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Early History of Coudersport
John Peet, who, in 1811 settled on the river road one half mile below Coudersport, was the first to act in the capacity of a preacher. He officiated at funerals and frequently read sermons or preached extemporaneously. In 1825 Father Conant, a Methodist missionary, living in what now is Westfield, Pa., came by way of Pine Creek and held services in the homes of the settlers.
In 1832 the Rev. Isaac C. Bliss organized a Presbyterian Church in Coudersport, Rev. Bliss was born in Warren, Mass., on August 28, 1804. Graduated from Amherst College in 1828 and prepared for the ministry at Auburn Theological Seminary. On March 21, 1831, he married Elizabeth St. John of Groton, N. Y., who soon died. In August, 1832, he was married to Emily Curtis of Elbridge, N.Y. He left Coudersport in February, 1833, and in 1834 held an appointment at Elba, N: Y. In 1836 he was at Virgil, N. Y. Ho then served in the foreign mission field in the Hawaiian Islands until 1846 when he returned to the States and settled in Moline, Ill., where he died in 1851.
On Saturday, November 17, 1832, a few prospective Presbyterians gathered with Rev. Bliss in the common room of the Cartee House. This room was about 20 feet wide and 22 feet long, furnished with crude benches and candle lighted. The following were examined as candidates for membership in the Presbyterian Church: Alcander Bishop, Elizabeth Taggart, Abigail Strong (wife of Luther Strong), Joel Ross, Eliza Ross, Anner Hall (wife of Dennis Hall Sr.), Asenth Hinckle, and Laura Clary. The following day these persons publicly professed their faith in God and a belief in the doctrines of the Bible and were organized into a church, receiving the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, administered by the Rev. Isaac Bliss.
The names of Mrs. Lydia Bellows (daughter of Isaac L
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- Abt 1832
