Harrah, Charles Clark, Rev.

HARRAH, GILCHRIST, MCNEIL, DELANEY, BETTS, MYERS, PARKIN, HALL, MERRILL, FERGUSON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/12/2009 at 19:30:16

Rev. Charles Clark Harrah, pastor of the Congregational Church at Newton, was born in Hopedale, Harrison County, Ohio, January 6, 1841. All of his paternal and maternal ancestors came from the North of Ireland. His great-great-grandfather Harrah was the only one of that family who immigrated to this country, and he and his wife made their home in Lancaster County, in eastern Pennsylvania. They were the parents of two sons, William and Charles. William had only one son; and some of his descendants are now living in Philadelphia and in the vicinity of that city. Charles, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, married Margaret Gilchrist, and they had several children. He was thirty-three years old when the War of the Revolution commenced, and as a partial compensation for his services in that struggle he received a land warrant.

With this land warrant and a certificate of loyalty to the United States Government (which is still in the possession of the family in Pennsylvania), Charles Harrah moved west, and entered a tract of land in Westmoreland County, about nineteen miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Clearing and improving the farm, he there made his home from the time of his arrival, in 1784, until his death, which occurred November 25, 1808, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife survived him for nine years, and died at the age of seventy-five years, November 8, 1818. Their hardships as pioneer settlers none can now imagine. At one time when both were working in the field, a military officer rode up and called Mr. Harrah to immediate duty in defense against the Indians. He was gone for six weeks, and during the entire time his family heard not a word from him. In times of peril, the family took refuge in a fort near by.

Charles Harrah and his good wife were zealous Presbyterians, and as soon as they had a sufficient number of neighbors they joined themselves together with them in the organization of the Round Hill Presbyterian Church. This is still a prosperous church, and is situated three miles from Elizabeth, in Allegheny County. In the graveyard of this church Charles and his wife were buried. Their children, Caroline, Nancy, William, Margaret, Polly, James, Alexander, Samuel and Jane, married, lived and died in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and Kentucky.

James Harrah, the twin brother of Alexander, and the grandfather of our subject, married Margaret McNeil. Guided by a friendly Indian, they selected their farm home, in 1803, in the woods of Jefferson County, Ohio, three miles from what is now Hopedale, and seventy-five miles from their Pennsylvania home. Their nearest neighbor was one mile away. The first Sabbath they spent in Ohio, two other men. Rev. John Rea and Daniel Welch, and their families, met with them for worship under the shade of a beech tree, near by which was a spring. At once they resolved to form the Beech Spring Church, which in after years became one of the strongest Presbyterian Churches in Ohio. For forty-two years Mr. Kea continued to be the pastor of the church, and James G. Harrah was an Elder.

The children who comprised the family of James and Margaret Harrah were Charles, William, James, Alexander, John, Adam, Sarah and Ann. All of them married and settled in Ohio. In after years, William, Alexander and Ann moved to Iowa. The good wife and faithful mother, Margaret Harrah died at the home she had helped to make December 7, 1834, in her fifty-ninth year; James G. Harrah passed away December 2, 1871, in the ninety-third year of his life. He had married a second time, the union being childless; the second wife died several years prior to his demise. He was a man of great physical power and strength of purpose. At the log-rollings and raisings no one could lift so much as he. In height be was six feet and two inches, and be carried himself erect even in his extreme old age.

William Neill Harrah, the father of our subject, was born October 26, 1809. His education was begun with the thought of preparing himself for the ministry, but his preference for a trade was soon made manifest, and so he learned that of a tanner with William Delaney. The tan yard was located on the farm of Philip Delaney, which afterward became the village of Hopedale and the seat of the first normal school established in Ohio. William lived with the family of Philip Delaney, and there became engaged to Deborah Delaney, whom he married November 25, 1830. She was born October 24, 1810, and died at Newton, Iowa, November 19, 1893, in her eighty-fourth year.

Our subject's grandfather, Philip Delaney, was born in the house of Gen. George Washington, in Virginia, in 1767. His father, John Delaney, was born in Ireland, and after coming to America he worked on President Washington's farm until he was killed while breaking a colt for General Washington's use. There bad long been in the employ of the Washington family an Irish girl, to whom John was married, and they became the parents of two children, John and Philip. The latter was a child of three years when his father was killed. As soon as he was old enough, be was bound out to a blacksmith, with the agreement that when be was twenty-one years of age he was to receive a new suit of clothes, a paired shoes, and a horse and a saddle. The conditions were fulfilled, and Philip left the shop of his hard master the day he was twenty-one, and started for Fayette County, Pa., where he opened a blacksmith shop of his town. On the way there horse was killed while in a stable over night, and he was compelled to finish his journey on foot.

While in Pennsylvania, Philip Delaney became acquainted with and married Elizabeth Betts, a young widow, whose maiden name was Clark and who was born in Elizabethtown, NJ, January 6, 1770. Philip was prospered in his business, and in 1803 they determined to move into Ohio, enter a section of land, and to open a blacksmith shop there. The same year (1803) that James G. Harrah settled on his farm in Jefferson County, Philip Delaney settled on his farm in Harrison County, three miles away. The journey to look for the new home was made by him on foot. When he swam the Ohio River with his clothes tied on his head, a friendly Indian observed him and greeted him as he reached the Ohio shore. They went together and selected the farm.

As a worker in iron, Philip Delaney could make anything that the country required. At the close of each day he turned over his earnings to his faithful wife, who was a Christian woman of beautiful spirit and of excellent business talent. He never allowed the first of January to pass without paying all his debts and settling all accounts. He was fond of the athletic amusements of the times, and never found his match as boxer and wrestler. He was of stout build and about five feet and ten inches in height. He died at Hopedale in 1852, in his eighty-sixth year. His noble wife died in 1849, in her seventy-ninth year.

All the grandparents of our subject, and others of the kindred, are buried at Beech Spring, Harrison County, Ohio, and a few rods from the beech tree and spring where, in 1803, James G. Harrah united with others in forming the Presbyterian Church.

On the birthday of Grandmother Delaney, the subject of this sketch was born in the home of these grandparents, in Hopedale. It was at her request that her family name (Clark) was made a part of his name. Philip's mother came to Ohio, and lived with them until her death. His brother John, who never married, was killed in war with Indians near Sandusky, Ohio. He had participated in four engagements without receiving on injury, but was killed in the fifth battle. The children of Philip and Elizabeth Delaney, John, William, Samuel, Elizabeth, Catharine, Mary and Deborah, settled about the old homestead and in different parts of Ohio.

The children of William Neill and Deborah (Delaney) Harrah are as follows: William Delaney, who for many years was engaged in. the insurance business, and is now a resident of Detroit, Michigan; Charles Clark subject of this sketch; Albert L., who was a farmer and grower of fine flock near Newton; Adam Myers, an attorney in Newton; George B., who has made his occupation that of farming and dealing in horses; Mary C., the wife of W.H. Parkin, of Galva, IL; Sarah, who married L. E. Hall of Newton; Lucian, who died in his thirty-fourth year, at Helena, Mont.; and James, John, Caroline and Margaret, who died in Ohio while yet children.

In order to give their family a better opportunity in the world, William N. and Deborah Harrah moved from Ohio to Iowa in 1853. They located on a farm near Davenport. There the surroundings were not satisfactory, and in 1855 they sold the farm and moved to Jasper County. After some time they located permanently on a farm six miles north of Newton, where Albert now resides. Here, a few years earlier had been located Wittemberg College by a colony of Free Presbyterians. The purpose was to have it after the plan of Oberlin (Ohio) College. Rev. Thomas Merrill, a man of talent and zeal in all good things, was pastor of the church and was at the head of the movement to establish the school in this new country. All of them had come there on the unoccupied prairie and entered their land from the Government. At this date (December, 1893), William N. Harrah is in his eighty-fifth year, and lives in Newton, which has been the post office address of his family since April 1885.

At the time of the removal to Iowa, Charles Clark Harrah was a robust boy of thirteen. The family was large, money was scarce, and it was with great difficulty at times that the wants of all could be provided for. His life was not different from that of any other poor boy who knows nothing but work and care every day. He had no time for play, and was so quiet and reserved in disposition that he talked but little to anyone. He saw but little of brightness or cheer in life, and cared little for it. The other children were younger, and to Charles and Albert especially came the duty to plow up the prairie, make rails and posts, build fences, and to do the other necessary work in order to form a home. William, who was older had married, and lived in Davenport.

The father's health was not always good, and sometimes the mother was sick, but all worked together and for each other, and, while poor, they were by no means unhappy.

There was no intimation in those earlier years that Charles sometime would become a minister of the Gospel. He was so extremely timid that he shrank from any kind of publicity. He was more than seventeen years of age before be attempted to read or recite anything in school, and his maneuvering to get out of such exercises was wholly on account of his timidity. When finally he was able to conquer this, it was done because be saw the opportunity thereby to help others. His first special bent of talent was in the line of mechanics. After his father gave up other lines of business in Ohio be follower carpentering and house building. This seemed to be the natural occupation of both father and son; and if the father had kept on at that business, it is probable that Charles would have become a house-builder. He had advanced far enough so that with his own hands he bad built several small houses.

The awakening of the intellectual life of our subject was occasioned by a long and dreadful experience of religious doubt. At first there were only times when he was involved in skepticism; at other times he prayed and read the Scriptures religiously. Through it all, the poverty of the family was so great that be failed to get out among others so au to get needed help. A kind neighbor, A. Failor, encouraged him to take books from his library, and in time a literary society was formed in the community, and a small library was collected that became of great service. A deeply felt need at that time was a copy of the New Testament that could be carried in the pocket, to read at the odd moments that a watchful and anxious mind could find in the daily farm work.

Early in the year a mink trap was set, and day after day prayer was made that a mink might be caught, in order to get a New Testament by the sale of its skins; but no mink came and after weeks of waiting the trap was abandoned. When the springtime came, one day when Charles was hauling a load of rails from the timber, the dog, which was walking along in the road in front of the oxen, suddenly jumped off to one side into the prairie grass and caught something. It proved to be the long-desired mink and with its skin the Testament was bought; which is now preserved among the relics of the past, but which for many years was a pocket companion.

Poverty pressed so hard that it seemed impossible to get books and clothing so as to be able to attend the common school. There was no railroad nearer than sixty miles, and there was almost no market for the produce of the farm. Many a load of wheat Charles hauled these sixty miles and sold for twenty-five or fifty cents a bushel. He would take along feed enough for himself and team, and sleep in the wagon at night. The memory of some of these experiences is not pleasant, when the thunder and the lightning and the storms of the new prairie country made the nights dreadful. Many of the sloughs were not bridged and such inconveniences of pioneer life went along with its other hardships.

As it became more and more evident that Charles must have some schooling, the struggle became intense to do the work required of him for the success of the farm (and it was a matter of conscience never to slight anything), and keep up with his class, he attended school regularly, while he went only three months in a year. From the time he was seventeen until be was twenty-two years of age; he cannot remember that he spent at any one time five minutes in idleness. Whenever he was not asleep he was at work; be always had a book or paper with him for use at any moment of opportunity, and entirely abstained from attendance at social meetings and places of amusement. His parents never set him to any task, or put any burden upon him, but the determination to do all needed work and to help provide for the family, and at the same time to advance in knowledge required every minute and the utmost possible exertion.

One of the trying times in the struggle (and it maybe gives as an illustration of many others) was in his nineteenth year. After working diligently through the summer on the farm, and at the same time using every minute he could for study in order to take a place with the class that he had been with in former years, it seemed that he could not get the necessary clothing and books to go to school. The school had already commenced. Wheat was in the bin to sell, but there was no market for it. He took a load of it, prayed for the Lord to open somebody's heart to help him, and started for Newton. At a drug store books were kept and a small stock of boots. He must have both, but the proprietor would not take more wheat than would buy one or the other of them. After several failures he succeeded in finding a place where be could get the boots. He then returned to the drug store to get the books. However, the proprietor would not let Charles have the books, and scolded him severely for trading for the boots elsewhere, saying that be always required money for books. Timid as the lad was, he could not utter a word in reply, but only burst out in agonizing words of despair, "Oh, please, sir, I have done the best I could. He dared not leave the store, for the books could not be had elsewhere. For a long time be stood in silence, gazing at the coveted books on the shelves. At last the merchant roughly commanded him to bring in the wheat, take the books, and go home. When he was out of the town and found himself alone on the prairie, he got out of the wagon, and kneeling on the ground thanked God for the books, and cried with joy from the thought that his anxiety was ended, and now be could have another three months in school. When, in after years he had given a lecture to a congregation of strangers far from his early home, the man who had scolded him came pressing through the crowd to take the speaker's hand. No excuse would avail; he must go home with him and stay all night. Before a word was said about the time when the poor country boy was almost killed by the scolding.

By the ordering of Providence, the time came when the prairie land where the boy with his new boots and books prayed and cried had to be made into a farm. Now there are a hundred beautiful evergreens there, and it is known as Evergreen Hill Farm, and Charles planted the trees and is the owner of the land.

At twenty-one years of age our subject was sufficiently advanced in his studies to enable him to secure a certificate to teach a district school. Never was there a mortal happier over an earthly success. Now he would have money, and could prosecute his studies. Twenty dollars a month and board himself was the wages he received; but never did money go so far and do so much to help a young man as that money did. He was no longer a religious doubter, but a disciple of Jesus, determined to fit himself for the Gospel ministry. It would require ten years more of struggle in order to get the education he desired; but it must be done, and it was done.

For generations the Harrah family had been Presbyterians. Under the preaching of Alexander Campbell, our subject's father and mother became his followers about the time of their marriage in Ohio. By listening from his earliest childhood to the talk of debaters about the disputed matters in religion, he grew up with the thought that between the teaching of Campbell was those of the Presbyterians there was something so great that one took pleasure in hating the other. As he came to know about other sects, they impressed him in the same way. It was a boy's way of looking at things, but he finally settled down into the conviction that if Jesus made such a religion, it could not be the true, and that the great God had a better religion for the world than Christianity. For two years his purpose was fixed like steel, that fe must, for himself and for the world, find out that better religion. During that time he was never in any kind of religious meeting, but every available minute was devote to reading and thinking. He read thousands of pages of theological works and books treating of the history and philosophy of religion. He read the Old Testament trough twice, and during the period of inquiry read the New Testament through seven times. He came to see clearly, a few months after he was twenty years old, that be had misunderstood Christianity and that things which he supposed grew out of it were utterly foreign to its spirit of life. He came to see that it can no more be expressed in anybody's creed than life can be; and that while opinions about religion are everybody's right, it is the religion of life in the spirit that everybody needs.

With his determination fully made, our subject went to the first meeting that he bad attended for over two years, and, when the opportunity was given, he expressed his firm intention to live a Christian life. It seemed to him that be ought to make the confession in baptism, and as he had no thought of connecting himself with any particular church, but rather with the church universal, he did not know where to find one to baptize him. Rev. Thomas Merrill, the pastor in the community, came to understand his difficulty, and he assured him of a welcome to work as he pleased and as long as he wished in the Free Presbyterian Church, and shortly after that he was baptized, and united with that church. He did not then know of the Congregational Church as a union church; and when that became known to him, he saw at once that he was a Congregationalist. Rev. George Poage, lived at Wittemberg, and both he and Mr. Merrill thought well of the Congregational Church. As the people came to understand the matter, by an almost unanimous vote the Free Presbyterian Church at Wittemberg became Congregational.

The great Civil War was now in progress, and the dearest friend our subject had, James Vanatta, enlisted in the army. Charles also volunteered to go, but from that day troubles gathered about him. His mother would not consent to the step, and begged him to continue his preparation for the ministry. The kind commander, Captain Garrett, came to understand the situation, and sent the youthful volunteer word to wait for a time.

His spirit was broken, and he had not the courage to continue his work. Then a new consecration was made, and he began to hold meetings in the neighboring schoolhouses. There were frequent conversations, and more than a hundred before he was he was licensed to preach by an Association.

At that time the Jasper County Bible Society wished him to visit the families of the county in the interest of that work. He found in that county eighteen hundred families, and finished the work in November 1864. He spent a school year in Griswold College, at Davenport, and at other times continued his studies privately in the school at Wittemberg. After he began Christian work, he found a sympathetic friend and a zealous Helper in the daughter of the pastor, and at twenty-five years of age he married Miss Sarah E. Merrill. Soon afterward they went to Iowa College, where they continued to study, without the interruption of any vacation, for year and a half.

From Grinnell Rev. Mr. Harrah went to Des Moines County, where he did six weeks' work for the Bible Society. He and his wife then went to New York City, the one to enter Union Theological Seminary and the other to attend the New York Medical College for Women. At the close of two years' study there, Mrs. Harrah was graduated; but consumption had been doing its fatal work, and she returned to Iowa to live only a few weeks. She was a woman of remarkable talents, with unselfish Christian purposes in living. Her body lies in the graveyard of the old home church at Wittemberg.

After the death of his wife, Mr. Harrah preached for three months in Monroe, Jasper County, Iowa, thirteen miles from Newton. He then started to return to New York, but on reaching Chicago was persuaded to take his last year in theological study there, and in April 1874, he was graduated from the Chicago Theological Seminary. He decided to return to Monroe, Iowa, and continue work there. He also preached at Prairie City, Mound Prairie and Otley. August 3, 1870, he was ordained by a Council, at Monroe. In November 1870, he returned to New York, and married Miss Sarah A. Ferguson, a classmate and intimate friend of his former wife. She was born in New Hampshire and belongs to an old New England family of Scotch origin. She was a member of Henry Ward Beecher's church, but on account of his absence from the city they were married by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, of whose church Mrs. Harrah's brother is Elder. For seventy days after their return to Iowa; they were so busy at meetings that they did not spend one evening in their own rooms.

In the spring of 1871 an urgent call came to go to Missouri. Mr. Harrah felt that as he was not permitted to take part in the War for the Union, he possibly had some other kind of work to do in that part of the country, where the Union Army had done such patriotic service. He decided to go to Brookfield, MO, and in April 1871, the removal was made. Within three months after he began to preach there the church became self-supporting, and the growth was steady and continuous during his pastorate of five years. When be resigned, the church offered him a long vacation by a unanimous vote, and requested him to withdraw his resignation; but be wanted to return to Iowa, and Mrs. Harrah's health seemed to require that he should do so.

In February 1876, they moved back to Monroe. After a year they built their first house, in. order to make a home for themselves. The agreement with the church permitted Mr. Harrah to do much work on his farm, fourteen miles away, which was a great benefit to his health. The changes in the community, by removals, prepared the way for the consideration of calls that came from other churches. The Church at Galva, IL, sent a unanimous call. This was repeated a second time, but was refused both times. Alter several weeks it was again repeated, and this time it was decided to accept, although it was with greatest sorrow that he concluded to leave the good people of Monroe.

December 1, 1878, Mr. Harrah preached his first sermon in Galva, and he continued to be pastor of that church until April 1889. The prosperity of the church was continuous during this time, and the vote was unanimous asking him to remain when he made known his purpose to go. While in Galva he wrote three tracts which have had a large circulation, viz.: "Jesus, the Emancipator of Women," "Children" in the church," and "Blood will Tell." He also suggested to The Advance, of Chicago, the publishing of weekly prayer meeting topics and prepared list of topics and wrote the weekly notes on them for first year. He then did the same work for The Union Signal, also of Chicago.

After the long service in Galva, Mr. Harrah hoped to return to Iowa and rest for a short time, but a call came from Peoria, and be was so strongly urged to go there and start a new church in a needy part of the city, that he concluded to accept. In April in 1889, he moved to Peoria, and in June the Plymouth Church, with ninety-six members, was organized. The membership continued, and early in 1890 a branch work, known as Pilgrim Church, was started, and a suitable meetinghouse was erected. Mr. Harrah was worn with overwork, and an attack of pneumonia left him in such a weakened condition that he decided to return to his farm in Iowa and rest for a time. The people were very unwilling to have him go away, but August 11, 1890, they again left a most affectionate and faithful people and removed to Evergreen Hill Farm, at Newton.

Meantime ill health had compelled the pastor to leave Newton. The church was very weak and discouraged. Mr. Harrah was assured that if he would accept the pastorate no more work would be required of him than he would be able to do, and that many who were neglecting church attendance in the community would be in his congregation. The situation of affairs determined him again to try. The life in the country and the mile of travel back and forth to the church proved a great benefit. Instead of giving out, his health improved. The congregation increased and the church was strengthened by additions to its membership. It was thought impossible to build a new church, but a test subscription was circulated. In one week it amounted to $10,000; and in two weeks it was over $12,000, and a committee was appointed to build. The result is a beautiful church edifice. The church has continued to be strengthened by additions to its congregation membership. Wherever they have lived during the twenty-three years that they have served together, Mr. and Mrs. Harrah have had good people to work with. No manner of church quarrel or division of any kind has ever arisen to hinder the progress of good work. From the time he was ordained to the ministry Mr. Harrah has never ceased to be a pastor. In order to accomplish more for the church he has now moved into Newton.

At his last birthday, January 6, 1898, Mr. Harrah was fifty-two years old. His physical strength and endurance he owes largely to his lifelong temperance in eating and drinking. He has never used any kind of alcoholic liquor or tobacco, and not since he was seventeen years of age has he used tea or coffee. He and his wife are the parents of one child, William Ferguson Harrah, now twenty-two years old. He expects to follow a business life, and from the time of his early boyhood has been settled in his mind to give his influence and efforts along with those of his parents, in order to advance in the world the great objects of the Christian religion.

Mr. Harrah has written much in the preparation of sermons, but in the pulpit his method is largely extemporaneous. These three rules have guided his pulpit work from the beginning of his ministry: 1. To preach the Gospel, and not religious philosophy or things about the Gospel; 2. Never to go into the pulpit without having made the best preparation that the time and circumstances allow; 3. Never to preach without aiming at definite impression that he would be satisfied with in case the sermon proved to be his last one. The manner and spirit of his preaching are indicated by the rule, which he always keeps in mind,

"As a dying man to dying men,
So preach I as if I ne'er should preach again." Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 151