USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 12
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The Methodist Episcopal church at Cartersburg was formed in the win- ter of 1856-7 by Rev. Jesse Woodward, with John Biddle, William Little, Richard Poe and their wives, Mrs. Brady and others as the first members. Their first house of worship was built in 1857 at a cost of seven hundred and fifty dollars. It was of frame and located in the northwest part of the vil- lage. A brick church was erected in 1897. Rev. Eckhart is the present pas- tor, having charge of a congregation of one hundred people.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Coatesville was organized in the thirties. Their first house of worship was destroyed by fire about 1860 and a new one was built the same year at a cost of two thousand dollars. Revs. J. B. Combs, Jesse Hill, D. W. Risher, Nelson Green, John McDaniel, W. D. Davidson. B. H. Bradbury, E. Mason were a few of the earlier pas- tors. Rev. Smock is in charge at present. The church has a substantial house of worship and the membership is about eighty-five.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Plainfield has been an organization nearly seventy years. Among the early members of this church were O. H. Dennis, Riley Taylor and wife, Alexander Worth (founder of the society) and wife, William Owens, Sebastian Hiss, Fred Trucks and Mrs. Higgins. Revs. Dunlavy, Switzer, Green, Johnson, Beard and Siddell were among the early pastors of the Plainfield church. Rev. Williams is the present pastor. There are about one hundred and fifty members.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Brownsburg was the second to be organized in the town. Some of the early pastors were I. P. Patch, T. M. Webb and John B. Demott. Rev. Weidman is the pastor in charge at this date, and has succeeded in maintaining the high standard of the church. There is a good membership and a new brick house of worship.
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The Methodist Episcopal church at Amo was organized in the year 1867. The first church house was completed in that same year at a cost of two thousand dollars. Among the first members were William H. Tush, Winfield Hines, John McAninch, Wesley Johnson, M. W. Cosner, John M. Champion, Herbert Fencer, John Gaspar, S. F. Tincher, James E. Ral- ston, with their wives, Mrs. Lucinda Stanley and Mrs. Nancy Newman. The pastors have been F. M. Pavy, B. H. Bradbury, Thomas Bartlett, J. F. McDaniel, W. C. Davidson, Nelson Green, B. W. Risher, Nelson Green, Jesse Hill, J. B. Combs, Elihu Mason, Rev. Smock is the present pastor of the Amo church. The church has a good membership and is prosperous.
The first house of worship in Pittsboro was erected in 1836 by the Meth- odist Episcopal society. Simon T. Hadley offered to donate lot 2, block 2, to any congregation which would build a church. Arch and John Alexander, William Tincher, Nathaniel Helton and their families were the charter mem- bers. The elder Alexander sawed lumber in his water mill on his farm be- low town, and a house was built a short distance west of the present build- ing. Rev. Enoch Wood was the first minister. Park Poynter and Nathaniel Gossett were its local preachers for years.
The Methodist Episcopal church at the town of North Salem was or- ganized over eighty years age. Reuben Claypool was a Methodist minister and preached to his neighbors in their private cabins from the earliest date, and about 1833 a class was formed. Among the prominent early members were John S. and Charity Woodward, John Claypool, wife and children, Chester and Martha Page, Mrs. Jerusha Covey, and William and Eleanor Jones and family. A church was built by the society before the war, costing twelve hundred dollars. J. L. Smith, T. F. Drake, W. Fletcher Clark, David Hadley and D. P. McLain were among the early ministers. The church is now in good condition, with a membership of one hundred and fifty.
Before any church organization existed, in Washington township, the Methodists held religious services regularly at the home of John and Dorcas Gossett. Then a class of ten or twelve charter members was organized, a yearly camp meeting was established on the land of Seth Hurin, one-fourth mile west of present Avon. In 1842 a frame church was erected just south of the camp ground. The labor on this building was almost entirely per- formed by the membership. Rev. Joseph Marsee was pastor as well as one of the chief carpenters, and each day at the noon hour he preached a short sermon to the men and to their wives who came bringing them dinner. In 1875 a second church was built on this same lot and was dedicated October
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Ioth. This building, thirty-two by forty-six feet in size, cost complete six- teen hundred dollars. T. C. Webster was pastor during the building. The building was still in good condition when the grade for the traction line was made in the winter of 1903, and it was found that the church was so cut off from the road by the grade that the building must be moved or a new one erected. The latter course was chosen. The entire membership, and members of other churches, as well as those with no church relation, con- tributed generously. The building was completed at a total cost of five thou- sand dollars, and, on October 2, 1904, was dedicated, without a cent of debt and without a collection. Rev. H. C. Riley was pastor during the time of building. The size of the building is forty-two feet in the extreme, with a square tower, with entrance through its vestibule to both the main and Sun- day school rooms. The building is of Poston paving brick, rock faced, and with stone trimming, and is a neat and substantial structure. In addition to this church there are in the township two other Methodist churches, Shiloh. three miles east, and Bartlett's, three miles west.
The Methodist Episcopal society dates from 1833 in Union township. At this date a class was formed at the house of William Montgomery, who was leader. Among the early members were Mr. Plummer, Sally Bargan, Claiborne Davis and John Pritchett. The church building was located one half mile south of Lizton.
The first church organized in Washington township was at the house of Robert Wilson in 1823. This is now the Shiloh church. It was the first Methodist Episcopal church organization in the county and the fourth one of any denomination. There were afterwards three other churches in the township of the Methodist Episcopal faith, namely: Shiloh, Wesley and Bartlett's Chapel. Regular Baptist churches were located at Abner's creek and Salem.
The African Methodist Episcopal church at Plainfield was organized about forty-five years ago. It met for a long time at the Morgan school house, two and a half miles from Plainfield, and in 1879 commenced holding its services in the village. The church erected in that year cost about six hundred dollars.
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
The Disciples, or Christian, church was organized in the fall of 1844. at Danville, by Love H. Jameson, of Indianapolis. The charter members were Allen Hess and wife, Asa S. White and wife, James Odell and wife,
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Wesley B. Sears and wife, Wesley Bell and wife, Margaret McPhetridge, Celia Cake and Samuel A. Verbrike and wife, all of whom are now dead. The first officers were Allen Hess and Asa S. White, elders; Wesley Bell and James Odell, deacons. The organization was effected at the home of Asa S. White and for years afterwards the society met to worship in private homes and in the old court house. In the year of 1852 the congregation was sufficiently large to build a frame church, in which it worshipped for more than twenty years. The church had no resident ministry for many years, but was periodically visited by such men as L. H. Jameson, Thomas Lockhart, N. Waters, William Jarrett, John O'Kane, O. P. Badger, A. I. Hobbs and others. After the Civil War William R. Jewell settled with them as the regular and only pastor. He was followed by U. C. Brewer, W. H. Blanks, WV. S. Tingley, George G. Peale, Ira J. Chase, A. J. Frank, S. O. Conner, A. L. Orcut, A. L. Conner, U. G. Martin, E. E. Daugherty, E. E. Moorman, Charles Goodnight, A. Leech and the present pastor. W. E. Anderson.
A handsome brick house of worship was erected in 1874 at a cost of six- teen thousand dollars. It has, however, recently been demolished and a more pretentious building is now in process of construction on the same spot on greatly enlarged grounds at a cost of fifty thousand dollars.C The new structure was induced by the munificent gift of thirty-five thousand dollars, by Edgar E. Shirley, as a memorial to his father and mother. The new building will be institutional in character. It will embrace not only an audi- torium for worship, but an assembly room for the Sunday school, divers class rooms, a kitchen, a banqueting hall and a gymnasium. The latter will be equipped with appliances for all modern physical exercises, such as swings, bars, in-door ball games, etc. It will be supplied with about one hundred lockers, lavatories, etc., and will be set apart on certain evenings of the week for the use of the girls and certain evenings for the boys of the town, with- out reference to church affiliations. A governor or governess to attend each open evening.
The church membership, at the time of organization in 1840, numbered thirty. In 1884 it had increased to two hundred and sixty and now has an enrollment of four hundred and four.
The Sunday school was organized in 1852, Moses Cavitt being the first superintendent. The present average attendance is two hundred and twenty and James P. Snodgrass is the superintendent. The church has also been efficient in religious and social activities usual to church work.
.The Christian church, at Clayton, was organized December 7, 1863, by Rev. Thomas Lockhart and O. P. Badger. Samuel B. Hall and John R. Bal-
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lard were chosen as the first elders and George Acton and James Ferguson, deacons. The charter members were sixty-three in number. The church built in 1865 cost over twenty-six hundred dollars. Among the early pastors were Thomas Lockhart, O. P. Badger, Jameson, Sherman, Canfield, Miller, Jewell, Frank and Brewer. Rev. Scofield is the present pastor and the mem- bership is one hundred and twenty-five.
The Christian church at Stilesville was organized and their first house of worship erected in 1842. This building was of frame and cost one thousand dollars. Among the first members were Daniel Osborne, John W. Bryant, John R. Robards, George W. Snoddy, James Snoddy and their families. After using their first church over thirty years, a brick edifice was erected, costing twenty-five hundred dollars. George W. Snoddy was a preacher in this church over forty years, dying in April, 1882. A. J. Frank, of Greencastle, took charge after his death, then A. M. Connor, Gilchrist. Rev. Beard is the present pastor. The membership numbers seventy-five.
The Christian church at Plainfield was organized in March, 1830, with the following as the first members: David Cox and wife, John Hadley, Jonathan Hadley, David Carter, Ezekiel Hornaday, Hiram Hornaday, Hir- am Green, Abijah Cox, with their wives, and Alexander Shover, seven- teen in all. They soon built a hewed-log church and in that primitive struc- ture, half a mile north of the present site of Plainfield, they worshipped for five or six years. They then erected a frame church in the village, using the same for twenty years, when it was succeeded by a brick structure, built on the site of the frame, at a cost of three thousand dollars. Among the first ministers were Revs. Michael and Job Combs, Lewis Comer, John Se- crest, Oatman, and John O'Kane. Rev. Shields is now in charge. There are two hundred members enrolled.
The Christian church at Pittsboro was organized February 25, 1854. A church was built in the same year at a cost of two thousand dollars. It was later used as a residence. This first church was located on ground now owned by the Pierson sisters. It was erected by James Cundiff, an uncle of Mrs. E. W. Sawyer. This membership was organized by the venerable Thomas Lockhart. He ministered to the spiritual needs of this congregation for years and was succeeded by Elders Luke Warren and James Canfield. Its charter members were from the families of the Wells, Parkers and Hills, who were before that members at Brownsburg. This house served for the triple purpose of sanctuary, school and dwelling until 1889, when it was purchased and razed by Douglas Baker and the site occupied with a dwelling.
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The second church was built in 1873. It has since been remodeled and made more modern. Frank Sumner is the present pastor. The membership is one hundred and ninety.
The Christian church at North Salem was organized in 1837, with Charles Fleece and Thompson Farmer as elders. O. P. Badger, D. Collins, W. B. F. Treat, A. J. Frank, William Holt and A. Plunkett were among the early pastors. In recent years this church divided over a controversy in regard to an organ and now there are two Christian churches in Salem. Rev. H. E. Kelsey is in charge of the larger and the smaller obtains supply.
The Christian church, in Brownsburg, is the oldest in that town and the second to be organized in the township of Lincoln. It was organized in 1835 by Thomas Lockhart, with seventeen members. John L. Parker and V. Cress were the elders. The society constructed a brick church in 1859, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars. Rev. William L. Newlin is the pastor now. The church has a strong membership.
In Union township the first preaching was done by Gilbert Harney, of the Christian denomination. In 1837 Gilbert Harney organized at the house of Archibald Alexander, a church, with Mr. Alexander, Joseph P. Lewis, Samuel C. Carrington and their wives, with a few others, as members. A church was built about 1875 and has been prosperous since.
In Middle township the Christian church was the first to be organized. The Baptist was second and then the Cumberland Presbyterian.
PRESBYTERIAN SOCIETIES.
The Presbyterian church at Danville was organized in 1832. Among the leading early members were Daniel McAuley and wife, Jacob K. Moore and wife, Alexander Morris and family, Henry G. Todd, Samuel King and Eliza McPheeters. Among the pastors who have served this congregation have been Revs. Samuel G. Lowry, Hill, Moody, Chase, Theophilus Lowry, Henry Hammer, Samuel Wishard, Henry L. Dickerson, G. D. Parker, N. S. Dickey.
The first house of worship was erected on the corner lot north of the present standpipe. It was frame, substantially built, the sleepers of whole logs, slightly flattened on one side, on which rested the floor. This building was used for public worship on the Sabbath and a subscription school was taught by the old-time pedagogues during the week. Some of the charter members of the congregation walked to church from what is now a part of the "Abe Eastes farm," a distance of nearly four miles, and had to cross the
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creek northeast of town on a foot log. Henry Ward Beecher attended and preached here during meetings of the presbytery. It is reported that a Sab- bath school was conducted at which "Uncle George Rich" led the singing with a violin.
At the building of the next church, now the Knights of Pythias hall, about 1850, the old building was purchased by George Wayland, who put in a ceiling and converted it into a carpenter shop and later into a residence, and as such it served until leveled in 1891, when the heavy timbers made fuel for a family for more than two years. The new church was not fully com- pleted and dedicated until December 29, 1858, when Amos Jones, one of the early ministers, came and assisted in the dedication. Rev. H. L. Dickerson came in the spring of 1858. Ministers who had previously served the church were Revs. Cole, Post and Lee. Rev. Dickerson came direct from Lane Seminary, with his bride, who had been a teacher in a female seminary on Walnut Hills, and they at once began to plan better things for this church. He resigned after twenty years of faithful service. During the pastorate of Rev. Dickerson he had organized White Lick church. During his absence the pulpit was supplied by Dr. Fisk, of Greencastle, and Rev. R. B. Herron On June 1, 1877, Rev. Dickerson returned and again took up the work here and at White Lick, but deaths and removals had so depleted the membership that it was found impossible to sustain a regular pastor, so Rev. Dickerson removed to Indianapolis, from which point he supplied vacant churches in every direction from that city.
On July 30, 1882, the Danville congregation decided to organize as a Cumberland Presbyterian church, with a large majority of the working members as charter members of the new organization. Among them were J. O. Wishard and wife, Isaac Piersol and wife, W. T. Lawson and wife, James Reed and wife, Asa Martin and wife, Charles R. Rose, Emma Piersol Barnett, Mary E. Warner, Elizabeth Scearce, Mary Cooper, J. B. Harlan, Ruth Cash and Ella Nave, together with Charles Hadley and wife, Stanley Hall and wife, Asa Black and wife, and Lawrence Vannice, who had re- moved to this vicinity from the New Winchester and Groveland Cumberland congregations. This new organization proceeded to erect a new building, in which they now worship. Work on the church was begun in the spring of 1884 and completed in November of the same year and dedicated November 30th. It cost sixty-two hundred dollars.
In April, 1883, the Indianapolis presbytery, on petition of the members of the old church who did not see fit to go into the Cumberland organization,
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reorganized the church, with Henry G. Todd, Robert R. Downard and Isaac R. Lawson as elders, and Marshall Todd and Frank J. Christie, deacons. Dr. H. G. Todd was afterward elected clerk of the session. Rev. G. D. Parker was secured as a supply until February, 1885, when Rev. N. S. Dickey came and labored faithfully, but the field was small and the church grew weaker until, in April, 1890, by resolution of presbytery, the church was dissolved at the request of the home mission committee.
On May 25, 1906, the reunion of the Cumberland Presbyterian and the Presbyterian churches of the United States was consummated at Decatur, Illinois, and is now known as the Presbyterian church of the United States of America. The Danville church, by a vote, concurred in this action of the general assembly.
This church has had as pastors and supplies Revs. Witherspoon, What- ley, Penick, Halsell, Hudgins, Rogers, McKnight, Prather, Yokely, Mahr, Danley, Giuchard, Christensen and W. H. Gray.
In the early thirties the Cumberland Presbyterians of Liberty township were perfected into an organization by Rev. Alexander C. Downey at Belle- ville. They, in common with other religious organizations in our early days, had no stated house of worship, but met from house to house or held services in some school house, mostly, however, in what was known as the Mitchell school house, situated on the west side of the road leading south from Clay- ton and at the short bend just south of the national road.
The minutes of the sessions having become lost, Wabash presbytery au- thorized the elders to procure a new book and enter therein the names of such members as were known to be in good standing. This was accomplished in January, 1841, when thirty-eight names were enrolled. Of these, Samuel Little, of Plainfield, now nearing the ninety-second anniversary of his birth, was a charter member and his niece, Rebecca Harden, of Indianapolis, some eighty years of age, are the only ones known to be among the living.
In 1851, upon a lot donated by Richard Worrell, and a short distance south of the present location, was erected a house for worship. The con- tractor was Ferdinand Hopwood, who was assisted by D. N. Hopwood, Frank W. Beckwith; William A. Ragan and Moses Kebner.
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Ragan were the first to be received into member- ship in the Clayton church. This was on March 27, 1853.
The first Christmas tree in Clayton was held in this church on Christ- mas eve, 1866. In 1869 the first church organ was purchased by Taylor Wills, who acted as organist for eight years.
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In 1872, not liking the location, a lot was bought of Joseph L. Rhoades and Messrs. Dr. C. T. Lawrence, Henry Lincoln and William A. Ragan were appointed a committee to remove the church and refit it for use. This build- ing having been occupied something over half a century as place for wor- ship and also showing the marks of time, in May, 1901, it was decided that a more suitable location and a building adequate for the needs of the times were absolutely necessary. The church appointed Messrs. Columbus F. Ed- mondson, Thomas Edmondson and Howard Mitchell, who performed their duties by selecting a site more centrally located and erecting thereon a build- ing forty-nine by fifty-eight from out to out, having an auditorium and two Sunday school rooms, all of which may be easily thrown together as occa- sion demands. The seating capacity is about four hundred and may be increased to five hundred by crowding. The building is heated by a hot air furnace, lighted by a gasoline plant and seated with chairs. A new three- hundred-dollar vocalion organ was secured. The cost of the location, build- ing and furnishings footed up about five thousand dollars. Samuel Little, before mentioned, is supposed to be the oldest living elder, having been or- dained in 1832.
W. A. Ragan was Sunday school superintendent for over thirty years. For twenty years John Cornett led in the singing and Amos S. Wills was secretary of the Sunday school.
Much of the credit for the structure was due to the untiring zeal of the pastor, Rev. Elmer J. Bouher.
The following pastors have been in charge here at various times: Alex- ander Downey, Samuel C. Mitchell, James Ritchey, Joseph Hannah, W. T. Ferguson, D. D., Elam McCord, H. D. Onyett, D. D., A. Randolph, W. D. Hawkins, B. F. Ivy, L. P. Witherspoon, A. H. Whatley, Thomas Penick, J. P. Halsell, Charles Wilson, J. L. Hudgins, J. L. McKnight, Josephus Latham, A. T. Carr, Elmer J. Bouher, and Rev. Frank, the present in- cumbent.
The Presbyterian church at Brownsburg was organized by George Long in 1865. He raised the sum of twenty-three hundred dollars to be used for the construction of a church building. Revs. Beach, McKee, Mayo and H. L. Dickerson were a few of the first to occupy the pulpit. Rev. Beeson is the present pastor. The church has a membership of one hundred and is pros- perous.
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BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The Regular Baptist church at Danville was organized in the year 1823, having the distinction of being the first religious organization in the county and also of having been organized before the county. Some of the early members were William Faught and wife, Thomas Flathers and wife, Joel Jelf and L. T. Pounds. Elder J. W. Thomas preached for some time prior to the year 1836. Elders William Hardin and Thomas Hooten each served for a number of years. The latter's back was broken by a falling shed and he died a year after the accident. Elder Erasmus D. Thomas commenced his labors here before the war.
The church has had three houses of worship. The first, a log structure, was used until 1852, when a new frame building was constructed. This house was used until 1903, when the present building was built. The regu- lar services of the church are held monthly on the second Saturday and Sun- day following in each month. Elder E. W. Thomas, the son of Erasmus D. Thomas, has served the church continuously.
The Missionary Baptist church was organized November 9, 1850, by members from the Belleville church. Prominent in this movement were Moses Cavett and wife, Rufus Tharpe, Richard Christie and David Downs. A house of worship was built, which cost about twelve hundred dollars. The money for this building was raised chiefly through the efforts of the wife of the first pastor. This church society is now discontinued in the town of Danville.
The Baptist church at Cartersburg was constituted March 21, 1864, with Rev. R. M. Parks as pastor and the following first members. H. D. Mc- Cormick and wife, R. T. McCormick and wife, A. S. McCormick and wife. Matilda Christine, William, Nancy, Sudy, Cynthia, and Moses Tomlinson, James and Sarah Hayden, John A. and Sarah Veatch, Isabel Silch. Joseph K. and Elizabeth Little, Hazzard and Margaret J. Woodhurst, Anna Mar- tin, Sarah A. Snodgrass, Oliver P. Garr, Susan Dilley, Charles Maddox. Greenberry Baker, James Roach, George Hufford, Hannah Owens. R. T. McCormick was chosen the first clerk. The society erected a frame church in 1868 at a cost of seven hundred dollars. R. M. Parks, B. A. Melson. W. Trent, J. W. Sherrill, F. M. Buchan and J. W. Crews were among the first pastors. Rev. Buchanan is now in charge.
The White Lick Baptist church was the first of any denomination or- ganized in Hendricks county. It was formed March 27, 1824, by Elder
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