Very fond of music, Mr. Davis was instru- mental in introducing our present hymnals. That the congregation might more quickly learn to love the new hymns, he taught them to the young people of the church after the Sunday evening service. During his pastorate the porte-cochere at the eastern entrance to the church was erected and presented to the congregation by Mrs. James Boyd, in 1900. Interested in everything that affected the beauty of historic Paxton, Mr. Davis had an Arbor Day in 1897 and young trees were planted all over the grove to replace the old ones that were beginning to die. These trees were named after the different pastors of the church and Mr. Davis himself set out the one that bears his name. In 1899 and 1900 the hedge of Tartarian honeysuckle was planted around the grounds of the church. What this much loved pastor and remark- able man was is perhaps best shown by this tribute of the Rev. John C. Sharp, D.D., prin- cipal of Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jer- sey, where Mr. Davis — Luther Davis as he is still affectionately known, spent the last days of his ministry. In writing to Mr. Mulock in regard to the admission of a boy whom Mr. Davis had baptized, he says: "We are always 121 glad to do anything we can for anybody who was in any way associated with our beloved pastor, Luther Davis. We greatly admired and loved him. I think he was the most wonderful preacher I ever heard, and his personal character was as highly esteemed as his ability as a preacher." Rev. Darwin Frank Pickard 1901—1905 Barely three months after Mr. Davis had re- gretfully laid down his work at Paxton, another young man came to us fresh from the seminary, to be ordained in Paxton Church, October 4, 1901. The memory of Rev. Darwin F. Pickard is too vivid, his work among us too recent to need revivifying to present-day Paxton. He was young, he was untried, but he soon made himself felt and in his four years' ministry was a power for good among our people. Darwin Pickard was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1875, and was graduated from Hamil- ton College in the class of 1897, and from Au- burn Theological Seminary in 1901. He re- signed from Paxton Church in November, 1905, to accept a call to Albion, New York, where he remained until July, 1912, when he accepted a call to his present pastorate, the First Presby- terian Church of Watertown, New York. Mr. Pickard was an exceptionally able preacher for one so young and an interested, progressive worker among his people and his 122 The Chapel Doorway. A Fine Example of Colonial Architecture. pastorate was a time of quiet but steady growth. During it the Woman's Aid Society was organ- ized, Jan. 10, 1903, for the purpose of assisting the trustees in the care of the church property. In October of the same year the twenty-fifth an- niversary of the Woman's Missionary Society was celebrated with interesting ceremonies. In 1905 was formed the Cheerful Givers, a mission- ary society for the children.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Very fond of music, Mr. Davis was instrumental in introducing our present hymnals. That the congregation might more quickly learn to love the new hymns, he taught them to the young people of the church after the Sunday evening service. During his pastorate the porte-cochere at the eastern entrance to the church was erected and presented to the congregation by Mrs. James Boyd, in 1900. Interested in everything that affected the beauty of historic Paxton, Mr. Davis had an Arbor Day in 1897 and young trees were planted all over the grove to replace the old ones that were beginning to die. These trees were named after the different pastors of the church and Mr. Davis himself set out the one that bears his name. In 1899 and 1900 the hedge of Tartarian honeysuckle was planted around the grounds of the church. What this much loved pastor and remarkable man was is perhaps best shown by this tribute of the Rev. John C. Sharp, D.D., principal of Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey, where Mr. Davis — Luther Davis as he is still affectionately known, spent the last days of his ministry. In writing to Mr. Mulock in regard to the admission of a boy whom Mr. Davis had baptized, he says: "We are always glad to do anything we can for anybody who was in any way associated with our beloved pastor, Luther Davis. We greatly admired and loved him. I think he was the most wonderful preacher I ever heard, and his personal character was as highly esteemed as his ability as a preacher." Rev. Darwin Frank Pickard 1901—1905 Barely three months after Mr. Davis had regretfully laid down his work at Paxton, another young man came to us fresh from the seminary, to be ordained in Paxton Church, October 4, 1901. The memory of Rev. Darwin F. Pickard is too vivid, his work among us too recent to need revivifying to present-day Paxton. He was young, he was untried, but he soon made himself felt and in his four years' ministry was a power for good among our people. Darwin Pickard was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1875, and was graduated from Hamilton College in the class of 1897, and from Auburn Theological Seminary in 1901. He resigned from Paxton Church in November, 1905, to accept a call to Albion, New York, where he remained until July, 1912, when he accepted a call to his present pastorate, the First Presbyterian Church of Watertown, New York. Mr. Pickard was an exceptionally able preacher for one so young and an interested, progressive worker among his people and his The Chapel Doorway. A Fine Example of Colonial Architecture. pastorate was a time of quiet but steady growth. During it the Woman's Aid Society was organized, Jan. 10, 1903, for the purpose of assisting the trustees in the care of the church property. In October of the same year the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Woman's Missionary Society was celebrated with interesting ceremonies. In 1905 was formed the Cheerful Givers, a missionary society for the children.

Historic Paxton, her days and her ways, 1722-1913