The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 388

OWASCO VILLAGE--CHURCHES/ TOWN OF OWASC`O.

on the doctrine of predestination, and gave rise to a division and the organization in 1821 of a new Society, composed of about seventy members, known as the True Reformed Dutch Church of Owasco, the new Society adhering to, and the old one rejecting, that doctrine. Rev. A. McNeil was their first pastor, and was succeeded in 1838 by Rev. Wm. Johnson, who was relieved in 1863 or '4 on his own application, by an act of the Classis of Union, from the charge of serving this congregation for the want of "adequate support." After Mr. Johnson's dismissal the pulpit remained vacant, and the congregation was destitute of the stated preaching of the gospel and the ordinances of the church.

At a meeting held at the church September 1st, 1866, to take into consideration the property and other matters of interest belonging to the members and others interested in the church edifice and appurtenances, of which George H. Brinkerhoff was chairman and S. M. P. Morgan secretary, it was decided to sell the church lot and meeting-house and appendages, and George H. Brinkerhoff, Cornelius D. DeWitt and David Tompkins were constituted a committee to take the preliminary proceedings to carry this into effect.

The petition to the Legislature for authority to sell the property, dated November 27th, 1866, was signed by George H. Brinkerhoff, Hugh McDowell, David Tompkins, G. M. Brokaw, Andrew Vanderbetts, Wm. VanDuyne, Seth P. Morgan and Cornelius D. DeWitt. March 28th, 1867, the Legislature appointed said committee trustees and authorized them to sell and convey the real estate and church property and to execute a deed therefor. The property as inventoried amounted to $1,291.50. The church and lot was sold to the Methodist Episcopal church of Owasco in 1867, for about $1,200; and $75 were realized from the other property. The church edifice was erected in 1829.

THE M. E. CHURCH OF OWASCO was organized in 1848, in which year their first house of worship, a portion of which is now occupied as a dwelling by David Sarr, was erected, on ground donated for the purpose by Dr. Abel Baker, through whose efforts mainly the organization was perfected and the church built. Over $800 were raised with which to build. Prior to the organization meetings were held in the school-house, Daniel Cobb, -----Redington and Spencer Rice being the officiating clergymen. The first trustees were Thomas Roberts, James H. Gifford, Samuel B. Noyes, Nicholas Brokaw, James A. Brinkerhoff, Wm. D. Hilliard and Abel Baker, the first an elder and the second an exhorter. W. W. White was the preacher in charge of the Owasco circuit at the time of the organization. The present church edifice was purchased in 1867, of the trustees of the True Reformed Dutch Church of Owasco, by whom it was built in 1829. The present church membership is about 100. They have a large and flourishing Sabbath school.

The pastors following Mr. White have been, nearly as we have been able to ascertain them from the present members, James Fisk, -----Hamilton, -----Hall, Denton Mills, James Crawford, ----Sheldon, -----Hinman, James Goodsell, Elias Hoxie, James B. Benham, -----Wier, Henry Meeker, Horatio Yates, Wm. Adams, -----Marsh, the latter as a supply six months, and D. C. Dutcher, the present pastor, who commenced his labors with this church in the fall of 1877.

THE OWASCO BAPTIST CHURCH, located at Steners or Baptist Corners, three miles directly north of Owasco village, was organized sometime in 1810, with twenty-six members. Their first pastor was the venerable Elkanah Comstock, who, it appears, served them wholly till sometime in 1813, when he received an invitation from the church in Onondaga to serve them a part of the time, to which the church agreed. In 1815, a consultation is recorded to engage Elder Comstock to preach the ensuing year. January 16th, 1816, the church voted to request Elder S. Smith to preach for them in the absence of Elder Comstock, who was going on a missionary tour. From the church book it appears that Elder Comstock served the church as clerk, from 1812 to '20. In the fall of 1821, the church dissolved Elder Comstock's pastoral relation, but voted to supply his necessities while he remained among them and preached to them as often as was convenient. He remained with the church till 1824, at which time, by his request, he and his wife were granted letters of dismission.

Whether the church was destitute of a pastor from the time Elder Comstock's connection with them was dissolved to 1826, does not appear, but

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