Saturday, July 15, 2017

c 1883 Newspaper Account of the Travels of Rev. Daniel W. Downey to Various Ohio Towns: Sherwood, Mark Center, Hicksville, Antwerp, Holgate


Circa 1883 newspaper clipping about the visits that Rev. Daniel W. Downey (1824-1915) made on behalf of the Ohio Sunday School Union to various towns in northwestern Ohio: Sherwood; Mark Center; Hicksville; Antwerp; and Holgate.

Transcription at the end of this post.


Based on the fact that Rev. Downey gave a date of May 22, a Tuesday, and that about 26 years had elapsed since a trip he made in 1857, I'm guessing that this article is discussing a circuit made about 1883.

The clipping was found tucked in the Bible of Jeremiah Bloom and Susanna (Snyder) Bloom of Pennsylvania and Ohio, which was then passed on to their son James Hagan Bloom, who joined his father in the undertaking and furniture business at Sherwood, Ohio.  The "Jerry" mentioned in the clipping presumably applies to Jeremiah Bloom.

Rev. Downey mentions people's names and interesting facts about the places he visited.  People mentioned:
  • Jerry Bloom of Sherwood, Ohio;  the Jeremiah Bloom in whose Bible this clipping was tucked
  • Brother Frank Morris of Mark Center, Ohio
  • Rev. J. W. Lilly of Hicksville, Ohio
  • Mr. Hildreth, a merchant and superintendent of the Sabbath school at Hicksville, Ohio
  • Rev. S. Cook of Antwerp, Ohio, formerly of Nevada, Ohio
  • Rev. S. M. Boyce, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Antwerp, Ohio
  • Mr. Heacock of the Holgate Hotel

If you have information on any of the people mentioned above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Transcription

From an Old Correspondence
Ed. Democrat: - Perhaps it would not be intruding upon the numerous readers if I were to give them a synopsis of my last week's travels and work in the interests of the Ohio Sunday School Union.  My first address was delivered in Sherwood Tuesday evening, May 22d.  Notwithstanding the unprecedented snow storm we had a fair audience and the very best attention.  Sherwood is destined to be quite a business town if nothing serious befalls it.  Here I had the privilege of meeting my old and true friend, Jerry Bloom, formerly of Shelby, Ohio.  He is the principal undertaker and is also doing a fair cabinet business.  We were pleased to learn of his financial prosperity.

On Wednesday we went on walker's line as far as Mark Center and had the pleasure of dining with Bro. Frank Morris and his estimable lady.  From there to Hicksville and at 3 p.m. I met the executive committee on programme for our next district convention which will be held in Antwerp the 16th, 17th and 18th of next October.

Hicksville is one of the most thriving and enterprising towns in northwestern Ohio.  Just twenty-six years ago I passed through this village on my way to Eel River Circuit, twelve miles north of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  What a wonderful improvement has been effected in the financial and numerical strength of this village since the year 1857.

 At 8 p. m. I preached in the U. B. Chapel.  Rev. J. W. Lilly, the chairman of the executive committee, is the pastor.  He has usually a fine audience and a number one Sabbath school.  Mr. Hildreth, one of the leading merchants in the village, is the superintendent and he knows just how to utilize all his co-operating forces.  Whenever a stranger calls in, either male or female, they are invited to participate in the exercises.

On Thursday morning J. W. Lilly carried me in his buggy to Antwerp, a distance of seven miles.  At 8 p.m. I delivered a Sabbath school address in the Presbyterian Chapel.  Rev. S. Cook, formerly of Nevada, Ohio, is the pastor.  He is wide awake on all the interests that pertain to the success of the gospel of Christ.  Rev. S. M. Boyce is the pastor of the M. E. Church and we had the pleasure of calling on him and his excellent wife in the afternoon.  Dr. McDannel, the family whom we stopped with, has a large practice and is doing a fine drug business.  Antwerp is somewhat historic in appearance and could be much improved, if the town council would see that those miserable side walks were repaired and the streets cleaned.

On Friday night I gave a Bible talk in the Garman school house and on Saturday I enjoyed the privilege of eating dinner at the Holgate hotel kept by our worthy townsmen, Mr. Heacock, formerly of Defiance, who always sets a splendid table and is ready at any time to wait on his numerous customers.  The traveling public can do no better than to give Mr. Heacock a call when they stop off at Holgate.
D. W. DOWNEY

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