present the second in strength, but is has perhaps the best prospects of any of the other points of retaining that place. There are truly great possibilities for future growth and development at Owens Mills.
In 1860 new life came to Malory and it began to grow rapidly into a community of the open country. It was in that year the tanneries discovered that the tanic acid found in the bark of trees was well neigh indispensable for taning hides. As a result there immediately came a great demand for bark. This was the great opportunity for Malory. There were hundreds of acres in this section at that time covered with a virgin growth of hemlocks and pines. And it was in that year, of 1860, that Harry and Jesse Owen Co. built their large saw mill at Malory. This mill stood on a piece of ground now owned by L.B. Grace and just a short distance from the present house now occupied by Mr. Grace. This mill proved to be the beginning of a real community, and very soon a village of the open country sprang up. Beside the mill, there came into being around it a store and postoffice, a blacksmith shop and several houses. The place soon dropped the name of Malory and became a regular postoffice, known then and t itself provided a place where the neighborhood could gather toether for socail entertainment. o this day, as Owens Mills, Jesse Owen himself was appointed the first postmaster.
Of course the neighborhood owes its growth to the coming of the mill, which remained for a number of years the most important institution in the place. The Owen company bought up some 1400 acres of land covered with virgin growth of hemlock and pine. In order to get this lumber out of the woods and strip the bark and ship it, workers were needed, and they began to come. The Owens and the Swains were among the first comers. The coming of these early workmen was the beginning of what is known today as Owens Mills. When the day came that there was no longer demand for the mill, the most of these people remained in the locality and turned to farming.
As has been said the mill was for many years the chief institution in the community. It was the principal means of livlihood and the building itself provided a place where the neighborhood could gather together for a social entertainment. It is said that one of the principle ways used for recreation and for entertaining the frequent social gatherings was dancing. Of course we must bear in mind that the dancing of those days was so far different from the wild art of dancing today that one would have great difficulty in finding anything similar in the two. It is really a pity that the dancing of today should be allowed the favor of so general a title.
There are many descriptive titles we could attach to our dancing of today but it is enough to say here that it is in no detail like the dance of fifty years ago. There may be those loving today who can go back in memory to those nights of long ago, and dance again the old "Virginia Reel" in the big planing room of the Owen's saw mill.
As Owens Mills continued to grow, it proved to be not unalike other communities. There was a leaven there at work which soon created a demand for religious growth. It is said that Loren Grace was for a number of years the only church member living in the neighborhood, and it was largely through his efforts that services were finally begun at Owens Mills. Perhaps the first preacher to hold services in the place was a Baptist preacher by the name of Bishop. Then we hear of Rev. C.M. Gardner, who served the Chemung Circuit in 1873 and 1874. After him perhaps a Baptist preacher by the name of Runney. And so for a number of years, and down until possibly 1890, the community was served by first a Baptist preacher and then a Methodist. These services were irregular and were carried on in a voluntary way by the preachers, who offered their services from time to time. They were paid for their efforts by a free-will offering being taken up among the people.
All these services down until about 1890 were held in the same big planing room of the saw mill. And there are those living today who can remember many of these good old saw mill meetings. It was about that year that the people got together and decided to improve the external conditions surrounding their services. So the top floor of the store was rented and remodeled into a meeting house. An organ, chairs and fixtures were brought and for the first time Owens Mills had a suitable place for worship.
The store building, with the upper room meeting house still stands, but the saw mill has long since disappeared. Some of the fixtures of that first meeting place are still in existence. One of these fixtures is the organ. This first organ was one time borrowed to be used in a funeral service, but for some reason the instrument never came back. However, the good old organ is still doing valuable service in another place. So we all say amen.
The people by this time were growing in numbers and religious strength and the day was approaching when the community would need some definite and regular pastoral oversight. The first regular pastor to put in an appearance was a Methodist local preacher from Waverly, by the name of Denslow. Mr. W. H Denslow began holding regular bimonthly services in this little upper room meeting house in 1896. He continued his good work for about a year and a half. Then becomming convinced that the people ought to be organized into a society and attached to some denomination he proposed that Owens Mills be added as a regular poing to the Chemung Methodist Circuit.
Rev . F.W. Sessions was the pastor at the time on the Circuit and at the first Quarterly Conference held in October 1891, the plan of organizing Owens Mills and receiving it as a poing on the Circuit was proposed. Rev. Sessions took charge of the work the first Sunday in November, 1898. As there were both Methodists and Baptists in the community a vote was taken to find the feeling of the people as to which denomination they should join. The vote was unanimous to make the new society a part of the Methodist church. So at the close of the best revival Owens Mills has ever had, Rev. Sessions organized the thirty three converts, and the ten holding church memberships elsewhere, into a Methodist class, March 3, 1899.
Immediately the inspiration came for a new church building. This inspiration very soon took definite form, and a building committee was appointed. The members of the first committee were: H.T. Tregoning, W.H. Denslow, C.W. Harlow, Joseph Swain, Ambrose Grace and J. W. Guild. Mr. L.B. Grace donated a corner lot of his property and ground was broken for a new church November 23, 1898. The corner stone was laid March 14, 1899 and by the last of June of that year the present pretty little church was completed.
The organization of this society and the building of this splendid little church in the open country was a great accomplishment and has been owned of God. Although the class at Owens Mills was the last to be organized on the Circuit, and that only twenty years ago, it is today in respect of strength and numbers, next to the strongest point on the Circuit, which of course is the Chemung point. And not only is it at present the second in strength, but is has perhaps the best prospects of any of the other points of retaining that place. There are truly great possibilities for future growth and development at Owens Mills.