Reminiscences in the life of Joseph T. Holloway of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

(copied from his original manuscript by his son, Wilbur F. Holloway, in March, 1899)

The following is a memorandum of a few of the incidents of the Christian experience of J. T. Holloway, which I now leave for the examination of my children and friends after my death.

( signed) Joseph T. Holloway

Cuyahoga Falls.

December 14th, 1860

My Birth Place: I was born in the village of Sunbury, Northumberland county, State of Pennsylvania, August 1st  A.D. 1796, my father John Holloway, better known as Cadwalder Holloway, and my mother Lois Holloway were from the state of New Jersey originally.

My father died when I was about five years of age and was buried in the village of Selins Grove, Union County, Pa. My father made no profession of religion, my mother was a worthy member of the M.E. Church for more than fifty years, and died in my house at Cuyahoga Falls, Summit County, Ohio on the 29th day of March, 1840. A most triumphant death, giving demonstrative evidence of the power of that faith in Christ in whom she believed, and was saved from all sin. From a child I was taught to love and fear God.

After the death of my father, my mother was left a poor widow with five children, viz: Elizabeth, Diedema, Nancy, Matilda, and myself, the only son and youngest. My eldest sister, Elizabeth married Joseph Lawrence ofNorthhumberland Count, Pa., who afterwards moved to Lake Township, Stark County,Ohio, and there died. My second sister, Diedema, married John Huggins of Selins Grove, Union Co. Pa, afterwards removed to Ohio and died in the village of Mogadore, Summit County, Ohio. My third sister, Nancy married David Fitzsimmons of Union Co., Pa. and died at Selins Grove Union Co. Pa. My fourth sister, Matilda, married Dr. Robert Willett of Selins Grove, Union Co., Pa. And afterwards removed to Canton, Stark Co., Ohio, where he dies and where she still resides as his widow.

My three sisters were members of the M.E. Church. As for myself, during my minority I had many difficulties to encounter. My mother being poor, I was compelled to go away from her to get my living until I was 13 years of age, when she bound me to one Robert Moodie to learn the trade of Cabinet Maker, in the town of Milton, Northumberland Co. Pa., for the terms of six years and 9 months. After having served about five years of my time, I purchased the balance by giving my notes with security payable in sixteen months with interest ($75).

I then left the place of my boyhood for Harrisburg, Pa., where I followed my trade as a foreman for about one year. From there I went to the city of Baltimore and after working there for some year or more, I removed to Philadelphia, where I obtained a berth as a clerk in the Williamston Stage Office of one Dr. Hell. After remaining there nearly a year I returned to the home of my mother, who had married a second time to one John Mekisson, a Scotchman and a Justice of the Peace for the town of Milton, Northumberland Co., Pa. He afterwards removed to Selins Grove, Union Co., Pa., where he died. My mother afterwards came to Ohio where she spent her days with me.

Soon after I had returned home my mind was fixed on the West, and about the year 1818, I started on foot with knapsack on back (my way of traveling) in company of one Philip Banckistran of Pittsburg, and there I purchased a small skiff and passed down the Ohio River in twenty one days (the river being very low) to Cincinnati. There I again worked at my trade with one Christopher Smith, a good pious Methodist. After remaining some nine months in Cincinnati, in company with about twenty others started for the settlement near Edwardsville, Illinois, 20 miles northwest of St. Louis to build mills for one Samuel Williams, who after a few months shot his friend Mr. Marsh and then shot himself.

Then I was taken sick and feared I should die having no spiritual adviser near, the country being all new and the people known as Christians were as few as angel’s visits, and I thought of the many times since the age of six or eight years that I had fixed the time when I would give my heart to God. I dared not pray and to die as I was, eternal death appeared to be my portion. Lying on the hard wood floor of puncheons (long staves split from blocks of wood, used for floor purposes – no saw mills in those days) with nothing but a buffalo robe under me, in a small cabin on the prairies of Illinois, I gave up to die, having called the attention of one of our company who was waiting on me, saying to him if he should ever return to Pennsylvania, the home of my mother, he should deliver to her my clothes and what little money and other articles I had, after my death; then turning to the wall, like Hezekiah, I tried to pray and tell the Lord I would serve him. But Oh! What are sick bed promises, they are not through love but fear; but it did appear as if God had heard my prayer for from that day I grew better until fully recovered, when I removed to St. Louis Missouri, and of all sinks of iniquity it was the greatest at that day, but one step this side of Hell, for there the reading of Tom Paine and Volney’s Ruins (which had like to become Holloway’s ruin) I became a notorious infidel and when I returned home in answer to my mother’s question whether I had found the Lord, as she hoped I had (for her son Joseph had been her daily prayer), “No, mother,” said I, “the Bible is priest craft, and not true.” My poor mother’s heart almost gave way, but she still continued to pray for me. Oh! The love of a mother.

The Methodist people at that day were greatly prosecuted, and were though by many to be a poor deluded weak-minded people. Frequently their meetings were disturbed by the sons of other church members by breaking windows and throwing cats and dogs into their meetings, and many other vile abuses heaped upon them. But they bore it all like faithful martyrs of the Cross, and rendered good for evil. I frequently attended the preaching of the German Lutherans and Presbyterians, but their sermons and prayers had to all appearance no life nor power in them. I could sleep soundly under them, but something could do the deed, and “that blessed something much I needed,” as says the hymn.

About that time (1821) I married (Oct. 20) Susan Hawksof Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, and for that year expected to remain in the village of Selins Grove, Union Co., Penna, preparing to go West at some future day. Also at that time there came under my observation a prayer meeting that was held on Thursday evenings, conducted by a few old men and women of the neighborhood, and among those “poor enthusiasts” was my dear old mother. Occasionally we would drop in to hear, when our pride was frequently mortified to hear their humble prayers, and they down in the dust were too low for my proud hearing. But at length the spirit of the Lord took hold of my wicked infidel heart, and if it did not shake me as it were over Hell, then no matter. I became so concerned for my soul that I could eat but little nor had I the courage even to make known my distress to anyone, even to my companion. The Bible became my companion for a time until I could no longer conceal my feelings, and one evening as my wife was sitting by her little spinning wheel (for in those days women labored) and I was reading the scriptures to myself, I stopped suddenly, and turning to my wife said, “Susan, we do not live as we should.” She replied, “I know we do not.” (The Lord was also striving with her and I knew it not) “Well,” said I, “let us pray,” and after putting out the lights, lest we be seen, we both knelt down and prayed to Almighty God for mercy, we then continued to attend prayer meetings, and I thought I had never before heard such powerful prayers, in my life. It appeared to us that those unlearned men and women could out pray and talk better to the purpose about Christ and Heaven and Hell, than any other people I had ever heard.

One night after having attended one of these meetings my conviction of sin was so great that I left my wife to find her way home alone and I retired alone down to the bank of the Susquehanna River to pray and falling down upon my knees cried to God for mercy. It appeared to me that the Devils was behind me ready to drag me into the river. I sprang to my feet and ran up into town falling down again on my knees in an alley, praying for mercy, and still could find no peace. But I continued to attend meetings which proved to be a great blessing to me. About that time many of my friends died, my step father, father-in-law, my sister and sister’s son, a young man about 18 years of age, who died a triumphant death, but when and how he had obtained such strong hopes in Christ was a wonderment to me, as at that day there were no Sabbath schools for the youth, nor was either of his parents a professor of religion, nor was that care on the part of professors of religion manifested for the youth as now.

Soon after I removed to Ohio in 1824 and settled in Uniontown, Stark Co. There was at that time a small society of the M.E. Church at that place with a very large membership of the German Lutheran also, but apparently knew but little of the heartfelt religion and a few circumstances will prove it. One of their members who had been an Elder said that the reason why he refused to serve longer in that office was that it was the duty of an Elder to visit the members when sick and pray for them, and that he would not do. It was a universal custom at their funerals to pass around the bottle of whiskey to all who attended at the house before starting for the grave, the minister drinking first. About these days they commenced to build a Lutheran church at Uniontown, and in order to help us with the building on the day of raising the frame, a half barrel of whiskey was provided and many of them became drunk, so that in raising a large bent they let it fall, getting one man under as a rat in a dead fall, and nearly killed him.

A few months after the little society of Methodists at the place, through hard struggling were about to raise a small frame church, and in going around inviting hands to help raise the frame, I gave special notice of no whiskey at the raising, and if the house could not be raised without whiskey, then it would never be raised. Some laughed at me to think that we could raise out meeting house without the use of liquor, some swore they would not work without it. Still, no despairing, we got together our little class and a few of our neighbors in all but a few. After getting the first bent together, and when we were ready to take hold, I called in a local preacher, Abraham Rheam, who was present to make a prayer and we all went down on our knees on the foundation frame and prayed for help from God, while some of our neighbors would not help us, for lack of the spirituous drink, looked to see us fail, but there is no failure to those who put their trust in Israel’s God, we arose from prayer, took hold of the bents and up they went apparently without any trouble, to the astonishment of the lookers on. Soon after my arrival at Uniontown I united with the Methodist Episcopal Church under the administration of Billings Plimpton, preacher in charge [and] George J. Myers, leader. The leader inquiring of me how I desired to come in if on probation of six months trial knowing nothing about the usages of the M.E. Church and taking their members first on the trial of six months, remarked that I wished to come in as a full member, or not at all and so have remained ever since.

My house was soon opened for the Methodist preacher as a place for preaching some two years after my uniting with the church, the class saw proper to recommend me for a license to exhort and after a trial of about a year, the quarterly meeting granted me a local preacher’s license. Having a trusty young man leasing the cabinet maker’s trade with me, who was converted at my house and who is now Rev. Professor G.W. Clark, I was enabled to spend some time from home at quarterly and camp meetings which through the aid and brotherly kindness of Elder W. Suaye, who took notice of me in my weakness by taking me with him to his quarterly and camp meetings, and being made steward of the circuit, it became my duty to attend all such meetings, the Lord blessed me both in grace and earthly comforts, my days passed smoothly along. Having a good pair of lungs and it being before the days of big fiddles and melodeons in the churches, I was used as a chorister, and being naturally of a warm and jealous temperament, I used to get what we called happy and see others so under my feeble labors, my appointments were kept regularly from week to week. I would walk from five to ten miles to an appointment, preach twice and three times a day and then walk home at night, having eaten only a small lunch that I carried in my pocket.

My views being and still are peculiar on this subject thinking I could do more good to my fellows by preaching at my own expense and not being chargeable to anyone. Many were the times that I needed refreshments and it would have been better for soul and body had I accepted it, but I wanted to say that no man could that I had received one dollar for preaching, in all my life, and I presume that my labors since being authorized to preach have been on an average equal to that of my traveling brethren or of many on a station, besides I have attended hundreds of funeral services, far and near. At one of my appointments in Stark Co. after preaching, a gentleman, a non-professor but whose wife was a member, tarried in class meeting, and when I interrogated him as to his feelings on the subject of religion, appeared to be quite offended, remarked he had no feelings on the subject, nor never had, I told him he was the first man I had ever seen that had never been operated upon by the Holy Ghost; for God had sent his spirit out into the world for that express purpose, and he must be an exception, but I prayed that God would soon convince him of the truth, about the middle of the following week he and his wife and two of his neighbors came a distance of five miles for me to pray for him. He came to see me weeping bitterly, remarking, “Did not I last Sabbath tell you the Holy Ghost had never striven me?” “Yes,” I said, “you did.” “Well,” said he, “I told you a lie. He called me a great many times, but I refused, and now I want you to pray for me.” We all fell down on our knees in my house in prayer for him, and God converted him, and he united with the church. At another time, called to visit a brother McBride who had become crazy as he said from listening to a sermon preached by our brother, Wm Suaye, on the millennium, he attempted to destroy his life by cutting his throat, but failed. He became so crazed that his friends were compelled to chain him to a staple in the floor for about a year. One night while engaged in prayer with him for near an hour, with his arms around my neck, he crying that he was lost and that the devil was about to take him to perdition, we praying and his chains ringing. At last the devil came out of him, the man frothing at the mouth and being rent, as spoken in the scripture. He calmed down as a little child, becoming quite tranquil and sane. They knocked off his chains and let him go. He lived some twenty years thereafter a good man as far as I know.

About the year 1831, July 20, I was ordained a Local Deacon by J. Soule, Bishop of the M.E.Church in Washington, Pa., and in the year 1838 I was ordained Elder, by Bishop E. Waugh in Painsville, Erie Conference, Ohio. In the year 1831 I removed to Cuyahoga Falls where I united with the M.E. Church Society of some twenty members, who me at that time in an old warehouse in the old village, so called, about a mile north of what is now Cuyahoga Falls. The members so far as I can recollect were as follows: Norton N. Hamlin (leader) and Wife, John Rermvill, and Wife, Timothy Star and wife, David Wadsworth and Wife, Appolins K. Wadsworth and wife, Mrs. Eleanor Elmer, Hulda Elmer, Chas. Hamlin, Mrs. Hamlin, wife of Deacon Hamlin, Mary Hamlin, Clement Hamlin, Mrs. Graham, John Marriner, and Wife, Catherine Yackey, Abigail Alley, Mary Eddie, Thos, Turner & Wife, Allen Foutty and Wife, Mary Wilcox, John Ward, Sarah Jenkins, Mrs. Teal, Joseph T. Holloway and Wife, and Lois Holloway, mother of Joseph T. Holloway, John Chandler, and John McLean, preacher in charge, also Calib Brown, preacher on the circuit. We had many precious times, sinners becoming converted and sinners throwing down the stove scattering fire through the house, literally and spiritually.

Soon after my settlement at the Falls, I visited Old Portage, and commenced preaching up and down the Cuyahoga River, from Portage Hills, near Akron, and down the river as far as Boston, and my feeble efforts were very much blessed by God, sinners by scores professing to be converted. In my introduction to Yellow Creek Basin, in an early day there having been no preaching there and the inhabitants as nearly heathen as could be, I called on one of their most prominent citizens, Peter Voris, who was at that time a noted infidel, and requested of him the privilege of preaching in a place if I could get a place to hold the meetings, and he kindly offered me the use of his large warehouse. It was gladly accepted and I made an appointment for the next Sabbath.

When I arrived a goodly number had assembled on the second floor to hear me, and it is true they looked like fiendish and desperate men and women. By way of introduction to my discourse I said I had come the to try to preach to them, and if they would only keeps their hands off me while I was on my knees praying and my eyes closed, it would be all the favor I would ask of them, and that I would preach to them for nothing and find myself. My blunt manner appeared to take with them, and in a short time during a protracted effort there was as many as thirty upon their knees calling upon God for mercy. A society of some 50 members was formed and turned over to the preacher on the circuit. A little church was built and this noted infidel and leader and many other souls died in the faith of the gospel and went up to glory.

There was one man by the name of Renark, a tailor by trade, living in the place and noted for his habits for drinking and swearing whom I noticed but very seldom attended the meetings. I took the liberty of calling upon him as I did upon others of the place, and requested the privilege of praying in his house. He was at work on his board as I came in and apparently much agitated that he could not look up and when I asked the privilege of praying in the family, he cried “Pray away,” and down he sprang from his board and out of the house. He ran without hat or coat. I then with the consent of his wife offered a prayer and in my petition to God prayed for the man out of the house, that he might be saved and brought back to God. “Amen,” he cried having gotten back into the house through the back door and was listening to what I might say. On the next evening having an appointment in the same village, I preached from the text “Remember Lot’s Wife,” the house being very much crowded. After preaching an invitation was given to mourners to come forward. This same man sprang for the door to run away but the crowd at the door was so great that he was unable to get out. Back he came and fell down at the altar crying for mercy for his poor soul. God blessed him and he untied with the church.

After that time I was invited to preach at a place near Akron called Portage Hills. I told them I would come if a place could be provided for holding meetings. There was a little old log school house about 16 x 18 feet near where the county infirmary now stands, my pulpit was the chimney place with my head partly up the chimney. The Lord was pleased to bless my labors and some 40 souls were converted and turned over to the preachers in charge of the Medina Circuit, North Ohio conference. Some five years later by the invitation of Benjamin Gear and his wife who had been converted through my feeble efforts at Portage Hill and afterward removed to Brandywine Mills, Northfield Township, some 12 miles from Cuyahoga Falls, I made appointments to preach at the latter place. I labored there some twelve months, from Sabbath to Sabbath and the Lord gave me as the fruits of my efforts some 35 souls, which were turned over to the Twinsburg Circuit.

After the year 1844, I commenced a protracted effort at a school house at what was called Captain French’s neighborhood, one and a half miles west of Cuyahoga Falls. After about four week labor some 40 members were added to the church on probation. Also, as a result of my efforts in the northwest part of Franklin Township, Portage County in a school house, at what was known as the Cooklin Settlement, about 20 were brought into the church, some of whom have since died, happy in the Lord.

About the first of April, 1837, we commenced to build the present M.E. Church at Cuyahoga Falls. The following committee to build the building was appointed by the Quarterly Conference, Joseph T. Holloway, Edwin Wetmore, and Allen Foultz. The building was not completed until some twenty years later, but the basement was so far finished so to provide a very comfortable place for preaching and Sabbath School. There were most precious times of out pouring of God’s spirit under the labors of Rev. AM.Brown preacher on the station. Quite a number were added to other churches from the converts made at the Methodist Church, and about 70 were added to the Methodist Church.

About the year 1843 a division occurred at our church at the falls. The following members were leaving and going over to the Wesleyan Church, organized about that time by Rev. Isaac Winans: Israel C. Pendleton and Wife, J.M. Smith and Wife, Hiram Scovil (a local preacher) and Wife, Alexander English and wife, Austin Babcock and wife, Thos Santom and wife, Edwin Wetmore, John Patterson, Andrew Love and wife, John Hains and wife, Seth Forbes, Henry James and wife, the latter however did not unite with the Wesleyan Church. Several others left leaving our church feeble and poor in means, but the remaining members were firmly united in heart, resolved to hold on to the old ship and share her fate, sink or swim, trusting in God that He would bring her safely to shore and following the deserting crew with their progress rather than with invective’s. [Meanwhile,] the seceders heaped their anathema on the old church for being pro-slavery.

But the triumphs of the Wesleyan Church were of short duration, although they commenced to build and did furnish a small but convenient church at the Falls, costing about $1300. In about four years afterwards their society broke up, dissensions among the members having broken out, some of their members joined the Campbellites, some attended the Congregational Church, and some among whom were Hiram Scovil, Andrew Love and Wife, and Thomas Santom and Wife; returned to the old church, but the greater number remain out of any church and have lost their Christian enjoyment, and it is to be feared will lose their souls. Their church was sold to the Village and is now occupied as a schoolhouse.

(The building referred to is the frame building facing on the east side of the public square and standing some 200 feet or so north of the Episcopal Church. It was formerly used by the Village High School but since the erection of a 3 story brick school house on the east side of the river, has been occupied by primary schools. The additions were put on after the town purchased the building. ~ W.F.Holloway)

While the old ship, the M.E. Church, has righted up and with a large number of new recruits with sails to the winds is sailing onwards to the Port of Glory, stronger than ever, we trust, to do battle with the common enemy. As a church, we do not pretend to say that everything is just as we would like to see it. Perhaps a little too much of an aristocratic feeling is found among her ministers and in her rules. This we hope to see amended for the better, but I feel free here to say it is the best organization devised for man since the days of the Apostles.

Permit me to make a few suggestions which in my opinion should be made, if can be, Lay Representation in my humble opinion, might be admitted into our conference with perfect safety, and by so doing would impart greater vitality of a business nature, into all our departments to the relief of the ministers and would give a wider spread confidence and energy to the membership, would unite together still closer than at present the ministers and members, things much to be desired. And still another right move on the part of the Traveling Preachers toward the local ministry would be in the way of a more universal spirit of sociability and reciprocity of feeling and action. This would have a very desirable effect. It would inspire confidence; increase the usefulness of the local ministry in the community, while at the same time it would advance much in every way the interests of the circuit ministers, I do not design that these changes shall apply to all ministers in the M.E. Church without discrimination, by no means, for many of the preachers take special pains to instruct and encourage the local ministers. And the same may be said of many of the Presiding Elders. Were it not for the sprinkling of kindness occasionally received from these good brethren, many local preachers would become wholly discouraged and retire from the field.

I know it is sometimes said the local ministry are ignorant, inefficient, and unpopular, that may in some sense be true, but is it the best remedy for the Preachers on Circuits and stations to act towards their local brethren as if they believe those reports, and intended by their own actions to make them true? Is it not true that the Methodist Church owes much to the Local Brethren for their own prosperity and success in the church and in more ways than one?

I knew a local Preacher who had commenced and continued a protracted meeting some two or three weeks and his labors were blessed by the conversion and addition of some thirty souls, after which a notice was sent to the “Pittsburgh Christian Advocate” stating what a blessed revival of religion had taken place on such a circuit, without ever mentioning the name of the local brother who, under God, was the sole instrument of it. Nor is this the only case that could be mentioned. Local Preachers have been known to attend quarterly meetings, and that too, on the invitation of the preacher in charge, and suffered to remain through the entire meeting, without being invited to preach, pray, exhort, or do anything else except to contribute to the quarterly collections, and the only discoverable reason was that Traveling Preachers, who had unexpectedly come to the meetings must be attended to by all courtesies to the utter neglect of invited help from the local department. The same course has sometimes been pursued by preachers on circuits and stations by sending abroad for foreign help, when had they employed the help afforded them at home, by calling into service the local preachers and exhorters, other stations and circuits would not have been left vacant, nor their brethren at home grieved at the neglect.

Local Ministers have much to contend with. Their residence being for years in one place and their business relations with their neighbors, all of which has an unfavorable influence upon their ministerial influence and would equally try the popularity and religious influence of the stationed or traveling minister were they placed in the same situation. The fact that the local minister must labor through the week with his hands to support his family, as well as to help support the traveling minister (as I know some of them do to the amount of from $20 to $50 a year) may be one reason among many why local ministers are not more popular or more efficient. If the traveling minister is better informed and more popular, so much the more reason why he should divide his popularity with his local brother, take him by the hand, lift him up, and if worthy, sit him among the Elders, and let the people see that the Minister, at least, has confidence in the local brother, which will go far towards establishing in him the confidence of the community.

This personal history was recorded by my great, great, great grandfather in 1860. It has been preserved and handed down within our family for 150 years. It is my hope to share this piece of our history, given in such wonderful detail, with other interested readers.

Sally R. Taylor

December, 14, 2010