Professor John Stevens. no dwelling to cover them; no father or brothers or friends to receive and welcome them; a howling wilderness before them; their funds probably exhausted. But, if that had nothing in their pockets, their heads and hearts were full; they had untried courage and strong moral and intellectual power. The sun, moon and stars were shining above them all in the brilliancy, and the blessed canopy of heaven was dropping down manna in their paths."       The religious nature of the colonists was clearly shown by their zeal in putting first the things of the Kingdom. When the village plot was reached, an itinerant Presbyterian minister named Cyrus Riggs was there, having heard of their coming from the advance guard. >Rev. Samson Talbot, D. D. President of Denison Universty 1861-1873. Scarcely waiting to unloose their oxen, a hundred gathered around him to hear a sermon. On the Sunday following, at the sound of a horn, a company of ninety-three met near where the first tree had been cut down (now the centre of the village) and held worship. Two sermons were read, and prayers were offered by three of the company. As all knelt together in the forest, it was a scene that touched every heart. Memories of the old home and of the old meeting-house which they had helped to build came rushing back. Daniel Boardman Purinton President of Denison Universty. The echo of their voices, as "the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang," was so peculiar, so different from what it had been in the meeting-house which they had left behind forever, that tears came to every eye. They wept when they remembered Zion.       In connection with the singing there was a strange incident. The northeast quarter of what was afterwards known as Granville township had been purchased by some Welsh people, and one of these, Deacon Theophilus Rees, had missed some of his cattle. One the Sunday morning mentioned he heard the lowing of the oxen belonging to the company, of whose arrival on the town site a mile and a half away he was entirely ignorant., Thinking to find his cattle, he walked toward the southwest, and when he reached the top of a hill overlooking the camp of the newcomers, he heard the sound of music. He did not understand a word of English, and the singing seemed to come from the branches of the trees around him. He stood in rapt bewilderment: he thought of those — page 109 — Beginning Previous Page | Next Page | Granville Page | Hampden County History & Genealogy |