USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume I > Part 36
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
THE BAPTIST CHURCHES
The First Baptist Church of Rushville was organ- ized on January 14, 1908, under the ministry of the Rev. E. C. Myers, who became the first pastor of the congre- gation which now numbers 185 resident members, with seventeen officers and a Sunday school with an enroll- ment of 125; six officers and eight teachers. The charter members of the congregation were Mrs. Nancy Norris. Milton Perry and wife, Frank Early and wife, James Gartin and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Younger and Mr. and Mrs. Palmer. After effecting an organization the con- gregation secured the old United Presbyterian church building on the site of the present edifice on the east side of North Morgan street, fronting Sixth street, and serv- ices were held in that building until it was replaced by the present edifice, which was erected in 1916. The Rev. E. C. Myers was succeeded as pastor by the Rev. J. S. Arvin, and he in turn by the Revs. Markland, S. G. Hunt- ington, C. J. Bunnell and the Rev. Reno Tacoma, the pres- ent pastor. The Ninth Street Baptist church, on North Morgan street, was abandoned several years ago, and its house of worship was sold to the congregation of the Church of God.
The East Fork Baptist Church in Washington town- ship is one of the pioneer churches of the county, the same having been organized at a meeting held at the home of William Jackson in that township on July 21, 1827, Elder Caldwell serving as the first pastor of the congregation. During the following year the congregation erected a meeting house of logs at a point near the present site of the East Fork cemetery, and in that humble edifice wor- shiped for years, or until the present house of worship was erected on the acre of ground which had been donated to the congregation for that purpose. The present mem- bership of East Fork church is given at twenty-three, the Rev. Charles W. Radcliff, of Connersville, pastor. Dur- ing the winter months the church is closed, services being
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held only during the spring, summer and fall. William T. Dobbins, George H. Sweet and Fred Jackson are the trustees of the church.
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
The only Catholic church in Rush county is St. Mary's Catholic Church at Rushville, which under the present pastorate of the Rev. F. E. Shaub, is well organ- ized in all its departments of work. St. Mary's parish at Rushville dates back to November, 1868, when the Rev. D. J. McMullen, of Richmond, Ind., became the first resident pastor. Prior to that date the Catholic families in and about Rushville had been receiving ministrations from the Rev. Father Peters, who visited this point from his parish in Connersville. Father MeMullen was suc- ceeded in September, 1872, by the Rev. Leo Adams, who remained until January 1, 1875, when he was succeeded by the Rev. E. J. Spellman, who was succeeded in turn by the Rev. J. J. Mackie, the Rev. T. X. Logan and oth- ers until the coming of Father Shaub. Beginning with a mere handful of communicants, who were wont to gather for mass at dwelling houses on the occasion of calls from visiting priests, St. Mary's parish has grown until it is one of the strong and influential parishes in the diocese. St. Mary's church and parish house occupy an admirable site at the corner of Perkins and Fifth streets. A parochial school is conducted in connection with the other activities of the parish. The Catholics also have a cemetery, situated to the north of East Hill ceme- tery. The various departments of the work of the parish are well organized and flourishing. These include, inci- dentally, a local council of the Knights of Columbus.
There is a German Lutheran church in the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section 27, township 12, range 8, and a United Brethren church near the north- east corner of the southeast quarter of section 20, town- ship 12, range 11, a cemetery adjoining the church.
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The Church of God of Rushville was organized on April 12, 1917, when five persons holding to the faith of this denomination effected an association under the min- istry of the Rev. E. A. Ball, who still is pastor of the little flock, which meanwhile has grown in numbers to about eighteen. The congregation maintains a Sunday school with an average attendance of about thirty and helps to support home and foreign missionaries of the denomina- tion. The Church of God bought the old Baptist church on West Ninth street and is using it as a house of worship. There also is a congregation of the Church of God at Williamstown on the south edge of the county.
SOME OF THE COUNTY'S ABANDONED CHURCHES
In the foregoing pages mention has been made of some of the abandoned churches in Rush county, organ- izations that formerly provided social centers in their respective communities, but which long since have given way to changing conditions. Among others that deserve mention are the two Baptist churches that formerly stood in Center township within a mile of each other, one on the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 30, and the other in the northwest quarter of section 31. In Ripley township the Riverside Friends meeting house formerly stood on the southeast corner of section 34. In that same township there also was the Franklin Methodist Episcopal church, which stood near the southwest corner of section 36. There is a colored Methodist Episcopal church, known as "the Beech" in that township, in the east half of the southeast quarter of section 12, in which meetings are held once a year in order to hold for the colored community there the grant of land which many years ago was given for church purposes with a provision calling for reversion in case of abandonment. In Posey township there still are memories of the old Pleasant Grove Presbyterian church, which stood on the John K. Gowdy farm at the southwest corner of the northeast
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quarter of section 29, but which long ago was abandoned. In Jackson township there was the Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church near the northeast corner of section 2, which was abandoned near a quarter of a century ago. In Union township there also formerly was a Methodist Episcopal church, the building of which still is used as a chapel for funeral services in the cemetery in the south- west corner of the southeast quarter of section 4. town- ship 14, range 11. In that same section there also years ago was a Christian church, the congregation of which was transferred to Falmouth. In Noble township there once stood on the south side of the Rushville-New Salem road near the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 22, township 13, range 10, the Friendship Methodist Protestant church, long since abandoned. In the same township, in the southwest corner of the north- west quarter of section 28. there once stood a Methodist Episcopal church which commonly was known as the "Pinhook" church. There also formerly was a Regular Baptist church adjacent to the cemetery in the south- west quarter of section 27 in that township. Sills Chapel was a Christian church in Walker township, but long since was abandoned. It stood on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 12, township 13. range 8. What was known as the Vienna Methodist Episcopal Church formerly stood on the county line in the southwest corner of section 15 in Orange township. There also years ago was another Methodist church, known as the Mt. Garrison church, at the northwest corner of the east half of the northwest quarter of section 24 in that town- ship. There was a "Newlight" Christian church in An- derson township, the same having occupied the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 23, township 12, range 9, and in that same township, near the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section 29, township 12, range 10, was the Bethesda Methodist Episcopal church, long since abandoned. On the lower edge of that town-
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ship there is a church at Williamstown, occasionally used by the folks of the Church of God, in that vicinity. There is a church in Richland township, occupying a site adjacent to the cemetery in the northeast corner of section 9, township 12, range 11, which was erected by the Reg- ular Baptists and which still is occasionally used.
CHAPTER XVI
LODGES AND CLUBS OF RUSH COUNTY
In the nature of things it was not long after the be- ginning of a civic and social order in the county seat town set up in the woods in the heart of the newly created county of Rush a century ago until man's gregarious instincts inclined him to organization along other lines and the pioneer community began to witness the begin- ning of the wholesome "lodge" and club life that has so long and so helpfully characterized life not only in the county seat, but in the towns and villages of the county. Churches and schools. of course, sprang into being at the very start, for where men gather there ever is found a house for the altar, and a temple of learning, no matter how rude in appearance these edifices may be. As will be noted elsewhere, a library association was the first purely cultural organization effected in Rushville. Other modest organizations of one sort and another were ef- fected as the social aspirations of the community began more and more to demand an outlet for expression and presently, fifteen years after the "laying out" of the town. a movement was set on foot looking to the organiza- tion of the first lodge. As generally has been found to be the case. the Freemasons were the pioneers in this lodge movement, a local lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons having been formed in Rushville in the spring of 1838, less than sixteen years after the founding of the town. Unfortunately the records of this Masonic lodge were consumed in the fire which destroyed the Masonic Temple in 1913. Happily, however, the story of the or- ganization of the lodge and of the progress and develop- ment of the same from the time of its inception up to the vear 1895, has been preserved in a paper written by the
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late Robert W. Cox in this latter year, and now cherished by Mr. Cox's son, Miles S. Cox, through whose courtesy this valuable historical manuscript becomes available for the purposes of this compilation. This illuminating paper (as follows) was written by Mr. Cox under the head :
FREEMASONRY IN RUSHVILLE
To go beyond the merest outline of the history of Freemasonry in Rushville would be to go beyond the limit of any article intended for this publication, and, perhaps, very much beyond the patience of the general reader. There are today (1895) but very few persons living in Rushville who can remember when the order was first instituted in the then small hamlet. No doubt there are those now living here who can remember that when they were small children the phrase "the Masons'll get you if you don't watch out" was more effectual in its quieting effect than the far-famed goblins of James Whitcomb Riley; yet beyond the terror that the phrase created can recollect little or nothing about the organiza- tion of the first Masonic lodge in this place. It can read- ily be believed that the organization of such a lodge was an event in the history of Rushville that received due consideration at the "quiltin's," tea parties and other social gatherings, and it is extremely doubtful if "the consensus of public opinion" was at all favorable to the organization. Kindly and motherly old ladies no doubt felt that Satan in one of his worst and most powerful forms was about to gain an entrance into the peaceful Eden that knew nothing more worldly than an occasional school exhibition or "old Black Gabe's" annual concert. I can imagine the different facial expressions that greeted the wonderful secret as it was whispered one to another and the look of horror that overspread the face as the full enormity of the wickedness of such a propo- sition forced itself upon the mind. "Man proposes, but
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God disposes." and the proposition in this case and its disposition resulted in no disappointment to the project- ors of the movement ; and it came to pass that Masonry was planted in our midst.
That brilliant luminary that claims pre-eminence in the "starry-decked heavens" when the carly dawn is about to usher in the great orb that is to "rule the day" gave to the first Masonic lodge in Rushville its name- Morning Star. Those who gave this title to their lodge were not Sabaists or star worshipers who believed that each star was the soul of a god and adopted this name as a symbol of their belief, but were the believers in the "one, only and true God" and that the "stars sung his glory." The star was to them but a type of the glory of God that should fill the soul of all those to whom the mysteries of Masonry should be unfolded. Amidst the most humble surroundings and under the most adverse circumstances was this new star in the Masonic firmament instituted under a dispensation of the Grand Lodge of the state of Indiana, May 14, 1838. The first officers of the lodge were John Greer, worshipful master; R. Y. McBride, senior warden: Isaac Washburn, junior warden. These officers were "duly installed" June 20, 1838. In Sep- tember, 1838, Dr. W. H. Martin was appointed and in- stalled worshipful master and a charter was granted to the lodge on November 28, 1839. Isaac Washburn had the honor of being the first representative to the Grand Lodge. The lodge held its meeting in one of the upper rooms of the old court house, which was situated upon the site of the present one, and was a very imposing edi- fice for that time. It was square in form, two stories high, built of brick and the roof converged to the center from all sides, while upon the summit of the pyramid so formed was placed a tower of modest pretensions. The court room was upon the ground floor. The blind goddess found herself doubly honored in this temple dedicated to her service, for while justice was theoretically demon-
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strated above it was practically administered below. At the first election of officers under the charter, William H. Martin was elected worshipful master; Isaac Wash- burn, senior warden; B. B. Talbott, junior warden; George Hibben, secretary; R. Y. McBride, treasurer; Isaac Boblett, senior deacon; J. W. Ferguson, junior deacon, and Samuel English, tyler. These officers were publicly installed in the Presbyterian church, February 1, 1840, by Philip Mason, grand master of the state. The oration was delivered by Brother Caleb B. Smith. The meetings of the lodge were regularly held and "work" was moderately plentiful. The lodge was honored by hav- ing Dr. William H. Martin as grand secretary of the Grand Lodge one term. For seven years this Morning Star twinkled brightly, dimmed at times, perhaps, by out- side opposition and internal dissension, yet bravely show- ing its "light" amidst all the surrounding gloom, until May 29, 1845, it shone but dimly, with a weak and feeble light, and as the morning sun tinged the hazy clouds with the grandeur of his glory and formed a curtain of tran- scendent splendor for its retirement it passed out of sight to be seen again no more forever. For nearly two years the craft in Rushville was without an organization, but the "spirit of Masonry would not down" and a petition for a dispensation to form a new Masonic lodge met with a favorable response and the same was granted on Novem- ber 30, 1847, under the title of Rush Lodge, No. 62, Free and Accepted Masons, with William H. Martin, worship- ful master; George Hibben, senior warden; John Dixon, junior warden; Isaac Boblett, secretary; William Craw- ford, treasurer; T. Smith, senior deacon; J. W. Fergu- son, junior deacon, and R. F. Brown, tyler. This lodge first held its meetings in the Dr. H. G. Sexton building, situated on the site now (1895) occupied by the stores of the Mauzy Company, I. W. Ayers and J. H. Osborne & Co., afterward moving to the Matthew Smith building on the west side of the public square. The lodge flour-
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ished from the start, and Masonry became a "fixture" in Rushville. A little over a year from its organization the lodge met its first loss in the death of Brother R. Y. Mc- Bride (July 18, 1848), who had been intimately connected with the order from the organization of Morning Star lodge until his death. The funeral ceremonies were under the auspices of the lodge, and was the first Masonic fu- neral in Rushville. The lodge pursued the routine com- mon to all such societies until December 25, 1857, when it was decided to surrender the charter of the lodge, which was accordingly done. February 5, 1858. The officers of Rush lodge at this time were Leonidas Sexton, worship- ful master: B. F. Johnson, senior warden; R. D. Sher- man, junior warden: James S. Lakin, secretary: Alex Posey, treasurer: Thomas Poe, senior deacon; Absalom Megee. junior deacon. and J. W. Ferguson, tyler.
The phoenix was adopted at a very early period as a Christian symbol. Its ancient legend doubtless caused it to be accepted as a symbol of the resurrection. Very appropriate and suggestive was the name Phoenix when applied to the new lodge which arose from the funeral Dyre of Rush lodge, February 9, 1858, or four days after the surrender of its charter. The full title of the new lodge and the one it vet bears was Phoenix Lodge, No. 62. Free and Accepted Masons. The meetings were first held in the three-story building immediately west of the Odd Fellow hall, now known as the Gantner building. In 1868 the lodge moved their quarters to the Beher-King building, remaining there only a month or two, and then moved into their present quarters in the Dinwiddie build- ing. The first officers under the new dispensation were Thomas Poe, worshipful master: B. F. Johnson, senior warden; JJ. S. Lakin, junior warden. At the first meet- ing held, February 18, 1858, S. M. Atherton was ap- pointed secretary and James Furguson, tyler. A charter was granted the lodge on May 25, 1858. and on June 22, at the first election of officers Thomas Poe was elected
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worshipful master ; James S. Lakin, senior warden ; Will- iam Wilson, Jr., junior warden; S. M. Atherton, secre- tary; Alex Posey, treasurer; George R. Kelly, senior deacon; James Wilson, junior deacon, and J. W. Fergu- son, tyler. The meetings of the lodge from 1861 to 1865 were very irregular, and while "work" was plenty much time was consumed in finishing it up. The war of the rebellion was then in progress, and overshadowed every- thing else. "To be true to the Government of the country in which you live" is one of the first lessons taught in Masonry, and this found a ready response in the heart of every true Mason, hence the "practice of the art" was made subservient to duty to the Government. Since the Morning Star first shed the light of Masonry in the then village of Rushville the lodge has gradually increased in membership, and in the nature of its lodge appointments, and 1895 finds it in the most prosperous time of all its history. The present officers of the lodge are R. W. Cox, worshipful master; E. D. Pugh, senior warden; H. P. McGuire, junior warden; W. M. Pearce, senior dea- can; W. E. Berry, junior deacon ; J. R. Carmichael, treas- urer; C. F. Mullin, secretary; A. B. Hinchman, tyler; B. F. Tingley, B. L. Smith and J. Q. Thomas, trustees.
Capitular Masonry-Early in 1853 the subject of the so-called "higher degrees" of Masonry engaged the at- tention of those of the craft who were most deeply inter- ested in the future of the order and on October 24, 1853, a dispensation was granted to petitioners to organize a chapter of Royal Arch Masons to be known as Rush Chapter, R. A. M., with Horatio G. Sexton as high priest ; Abraham Reeves, king, and Leonidas Sexton, scribe. The chapter proved successful from the start, and awak- ened quite an interest in capitular Masonry. A charter was granted to the chapter on May 18, 1854, under the above name, with the number 26. which has since been changed to 24. Since its organization the chapter has met with varying success, sometimes languishing from the in-
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attention of its members, but active and strong when aroused from its lethargy, holding its own amidst the trials and vicissitudes common to the "higher branches" of any order. The present officers are R. W. Cox. high priest : T. Abercrombie, king: C. W. Burt, scribe; J. R. Carmichael. C. H. : Edward Young. R. A. C .: J. D. Me- gee. P. S. : W. T. Jackson, master of the third veil : H. P. McGuire, master second veil: E. H. Butler, master first veil: Thomas Poe, secretary; George W. Young, treas- urer, and A. B. Hinchman, guard.
Cryptic Masonry-For a period of twenty years the ambition of the craft for the higher degrees seems to have been satisfied with the possession of a Royal Arch chap- ter. Some time in 1874 the desire for the advantages of cryptic Masonry culminated in the organization of a council of Roval and Select Masters, to whom was granted a charter on October 21. 1874, under the title of Rush- ville Council, No. 41. R. & S. M., with Dr. William H. Smith. illustrious master; Thomas Poe, deputy. and E. HI. Wolfe, P. C. From the date of its charter until the present it has faithfully fulfilled all the duties proper to its own sphere or work. The present officers of the coun- eil are R. W. Cox, illustrious master: Edward Young, deputy: T. Abercrombie. P. C .; J. R. Carmichael. C. G .; Thomas Poe, recorder: H. P. McGuire, treasurer; R. F. Bebout, steward, and A. B. Hinchman. sentinel.
Order of Eastern Star-This order, while not a branch of Masonry, is so intimately connected with it in its workings that for all practical purposes it may be con- sidered a part of the Masonie system. A dispensation was granted to organize a chapter of this order on Jan- mary 16, 1894. the first officers named in the dispensation being Mattie Fonch, worthy matron: Thomas Dill, worthy patron, and Alice Neal, associate matron. A charter was granted to the chapter on April 25, 1894, under the title of Martha Poc Chapter. No. 143. O. E. S. The present officers are Mattie Fouch, worthy matron;
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Edward Young, worthy patron; Alice Neal, A. M .; Meta Wolfe, C .; Malinda Young, A. C .; Olive Guild, secretary ; J. D. Megee, treasurer; Ethel Megee, A .; Josie Mahan, R .; Alice Bebout, E .; Jessie Wilson, M .; Mary Hinch- man, E .; Sue O. Megee, warden ; A. B. Hinchman, sentry, and June Miller, organist.
From its earliest existence the principles and prac- tices of Masonry have been to elevate man above the igno- rance and superstition which have surrounded him, and has sought to lead him in the "direction of how to seek God and God's truth ;" in fulfilling this mission it has to a great extent filled "The True Measure of Life" so beau- tifully lined by Philip James Bailey :
We live in deeds, not years; in thought, not breath; In feelings, not in figures on the dial. We should count time by heart throbs when they beat For God, for man, for duty. He most lives Who thinks most, feels noblest, acts best.
Life is but a means unto an end-that end, Beginning, mean and end to all things, God.
-R. W. C.
And that was the state of Freemasonry in Rushville up to the time of the writing of Mr. Cox's paper a quarter of a century ago. The most noteworthy Masonic event in Rushville was the laying of the cornerstone of the Rush county court house, on Wednesday, September 23, 1896, by the Grand Lodge of Indiana. A line of march led by the Rushville city band, followed in turn by Shelbyville Commandery, Knights Templar, the Knightstown band, the Knightstown Commandery, Knights Templar, the Pendleton band, Anderson Commandery, Knights Tem- plar, Rush Chapter, No. 24, Roval Arch Masons, Phoenix Lodge, No. 62, Free and Accepted Masons, and the Grand Lodge of Indiana brought the procession to the northeast corner of the court house where the exercises were held. Rev. Charles W. Tinsley pronounced the invocation, which was followed by an address by Judge John D. Mil- ler. Hon. Ben L. Smith then delivered a historical ad- dress, giving the history of Rush county from the date of
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its organization. The stone was then placed and the ceremony was formally given by the Grand Lodge of Indiana. Calvin W. Prather, acting as grand master; Robert W. Cox, deputy grand master; Eli H. Butler, sen- ior grand warden; U. D. Cole, junior grand warden; Martin H. Rice, grand treasurer: John A. Titsworth, grand secretary: Charles W. Tinsley, grand chaplain ; Orlando W. Brownback, grand marshal; James S. La- kin, senior grand deacon; Pink Casady, junior grand deacon, and Alvin B. Hinchman, grand steward and tyler. Judge Mark E. Forkner, of Newcastle, delivered the prin- cipal address, and this address was followed by the bene- diction by the Rev. George A. Beattie.
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