USA > Indiana > Bartholomew County > History of Bartholomew County, Indiana : From the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc. : Together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 42
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donated the land on which it stands. The membership is now small. For many years Mr. William R. Patterson has been Super- intendent of an exceptionally good Sabbath School here.
Ohio Chapel, in Ohio Township, was organized soon after 1850, chiefly through the efforts of C. W. Ruetgers, a faithful local preacher. William Puett was the first minister in charge. The early members were: William R. Bodle, Samuel Kitzmiller, Moses Cooper, John Lyod and others. The first meetings were held in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, but soon after its organ- ization the church raised a log house on William Bodle's farm, for a place of worship. In 1859, a frame house, 24x36 feet, was erected one-half mile from the site of the log church, and in 1872, a little south of the old site, a second frame edifice, comfortable and com- modious, was erected at a cost of about $2,000. The church now has seventy members.
South Bethany was organized as early as 1850. Among its early members were Joel Ayers, Joseph Patterson, Moses Mer- ving, Thomas Gent, William Rose, and their wives. The first minister was William Powell, who preached at the house of Joel Ayers. A frame church was early built, but was destroyed by fire soon after its completion. A log house was then raised which served the congregation till 1872, when a neat frame church of ample size, costing about $1,000, was erected. Present member- ship about thirty. The Sunday School has a large attendance ; Samuel Price, Superintendent.
Mount HIcalthy, organized about 1866, had among its early members: Samuel Fitch, Isaac Wantland, Morris Dye, William Linson, their families, Thomas McDonald, his wife, and Mrs. Elza Stiles. The first meetings were held in the seminary building until a frame church was built. The church has upward of fifty members, and recently erected a neat frame church of moderate size.
Mount Olive, located in the northwest corner of Harrison Township, was organized about 1870. The first minister was Rev. George D. Conner. Among the first members were Hugh Stewart, James Sparks, Joseph Hawk, Benjamin Whittington, William Perry, and their families. The first meetings were held
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in a Baptist church, near the site of Mount Olive. A small church, costing $350, was erected in 1876, and dedicated by Rev. Joseph Cotton. The church lot was donated by Benjamin Whit- tington. The present membership is twenty-five.
The five churches last named belong at present to the New Bellsville circuit, Henry Ross, pastor. The older churches were at first in the Columbus circuit, then in the Jonesville, and later, the South Bethany circuits. The first preachers in the work here are named in the general early history, and later came W. W. Puett, Joseph Wood, F. A. Heusing, Silas Sutton, J. J. Nyte, William Rundell, T. N. Whitted, Henry Marr, Alonzo Bright, Jacob Norton, and many others.
Nineveh, located in the northwest part of the county in Nineveh Township, was organized through the leadership of Oliver P. Apple- gate, now more than half a century ago. The early preachers were Revs. Tinsley, Jackson, Clifford, Durwert, and that powerful man, Joseph Woods. Among the later preachers, William Smith possessed marked ability. This church has always had a very respectable congregation. Mrs. Elizabeth Barnhill and Mrs. Col- lin Mckinney are probably the oldest survivors of its early mem- bers. The families of the Applegates, Bakers and Smith were prominently connected with its early history. In 1860, a frame church, 30x60 feet, was erected at a cost of about $1,000, which was . dicated by Bishop Bowman. The present pastor is Rev. Isaac Turner. This church is the only one in the county in the Nineveh circuit.
Mt. Pleasant, located near W. A. Abbett's, three miles south- west of Columbus, was organized about 1846 in a log school house, by J. M. Abbett, A. M. Abbett, Nelson Fitch, Samuel Linson and others. O. H. P. Abbett was the leading local preacher. The society prospered and had a large congregation until 1863, when Rev. W. W. Rundell, a good man and a good preacher, but most radical in thought and expression, discussed war issues in his pulpit so vigorously and with such scathing words that many of his hear- ers holding different views on the subject discussed, left the con- gregation, forming the Christian Union Church, and eventually destroying the Methodist society. Within a few years after the
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organization a frame church, 30x40 feet, was erected, which has not been used for several years, except upon occasions for the burying of the dead. For a time it was on the Columbus circuit, and then on the Jonesville circuit until dropped altogether. About 1828, a class was formed at the house of Mrs. Edmund Day, in Sand Creek Township. The first preacher was Asa Beck, and the first class leaders, Jesse Evans and William Hamner. Preaching was after- ward held at the cabins of Evans and Hamner, and later at that of Jacob Seibert. Amos Bussey was the last to preach in that neigh- borhood. The society was abandoned and soon the after the class at Elizabethtown was formed.
Anthony Head's meeting house was buil. by himself, at his own expense, on the east side of the Rockford State road about a mile south of Columbus. It was a good sized hewed log building, and was free to all religious sects, though the Methodists used it most as it was near the Glanton and Gabbert neighborhoods. It was built long before there was any church in Columbus, and probably earlier than the Liberty Meeting House in the Hawpatch. Mr. Head was a very eccentric man, and by many was thought to be crazy. It is not known to what denomination he belonged. He named a son for Lorenzo Dow and probably was a disciple of that celebrated character. Ilis dress was peculiar and he entertained some most remarkable theories concerning hail and other generally understood products of the elements. At one time he announced that he would preach, and a large crowd assembled curious to hear what ideas he might have to advance. But his eccentricity mani- fested itself in a change of mind with no reasons assigned, and the disappointed audience dispersed. The Methodist class in this neighborhood in 1830 was larger than that at Columbus, having forty or fifty members. These were later drawn off to the other organizations. With the springing up of villages, preaching in the woods and in the log cabins of the forest became less common; many classes went out of existence, but the growth of Methodism was not checked. In 1825 there were but 642 members in the en- tire circuit, extensive as it was, and in 1838 there were 719. In the county alone in 1879 there were over 1,506 Methodists, and now there are not less than 2,800. The church property in 1879 was valued at $20,600, while now it reaches the sum of $57,750.
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African M. E. Church .-- The first who had any success in ef- feciing an organization among the colored Methodists of Columbus, was Elder Steen, who formed the Second Methodist Episcopal Church, in 188.4, though previous to that time others had preached the Word to these brethren. Elder Steen remained about six months, and when he left the church organization was abandoned. Jason Bundy, a Presiding Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, then came among the people and organized a society of the denomination which he represented, and in 1885, Elder John Jordin had it in charge. He was relieved by Elder Green, and he in turn, by Elder Harper, during whose time Elder C. M. White, a local preacher with some followers, made an effort to go back to the original organization effected by Elder Steen and abandon that under which they were then working, with about fifteen members. As a result, dissentions arose; Elder Harper was taken to another conference, and the members were soon with no house of worship and no place to which they could direct their children, except to the altar of some other faith.
Baptist Church .- Flat Rock Church was among the earliest established in the county. At the house of Benjamin Crow, Feb- ruary 10, 1821, Mignon and Sally Boaz, Joshua and Agnes Sims, Joseph HI. and Elizabeth B. Van Meter, Benjamin Crow, James Quick, John McEwen, Eleanor Folkner and William Dudley, signed the following act of constitution: "We, the undersigned, met at the house of Benjamin Crow, and examined each other's faith, and find it to be that of the Silver Creek Association, of August, I819, and do hereby proceed to unite; first, by giving ourselves to God and by His grace to one another, to live in a church state, by filing our letters on the day above written." These pioneers were joined by others of like faith, and soon the membership of the new church was quite large. A spirit prompting missionary labors grew up, and meetings were held at other settlements throughout the new country., Among the churches brought into existence through the efforts of this association, were the Haw Creek and Sharon churches. The church itself has had a varied career, at times being strong and at others, weak. Its membership now num- bers forty. Elder Elijah Pope was the first pastor of the church, who, after a year's ministry, was succeeded by Elder Mignon Boaz
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who served for twenty-four years, building up the church, and by his grace and power saving many souls. In the years that followed the church was. ministered unto by Elders William G. Eaton, Evan Snead, Jesse Robinson, B. R. Ward, William Golding, James Pavey, A. Pavey, Albert Carter, A. J. Essex, Hugh McCalip, John Recce, J. W. Lewis and others. It is now in charge of Rev. P. O. Duncan. The church has ordained to the Gospel ministry Mig- non Boaz, James McEwen, Uriah McQueen and A. J. Essex. The carly meetings were held at the house of Mignon Boaz, who, in IS21, donated two acres of land upon which the members raised a small log cabin - their first house of worship. In 1825, a larger and more comfortable house of hewed logs, was erected on the same site, and continued as a place of worship until I850, when it gave way to the frame house now occupied.
Sharon Baptist Church was the second formed in the county, of this denomination. The organization was effected in 1823, prin- cipally through the labors of Samuel Nelson, a pious and influential pioneer. The first roll soon bore the names of thirty-eight mem- bers, but dissensions arose as to the reading of the " Article of Faith" and "Rules of Decorum" which reduced the number to fifteen. The second roll of members began about 1833, and in six years increased from fifteen to thirty-four, when again the numbers were decreased by conversions to Mormonism, until there remained but nineteen. William McFall, Elizabeth Keller, D. R. Trotter, and Nancy Vanskike, were among the faithful. members from the first. Through revivals, the number was subsequently increased to about 125, the principal of these being in 1862 and 1865, follow- ing the labors of Revs. A. Pavey, Albert Carter, Hugh K. McCalip, J. Ramsey, and others. Among the early members not already mentioned, were Jesse Spurgin, R. A. C. Elliott, Thomas Dudley, Dr. R. Vanskike, Goodson McCalip, Esther Robertson, Milton J. Nelson, Eli Critzer, Aaron Ray, William S. Jones, Margaret Yealey, Lucinda Kent, Martin Keeler, and many others. The congregation at first met at the homes of its members, usually at those of Samuel Nelson, William McFall, and the Kents. A log meeting house was early erected on the north bank of Clifty Creek, below Petersville, and for many years was used by the
I4
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BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY.
congregation. A comfortable frame church of moderate size was built during the 50's, which is now used, being well preserved.
Joseph Fassett, the powerful pioneer preacher, was the first to preach the Gospel to this congregation. For almost a year before his ordination as a minister in May, 1924, he went about proclaim- ing the Word of God from many pulpits and doing much good in bringing souls into the Kingdom. Among other preachers were Revs. A. Pavey, A. Young, E. Snead, Hugh McCalip, J. Ramsey, and for many years past, the venerable Albert Carter. The pres- ent membership is eighty-two. A Sabbath School is conducted during the summer months.
Haw Creek Baptist Church, located about three miles north- east of Hope, was organized September 22, 1827, by William Car- ter, Moses Wilson, William Moore, John Carter, Isaiah Car- ter, Mary Carter, Grace Powell, Jacob Powell, Nancy Ray, Nancy Wilson, Jemima Moore, Arlsy Lauderback, Jennie Cant- well, Elizabeth Carter, and Jehoda Wilson -fifteen in all. Elder Daniel Stogsdill was moderator, and Benjamin Crow, clerk at the organization. Mrs. Nancy Carter was the first convert to the church, being baptized in November, 1827.
The first minister was Rev. Adam Cantwell, who served from February, IS28, to September, 1829. Subsequent ministers serv- ing the church were: Dudley Mitchell, William Moore, Absolom Pavey, Evan Snead, James Pavey, Albert Carter, Hugh McCalip, L. E. Lane, James Lewis, Andrew Young, Charles Boaz, and others. At present the church is supplied by Rev. T. C. Smith, of Decatur County. The church has ordained as ministers, Revs. William Moore, William Carter, and Charles Boaz. Rev. William Moore served the congregation for more than twenty-seven years, and accomplished great good. Remarkable for its success was the ministry of Rev. Andy Young. He found the harvest ripe, and, in one year of his ministry, gathered into the fold sixty-two mem- bers, forty-two of whom were received by experience and baptism.
The first meetings were held at the homes of the members, and occasionally at a school house not far from the present church. In IS28, it was decided to build a meeting house; a committee selected the site of the present church as most suitable, and a log building,
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20x30 feet, as erowird thereon. This was used until r$55, when it was torn down to give place to the frame church, 3 1x40 feet, now occupied. The congregation has ever been large and most re- spectable, wiekling a great influence for good in the community where it is located. It has been rich in grace and strong in num- bers. At the last conference it reported IL4 members in good standing.
Little Sand Creek Baptist Church was organized at the dwell- ing house of George S. Pottorff in Rock Creek Township, on the IIth day of January, 1839, by the following persons: John and Margaret Redenbaugh, George S. and Nancy Pottorff, George and Mary Taylor, Josephus and Mary Ham, Stephen Rodgers and Eleanor Christy, ten in all. To this number others were soon added, William Christy and Iliram Pond being the most prominent in church work. The meetings of the church for the first few years were held at the dwellings of the members, generally at those of George S. Pottorff, William Christy and Hiram Pond. In 1843, they erected their first meeting house, a very cheap structure, built of logs covered with clapboards, and seated in primitive style with backless slabs supported by wooden pins. The present house, a frame 35x45 feet, was erected in 1860 at a cost of about $2,000.
The first pastor was Rev. Chesley Woodward, of Decatur County, who continued in that relation for nearly ten years, and emigrated to Missouri at the close of the year 1848. Elder Hiram Pond then became pastor, serving th. church until his death in 1851. Thereafter Elder Evan Snead served most of the time until IS60, when the church called to the pastorate Elder A. Carter, who has continued to the present with the exception of two years, one year being supplied by Elder S. H. Thompson, and one year by Elder Ilarry Smith. This church has set apart and ordained to the Gospel ministry, Elders Hiram Pond, A. Carter and James C. Remy; has had continued public service from its organization to the , esent; has sustained a Sabbath School during the summer . months since 1860, and has contributed liberally to home and foreign missions, and to ministerial education. From its organiza- tion it has numbered among its membership many of the most sub- stantial men and women of the community, and now has a member- ship of ninety-two.
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BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY.
First Baptist Church of Columbus .- On January 30, 1852, a large council composed of ministers and delegates from Flat Rock, Vernon, Bethel, Sharon and Friendship churches, assembled in the Presbyterian Church at Columbus, and after appropriate religious exercises and an examination of the Articles of Faith aud Rules of Decorum adopted by the church, recognized as the First Baptist Church of Columbus, an organization that day perfected by the following constituent members: Ehjah Devore, Rebecca Devore, W. II. Nading, Ruth W. Nading, Nancy E. Lacy, Joshua Sims, Agnes Sims, Jeremiah Fur, Mariah Fur, Sylvester Fur, Baker Fur, Kercheville Fur, Obadiah Sims, Margaret Sims, Rnhama Sims, J. Sims, Elizabeth Griffith, Mrs. Matthews and Martha E. Edmiston. Rev. W. T. Stott, of Vernon, Ind., was moderator, and Rev. M. B. Phares, of Vernon, secretary of this council. The first Trustees of the new church were W. H. Nading, Obadiah Sims, and John Martin. For some time meetings were held in the Commercial Row, on Washington Street, and later in the court house. In 1855, the handsome brick edifice on Franklin Street, now used by the church, was erected. It seats comfortably about 300 people. At first the church had a hard struggle for existence but was given great strength by a revival of religion brought about by the efforts of Rev. William Haw, assisted by Rev. C. C. Covey, some ten years after its organization. Then, during the Civil War period, dissensions arose which weakened the church considerably, and for a time threatened its destruction. But a revival followed through the efforts of Rev. T. W. Moro, which put new life into the church and started a growth which has continued to the present time. The first pastor was Elder Jesse W. Robinson, who was fol- lowed by Elders Evan Snead, E. S. Smith, J. M. Weaver, W. Lyon, John Reese, J. D. Huston, William Haw, I. N. Clark, W. T. Stott (ordained by this church, September 24, 1868, and now a Doctor of Divinity, and President of Franklin Col- lege), W. F. Moro, William Y. Monroc, G. II. Elgin (ordained by this church, August 3, 1875), C. Hall, T. R. Palmer, Harvey Smith, and Noah Harper, the present pastor. The Deacons have been, W. H. Nading, J. Edmonson, Joshua Sims, D. Doll, M. J. Quick, G. G. Gabbert, William Castell, Erastus Dunlap, J. M.
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Wallace, Dr. A. J. MeLeod and Simeon Boaz. The present Trus- tees are : D. C. Shirk, J. M. Wallace, Frank MeNeal, Jacob Wag- ner and M. J. Quick. The Sabbath School is under the efficient superintendency of H. B. Essex, and has an average attendance of about 100.
South Bethany Baptist Church. -. This congregation, organized about 1865, has always been small in numbers. The early mem- bers were: T. N. Haiselup, William Haiselup, Isaac Wink, John Butler, Andrew Young, Abraham Stull, and others. The carly preachers were: Elders John Van Arsdell, John Ragsdale, A. Young, James Barrone and others. There is now no preacher in charge. The membership is twenty-two. In 1874, the congrega- tion erected a comfortable frame church, at a cost of about $500. Charles Van Horn is the present clerk of the church.
One of the early Baptist churches, was that called " Hope, " located near the present site of New Hope Church. It was for a time very strong, once having as many as 150 members. Its leader was Joseph Fassett, who, born in 1784, was a school teacher, a Thompsonian doctor, and finally one of the most powerful preachers known in the pioneer religious life of Bartholomew County. He was the first to embrace the doctrines of Alexander Campbell, and deserting the Baptist faith, took many of his congregation with him. He continued to preach the new doctrines, and the number of his followers grew until the Hope Baptist Church was ultimately abandoned. Soon after the town of Taylorsville was laid out, a Baptist church was founded there and kept up principally by Mr. R. M. J. Cox, he at one time being the only male member. The congregation built a brick church and at one time had about forty members. The organization was abandoned and the church sold, in ISSo, and converted into a residence.
Old Friendship Church, organized in early days, for a long time did a good work, but the association has grown very weak, and. has practically been abandoned. It is located in Sand Creek Township.
New Friendship Church was organized in later years, at Jones- ville, but was abandoned after a few years. Missionary work has been done in various parts of the county by the established socie-
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ties. and classes have been organized, which, after a temporary pros- perity, have gone out of existence.
" Second Baptist (Colored) Church .-- The only society of this denomination is at Columbus, and was formed April 14, 1879, through the instrumentality of Elder George W. Claybrooks, of Charlestown, Ind., with eleven members, as follows: G. W. Clay- brooks, Ophelia Childs, Alexander Childs, Ella Hardin, Willian McKee, Frank Preston, Charles Sands, Mary Sands, John Jack- son, Celia Jackson and Thomas Moor. Among the preachers who have served the church were Charles Sands, W. M. Miller, John Williams and Elder Senseco. For four years past, Elder Charles Cheatem has had charge of the church. He is energetic and ever active in visiting the sick, burying the dead, and attending to the spiritual wants of the living. He has had three successful revivals, with about twenty-five accessions to the church, and has put the society on a very prosperous footing. The church building is a frame, 16x32 feet, and cost $100. The present intention is to build a larger church at an early day, to satisfy the growing needs of the congregation, which now numbers about forty.
It is a matter of some interest, though in fact not connected with the history of any now existing organization of the Baptist Church, that probably the first sermon preached in Columbus was by a black man, a Baptist, at the log cabin of Luke Bonesteel, which afterward became the court house. He lectured the rakish citizens and youngsters with much severity, incurring their displeasure to such an extent that they threatened to lynch him, but were deterred from making an attempt by the better and more moral portion of the community. These facts were many years ago related to Gen. Terrell by Joshua McQueen, as being within his recollection.
Catholic Churches .*- St. Bartholomew's at Columbus .- The first Catholic in Bartholomew County was Mrs. Basil Owens, a sister of Elias Mahoney. Mrs. Owens came from Maryland to Kentucky, thence to this county in 1820. Her three brothers, Elias, Robert and George Mahoney, soon followed her. A record of 1840 mentions the following Catholics living here: James D.
* Adapted with some changes and additions from publications made under sanction of the church.
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Farrell, John M. Gwinn, John McCabe, Jacob Farrell, Peter Kin- ney and Patrick Farrell. In 1850, the congregation numbered about thirty families, among them being Elijah E. Brown, Matthew Gaffney, Anthony Deacon, Thomas McCarthy, John K. Cunning- ham, James Taylor, Patrick Dowd and Thomas MeGarr. Shortly afterward came the Dillons, the Rileys, the Fischers, the Purcells, the Warners and the Hughes. In 1875, the congregation num- bered seventy-five families, and now numbers ninety families. The first church was built in IS .ยก 1, 50x30 feet : an addition, 45x25 feet, was made in 1874. Anne Farrell was the first buried in the cem- etery, in 1843. In 1855, a school was established and conducted by the Sisters of Providence; but the Sisters withdrew at the breaking out of the war. In 1865, a parsonage was erected at a cost of $1,000; in 1874, improvements were made costing $1,500. In 1875, the house and lot south of the church, now the parsonage, were bought for $2,875. In 1879, a magnificent two-story brick school house was erected between the church and the old parson- age. The Sisters of Providence have a flourishing school of about seventy eight Catholic children and eighty-three in all.
Bishop de St. Palais visited Columbus on October 19, IS49, and administered confirmation. This was the first Episcopal visit. Rev. S. P. Lalumiere was the first priest attending the Catholics here. The date of his ministry can not be fixed, but it is supposed to have commenced as early as 1821. Rev. M. E. Shawe, resid- ing at Madison, next had charge of the Columbus church. The first regular pastor was Rev. Vincent Bacqueline, who built the church in 1841. In IS46 while visiting the sick, he was thrown by his horse and dragged to death. From IS46 to 1853, Rev. Daniel Maloney was pastor. He was energetic and punctual in the performance of his duty, conscientious in his ministry, just, gen- erous and a hard worker for the church. It is said that with all these good traits he was nevertheless exacting, and that this, his only fault, made him unpopular. He died in August, IS74, full of years, but without the honors which his long and hard missionary labors ought to have gained for him.
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