USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 10
USA > Indiana > Warren County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 10
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donation of one acre for this good use. This was the first church building within the limits of Shawnee township. Nine years later, March 1, 1841, it was voted to change the name and location to Newtown, and this was sanc- tioned by the presbytery. The reasons given for such change were stated as follows: "The old location was not satisfactory to the members of the church living in the eastern part of Richland township, and Old-School and New-School lines of divisions were showing themselves everywhere through- out the denomination, so that while there was still a Coal Creek church (Old-School) for several years after 1841 the larger part became New School." For many years the buildings and grounds were kept sacred in the hearts of the pioneer organizers.
In the fall of 1827 Rev. James Thompson commenced to preach occa- sionally to a few of the friends of the Zion Presbyterian church, on Coal creek, Richland township. A church organization was perfected there Decem- ber 3, 1827, the party meeting at the home of William Miller. Rev. Thomp- son was secured as pastor for one year. In 1829 a house of worship was erected, which was thirty by forty feet. It was burned a year or so later, when a new one, at another location, was built. Rev. E. O. Hovey located near the church about January, 1832, and preached for the infant society for three years. In August, 1834, Presbyterian camp-meetings were held in that neighborhood. Much good was accomplished and many added to the society. In 1838 the church divided, the eastern, or Newtown portion, going with the New School, and the western with the Old School, and so there became two churches instead of one. In March, 1841, the church adopted the name of Newtown Presbyterian church. The Coal Creek church (Old School) kept up its organization until about 1860, when it disbanded. A church was rebuilt by the Newtown church. The Coal Creek church, of which this was an off-shoot, was the first organized in the township.
Rob Boy Presbyterian church was organized by Rev. John Crawford, March 25, 1839, with seventeen members, of whom thirteen brought letters, seeking admission. In 1843, a plain but commodious church was provided by the society and its friends. In October, 1879, plans were matured for the erection of a better church building, two miles westward of the Shawnee cemetery. It was first used in the early spring of 1880. The name was changed to the Beulah Presbyterian church.
The Presbyterian church at Attica was organized January 20, 1843, by Rev. James A. Cochran and Rev. Fairchild. Services were first held in the school house, located on Brady street, and at that time a corn field joined it on the east. In 1850 the society built a church which served beyond the
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eighties, when there were more than one hundred members. Its present mem- bership is two hundred sixteen, and their place of worship is in the beautiful new brick edifice erected in 1906.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES IN 1912.
The minutes of the last presbytery show the following churches in Foun- tain county of this denomination: Attica, with a membership of 216; Beu- lah, with a membership of 40; Covington, with a membership of 137; New- town, with a membership of 120; Veedersburg, with a membership of 37.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. (By Rev. John S. Boord.)
The beginning of the modern Christian church was as herein described : On the 4th day of August, 1794, at the yearly meeting of the Republican Methodists, Lebanon, Surry county, Virginia, the Rev. Rice Haggard stood before that body, holding aloft in his right hand a copy of the New Testa- ment, and said: "Brethren, this is a sufficient rule of faith and practice." "By it we understand that the disciples were first called Christians." :
"And I move that henceforth and forever the followers of Christ be . known as Christians simply." This motion was put to the house and passed unanimously.
The Republican Methodists, under the leadership of James O'Kelly, had before this withdrawn from the main body of the Methodists on account of the election of a bishop. There were in the assembly some twenty churches represented and as many ministers, with some one thousand or more mem- bers as followers. The present New Lebanon church is built a little distance from the old site, but the O'Kelly chapel, Chatham county, North Carolina, organized in 1794, still stands in a grove of native trees. In the "Centennial of Religious Journalism" (a book published by the denominational press), by the Christian Publishing Company of Dayton, Ohio, I find the engravings of ten churches which were over one hundred years old in 1908, all of which have maintained the name of Christian (only) and all of which are connected with the Christian church of America, which are represented by the Ameri- can Christian Convention, a body that meets every four years and is the highest deliberative body of the Christians.
But the start made in Virginia and North Carolina was not alone in the attempt to overthrow the bondage to creeds and creed names. In Vermont,
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at Lyndon, Rev. Abner Jones, of the Freewill Baptists, organized a church upon which he used the same basis, for he determined "to believe and prac- tice just what he found required in the Bible." The church at Lyndon, Ver- mont, was organized in 1802, and is known as the first- Christian church in New England. Jones was soon joined in the movement by many able min- isters of the gospel. Among those who assisted Jones were Elias Smith, who founded the first religious newspaper ever published and one which still lives. It was the Herald of Gospel Liberty, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, September 1, 1808. Copies of the original may be had by applying to the Christian Publishing Company, Dayton, Ohio. Daniel Hix, a Quaker min- ister, joined Elijah Shaw, an evangelist of note, and they assisted. Frederick Plummer, a man of learning, made and baptized five hundred converts at one place, viz: Woodstock, Vermont, in 1810. This church still lives and was first organized in 1806. Still, at near the same time, as if by the moving of providence's hand, over in Kentucky, at Cane Ridge, Barton Stone and David Purviance, with other ministers, dissolved the Springfield Presbyterian church and organized a new body, agreeing to give up all party names and rules made by men. They advocated the name Christian, as given by divine appointment as the new name which the mouth of the Lord should name and contended it was the only new name given to Christ's followers. In regard to the name they were stoutly opposed by the claim that Christian was a name given in derision by the enemy of the disciples.
Several centuries had passed since any branch of the church had called themselves by this name until it was advocated as the only name by which the faithful believers in Christ should be known.
These separate bodies of believers soon became one. The men from the East and South and West became acquainted; their ministers mingled with each other. A hymn which they sung in those early days indicates their spirit and aim :
"More than ten years have rolled away, Since I did testify and say, Aside all party names I'll lay, And make the name of Christ my stay, And join the Christian union:"
One of their favorite texts was in John, where the Lord prays that his disciples may be one, "So that the world may believe that thou hath sent me."
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COAL CREEK CONFERENCE.
Down across Fountain county is a creek along the banks of which the carly settlements were made, in fact coal creek is almost entirely in Fountain county. John Scott was born in 1788, died 1847; began preaching in 1815; moved to Fountain county, Indiana, in [823 or 1824, organized the first Christian church in this county in 1824. Through his labors the Coal Creck conference was organized; he was ordained by this conference in 1825. In 1827 he moved to Fulton county. Illinois, became a member of the Spoon River conference of that state. He was on his way back to the Coal Creek conference as a delegate in 1847, when taken sick with fever, dying in Cham- paign county, Illinois, at the home of a man named Peters, aged fifty-nine years. John Scott was a brother-in-law to Thomas Glasscock and the church referred to as being organized was, no doubt, old Scott's Prairie church, Scott's Prairie being named for this man. Scott had a tall, commanding form and in preaching became eloquent; he had two sons in the ministry. (See "Memoirs of Deceased Ministers," by Humphreys. )
The early records of the Coal Creek conference were lost, but in the Christian Annual of 1897 we find a committee report by Rev. A. R. Heath, as follows : Elder Isaac Clark came to Fountain county in 1826; that Elder John Scott and Elder John Hibbs came as early as 1823 and Elder William Hole in 1824. " Elder J. P. Martin, 1825; Elders James and Solomon Mc- Kinney and John Dudley and Alexander Briggs in 1826. The first session was held in 1826, on the farm of Jeremiah Heath, father to A. R. Heath. The second session was held on the farm of James Graham in August, 1827. The third session was held on the James Davis farm in 1828, near the ceme- tery. The fourth session was held at the home of Archibald Johnson, all in Fountain county. The gavel used by the presidents of the Western Indiana conference ( for this body was formed in 1852 from the old Coal Creek con- ference) is made of sugar tree root taken from the tree which held the lamps on the Heath farm, where the first session was given. This gavel was pre- sented by the son of Rev. Alfred Riley Heath.
COUNTY HISTORY.
There are now (in 1912) nine living churches of the Christians in War- ren county.
Mellott .- This church was organized at Dry Run school house, Febru- ary II, 1872, with nine members, with Z. M. Wilkins as pastor. They after-
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wards increased to seventy members and for two years worshiped at the Ray school house. The new church at Mellott was built in 1882, costing one thousand five hundred dollars. E. D. Simmons was pastor and the dedi- catory sermon was given by Rev. C. L. Jackson. The pastors following were Watson, one year; Akers, seven years; Powell, four years; Philips, four years; during his stay repairs to the extent of two thousand five hundred dollars were made on building; Hammond, two years; II. L. Bailey, present pastor, has served so far six years. Membership, 269; Sunday school enroll- ment, 331 ; Ladies' Aid Society, 90 members, have bought and paid for a par- sonage valued at $1,500; Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, have 50 members ; offering past year was $150.
Prairie chapel, located four and a half miles south of Hillsboro, was organized at Harmony church, December 14, 1868, by Rev. J. Waymirc, Lewis Bannon, J. A. Brant, Elijah Simmons, F. W. Hutts and J. T. Phillips. October 17, 1883, they purchased the house of the Methodists: Phillips was then pastor. Since then the pastors have been : A. J. Ackers, Robert Harris, Draper, Parr, C. A. Brown, A. W. Cash, Rev. J. T. Phillips was pastor of Harmony seven years and of Prairie Chapel twenty years, in all twenty-seven years over this church. The present. building cost five thousand dollars. Membership, one hundred. In this church are the Ellises, Fraziers, War- fields and other well-to-do farmers.
Freedom Christian church, in Jackson township, was organized in 1883, and in 1889 a house of worship was erected worth one thousand three hun- dred dollars; dedicated by J. T. Phillips, R. H. Gott, A. J. Akers and Pastor E. D. Simmons. The membership was increased by the baptism of forty- nine at one time, and the church grew strong under the care of Rev. Sim- mons. January 4, 1895, the church burned down and before the ashes cooled a business meeting was called and they began at once to erect a new structure, for on the 14th of the month they began work and on September 28, 1895, dedicated the second house of worship. The services were con- ducted by Pastor Simmons and Rev. R. H. Gott; all indebtedness was promptly paid, and the house, worth one thousand five hundred dollars, was larger and better than the first one. Pastors : Simmons, Gott, Parr, Mosteller, Phillips, Cash, Patterson. Membership at present, ninety-eight; E. M. Phil- pot, clerk.
Pleasant Grove or Ratcliff church is in Parke county, but its membership is largely in Fountain county. The Ewbanks and Ratcliffs are among its adherents. The pastors have been Simmons, Phillips, Brown and Dudley, with Fred Chelan as present pastor, and he also serves Freedom and Yeddo churches, which are only a few miles apart.
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The Old Union church, the earliest of all, save perhaps the one founded by Scott, was formed in 1826. Jeremiah Heath was deacon in this church. Five ministers were in it also, William Hole, John P. Martin, John Hibbs, Watson Clark, Solomon Clark. "Water baptism for pardon of sins split Old Union," so says A. R. Heath. He adds that "they built two churches and de- bated on water baptism till both died." And I may add they are still dead. This controversy did much harm, both to the Disciples and also to the Chris- tian church. It not only divided churches, but it also divided homes. Elder Solomon Mckinney, brother of James, went to the Disciples. Elder Watson Clark also joined this people. Elder Thomas Osborn was the son of a Dis- ciple minister, while Martin Dudley was ordained a Disciple minister, his father being a leading minister of the Christian church. These last two men- tioned met at Osborn Prairie Church, August 19, 1888, at the fiftieth anni- versary of that church and shook hands over the chasm that had divided the churches so long ago. Brother Osborn closed a passionate and earnest address by saying, "I want a religion that will save a penitent soul on the burning desert sand where there is no water." Dudley arose and said: "Brother Tom, you were raised under my father's preaching and I under your father's."
MINISTERS.
`A word in regard to those who labored in the field of the Master.
Lewis Bannon has lived several years in Fountain county and has been a member for over seventy-two years of the Christian church. He has at- tended the conference at "Coal Creek," now the "W. I. C. C." for sixty-eight years consecutively. He is now ninety-four years old and says that "the nearer he gets home the light shines brighter and brighter and his hope, as an anchor, is steadfast."
Rev. Zepaniah Wilkins was born June 25, 1811, died September 28, 1889, near Veedersburg. He came to Fountain county in April, 1848, attended con- ference at Osborn Prairie that year and was appointed home missionary. He also received one hundred dollars from the Eastern Mission Board. Wilkins traveled far and near, made over ten thousand public addresses; journeyed eighty-six thousand miles; received many confessions, solemnized nearly a thousand marriages, knew the Bible almost by heart. He was a tall, fine look- ing man, and a good sermonizer and conversationalist.
Rev. Alfred Riley Heath was born in this county, February 7, 1826, a son of Jeremiah and Nellie (Johnson) Heath: was ordained a minister at Osborn Prairie church in 1864; traveled fourteen years in the interest of Union
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Christian College; has advocated church union, expending much means in ad- vocating his views in this matter. He is a hale man at eighty-six years of age, pleasant in manners and earnest in the cause of civic righteousness.
Rev. J. T. Phillips is perhaps the best remembered man of the Christian church in western Indiana. He was born September 3, 1840, and died re- cently, at Frankfort, Indiana. Was pastor eighteen years at Osborn Prairie, twenty-seven years at Prairie Chapel and for some time at Freedom, Yeddo, Pleasant Grove, Sterling, Mellott and Wallace, all in Fountain county. It is said that he received into the churches of his charge over one thousand per- sons. He was many years president of the conference.
Thomas Osborn, son of Rev. Daniel Osborn, brought to Fountain county, in 1825, a babe, was ordained at Osborn Prairie in 1863, labored in : the adjoining locality to good acceptance; dicd recently in California.
Watson Ludlow was ordained at Osborn Prairie in 1864, was a faithful minister and died some years ago in Tennessee.
Rev. R. H. Gott, born in Ohio August 27, 1852; ordained to ministry August 19, 1886. Brother Gott now lives at Kokomo, Indiana, but is well and favorably known in Fountain county. He resided many years at Mellott and vicinity ; has been the able secretary of the Western Indiana conference for six consecutive terms, and is highly honored among the Christians at home and abroad.
Rev. E. D. Simmons was born and reared in Fountain county. He was an evangelist of great ability, founded many churches, and now enjoys good health and a happy expectation; he lives near Prairieville, Howard county.
Rev. John Dudley was born July 19, 1784, died July 17, 1849. He was one of the New England converts; came from Maine and first preached for the Freewill Baptists, but in 1818 having moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, he joined the Christian church and began preaching for them. He came West in the very early days and he, together with Rev. James McKinney, traveled together, planting churches in the Wabash valley, throughout the bounds of the West- ern Indiana conference. Dudley's sons both became ministers. His daugh- ters were wives of deacons in the church. He was a low, heavy set man and usually stood upon a chair to preach, especially in the days of no pulpit. He was an carnest spiritual exhorter and with Mckinney, who was tall and com- manding and exacting, they made an able and sweeping campaign of the terri- tory for this people. Dudley founded a church, still living, near Brazil, Indiana, known as the Bee Ridge church.
I close by submitting a letter from Arthur Mckinney to the church in 1888. It tells of the early work, and feeling and aim of these men of God in establishing the Christian church :
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"Troy, Ohio, August 4, 1888.
"A. Boord,
"Stone Bluff, Ind.
"My Dear Sir and Brother: Your favor of the 12th of June, 1888, containing a welcome invitation to attend the fiftieth anniversary of the plant- ing of the Christian church at Osborn Prairie, the 19th day of August, 1838, by my father, James McKinney, and Jolin Dudley, came duly to hand, for which invitation please accept my thanks and also convey them to the congre- gation. I have delayed replying till this date, not knowing but what matters might be so shaped as to put it in my power to be with you at that gathering, and share in the benefits, its joys, and its pleasures, as I have hungered and thirsted to do. I regret very much that circumstances will not permit my ac- cepting your generous and fraternal invitation.
"Permit me to say that my recollection, going back over the lapse of more than forty-five years, gathers up the associations that. then clustered in and around the church at Osborn Prairie. . It was there, on the 14th of June, 1842, that I was ordained by James Mckinney (my father.), John Dudley and Abrahamı Sneethan, forty-six years ago. My memory recalls many cheering and delightful meetings with the church at Osborn Prairie. And with these meetings the faces of many of those whose voices of song and words of cheer- ful hope"inspired the heart with heroic courage, are recalled. Among those who forty-five years ago stood in the van of the battle, I may mention Jona- than Crone, Brothers Boord, Leese and Jenkins. There were many others, especially among the ladies, whose lives are encircled with a halo of goodness. And there are inseparable from that congregation the names of James Mc- Kinney and John Dudley, the pioneer preachers of western Indiana. Their earnest, devoted self-sacrifice and labors in the cause of Christian truth will not soon be forgotten. Their work will live through all time, and the broad, all-embracing religious principles they advocated, for which they gave the prime of their manhood and which they besought the people to accept, shall never die. These ministering servants of the Eternal One have gone to their rest and reward, with many of those who fifty years ago were in life's merid- ian. But the gladdening principles of the fatherhood of God and the Chris- tian brotherhood of man, predicated upon excellency of life, not upon any human creed, are widening and deepening like the waters of a mighty river, and will continue on in their splendid career, revolutionizing and reconstruct- ing civil and religious society till, like the stone cut out of the mountain with- (8)
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out hands, they shall fill the whole earth. Please remember me in fraternal greetings to all old friends, old and new, who may gather at the fiftieth anni- versary of the organization of the church at Osborn's Prairie, Indiana.
"Always your brother,
"A. L. MCKINNEY."
"CHURCH PRINCIPLES."
These are the principles held by the Christians and incorporated in their rules. Adopted August, 1891, at the Western Indiana Christian Conference :
I. The Bible shall be our only rule of faith and precept.
2. Jesus, the Christ, the only head of the church.
3. Christian, the name of his followers.
4. Individual interpretation of Scripture the right and duty of all.
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5. Christian character our test of church fellowship.
6. The union of all the followers of Christ.
For over one hundred years they have advocated these principles in America.
Yours fraternally, JOHN S. BOORD, Christian Minister.
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
To those who are not thoroughly posted in the history of the various religious sects in this country, the names "Christian," "Church of Christ," "Disciples," "New Lights" and "Campbellite" are confusing, as they are all founded on about the same cardinal belief and doctrine, and claim to be in line with the teachings of the New Testament church. The history of the Christian denomination, ante-dating that of Alexander Campbell several years and which has been ably written by Rev. John S. Boord, of this county, has appeared in this chapter and sets many things in a clear light concerning these different denominations.
Having disposed of this denomination, by referring the reader to Mr. Boord's account of the formation of the church he represents, we will next state that there were many churches organized according to the teachings of Alexander Campbell, from about 1820 on, and these were known as "Camp- bellite" churches, and had their following in this county at an early day. Still others who held to about the same teachings, though not entirely so, were styled
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"New Lights." These also had church organizations here. Others, of sim- ilar faith, adhering to the New Testament teachings, as they understood the Bible, preferred to be known as "Disciples." But with the passing of a cen- tury, in so far as Fountain county is concerned, these have all been reduced to two denominations, the Christian church and the Church of Christ.
By reference to an early historical work on the churches of this county, the following items appear touching on the various branches of these two de- nominations, as understood today. These items of church history include these :
"What was known as the New Light church of this sect in Van Buren township was organized at Cool Springs, in 1828, and grew to be a large con- gregation. They erected the first church house there. It was a hewed-log building, in which it met until 1835, when most of the members united with the other branch of Campbellites, the Disciples. Thie Disciples built a church in 1838 and in 1875 it was refitted by the New Lights. Their cemetery is probably the oldest in the township ..
"In Davis township there was a society of New Lights in 1854, organized at the Kerr school house, under Rev. Samuel Gregory."
"Another church of the Christian or Campbellite faith in Cain township is the one completed in the spring of 1873. The prime mover was L. C. War- ren, 'Evangelist Warren,' a native of Johnson county, Indiana. Hillsboro owes much to his early labors there. A church was there erected under his care, costing three thousand five hundred dollars. The roof was one of his own invention, boards set up edgewise, making a combined roof and handsome inner ceiling. It was dedicated in June, 1873. This evangelist had organized over fifty Christian churches and baptized more than five thousand persons up to 1880."
"The Christian Disciples church of Van Buren township made its appear- ance, under this name, in this township in 1835, at Cool Springs, where it re- mained a successful body until 1874, when it was removed to Veedersburg, where it erected a building costing two thousand dollars." In 1880 it had a membership of about fifty, but has grown wonderfully, and now has upwards of four hundred members, and completed a magnificent brick edifice in 1909. upon the corner-stone of which is inscribed the words "First Christian Church."
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