USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 29
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The first church in Pipe Creek township was a Methodist society, which was formed at the residence of Reuben Kelly, a short distance east of the present town of Frankton, in the summer of 1836. The first members were Reuben Kelly, William Taylor, John Chamness, Jacob Speck, Amos Goff, Joseph Miller and their wives, and perhaps a few others. At first this congregation was a part of the Anderson circuit
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and the first preachers were the circuit riders. Among them were Hezekiah Smith, J. F. Stiles and J. C. Bradshaw, whose names are well remembered by old-timers. In 1867 the society removed to Frank- ton, where a comfortable house of worship was erected, and where the church is still located.
Mount Tabor Methodist church was organized in the northwestern part of Monroe township in 1838. The members first held their meet- ings in private houses, then in school houses until 1850, when a church was erected at cost of about $1,200. Samuel McMahan, David Osborn, Wright Smith, David Austin and wife and Louisa McMahan were among the first members. James Havens, Hezekiah Smith and John Hull were some of the first preachers. After a number of years this church was abandoned, the members associating with other convenient Methodist congregations.
About 1840, a Methodist church was organized in the town of Alex- andria. In 1845 the first house of worship was erected and was used by the congregation until 1873, when a new structure was commenced. It was completed early in the year 1876 and was dedicated on June 6th of that year. The cost of this edifice was about $7,200. This build- ing, which stands at the corner of North Canal and Broadway streets, has since been remodeled and added to, in order to provide better ac- commodations for the growing congregation. At the time this church was organized it was a part of the Pendleton circuit, but later was transferred to the Anderson circuit, where it continued until the Alex- andria circuit was organized. The congregation was the first to be organized in Alexandria.
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About two and a half miles west of Pendleton, on the Noblesville pike, is the Pleasant Valley Methodist church, which was the outgrowth of a class formed by Elder Donaldson in 1841, at the house of Samnel Dobson. In 1852 Mr. Dobson removed to Iowa, after which the meet- ings were held at the house of Andrew Shanklin until 1865, when a frame church was erected on the farm of George A. Williamson, just west of Foster's branch. Previous to the erection of this house the class had been regarded as a branch of the church at Pendleton.
In 1851 a Methodist society was organized at the house of Aaron Taffe, in Boone township, by Rev. William Boyden. Seven members at that time united to form the church and Wright Smith was chosen class- leader. Not long after that he built a log church at his own expense. This building was afterward sold to the township for a school house and a frame church was erected. In 1853 a Sunday school was organized, with Wright Smith as superintendent. Owing to the activity of Mr. Smith in promoting the welfare of this congregation, the church was named "Smith's Chapel." It is located on section 21, a short dis- tance north of Duck creek.
A class was organized by the few Methodists living in the locality, at school house No. 5, Monroe township, about two miles east of Alex- andria, in 1854. It was known as the Mannering class and was a branch of the Methodist church at Alexandria. No house of worship was ever built and after some years the class disbanded, though at one time it numbered about seventy members.
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The Markleville Methodist Episcopal church was organized about 1850 and meetings were held at the residences of Stephen Norman and Ralph Williams, and later in an old log house. In 1856 a neat frame house of worship .was erected, at a cost of $1,400, a short distance south of the town, where services are still held.
Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal church is located on section 8, in the northwestern part of Richland township. A few years before the beginning of the Civil war a few Methodists living in that neigh- borhood began holding meetings in the Holston school house. In 1860 a neat frame house, with a seating capacity of abont four hundred, was erected, at a cost of $1,200. A Methodist congregation had been organ -. ized in this township as early as 1832 by Elias Hollingsworth and Joseph Barnes, near the Union township line. In December, 1832, Joseph Barnes donated an acre and a half of ground in the southwest quarter of section 28 for a church site, and soon afterward a log house of worship was erected, taking the name of Asbury Chapel. In 1870 a new frame church was built on the northeast corner of section 29, on the south bank of Killbuck creek, at a cost of $1,500, and was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Bowman, president of Ashbury (now DePauw) University, on September 13, 1870.
In the fall of 1861 Rev. R. A. Newton organized a Methodist society with twelve members at the Minnick school house, in Duck Creek township. Five years later a small house of worship was erected by John Reel on the farm.of G. H. Harting. It was known as "Reel's Chapel" and was used by the Methodists and New Lights alternately for many years.
Rev. John Pierce, Robert Goodin and a few others organized a Methodist church at Chesterfield in 1870 and the following year a house of worship was erected. For some time services were held every two weeks, but the congregation did not prosper and the church was finally dropped from the circuit.
The first camp meeting in the county was held by the Methodist Episcopal denomination in 1832, about three miles southwest of Pen- dleton, on the farm known as the Samuel Hundley place. Rev. James Havens and other Methodist ministers were in attendance. The meet- ing was pronounced a success and similar gatherings were held there annually for many years, usually in the later summer or early autumn.
On the farm of J. R. Holston, near the Wesley Chapel above de- scribed, was the Wesleyan Camp Meeting Association grounds, where camp meetings were held by the Methodists for many years prior to 1880 and were largely attended. After that the interest waned and in a few years the meetings were discontinued.
The First Methodist Episcopal church of Elwood was organized not long after the town was laid out in 1853. The present house of wor- ship, one of the finest in the city, is located at the corner of North A and Anderson streets, directly opposite the postoffice building. It was erected in 1899, at a cost of about $30.000.
There are also Methodist Episcopal churches at Lapel and Sum- mitville, where the congregations are in a healthy condition and own handsome church edifices.
Rev. James Puckett organized the First Methodist Protestant church
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of Elwood, with fourteen members, about 1865. Ten years later the membership had increased to about sixty and a house of worship was erected at a cost of $1,000. This was probably the first society of this denomination in the county. The present place of worship is on South D street, near Anderson, where a comfortable frame house has been erected for the use of the church and the Sunday school.
On April 17, 1866, a Methodist Protestant church was organized at Hamilton, Jackson township, by Rev. Elias Wilson. For several years meetings were held in the school house or at the homes of the members, but in 1879 a frame house was erected in Hamilton, at a cost of $1,000, for the use of the congregation, which then numbered about thirty-five members. This building was dedicated on October 19, 1879, by Rev. J. H. Luse, president of the Indiana conference. A Sunday school was organized about the time the new church was built.
Since the organization of these two Methodist Protestant churches, a congregation of that denomination has been formed in the city of Anderson. The house of worship is at the corner of Fifth and Locust streets.
In Madison county there are three colored Methodist churches- two in Anderson and one in Alexandria. In 1873 the colored Method- ists of Anderson organized what is known as the Second Methodist Episcopal church. Not long after it was formed a small frame build- ing, located at 1125 Delaware street, was purchased for the use of the congregation and meetings are still held there regularly.
Allen Chapel, African Methodist Episcopal church, was organized in 1890. For about six years meetings were held in such places as could be obtained, but in 1896 the membership had increased to about thirty and steps were taken to build a house of worship. A lot on the corner of Sixteenth and Sheridan streets was secured and a neat frame house erected thereon. It is considered one of the prettiest small church buildings in the city.
Shortly after the discovery of natural gas, the colored Methodists of Alexandria got together and formed themselves into a congregation. Meetings were held at the corner of West and John streets for several years, but recently the congregation has purchased the brick church edifice formerly used by the Baptists, located at the corner of Berry and Black streets.
THE BAPTISTS
After the Methodists, this denomination was the next to establish itself in Madison county. Two Baptist churches were organized in the year 1830-one in Pendleton and the other near New Columbus, in Adams township.
Among the first members of the Pendleton Baptist church were Nathaniel P. Richmond, J. L. Richmond, Martin Brown and their wives, Elizabeth Irish and Susannah Richmond. Nathaniel Richmond was the first preacher. In 1834 a church building thirty-two by forty feet was erected. It was used by the congregation until about 1854, when a larger house was built, at a cost of $1,400. A few years later, while Rev. Mr. Wedge was pastor and P. R. Maul was clerk, a dissension arose
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between these two persons that finally split the congregation in twain "by a Maul and Wedge," as it has been expressed in a sort of jest. The church, unable to continue its career successfully, sold its house of worship to the Friends, most of the members transferring their allegiance to the Baptist church at Anderson.
The Adams township congregation was organized about the same time as the one at Pendleton. For a while meetings were held at the residences of Caleb Biddle and Ira Davis. New members came in gradually, and in 1834 a small house of worship was built about half a mile south of New Columbus. Among the early preachers here were Nathaniel Richmond, Morgan McQuary, W. A. Thompson and William Judd. A small cemetery was laid out near the church, where some of the Adams township pioneers found their last resting place. This church, known as the "Pewee Baptist Church," held meetings reg- ularly for over forty years, but about 1875 it began to wane in strength and influence. After that meetings were held at irregular intervals for some time and then ceased altogether.
In 1834 a few Baptists met at the house of Mrs. Rebecca Collier, about a mile and a half southeast of the present town of Markleville, and organized a church, with thirteen members. There is some diversity of opinion as to when the first building was erected by this congrega- tion. Harden says a house was built in 1837, at a cost of about $500, and other authorities state that it was built in 1852. All agree, how- ever, that it was twenty-four by thirty-six feet in size. In 1872 this house was torn down and a new one of larger dimensions erected, at a cost of $2,800. In both instances J. F. Collier gave the ground upon which the church building was erected, the new house being about half a mile north of the old one. It was dedicated by Rev. Joseph M. Brown, of Indianapolis, October 3, 1872, and is known as the Union Baptist church.
The Bethel Baptist church, located three miles north of Markle- ville, was organized about 1836. Until 1853 meetings were held in the school house near that point, but in that year a frame house of worship was erected, at a cost of $1,000. James F. Collier was the first pastor. The first trustees were Jackson Judd, James Ellison and Silby Clark. About 1862 a division arose that destroyed the usefulness of the church and some years later a denomination known as the Church of God came into possession of the house.
On June 18, 1842, the Little Killbuck Old School Baptist church was organized at the residence of Moses Maynard, with ten members. Rev. W. A. Thompson was the first pastor. In 1844 a log church was built on the farm of Christopher Maynard, near the southern boundary of Richland township. At the regular meeting in July, 1871, a dif- ference of opinion occurred upon some doctrinal point, which resulted in several members withdrawing and taking with them the church rec- ords. This faction held meetings in the school house until a council of the neighboring churches decided the other side to be the regular church. But the mischief had been done. After a precarious existence of a few years the congregation ceased to hold meetings and the church went down.
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In 1843 Rev. Nathaniel Richmond organized a Baptist church at Fishersburg, where a small house of worship was erected the next year. Mr. Richmond acted as pastor for some time, but the congrega- tion was never strong enough numerically to carry the burden of organ- ization and after about twenty years it gave up the effort.
John W. Forrest founded the village of Forrestville, on the north- west quarter of Section 21, Boone township, in 1850, and about three years later a Baptist church was organized there. Mr. Forrest, who was a local preacher of that denomination, officiated at the organiza- tion, but Rev. James Smith is said to have been the first regular pastor. In 1857 a neat frame church was erected, at a cost of about $1,400. It stood upon Mr. Forrest's farm and was known as "Forrest Chapel." After several years the society became disorganized.
A congregation known as the Mount Pisgah Baptist church was or- ganized in Monroe township in 1856, about four miles northeast of Alexandria, by Rev. John W. Forrest. No church was ever erected, the meetings being held in school house No. 6. The society was never very strong and after about twenty years it was abandoned, the mem- bers affiliating with other convenient Baptist churches.
Four miles northwest of Alexandria and a mile east of the old vil- lage of Osceola, the Lilly Creek Baptist church was established in 1858, though meetings had been held in that neighborhood as early as 1852. The first pastor was Rev. James E. Ellison. On May 2, 1868, the church was reorganized and in 1871 a frame church building was erected at a cost of about $1,000. It was dedicated on the first Sunday in August of that year.
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Through the efforts and influence of J. B. Anderson, a Baptist church was established at Chesterfield in 1869, with Rev. J. C. Skin- ner as pastor. Regular services were held for four or five years, but no house of worship was ever erected. Then, weary of the struggle for existence, the little flock disbanded, the members uniting with the Bap- tist church at Anderson.
It may seem strange that no Baptist church was organized at the county seat for nearly fifty years after the erection of Madison county, but such is the case. On October 23, 1871, a number of members of this denomination residing in Anderson, in conference with members of the Baptist congregations at Pendleton and Chesterfield, organized the First Baptist church of Anderson. On January 2, 1872, the Ches- terfield church was consolidated with the new organization, and it was followed on the 23d of the same month by the Baptists of Pendleton. On October 19, 1872, the building committee appointed by the church purchased of the trustees of the Presbyterian congregation their house of worship on Meridian street for $2,000. Previous to the sale of this property the Presbyterians had borrowed $1,000 from the state school fund and placed a mortgage upon their church. This mortgage was assumed by the Baptists. At that time the Baptist congregation num- bered about thirty members, none of whom could be called wealthy, and after holding meetings for some time in the building they were unable to pay the mortgage. The building was therefore sold by the state to satisfy the loan made to the Presbyterians some years before. This
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
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 Ifoover 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.
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