USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County Indiana (Volume 1) > Part 30
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY 237
church occupied the lot upon which the Hurst block now stands, on the west side of Meridian street, between Tenth and Eleventh. In 1890 the Baptist church was reorganized by Rev. J. W. Porter. During the next three years meetings were held in Oriental hall and such other places as could be conveniently secured for the purpose, but in 1893 a lot at the corner of Fourteenth and Lincoln streets was purchased, upon which was erected a house of worship. It was not completed for nearly three years after work on it was commenced. In May, 1896, the building was formally dedicated and since that time the church has been prosperous, ranking today among the strongest religious organiza- tions in the city.
Zion Baptist church, about two miles north of Summitville, was organized in February, 1874, with Rev. J. J. Langdon as the first pastor. In 1878 a frame house of worship was erected, at a cost of about $700. This church is located on section 17, a short distance east of the Mich- igan division of the Big Four Railroad.
The Baptist church at Alexandria was organized on December 23, 1895, and for some time held meetings in the Red Men's hall. As the society grew in strength it was not long until a small house of worship was erected at the corner of Berry and Black streets. This building was recently sold to the colored Methodists and the Baptists bought the old Congregational church edifice at the corner of West Church and Canal streets, where they have a comfortable home.
One of the strongest Baptist churches in the county is the First Baptist church of Elwood. It was organized about twenty years ago and has been fairly prosperous ever since it was established. In the summer of 1913 a new house of worship was erected by this congrega- tion at the corner of South D and Anderson streets, which is regarded as one of the handsomest churches in the city.
The first Baptist sermon in Van Buren township was preached at the house of Thomas Cartwright, a short distance south of Summit- ville, but the date of that meeting is veiled in uncertainty. Meetings were held from time to time after that, and the result was the organiza- tion of a Baptist church, which now has a fine brick building on East Mill street in the town of Summitville. The former house of worship occupied by this congregation was recently sold to the Dunkards.
A colored Baptist society, numbering about thirty members, was organized in the city of Anderson in 1890. It is styled the Second Baptist church. After meeting in various places for some time, a lot at the corner of Eleventh and Sherman streets was purchased and a small house of worship erected, where meetings have since been held regularly.
GERMAN BAPTISTS OR DUNKARDS
Probably the first society of this denomination in Madison county was the one organized near Summitville at an early date, but no reli- able information concerning its early history is obtainable. For a number of years the congregation owned a one-fourth interest in the house of worship erected jointly by the Dunkards and Christians, or Disciples, on section 31, on the farm once owned by Thomas Cart-
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wright. The outgrowth of this organization' is the present Dunkard church of Summitville, which not long ago purchased the old Baptist church on East Mill street, one square east of the new Baptist church.
In 1860 Elder George Hoover organized a Dunkard church about a mile north of Ovid, in Adams township. For several years meetings were held in the school house or at the homes of the members. In 1873 a brick house of worship was erected near the north line of section 7, at a cost of $2,500. It was two stories in height, the upper floor being used as an auditorium and the basement exclusively for the celebration of the Holy Communion. At one time this congregation was large and prosperous, but it has been weakened by deaths and removals until reg- ular meetings are no longer held.
A German Baptist society was organized in the western part of Green township in 1872 and soon afterward a house of worship was built on the farm of David Richards, near the southeast corner of sec- tion 21. This church is known as "Beech Grove Church," though it is sometimes called "Frey's Church," on account of the long services of Rev. Enoch Frey as assistant pastor.
About 1890 a few members of this denomination in Anderson began holding meeting among themselves at their homes and in 1892 a small Dunkard church was erected on Mckinley street, between Twenty-first and Twenty-second. The congregation is not strong, but the few mem- bers are zealous in support of their church.
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
Among the early settlers in Fall Creek township were a few mem- bers of this peculiar sect. In May, 1834, Enos Adamson and his wife deeded to Hezekiah Morgan, William Hunt and Abraham Adamson, trustees for the Society of Friends, a tract of three acres in the south- west quarter of section 15, near the present village of Huntsville, for a consideration of fifteen dollars, the ground to be used as a church site and cemetery. Later in the year a society was formed at the house of Jonathan Thomas and in 1836 a small log meeting house was erected upon the ground purchased two years before. Jehu Middleton was the first regular preacher. The Pendleton society was a branch of the Milford monthly meeting until 1839, when it became an independent monthly meeting. In 1857 the society erected a frame house, at a cost of $800. For a time the Whitewater quarterly meeting was held once a year at this church, which was abandoned some years ago, so that there is now no regular place for holding meetings in the township, al- though a number of that belief still reside in the vicinity of Pendleton.
On January 13, 1894, a few Friends in Anderson met and organized a society, under the leadership of Rev. W. S. Wooton. For a while the meetings were held in the second story of a frame building on West Tenth street. Then the residence at the northeast corner of Fourteenth street and Central avenue (206 East Fourteenth street) was purchased and converted into a meeting house. Two years after the organization of the society it numbered about one hundred members. It continued to gain in strength and in the summer of 1913 purchased the brick
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church formerly occupied by the Hope Congregational church, at the southeast corner of Tenth and Chase streets. The Friends also have a church in Lapel.
UNITED BRETHREN
As early as 1835 the few members of the United Brethren faith liv- ing near Chesterfield organized a society and built a brick house of worship. Among the first members were Daniel and Brazleton Noland, John Suman, William Dilts and their wives, J. C. Guston and Henry Russell. The last named was selected as class leader and a minister named Smith was the first pastor. The church erected by this little band stood on the tract now occupied by the county poor farm. A small graveyard adjoined the church, where some of Union township's pio- neers lie buried, among them Allen Makepeace, William Dilts and John Suman. This society has long since become extinct.
Sometime in the early '40s a few believers in the doctrines of the United Brethren assembled at the house of Samuel Gentry, a short distance east of Perkinsville, and organized themselves into a congre- gation. William Parkins was one of the moving spirits and was the first preacher. He was frequently invited to other localities to conduct services and on one occasion walked eighteen miles to preach a funeral sermon. For about ten years meetings were held at the homes of the members or in the school house, but in 1852 the church became strong enough to justify the erection of a frame house of worship in Perkins- ville, at a cost of about $1,000. Here the congregation worshiped for many years, and unless the house has been recently torn down it is still standing.
As early as 1836 a small society of United Brethren was organized in Hancock county, not far from the Madison county line, by Rev. David Storer. Meetings were at first held in a school house in Hancock county, but as most of the members lived in the vicinity of the old vil- lage of Menden, the first house of worship was erected there about 1844. The first preacher here was a man named Steward. At one time this society numbered about sixty members and was in a flourishing condi- tion, but it became so weakened in time that meetings were held irreg- ularly for awhile and then abandoned altogether. In the meantime a society had been organized in the town of Pendleton, where some of the Menden congregation renewed their membership in the church. The United Brethren church at Pendleton is a neat, substantial structure on the corner of John and High streets.
In Duck Creek township the United Brethren organized the first religious society and built the first house of worship in 1852. When organized by Elder Samuel Purtee, the congregation numbered but eight members. Subsequently they united with a few New Light Chris- tians in the erection of the "Union Church," on the farm of W. F. Hollingsworth, in the southeast quarter of section 16. . After a time the New Lights passed out of existence and left the United Brethren in control.
Another old United Brethren church is located a short distance south of Summitville, in the old building formerly occupied by the
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Dunkards and Disciples, but no reliable information concerning its early history has been found. Originally this house fronted in the op- posite direction, having been turned around when the road running past it was straightened so that it was on the other side of the building. The old graveyard here is upon ground donated by Thomas Cartwright, one of the pioneers of Van Buren township.
The United Brethren church in the city of Anderson was organized in the fall of 1889 by Rev. J. T. Roberts, at Westerfield's hall, on North Main street, where the meetings were at first held. In December, 1892, a small house of worship at the corner of Sansberry and Eleventh streets was dedicated, and here the congregation held services until the completion of their present handsome and commodious church at the corner of Ninth street and Madison avenue.
This denomination has a prosperous congregation and a handsome church building at Lapel, and the same may be said of Elwood. The church at Elwood is located at the corner of North H and Fourteenth streets. It is a substantial frame house, and, while not protentious in appearance, furnishes the active and flourishing congregation with a comfortable home. What is known as Beech Grove church in Lafay- ette township was built by the United Brethren, but has not been used by them for years. There is also a church of this faith located in what is known as the Innisdale addition at Alexandria. The congregation is small, but composed of earnest workers, and owns a neat frame house of worship.
THE CATHOLICS
While the Indiana Central canal was under construction in the lat- ter '30s, many of the men working upon it were members of the Roman Catholic church. In order that they might have their spiritual needs properly attended to, Fathers François and Bacquelin visited the dif- ferent gangs of workmen from Logansport to Anderson, celebrating mass in such places as could be obtained. The first mass in Anderson was said in a log tavern that stood at the southeast corner of Central avenue and Ninth street in 1837. Other pioneer priests followed them, saying mass in Anderson and in the Quinlan settlement on the prairie, southeast of the town, but it was twenty years before any attempt was made to organize a parish or establish a church.
In 1857 Father Clark came as a missionary and for a few months celebrated mass in the courthouse. The following year he began the erection of a brick building, to be known as St. Mary's church, on the northeast corner of Eleventh and Fletcher streets, but it was not com- pleted until 1864, at which time Father McMahon was in charge. In January, 1866, he was succeeded by Father Crawley, who in May, 1870, started a movement for the erection of a new church. Accordingly, the lot just across the street, on the southeast corner of Eleventh and Fletcher streets, was purchased, the corner-stone of the new building was laid on July 4, 1875, and on May 29, 1877, it was dedicated.
Rev. J. D. Mulcahey came to the parish in 1891 and found that the church building was too small to accommodate the Catholic families of the parish. After consultation with some of the leading Catholics,
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it was decided to erect a new church upon the site of the one that had been built in 1864, and which was then used as the parochial school house. It was torn down, the corner-stone of the present building was laid on July 9, 1893, and on October 6, 1895, it was dedicated. The cost of this building was about $41,000.
Previous to 1860 mass was celebrated at irregular intervals in El- wood by missionary priests, the first ceremony of that character having been celebrated in the residence of John Buchanan. In 1860 Elwood became a "station" and was regularly attended by Father McMahon, then pastor at Anderson. From 1865 to 1884 Elwood was attended by Father Crawley and under his charge the station became a "mission." In February, 1880, Bernard Bauer and James Cornelius were given authority by Father Crawley to solicit and receive funds for the erec- tion of a church. The first church was a small brick structure, dedi- cated in the fall of 1881. It cost about $1,500. Eight years later the mission became a parish, under the name of St. Joseph's, and Rev. B. Biegel took charge as the first resident priest on Sunday, July 28, 1889.
In 1892 the little church was enlarged to three times its former size, at a cost of $2,500, but it soon became evident that a new one was neces- sary. Father Biegel began the collection of funds for that purpose in 1894, the corner-stone was laid on October 8, 1899, and the building was dedicated on July 14, 1901, by Right Rev. H. J. Alerding, Bishop of Fort Wayne. The cost of the church, with its interior decorations, was $60,000.
The Catholic church at Alexandria was first established as a station and was attended by the priests from Anderson. When St. Joseph's parish at Elwood was established in 1889, Alexandria became a mission under the charge of Father Biegel, who held services there twice a month. Early in the '90s St. Mary's parish was organized and a resi- dent priest assigned to Alexandria. A few years later the present church, a commodious brick structure, was erected at the corner of Madison and Belmont streets. Rev. F. P. Faust is the present pastor.
CHRISTIANS OR DISCIPLES
The first church of this denomination in Madison county, of which any record can be found, was organized at Frankton in 1839, by Daniel Franklin, at the house of Elijah Ring. Among the thirty members, who were at that time enrolled, were Daniel and Joseph Franklin and their wives, Edmund Johnson and wife, Elijah Lawson and wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Plummer. About 1854 a majority of the members of this congregation transferred their membership to Elwood. In 1859 they came back and assisted in the reorganization of the Frankton church. A frame house of worship was erected in 1867 and since that time regular meetings have been held.
About 1840 a few Christians living in the northwestern part of Monroe township began holding meetings at their homes and shortly afterward organized themselves into the Lilly Creek Christian church. Their first meeting place was a log house, where they held services until vol. I-16
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1871, when a frame church was built on section 3, not far from the Boone township line. The house cost about $1,800.
In 1848 a meeting was held at the Baptist church near New Columbus and a Christian society was organized with Andrew Bray, J. I. Seward, Jesse Van Winkle and Eli Hodson as elders. Meetings were held in the Baptist church, in school houses and elsewhere until 1852, when a frame house was erected near the southeast corner of section 15, about two and a half miles northeast of Markleville. This building was destroyed by fire about 1854, but another was soon afterward erected at a cost of $1,400. For many years this congregation flourished and then began to dwindle, owing to deaths, removals and other causes. Meet- ings finally ceased and the old house of worship was sold to Thornton Rector, who converted it into a residence. . In its prosperous days, this church was known as "White Chapel."
A Christian church was organized at Alexandria in 1852, with a small membership, although meetings had been held in the town for several years prior to that date. Among the early members were Jacob Cassell, Martha Cassell, Joseph Fenimore, John McMahan, Elizabeth Fitch and Aunt Betsy Perry. A house of worship was erected in 1853 . and used by the little congregation until about 1863, when it was de- clared unsafe and was abandoned. Some of the members then went to the Lilly Creek church and others to other societies, but in November, 1875, the Alexandria church was reorganized by Rev. William McKen- sey and most of the former members came back. Since then the society has prospered and now owns a neat and substantial frame house of wor- ship at the corner of Berry and West streets.
New Hope Christian church, also called the Chambers church, was organized in 1854 with seven members, viz .: Hiram and John Chambers and their wives, Susan and Mary Chambers, and Nancy Scott. Not long after the organization, Hiram Chambers donated a small tract of ground near the south line of section 27, Richland township, for a church site. In 1869 a frame house was erected thereon at a cost of about $1,500.
About 1857 Rev. Carey Harrison, a Christian minister of Hamil- ton county, came to Hamilton (now Halford) and held a "protracted meeting" in an old school house a short distance west of the village. At the close of the revival a Christian church was organized with about a dozen members. Elder Harrison continued to act as pastor for sev- eral years. No house of worship was ever erected by the society and about 1876 the meetings were discontinued.
What is now the Central Christian church of Anderson had its beginning back in the '50s, when Elders Jameson and New, of Indian- apolis, came to Anderson as missionaries of the denomination. Serv- ices were held at the Chestnut Grove school house, a mile east of the "Crossing," and at other places until 1858, when a society was organ- ized. Among the pioneer members were Burket Eads, Joseph Sigler, John R. Stephenson, William Mustard and John Kindle. The first house of worship was erected in 1861 at the northwest corner of Main and Thirteenth streets and the next year Rev. Joseph Franklin, of Covington, Kentucky, became pastor, a position he held for twelve years, during which time the membership increased to over one hun-
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dred. The present handsome and commodious church edifice of this congregation, located at the northwest corner of Tenth and Jackson streets, was erected in 1899-1900. It cost about $45,000 and is one of the finest church buildings in Anderson.
During the winter of 1859-60 Rev. George Newhouse, a Christian minister, visited Van Buren township and held services in Allen's school house, about a mile south of Summitville. James, Thomas and Ellen Hudson and Byron Vinson and wife were among the early members of this denomination to settle in that locality, and they were among the first members of the society that was organized by Mr. Newhouse. In 1873 a frame house, thirty-two by forty-four feet, was erected about a mile south of Summitville, at a cost of about $1,500, and a Sunday school was organized. The Dunkards held a one-fourth interest in this house, but a few years ago both the Christians and Dunkards removed to the town of Summitville, turning the house over to the United Brethren. The Christian church building in Summitville is a neat frame structure and the society is in a flourishing condition.
Four miles north of Pendleton, in the southeast corner of Stony Creek township, Forest Chapel Christian church was organized on June 10, 1860, with sixteen members. A frame house of worship was erected the next year, Rev. B. F. Gregory was installed as pastor, but the congregation did not prosper and about 1880 meetings were dis- continued.
On May 9, 1869, Elder Jonathan Dipboye organized a Christian church at Elm Grove school house, in Lafayette township, with eleven members. Meetings were held at the Elm Grove school house and other places in the township. until 1872, when a frame house of worship, cost- ing about $1,000, was erected on the farm of George D. Thompson, not far from the school house.
The Christian church at Elwood was first organized about 1854. Before the congregation could erect a house of worship the Civil war came on and for several years the church languished. After the war the work was revived and the society took the name of the Main Street Christian church. The congregation now occupies a modern and com- modious house of worship, a handsome brick structure, at the corner of Main and Eighteenth streets, and is in a prosperous state both in membership and finances. The Holiness Christian church is located at No. 2209 Main street, where the society has a small frame church, and there is a Church of Christ located at the corner of North B and Twentieth streets.
About 1876 the Baptists, Methodists and Christians of Adams township, especially those congregations near New Columbus, united in building a house of worship to be used by all three denominations alternately. This house stood a short distance of the village and was known as the "Union Church." It is no longer in existence.
NEW LIGHT CHRISTIANS
This denomination has never been very strong in Madison county. The Elm Grove church, above referred to, some years after its estab-
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lishment, became a New Light church. About twenty members of this sect formed a society in Duck Creek township and for awhile met with the United Brethren in the church on the Hollingsworth farm, or with the Methodists at "Reel Chapel," a building erected by John Reel, of the New Light congregation. North of Linwood is a small frame build- ing known as "Olivet" church, where a little band of the New Lights hold services, and there is a New Light church in what is known as Scott's addition to the city of Alexandria.
THE LUTHERANS
As early as 1847 Lutheran ministers visited the few members of that faith living near Ovid and held services in the residences of some of the faithful. A few years later a society was organized, with William Sanders, John Baker, John Mowery and wife and J. B. Cromer and wife as the first members. Meetings were held in an old log school house until 1861, when a substantial frame house of worship was erected a short distance of the village. Never very strong in numbers, the con- gregation found it burdensome to support a regular pastor, and serv- ices have been held only at irregular intervals.
At Anderson there are two Lutheran churches. St. John's Evan- gelical Lutheran church was organized on February 1, 1893, by Rev. W. J. Finck, the first meeting of the society being held in a small building on West Ninth street. Subsequently a lot at the corner of Chase and Fourteenth streets was purchased and a house of worship adequate to the needs of the congregation was erected. The German Evangelical Lutheran church was organized sometime after St. John's. It is an active growing congregation, whose place of worship is on Main street, between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets.
At Elwood, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church has a nice frame house of worship at the corner of North F and Fourteenth streets. The congregation here is harmonious and prosperous, although not large numerically. The Evangelical Lutheran church of Alexandria has been more fortunate in one respect than any other congregation in the county. It has a handsome brick house of worship at the corner of Black and West Washington streets that was erected by a wealthy New York lady and given to the Lutherans of Alexandria.
THE PRESBYTERIANS
On September 4, 1851, Rev. Edward Schofield organized the First Presbyterian church of Anderson, with eleven members. For several years prior to that time ministers of this sect had visited Madison county at intervals and held services at the houses of the believers or in school houses. About three years after the society was organized a movement was started for the erection of a church. In 1855 a brick house, 36 by 60 feet, was built on Meridian street, between Tenth and Eleventh, at a cost of $2,500. When the Baptist church was organized in 1872 this building was sold to the new society and the Presbyterians erected a handsome edifice on the southeast corner of Ninth and Jackson streets,
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