George O. Webster’s “Essex-on-Champlain”

Back in 2013, I wrote a series of posts on Rev. George Orlia Webster for the Essex on Lake Champlain community blog. I had become interested in this former Essex resident, pastor of the Fed­er­at­ed Church in Es­sex, and prolific composer of liturgical music because of his hymn, “Essex-on-Champlain.”

Today I’ve collected (with the able assistance of Katie Shepard) and lightly curated my earlier posts into a single feature on George O. Webster’s life and career in the enduring hope that it may encourage a new performance (or even a recording!) of “Essex-on-Champlain.”

Reverend George Orlia Webster

If the name Reverend George Orlia Webster sounds familiar to you, it’s likely because you’ve heard (or read) the hymn “Essex-on-Champlain” which he wrote in 1929. Or because you’ve read the commemorative plaque at the Essex Community Church (aka the Federated Church) in Essex, NY.

Son of a Bap­tist min­is­ter, Web­ster at­tend­ed school at Sax­on’s Ri­ver Acad­e­my. His first pas­tor­ate af­ter ord­in­a­tion was in St. Johns­bury, Ver­mont. Of his over 50 years of service as a min­is­ter, over 30 were spent in non-de­nom­in­a­tion­al set­tings, oft­en in com­bined church­es with Meth­od­ist, Pres­by­ter­i­an, and Bap­tist mem­bers. In later years, Web­ster was pas­tor of the Fed­er­at­ed Church at Es­sex, New York, where there is a plaque in his mem­o­ry. (Hymnary.org)

In 2013 I received word from two great grandchildren of Rev. George Orlia Webster (1866-1942), Jane Palmer Baker of South Padre Island, Texas and her brother, Thomas Palmer of Galion, Ohio. In addition to a handsome photo of her great grandfather, Ms. Baker shared the brief biography above and the following details which will prove especially helpful to genealogists.

George Orlia Webster (1866-1942)
Born: April 25, 1866, Fort Ann, New York.
Died: October 1, 1942, Es­sex, New York.
Buried: Bol­ton Land­ing, New York.
(Source: Jane Palmer Baker)

Essex resident Norma Goff responded to Ms. Baker’s Facebook post with a poignant personal connection to Rev. George Orlia Webster.

“I have heard much about your great Grandfather, George Webster. I am quite sure he married my parents here in Essex in 1935, and know he was a beloved pastor in this town. I think he is also responsible for writing many hymns, among them, one about Essex!” (Source: Norma Goff)

Undoubtedly many other past and present Essex residents and visitors remember George Orlia Webster as well, and I invite you to share your memories and stories so that we can share them with the community.

POETIC DESTINY

Turning to Webster’s creative legacy, “Essex-on-Champlain” is likely the most famous of his hymns among Essex, NY residents and seasonal habitues, but it represents a mere fraction of this prolific man’s creative output over the years.

Back in 2013, Thomas Palmer shared a wealth of information on his great grandfather, George O. Webster, including the following.

George was born in 1866 to Joseph B. and Francis Webster, his father being a minister himself as well as a Civil War veteran. When George was young, the family had a visit from a lady known as “Aunt Lucy,” who “read” the bumps on heads (“phrenology”). She proclaimed that young George had a “poetic” bump, and sure enough, he went on to author several hundred published hymns, cantatas, musicals, and other works.” (Source: Thomas Palmer)

Apparently Aunt Lucy was on to something. George O. Webster became a prolific author of hymns. Included at the end of this post is a list of 229 hymns that George O. Webster is known to have composed. “Essex-on-Champlain” does not appear on the list, an indication that there may be other hymns likewise overlooked.

I also have scrapbook of his correspondence with well-known hymn writers he knew and/or collaborated with, such as Charles H. Gabriel (who wrote hymns such as “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” etc.) and many others.

Great Grandpa’s best-known hymn is probably “I Need Jesus,” although there are many more that were well-known in their day. That hymn is almost always played or sung at family funerals and important events – it was played at my own wedding. (Source: Thomas Palmer)

Palmer augmented George O. Webster’s biography and provided a manuscript from a newspaper article written by Billy Burger for “The Adirondacker” column in The Record-Post, Au Sable Forks, NY, on Thursday, October 2, 1941. The following excerpts helps illustrate why George O. Webster was considered “one of the most amazing Adirondack personalities” by Record-Post columnist, Billy Burger.

A family story relays that Rev. Joseph Webster baptized George as a young man by carving a hole in an icy river in the middle of winter. George received his education at Saxon’s River Academy in Vermont (which is still in operation and known as Vermont Academy). Shortly after graduation, he was ordained as a minister, and his first pastorate was of a Baptist church in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont.

Rev. Webster spent the remainder of his life as a minister and farmer, and had pastorates in Warrensburg, Utica, and Franfort, New York. His last post was as pastor of the Federated Church in Essex, which I believed he considered the culmination of his career as a minister. I know he lived there for many, many years. He lived there with his last wife, Winifred (my own great grandmother had passed away at the age of 26, just a month after my grandmother was born). His two youngest daughters were there a lot as well, Marilla and Agnes.

I know for certain that he had a deep love for the Adirondacks in general and Essex in particular. (Source: Thomas Palmer)

THE SKY PILOT’S PULPIT

The Record-Post columnist Billy Burger profiled George O. Webster in “Sky Pilot” on October 2, 1941, amplifying the portrait offered by Palmer.

After his mother’s death, which occurred soon after Aunt Lucy’s visit, Mr. Webster went to a charge in Vermont and George ran wild. But not for long. Presently a famous lecturer and humorist, “Bob” Burdette, preached a couple of summers in the North River church. He got a grip on George, and this resulted in George’s conversion… George now turned definitely to the Baptist ministry, in which he has served almost fifty years. Significantly enough, although he says he can never be anything but, a Baptist at heart, thirty of the fifty years have been spent in undenominational work. His Federated church at Essex contains Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian groups and he is also Methodist minister at Whallonsburg.

Because of ill health of the present Mrs. Webster, he was forced to spend twelve years on a farm near Glens Falls. But the old farm just couldn’t keep George out of the pulpit. Before he realized what he was doing he was conducting, with Mrs. Webster’s help, four services a Sunday. The farm chores sandwiched in between. (Billy Burger, “Sky Pilot,” The Adirondacker. The Record-Post, Au Sable Forks, N. Y., October 2, 1941)

As pastor, farmer and hymn composer, George O. Webster appears to have been a veritable renaissance man.

ESSEX-ON-CHAMPLAIN, BY GEORGE O. WEBSTER

I’ve wished time and again that there will one day be an opportunity for an “Essex-on-Champlain” sing-a-long, but so far the hymn’s music exists only in my imagination.

If you have not had the opportunity to sing, hear or even read Rev. George O. Webster’s “Essex-on-Champlain” we’ve transcribed the hymn’s lyrics for you below. Although I was made aware that a recording of the hymn was made at one point (and that some of our readers have even listened to the recording), so far I’ve been unsuccessful at locating a copy of the recording. If you can help out, please let me know.

ESSEX-ON-CHAMPLAIN

There’s a wonderland of beauty,
One that has ten thousand charms,
At Essex, old Essex-on-Champlain;
Its attractions grip and hold you
Like some giant lover’s arms,
Dear Essex, dear Essex-on-Champlain.
Then here’s three cheers for Essex,
The fairest spot on the Champlain shore,
Where the moonlight plays like fountains
O’er the crystal lake and mountains,
Dear, dear old Essex, Essex-on-Champlain.

All who know her sing the praises
Of our village by the lake,
Of Essex, old Essex-on-Champlain;
And, with each returning season,
Here their thirst for beauty slake,
At Essex, dear Essex-on-Champlain.
Then here’s three cheers for Essex,
The fairest spot on the Champlain shore,
Where the moonlight plays like fountains
O’er the crystal lake and mountains,
Dear, dear old Essex, Essex-on-Champlain.

Summer skies or wint’ry weather
Have their charms for those who care
For Essex, old Essex-on-Champlain;
And her friends are now a legion
You can find them everywhere,
Dear Essex, dear Essex-on-Champlain.
Then here’s three cheers for Essex,
The fairest spot on the Champlain shore,
Where the moonlight plays like fountains
O’er the crystal lake and mountains,
Dear, dear old Essex, Essex-on-Champlain.

So we sing a song for Essex,
‘Tis a song from out the heart
For Essex, old Essex-on-Champlain;
Wheresoe’er her name is spoken
Fondest mem’ries always start,
Of Essex, dear Essex-on-Champlain.
Then here’s three cheers for Essex,
The fairest spot on the Champlain shore,
Where the moonlight plays like fountains
O’er the crystal lake and mountains,
Dear, dear old Essex, Essex-on-Champlain.

Ever since I began reading about George O. Webster’s “Essex-on-Champlain” I’ve yearned to hear it performed. I hope that one day in the not too distant future it might be possible to make a recording, sung and performed on the Warren A. Cross memorial pipe organ at the Essex Community Church. And back in 2013 there was even rumor that Rev. Webster’s great grandson, Thomas Palmer, a church organist and pianist with a direct-DNA link to the composer may have worked on an audio recording of “Essex-on-Champlain.” Fingers crossed!

GEORGE O. WEBSTER HYMNS

In addition to “Essex-on-Champlain”, Rev. George O. Webster composed literally hundreds of additional hymns. While “Essex-on-Champlain” may be the most hallowed of George O. Webster hymns for Essex residents and visitors, it by no means represents a unique accomplishment. In fact, it didn’t even appear in this impressive directory of hymns composed by Webster, opening the possibility that Webster may have composed additional hymns that are not properly credited. We’ve taken the liberty of updating the list with “Essex-on-Champlain” and we hope you’ll let us know if we’re missing any others.

1. America, Be­loved
2. Are You Build­ing on the Rock?
3. Are You Over Borne by Tri­als?
4. Arise, Arise, a Voice Is Sound­ing
5. Arise, Arise, for Lo, the Night Is Past
6. Arise, Arise, for Men
7. Army with Ban­ners Is March­ing Along, An
8. As We March Along, We Will Sing a Song
9. Awake, O Ye Blos­soms
10. Away in Yon­der Forest
11. Be Loy­al to Your Col­ors
12. Blossoms Lift Their Sun­ny Faces
13. Boys and Girls Re­peat
14. Breaking Through the Clouds Above Us
15. Call Rings Through the Land, A
16. Can a Boy For­get His Mo­ther?
17. Can I For­get the Debt I Owe?
18. Captain Calls for Vol­un­teers, The
19. Changeful May Be My Lot
20. Clericus Hymn, The
21. Clovers White and Clo­vers Red
22. Come Home, Come Home
23. Conflict Is Rag­ing of Right Against Wrong, A
24. Cry to Arms Is Heard, The
25. Day When Hea­ven and Earth Unite
26. Do the Storm Clouds Ga­ther So?
27. Earth’s Vic­tors with Gar­lands of Flow­ers
28. Essex-on-Champlain
29. Faith Will Keep the Sun­light Shin­ing
30. Father, So Ho­ly
31. Fear Not, but Trust
32. Fill Each Swift­ly Pass­ing Day
33. For His Dear Sake Who Car­ried
34. For the Sum­mer’s Gold­en Hours
35. For Your Flag and My Flag
36. Forward, For­ward, Sol­diers of the Cross
37. From the Gar­den of the Heart
38. From the Hea­ven’s Opened Por­tals
39. From the Riv­en Side of Je­sus
40. Gates of Life, The
41. Gird on Your Ar­mor
42. Go Forw­ard, Go For­ward in Je­sus’ Con­quer­ing Name
43. God Leads to Vic­to­ry
44. God Will Take Care of Me, Why Should I Fear?
45. God’s Will I Know Is Best for Me
46. Going Forth to Serve for Je­sus
47. Golden Hours Are Glid­ing On, The
48. Guiding Hand I Clear­ly See, A
49. Hail to the Great Cre­at­or
50. Have We Climbed the Mount of Vi­sion?
51. Have You Heard the Call to Bat­tle?
52. He Took My Place
53. Hear the Sweet Voice That Is Call­ing to Thee
54. Hear You Not the Sav­ior’s Lov­ing Call?
55. Holy Fa­ther, Thou, Throned on High
56. How Won­der­ful, How Mar­vel­ous
57. I Am Hap­py in My Sav­ior
58. I Have a Mighty Sav­ior
59. I Know That My Lord Watch­es o’er Me
60. I Need Je­sus
61. I Wan­dered on Life’s Care­less Way
62. I Will Tell the Won­drous Sto­ry of Re­deem­ing Love
63. I Would Go Where Je­sus Sends Me
64. Idly Stand­ing in the Mar­ket
65. If Christ Should Come to Me
66. If Je­sus Will Make Me a Bless­ing To­day
67. If the Clouds Are Dark and Drea­ry
68. If the Way Leads Down
69. If the Way Seems Hard with the March
70. If You Can Smile
71. If You Can­not Cross the Place
72. If You Will Just Be Hap­py
73. If You Would Walk in the Nar­row Way
74. I’m Re­deemed with a Price
75. In Ev­ery Hour of Tri­al
76. In My Heart He Set the Mu­sic Ring­ing
77. In My Heart There Swells a Song
78. In the Great World Field
79. Is It Well with My Soul
80. Jesus Gave Him­self for Me
81. Jesus Is a Friend of Mine
82. Jesus Loves Us
83. Jesus Set the Mu­sic Ring­ing
84. Jesus Took the Lit­tle Ones
85. Jesus, Who Knows and Cares
86. Just a Ray of Sun­shine
87. Just a Whis­pered Pray­er
88. Keep in Touch with Je­sus
89. Keep the Joy-Note Ring­ing
90. King of the Ag­es
91. Let a Song of Praise from Our Hearts Up­raise
92. Let the Child­ren of the King
93. Let the Glo­ry Crowned Ban­ner of Je­sus To­day
94. Let the Nat­ions Hear the News of Full Sal­va­tion
95. Let Us Cheer and Help Each Other
96. Let Us Now the Heart’s Door
97. Let Us Run Our Race
98. Let Us Sing for Joy
99. Let Your Life Be Set
100. Life Is a Book
101. Life Is a Friend­ly Road
102. Lift To­day Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
103. Lift Up Your Heads, Lift Up Your Heads
104. Listen to the Strain
105. Lo the Ro­sy Gleam of the Morn’s First Beam
106. Long Years I Had Wan­dered
107. Lord Is Call­ing for Men to Serve Him, The
108. Lord of Life Is Vic­tor Now, The
109. Lord, Teach Us to Pray
110. Love Led Him to Cal­va­ry
111. Love Led the Sav­ior, in Days Long Ago
112. Love of Christ the Sav­ior, The
113. Lovingly, Ten­der­ly, Tell the Sweet Sto­ry
114. Make Your Life a Means of Bless­ing
115. Manger, a Mo­ther, a Ba­by So Fair, A
116. Many, Ma­ny Years Ago
117. Many May Strive
118. March Forth for the King
119. Men of Our Amer­i­ca, The
120. Mighty God, the King of Life Im­mor­tal, The
121. Mighty Hosts of Sin and Wrong, The
122. Morning Breaks, I Face the Way Ahead, The
123. My Heart Is Aglow with a Love Light Di­vine
124. Now, in the Pride of the Strength of Thy Youth
125. O, Fall­en Bro­ther, Heed the Call
126. O Gift Di­vine, God’s Bound­less Love Re­veal­ing
127. O Ho­ly Spir­it, Breathe up­on Us Now
128. O Je­sus, Lad of Naz­a­reth
129. O My Bro­ther, Worn
130. O Pre­cious Word of Je­sus
131. O Sav­ior Dear, My Heart O’er­flows with Glad­ness
132. On Life’s Path­way as We Jour­ney
133. Onward Chris­tian Soldiers, Ev­ery Voice Sing
134. Our Eyes Have Seen the Mul­ti­tude
135. Our Fa­thers’ God, to Thee
136. Out in the Fields with God
137. Out of the Heart Are the Is­sues of Life
138. Perfume Lad­en Breez­es Bring a Mes­sage, The
139. Perhaps Your Feet May Chance to Tread
140. Pilgrim Band, a Throng, A
141. Praise God for His Word
142. Praise the Ev­er Liv­ing Lord
143. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord
144. Prayer Is the Key That Will Open the Door
145. Prize Is Set Be­fore Me, A
146. Prize Is the Hea­ven­ly, The
147. Proud Gird Your Ar­mor On
148. Ranks of Joy­ous Youth, The
149. Rocky Tomb Is Ri­ven, The
150. See the Mighty Youth­ful Ar­my
151. Seeking a King Who Was Born in a Man­ger
152. Shadows of Ev­en­ing Around Me, The
153. Shout Aloud Your Hal­le­lu­jahs
154. Since Je­sus, the Son of the High­est
155. Sing a Lit­tle Song
156. Sinner, the Sav­ior Is Call­ing to Thee
157. So Ma­ny Are Hea­vi­ly La­den
158. Some Days Are Dark, Some Days Are Fair
159. Someone Is Need­ing a Bless­ing To­day
160. Sometimes I Catch a Vi­sion Fair
161. Speak to Me Now, My Sav­ior
162. Stand in the Place of God’s Choos­ing
163. Strong Right Hand of Him Who Rules the World, The
164. Sweetest Songs Now Are Lift­ing
165. Tempests of Temp­ta­tion, The
166. There Are Hearts Whose Sor­est Need
167. There Are the Words of Je­sus
168. There Is a Name of Won­drous Might
169. There Is a Place Called Cal­va­ry
170. There Is Glad­ness, There Is Glo­ry
171. There Is One Who Und­er­stands
172. There Is Par­don Free
173. There Is So Much of Trou­ble
174. There Is Work for All to Do
175. There’s a Call for Men
176. There’s a Voice Full of Ten­der En­trea­ty
177. There’s Joy in the Ser­vice of Je­sus
178. They That Be­lieve in the Lord Shall Live
179. This Day We Call Our Mo­ther’s Day
180. This Day We Re­mem­ber the Deeds
181. This Shall Be Theme and Song
182. Thou God of the Mo­thers
183. Though Tem­pests of Temp­ta­tion Sweep
184. Though Tri­als Throng My Earth­ly Way
185. Though You May Not Do for Je­sus
186. Thro’ the Land a Call Is Sound­ing
187. Thy Ser­vants, Lord, Be­fore Thee Stand
188. Tiny Lit­tle Tots Are We
189. To All the World, the Son of God
190. To Trust in Our Fa­ther from Day to Day
191. Trusting the Pro­mis­es Pre­cious
192. Underneath the Ban­ner of Our Sav­ior
193. Victor Comes with King­ly Tread, The
194. Victory May De­pend on You, The
195. We Are Com­rades of the Cross
196. We Know That God Is on the Throne
197. We Love Our Coun­try’s Flag
198. We May Jour­ney with Re­joic­ing
199. We Praise the Con­quer­ing Might of Christ
200. We Send the Word to Af­ri­ca
201. We Sing To­day as Well
202. We Will Strive to Do
203. We’d Like to Sing
204. What Does the Mas­ter Ex­pect of Me?
205. When at Last the Strife Is End­ed
206. When Bur­dens Are Press­ing
207. When Cares and Toils Are Press­ing
208. When I Was Sink­ing in Des­pair
209. When in His Beau­ty My Sav­ior I See
210. When Sin Is In­vit­ing
211. When the Clouds Have Hid the Skies of Blue
212. When the Clouds Their Dark­ness
213. When the Days Are Dark
214. When the Sha­dows Deep­en
215. When the Sha­dows Ga­ther Dark
216. When the Temp­ter Calls You
217. When the Youth of Our Land
218. When to the Sav­ior You Come
219. Whene’er the Sha­dows Ga­ther
220. Where the Bless­ed Sav­ior Leads Me
221. Wherever the Path­way
222. Why Go We Mourn­ing All the Day
223. With a Firm and Lov­ing Hand
224. With Loy­al Hearts We Come Again
225. With Souls Aflame for Deeds of Fame
226. World Is Full of Sin, The
227. Ye Sol­diers of the Liv­ing God
228. You Ask What Makes Me Hap­py the Whole Day Long?
229. You May Ban­ish Care and Sad­ness
230. Youth Is the Speed­ing

(Source: The Cyber Hymnal)

HELP CATALOG WEBSTER’S HYMNS

When I originally published the series of posts on Webster, I encouraged readers to augment the list, and we did receive two comments filling in some missing information including the following from George O. Webster’s granddaughter, Mary Hartman.

I am G.O. Webster’s granddaughter – Mary Caroline (Palmer) Hartman. Born in Battle Creek, MI in 1939 to Lawrence and Mabel (Webster) Palmer. I am now widowed and reside in Texas. There is an old song book in my possession – “Spiritual Melodies” published by Pilgrim Publishing House in 1942 that contains four hymns you are missing on your list. These are songs with lyrics and music written by George:

• Praise His Name
• Jesus is Leading Me On
• I Met the Christ
• My Guide Will Bring Me Home

(Source: Mary Hartman, June 1, 2015)

Well done, Ms. Hartman!

The following was received from Teri Canty.

I have found a piece, mostly known as a descant (or an obbligato) with Silent Night. The two were blended in an arrangement by Anita Smisek. I believe the original hymn may have been known by the title “O Night of Holy Memory”. The text is attributed to George Webster and the music to Ira Wilson. Here are the lyrics:

Neath the silent stars the town is sleeping.
Shepherds on the hills their watch are keeping
Flocks are safe within the fold, secure from danger, want or cold.
Silent, silent night, Holy, Holy night,
Sleep in peace, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in peace.

O’er the moonlit plains were angels winging.
From the realms afar glad tidings bringing
See their robes of glistening gold, reflecting a celestial light.
Silent, silent night. Holy, holy night
Christ, the Saviour, Christ, the Saviour is born, Christ is born.

Now the dawn grows near the town is waking.
Magi on the hills their goal approaching.
Their gifts are safe within their arms, their hearts have found the loving light
Glorious, glorious night. Heavenly host sing alleluia
Jesus is born.

I haven’t found a music setting for JUST this text; it is always blended with Silent Night. If you have any luck locating the original setting, I’d love to know about it. (Source: Teri Canty, December 30, 2018)

The wonders of crowdsourcing! Now if we can inspire a performance and recording…