USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > A twentieth century history and biographical record of Elkhart County, Indiana > Part 36
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" This completes the story of the precarious beginning of Presbyter- ianism in Goshen. Since the death of Rev. Bouton no stable Presby- terian organization existed, and even the Congregationalist organiza- tion fell away after the departure of Rev. Kedsie. Other church organ- izations in Goshen in 1852 were the Baptist, which had a small mem-
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bership and a minister but no house of worship. The Methodist church had the largest membership, about one hundred and fifty, and what was then considered the finest church building between Ft. Wayne and Chi- cago. It was located at 211 North Main street. And such was the situation at the time of the organization of the present church.
" From that time to the present a history of the church is almost a biography of its pastor, for whatever it is now is his building, what- ever of good it has accomplished he deserves the credit. The last Sun- day of October. 1852, the Rev. H. L. Vannuys, a graduate of that year's class of the Theological Seminary of Princeton, came to Goshen from Elkhart by stage. He had made an appointment with the Hon. Thomas G. Harris to preach the next day in the Presbyterian church. The latter was a citizen of prominence, and a politician of note, who, being so engrossed in the heat of the troublous campaign then coming to a close, when Gen. Winfield S. Scott was defeated by Franklin Pierce. entirely forgot that he was being depended upon to arrange a service in the little neglected church on Fifth street. In the morning he met the young minister at the church, where the latter was awaiting a con- gregation, and after expressing his deep regret for the situation said they would arrange a service later in the day. The church was unfit for occupancy, the door having been left open, and a flock of sheep that had the freedom of the streets had used the room as a sleeping place. and the walls and benches had been chalk-marked by sacrilegious boys. " At the hour of three that afternoon an audience assembled, quite filling the court room. It was a room a square of perhaps forty-five or fifty feet, the floor of brick and on a level with the ground. The preacher occupied the judge's stand. The choir, self-gathered after the audience assembled, was in the stall of the jury men at the judge's left. The windows were raised as it was a warm Indian summer after- noon, and a good number of people were at and around the windows listening. Such was the humble start of the church.
" The following week a meeting was held by a number of people inclined to the Presbyterian faith, the conclusion of which was a propo- sition that if Mr. Vannuys would remain and preach as their minister they would set about at once to putting of the church building in order for occupancy. And before the week was ended they began the work. They put a new roof upon the church, put a second coat of plaster upon the walls-they had had but one-took out two doors of the front and put in a central one covered by an outside vestibule and built the first.
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stay of a tower. They removed the rough benches and put in pews -nicely grained-and finished it up a neat and handsome room. The same pulpit remained; it had been built by Rev. Johnson's own hands. By the Christmas of that year the work was completed and the build- ing consecrated to worship.
" All that winter services were held in the little church. When spring came there came with it talk of an organization. On Saturday afternoon, the 12th day of March, 1853, a meeting was held in the church pursuant to a call issued the preceding Sunday, to consider the interests of religion. There were fourteen present. all but three of whom belonged to the old congregation. The following persons, all of whom had been previously in connection with the church here or elsewhere, entered into covenant ; Charles L. Murray and Ann M., his wife: James R. McCord, and Eliza, his wife; S. F. Abbott and Lois, his wife: Joseph D. Devor and Martha, his wife: Robert Lowry, Sr., Lee Sanderson, Orrin Curtis, Matilda Barnes, Marcia M. Harris and Margaret M. Miller.
" The following officers were chosen: Ruling elders: Robert Lowry, Sr., James R. McCord and Orrin Curtis; deacons: Joseph D. Dover and Lee Sanderson: trustees: Charles L. Murray, Orrin Cur- tis and Thomas G. Harris. Rev. Hervey L. Vannuys was chosen pas- tor. The organization was christened as . The First Presbyterian Church of Goshen.
"David G. Lowry, a son of Elder Robert Lowry, Sr., was the first member taken into the church; this was March 26, 1853. About the same time Miss Sophia McClure and Mrs. Lucy Cark were taken in as members. \ little later Mrs. Mary Stevens and Dr. C. S. Ramsey and wife came from Indianapolis and presented their letters. Then Mrs. Jane McCabe, Mrs. Eliza Lowry, Miss Elizabeth Lowry and Mrs. Amanda Shepherd joined. Mrs. Orrin Curtis and Anthea Abbott united with the church about this time, but the date is uncertain. All these accessions occurred before the month of March elapsed. so that this new-born church early became a youth of goodly proportions and twen- ty-seven members.
" About 1860 the membership had outgrown the small building erected almost twenty years before and to get larger and modern quar- ters the trustees sold the old church to Fred Jackson for $750, and later purchased the lot on Market street, now Lincoln avenue, where the present church stands. Fred Jackson sold the old church to Adam
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Yeakel, who moved it to its present location on South Fifth street, where it is now ( 1902) in use as their place of worship by the con- gregation of the German Lutheran church. Turned about, a steeple added, stained glass windows replacing plain glass, it is yet the same as when put in order back in the fall of 1852.
" The present structure was built in 1861 at a cost of about $12 .- 000. John Werner, at present a member of the church, laid the founda- tion and superintended the brick work. What difficulties must have been encountered and overcome during this time of building can scarcely be imagined by members of this day, though fully realized then. It was the beginning of the Civil war and it is marvelous to think of such a great work going on amid the alarms and chaos of that nation-rend- ing contest. It is related that while the masons were placing stone the pastor procured copies of a newspaper and read them dispatches about the battle of Bull Run then in progress."
These denominations may be called the religious pioneers in Elk- hart county. Other creeds were certainly represented here about the same time, but rather in individual members than in organizations. Dur- ing the fifties and sixties many churches were founded, the old bodies erected more substantial houses of worship in place of their primitive sanctuaries, and the various denominations such as we know them to- day became established. Among these early religious bodies should no doubt be included also the Mennonites, representatives of which sect are said to have come to the county in 1843. In the years subsequent to that time a very strong community of these people, adhering to sim- plicity of faith and practice, had been established in the county, and the Mennonites exert a considerable influence not only in religion but in business and general affairs.
So closely identified with the general settlement and upbuilding of the county in its church history that elsewhere in the work, especially in those chapters dealing with the early settlement and the history of the smaller centers, it has been related how the churches often formed the nucleus around which was built up a larger community: also in the history of the smaller centers we have named the various church de- nominations represented in each town and given such other facts as have been furnished concerning their present condition. In the re- mainder of this chapter some particular mention is made of some rep- resentative churches in the county.
J. S. Hartzler, of the Mennonite church at Goshen, has kindly fur-
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nished some valuable facts concerning the history of his church in this county. It was possibly two years after the Amish Mennonites had made their first settlement in Elkhart county ( 1841) about four miles east of Goshen, that John Smith, a Mennonite of Medina county, Ohio, purchased a farm near what is now known as Harrison Center, south- west of Goshen, but it was not until the spring of 1845 that the Mennon- ites began to make settlements. At that time, says Mr. Hartzler, Bishop Martin Hoover, then eighty-five years old, with his son John. moved on a farm near Southwest. Few others of the faith came until the spring of 1848, when Pre. Jacob Christophel and Pre. Jacob Wisler, with their families accompanied by several other families, joined the colony. . Ascension day of the same year being chosen as the day on which the first services should be held, sixteen persons, including the three ministers, were present, and the principal sermon was preached by Jacob Wisler. Bishop Hoover made a few remarks while seated. No one being present who was accustomed to lead in singing and others fearing that they would break down, their first service had no song.
From this time forward regular services were held every two weeks, sometimes in the schoolhouse, and sometimes in barns, private dwellings, etc. The Mennonite colony was increased in the summer of 1848 by the arrival, from Wayne, Medina and Columbiana counties, Ohio, of twenty-four families, among which were the Hartmans, Holde- mans, Moyers, Smeltzers and others. By the summer of 1849 the congregation had increased so that a meeting house of their own was justified. Accordingly a log meeting house, twenty-six feet square, was built on the same ground now occupied by the Yellow Creek meeting house. This building once took fire from the stove pipe, four of the ceiling boards being burned and the girder for half the length of the building being charred, but the fire went out of its own accord and did no further damage. In addition of twenty-four feet in length was later made to this house, and in 1861 the old place of worship was moved away and the new frame edifice, still standing, forty by sixty feet. was put up in its stead.
Among the early leaders of this faith in Elkhart county was Daniel Moyer, who was chosen to the ministry and served in that capacity a number of years. He was an earnest preacher, but his earthly labors were brought to a sudden close by a collision on the railroad, through which he lost his life while on the way with two other ministers to visit the churches in Canada. in December. 1864. In 1853 R. J. Schmidt
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and N. J. Sijmensma, two ministers, and their families and a number of their brethren and their families, on account of their faithful ad- herence to the doctrine of non-resistance, were compelled to emigrate from Holland, and settled in this county, where Bro. Sijmensma died a few years afterward, leaving the care of his charge to Bro. Schmidt, who still held services at stated periods, in the Holland language. After his death the remaining members united with the other Mennonite con- gregations. Trouble arose among the Mennonites of this county on ac- count of the various ideas and practices brought from the different places represented by the new settlers, and from this schismatic diffi- culties have resulted the three factions known as Mennonites, United Mennonite Brethren in Christ, and the Old Order ( Wisler ) Mennonites.
In the Mennonite faction there are at present the following organ- ized congregations in Elkhart county: Nappanee, under the care of Bishop David Burkholder and Noah Metzler. Holdeman, under the ministers Henry Weldy. John Hygema and Jacob Bixler. Olive, under Jacob Shenk. Yellow Creek, ministers Jacob Christophel and Jonas Loucks. Elkhart, ministers John F. Funk, Samuel Yoder, George Lam- bert, D. H. Bender. Goshen, ministers J. S. Hartzler and I. W. Royer. Salem, minister Jacob Christophel. Clinton, under John Garber, bishop, and Samuel Honderich, minister.
HISTORY OF THE GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN CHURCH IN JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
By J. H. Warstler.
Unfortunately there do not seem to be any records of the early his- tory of the Brethren church in the county, but they were among the first settlers in the county; and among them was Daniel Cripe, the first minister of the Brethren church in Elkhart county, who located on Elkhart prairie about 1828 or '20. The first church was organ- ized about 1830 or '31, and Jacob Studebaker and Martin Weybright. Sr., were elected to the ministry, being the first ministers chosen in Elk- hart county. And it is pretty clear that Daniel Cripe was the first minister of any denomination in the county.
From this organization the church spread over the county, and in the year 1856 a church was organized in the south part of the county, embracing the most of Jackson and Benton townships and a part of Kosciusko county. This organization was. named " Solomon's Creek
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congregation." It was organized with Frederick P. Loehr and Martin Weybright. Jr., as ministers, and Jacob Arnold, John Weybright. Joel Rush and Levi Wyland, deacons. In the year 1858 Daniel Shively was chosen to the ministry, and in the year 1862 F. P. Loehr was ordained elder.
After the church was organized the meetings were held in barns. schoolhouses and private dwellings until the year 1864, when the Breth- ren built one of the largest meeting houses in northern Indiana. This was at a time when volunteers for the Civil war were exhausted and drafts became necessary, consequently, commutation money in connec- tion with the expense of building a house of worship, taxed the brethren very heavily and was a source of some annoyance, but they met and paid off the debt and now the church has no obligations which she is unable to fill.
Just about the time the house was completed, that is in the year 1864. Martin Weybright, Jr., was called to reap the reward of his labors upon earth, having been permitted to worship but once in the new meeting house, and early in the year 1865 Eller Loehr moved to Michigan, and in the latter part of the same year. Daniel B. Gibson. a deacon, moved in the congregation and after remaining about three years, moved away.
By the removal of Ekler Loehr, Daniel Shively was left alone in the ministry until the month of June, 1866, when George W. Cripe was chosen minister. In the latter part of the same year. Peter Ham- mon, minister, moved into the church and remained about a year, when he moved away. In 1867 Joseph Hardman and George Domer, min- isters, moved in, and in 1868. Lewis Muntz was chosen to the ministry. The same year G. W. Cripe moved into another congregation. In 1869 Jesse Calvert, minister, was received by letter of recommendation, and in 1871 Joseph Hardman moved away and Joseph Hartsough. also a minister, was received by letter of recommendation.
In 1872 Abraham L. Neff was elected to the ministry, and in 1873 George Domer moved away, and Davis Younce, minister, moved into the church. In 1875. Jesse Calvert, and in 1876 Joseph Hartsough moved away, so that in 1877 the ministers were D. Shively. Lewis Muntz. A. L. Neff and Davis Younce. To the deacons already named there were added by choice in 1856. Daniel Shively, and soon after David Coy. In 1858. as before stated, D. Shively was chosen to the ministry and in 1860 Josiah Rensberger and Ashley Furgeson were
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chosen deacons. In 1861 Levi Wyland moved away and Eli Myers was chosen, and in 1863 he departed this life, and in 1863 Josiah Rens- berger and Ashley Furgeson moved away, and the same year G. W. Cripe, Elias Cline and George Smith were chosen. In 1865 George Smith moved away and Christian Harshman was received by letter. In 1866, as already stated. G. W. Cripe was chosen minister, and Daniel Forney moved in, and in 1807 John Arnold and Cyrus Lentz were elected. In 1869 Jacob Arnold departed this life, and the same year Joseph Lautzenheiser and John Robinson moved into the district, and in IS70 Eli Harter also moved in. In 1872 Christian Harshman was disabled by a stroke of paralysis, and the same year Cyrus Lentz moved away.
In 1873 Joel Rush died, and Joseph Lautzenheiser and Eli Harter moved away, and in 1874 Michael Treesh and J. Henry Warstler were chosen. In the year 1876 Cyrus Lentz was received back by letter, making. in 1877. ten deacons, as follows: John Weybright, Daniel Forney. Christian Harshman ( disabled ). David Coy, Elias Cline, John Arnold. Cyrus Lentz. John Robinson. Michael Treesh and J. H. Warst- ler.
Since 1877. Lewis Muntz and Davis Younce have died. Davis Younce January 14. 1897, and Lewis Muntz a short time previous. Of the deacons mentioned the following have also died: Christian Harsh- man in 1887, Elias Cline in 1893. John Weybright in 1901. Daniel Forney also in 1901. David Coy in 1902. Cyrus Lentz and John Robin- son moved away, and J. H. Warstler was elected to the ministry. Of the number only John Arnold and M. Treesh are still holding the office of deacon.
The first election since the above record was in 1878. when J. H. Warstler was called to the ministry. The next was in 1883 when Hiram Forney was elected deacon.
In 1881 William R. Deeter, elder, moved in and a few years after the congregation was divided, placing W. R. Deeter in the new con- gregation. In 1883 Andrew Cripe, a deacon, moved in: he moved in and out several times and finally in 1902 he moved in again, where he is at present. The same year Aaron B. Miller, a deacon, also moved in and in 1886 he left the church. September 4. 1886, Hiram Forney was elected to the ministry, and David M. Weybright to the office of deacon, and at the same time Davis Younce was ordained to the elder- ship. In 1887 Jacol: Sheline, deacon, moved in and in 1888 Solomon
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Rowdabaugh and Henry Baringer were chosen deacons. In 1889 Daniel F. Hartsough, minister, was received by letter and about the same time A. L. Neff moved away and James Neff was chosen min- ister, and George Lingofelter, deacon. In 1893 Elder Daniel C. Riggle moved in and the next year moved away. This year Will- iam Bussard, a minister, also moved in. In 1895 M. Treesh moved back. In 1896 Jacob Sheline moved away. In 1897 Daniel Shively moved away, also G. W. Lingofelter, and John W. Kitson was elected to the ministry and Abraham Morehouse. deacon. A few months later J. W. Kitson moved away. In 1898 Amsey E. Clem and John S. Neff were elected deacons, and A. S. Yoder, deacon, moved in, and Hiram Forney moved away. In 1899 A. E. Clem was elected to the ministry and Calvin Cripe and Elmer D. Umbenhower were elected deacons. In 1900 A. S. Yoder moved away. In 1901 Charles M. Arnold was chosen minister and Samuel Whitehead and Henry Ganger were chosen deacons. This year Daniel Shively moved back, and John C. Stout, a minister, came in. This year is also memorable in the his- tory of the church by the loss, by death, of three deacons, viz. : John Weybright. Daniel Forney and E. D. Umbenhower. In 1902 Aaron Treesh, deacon, moved in, also A. L. Neff and J. W. Kitson returned. Henry Ganger moved away and David Coy died. In 1904 Calvin Cripe moved away. In 1905 Jesse Metz and J. Orby Weybright were chosen deacons.
By recapitulation we find that in all twenty-three ministers and forty-one deacons served in the church since its organization a half century ago, a total of sixty-four officers. Of these it will be seen that when the church was organized there were two ministers, ten were eleeted, and eleven received by letter of recommendation, or such as had moved into the congregation. Of the deacons, four when organized, twenty-seven elected, and ten received by letter of recommendation.
Agam, of the whole number of officers 11 ministers have departed this life. leaving 12 still living. Of the deacons, 16 have died and 25 are yet living, making a total of 27 dead and 37 living. Nine of the ministers who are yet living are at present ( 1905) serving the church. They are the following: Daniel Shively. A. L. Neff. J. H. Warstler, James Neff. William Bussard. J. W. Kitson, A. E. Clem, J. C. Stout and C. M. Arnold. The three others of the 12 are in other congregations.
Of the deacons the following are still serving the church: John
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Arnold. Andrew Cripe, M. Treesh, D. M. Weybright, Sol Rowda- baugh. Henry Baringer. Abe Morehouse. J. S. Neff, Sam Whitehead. Aaron Treesh. Jesse Metz and J. O. Weybright. John Arnold and Andrew Cripe, because of age, are excused from active service.
In 1877 a churchhouse was bought from the Presbyterian society in Waterford by the brethren and others, and moved to the Baintertown Cemetery, where it is still used and principally controlled by the brethren.
In the year 1879 the brethren built a new house of worship in the south end of the district. in Kosciusko county, and about 1884 the dis- triet was divided with the new house in the new district. In 1885 an old Methodist church house was purchased in New Paris. In 1888 another new house was built in Syracuse in the southeast part of the district.
In 1899 the old Methodist house in New Paris was sokl. and a beautiful and substantial one was purchased from the Evangelical As- sociation in Benton township. thus making four houses of worship in the congregational territory, two services each alternate Sunday at about the same hour, beside some kind of Christian work each Sunday evening and Sunday school at each place.
SOME ADDITIONAL FACTS.
By D. M. Weybright.
To the above may be added the fact how our good fathers and mothers used to care for and provide for the meetings, and for the comfort- of those who attended the services. They not only took the meetings into their residences, but after the services were over, the good mothers would prepare a meal and all were invited to remain for dinner, the horses were fed and everybody made comfortable, and a most pleasant social intercourse was enjoyed. This had a remarkably good influence and added much to the success of the early Christian fathers, and the growth of the church.
In those early days, although the roads were nothing compared to what they now are. being rough, muddy, full of stumps, corduroy bridges across the marshes and low places, in many instances mere path- ways through the forests; yet people in those days would go farther to church on foot, horseback, or in their lumber wagons, sometimes drawn by oxen, than they do to-day in their buggies and fine carriages. over good roads. It was not an unusual thing for them to walk from
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six to ten miles, often carrying their children, and frequently in sum- mer time they went barefoot, carrying their shoes until near the place of meeting, when they would stop and put them on. Children, even of large size, would go to the place of meeting barefoot, and even the men would sometimes go barefoot, the writer having witnessed this.
The good work of spreading the glad tidings of salvation was con- tinued until the church had grown to a membership of about two hun- (red and fifty, when the territory was divided, and about one hundred members were allotted to the new organization; the church again in- creased to a membership of two hundred or over. The new organiza- tion also was successful and prosperous, having increased in member- ship, and to-day they have three substantial houses of worship within its territory : the last one nearing completion.
For a number of years the church had no Sunday schools, perhaps principally from the scattering condition of the residents of the country. the widely separated places of meeting, and the inconvenience of get- ting to the appointments. But on the 6th of August, 1871, a Sunday school was organized, and conducted with success, until to-day there is a Sunday school in operation at the several places of worship, and together with the Christian Workers' meetings, which were introduced in later years, they are considered an important auxiliary to the church.
On New Year's day, 1005, was dedicated in Wakarusa the beauti- ful house of worship of the Christian church, one of the modern edifices of the kind in this county, and in the successful completion thereof not only the members of the church but all the citizens of Wakarusa took a lively interest and now feel great pride in the institution. In fact the church was built as the result of general co-operation among the people interested, and represents the zeal and liberality of the people of Wakarusa. The cost of the edifice was nearly eight thousand dol- lars. The exterior structure was made from the durable and ornate cement blocks, and the interior furnishings, and the trimmings and decorative work are in keeping with the best ideas of modern church adornment. The building is heated by furnace and lighted by gas. The beautiful stained glass windows are dedicated to the Christian Endeavor, Band of Willing Workers, John Wire, Mrs. Jacob Walters, Mrs. Kate Wagner. Dr. Knepple, Thomas Price, Christian Wagner family, .A. C. Culp and wife. B. F. Melvin and wife, Anthony Smeltzer and wife, Senior S. S .. Junior S. S .. Fred Trisinger and wife, and Joseph Eshel- man. Sı. The Christian church of Wakarusa was organized December
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