Rev. Dr. William Hague, Born in Pelham in 1808

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On Saturday, July 30, 1887, Rev. Dr. William Hague laid aside his pen after finalizing revisions to the printer's proofs of the last pages of his book entitled "Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook."  That day he mailed those final revisions from his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts to his publishers in Boston.  The first thirty-six pages of his book were a chapter entitled "OLD PELHAM AND NEW ROCHELLE," containing his reminiscences of the boyhood he spent in Pelham during the early 19th century.  See Hague, William, Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook, pp. 1-36 (Boston, MA:  Lee and Shepard Publishers, 1888).  

Two days later on Monday, August 1, 1887, Hague traveled to Boston "to exchange congratulations with his publishers on the happy conclusion of his literary labors by the successful completion of his 'Life Notes or, Fifty Years' Outlook."  At 12:30 p.m., as he walked with friends on Tremont Street and passed in front of Tremont Temple, he collapsed and was caught by his friends before hitting the ground.  His friends helped him into the entrance of Tremont Temple and there, only moments after his collapse, he died of a massive stroke.  Reverend Hague, of course, never held a published copy of the book on which he had labored so hard.  It was published posthumously the following year, including its first chapter regarding his reminiscences of old Pelham.

I have written before about Rev. Dr. William Hague.  For two examples, see:  

Mon., Jun. 11, 2007:  Biography of Rev. William Hague, Born in Pelham in 1808.  

Tue., Sep. 30, 2014:  Pelham Resident Recorded His Impressions of Meeting Aaron Burr.  

Rev. Dr. William Hague.  Source:  Brown, John Howard, ed.,

Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States, Vol. III,

p. 458 (Boston, MA: James H. Lamb Company 1900).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

A brief biography of Rev. Dr. William Hague appeared in his book published posthumously in an introductory section entitled "PUBLISHERS' NOTE."  It read, in part:

"Dr. Hague was born in Westchester County, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1808, and was a graduate of Hamilton College, New York, in the class of 1826.  He took his theological course at the Newton Institute, graduating in 1829.  He was ordained Oct. 20, 1829, as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N.Y.  There he remained until called to the pastorate of the First Church in Boston:  his installation took place Feb. 3, 1831, the Rev. Dr. Wayland preaching the sermon.  In June, 1837, he entered upon his duties as pastor of the First Church in Providence, over which he was installed July 12, 1837, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Dr. Barnas Sears.  The church commemorated while he was pastor the second century of its foundation, Nov. 7, 1839, and he preached an historical discourse on the occasion, which was published.  During nine months of the year 1838-39 he was abroad.  Sept. 20, 1840, in the Federal-street Church, Boston, he commenced his labors.  His subsequent pastorates have been in Jamaica Plain, Mass., Newark, N.J., Albany, N.Y., New-York City, Boston, Chicago, and Orange, N.J.  He was senior pastor of the Baptist Church at Wollaston Heights, Mass., at the time of his death.  Dr. Hague received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard College in 1863.  He was chosen a trustee of Brown University in 1837.  Among the many productions of his pen were, 'The Baptist Church Transplanted from the Old World to the New,' 'Guide to Conversation on the Gospel of John,' 'Review of Drs. Fuller and Wayland on Slavery,' 'Christianity and Statesmanship,' 'Home-Life,' 'Emerson,' etc."

In his many writings, Hague wrote about his recollections of meeting Aaron Burr who had a home in Pelham Manor.  He wrote of witnessing a naval skirmish between British and American boats off the shores of Pelham during the War of 1812.  He wrote of Pelham during a much simpler time with love and sincerity.  The first chapter of his book Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook should be required reading for any student of Pelham history. 

*          *          *          *          *

Below is the text of a few items about the life and death of Rev. Dr. William Hague who was born in Pelham on January 4, 1808.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"THE REV. DR. HAGUE DEAD.

BOSTON, Aug. 1.  --  The Rev. William Hague, D. D., Senior Pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist Church, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple this afternoon.  Mr. Hague was born at Pelham, Westchester County, N. Y., in 1808.  He was graduated from Hamilton College in 1826, and took his theological course at the Newton Seminary, where he was graduated in 1829.  He was ordained the same year, and became Pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N. Y., where he remained until he was called to the First Church in Boston in 1831.  He had been Pastor of churches in Jamaica Plain, Newark, N. J. and Albany, N. Y.  He received the degree of D. D. from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard in 1863.  Dr. Hague was appointed a Trustee at Brown University in 1857, and he was the oldest living member of the board.  He wrote a number of religious and other works, and was regarded as one of the ablest and most scholarly ministers of the Baptist denomination.  The cause of his death is supposed to have been apoplexy."

Source:  THE REV. DR. HAGUE DEAD, N.Y. Times, Aug. 2, 1887, p. 1, col. 6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

"Death of Rev. William Hague.

BOSTON, Aug. 1.  --  Rev. William Hague, D. D., senior pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist church, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple at 12:30 o'clock this afternoon."

Source:  Death of Rev. William Hague, The Wilkes-Barre News, Aug. 2, 1887, p. 4, col. 6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"PERSONAL AND GENERAL. . . .

REV WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D., aged seventy-nine, senior pastor of the Wollaston Heights Baptist Church, Boston, dropped dead in front of Tremont Temple on the 1st.  Mr. Hague had at various times been pastor of churches in Utica, Jamaica Plains, Albany, N. Y., and Providence, R. I."

Source:  PERSONAL AND GENERAL. . . . REV. WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D., Marion County Herald [Palmyra, Missouri], Aug. 5, 1887, p. 2, cols. 2-3 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"Funeral of Rev. William Hague.

BOSTON, Aug. 6.  --  The funeral of the Rev. William Hague, D. D., took place in the presence of a large assemblage in Tremont Temple yesterday.  The audience was composed chiefly of aged contemporaries of the deceased, representatives of the Baptist denomination from near and far.  There was a profusion of the most delicate flowers arranged in varied and beautiful designs.  Rev. J. H. Murdock conducted the services and addresses were made by Rev. Mr. Olmsted, Rev. Dr. Hovey, Rev. George C. Lorimer, of Chicago, and Rev. J. C. Stockbridge, of Providence.  The body was taken to Albany for interment."

Source:  Funeral of Rev. William Hague, The Evening Bulletin [Maysville, KY], Aug. 6, 1887, p. 1, col. 5 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"PUBLISHERS' NOTE.
-----

The eminent author of this volume closed suddenly his earthly life almost immediately after he had examined the last page of the appendices of this book.  On Saturday, the 30th of July, 1887, Rev. Dr. Hague sent by the mail, to the publishers, the last 'proof' pages of this work, which he had examined that morning at his residence in Cambridge, Mass.  He had written his final word, and had made his last revision.  On the Monday following he visited Boston, and was on his way to exchange congratulations with his publishers on the happy conclusion of his literary labors by the successful completion of his 'Life Notes:  or, Fifty Years' Outlook,' when he was stricken with apoplexy while walking on Tremont Street, and would have fallen to the pavement but for the timely assistance of friends.  He died soon after, in the entrance to Tremont Temple, near the place where much of his life-work had been done.

Dr. Hague was born in Westchester County, N.Y., Jan. 4, 1808, and was a graduate of Hamilton College, New York, in the class of 1826.  He took his theological course at the Newton Institute, graduating in 1829.  He was ordained Oct. 20, 1829, as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Utica, N.Y.  There he remained until called to the pastorate of the First Church in Boston:  his installation took place Feb. 3, 1831, the Rev. Dr. Wayland preaching the sermon.  In June, 1837, he entered upon his duties as pastor of the First Church in Providence, over which he was installed July 12, 1837, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Dr. Barnas Sears.  The church commemorated while he was pastor the second century of its foundation, Nov. 7, 1839, and he preached an historical discourse on the occasion, which was published.  During nine months of the year 1838-39 he was abroad.  Sept. 20, 1840, in the Federal-street Church, Boston, he commenced his labors.  His subsequent pastorates have been in Jamaica Plain, Mass., Newark, N.J., Albany, N.Y., New-York City, Boston, Chicago, and Orange, N.J.  He was senior pastor of the Baptist Church at Wollaston Heights, Mass., at the time of his death.  Dr. Hague received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Brown University in 1849, and from Harvard College in 1863.  He was chosen a trustee of Brown University in 1837.  Among the many productions of his pen were, 'The Baptist Church Transplanted from the Old World to the New,' 'Guide to Conversation on the Gospel of John,' 'Review of Drs. Fuller and Wayland on Slavery,' 'Christianity and Statesmanship,' 'Home-Life,' 'Emerson,' etc.

Dr. Hague was in the eightieth year of his life, which had been marked especially by ministerial, literary, educational, and philanthropic achievement.  He was a scholar in a broad sense, and his acquirements and abilities were of the highest order.  He was a clergyman of profound religious convictions and of rare persuasive eloquence.  He gave character to all his endeavors, and embellished every occasion with which he was associated.  His aid to educational and to philanthropic institutions and causes is of permanent value.  His writings will have a lasting and important place in history; and this book, intended to be autobiographical to a considerable extent, will be found to contain the rich personal reminiscences of a noble life filled with great deeds, and consecrated to all that is uplifting, -- a life of love, of sincerity, and of truth."

Source:  Hague, William, Life Notes or Fifty Years' Outlook, pp. iii-iv (Boston, MA:  Lee and Shepard Publishers, 1888). 

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Reminiscences of One of Pelham’s Oldest Residents Regarding “Old Pelhamville Days” Published in 1938

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Luckily, the "good old days" in Pelham have been the subject of numerous "reminiscences" published in Pelham's long-time newspaper, The Pelham Sun.  I have included such published reminiscences in a number of previous postings.  See, e.g.:  

Fri., Sep. 09, 2005:  Reminiscences of Lockwood Barr of Pelham Manor Published in 1940.

Tue., Sep. 27, 2005:  I. C. Hill's Reminiscences of Early Public Schools in Pelham.

Tue., Mar. 28, 2006:  More Reminiscences of Isaac C. Hill of Early Public Schools in Pelham.

Mon., Oct. 09, 2006:  Reminiscences of Val Miller Shed Light on Late 19th Century Baseball in Pelham and the Early Development of the Village of North Pelham.

Mon., May 05, 2014:  Reminiscences of Pelham Manor in 1910, Published in 1931.

Mon., Nov. 09, 2015:  Reminiscences Of Long-Time Pelham Manor Resident Evelyn Randall Published in 1938.   

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog provides yet another such reminiscence.  

In 1938, The Pelham Sun published the reminiscences of Mrs. Gustave Karbach of 448 First Avenue.  At the time she was one of Pelham's oldest residents.  She had lived in Pelhamville (later the Village of North Pelham) for fifty years.  

She remembered a far simpler time when a wooden-plank sidewalk ran along just one side of the unpaved road known as Fifth Avenue.  She remembered the first telephones installed in Pelhamville.  She recalled times when Pelhamwood and Pelham Heights were dense woodlands used by Pelhamites for picnics.  She lived in Pelhamville at a time when only one resident in the entire community -- Pelhamville Station Master Charles Merritt -- owned a horse-drawn buggy.  

Such reminiscences paint a bucolic and romantic picture of a rural community.  Mrs. Karbach recalled when East Lincoln Avenue was a footpath.  She lived in Pelham when there were no street lights but kerosene lanterns that were hung from poles and lit each evening.  She knew a time when the Hutchinson River was a beautiful, clear creek filled with "big suckers and bull frogs" that Pelhamites harvested for sport.  

Mrs. Karbach's reminiscences are transcribed below.  They are followed by a citation and link to the source.

Map of Pelhamville Published in 1868. Source: Beers,

F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity from Actual

Surveys By and Under the Direction of F.W. Beers,

Assisted By A.B. Prindle & Others, pg. 36 (NY, NY: Beers,

Ellis & Soule, 1868) (Detail from Page 36 Map Entitled

"Town of New Rochelle, Westchester Co., N.Y. (With)

Pelhamville).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

“Mrs. Karbach Recalls Old Pelhamville Days When Heights Was Just ‘Woods’ 
----- 
Resident of North Pelham for 50 Years, Widow of Judge Karbach Remembers When Fifth Avenue Had Planks for Pavement on One Side Only, and Recalls First ‘Phones in Village. 
----- 
By MARGARET LEARY 

When North Pelham carried the quainter name of Pelhamville, when Fifth avenue between Second streets boasted but one house; when the ‘paving’ on the main street was mere planking and that on one side only, and when Pelham Heights and Pelhamwood were just plain woods to picnic in – these are memories still vivid to Mrs. Gustave Karbach of No. 448 First avenue, one of Pelham’s oldest residents. 

Mrs. Karbach has lived in Pelham for half a century and when she began to reminisce she ‘remembers when’ lots of interesting things went on in the early history of the community. Her husband, the late Gustave Karbach, who died in 1933, played an active part in North Pelham and Pelhamville’s history, served as a judge for over 22 years and was also a village trustee. Mrs. Karbach who will be 73 years old in September still takes an active interest in today’s affairs and in the Spring will be honored by the Auxiliary of the Church of the Redeemer for fifty years’ participation in the affairs of that parish. 

When Mrs. Karbach came to Pelhamville in 1888, as a young woman, the post office was housed in the little depot of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. There were pigeon holes for the mail and the residents flocked in at train time to get their letters and papers. The station master, Chas. Merritt, was not required to be there between train times (nice long intervals too). Merritt was the combination postmaster and stationmaster. 

Coming to Pelhamville in 1888, Mrs. Karbach had previously resided in New Haven following her marriage in 1884. She was born on Worcester street in Greenwich Village and remembers when the ‘Village’ was really a residential area and Central Park and Jones Wood on Avenue A. in the 60’s were fine picnic spots and a Summer evening’s diversion might be found in the concerts presented out of doors at the Battery. When she was only twelve years old Mrs. Karbach whose maiden name was Louisa Rohde, remembers visiting her older sister who was married and lived in Mount Vernon. Accustomed to the regulation post office of New York City when she found herself in Mount Vernon’s Post Office of sixty years ago on First street she remembers exclaiming with a child’s frankness: ‘Why this is a regular junk house.’ She was told it was merely a ‘general store.’ 

From her storehouse of memories of old Pelhamville, Mrs. Karbach recalls with a smile when Mr. Merritt owned the only buggy, when a man by the name of Gurney owned a hall on Seventh avenue near the Second street intersection where many village entertainments took place. John Case’s house on Fifth avenue was the only one between Second and Third streets. One could get lost quite easily in the woods that covered the Pelham Heights area, indeed some of the visitors to Pelhamville thought it a bit too wild a spot for a picnic! Mrs. Karbach well remembers however, taking a basket lunch on Sunday mornings and picnicking in the ‘woods’ that once stood where one of Pelham’s finest residential areas is now. 

Shopping in Mount Vernon was a regular thing and the Pelhamville housewife had to be careful in those days since the butcher only sent things to Pelham three times a week and there was no handy chain store just around the corner. Shopping in Mount Vernon often entailed a two-hour or longer wait for a train back (unless one walked). I still have the slate I used to bring along and we would play tick-tack-toe, while we waited for the train.’ Mrs. Karbach said. 

East Lincoln avenue in those days was just a path, there was no street lighting, but kerosene lamps were soon to come to Pelhamville the Harbachs being among the enterprising residents who contributed toward the cost of this ‘improvement.’ Fishing in the Hutchinson River was a popular sport, big suckers and bull frogs were numerous enough in the days long before anyone so much as dreamed of a parkway along the stream. 

Mrs. Karbach was one of the interested women who worked for the Church of the Redeemer in the early days when a Chapel was maintained on Fourth avenue, before the present church was built on Second avenue. Then as now, apparently, the women did more than their share of church work. Week after week entertainments would be arranged with a small admission charge of ten or fifteen cents – this in the days of Rev. Dr. Bolton the first rector. Mrs. Karbach who has a fine streak of determination in her character, sold ‘ads’ for the program for a church entertainment and collected the fine sum of $120, for the purpose all of thirty-five years ago! 

‘We had more dancing in those days,’ Mrs. Karbach recalled with evident enjoyment. There was no bridge but euchre and whist became popular and were forerunners of the present diversion. 

‘Did you have lots of snow in those days?’ the reporter asked almost wistfully (the day being July and hot). 

‘Snow’ echoed Mrs. Karbach with a slight note of horror. They were snowed in plenty of times. Her daughter Loretta, now Mrs. Harry J. Appel was born on Feb. 12 and it was no infrequent thing to have to postpone her birthday party as a child so that the other children might be able to be present. On one occasion the mid-winter birthday party had to be postponed for four days, after a particularly heavy snowfall. Mrs. Karbach recalls one heavy storm during which the trolley (civilization had crept up that far) was stalled on Fifth avenue and a group of passengers and motorman had to spend the night in the car walking up and down to keep warm, after taking the precaution to stuff all the cracks with newspapers. Snow banks grew to huge proportions in those days and tobboganing on Snake Hill rivalled the sports in the Alps! 

When Spring came, however, Pelhamville blossomed with the season, there were plenty of apple and cherry orchards making soft clouds of pink and white blossoms and wild flowers grew in profusion. 

The first telephones in the little village, Mrs. Karbach recalls were owned by the village officials, this was before the Bell System was installed and the phones were used only for inter-village communication. Mrs. Karbach remembers some of the old ‘rings’ yet – hers was three. 

Moving along with the life of the little village, Mr. Karbach became postmaster with his wife in a Post Office building (no longer the depot) on the site now occupied by the Pelham Pharmacy. This was about 1894 and four stores were operated with the Post Office. This Misses Brotherton had dry goods. Mr. Onderdonk had groceries and a Mrs. Ferreau sold candy and cakes. The Farbachs rented the apartment above the post office to James Reilly, recently married who was to play an important part in early village affairs. A distinguished feature of the village in long gone days was the ‘pink court house’ – it was painted that color and proved handy in giving directions to strangers since [it was] so easy to identify. 

Mrs. Karbach who has the distinction of living in the same house on First avenue for nearly fifty years was at one time president of the North Pelham Needlework Guild and is a member of the Patriotic Order of America and of Minnehaha Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star.” 

Source:  Mrs. Karbach Recalls Old Pelhamville Days When Heights Was Just “Woods” -- Resident of North Pelham for 50 Years, Widow of Judge Karbach Remembers When Fifth Avenue Had Planks for Pavement on One Side Only, and Recalls First ‘Phones in Village, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 15, 1938, p. 3, cols. 1-2. 

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