USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Indiana > Part 31
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84
Digitized by Google
.
307
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
difficult to form any organization strong enough to resist the inclination of each settler to enjoy the unbounded freedom inspired by his life in the woods.
Naturally the first church buildings were erected in the towns, but it was not long until in every community effort was made to obtain real estate and erect church buildings. It may be profitable to inquire at what time these various churches acquired their real estate, for by this we may judge when real church organization became effective for work in the communities. The first Methodist church building mentioned in our records was erected on ground conveyed by John S. Barger of lands in White River township on August 11, 1831. On March 2, 1832, the Hurricane Methodist church ac- quired one acre of land from Isom Blankenship; Friendship Methodist church in Hensley township, was erected on land given by Alexander Stephens on August 10, 1833 ; ground for a Methodist church was also acquired in section 18 in Nineveh township on August 22, 1836, but the later history of this last named.church is not known.
The earliest Baptist church planted in the county in the country districts was the Blue River Baptist church in the southeast corner of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 10, in Blue River township on February 3, 1826. This church became the parent church of the Franklin Baptist church. Not long after the organization of the Blue River Baptist church, another Baptist church was organized and a church house built on the county road leading from Edinburg to Smiley's Mill, at that time called by the name of Mount Lebanon. Both of these Baptist churches soon passed out of exist- ence. In 1837 the south Stott's Creek Regular Baptist church procured a site of Thomas Sturgeon at the southwest corner of section 1 in Hensley town- ship. just west of Trafalgar. The oldest country Baptist church in the county which yet maintains its organization is the Mount Pleasant Baptist church. which acquires its property in the northwest corner of section 29, in what was then Union township, but is now a part of Franklin township. The Bethel Regular Baptist church was given a one-acre tract of ground in the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section 11, in Union township, by Zeleck McQuinn on the 25th of May. 1839. Just when this organization changed to the "Hardshell" branch of the church. the writer is not informed. In the same year the Second Mount Pleasant Regular Baptist church acquired its present site in Needham township by donations from John Webb and Jesse Beard .. A Predestinarian Baptist church at Providence became the owner of its site on the 3d of June. 1841. Lick Spring Baptist church acquired its present grounds on May 1. 1843 ; Bethlehem Baptist church in Hensley town-
Digitized by Google
308
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
ship and the Amity Baptist church both acquired lands in the year 1858. A Baptist church in White River township about a half mile north of Browns- town was also organized at an early day, but its more recent history is not recorded.
The United Brethren church acquired sites to their properties in White River township early in the forties.
The first Catholic church lands were acquired by the Edinburg church in 1852.
FRANKLIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The history of the Presbyterian church in Franklin dates from the 20th day of November, 1824, at which time George and Eleanor King, Joseph and Nancy Young and David McCaslin signed articles of agreement and consti- tuting themselves a church organization and proceeded to elect George King and David McCaslin elders. From the record it appears that the sermon of the day was preached by the Rev. John M. Dickey, assisted by the Rev. George Bush. The latter was a Princeton man and afterward became prominent as a teacher of oriental languages in the University of New York. The first convert to the new church was Jane McCaslin, wife of the elder, and on the 25th of June of the following year Simon Covert and his wife. Mary, were re- ceived on letter from their Kentucky church. At the same time their infant daughter, Dorothy Ann, was baptized and this was the first celebration of this ordinance occurring within the county. For the first few years the growth of the church was very slow. only three were added in 1825, only seven in 1827 and four in 1828, and of all these only four upon confession of faith. The first revival in the church was held in 1829, and in this year twenty-one were added to the church roll upon examination. The church then prospered. although there seems to have been neither pastor nor stated place of worship. Sometimes the meetings were held at Hopewell ; sometimes the members met at the homes of the members, occasionally in the open woods, but oftener in the old log court house. The congregation was ministered to by missionaries, among them the Rev. Isaac Reed, then living at Bloomington ; the Rev. Will- iam Duncan. a Scotch divine and a preacher of long, doctrinal sermons. It is remembered of him that he was very fond of tobacco and always preached . with a quid in his mouth and the younger members of the congregation kept count of the number of chews taken in an effort to approximate the end of the sermon. It is also said of him that he was not averse to the use of liquor. justifying himself in the language of Paul to Timothy where he says: "Every
Digitized by Google
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA. 309
creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving." The Rev. John Moreland, another of these missionaries, came from the south, as did also his successor, William Wood. The Rev. Jeremiah Hill, who also preached to this church in the later twenties, was an Eastern man and, while of limited education, was strong in exhortation.
The real history of the church at Franklin began with the advent of the Rev. David Monfort, who is first heard of in this county in June, 1830. The story of this preacher's trip from Ohio to Terre Haute, Indiana, his first place of work in Indiana, as told by his son, well pictures the hardships of the early pioneer preachers. The son, then a boy of seven, came with his father, mother and two younger sisters, from Oxford, Ohio, by way of Indianapolis. The father and mother and the two youngest children rode in a one-horse "Dear- borne," while the boy rode in an ox wagon, or walked as the circumstances required. In telling of this trip in later years he says :
"I think we left Oxford, Ohio, on Monday morning and after a hard week's travel, all weary and worn, late on Saturday night, we reached the place upon which now stands the village of Pleasant View in Shelby county, Indiana, expecting to remain until Monday morning, but for some reason best known to himself, on Sabbath morning the landlord informed father that he could not keep us until Monday morning and he could not be induced to change his decision, so the parson and his family were forced to proceed on their journey. Sabbath though it was. The distance to Indianapolis being only about thirteen miles, father thought we might reach there at least for the evening service, but when within about six miles of the capital and a mile or two from any habitation, we were swamped in the middle of a deep mudhole. Leaving mother and the two little ones in the carriage, after a long walk father found the cabin formerly known as Bell's Tavern on the old Michigan road1. Mr. Bell brought a team and soon drew us out of the mud and gave us a comfortable room in one end of his double cabin, where we remained until Monday morning. On Sabbath afternoon several hunters came in, bringing with them an owl and some venison which they had just killed. Our landlord kinclly gave us some of the venison and mother prepared it. Leaving Mr. Bell's the next morning, we passed on to Indianapolis, then a village of perhaps eight hundred inhabitants, where we were kindly entertained at the house of Caleb Scudder. My impression is that there was then no church building. as father preached that night in Mr. Scudder's cabinet shop. After a night's rest we started again on our journey westward. The roads were in a terrible condition and the settlements far apart. I well remember our stopping at
Digitized by Google
310
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Stiles' Tavern, now Stilesville. Accommodations were very poor and from the exposure consequent, my mother caught a severe cold which caused her death within a year. We were well supplied with meat at Stiles' from a pigeon roost, where great numbers could be captured at night with torches. Passing on from Stiles' through the almost uninhabited forest, we arrived at Otter Creek prairie on Saturday evening of the second week and remained there until Monday morning, and on the next day came to Terre Haute, then a vil- lage of about six hundred inhabitants."
The Presbyterian meeting house in Franklin was erected on grounds acquired by Thomas Graham, Newton McCaslin and Hezekiah Mckinney on the 30th day of July, 1831. At about this same time forty members of Franklin church were dismissed to the church of Hopewell. Some of the records under Dr. Monfort's ministry point to the peculiar customs of the religious exercises of the time. The custom observed in celebrating the Lord's Supper differed materially from the custom at the present. Long tables were prepared in the aisles of the meeting house, covered with snow white cloths and the communicants, each of whom had been presented by the officers of the church with a "token," usually a piece of lead resembling in shape and size a silver dime, as a sign of his or her right to eat the supper, took their seats at this table of the Lord and after presenting their "tokens," partook of the sacramental feast. The records of the time also show the election of singing clerks. The singing clerk was a man of much more consequence in those days than even the leader of the choir in our modern churches. He occupied a seat in front of the high, old-fashioned pulpit, and it was his duty not only to pitch the tunes, but to line out each hymn as it was sung. Hymn books were not plentiful, perhaps many of the worshippers could not have read them if they had had them, and a singing clerk was as much needed as a preacher.
During the early part of Pastor Monfort's ministry he preached at Hope- well also and it was not until 1838 that the Franklin church was enabled to support a pastor on full time and even then the utmost the church could do was to raise five hundred dollars for the pastor's salary and appeal to the state board of missions for help in raising that amount. In the year 1834 a school house was built on the rear of the lot adjoining the present church, and in this school house the congregation worshiped until a frame church was built on the corner in 1837. It was built by Peter Shuck at a cost of eight hundred and sixteen dollars, not including the seats in the pulpit. and being the first church edifice in the town. It was regarded as a very pretentious structure.
Dr. Monfort continued his ministry in the Franklin church until 1850
Digitized by Google
311
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
and up to that time the church numbered one hundred and forty-three mem- bers. It had been somewhat weakened by discord and dissension and had fewer communicants than some fifteen years prior thereto. It is remembered by some of the older citizens of the town that the pastor's wife kept a private school in this church as a means of supplementing her husband's small salary. The Rev. James A. McKee, then preaching at Vernon, was called to the Franklin church in 1850 at a salary of seven hundred dollars per year. Dr. McKee was a Pennsylvanian by birth, but had been educated in the school and theological seminary then located at Hanover. In the beginning Dr. McKee's work was very successful, but after a few years dissension and dis- cord again arose and in 1855 not a single addition was made to the church and the same thing occurred in 1857, but in the latter part of McKee's pastor- ate, peace again having reunited the membership, many additions were made to the church. In 1860 Dr. McKee resigned and was succeeded by the Rev. A. B. Morey. Mr. Morey was a native of New York and an alumnus of Princeton. Dr. Morey was a very successful pastor, three hundred and seventy-four being added to the membership during his pastorate. Dr. Morey was succeeded by the Rev. S. E. Wishard in 1871. Dr. Wishard was a native of Johnson county, an alumnus of Wabash College and of Lane Seminary- Dr. Wishard was succeeded in the year 1877 by the Rev. William Torrence, a very able divine whose pastorate continued nine years and he in turn was succeeded by the Rev. Ernest McMillan in the year 1886. Rev. McMillan resigned about the first of the year 1889, and on April 3rd of that year, Rev. Leon P. Marshall. of the Peru church. was called. He was installed May 21, 1889, and began a long and successful pastorate. For a full score of years, he served his congregation faithfully, and his name is yet a household word in this community.
In 1909, Dr. B. W. Tyler was called from a chair in Hanover College, to the Franklin church, and worthily fills the place distinguished by his pred- ecessors. This church has had but seven pastors in eighty-nine years-an altogether remarkable record in this community. Its membership now numbers 562.
GREENWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
On the 18th day of December, 1864, the Rev. P. S. Cleland, of Green- wood, preached a sermon in the Presbyterian church of that town. that day being celebrated as the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ministry to that church. The sermon is replete with facts and incidents relating to the early history of that community, and vividly portrays the experiences of the faithful pastor
Digitized by Google
312
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
and his small flock under the trying conditions of the time. The author has been fortunate enough to secure a copy of that sermon, and thinks it worthy a place in this history.
A quarter-century discourse, delivered at Greenwood, Indiana, December 18, 1864, at the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ministry to the Presbyterian church in that place, by the Rev. P. S. Cleland :
I Sam. vii :12-Then Samuel took a hand and set it between Mizpah and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
Psalms Ixxx :8-Thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it.
I Cor. ii:1-And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with ex- cellency of speech. or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
I Thess. ii:19-For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ?
Events of interest and importance are usually commemorated by signifi- cant ceremonies and memorials.
When the Israelites had passed over Jordan, "the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying: Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye them, saying, take you hence out of the midst of Jordan. out of the place where the Priest's feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.
"That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan the waters of Jordan were cut off : and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever."
In subsequent times, when the Lord wrought a great deliverance of the people of Israel from a long and grevious oppression by the Philistines, Samuel took a stone, and set it up, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, "Hither- to hath the Lord helped us."
The occasion which we have assembled to commemorate, though it is of no importance to the outside world at large. has interest and importance to us sufficient to warrant a passing notice. This is an era in our history. As pastor and flock, we meet to celebrate our silver wedding. Twenty-five years ago, the relation of minister and people was instituted between us, and it has continued in uninterrupted harmony to the present time. It becomes us to
Digitized by Google
313
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
meet to-day and set up our Ebenezer, for we can say, as did Israel of old, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
What shall be our Ebenezer? The best and most appropriate offering we can render to God is the sacrifice of an humble, grateful heart. The most suitable memorial that I can offer for those who may come after us is, to place on record a sketch of the history of this church, especially of that portion of it with which I have been identified ..
ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH.
The original name of this church was Greenfield. According to the testi- mony of Rev. Isaac Reed, "the name Greenfield was given in July, 1825, by mutual agreement between those immediately concerned, to the settlement along both sides of the State road leading from Franklin to Indianapolis. It embraces a tract along the north part of Johnson and the south part of Marion counties, near the said road. The name was chosen, and designed to be the name of a church, a school and a post office .. All these were future and prospective. It was fixed upon by James Smock, Isaac Smock, John B. Smock, and the Rev. Isaac Reed, who, the preceding day. had entered into a plan for founding and rearing up such society and school."
. The first land in this settlement, thus defined. was purchased by Jacob Smock, in May, 1822, and the first land cleared, and the first cabin raised. was by him in the summer of 1823. "The first families of the settlement were Isaac Smock's, John B. Smock's, and Jacob Smock's, from Mercer county, Kentucky. They all arrived the same day, which was the last day of September, 1823." These were "in advance of all others." Jacob Smock settled on the farm immediately north of the village of Southport. The first lands opened, and cabins built. in this immediate locality, were by Isaac Smock and John B. Smock, in the fall of 1823. The former located on the farm immediately south of the village of Greenwood: the latter on the farm now owned by A. C. Woods.
These, pioneer families were soon followed by those of James Smock, Henry Smock, Samuel Brewer, and others, so that in the course of three or four years, a large number of families found a home in the new settlement.
It is the testimony of Rev. Isaac Reed, and others, that "the first sermon preached in the settlement was by the Rev. George Bush, at the house of J. B. Smock." The precise date of that sermon is not given, but it was in the month of December. 1824. About the same time, Rev. James H. John- ston passed through the settlement and preached. About the middle of De-
Digitized by Google
.
314
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
cember, 1824, he started from Madison on a tour, through what was then called the "New Purchase." He preached at various points on the way, and on the third Sabbath, in that month-just forty years ago-he preached at Mr. Young's, on Sugar creek, in the morning, and at Franklin in the even- ing. "On Monday," he says, "I rode to what was then called Smock's set- tlement, where Greenwood now is, and preached at Mr. James Smock's in the evening, to a company that seemed highly gratified in enjoying the oppor- tunity of hearing Presbyterian preaching."
This church was organized December 31, 1825, at the house of John B. Smock-two years and three months from the day of the arrival of the first families. It was organized by the Rev. Isaac Reed, and consisted of nine members, viz : James Smock, Charity Smock, Garrett Brewer, Isaac Smock, Rachel Smock, Mary Smock, Henry Smock, John B. Smock, and Mary Smock (wife of Jacob Smock). The first six of these persons united in the organization on certificate, and the last three on examination.
On the same day, James Smock and Garret Brewer were elected and or- dained to the office of ruling elder.
Of the original number, none of them are now members of this church, and but two of them are among the living-venerable in years, and awaiting the summons to join those who have gone before, as we trust, to the church of the First-born in heaven. These two are Isaac Smock, of Kansas, and Mary Smock (wife of Jacob Smock), of Iowa. The first communion of the newly formed church was held on the day succeeding the organization, Jan- uary I, 1826. The sermon on the occasion was preached by Rev. Isaac Reed, from I Cor. 3:II : "For other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ." This sermon was subsequently published, and is entitled, "The Foundation Stone." It was dedicated to my father by the author, for reasons which are given in the dedication, which is as follows :
"To the Rev. Thomas Cleland, D. D .:
"Every member, sir, of the Greenfield church has come from your bounds, and been a worshipper in one or the other of your congregations. This fact, together with my long acquaintance with and friendship for you, as a man, a Christian, and a gospel minister, and your pen having so often and so ably moved in defense of that fundamental doctrine, which is the sub- ject of the sermon, is my apology for using your name in this dedication. "Cottage of Peace, February 3, 1826." "ISAAC REED."
-
Digitized by Google
:
315
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
In the concluding part of the sermon the preacher addressed the congre- gation in the following strain :
"This, brethren and friends of the Greenfield society, is a peculiar day. It marks a new event to us. And I hope, expect and believe, that the memory of this day will be blessed. We, I trust, shall cherish the remembrance of it whilst we live, and I expect it will be dear to our children, and to our chil- dren's children. We now first assemble under a new church name. A new society has arisen. May it live forever. God, in whose hands our times are, and whose are all our ways, in His providence hath severed us from our brethren, our churches, and our ministers, in yon land of our fathers' sepul- chres, and hath set us down here. But this day is witness, and we ourselves are witnesses, that Jehovah's ways to us are full of mercy. For the church of Harrodsburg and Providence, behold! He gives us a church in Green- field. Scarcely is the wild man gone, scarcely is the wild beast fled, and the banner of the Lord is set up."
Thus truly was this vine planted in the wilderness. God cast out the heathen and planted it, for the remnant of Indian tribes were still in the country, when the first emigrants arrived, and for some time afterward.
How far the hopes and faith of the venerable founder of the church have been realized, will, in some degree, appear in the sequel of this discourse.
On the 4th day of January, 1826, "the school society was formed, and trustees chosen, to receive a title and hold in trust, for the congregation, a right to a piece of land for a meeting-house, school house, burying ground, etc., donated to the congregation by Garret Brewer and Isaac Reed."
The first grave dug in this lot, and the first funeral in the settlement, was that of William H. Kintner, who was killed about half a mile south of the village, on September 21, 1827, by the falling of a tree, which was struck by a wheel of the wagon that he was driving.
The first marriage in the settlement was that of Ephraim Robinson and Elizabeth Alexander.
The first school in the settlement was taught by Mrs. Elizabeth Falls, daughter of Rev. Mr. Duncan.
FIRST HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
The church, for a time, had no local habitation, the congregation wor- shiping in private houses. During the year 1826 a hewed log house, 16x20 feet, was erected on the lot already spoken of, for the double purpose of a
Digitized by Google
316
JOHNSON COUNTY, INDIANA.
school house and a place of public worship. No record was made of the time when the church took possession of their new sanctuary.
Though humble and rude in its structure and appearance, it was indeed the house of God, and of this man and that it may be said, he was born there. It was occupied as a house of worship until it became too small for the multi- tudes that assembled in it. It at length gave place to a more commodious structure. In 1836 it was taken down and removed a few rods, to the west side of the road, and has ever since been occupied as a dwelling. It remains to this day. a relic of early times.
SECOND HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
In the autumn of 1832, the frame of a second house of worship, forty feet wide by fifty feet long, was erected. The roof was put on, and twenty feet on the east end of the building was enclosed and finished for the use of the school and as a place of worship. The other part of the house was com- pleted, gradually, in the course of several years. The pulpit was built in 1839, and the seats put in in 1840. The house was divided into two apart- ments by a swinging partition, by means of which the whole building, as oc- casion required, could be converted into one large room. The house was built chiefly by the personal labors of the congregation. The people had a mind to work. Of silver and gold they had but little, but all the money that was expended was for such work and material as could not be supplied by the people themselves. The estimated value of the building was about one thousand two hundred dollars, of which not more than a third was paid in money.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.