USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > A standard history of Kosciusko County, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development. A chronicle of the people with family lineage and memoirs, Volume I > Part 25
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WARSAW'S CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES
FIRST WARSAW CHURCH, TAMARACK CABIN-M. E. CONFERENCE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATION-PAY OF EARLY M. E. CIRCUIT PREACHERS- FIRST METHODIST CAMP MEETING-FIRST AND PRESENT SABBATH SCHOOLS-METHODIST EDIFICES-M. E. HOME OF TODAY-FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF WARSAW-THE BAPTIST CHURCH - THE BAPTIST TEMPLE - UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH-THE BRETHREN CHURCH OF WARSAW-OTHER RELIGIOUS BODIES-SECRET AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES-THE MASONIC BODIES -THE ODD FELLOWS OF WARSAW - KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS AND PYTHIAN SISTERS-RED MEN AND MODERN WOODMEN-THE ELKS, EAGLES AND MOOSE-OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
The instinct of men and women is to grasp for the supports and comforts of religion in the midst of their physical hardships and their mental trials. Therefore it is that in a new, untried and uncertain country, in which such strains and perplexities are sure to arise, the first institutions which are organized are the churches. Religious bodies and expounders of religion may appear before even the civil forms of government take shape.
Where two or three are gathered together in the wilderness and before the Christian membership is strong enough to form a class or society, some man of God is found ready to plant the seed of his faith or nourish that which has already germinated. So, in Kos- ciusko County, there are records of several Methodist circuit riders who preached the word of comfort to the scattered settlers of the northeastern townships before Warsaw was placed on the map.
FIRST WARSAW CHURCH, TAMARACK CABIN
Among the most faithful of these servants was Rev. Richard Har- grave, and not long after Warsaw was platted, and Matthew D. Springer built its first cabin of tamarack poles, the Methodist mis- sionary was invited by its owner to preach the Word, according to his faith, in this primitive temple. There is no record as to the
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strength of the attendance upon the occasion of the delivery of this first sermon on the site of Warsaw; but it could not have been large, although it is safe to say that it was remarkable when judged by its proportion to the total number of settlers in the neighborhood. The location of this tamarack church was what is now the southeast corner of Center and Hickory, and is occupied by the residence of Mrs. Lulu Stouffer.
M. E. CONFERENCE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATION
The first quarterly conference met at Warsaw, then known as the Mission and embracing all of Kosciusko County, on the 26th of January, 1839. Rev. George Beswick was presiding elder and Rev. Thomas P. Owen, missionary in charge. The local preachers were Peter Warner, J. Ockerman, Alexander McElwain and Edwin Cone; exhorters, John Cook, T. Blake, John Wood, Robert Warner, Aquilla Belt, William Devenny, Joel Martin, Alexander Richhart, George Warner and George Hartshorn; stewards, William Alexander, H. Bowdle, R. H. Lansdale and James McLeod; class leaders, Daniel Webb, John Frush, Daniel Groves, John Doke, David Hayden, L. D. Warner, Isaac Kern, Charles Ketcham, Henry Engel, E. S. Blue and Aquilla Belt. At that time the places of meeting were at Warsaw, Leesburg and Syracuse, and at the homes of Robert Warner, H. Bowdle, Daniel Groves, James McLeod, Edwin Cone, Daniel Webb, T. Blake, James McLeod, Aquilla Belt and perhaps two or three others.
PAY OF EARLY M. E. CIRCUIT PREACHERS
Were it not that a dollar would go many times further eighty years ago than it does in 1919, it would have been physically im- possible for an infant to exist on what was paid those hard-working, ever-circulating Methodist missionaries. The salary of the preachers was fixed by church law-$100 annually for a single man; a minister with a wife, $200; with allowances for each child of a certain age, for house rent, table expenses, fuel and horse feed-the last named items to be determined by a committee appointed for the purpose. All salaries, allowances and extras were subject to the final revision and approval of the quarterly conference. A sample of these "allow- ances" is furnished in the experience of Rev. Thomas P. Owen, whose table expenses for one year were placed at $70.
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FIRST METHODIST CAMP MEETING
The first Methodist camp meeting in the county was held at Groves' Camp Ground late in June, 1839. In the fall of the suc- ceeding year the charge was named Warsaw circuit, and attached to the South Bend district. At that time S. K. Young was the pastor in charge, and in 1841 Rev. O. V. Lemon was appointed as his assist- ant. Mr. Lemon was in charge of the meeting held at Peter Warner's Camp Ground in September of that year. Warsaw was then at- tached to the Fort Wayne district. The recording steward's books show that Brother Lemon was allowed $75 for table expenses during 1841 and received $163.36 as his salary.
FIRST AND PRESENT SABBATH SCHOOLS
In 1843 the circuit was divided, and Rev. Elihu Anthony was appointed preacher in charge. During 1844 the first Sabbath School was organized at Warsaw, with forty scholars and six teachers; Joel Fish, superintendent. The preacher reported it as "a wholesome school."
Somewhat of a contrast, the present Sunday school of the First M. E. Church of Warsaw, with its 800 scholars and more than 70 officers and teachers!
METHODIST EDIFICES
It was near the close of 1844, while Rev. Nelson Green was pastor of the society that the first efforts at building a new church were made. James Stinson donated a lot on South Indiana Street, which has been occupied by the Methodists ever since. It was some time before the work of building was fairly under way, so that the church was not completed until 1848. During 1867-68 this structure was removed to make place for a new brick church, and was taken to the lot on the line of the Big Four and, with an addition, made to do service as an elevator. It was occupied by Kinsey Brothers as the Big Four Elevator.
Construction work upon the new brick church was begun in 1867, in the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Comstock, and completed in the spring of the following year. At that time it was considered one of the finest church edifices in Indiana. Completed, it cost nearly $23,000 and seated about 700 people.
During the forty-seven years of continuous service in that hand-
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some brick church, the membership of the society increased from 380 to 1,150. During the same period, the Sunday school grew from an enrollment of 400 to more than 800. In 1914 the graded system of lessons was adopted.
M. E. HOME OF TODAY
When it was found that the brick church building was not large enough to accommodate every department of the work, it was decided to erect a new and larger structure, and the quarterly conference of 1915 appointed a building committee for that purpose. In order that the work of the church might not be interrupted during the progress of construction, a wooden tabernacle was erected on West Center Street. This was accomplished by the men of the church in less than a week's time. The Methodist Tabernacle was thus used during the year 1915.
Active building operations had been in progress on the third church home since March, 1915, and the corner stone was laid on Sunday, May 16th, of that year. It was completed during the fol- lowing year at a cost of about $60,000.
Both in its exterior appearance and its interior furnishings, the First M. E. Church building is stately, elegant and modern. The main structure is massed around a grand central dome, under which is the capacious auditorium seating, with balconies, about 700 people. Immediately behind the pulpit is a grand pipe organ. Large folding doors connect the main auditorium with the Groves Sunday School room which is on the east side. With these doors thrown open, a large audience can be comfortably seated within sight and hearing of the speaker. The edifice has five entrances, the main one being on Market Street.
In several other features, the church stands eminent as a mod- ernly equipped plant. In the basement is a dining room that will comfortably seat between 400 and 500. It also provides a gymnasium and a fully equipped kitchen, shower bath and cloak rooms.
The general plan of the interior, which was carried out with note- worthy success, was to so arrange it that every department of the church society could meet simultaneously, if need be, without inter- fering with each other. It was furthermore planned that the church should be open to the congregation every day in the year, which was a great help in solving some of the social problems which confronted the society, especially with reference to the young people. With the addition of the multitude of war activities to the usual church work,
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it proved fortunate that that program had already been formulated. Nearly 100 young men joined the army and navy during the progress of the war, and a number of gold stars were placed on the honor flag of the church.
Since April, 1915, the First Methodist Church of Warsaw has been under the pastorate of Rev. Leslie J. Naftzger, D. D., under whose charge it has reached a membership of between 1,100 and 1,200.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Presbyterians were the second of the sects to organize in Warsaw. It was formed by Rev. J. Wolff, on November 7, 1840, by authority of the Logansport Presbytery, with the following members: William Williams, Mary Williams, Peter Hover, Isaac Lncas, Catha- rine Lucas, Priscilla Davis, Mary McFadden, Eliza Nye and Eliza Van Ohren. Messrs. Williams and Hover were chosen elders. Mr. Hover was only stated supply, the first regular pastor of the church being Rev. Samuel G. Weeks, who came in December, 1843, and served for nearly five years.
Rev. W. S. Wilson assumed the pastorate in 1854 and his term covered a period of fourteen years. During two years of the Civil war, commencing in August, 1862, he was chaplain of the Eighty- Eighth Regiment, but resigned on account of disability and resumed his pastorate in the Presbyterian Church. During his absence at the front, the pulpit was supplied by Dr. Jacob Little and Rev. Mr. Spinney.
In 1859 the first choir was organized by A. J. Mershon, Mrs. McComb's father, who led the singing with his big bass viol. In 1865 a two-manual organ was purchased.
In 1886, during the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Boyd, the brick church was built, located on the south side of Market Street near High. Its cash cost was $12,000 and many thousands more were donated in work and material. Mr. Boyd was pastor for eleven years.
Rev. J. Quincy Hall was the succeeding pastor, and during his incumbency the present pipe organ was installed.
Rev. James M. Eakins assumed charge in October, 1909, and in the same month of 1915 the massive and handsome edifice on South High Street now occupied by the society was dedicated with im- pressive and appropriate ceremonies. Since 1840 the membership of the First Presbyterian Church of Warsaw has increased from 10 to about 425, with a corresponding expansion of religious, social and
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charitable activity in all directions. Rev. Frank N. Palmer, the pastor now in charge, succeeded Mr. Eakins in September, 1918.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT WARSAW
For more than fifteen years before a regularly organized church of this denomination was formed in Warsaw, various members of the faith met in residences and listened to the expounding of the Word by Christian preachers. The first local move in that direction was made in 1849 by Elder John Gordon, who had come from Knox County, Ohio, and induced Isaac Butler, a preacher of the Church of Christ, to settle in Warsaw and organize a society, or class, of eleven members. Mr. Gordon, who had brought about the organiza- tion, continued as elder until his death in September, 1877, a dozen years after the church had effected a regular organization. The meetings, which were held at his house, were continuously maintained until 1865.
In March of the year mentioned, Elders M. N. Lord and William McElvaine organized a church under the name of the Christian Church of Warsaw. John Gordon and Noah Watts were selected as its elders, and Jacob Nye and H. B. Stanley as deacons. J. B. Mar- shall began his ministry in May, 1865. The first church home was a small building purchased of William Cosgrove and formerly owned by the Presbyterians, for which the Christians paid $400. They also bought lot 305 (original plat of the City of Warsaw) of Elder Gor- don for $500. The house was moved to that site, on Lake Street, repaired at an expense of $250, and when occupied was considered a very neat and comfortable place for worship.
The first Bible School of the Christian Church was organized in February, 1871, and E. V. Peck was made superintendent; Mrs. Vic- toria Moon, secretary. Although it opened with only nine pupils, it has since developed into an instrument of general religious benefit to the community.
In the spring of 1876 Rev. Knowles Shaw conducted an evan- gelical meeting which is still considered the most successful ever held by the local society.
In the summer of 1887, Rev. C. M. Granger was called to the pastorate, and through the unbounded zeal and untiring efforts of himself and wife the present church edifice was completed in 1889. At that time it was the handsomest and most complete house of wor- ship in the city.
In 1888 the Christian Woman's Board of Missions was organized,
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with Mrs. Victoria Moon as its president, and in the same year the Young People's Society of the church was founded. Both organiza- tions have been helpful and uplifting.
The present membership of the church is about 250, with a Bible School enrollment of 200. The minister now in charge, Rev. R. H. Jones, assumed charge in June, 1918.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH
The First Baptist Church of Warsaw was constituted on January 11, 1851, there being but two Baptists known in Warsaw at that time-Brother S. B: Clark and Sister Hester A. Clark. Clear Creek Baptist Church, located three miles southeast of Warsaw, disbanded, and, with these two, organized the Warsaw Baptist Church. At that time, the Baptist organizations in Franklin Township, Yellow Creek, Oswego and Monoquet were flourishing and through their pastors, Revs. James Martin, Ira Gratton, Edward Desborough and Zebidee James, they called a council and constituted the following as the reg- ular Baptist organization at Warsaw: Brothers S. B. Clark, L. P. Howe, Isaac Brady, Daniel Weiss and Edward Desborough, and Sisters Hester A. Clark, Elizabeth Howe, Jane Knowles, Ruhannah Losure and Sarah Bates. S. B. Clark and L. P. Howe were chosen deacons; Isaac Brady, church clerk; S. B. Clark, I. Brady and I. J. Morris, trustees.
At first the congregation worshipped in the Second Presbyterian Church building, but in June, 1854, occupied its own meeting house. Rev. Edward Desborough served as pastor until the coming of the minister elect, Rev. Abner Denman, who had charge from March, 1851, until his death on April 19th of the following year.
The next settled incumbent was Rev. Daniel Thomas, who served from November, 1853, until his decease on September 24, 1854. The succeeding pastor also passed away while a servant of the Warsaw Baptist Church, on July 3, 1856, having given the last eleven months of his life to this cause. Then followed several years of trials and uncertainties, during which the pulpit was unoccupied for much of the time.
There was a revival of strength and growth under Brother R. H. Cook who came in February, 1862, and remained for four years. A new and larger house of worship was built and the Sabbath school organized.
In 1866-67 Brother John Carter and Rev. J. B. Hutton served the church, and in 1870-71, Revs. D. L. Clouse, A. L. Seward and
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F. Moro. During the incumbency of the last named, on August 19, 1871, the church home was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt after a time, and had the misfortune to be partially wrecked by a wind storm in June, 1875. But, notwithstanding these misfortunes, the society made a consistent gain as the years passed.
Among those pastors who greatly contributed to the well-being of the church were Rev. J. B. Tuttle, who became pastor in 1876 and served two years; Rev. J. R. Edwards, whose pastorate extended from April, 1880, to October, 1884; Rev. J. H. Winans, from April, 1885, to January, 1889; Rev. Noah Harper, March, 1889, to March, 1890; Rev. W. W. Hicks, July, 1890, to September, 1892; Rev. W. A. Pavy, April, 1893, to January, 1896, during which the church was remodeled and more than a hundred added to the society's member- ship; Rev. E. J. Brownson, March, 1896, to May, 1898; Rev. A. A. Williamson, October, 1898, to February, 1899; Rev. C. C. Marshall, March, 1899, to August, 1900; Rev. W. B. Cullis, June, 1901, to Jan- uary, 1902; Rev. George Lockhart, March, 1902, to June, 1904; Rev. C. A. Lemon, March, 1905, to October, 1906; Rev. W. B. Cullis, who had before served the church as supply, from November, 1906, to June, 1907; Rev. B. H. Truman, October, 1907, to November, 1912, during which period the church lost, by death, his deacon, I. J. Mor- ris, who died March 4, 1910; Rev. A. A. Fletcher, September, 1913, to November, 1914; Rev. A. W. Littrell, November, 1914, to Novem- ber, 1917, and Rev. H. G. Hamilton, from the latter date to the present.
THE BAPTIST TEMPLE
The project of building a new and modern house of worship had been under discussion for some time when Rev. A. W. Littrell as- sumed the pastorate. Largely under his superintendency, the edifice now occupied and known as the Baptist Temple, was completed. It was dedicated on May 11, 1915, and is located opposite the Public Library, corner of Center and Detroit streets. The Temple was erected at a cost of $20,000 and is one of the most striking houses of worship in Warsaw. The old church property had been sold to the city for municipal purposes in January, 1915. Under the pastorate of Rev. H. G. Hamilton the church membership is about 315.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH
The United Brethren of Warsaw have been organized into a church for more than thirty-five years, their first pastor, Rev. A. Maynard Cummins, having served in 1883-85. His successors until 1894 were
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Revs. J. Simons, J. T. Keesey and E. H. Pontius. Rev. J. A. Groves served from 1894 to 1896, and during his pastorate the present build- ing was erected on the corner of Center and Washington streets.
Following Mr. Groves as pastors were Revs. R. J. Parrot, G. F. Byer, J. W. Lower, A. Maynard Cummins (second term), J. L. Goshert, B. F. Thomas, J. A. Groves (second term), F. P. Over- meyer and W. P. and Alice Noble (husband and wife). Mr. and Mrs. Noble have been in charge of the church activities of the United Brethren since 1916, and the society has developed into one of the strongest in the city, having an active membership of more than 400.
The comfortable parsonage of the church was erected during the ministry of Rev. J. L. Goshert in 1909-10.
The society has developed a prosperous Sunday school, in line with the traditional policy of the United Brethren Church, its present enrollment being 500. The Christian Endeavor alone has a mem- bership of more than 100. The organization as a whole evinced note- worthy activity in all the movements of the late war, as they applied to the material and moral support of the Government through such agencies as the Young Men's Christian Association, Red Cross, etc.
THE BRETHREN CHURCH OF WARSAW
The above is the incorporated name of the progressive branch of the Warsaw Dunkards. The house of worship is located on the corner of Center and Bronson streets. The society was organized at Warsaw in 1890 and worshipped in 'an old building in the neighborhood until its first church was completed in 1892. It stood upon the site of the church now occupied, which is of brick and was completed in 1910.
The successive pastors of the Brethren Church have been Revs. L. W. Ditch, C. F. Yoder, H. R. Goughnour, G. C. Carpenter, C. E. Kolb and A. T. Ronk, who is now in charge. The present member- ship is 445.
OTHER RELIGIOUS BODIES
The St. Andrew's (Episcopal) Church, the foundation of which was laid in 1861, was, for many years, one of the religious bodies of Warsaw.
The Catholics established a permanent mission in Warsaw, during 1852, and in 1877 erected a small brick church on West Market Street. It has always been under the jurisdiction of the Fort Wayne
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bishopric and its pulpit is now supplied from that point. The mission is known as St. Joseph's.
The Christian Scientists meet on North Detroit Street, with Rhodes Lloyd as first reader.
SECRET AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES
Warsaw, in common with other growing and progressive com- munities, has long supported the standard orders of a secret and benevolent nature whoch have always constituted a marked feature of American life, and has also organized others which have made special appeals to the particular character of its people. Among the oldest and foremost of these are the bodies connected with Masonry, Odd Fellowship and Pythianism.
THE MASONIC BODIES
Warsaw Lodge No. 73, Free and Accepted Masons, was the first Masonic body to be organized in Kosciusko County. This occurred in 1848, and it was chartered ou June 1, 1849. It has initiated a large number of Masons and has enrolled as high as 130 members, although with the organization of other bodies its strength has been considerably reduced below that figure. There are now five bodies of Masons in Warsaw-Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Com- mandery.
William Parks was the first worthy master of Warsaw Lodge No. 73, and, besides him, its charter members were F. A. Harris, Wil- liam B. Barnett, Jonathan Moon, Robert Graves, J. W. Stapleford, Clark Yager, John W. Morris, Jeremiah Stephenson, C. M. A. Burse, George Moore, John Knowles, S. D. Bowsley, Nelson Millice and Solomon Ayres.
Messrs. Harris and Barnett succeeded Mr. Parks as head of the lodge, previous to 1855, when William C. Graves and C. W. Chap- man served as worthy masters until nearly Civil war times. Mr. Graves also occupied the chair during five terms within the succeed- ing twenty-five years, 1877 being his last year as worthy master dur- ing that period. C. W. Chapman, George Moon and William G. Piper were also prominent during these early times.
Lake City Lodge No. 371 was chartered in 1868, being an off- shoot of Warsaw No. 73, but was finally discontinued. Its charter members were J. M. Leamon, O. H. Aborn, L. P. Pentecost, E. M. Goodwin, J. W. Dunlay, T. B. Felkner, J. D. Thayer, William Con-
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rad, W. S. Hull, E. G. Burgess, A. P. Jackson and M. R. Rizer. Mr. Leamon was the first worthy master.
Warsaw Chapter No. 48, Royal Arch Masons, of Warsaw, was granted a dispensation by the Grand Chapter of the State of In- diana, on October 25, 1862, upon petition of the following Royal Arch Masons: T. Davenport, George Moon, C. W. Chapman, B. Becker, J. M. Leamon, Jeremiah Stephenson, J. T. Donahoo, I. R. Walton and J. W. Pottenger. Among the early high priests of the chapter were T. Davenport, C. W. Chapman and W. C. Graves.
The Knights Templars organized in 1867 by the Grand Encamp- ment at Shelbyville, under the following officers: Abraham Reeves, grand commander; William Cosgrove, generalissimo; Edward Moon, captain general.
The fourth Masonic body in Warsaw is Council No. 88, Royal and Select Masters.
The fifth is Warsaw Chapter No. 88, Order of the Eastern Star, the woman's auxiliary of the order.
The Masons have occupied their present home on East Center Street, corner of Buffalo, since 1883. The anticipation is that a new and appropriate temple will soon be erected, although the war has broken into the plans looking to that end, so that it may be farther away than now seems probable. As in the other live orders, the local membership, especially the most active element, was considerably re- duced while hostilities were under way, and those who could not serve at the front were at times so absorbed by patriotic activities that the work of the order had to be given second place.
THE ODD FELLOWS OF WARSAW
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is represented by two lodges, an encampment and a woman's auxiliary in Warsaw. The oldest body, Kosciusko Lodge No. 62, was chartered on January 9, 1849, on petition of A. B. Crihfield, George Moon, James Frazer, Joseph A. Funk, John N. Cosgrove and Lyman A. Lattimer. In the following February it was instituted by the charter members named, George Moon being elected its first noble grand.
The first meeting of the lodge was held in the third story or attic of a frame building on the corner of Market and Buffalo streets, owned by H. P. Buir and occupied by the Sons of Temperance. In 1850 it occupied the third story of Moon & Cosgrove's brick building, corner of Center and Buffalo streets, and continued to make its home there for eight years. A stock company among members of the order
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