Methodist Church Wilawana - Historical Sketch
Transcribed by Mary Ellen Kunst, Written by Rev. Ezra O. Morgan, 1919
One visiting Wilawana would not suspect that beneath it's peaceful surface today there is a bit of the most thrilling history that any village has had in this section of the country. It is a history that is minled with love and happiness, butterness and tragedy. But whatever the past history may have been, it is safe to say that by nature Wilawana has always been religious. In fact there was a Methodist class there long before one was organized at Chemung. And down until about the year 1899, Wilawana was one of Methodism's strong rural points. But in that year, just five years after the present church was dedicated, a difference arose in the society over the question of putting a hotel in the village. The breach made by this controversy has not been healed to this day, and as a result the society has lost much of its former power and strength. But the people of real Christian worth have stood by the church and some day this Christian leaven will bring the church back to its rightful place of leadership in the community.
The first white men to own land at Wilawana were men by the names of Sanderson and Kingsberry. During the latter half of the eighteenth century these men owned all the land in and around Wilawana. That section of the state of Pennsylvania was then known as the Sanderson and Kingsberry tract. Mr. Daniel Orcutt was probably the first man to buy land from this tract and settle in Wilawana. At a very early day he built a log house in about the center of the village, as we know it today, on the banks of the little creek that still bears his name, Orcutt Creek. Among others who early bought land and settled Wilawana were the Garrisons, the Clarks and the Knights.
As the village grew the name of Sanderson and Kingsberry tract became too indefinite. So the people began to loook for a better name for their village. As it happened this name was not long in coming. And that early Garrison family has the distinction of giving Wilawana its first definite name. This was the rather unusual name of "Johnny Cake Holler". The History attached to this first christening is curiously interesting.
On the banks of Orcutt Creek the Garrisons built a modest log house, the ruins of which could be seen a few years ago, lying in about the center of village and a short distance from the present bridge crossing the creek. It is said that the Garrison family were peace loving folks by nature, but like most families they had their little domestic troubles. It is rumored that Mr. Garrison so far forgot himself at times that he was inclined to handle his good wife a little roughly. But history shows that Mrs. Garrison was fully capable of taking her own part. One fateful evening Mr. Garrison came home and for some reason began to severely criticise his wife, who in turn took stern objection to his remarks. As it happened, Mrs. Garrison was preparing the evening meal, and they were to have had hot johnny cake for supper that night. When Mr. Garrison began his harangue the johnny cake batter was peacefully baking in the old fashion spider-frying pan which hung before the open fireplace. At last, when Mrs. Garrison's patience was entirely exhausted, she seized the spider and with it swatted Mr. Garrison a much deserved swat over the head, finding lodgement about his neck. For his shirt collar would not allow it to run further, but rather made a convenient receptacle for holding it. Here the hot corn meal simmered and cooked. And before Mrs. Garrison could undo what she had done, Mr. Garrison's neck was pretty well parboiled. It is said that he carried a scarlet ring about his neck for many months afterwards, and that when he died the scar was still plainly visible. This little incident of family life soon became public property, and is known in history as the "Johnny Cake War". It is in memoroy of this war that the village received its name of "Johnny Cake Holler". How long this name lingered is not known, but it must have been for several years. There are those living today at Wilawana, who can remember seeing mail sent from Ireland, to people living at Johnny Cake Holler, Bradford Co,, Penn., U.S.A. But the folks in the neighborhood finally discarded the name and adopted the name of their creek, as the name also of their village. Thus Wilawana's second name became Orcutt Creek. In 1882, when the Lackawana R.R. was put through, the new station was named Wilawana, which has been the name of the village ever since. The name was originally spelled with two Ls. It is an Indian name, given in honor of that famous Indian princess, Queen Esther.
The complete history of Wilawana is full of interesting facts and incidents. If written, it would indeed read like the story of some romantic novel. But whatever of Wilawana's early history may come under any other head than good, we might possibly take the suggestion seriously, that all the bad men of Chemung and Wellsburg, whom the early churches could not reform, went to Wilawana to make their headquarters, and lay their plots. This may be the honest reason why the heart of one of Orcutt Creek's former residents, is today on exhibition in a jar of alcohol at Auburn prison. This remarkable hear beat four hours after a bullet from the gun of one of the prison guards had torn through it. But these days with their tragedies have gone never to return. As have many other days, with their pioneer customs. Such as the days when the folks at Wilawana used to load their grain into canoes, and pole all the way down the Chemung river to WilkesBarre, in order to have it ground. We are willing to let all these days go and care not for their return, but we hope the days of the good, old Methodist meeting have not gone, never to return. Those days when the power of the Lord would decend, and shake the village with prayers, and hymns, and shouts of amens, are needed now at Wilawana.
The first Methodist class at Wilawana probably dates back as far as 1795. For about that time, one of the old Methodist circuit riders, Rev. Lorenzo Dow, is known to have visited the village regularly to hold lmeetings. Rev. Dow rode horseback and probably came up by the way of Athens, making the village one of his first points, after leaving Athens.
Most of the religious history and names associated with Wilawana before 1858 have been lost. But, however, many interesting incidents and characters still oinger in the memory of the people. A preacher by the name of Allen, one time served the Wilawana church. He was known generally as "Crazy Allen". It is said that he won this title, because of his mane eccentricities, one of which was his quite frequent battles with the personal devil. Mr. Allen was probably only a local preacher, and there is no account of his ever having served any other point on the circuit except Wilawana. The devil became so real to Mr. Allen that he often found it necessary, to interrupt his meetings, until he had chased this enemy of all mankind out of the service. In a schoolhouse where he was once holding a meeting, the devil entered. Mr. Allen must have perceived somehow, that his foe had retreated to the loft above the room where the meeting was in progress. The fearless preacher jumped upon the little desk before him, and suddenly springing upward, drew himself through a trap door in the ceiling, and disappeared from view, into darkness above. Of course the congregation knew what was on, and waited breathlessly below, while their pastor had it out with the devil in the loft above. When satisfied that his enemy had been vanquished, Mr. Allen dropped through the trap door to the platform below, and there with a great deal more comfort and power, finished his sermon to the people. One is inclined to believe, that religion under such dramatic preaching must have been a very real thing, indeed.
The first Methodist class in Wilawana held their meetings in a little log school house, that stood in about the center of the village on the banks of Orcutt Creek. This log building finally gave place to a much better frame building, which became the new school house. It was erected on the same spot where the former had stood. In this frame school house early Methodism at Orcutt Creek held its services down until 1858. It was in that year that the society rented the upper floor of a dwelling house belonging to Mr. M.C. Gardner. This building stood on the lot adjoining the present property of Mrs. Laura Keyes.
By knocking out the partitions and doing some remodeling this upper chamber was made over into a very pleasant and suitable meeting house. And here the village people worshipped their Lord until 1894. This building still stands, but has been moved from its original site. It stands today, converted back into a dwelling house, just over the creek bridge, and is owned by Mr. Wm M. Shaff.
Mr. I.J. Pratt was perhaps the first class leader in that upper room church and Rev. Noble, a horseback circuit rider, was probably the first preacher to serve the society in their new quarters. Though there were no records kept before 1861, this preacher and the one who followed him, Rev. Slawson, probably served the whole circuit. The preachers in those days, before the bridge, were compelled to ferry across the river to Wilawana. In the summer time going to preach by boat, and in the winter time very often driving across on the ice, much have been just another thrill for the early pastors on the Chemung Circuit.
Wilawana has always been a point on the Chemung Circuit, although some unsuccessful attempts have been made to transfer it to the Wellsburg charge. One of these attempts met defeat because the ferry boat system failed to operate. It happened not long after the Erie R.R. came through that the Wellsburg pastor agreed to serve Wilawana if they would see to it that he was ferried across the river. The very first Sunday night the pastor came down, the Erie train was late, a habit it has never fully gotten over to this day. The preacher hurried from the station at Chemung to the river bank, but to his dismay he found no ferry boat. It is rumored that Wilawana did not have very stong inclination for the transfer, but of course, this mistake of the ferry boat that night was because the train was late. At any rate the preacher from Wellsburg never came back and Wilawana has never been taken from the Chemung Circuit.
During the pastorate of Rev. C.E. Ferguson, 1834-1887, Wilawana had a mighty revival and there has been none like it since. It was out of this revival that the inspiration came to build a new church. So the present pretty little church was begun in the year 1892, and was completed and dedicated in 1894. Most of the labor and material that went into its construction were donated by the good, substantial people of the village, who were at that time united and dominated the community by their Christian influence. $900 in cash was added, making the toal cost of the church about $2,000.00.
The first white men to own land at Wilawana were men by the names of Sanderson and Kingsberry. During the latter half of the eighteenth century these men owned all the land in and around Wilawana. That section of the state of Pennsylvania was then known as the Sanderson and Kingsberry tract. Mr. Daniel Orcutt was probably the first man to buy land from this tract and settle in Wilawana. At a very early day he built a log house in about the center of the village, as we know it today, on the banks of the little creek that still bears his name, Orcutt Creek. Among others who early bought land and settled Wilawana were the Garrisons, the Clarks and the Knights.
As the village grew the name of Sanderson and Kingsberry tract became too indefinite. So the people began to loook for a better name for their village. As it happened this name was not long in coming. And that early Garrison family has the distinction of giving Wilawana its first definite name. This was the rather unusual name of "Johnny Cake Holler". The History attached to this first christening is curiously interesting.
On the banks of Orcutt Creek the Garrisons built a modest log house, the ruins of which could be seen a few years ago, lying in about the center of village and a short distance from the present bridge crossing the creek. It is said that the Garrison family were peace loving folks by nature, but like most families they had their little domestic troubles. It is rumored that Mr. Garrison so far forgot himself at times that he was inclined to handle his good wife a little roughly. But history shows that Mrs. Garrison was fully capable of taking her own part. One fateful evening Mr. Garrison came home and for some reason began to severely criticise his wife, who in turn took stern objection to his remarks. As it happened, Mrs. Garrison was preparing the evening meal, and they were to have had hot johnny cake for supper that night. When Mr. Garrison began his harangue the johnny cake batter was peacefully baking in the old fashion spider-frying pan which hung before the open fireplace. At last, when Mrs. Garrison's patience was entirely exhausted, she seized the spider and with it swatted Mr. Garrison a much deserved swat over the head, finding lodgement about his neck. For his shirt collar would not allow it to run further, but rather made a convenient receptacle for holding it. Here the hot corn meal simmered and cooked. And before Mrs. Garrison could undo what she had done, Mr. Garrison's neck was pretty well parboiled. It is said that he carried a scarlet ring about his neck for many months afterwards, and that when he died the scar was still plainly visible. This little incident of family life soon became public property, and is known in history as the "Johnny Cake War". It is in memoroy of this war that the village received its name of "Johnny Cake Holler". How long this name lingered is not known, but it must have been for several years. There are those living today at Wilawana, who can remember seeing mail sent from Ireland, to people living at Johnny Cake Holler, Bradford Co,, Penn., U.S.A. But the folks in the neighborhood finally discarded the name and adopted the name of their creek, as the name also of their village. Thus Wilawana's second name became Orcutt Creek. In 1882, when the Lackawana R.R. was put through, the new station was named Wilawana, which has been the name of the village ever since. The name was originally spelled with two Ls. It is an Indian name, given in honor of that famous Indian princess, Queen Esther.
The complete history of Wilawana is full of interesting facts and incidents. If written, it would indeed read like the story of some romantic novel. But whatever of Wilawana's early history may come under any other head than good, we might possibly take the suggestion seriously, that all the bad men of Chemung and Wellsburg, whom the early churches could not reform, went to Wilawana to make their headquarters, and lay their plots. This may be the honest reason why the heart of one of Orcutt Creek's former residents, is today on exhibition in a jar of alcohol at Auburn prison. This remarkable hear beat four hours after a bullet from the gun of one of the prison guards had torn through it. But these days with their tragedies have gone never to return. As have many other days, with their pioneer customs. Such as the days when the folks at Wilawana used to load their grain into canoes, and pole all the way down the Chemung river to WilkesBarre, in order to have it ground. We are willing to let all these days go and care not for their return, but we hope the days of the good, old Methodist meeting have not gone, never to return. Those days when the power of the Lord would decend, and shake the village with prayers, and hymns, and shouts of amens, are needed now at Wilawana.
The first Methodist class at Wilawana probably dates back as far as 1795. For about that time, one of the old Methodist circuit riders, Rev. Lorenzo Dow, is known to have visited the village regularly to hold lmeetings. Rev. Dow rode horseback and probably came up by the way of Athens, making the village one of his first points, after leaving Athens.
Most of the religious history and names associated with Wilawana before 1858 have been lost. But, however, many interesting incidents and characters still oinger in the memory of the people. A preacher by the name of Allen, one time served the Wilawana church. He was known generally as "Crazy Allen". It is said that he won this title, because of his mane eccentricities, one of which was his quite frequent battles with the personal devil. Mr. Allen was probably only a local preacher, and there is no account of his ever having served any other point on the circuit except Wilawana. The devil became so real to Mr. Allen that he often found it necessary, to interrupt his meetings, until he had chased this enemy of all mankind out of the service. In a schoolhouse where he was once holding a meeting, the devil entered. Mr. Allen must have perceived somehow, that his foe had retreated to the loft above the room where the meeting was in progress. The fearless preacher jumped upon the little desk before him, and suddenly springing upward, drew himself through a trap door in the ceiling, and disappeared from view, into darkness above. Of course the congregation knew what was on, and waited breathlessly below, while their pastor had it out with the devil in the loft above. When satisfied that his enemy had been vanquished, Mr. Allen dropped through the trap door to the platform below, and there with a great deal more comfort and power, finished his sermon to the people. One is inclined to believe, that religion under such dramatic preaching must have been a very real thing, indeed.
The first Methodist class in Wilawana held their meetings in a little log school house, that stood in about the center of the village on the banks of Orcutt Creek. This log building finally gave place to a much better frame building, which became the new school house. It was erected on the same spot where the former had stood. In this frame school house early Methodism at Orcutt Creek held its services down until 1858. It was in that year that the society rented the upper floor of a dwelling house belonging to Mr. M.C. Gardner. This building stood on the lot adjoining the present property of Mrs. Laura Keyes.
By knocking out the partitions and doing some remodeling this upper chamber was made over into a very pleasant and suitable meeting house. And here the village people worshipped their Lord until 1894. This building still stands, but has been moved from its original site. It stands today, converted back into a dwelling house, just over the creek bridge, and is owned by Mr. Wm M. Shaff.
Mr. I.J. Pratt was perhaps the first class leader in that upper room church and Rev. Noble, a horseback circuit rider, was probably the first preacher to serve the society in their new quarters. Though there were no records kept before 1861, this preacher and the one who followed him, Rev. Slawson, probably served the whole circuit. The preachers in those days, before the bridge, were compelled to ferry across the river to Wilawana. In the summer time going to preach by boat, and in the winter time very often driving across on the ice, much have been just another thrill for the early pastors on the Chemung Circuit.
Wilawana has always been a point on the Chemung Circuit, although some unsuccessful attempts have been made to transfer it to the Wellsburg charge. One of these attempts met defeat because the ferry boat system failed to operate. It happened not long after the Erie R.R. came through that the Wellsburg pastor agreed to serve Wilawana if they would see to it that he was ferried across the river. The very first Sunday night the pastor came down, the Erie train was late, a habit it has never fully gotten over to this day. The preacher hurried from the station at Chemung to the river bank, but to his dismay he found no ferry boat. It is rumored that Wilawana did not have very stong inclination for the transfer, but of course, this mistake of the ferry boat that night was because the train was late. At any rate the preacher from Wellsburg never came back and Wilawana has never been taken from the Chemung Circuit.
During the pastorate of Rev. C.E. Ferguson, 1834-1887, Wilawana had a mighty revival and there has been none like it since. It was out of this revival that the inspiration came to build a new church. So the present pretty little church was begun in the year 1892, and was completed and dedicated in 1894. Most of the labor and material that went into its construction were donated by the good, substantial people of the village, who were at that time united and dominated the community by their Christian influence. $900 in cash was added, making the toal cost of the church about $2,000.00.