[Collection of 32 Meeting Minutes of the Steuben Baptist Association]
- Dundee, New York: Various Printers/Publishers, 1869
Dundee, New York: Various Printers/Publishers, 1869. Good. Most around 9¼” x 5½”, three around 6” x 4”. Self-wrappers. Most pp. 8-16, one pp. 26. Generally good or better: a few with partially or fully detached wrappers or leaves; some edge wear, chipping, dust-soiling and spotting; a few with inked notations or signature.
This is a collection of minutes from yearly meetings of a religious organization in Upstate New York, the Steuben Baptist Association (SBA). They are notable for their wide range of printing styles, having been produced by thirteen different printers in a small area in Upstate New York.
Ephraim Sanford was a Revolutionary War veteran and devout Baptist who came into Steuben County in 1793 as the first permanently settled minister of any denomination in the upstate Finger Lakes region of New York. He was pastor at the Wayne Baptist Church from its inception in 1794 until his death in 1836. It was at this location that the SBA was founded in 1818 – in that first meeting, eight churches were represented by 18 delegates. Sanford's congregation continues to this day with membership in the Finger Lakes Association of the American Baptist Churches of New York State and the American Baptist Association.
A Centennial History of the Steuben Baptist Association (Courier Press, 1917) provides general information about the SBA as well as the annual meetings. The minutes on offer enhance that book with great detail such as this from the 50th anniversary in 1867,
“The historian found that 48 different churches had been connected with the Association: that there had been 137 ordained ministers in these churches; and that little more than 6000 persons had been baptized into these churches on the profession of faith in Christ. He also states that a missionary spirit had been encouraged, precious revivals enjoyed, and a good degree of spirituality found at all their gatherings.”
Along with showing the growth and accomplishments of the organization over the years, the minutes reveal a breadth of printing styles among New York printers and publishers. The books began to be printed with colored wrappers in 1847, and two of the years' meetings are represented here in duplicate, with different colored wrappers.
Notably, the 20th anniversary book from 1837 has an ownership signature of a woman, Susannah Williams. While women were members of churches in the region as early as 1815, they typically were not seen as active participants, and the Women's Missionary Society of the SBA wasn't organized until 1876.
Scarce and rich documentation of New York Baptist churches and local printers. OCLC shows five entities with limited holdings. A list of all the minutes and their printers is available.
This is a collection of minutes from yearly meetings of a religious organization in Upstate New York, the Steuben Baptist Association (SBA). They are notable for their wide range of printing styles, having been produced by thirteen different printers in a small area in Upstate New York.
Ephraim Sanford was a Revolutionary War veteran and devout Baptist who came into Steuben County in 1793 as the first permanently settled minister of any denomination in the upstate Finger Lakes region of New York. He was pastor at the Wayne Baptist Church from its inception in 1794 until his death in 1836. It was at this location that the SBA was founded in 1818 – in that first meeting, eight churches were represented by 18 delegates. Sanford's congregation continues to this day with membership in the Finger Lakes Association of the American Baptist Churches of New York State and the American Baptist Association.
A Centennial History of the Steuben Baptist Association (Courier Press, 1917) provides general information about the SBA as well as the annual meetings. The minutes on offer enhance that book with great detail such as this from the 50th anniversary in 1867,
“The historian found that 48 different churches had been connected with the Association: that there had been 137 ordained ministers in these churches; and that little more than 6000 persons had been baptized into these churches on the profession of faith in Christ. He also states that a missionary spirit had been encouraged, precious revivals enjoyed, and a good degree of spirituality found at all their gatherings.”
Along with showing the growth and accomplishments of the organization over the years, the minutes reveal a breadth of printing styles among New York printers and publishers. The books began to be printed with colored wrappers in 1847, and two of the years' meetings are represented here in duplicate, with different colored wrappers.
Notably, the 20th anniversary book from 1837 has an ownership signature of a woman, Susannah Williams. While women were members of churches in the region as early as 1815, they typically were not seen as active participants, and the Women's Missionary Society of the SBA wasn't organized until 1876.
Scarce and rich documentation of New York Baptist churches and local printers. OCLC shows five entities with limited holdings. A list of all the minutes and their printers is available.
Details
Title
[Collection of 32 Meeting Minutes of the Steuben Baptist Association]
Condition
Good
Publisher
Various Printers/Publishers: Dundee, New York
Date
1869