History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 29

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

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eighteen by thirty-two feet, costing seven hundred dollars. In 1880 the society had a membership of fifty-four. .

It appears that this church either was reorganized or a new one started in 1872 by Rev. Jason Bundy, with members as follows: Alicons Evans, Archibald Freeman, William Thomas, Richard Steward, Kelus Baker, Allen Spinks, Dan Scott, Weedham Scott, James Southers, Ben Roberts and Will- iam Pur. The wives of all these united with their husbands as charter mem- bers, with the exceptions of Mrs. Spinks.

The present value of this church property is about one thousand five hundred dollars. The pastors who have served are as follows: Revs. Jason Bundy, Aaron Knight, J. Pope, William Alexander, Quinn Tootlle, Richard Huntchinson, J. W. Harper, James Ferguson, J. W. Harper, James Fergu- son, John Mitchem, Johnson Burton, William Townsend, Jesse Bass, William Clark, Martin Coleman, Lemuel Stokes, William Chambers, J. F. Velliford, R. Z. Roberts, William Caylor, J. Sherman, P. H. Lewis, G. Crossland, C. H. Mooreman, V. Kirk and the present pastor, E. L. Rabitoy.

THE BOXLEY CIRCUIT.

In Adams township the Methodists first commenced to worship in class in the year 1837, at the home of Eber Teters. In 1838 a regular class was perfected at the house of Samuel Baker, this class having a membership of twelve members. It was attached to the Noblesville circuit, and had preach- ing services once each month at private houses and then in a school house in the village of Boxley. Thus came into existence the Boxley Methodist Epis- copal church. In 1852 a house of worship was erected, which was dedicated by William H. Good in the summer of 1853. At present Boxley circuit com- prises Boxley, Salem and Ekin. No list of membership appeared in the last conference reports for these several places, but there is a lively, success- ful work going on there.

THE CHURCH AT CARMEL.

A class of Methodists was organized at Carmel in the winter of 1857-58 . by Rev. L. P. Berry, of Noblesville. Preaching services were conducted at the house of Robert Cutts and at Dan Smith's. In 1845 Willis Atkins do- nated a lot upon which the Methodists built a hewed log church, which was used for a number of years. Later school houses and private houses were used for services by the society until, in 1871, a good modern house of wor-

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ship was erected. The present stone church was erected in 1905. Carmel is now on a circuit with Pleasant Grove and White Chapel, and has a member- ship of its own of ninety-five, while Pleasant Grove has eighty-eight and White Chapel eighty-two, a total membership of two hundred eighty-five. The church property is valued at twelve thousand dollars, and a Sunday school enrollment of two hundred ninety is reported.

AT SHERIDAN.

In the winter of 1867-68 Rev. R. A. Newton organized a class of Meth- odists, which met in the school house at Sheridan village till 1870. In the spring of 1873 a lot was purchased and a building was started, but the money panic, involving the famous "Crime of 1873," talked of so much in Silverite days, intervened and operations had to be suspended for a time. In 1874, however, the thirty-six by fifty foot church, with a spire seventy-seven feet high, costing two thousand four hundred dollars, with lot costing one hun- dred fifty dollars, finally was completed. This church now has a member- ship of two hundred eighty-five, with a Sunday school enrollment of four hundred eighty-seven. The value of its property is estimated at eight thou- sand dollars, the church and parsonage both being modern buildings.

SOME RURAL CHURCHES.

In Clay township in early days the Methodist people held services at their private houses. Reverends Hezekiah Smith, Welch and Asa Beck were the pioneer preachers in that vicinity. All the people of the neighborhood regardless of religious faith, attended these Methodist meetings. In 1833 a class was regularly formed at the house of Isaac Sharp. A year later a log house was erected on land donated by Mr. Sharp, this building being known as "Sharp's Meeting House." There the society was housed until about 1855, when Pleasant Grove church was built in the place of the old log struc- ture. The present membership of this church is eighty-eight.

Poplar Grove church was the result of a class organized in the southeast portion of Clay township, at the home of Nathan Wilson. Elijah Patterson donated a lot on which was erected a log church building. Early in 1856 Mr. Wilson gave land, a half mile east of the former site, and there was built and was still being used a few years ago a good church edifice.

In Delaware township, at the home of Mrs. Dorothy Heady, in 1829, Reverend Roy preached for the Methodist people. Other early preachers of this faith were Reverends William Way, John and Jacob Miller.

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In 1836 Hezekiah Smith, a local preacher, became a resident of the township and was soon followed by Rev. W. D. Roker. In the summer of 1838 a small class was formed at the "Farley School House," and continued holding services there till 1852, in which year a modest frame church was erected in Section 33 and called "White Chapel," in honor of the Rev. White, the congregation's beloved pastor. The present membership of this church is eighty-two.

At Carmel a class was formed in 1848 by a dozen members, under Rev. N. Gillam, who preached in a log cabin which had been used for a black- smith's shop and abandoned. In 1850 a good church was provided, at a cost of eight hundred dollars. There were forty members in this society in 1880.

New Britton Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1852, and reorganized in 1868. This congregation conducted their services in the Bap- tist church building.

The Fisher Methodist church was organized in 1874 by the Rev. D. D. Powell and fourteen members. This congregation met at the school house till 1875, in which year the Union church building was erected. The Masonic order used the upper story of this building.

The first Methodist church in Fall Creek township was formed in 1828, though possibly there had been a class there a year or so earlier. Rev. Allen Wiley preached at the house of James Murrer. A class was organized in 1831, with twelve members, and the same was attached to the Pendleton circuit. In 1842 the first church edifice in that township was erected. This was situated on the Peter Staats farm and was called "Staats' Church." It was a log building. In after years this congregation united with the Fort- ville church and the old log building was torn down. Services were then held in the school house till 1855, in which year a small church was built, the same being popularly styled "Ebenezer Chapel."

SOME OTHER EARLY CHURCHES.

Zion's Methodist church in Fall township was organized in 1858 by the Rev. Metzker at the Morgan school house. In 1860 a frame church was erected in section 33 for the accommodation of this society, which in 1862 had a hundred members. By the year 1880, however, on account of death and removals, this congregation had decreased until it had only thirty-nine mem- bers.

The Jackson township Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal church was organized March, 1838, at the home of Wilson Baker and held services here

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and at other private houses for a number of years. Then a log building was erected on land donated by Joseph Sanders, on the bank of Taylor's creek, which served well its purpose until 1867, when a new and better building was provided, the same still being in use in the eighties. This church was within the Cicero circuit.

The Cicero Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1842-43, with a membership of forty-three. At first this congregation met in a log house fitted up by Dr. William Clifford. The church that was being used in the eighties was erected in 1854, at a cost of one thousand five hundred dollars. The class at this point was organized by Rev. J. V. A. Miller. It now has a membership of one hundred seventy-eight, and the value of its property is placed at sixteen thousand dollars.

Kring's Chapel ( Buena Vista) class was formed prior to 1867 and held its meetings at the Union church building until the same was sold to the Lutheran people, at which time the Methodists built a church of their own, at a cost of two thousand thirty-five dollars, the building being finished in 1877.

The Deming church was built in 1865, a class having been formed at a school house several years before that.

In White River township a Methodist church was formed as early as the year 1827 at the house of Jonathan Carey. Meetings later were held at school houses in the neighborhood. This was the pioneer denomination in the township, but no church building was erected for many years after the forma- tion of the class.

The Strawtown Methodist church building was completed, at a cost of two thousand two hundred dollars, in 1870, a class having been formed two years prior to that date. The building cost the society two thousand two hundred dollars. The present membership of this congregation is given as twenty-five.

In Washington township, in 1865, Rev. J. V. R. Miller, presiding elder, organized a class of Methodist Episcopal believers, of about twenty-five mem- bers. They met at private houses till 1866, when they bought the old Con- gregational church building. Among the pastors recalled at this place were Reverends George Havens. Smay, J. R. Smith, F. A. Fish, O. H. Harrison, A. N. Cottingham, Samuel Lamb, William Brown, McCaig, William Peck, William Blake, A. M. Kerwood and William Parr, who was there in the early eighties, when the society had a membership of seventy-five.

In Wayne township the Methodist Episcopal people formed a class as (20)

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early as 1825, meetings being held at the homes of Joseph Woodell and John Hare. Reverends Havens and Royse were among the first preachers. This class was reorganized in 1835, a log church being erected on land donated by Philip Carr. This primitive edifice was torn away in 1846 and a good frame structure erected, known as "Bethel Church," the present membership of which is ninety.

THE CHURCH AT FISHERS.

The first Methodist Episcopal church at Fishers began with the or- ganization of a class by Rev. D. D. Powell in 1874. There were fourteen members in this class and meetings were held in a school building until 1875, when a church was built near the school house on the road running east and west. Rev. Beal succeeded Rev. Powell in 1877; the next pastor was Rev. I. J. Rhodes, and he was followed by R. B. Powell in 1879. From this year until the erection of the new church the pastors were: Reverends Carpenter, Beal, and Curry, who was appointed chaplain of the penitentiary before his term had expired. Following him came Reverends Graham, Hunt, Huddleston, South, Dewitt, Kirk, Albright, Bruner, and the present pastor, Rev. Perry. The membership of this church is now about one hundred and seventy.

The Methodist Episcopal church at Atlanta was organized in 1870, the first meeting being held in the old Union church building, now the Wesleyan church, by Rev. A. H. Curry, of Cicero. In 1875 a building was erected by one of the members, Philip King, from lumber prepared in his saw mill. In 1893 Atlanta became the head of a new charge, with Ekin and Boxley as circuit appointments: In 1896 Atlanta was made a station, after a series of revival meetings. In 1902 the town received a financial back-set and the church was unable for a time to pay the preacher's salary. In 1912, however, a new building was erected and the next year the church was made a per- manent charge. The present membership is about one hundred and fifty- five. Pastors since 1883 have been: Reverends T. H. C. Beall, 1882-84; E. W. Osburn, 1885; W. M. Stranahan, 1886-88; J. S. McElwee, 1889-91 ; E. Davis, 1892 ; S. H. Stokes, 1893-95; J. E. Earp, 1896-97; W: O. Pierce, 1897-1900; S. C. Poor, 1900-02 ; Bachus, 1903-04; Mellinger, 1905-06; Carry, 1907; W. F. Kerr, 1908-10; C. Bailor, 1910-12 ; Bailey, 1913, and still pastor.

The Methodist Episcopal church at Arcadia was organized in 1867, as a result of a revival held by Rev. J. W. Diefendorf and Rev. J. W. T. Mc- Millan, the former being pastor in charge at Cicero at the time. Fifty-three members were enrolled under the leadership of Amos Dickover and they met

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in the old Albright church building. Rev. C. E. Disbro was first to take charge as minister of this class. He preached there from 1868 to 1870, at which time the membership was about seventy. A. A. Currie was the next minister and following him came: E. S. Freeman, 1870-74; T. C. H. Beal, 1874-77; D. D. Powell, 1877-79; W. C. Mckaig, 1879-81; J. W. Cain, 1881-82; T. H. C. Beal, 1882-85; E. W. Osborn, 1885-86; W. M. Stanahan, 1886-89; I. McElwee, 1889-92; Eli Davis, 1892-94; A. J. Carey, 1894-96; J. W. Welsh to 1897; R. I. Wade to 1899; Revs. Morris, 1900-01 ; - 1901-03; Farris, 1903-04; Morris, 1904-06; Snyder, 1906-07; Alexander, 1907-09; Godwin, 1909-10; Fisher, 1910-12; Hardingham, 1912-14.

The corner-stone for a new church was laid July 4, 1899, and the new house of worship was dedicated on March 18th of the year following.

SOME INTERESTING HISTORY.

Sheridan-Boxley Methodism has an interesting history, a brief extract from which we are able to quote in this connection. Prior to the founding of the Methodist Episcopal church at Sheridan this territory was covered by Boxley circuit, composed of the churches at Boxley and at Poplars, two miles northwest of Sheridan. When Sheridan, then called Millwood, was established and became a good thriving town, the old Oakland church was abandoned and a class formed there. Meetings at first were held in the schoolhouse, the same now being used as a residence by J. K. Rhodeman. For years the society struggled on in its poverty and came near being sold for the debts hanging over it. The trustees wanted to give notes for the society for the amount of the one thousand three hundred dollar mortgage, but the party declined to accept these notes, saying, however, that he would take individual notes from church.members. John Boatman and John Stahl carried the burden of debt a number of years. Later, Rev. Leonard, aided by the Monon railway, conducted several excursions to the lakes at the north, and from the profits of these excursions cleared the church of its debt. The church has been three times remodeled, the last time being in 1894. The first Methodist church erected at Sheridan was in 1874, while Rev. C. H. Wilkenson was pastor. Poplar church was sold and Sheridan became a regular charge. Since the early times these churches-the original mother church at Boxley and the present church at Sheridan -- suffered many severe trials.

It is set out in one of the church histories that the following men of God served at Boxley : Reverends Igo, Berry, Stabler, Sbrite, Armstrong,

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Tansey, King, Rammel, Aeck, Newton, Beal, Fish, Elkon, Kerwood, Kitchen, Gillharn, Metts, Sheccoford, Parsons, Hoback, Weyman, Patterson, Groff, Stokes. Mendenhall, Treppere, J. C. White, Petty, Lewellen, Trout, Carey, Morris, Belt, Leonard, Baccus. E. C. White, Stewart, Osborn, Dunkle, Cottingham, Liddle and Montgomery.

Union Chapel, in Wayne township, was organized as a class about the year 1836 by John Castor and wife, Major Shelby and wife, Dorcas Hare, Sarah Griffith, Polly Hare and Alexander Stephenson and wife. The first class leader was John Castor who served till 1873. Meetings were held at the old Hare school house until 1845, in which year James Hare donated land for a church and he. John Castor, and William Goe built a neat church building of logs. Rev. Donaldson was the first pastor. The old log church lasted till 1868 when a frame structure was erected on the site to take its place. This new building was forty-five by sixty feet in dimensions and cost two thousand two hundred dollars. The present membership of this congregation is about forty.

At Harvey Chapel there is a membership of fifty-one and at Bealls Chapel the membership is eighty. The Ninth Street church at Noblesville has a membership of one hundred. Eagleton has a membership of twenty- six Big Springs has a membership of sixty-two. Hortonville has a mem- bership of eighty. Jolietville has about eighty. Fishers church has a mem- bership of one hundred and seventy-one. Arcadia church has two hundred. Atlanta has a membership of one hundred and fifty-five and property valued at eight thousand five hundred dollars. Sheridan has a membership of about four hundred. Thus it will be seen that Methodism is pretty well scattered throughout the length and breadth of Hamilton county.

WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCHES.

In January of the year 1844 there was organized at Westfield village in Washington township, a class of the above denomination under the direction of J. L. Pfaff, M. D. He was succeeded by Rev. Alex Heywood. Both were strong anti-slavery men, their feelings in this regard but reflecting the general sentiment in the class. By reason of this position they met with violent opposition on the part of some of the pro-slavery people in their community. Their kindness, however, was long remembered by the colored people, many of whom no doubt would have been recaptured and likely some of them killed, had it not been for the protective care thus bestowed upon

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them. Westfield village was a very important station on the "Underground Railway" mentioned elsewhere in this work, and many of the "conductors" were members of this Wesleyan class. Also many of the Friends or "Quakers," hereabout were just as faithful in their service in behalf of the blacks seeking refuge in the north. By 1856 this society of Wesleyan Methodists had grown to be a good-sized church society and they soon erected a large, comfortable church building.

There is a Wesleyan Methodist church at Atlanta, but its membership is quite small, hence its work is limited in the community.

At Cicero this denomination has a church building and a society.

At Sheridan, the Wesleyan Methodists formed their organization in 1880, under the leadership of W. H. Kennedy. This church and the one at Boxley were placed together in the same circuit. A building was erected, forty-four by fifty-two feet. In 1913 this church building was destroyed by fire. A new one was at once erected, a brick structure, which was finished in the same year. The present pastor is Rev. Washington Smith, of Taylor University.

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.

The Church of the Brethren at Arcadia was organized in 1856. Elias Caylor was a bishop, assisted in the ministry by Joseph McCarty and William Pierce. They held meetings in school houses and dwellings and the love feasts in barns until 1866. when the present church house was built, a half mile east of Arcadia. J. M. Perry, G. W. Bowser and James H. Hill also assisted in the ministry. In 1907 the house was remodeled. In 1885 Elias Smeltzer was elected to the ministry. In 1893 James Hill and Elias Smeltzer were ordained bishops. Elias Smeltzer has presided over the congregation nearly all the time since then, free of charge. In 1866 the annexed cemetery was platted and now contains about twelve hundred graves.

BAPTIST CHURCHES.

The Baptist church at Noblesville was organized December 8, 1827. The first trustees were: Messrs. Carey W. Harrison, Robert Colburn and Jordan Peyton. The first clerk was C. W. Harrison and Isaac Hurlock was moderator. The first to serve as pastor was Rev. Nathaniel Richmond who preached once each month at this point.

In August, 1835, the society merged with the "Reformed Church" of

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Noblesville and later was styled the Christian church, which society origin- ally had been formed in 1834 by Elders John L. Jones and Clarence Butler. Among the first members from the Baptist wing of this society were: Isaac Hurlock, Anna Hurlock, C. W. Harrison, Matilda Harrison, Robert Col- burn, E. Hurlock, Joanna Granger and Mary Wood. Meetings for a time were held in the court house and by 1839 fairly regular services were being maintained, this situation continuing on down to 1850, when a Sunday school was organized and in September of which year the Rev. Hopkins was en- gaged as pastor at a salary of three hundred dollars per year, he dividing his time between this point and Cicero town. This salary included the pastor's house rent.

This early organization of Baptists now is known as Calvary Baptist church, which latter organization was perfected in August, 1910, with twenty charter members as follows: Rev. J. H. Smith and wife, B. F. Wise and wife, Mr. Comstock and wife, M. D. Gatewood and wife, G. D. Robin- son and wife, Everett McCarty and wife, Ed Coverdale and wife, Ed Baker and wife, Abner Riley and wife, Oscar Riley and wife. At present the church has a membership of seventy or more. This church was organized in a tent and during the first year of its organization the congregation wor- shipped in a store room on Maple avenue. The old Evangelical church on Ninth street, then was rented for a time and in 1912 the Baptists purchased the old church, the frame structure on the corner of Ninth and Cherry streets, at an agreed price of three thousand five hundred dollars for lot, church and small parsonage. The present pastor is Rev. Arthur E. Myer, who took charge in March of 1914 and who had been preceded by the Revs. O. E. Miller and G. W. Livingstone. The only other Baptist church in Hamilton county is the one out nine miles from Noblesville-Prairie Baptist church.

This refers to the white churches, there also being a colored Baptist church in Noblesville, which is known as the First Baptist Church of Nobles- ville (colored), and which was organized in 1868 by the following charter members : Jack Smith, Aaron Mitchell, Henry Hurley, Ricks Monday, Marjory Howard, Lizzie Howard, Bell Bush, Anna Monday, Lizzie Hurley and Plance Davis. This church has a membership of fifty and its church property is valued at one thousand dollars. The African Baptist church at Noblesville originally was organized September, 1853, at the old school- house, by Rev. Jesse Young, of Indianapolis, with about fifteen members. He served as pastor until 1859, from which time services were irregular until the spring of 1865, after the close of the Civil War, when the same preacher, Reverend Young, came back and re-organized the church of colored folks,

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meetings being held in the same old schoolhouse. Only seven members re- mained through the years between organization and 1865. After Reverend Young came Reverends Chapman, Harris, Henry Johnson, Benjamin Gard- ner and C. A. Roberts, the latter of whom served in the early eighties. Through his influence the church building was provided in 1873, at a cost of six hundred and forty dollars. It was erected on Amo street west of Brock street and was a frame structure twenty by thirty feet. The membership of this society in 1881 was about seventy.

Mount Zion's Baptist church in Clay township was organized at an early day, but no building was erected until 1867, in which year John Will- iams gave a lot to the infant society on which to erect a neat frame building. In 1880 this building was occupied by the Methodist and Friends societies, the Baptist congregation having disbanded.

The Regular Baptist church in Delaware township was organized at New Britton in 1864 by Elders L. Peters, W. Thompson, W. W. Brandon and P. Keeney with ten other charter members. These held services in a school house in the village until 1870, when a good building was erected at a cost of one thousand one hundred dollars, the same being dedicated by Rev. John T. Oliphant, who then was the pastor.

A German Baptist church was organized and held services in Jackson township as early as 1840. In 1850 Elder Eli Caylor, of Noblesville, preached for the society. A good church building was erected in 1866, three-fourths of a mile from Arcadia, before this time services having been held in private houses.

The Stony Creek Baptist church was formed in Wayne township about 1851 at a private house. Services later were conducted at the school house and in 1860 a church was erected.

Prairie Baptist church in Wayne township is a Missionary Baptist church, organized about 1845. Among its constituent members were: George and Elizabeth Castor, Reason and Esther Castor, Nathan and Free- land Castor, John and Margaret Hamilton, Jacob and Sarah McDonald, Jacob and Hannah Sherer, and Mrs. Sarah Byrum. The first house of worship was a hewn-log structure erected in 1848, but not really completed until 1856. The present frame church was erected in 1884 and stands about twenty rods from the old church site, a mile from the north line and two miles from the east line of Wayne township. It was remodeled in 1900 and again in 1910. About two hundred members are enrolled in this congrega- tion of whom about one hundred and fifty are reported to be active members. The property is valued at two thousand five hundred dollars.

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History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 29

Author: John F. Haines Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051