USA > Ohio > Butler County > A history and biographical cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, with illustrations and sketches of its representative men and pioneers. Vol. 2 > Part 72
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Mr. Morton continued to supply the Church until 1856, when he was again called to be its pastor, remain- ing until 1865. He then resigned his charge, and the Rev. G. I. Taylor acted as stated supply. In 1867 the church was remodeled, and a pipe organ added. Joshua L. Russell was made pastor in January, 1867, and on the 29th of July, 1870, the Church celebrated its semi- centennial. In May, 1873, the Rev. J. W. Clokey be- came pastor. Those who have been chosen as elders since 1841 are Nathaniel Furman, Patterson Mitchell, William Mitchell, Dr. Samuel R. Evans, Dr. Peter Van Derveer, William H. Mills, Stephen E. Giffen, David Mamma, Horace P. Clough, Alexander Ure, Thomas Wilson, J. G. Clarke, and R. K. Mellhenny. The Church is in a flourishing condition.
The St. Paul Evangelical Church of Middletown was erected in 1877. The society was organized in 1876, with G. Rathman president; William Sebald, secretary, and Jacob Borger as treasurer; D. Frisch, Philip Sat- terner, William Schultz, Steve Hembrauder, and Jacob Gradolph trustees. The present officers are G. Rath- man, president; G. Huff, treasurer, and Chris. Se- bald, secretary; Christ. Muller, David Frisch, Stephen Hembrauder, J. P. Weber, and John Stieber, trustees. The church building is a fine structure, costing about $11,000. This Church was formerly a part of the Evan- gelic: I Lutheran Church.
The Evangelien! Lutheran Church of Middletown was organized August 6, 1854, by Rev. E. A. Shultz, Hiram Henkel, Frederick Siebert, Frederick Berk, and Adam Heiland. The Rev. Mr. Shultz, after staying two years, went to Columbus, Ohio, and the pulpit was filied by Messrs. Ritter, G. H. Treel, Theis Buchols, and C. Huebner. The latter is the present pastor. The society occupies the old Presbyterian Church building which was erected in 1829, and consists of a membership of fifty families. The present officers are C. Satterner, C. Denner, J. Sixt, F. Siebert, J. G. Nichol, H. Behrens, G. Kirschbaun, and J. Frisch. H. Behrens is Sabbath- school superintendent.
The Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Middletown was built about 1851, when there were very few Cath- olies in the place, siuce which time it has gradually and steadily growu by natural increase until it now reaches
some two hundred families, with excellent parochial schools attached.
The first, pastor was the Rev. Mr. O'Conner, who preached from 1851 to 1855; Rev. T. Smith, to 1859; Rev. T. J. Boulger, to 1873; Rev. J. Bowe, to 1874; and F. C. Mallon, to 1875. The Rev. W. F. M. O'Rourke has filled the place since that last named date. Among the old members are the Cunninghams, Cummingses, Cur- rans, Coyles, Clanceys, Dowde, Fays, Ferrises, Goldricks, Hannegans, Kelleys, Kanes, Logans, McCues, MeCurrys, Mullens, Roaches, Raneys, Sullivans, and Tooleys.
The principal mover in the building of the nest little African Methodist Episcopal Church on First Street was Richard Edwards, one of the first members of the orig- inal society. Through his earnest wish, in the Spring of 1874, he had procured over three hundred dollars of good subscriptions. The contract was given to Messrs. Caldwell & Co., in May, 1874, aud the church was fin- ished in August of that same year. On Saturday, May 9, 1874, Bishop Payne dedicated the chapel, giving a beautiful discourse. The entire cost of the church was about six hundred dollars, all of which was raised and the church cleared of debt. The Rev .. S. C. White is pastor of the little society, which only numbers a very few members. Mr. Richard Edwards is Sabbath-school su- perintendent.
The organization of the African Baptist Church was effected some fifteen years ago by Eller Shelton, of Cin- cinnati. Their building was not erected until June, 1876. The society has a membership of twenty-eight and a Sabbath-school of forty-five. Rev. Albert Wayne, a self- educated man, is the pastor.
The German Catholic Church of Middletown had it. birth in 1873. Mr. Matthew Hepting, John Ritter, aud John Kaiser, with the Rev. Mr. Kilgenstein, set the en- terprise on foot at that time, raised a subscription, and erected a church building at a cost of five thousand dol- lars. Mr. Lytle served the Church as pastor from the beginning till the year 1874, the Rev. Carl Sehoeppner then being in charge until 1880. The Rev. Mr. Staun- laus had the pastorate a short time, and the Rev. Au- gelus Hafertepe has been in charge since May, 1851. The school building was erected in 1876. Sister Bonifice has the superintendence of this work. The membership of this congregation numbers about fifty families, all Germans.
There is also a Methodist Episcopal Church, of whose history we are not informed, but which dates back sixty years; and an Episcopalian Church, organized since the war.
The First Baptist Church in Middletown was organ- ized at the house of David Heatou, August 9, 180>. It first bore the title of Salem Church, and its crigina! officers were James Dewise, deacon, and Nathan Can- field, cierk. In June following they extended a call to Elder R. Stapleton and Samuel Dewise to preach to
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
then on the first Sunday in each month, attending at the house of Elisha Wade. The Church was received in the Miami Association in the Fall of 1809. On the 26th of June, 1811, they resolved to build a house of worship, and appointed a committee, consisting of David Enoch, E. Heaton, Isaac Robbins, Jacob Dear- dorf, and Daniel McDonald, to select the site. They discharged this duty, choosing a place on the road from Middletown to Franklin, a mile from the former place. The contractor made the following agreement :
"I agree to build a meeting-house twenty-four by thirty fect, and thirteen feet high, and to weatherboard the same, and put on a lap-shingle, or sawed-shingle roof, one double door and windows, with sleepers, and two beams for a gallery, and find the nails, for one hundred and sixty dollars, payable in whisky and wheat that is merchantable, delivered at Abner Enoch's mili, on the first day of October next, at the market price it sells for in Franklin, and to have the said house finished by the first of next October."
The congregation worshiped in this house till October, 1826, when they removed their meetings to Middletown, and met at the house of Thomas Royal. The old frame building after that was converted into a school-house, and occupied as such till 1848. In October, 1826, the Rev. Jacob Mulford was called to preach one Sabbath in each month. On the 9th of August, 1828, the name of the Church was changed to the First Baptist Church of Middletown. All this time there was no house of wor- ship in Middletown of any denomination. There were three Church organizations -- Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist. Each held their meetings alternately in a brick school-house about twenty-four by thirty. The Baptists held about this time some of their meetings in the upper part of a cooper-shop. In the Winter of 1828, however, the Church resolved to build a house, and obtained an act of incorporation, with Jacob Deardorf, Thomas Royal, and David Taylor as trustees. They bonght a lot, and in the Spring of 1829 erected a house of forty by eighty feet. It was not finished till the Spring of 1832, its total cost being about 83,000. This building remained in use till the Spring of 1854, when it was taken down and a handsome structure put up on the same foundation. It was ready to worship in on the 1st of September.
Twelve years after this the Church found themselves very much in need of more room for their Sabbath- school. In the Fall of 1867 it added a building sixty- four by twenty-five feet to the rear of the former house, which makes the whole church cruciform in shape, and added fully one-third to its capacity. The church is ar- ranged with especial reference to the Sunday-schools, and is arranged so that all the rooms, six in number, can be thrown into one. The cost of this addition was about $10,000. This left the Church with a debt of about $2,500, which annoyed them for a number of years.
They paid it off during the centennial year. In the Fall of 1861 the Church resolved to build a parsonage on the lot they had purchased adjoining their-church lot, and in 1862 completed a handsome residence at a cost of about $3,000. The church and parsonage lot is one hundred and forty feet in front, and runs back two hun- dred feet.
In 1836 the delegates from this Church to the Miami Association were rejected by the majority of that body. The Middletown Church, the Sixth Street Church, of Cincinnati, and the Dayton and Lebanon Churches were thrown out for "aiding and supporting Sunday-schools. Bible, missionary, traet, and temperance societies." These four Churches then met elsewhere and organized them- selves as the true association. The next year they met in Middletown. The Church there then consisted of sev- enty-seven members. About this time six women, niem- bers of the association, handed in the following letter at a regular meeting of the Church :
"We, whose names are hereunto set, being met to- gether to consult on matters pertaining to the First Bap- tist Church in Middletown, and now being of one mind, that we have been burdened with many things in the Church not according to the Word, this we present you because of your departure from the faith and practice of the regular Baptist Church, and following many ways and things burdensome to us, we intend to walk separate from all who will thus continue to walk, and we invite all our brethren and sisters to sit with us who will re- nounce them. Our meeting will be on Saturday, before the second Sunday in November, next, and we invite all our brothers and sisters who are of the same mind to join with us."
The members who thus protested were promptly ex- cluded, and no further trouble was afterwards experi- enced from them or from others. The association has since met in Middletown seven times.
The pastors of the Church since 1828 have been twelve in number. Six of them are dead. Jacob Mui- ford was pastor on October 14, 1826; Daniel Bryant, August 21, 1880; William T. Boynton, January 26, 1839; John Finlay, July 27, 1844; J. Blodgett, Janu- ary, 1847 ; J. A. Ballard, March 1, 1848; J. G. Bowen, October, 1849; Albert Guy, November, 1853; D. S. Watson, October 9, 1860; F. L. Chapell, July, 1Sb1; J. W. T. Booth, December 10, 1871; Thomas Cull, May 17, 1874, aad Edward A. Ince, December 12, 1880. Only one member is now living who was connected with the Church when it assumed its present name, and that is Francis J. Tytus, and to him we are indebted for the historical sketch from which we have drawn the above.
A difficulty occurring in the Methodist Episcopal Church, resulted in about thirty members leaving the Church, why were Methodists in doctrine and mage- They met to consult on what was best for thets to do under the circumstances. A citizen, who had heard of 1
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the meeting, determined, if possible, to influenee them to organize a Methodist Protestant Church, which he and a Mr. Hardesty, a minister of that Church, prevailed on them to do. Mr. Hardesty recommended the Rev. W. B. Warrington, residing in Cincinnati, as a suitable person to minister to them until the meeting of the annual con- ferenee. Mr. James Butler, being the only one of their number acquainted with Mr. Warrington, was requested by them to go to the city and secure his services, which he did. A meeting was called in Mr. Jacob Leibee's hall, on Sunday, March 4, 1855, at which Mr. Warring- ton, assisted by the Rev. J. B. Walker, then pastor of the George Street Methodist Protestant Church, Cin- cinnati, succeeded in organizing a society, consisting of thirty-eight members. A hall, belonging to Mr. Leibee, was rented and fitted up suitably, and religious services held regularly every Sunday morning and evening. A. Sunday-school was organized also, holding its sessions every Sunday morning.
At the session of the annual conference Mr. War- rington was appointed by that body as pastor for the fol- lowing year, and entered heartily into the work, being determined to succeed iu building a permanent Church. In December he commenced a meeting, which was pro- tracted for eleven wecks. This resulted in ninety-seven members being added to the Church. At its close the subject of building a house of worship was agitated, and resulted in one being put up, forty feet front by sixty-five feet deep, of brick, two stories and basement above ground; and also a parsonage, eighteen feet front by thirty-four feet deep, with kitchen, the main part two stories. This also is of brick. The audienec-room is finished with white walnut varnished. The basement was opened for divine service in December, 1856, and the auditorium in the Fall of 1858. Mr. Warrington was stationed here for four consecutive years. During his pastorate over three hundred persons were received into the Church. The Rev. R. Rose succeeded him as pastor in 1859, remaining two years. The following nared min- isters have since served the Church : J. B. Walker, E. J. Winans, T. T. Kendrick, T. J. Evans, J. W. Ellis, J. J. White, J. MeFarland, R. Rose, T. B. Graham, W. G. Roberts, N. G. Oglesby, W. R. Parsons, and J. H. Dal- bey, the present pastor.
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Jefferson Lodge, F. and A. M., was instituted Jannary 18, 1827, and its charter by the Grand Lodge is dated January 15, 1828. The charter is signed by Thomas Corwin, grand master. The first meeting was held at Mark Dixon's tavern, on the south-east corner of Main . and Third Streets. The installation ceremonies were performed by Mr. Corwin. David S. Davies was the worshipful master; israel T. Gibson. the senior werden ; John Crane, janfor warden ; Charles Stirr, scoor deacon; John J. Reynolds, junior deacon ; John A. frano, score- tary ; Carlton Waldo, treasurer; John Yopst, first stew- ard and tyler, and Francis Gridin, serond steward. Be-
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sides these there were five other charter members, Squier Littell and Joseph Taylor being two of them. Among other prontinent men who have belonged to this society are Vincent D). Envart, George Dickey, Pliny M. Crume, James Bowman, James Heaton. Byron Kilbourn, Dr. Peter Van Derveer, Colonel H. Dann, John H. Gordon, D. H. Peck, Richard H. Hendrickson, Dr. W. W. Cakl- well, David Heaton, Isaac Robertson, I. D. Harlan, Dr. W. Webster, John L. Martin, Rev. D. S. Watson, and W. W. Phares. The third meeting, and all after that date until 1842, were held in a building which had been put up by John P'. Reynolds. It is on the north- east corner of Third and Broadway, and is now occupied by Mr. Buchner and Mr. Wagner. Here, in the attic, the Masons met in secreey during the Morgan excite- ment. In those times the tyler, sitting at the door with his drawn sword, was the eanse of great dismay and ter- ror to the woman servants and children of the Reynolds family, who were afraid to go to bed until the dangerous specter had disappeared for the night. The society has increased in strength and usefulness with its years, and is doing a good work.
MONROE.
The town of Monroe was laid out by John H. Piatt and Nathaniel Sackett in 1817. The house now owned by Dr. E. Kimball stands on the original ground upon which John Baker, the pioneer adventurer, built his log- cabin prior to 1800. It was a double log-house, with an old-fashioned porch between. Baker kept the farm some years and then sold to Nathaniel Sachett, a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and this house often became the place of worship previons to the erection of their church building. Mr. Sackett planted ab orchard, and a pear tree is still standing in the yard that bears very nice, large Bartlett pears yet each year. Dr. Kim- ball built the new briek that stands on these grounds in 1860. The old log-house had gone to ruin, and the whole ground was thrown into cultivation years previous to the erection of his residence. John Baker died J.r .- uary 4, 1852, seventy-seven years oldl, and was buried in the old United Presbyterian Church grave-yard, just north of town. The plan of the town is shown by the following: The main road running through the town from Cinein- nati to Dayton, exiled Main Street, was laid off four poles wide. The cross streets were three poles wide, and were called Ehn, Church, and Lebanon. The three alleys running east and west were one pole wide each. An ae- dition was laid off in January, 1819.
The town of Monroe is two hundred feet above the val- ley, and consequently towers above the malarial portions of the country. It had a gradual growth and a good country surrounding to support it, and naturally because a center of trade for a few miles around. The earliest settlers, John P. Williamson, Nathan Sackett, and Mr. ! Conover soon opened up stores to supply the umade.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
Sackett and Williamson probably began the first. They kept together on the corner of Lebanon and Main Streets, and subsequently Williamson kept on Main Street, south of Conover's. Shekett quit the business in 1840. Caldwell now keeps the drug-store and post-office.
Monroe is on the old Dayton and Cincinnati turnpike road, and just half way. The travel between these points at an early day was considerable, and to accommo- dale the traveling publie, Mr. McClure opened up a hotel on Main Street, on property now owned by Michael Scheik. He established his business as early as the year 1825, and kept tavern until he died, when Colonel Clarkson opened a hotel on Main Street, just in front of where John P. Carson now owns. He kept a number of years after MeClure, and after he died John Clark was in the same business. Elias came between the years 1850 and 1840, and erected a large house on Pike Street, called the Half-way House. It was a two-story frame, in which he entertained travelers twelve or fifteen years. The present brick hotel was built by Daniel Boggs in 1850. It was carried on a few years by him, and then rented to Joseph Boggs, who ran it a while, and sinee that time has run through a great many hands. Mr. Simpson built just on the opposite corner in 1845, and carried it on until 1855.
During the early period, and after the pike was built, Monroe had the most travel. Then the mail coaches ran between the two cities, while hotels and places of entertainment were scattered all along the road. This town was one of the principal stopping points. The travel was so great competition soou sprang up, and there were three and four lines of coaches running, all at the same time. Peter and John Voorhes owned the mail-coach line, and Mr. Rucker the stage line. The usual fare from Dayton to Cincinnati was two dollars and a half, but Voorhes put on opposition coaches to the opposition rates offered by others, and the through fare at one time became reduced to fifty cents, and it was rumored that for a while a good dinner was given be- sides. The mail and stage coaches had usually four horses, sometimes six, and left Dayton at half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, reaching Monroe for early sup- per, and from there run to Cincinnati by nine orlock that night. At one time Messrs. Voorhes, Rucker, and Stevenson had five lines, all at one time. They theu had mail twice a week, but now since the railroad has come into operation Monroe receives hers once each day.
Among the manufacturers of Monroe was Peter Jot- ter, who was bere as early as 1840. and nride wagons. This business was carried on by hin for many years, and subsequently by William Jotter, his son, now the oldest citizen in. Montce, who took las place about 1872. Hle employs from three to Eve' hand-, and manntartures .! the Edgar parent gate, au also a fumowing sled or corn-marker. ' The Paragon Double Plow Works, owned by Charles Warner, have been in operation six years.
The blacksmith's shop was sold as early as 1859 by Peter Jotter, who built it, and it was afterwards rented and then bought by Warner, who uses it in connection with his wood-shop in the manufacture of his plows. He mant- ufactures the one-horse and the double-horse corn plow, a patent of his own, which he is selling in quantities, doing a business of over four thousand dollars yearly. working seven hands about four months each year. He does general custom work also. The buggy factory of C. M. Hiteshue was started by him in 1875, and was bought of Frank Wilson, who built the shops about 1870. He has a paint-shop, wood-working shop, and also a blacksmith's shop, which is carried on the year round, giving employment to about five men and doing a business of five thousand dollars a year. He also does custom work.
The oldest cemetery in Monroe is just north of town, and is called the Monroe Cemetery, and was organized into an association in 1860. Its first officers were Colonel Irwin, Thomas Platson. Mr. Kyle, and Mr. Robinson. It consists of seven acres of ground, and its present officers are William Vanskike, president, and Dr. Kimi- ball, secretary. In this yard were buried some of the earliest settlers.
John Morrow, brother of Governor Morrow, died No- vember 26, 1846; 71 years old. Jolin Baker. January 4. 1852; aged 77. John Lowery, October 20, 1838: 50 yenes old. John Robinson, November 28, 1841 ; aged 62. Peter Williamson, April 7, 1332; 65 years old. David Williamsop. April 10, 1845; aged 78. David Reed, March 13, 1312: 46 years of age. Colonel James Clark, August 15, 1853; 80 years of age.
Y James Steward, who was killed by a tree falling upen him, his wife, and another lady, while on their way in a two-horse wagon to Cincinnati for carpets and other fur- niture for their new church, was buried here. He wes killed May 4, 1835, and at that time was sixty-ose years of age. He was a ruling elder of the United Presby- terian Church, of which he h: d been an active member many years
The Mound Cemetery, just south of Monroe, but bor- deriog ou the town, is a beautiful, well lait out yard, consisting of ten acres of gronod, incorporated into an asveistion in 1859. They have, as yet, no vault, but ccatemplate putting in one this year. The executive officers of this association are Ayers McCreary. pasi. dent ; Willian: Linu, vice-presidem ; Charles Warner, treasurer and secretary.
Methodist preaching was hed in Meamor as early as 1823. There was at that time no organised seriety, but a few of the early members petitioned to have appoint ments. It was then in the Miami Circuit, and preachttes was had to nights once every two weeks. Father Sack- rtt's house was then the preachers' lasnic, and during the first year a Church was organized. Among the early members of the Methodist Episcopal Church nagy In: 1
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mentioned Isaae Conover and wife, now Mrs. Kyle, John Younk and wife, Mrs. Ulm, Mrs. Floyd, Joseph Alex- ander, and G. P. Williamson. At first they worshiped and had class-meetings wherever they could find a place to meet.
The first appointments were filled by the Rev. Messrs. Baker and W. H. Taylor; after which Taylor, David- son, Crum, Adam Poe, A. Eddy, and others followed. When the membership had increased to thirty-five, they determined to build a house, and in this had some oppo- sitiou, mostly from the New-Lights. The house, however, was built, and the dedication sermon was preached by Dr. Baker. His text was: " The glory of the latter shall be greater than the former house." And well has this prediction been fulfilled. The Charel increased rap -. idly after this. There were many earnest, devoted Chris- tians connected with this congregation. The sainted Eliza Williams was one of the shining lights of this society, and all was harmony in the early history of the Church. Among the pioneer preachers that deserve honorable mention was W. H. Raper. He devoted his whole soul to the cause for which he labored, and his work was greatly blessed. The new brick church building was erected in 1860. The membership is now one hundred and twenty, having the Rev. James P. Shultz as pastor. The stewards are James Maeready, M. D., William Gal- lagher, J. T. Caldwell, and A. McCreary.
The Mount Pleasant United Presbyterian Church is located in the village of Monroc. The exact date of its organization is not known, but must have been prior to . the year 1802, for a subscription paper of that date comes down to us, carefully preserved by Mrs. John MeLain, of Bethany, O., whose grandfather, Mr. John Benty, was the first or one of the first treasurers. As this paper is the oldest record we have, and furnishes a partial list of members at that time, we present it:
SWAMP CREEK BRANCH, October 6, 1802.
We, the subscribers, do promise to pay the several sums . annexed to our names yearly, for our equal part for the one- third of Mr. Craig's ministerial service, the year to com- mence when our call is accepted. N. B .- The place, of places, of worship to be fixed in the most convenient place for subscribers :
James Kennedy $1 00 John Robison, . $3 00
John Beaty, .. 6 00
John Lowry, 1 00
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