Four generations, from left: Euretta, her daughter Helen, Helen’s daughter Dora Barker, and Euretta’s mother, Elizabeth Havens Sweet.

This is the first of a three-part series. Images are courtesy of Jack Woodbury and the Darwin R. Barker Museum. The early Fredonia Baptist records reside in the SUNY Fredonia Archives and Special Collections, and are transcribed and posted with Chautauqua GenWeb.

To this day, Euretta Sweet Pettit (1804-1873) and her daughter Helen E. Pettit Barker (1825-1880) are honored in the exquisite stained-glass of the historic building which formerly housed the Fredonia Baptist Church.

Euretta’s and Helen’s memorial windows were donated by the Underground Railroad stationmaster Eber M. Pettit (1802-1885), who was Euretta’s husband and Helen’s father. The memorial was one of four announced on 6 July 1881 in the Fredonia Censor newspaper.

The new installations were among a total of eight, two-story, stained-glass windows for the sanctuary of the 1852 brick structure at 19 Church St.

That building, which had replaced the 1822 wood-frame church, is now owned and restored by a non-denominational organization known as Family Church. Today, seven of the sanctuary windows remain, along with smaller, matching windows in the entryway.

Euretta and Helen had lived and worked for more than two decades at Eber’s station, about 11785 Main Street in Versailles, not far from Fredonia. Their home no longer exists.

In 1868, Eber revealed the location of his station in serialized chapters for the Censor. The newspaper’s publisher later compiled those articles into the book Sketches in the History of the Underground Railroad.

Eber, his wife, several siblings, and his parents Dr. James Pettit (1777-1849) and Lucy W. Felt Pettit (1777-1859) had arrived in the area from central New York in the mid-1830s. Also with them were Lucy’s parents Graphen Sweet (1774-1841) and Elizabeth Havens Sweet (1784-1868).

James and family settled about 469 Chestnut Street, where they also operated an Underground Railroad station. That house is gone. Graphen Sweet and family settled nearby at 4626 Van Buren Road. Their home remains.

The Sweets and Pettits immediately joined the Fredonia Baptist Church, and James led the Chautauqua County Anti-slavery Society. Together James and Eber established a patent medicine business, and peddled their product.

Eber’s daughter Helen married Darwin R. Barker (1820-1885), who was active with his brother-in-law in the mill and tannery operations along the Cattaraugus Creek in Versailles. Helen and Darwin set up housekeeping in her parents’ large, Greek Revival home there.

After the Emancipation Proclamation, Eber and Darwin and family returned to Fredonia. They resided together in a new house at 276 Central Avenue, where they continued the family’s business. That home is gone.

Eber, Euretta, and Helen reunited with the Fredonia Baptists. However, Darwin is not listed in the membership roster.

Helen’s and Darwin’s daughter Dora (1851-1869) died shortly after their return to Fredonia. For another decade, Helen remained active in social matters, including the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Eber had not mentioned his wife or daughter in his articles or book. Whether this was to protect them, or was simply an oversight, Eber’s memorial window secured the women’s legacy.