Our History – 1870’s
Some important Events/Firsts in the United States in the 1870’s were:

  • 1870 – The 15th Amendment was passed giving males the right to vote and not be denied due to race, color, or a previous history of slavery.
  • 1870 The Brooklyn Bridge construction began.
  • 1871 The Great Chicago fire occurred
  • 1872 Yellowstone National Park was created.
  • 1870 On June 28, Christmas was declared a national holiday in the US.
  • 1872 Victoria Clafin Woodhull was the first woman Presidential candidate (50 years before women got the right to vote)
  • 1875 First Kentucky Derby. Aristides wins.
  • 1876 Chemist Eli Lilly founded Eli Lilly and Company
  • 1876 National League of Baseball was founded.
  • 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn
  • 1876 Central Park opens in New York City
  • 1876 Wild Bill Hickok is killed – shot while playing Poker. The hand he held was 2 pair- black aces and eights – is now called a Dead Man’s hand.
  • 1876 Samuel Tilden is elected President. The results were disputed and Rutherford B Hayes was awarded the presidency.
  • 1879 Thomas Edison creates the first commercially viable light bulb.

Some facts about Connersville in the 1870s

  • In Connersville, the 1870 population was 2496.
  • 1870 The first waterworks was organized
  • 1873 St. Gabriel’s school started operating on 9th Street.
  • 1874 Furniture Companies became one of the largest industries in Connersville. These included Indiana Furniture, Cooley-Morrison Furniture Manufacturers (Old Val’s Store), Connersville Furniture (Pattern Shop), Munk and Roberts (1500 Western)
  • 1875 The first street lights were installed.
  • 1876 The Andre Opera House opened on 5th and Market Street. There was a pharmacy on the 1st floor and a 600 seat Opera House on the 2nd floor. It was in use until 1906.
  • 1878 The first students graduated from the High School Department (Grades 9-12)
  • 1879 Connersville’s first gas/electric utility plant was put into operation.

On October 24,1870 the 2 Sessions of the First and Second Presbyterian Churches in Connersville met to “consider the expediency of uniting the churches represented and to devise a basis of union to be submitted to their respective churches”. They agreed to the following:

  • The combined church would be known as the “The Presbyterian Church of Connersville. All officers of both churches shall resign their positions except the Trustees. The offices would be refilled by the united church.
  • The Trustees will remain in office until the united church shall elect its Trustees to whom they shall convey all property by them held, free from debt and all other encumbrances.
  • There will be an equal number of officers from the two churches.

These conditions were unanimously accepted by both congregations on Oct. 26, 1870.

On January 8, 1871 the Session decided to call a pastor. The Church met on Jan. 11 to vote. Rev. George A Little and Rev. Joseph Chester were nominated. 56 members voted by ballot. Little received 35 votes and Chester 19.Someone moved to make the vote unanimous which resulted in a nearly unanimous vote. A reconsideration of the vote was then asked for and a unanimous vote was reached. Rev Little, from Fort Wayne, began working in Feb. 1871. The Trustees were instructed to proceed at once to ascertain the amount of salary that can be raise to pay the new pastor.

There was a meeting to then decide which house of worship would be used. On April 6, 1871 all members in good standing could vote. They were instructed to either write 1st Church or 2nd Church on their ballots. 160 votes were cast. 1st church (4th St) received 37 votes and 2nd Church (7th St) received 123 votes.

On Jan 17, 1872 the church purchased 131 new hymnals entitled “Songs for the Sanctuary”. This was due to the fact that the 2 congregations had previously used different hymnals in the separate churches. Half of the hymnals were for public use in the church pews while the other half were designated for individual home use.

An interesting Pastor’s Report of 1872 reported that Rev. Little had presented 108 sermons (87 in his own pulpit, 11 in the vicinity, 10 in other places). He performed 9 funerals, 5 weddings, and 240 pastoral/social calls to 120 different families.

There were 20 teachers and 20 classes in the Sabbath School. The smallest attendance was 111. The largest was 235, and the average attendance was 175.
In 1872 the former First Presbyterian Church was sold for $3599 to the Christian Church. The Presbyterian Church received $2000 in cash and the remaining amount was to be paid with interest over the next two years.

In 1876 there was some remodeling of the church. A spire was added. The church was given a new roof and windows, and interior decorations.

There were 4 pastors during the 1870’s: George A Little (1871-1873), H.H. Budge 1873-74, Henry Wood (1875-76), and AC Junkin (1877 – 1883).