A Sound Heard Throughout Generations Will Be Heard Once Again

[By Julie Bailey]

Early in the pioneer days of our town, Henry Wait purchased 900 acres in Owego and brought his family from Half Moon, Saratoga, New York, to start a life as a landowner and homesteader. By 1837, a church was established, and the congregation met in the schoolhouse in what was then named Waits Settlement, on the town’s southeast corner. Continuing to grow his family and community, Henry thought it was time to build a church. In 1853, a church was built on land donated by his family. 

Henry Dunham had also come to the area as a young boy and settled just across the border in Windham, Pa. When plans for the church began, Henry Dunham took over the planning alongside the Wait family and helped with the construction.

As time went on, the country found itself in a Civil War. Men who had intended to farm and occupy the land here were called to serve our country. Women were left with only themselves and their children to survive during that time of conflict.

The church, less than a generation old at the time, needed maintenance, but the men who needed to do that type of labor were fighting a war many miles away. The years went by, and the church took a back seat to the responsibilities at home. Besides the physical upkeep of the building, even the spiritual nature of the church had suffered the effects of war. 

In 1866, the Windham Circuit of the Wyoming Conference recognized the established church in our community and sent a “seasoned” Methodist Episcopal minister to stay and preach for two years. This minister, Reverend Seymore E. Walworth, would lead the church in reorganizing and reestablishing its presence in Waits. 

Among those present for the reorganization were John Wait, Henry Dunham, James A. Nichols, James Olmstead, and Orin D. Nichols. It was at that time that major repairs were done on the Church. The Church was even closed for a time as the work took place. We believe it was then that the men of the Church contracted for the bell. 

The original founder, Henry Wait, would not live to see this reorganization. He had passed away in 1858 after living in and building this community for 40 years. His desire was to see his family stay together on the land he had purchased, and even today, ten generations later, his family still occupies the settlement known as Waits.

Henry Dunham, one of the original builders of the Church, was instrumental in carrying out the founders’ wishes. He would act as a steward of all the founders’ desires as the younger men moved forward with rebuilding.  

During this restoration period in 1866, a bell was cast by C.S. Bell and Company in Hillsboro, Ohio. Trustees such as Henry Dunham, a long-time subscriber to the Northern Christian Advocate, would have seen the newspaper advertisements for the large church bells made by C.S. Bell and Company. Simple notices offering church bells directly from the manufacturer were advertised in denominational newspapers of the time. A bell of this size, almost 600 lbs., would have been shipped by rail to our area and then completed its journey by wagon to the Church. Our bell is a # 7 C.S. Bell with some special features. It has epaulets on the collar, a common feature of military uniforms, in honor of their support of the war effort. 

The bell remains a living connection to the men who set out to reorganize the Church and Community in 1866. From that moment until now, its sounds have marked calls to worship, community gatherings, and the passing of time across the land. 

As part of preserving the historic Waits Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery, the community wanted to honor the early pioneers. Their intent was to leave a legacy here on the land they called home. Last summer, the men in the Waits Community fully restored the bell to working condition and reset it in its proper place so it can be used once again. The founders of the Church went so far as to state in legal documents that the bell must remain in the bell tower or on the Church’s property forever. This legal document has preserved this historic pre-Civil War Church for generations. 

So many other churches in the area have been forgotten or fallen into disrepair. The Waits Church stands as a reminder of the perseverance and dedication that have endured in the community.

They would like to invite family, friends, and neighbors to participate in a special sound event on New York State Care for Your Cemetery Day. The church bell will be intentionally rung at noon on Saturday, April 25, as part of a community sound test to honor its original purpose and to understand how its voice carries across the countryside. 

Join them by listening for the sound and recording it on their Facebook page at “Historic Waits Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery.” Let them know by posting on the page where you are when you hear the bell ring.