History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 46

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664

USA > Indiana > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships > Part 46

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And thus may it be from generation to generation. Ages hence, may the descendants of the pious worshipers of the former years in these quiet retreats still come as of yore to the same con- secrated spot, and find ever the ancient promise true that "the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, and His righteousness unto children's children."

Winchester. - Although Randolph County has been filled with Friends ever since its first settlement, and nearly a dozen pre- parative and several monthly meetings have long existed within its limits, yet, strange to say, that society never had regular estab- lished service in Winchester till a few years ago. Elkanah Beard took up his residence in the town in 1873, he and his wife being prominent ministers among Friends, and they began to hold serv- ices for worship after the manner of their society in the same year, the meetings being held in the City Hall.

The interest gradually increased till in 1875, and a prepara- tive meeting was established, as also a monthly and quarterly meeting, not far from this same time. A neat and convenient meeting-house was erected in 1876.

The resident recorded ministers are Jesse C. Johnson, W. C. Brown, Elkanah Beard, Irena Beard and Mary Matilda Par- ker. Meetings are held Fifth day nights and First-day morn- ings and nights, congregation ranging from forty to one hundred and fifty. An interesting Sabbath school is held in connection with the society.

Winchester Quarterly Meeting comprises Randolph, Black- ford, Delaware and Jay Counties, and embraces meetings as fol- lows:

Lynn, Cherry Grove, Poplar Run, Cedar, Winchester, Jeri- cho, White River, Olive Branch, Farmland, Parker, Randolph County; Muncie, Delaware County; Blackford, Blackford County, Penn, Pike, Westchester, Jay County-fifteen in all.

The monthly meetings 'are three in number-Cherry Grove, White River, Poplar Run.

More than nineteen hundred members are included in the quarterly meeting. Five preparative meetings, as also Dunkirk, now extinct, and Arba, belonging to New Garden Quarterly Meeting, in Wayne County, were established nearly at the first settlement of the county, say between 1815 and 1824. Of these, Arba is supposed to have been the first, being established in 1815.

The Friends at Winchester have been active during the win- ter of 1881-82, and much good seems to have been produced by their religious labors there and elsewhere.

ANTI-SLAVERY FRIENDS.

For some time before 1842, a trouble had been arising among the Friends in Richmond Yearly Meetings on the question of abolition. While professing to be anti-slavery, the great body of the meeting were unwilling to co-operate with Abolitionists in their work of arousing the nation to the sin and guilt of slav- ery, and disapproved of those who did so co-operate, notably condemning Charles Osborn, who was a Friend of high character and great simplicity and earnestness of spirit. This action caused a split, and a new society was formed by the name of Anti-slavery Friends, with their yearly meeting at Newport (Fountain City), Wayne Co., Ind. Much activity prevailed among them for several years, and a large number of Randolph Friends joined the new society. Cabin Creek and Dunkirk Pre- parative Meetings did so almost entirely. A new meeting was formed at Jericho. The movement continued for some twenty years or more.

Near its beginning, the London Yearly Meeting, to which the Friends throughout the world look up with reverence as the great mother of them all, interested herself in the trouble, and sent a deputation of Friends to visit the "recusants " and try to recon- cile them to the "body."

Their labors proved fruitless, for the time, at least, and Anti- slavery Friends, with their simple ways, in Hoosier cabins, and dragging their ox eleds through Indiana woods, made themselves merry over the rich and haughty English Quakers as they wended their slow and toilsome way through the wonderful mud from point to point and from cabin to cabin, offering to buy oxen to hitch to their costly carriages to haul them through the terrible mud and well-nigh impassable mire, making ceaseless trouble to the backwoods Hoosiers by their disagreeable and unsuitable aristocratic ways, obliging whole families to sleep out of doors, or at least outside the dwelling, because their ladyships could not possibly sleep in the same room with a man (besides their own husbands). and what not.

But the Anti-slavery work found other channels, and the "body " softened down considerably, and the mutual yearnings after re-union prevailed, and the Anti-slavery Friends, such as chose, were received back to the " body " and no questions asked.

Among the leaders and prominent Friends in this region en- gaged in the Anti-slavery secession were Charles Osborn, William Hough, Dr. H. H. Way, Nathan Thomes, Benjamin Thomas, Benjamin Stanton, Joel Parker, David Willcutts, Walter Edger- ton; and in Randolph County, nearly all the Friends in Dunkirk and Cabin Creek Preparative Meetings, and numbers at Jericho, and some elsewhere, among them the Hills and the Peacocks, etc., at Jericho; the Pucketts, etc., at Dunkirk; the Bonds and the Wrights at Cabin Creek, etc., etc.

The Anti-slavery movement in general was indeed a " thing of life." Though exceeding small as to numbers, they made up that lack by excess of activity and overflowing zeal, causing the country to echo from side to side with their strong and not too gentle condemnations of the system as such, and of all its prac. ticers and abettors in high places or low, especially in high sta- tions. Osborn, Lundy, Garrison, Wright (Elizur and Theo- dore), Green, Lovejoy, Codding, Birney, Buffum, Pierpont, Goodell, Tappan, Whittier, Child, Bailey, Garnet, May, Leavitt, Douglass, and a great multitude of compeers, set them- selves the task, under God, of overthrowing American chattel slavery; and for years the world stood and jeered and mocked, and cursed and mobbed alternately, tarring and feathering, and egging and stoning and flogging, and sometimes even killing outright the despised Abolitionists, who were truly hated by all men. But time sped swiftly on, and the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the storm burst; and, when the sky cleared itself once more, slavery lay dead, and the slaves had been made freemen. And the faithful band, its ranks sadly thinned, shouted, "Hallelujah! Glory to God!" They felt like march- ing forth as did Miriam of old, among the Hebrew maidens, with timbrels and dances, singing as they marched, " Sound the loud timbrel over earth and sea! Jehovah hath triumphed, His people are free!"

And now the devoted band are dead almost to a man. A few,

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

and a very few, and only those of the younger class, are still in the land of the living. Most of their names are lost to history, but their work remains, and their record is on high.

The "Underground Railroad " had many adherents and abet- tors in Randolph, and great numbers of refugees from slavery were sheltered and helped on their way toward the North Star by faithful friends dwelling in the region.

GERMAN CHURCHES.

We class the German churches of various kinds together, and arrange them in a single group, though of several different orders.

GERMAN BAPTISTS (DUNKARDS).

The first of these people in America emigrated from Swart- zeau, Germany, to Germantown, Penn., in 1719.

For many years, their hardships were great and their progress was slow.

Christopher Saur, one of their number, in 1748 printed the first German Bible made in America, and edited the first paper ever issued from their church, and perhaps from any religious body.

Their first annual conference, so far as known, took place in 1778.

The first meeting-house known was built in Franklin County, Penn., in 1798. There must have many built before that time. one would think, though in old times much religious work was done in private houses, barns, schoolhouses, etc.

The first brother that settled in Virginia was John Garber, at Flat Rock Valley, in 1777, who built up a large congregation. From this church Jacob Miller came to near Dayton, Ohio, in 1800. He raised twelve children-nine sons and three daugh- ters. Three of his sons became ministers, and reside in Indiana, doing much work for the Gospel there.

The German Baptists have eighty-five congregations in In- diana, and seventy-five in Ohio, mostly with extensive member- ship and large houses for worship.

Their churches are found in twenty States, and number more than one hundred thousand members.

Eleven newspapers are published under their auspices, and they have three colleges -- Mt. Morris, Ill., by Elder J. W. Stein; Ashland, Ohio, by Elder S. G. Sharp ; Berlin, Penn., by Elder James Quirter.

In Darke County there are four congregations-Ludlow and Painter Creeks, Hillgrove, Oakland and Palestine.

In Randolph County, Ind., there is but one-Union City, one mile north of town.

In Darke County, Ohio, adjoining Randolph, they have twenty-three resident ministers and nine houses of worship. Sometimes one church or congregation will have several meeting- houses. Thus, Union City Church has two -- one north of Union City, and one southeast of Hillgrove, Ohio.

Baptist (north of Union City, Ind.). - About 1826 or 1827, by a council held at William K. Marquess' (Samuel Parent's, a German Baptist Church was organized and called Greenville Creek Church. Their preaching was supplied by ministers from a distance, who came on horseback, along narrow, winding traces, and often through deep mud and water, to bring sinners the tid- ings of salvation, and not without the abundant blessing of the Lord of the vineyard.

In 1830, John Crumrine was elected to the ministry at the house of Susannah Crumrine. In 1836, William K. Marquess was called to the service of the church as a preacher.

In 1848, a church was organized near Union City, with about seventy members, of whom only six or eight are now living here.

Brethren Crumrine and Marquess were the first resident min- isters. Rev. Crumrine moved to Wabash County, Ind., in 1852, and Rev. Marquess died November 9, 1857. Their preaching points were in Preble, Miami, Darke and Mercer Counties, Ohio, and Randolph, Wayne and Henry Counties, Ind .. The places were Harris Creek, Stillwater, Ludlow, Fort Recovery, Green- ville Creek, Union City, Winchester, Deerfield, Bloomfield, Grand- ville, Hagerstown and Blue River.

Many of the members have died, and great numbers bave re- moved to the West.

In 1852, Thomas B. Wenrick was chosen to the ministry, and ordained in 1854 or 1855, being the first resident Elder.

William K. Marquess, Jr., was chosen about 1855, and Eli Dickey, William B. Simmons, Samuel Puterbangh and Benjamin Bowman, have since been elected in this church as ministers of the Word.

Eli Dickey moved to Ohio about 1870; the others reside hero still. Stephen Miller and George Peters moved to the bounds of this church for a short time.

In 1870, the first house of worship was built on the State line one mile north of Union City (in Indiana). The size is 44x56 feet, and the cost was $3,250, and there is a cemetery in connec- tion. The second meeting-house was erected in 1878, about a mile southeast of Hillgrove, Ohio, at a cost of $650, with a size of 32x44 feet.

The church is large and flourishing, enjoying peace, harmony and the blessing of the Good Shepherd.

The names of the first members cannot now be given. Some of them have been and are as follows:

William K. Marquess (Rev.), John Crumrine (Rev.), John B. Wenrick (Rev.), Eli Dickey (Rev.), William B. Simmons (Rev.), Samuel Puterbaugh (Rev.), Benjamin Bowman (Rev.), Stephen Miller (Rev.), George Peters (Rev.), Frederick Roe, John Zum- brun, G. W. Marquess, Adam Simmons, S. Blocker, D. Blocker, John Knife, D. Wimar, J. Emerick, J. Kunkle, E. Noffsinger, Elizabeth Noffsinger, Mr. Deal and family, George Royer, - Conoway.

There are, as already stated, two churches. The communion is held once a year, in the house north of Union City.

The name of the society was changed, December 25, 1868, to Union City Church.

The number of members January 1, 1881, was 225.

Zion Church (Evangelical) Emmetsville .- The church began in 1865. Meetings were held at Mr. Zimmerman's till 1879, at which time the society built a meeting-house just east of Em- metsville, a frame, 28x46 feet, at a cost of $1,200.

The first members were Emanuel Zimmerman and family, George Weiss and family, Peter Young and family, Jacob Young and family, Philip Bretch and family. And there have joined the society since, George Allmann and family, John Blouch and family, Christian May and family.

Preaching once a fortnight, but worship and Sunday school every Sabbath. Service both English and German.

There is one church like this at Winchester, and no other in the county.

Evangelical Association, Winchester .- There were members belonging to this denomination before 1833, but no class. At that date, Christian Habbich came to Winchester, and a class was formed, and religious services have been maintained ever since. For about thirty years, meetings were held in private dwellings. In 1853, a church was built on Franklin street, west of the pub- lic square.

The members in 1855 were Habbich (three families), Ulrich (one family), George Hay, Philip Schmidt.

Since then, some of the chief members have been George S. Keller, C. and G. Kizer, Schrickengost, Wietz, Boltz, Sayler, George W. Meier, Andrew Lewis, etc.

Preachers-Messrs. Shafer, Bretch, Wales, Evans, Uphaus, Buchman, Brechster, Dreier, Hosstetler, etc. The present Pastor is Rev. Launer, and he resides in the place. The church is a mission church. The Pastor supplies three churches-Winches- ter, Emmettsville and Richmond; preaching, in both languages, once in two weeks. The congregation sustains a Sunday school, as also a prayer meeting. The number of members is about eighty. The church, with the lot, cost about $2,000.

The society is evangelical, believing in conversion and exper- imental religion. Only two are in the county, at Emmettsville and at Winchester.

Dutch Reformed (Pittsburg) .- This society began about sev- enteen years ago, and their meeting-house was built about 1870.

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

Some of their preachers have been Reve. Colliflower, Stuck and Weaver.

Their members have been the Shaneyfelts, Riekards, Stick, Nunnamaker, Lammot, Ravenstein, De Lawter, Iliff, etc.

Lutheran (Union City) was organized about 1857, by Rev. Thomas Lacker, residing near Greenville, Ohio, with A. Abel, Sr., as Elder, and T. Rosenbush and C. Schneidermann as Trust- ees.

The ministers have been Rev. A. Reefecker, Darke County, Ohio; Rev. J. Loefler, first resident Pastor, nine years; Rev. J. A. Spangenberg, eight months; Rev. E. Behme, several years; Rev. A. Michael is present Pastor (1881).

Until 1860, the congregation worshiped in private dwellings, stores, etc.

Their meeting-house was built (Plum, north of Oak) in 1860-61.

The congregation increased greatly under the ministry of Rev. Loefler. When the church was dedicated, there were but thir- teen members, yet the house was free from debt.

In 1867, the church withdrew from the General Synod (New Lutheran), and joined the Joint Synod (Old Lutheran), with which it is now connected. Number of members, about one hundred and fifty; number of families, about fifty.

The Sunday school has ten teachers and seventy-five pupils; congregational schoole held during summer months; religious in- struction every Saturday morning, and lectures on the Catechism every other Sunday afternoon.

This church is the only Lutherar Church in Randolph County. Darke County, Ohio, has twelve, mostly German. Some of the societies date back thirty-five or forty years. In the United States, there are 2,700 ministers, 4, 740 congregations and 600,000 communicants.

The religions services in the society are well attended by in- terested congregations.

Reformed (two and a half miles south of Fairviow). - The church was formed about 1860, and their house was built in 1862.

The chief members were the Seitzes and the Campbells, and the preacher was Rev. Weaver.

The society has of late flourished less than in former years, though at present the interest seems to be reviving.

METHODIST CHURCHES.

Early Methodism (from "Indiana Miscellany," W. C. Smith.) -Methodism was introduced into Clark's Grant as soon as 1802. Rev. Hugh McCull settled on the White Water, in Wayne County, in 1805, and for sixty years or more he blew the Gospel trumpet, dying 1862, in his one hundred and fifth year.

The first circuit in Indiana was the White Water Circuit, formed in 1807, and belonging to the Ohio District and the Old Western Conference.

This circuit extended from the Ohio River north as far as there were any settlements.

In 1808, Joseph Williams was preacher in charge, and John Sale was Presiding Elder.

They found upon the circuit 185 white members and one col- ored.

In 1809, Indiana District was formed, containing six circuits -Illinois, Missouri, Coldwater, Maramac, White Water and Sil- ver Creek -- two in Indiana.

The territory comprised the whole of Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

Silver Creok embraced the southern portion of the State, and White Water Circuit lay north of Silver Creek Circuit.

In 1809, White Water had 352, and Silver Creek 188.

In 1810, White Water alone had 484.

In 1811. Moses Crune was preacher in charge and a great favorite.

For two or three years, the services were held mostly in the forts, which had been built for the protection of the frontier set- tlers. The preachers would go around and travel from fort to fort.

In 1813, White Water had 847, and the five circuits 2,176. In 1814, the preacher was David Sharp; in 1815, William

Hunt; 1816. David Fraley; 1817, Benjamin Lawrence; in 1818, William Hunt.

In 1818, there were seven circuits and nine preachers, with 3,044 members.

One of the first meeting-houses in Indiana was built in 1808, called Meeks' Meeting-House, standing on Clear Creek, a mile or so southeast of Salisbury, Wayne County, old county seat.

One sermon from Augustus Jocelyn, in particular, from 2 Peter, ii, 22, "The dog is returned to his own vomit, aud the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire," was long remembered as a fearfully powerful sermon upon backsliding and backsliders.

The third Methodist meeting house was at Boston, and called Salem Meeting-House, where was built up a strong society.

The first frame meeting-house was at Centerville, under Rev. James Havens.

Camp-meetings were a power in those days. Great num- bers were converted in them.

The first camp-meeting in Indiana, so far as known, was in 1810, and was held in Wayne County, a mile southeast of Salis- bury. Thomas Nelson and Samuel Thompson were preachers in charge, and John Sale was Presiding Elder.

In a short time, the place of meeting was changed to Rev. Hugh McCull's land, and annual camp gatherings were maintained for many years.

From 1819 onward for years, two preachers were assigned to one circuit. The assignments for White Water were as follows, including, at this time, all the points of Randolph County:

1819 -- Allen Wiley, Zachariah Connell.

1820 -- Arthur W. Elliot, Samuel Brown.

1821-James Jones.

1822-Allen Wiley, James T. Wells.

1823-Russell Bigelow, George Gatoh.

1824-John Everhart, Levi White-8,292 members in In- diana.

The second Methodist meeting-house in Wayne County was built on land belonging to John Cain, three miles northwest of Richmond, called Cain's Meeting-House. It was of logs, 18x22 feet, and the dedication sermon was preached by Rev. John Summerville. The text was a queer one-Zech., x, 4, "Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle- bow, out of him every oppressor together." But doubtless the discourse was, like many in those days, a powerful effort, for men in those sledge-hammer times made a "business" of preaching. And in that humble sanctuary, such men as Moses Crume, John Strange, Walter Griffith, Alexander Cummins, Augustus Joce- lyn, James Jones, Arthur W. Elliot, Russel Bigelow, Allen Wiley and James Havens proclaimed the Gospel of Christ to entranced throngs of hardy pioneers; and a Gospel it was-sweet, strong, clear -- a portion to each, both saint and sinner, in due season.

1825. - Three districts were in Indiana-Madison, Indiana and Illinois.

1826-James Havens, circuit-rider.

1827-James Havens, John T. Johnson.

1828-T. S. Hitt, James Scott; 12,090 members in Indiana. In 1823, White Water Circuit embraced all Franklin and Wayne Counties, and parts of Fayette, Henry and Randolph Counties.

Rev. John Gibson was a powerful preacher, and died in 1818, or near that time.

Rev. Allen Wiley, when holding a two-days' meeting near Salisbury, in 1818, had a text given him with a request that he would preach from it, and a pledge that the writer of the request would attend and listen to the discourse. The text was taken, the request was read to the assembly, and a grand sermon was the result. The text was, "God said to Moses, ' I am that I am,' and He said, 'Thus shall ye say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me unto you.' "

Mr. Smith said it was discovered that the person who sent the text to Mr. Wiley was a young lawyer by the name of Dally, and that he left shortly for New Orleans.

We give an incident in the life of Hon. James Rariden, ad- : ding also a few items of his history:

He came to Indiana very early, stopping at Salisbury, and ob-

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPHI COUNTY.

taining the position of Deputy Clerk under David Hoover. He entered the law, with remarkable power, eloquence and success. He was not a Christian, and was habitually profane. One day, his little son, who had been at church, said to his mother, "Mother, the preacher said that swearers will go to hell, and pa swears." The remark startled Mr. Rariden. and he declared, "I will quit swearing at once." Whether he did or not we do not know. He was liberal, though quaint and original in his method of showing it. One day, a subscription for money for a horse for Rev. Everhart, containing sums of 10 cents to 25 cents, and so on. "Why," said he, "this will never buy a horse for anybody." He went out immediately, bought a horse and gave it to the needy minister, and let the "picayune " subscription go its way.

Camp-Meetings .- The first camp meeting in the United States is said to have been held near Red River, Kentucky, in 1799, by two brothers McGee, one a Presbyterian and one a Methodist. It was induced by the great effect of preaching at a meeting in the neighborhood previously, and produced a wonderful revival, being followed by others in various places.

The first in Indiana Territory is thought to have been on the. White Water Circuit, between Brookville and Harrison, conducted by Rev. Hezekiah Shaw, in 1808.

The third in the Territory was in 1810, between Richmond and Centerville, by Elder John Sale, and after that, camp meet- ings were held yearly at the grounds of Rev. Hugh McCull, a famous pioneer preacher, who died in 1862, in his one hundred and fifth year.

Many camp-meetings, grove meetings, etc., have been held in the county. Some of them have been at Spartansburg, Fairview, Mt. Zion, Union Chapel, Ritenour's, and of later years, at Union City Fair Grounds, Winchester Fair Grounds, Arba, Windsor, Ridgeville, Shiloh, Chenoweth's (near Bartonia), and other places besides. They were once a great power for good, mixed with considerable evil. The roughs would go for mischief, but the Spirit of the Lord was there in power, and brought many 'a haughty blasphemer to the foot of the cross.

The camp meetings of later years seem but feeble echoes of the old-time gatherings in the leafy woods. The mischief is there in abundance, but the offsetting, wrestling, conquering, converting; new creating Holy Ghost power is all too seldom seen in modern days. In fact, they seem, in many cases of late, to be conducted simply as a money speculation, and the Spirit of Power is absent.

The Methodist Episcopal societies are Union City, Win- chester, Spartansburg, Bartonia, Huntsville, Mt. Pleasant, three and a half miles southeast of Huntsville, Lebanon, one and a half miles northeast of Huntsville, Macksville, Mt. Zion, south- east of Winchester, Unionsport, Thornburg Chapel, Windsor, Pleasant View, Union Chapel, west of Bloomingsport, Farmland, Morristown, Saratoga, Pittsburg, Ridgeville, Lynn, Vinegar Hill, Losantville, Concord, Fairview, Deerfield, Rehoboth, northwest of Farmland, New Dayton, Pleasant Hill, north of Farmland, Bloomingsport, New Pittsburg, Mt. Pleasant, west of Bloomings- port, on the boundary, and perhaps others.

Bartonia .- A class was established there (at Mr. Bailey's) about 1848, and. the meeting-house was built about 1850. Ed- ward Barton was Class- Leader. Some of the members have been Edward Barton, James Bailey, William Shockney, James Jack- son, William A. Macy, Ephraim L. Bowen, Chenoweth; Will- iam Locke, Manning, Manning, Spencer, and their wives.

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History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 46

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman Number of Pages: 664

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664