A History of the Park Church

A History of the Park Church Introduction

Prepared by Eva Taylor

This reprinting of the Park Church History is affectionately dedicated to Eva Taylor who died during its preparation. She served faithfully more than 30 years as the historian of our church.

With the assistance of

The Historical Records Committee

Jervis Langdon, Joseph W. Buck, Chairman, G. Wells Crandall, Carolyn Hall, and John F. Sterns

1946

Revised and enlarged 1981

Acknowledgements

The source materials used in the preparation of this manuscript were the official records of the church, manuscript letters, printed sermons, the booklet published at the time of the Fiftieth Anniversary, and collections of clippings loaned by members of the church.

We are indebted to Miss Ida Langdon and MIss Mabel Haupt who reads parts of the manuscript and made many helpful suggestions, and to Mrs. Esther Johnson who typed and retyped the manuscript. Mrs. Leslie Chute and Mrs. Frederick West gave many helpful suggestions especially concerning the Chapter "We the people."

The committee will welcome suggestions and corections to be incorporated in any further revision that might be made.

Chapter I

THE FOUNDING FATHERS

By 1840 slavery in the United States was rapidly becoming an issue about which no one could be neutral. The establishment of "The Liberator" by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831 for the purpose of leading people to think seriously about the slavery question was bearing fruit throughout the North. The brutality with which fugitive slave laws were enforccd, and the stories told of the South, particularly of conditions in slave markets added to the feeling. Everywhere those who were moved by the demand for the abolition of slavery began to press for action, and to do whatever thcy could wherevcr they were.

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