Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/243

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

and eleven in St. Ignatius cemetery. T he sur­ viving veterans in the town a re : Capt. John R . Porter, Borough T reasurer 0 . B. Millard, Jolm W. Fortner, 1.4ifay«lte Fetterman, Jolm Curray, Joseph G e w s, S r., Jam es Brennan and (jcorgc M allcy.

Riddle, J . A . D ixon, C. D. McW illiams, S. R . N ankcrvis, A . C . Crosthwait, H . B . Fortner, Samuel Barnes, A . H . Mensch, G . W . L am er, N . S . Buckingham, G. W'. Marshall, T . H . Tubbs, J . P. ^ n f o r d, R . L . Arm strong. J . S . Buckley. T he present pastor is R ev. Robert W. Bryner. A fte r 1883 this church w as made Societies a separate station. T he church was complete­ ly rebuilt in 1886 and is a commodious frame Centralia Lodge, No. 586, I. O . O. F ., was building in the eastern part o f (he town, on chartered Sept. 22, 1866, but the cliarter being the trolley line. T he parsonage is beside it. burned another w as issued Nov. 2 5 ,18 7 2 . The first officers were Jam es Thomas, Jam es Rcnnan Catholic Thompson, C. B . Sp u rr and Seth Thomas. The membership is about one hundred now. The St. Ignatius' Roman Catholic Church o f Cen­ meeting hall on Centre street, above Locust, is tralia is in the diocese o f Harrisburg. R t. Rev. valued at $4,000. J . F . Shanahan selected V ery Rev. D. J . McW ashin^on Camp N o. 106, P. O . S . o f A., Dcnnott to organize it in 1869. l i e celebrated w as organized in 1866 with thirty-six mem­ two M asses in the schoolhouse in A pril and bers and these officers: J . P . Hoagland, presi­ on Ju ly t8(h the cornerstone o f (he church dent; C. G. Freck, secretary; J . F . Scott, treas­ was laid by Bishop Shanahan. F ou r lots on urer. It was r e o r ^ iz e d in 1872 and rc- which the church was built were donated by chartcrcd in 1883, with twenty-four members. the I ^ u s t Mountain Coal & Iron Company. T his order is now in a prosperous condition The building w as completed in 1870 and the pastoral residence in 18 7 1. Hy 1872 the num­ and owns its own hall. T he branch of the United Mine W orkers ot ber o f souls in the congregation had reached A m erica at Centralia has a membership which 1.500, with Rev. Edw ard T . Fields as pastor. includes practically all the men employed in Rev. Jam es I. Russell entered into the charge the coal mines and possesses a full treasury, in 1 8 ^ . T he present pastor is Rev. J . F. from which various benefits are paid to the Crotty. 'rh e church has been constantly im­ members in sickness, im ury or old age. p r o v e and repaired and is in fine condition Council No. 1006, O rder o f Independent now. The convent beside it and the school Americans, has a large membership in Cen­ and meeting halt across the street w'ere built tralia and the surrounding villages. in t l ^ . The electric line runs in front of these buildings and the street has been paved and RELICiOUS sidewalks laid by (he church, making this part o f Centralia quite metropolitan in appearance. In (he schoolhouse at Centralia, built in T he present congregation is large, and is com­ 1858. the organization o f most of the religious posed o f many n.ationalitics. denominations o f this township occurred. In this building services were held for some years, Episcopalians until it became engulfed by the caving in of an T he first resident m issionaiy of the Protest­ old mine working. The Methodists were the first sect to hold ant Episcopal Church in Centralia w as Rev. services in the bounds o f Conyngham. In Otto H . F ryer, who served there during 1864 Jan u ary, 1863. M orris T-ewis w as appointed and 1865. Services had been held there leader o f a class o f eight persons by Kev. W. previously by clergymen of the Ashland M . Showaltcr, pastor at Ashland. T w o years Church. A visit o f Rev. D. Washburn of later Rev. N . V. G uirc oiganizcd the congre­ Philadelphia in 1865 culminated in the organ­ gation and appointed W illiam M . Hoagland as ization of the Church of the H oly T rinity in re,ader. F o r three years thereafter Rev. J . M. M ay. 1869. T he first rector here in 1867 w as Mullen w as in charge. In the summer o f 1866 R ev. J . P . Fugctt. who w as stationed at A sh­ John Jam es and Joseph Steele e.xcavated the land. and served fo r one year. foundations fo r a church building at their own In August. 1867, Rev. M r. Washburn re­ expense, and in the autumn the cornerstone of turned fo r a time to recuperate his health, and the building was laid by Rev. W . A . Stephens. at the request of the Bishop reorganized the The church w as finally completed in 18 7 1. church and established the first Sunday school, Pastors o f this church have been: Revs. J . B. in a room opposite the "Centralia H o te l" In