McCabe Chapel
United Methodist Church

McCabe Chapel United Methodist Church has designated the second Sunday of October as ‘Founders Day’. The day commemorates the October 11, 1836 birth date of Charles Cardwell McCabe, after whom the church is named, and the signing of the land deed for the church, October 6, 1886. We invite you to learn a little about the church's early American heritage.

McCabe - the Chaplain

Charles Cardwell McCabe
Oct 11, 1836 - Dec 19, 1906

McCabe was born and raised in Ohio and taught school for a short time after receiving a degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1860. The same year he married Rebecca Peters and a son was born to them the next year. But, in September 1862, as the Civil War was developing, he helped raise a regiment for the Union Army and served as chaplain for the 122nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

He was eventually captured by the confederates and sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia becoming chaplain to the other prisoners of war. To rally their spirits he would lead them in singing, which, according to his biographer, Frank M. Bristol, could often be heard beyond the walls of the prison. A favorite song was, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’. McCabe had memorized the lyrics, written by Julia Ward Howe to the tune of the raucous ‘John Brown’s Body’ song, when they were published in the February 1862 edition of the Atlantic Monthly.

McCabe contracted typhoid fever in prison, then, became part of a prisoner exchange resulting in his release. Ill health forced his resignation from the 122nd. Upon recovering, he worked as a fundraiser for the Christian Commission often singing, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. An accomplished vocalist credited with popularizing the song, McCabe became known as the ‘singing chaplain’. President Lincoln attended a meeting in Washington D.C. where he heard McCabe’s story of being a prisoner of war, afterwards joining in the singing of ‘The Battle Hymn’. McCabe wrote to his wife that when the singing stopped, “Some shouted out loud at the last verse, and above all the uproar Mr. Lincoln's voice was heard: "Sing it again!" The following year, McCabe was invited to sing the song at Lincoln’s Illinois funeral services. Years later, McCabe would receive a hand-written copy of the lyrics from Howe. The song was ultimately sung at the funerals of both Howe and McCabe.

After the war, many churches called on McCabe for help with their finances. In a journal entry, he writes, “I seem doomed to raise money.” He toured the country singing, evangelizing and speaking about ‘The Bright Side of Life at Libby Prison’. The actual speech varied with the audience but, as a fundraiser, it was a huge success.

In his later years, McCabe co-edited several hymnals. He was appointed Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1896, and, as part of his job, traveled extensively both nationally and internationally, sometimes covering 80,000 miles in a year. In 1902 he became Chancellor of the American University, primarily a fundraising position, as the Methodist-affiliated institution did not begin accepting students until 1914. He died in New York in 1906.

post note: Though Charles Cardwell McCabe was appointed a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal church, he was so well thought of by so many people that when he moved from being a Chaplain to a Bishop, most people continued to call him Chaplain McCabe as a term of endearment. Even his biography is entitled, 'The Life of Chaplain McCabe'. So, with all due respect to his role as Bishop, we are referring to him, as we suspect he might have preferred we all refer to him, as Chaplain McCabe.
posted Oct 9, 2010 AHB

McCabe - the Church


photo by Herb Schreiber/courtesy of Phil Schreiber
circa 1910?

The Nelson Cone family, which included six adult children and their families, came to Oregon from Ohio in 1883. A year later they settled on a hill in the vicinity of what is now the intersection of Masonville and McCabe Chapel Roads and became part of the local Methodist Episcopal community (which had already been established in 1871) that built the little church. When it came time to name it, sons James, Daniel and Stephenson, all Civil War veterans, suggested the ‘McCabe’ name.

(James and Stephenson served with the 121st Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Daniel with the US Navy. Another brother, Otoway Cone (sometimes spelled Otway) also served with the 121st OVI - he died in Chattanooga, Tennessee from injuries received during the war. It is not known how the Cone brothers knew, or knew of, Chaplain McCabe. However, as Ohio residents, veterans of the Civil War and members of the Methodist Episcopal community there would have been many opportunities to have listened to him sing, to have attended one of his fundraising or evangelical events, to be familiar with his reputation, or even perhaps to have met him.)

Click here for photos of the four Cone brothers who served in the Civil War....scroll down to the first page after page 72 (be patient, it may load slowly).

Click here for a brief history of Methodism and the Civil War, 1844 - 1865

When McCabe Chapel was built, there was also a Baptist Church and a Catholic Church in the vicinity. At one time the Methodists shared the Baptist Church but apparently, through some kind of misunderstanding, that came to an end and the Methodists built McCabe. There is some evidence which suggests that people in the vicinity often participated in the activities of both the Methodist and Baptist churches. However, all that remains now of the Baptist Church is a marker at the entrance to the South Yamhill Cemetery, near the corner of Masonville and McCabe Chapel Roads. Several of the original members of McCabe Chapel, including Nelson and sons, are buried in the cemetery.

(According to Phil Schreiber, the location of St Patricks Catholic church was about 3,000 ft. south of Masonville Road on Muddy Valley Road which runs south to Bellevue - the precise location is not marked. In the days of its existence it was on what was known as the Military Road which was how the itinerate priest traveled from Portland or St. Paul to serve the Catholic folks in the area and on to the church at Grand Ronde.)

McMinnville’s McCabe Chapel, known for its Easter sunrise services, has seen many changes over the years but some things remain the same. Albert, or ‘Ab’ as he was more commonly known, another of Nelson’s sons, scratched his signature on a windowpane that is still visible. Electricity was added in 1951 and, in 1975, a metal roof was installed. Later, a wheel chair ramp was built and, in 2009, a new foundation was laid. Until 2012, there had never been indoor plumbing but that changed when 'ye old outhouse' was transformed into a modern day restroom. On cold Sunday mornings, the Facebook-connected congregation is warmed with the heat from the old wood-burning stove. And, descendants of the original Cone family still attend (Steve Cone, b 1932, grandson of Albert, and Steve’s sons, Ron, David and Ken and their families make up the current Cone family still attending).

The September 22, 1898 edition of the McMinnville Telephone-Register reported that the “grand old Bishop McCabe” was in town for the Methodist Episcopal annual conference. It is believed, however, that due to time constraints, he was unable to visit the church that bears his name . A testament to his national reputation, there are several other ‘McCabe’ churches around the country.

For one hundred twenty-four years, McCabe Chapel has been part of the McMinnville Community. Tomorrow, Sunday October 10, we will be celebrating and remembering those years and giving thanks for those we are following. We will also be singing, 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic".