USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Historical Sketches and Eary Reminiscences of Hamilton County, Ohio > Part 14
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church in 1855; John Johnston, from 1841 until his death, October 19, 1870; Samuel Burns, from 1856 till 1861; Dr. T. S. Galloway, 1861 to 1868, when he left the bounds of the church; Dr. William John- ston and John Rallston, May 4, 1867, to present time; John T. Conklin, Thomas K. Galloway, and Solomon Ferris, elected June 15, 1872, to present time.
There are no records of membership of Hopewell church prior to 1823. At that date the membership is reported at 73; in June, 1829, at 129: this was the year of the great revival, which added 65 to the roll of membership. In 1831 there were 106 mem- bers; in 1844, 93; in 1846, 108; in 1856, 96; in 1861, 113; and in 1876, 138.
To the present pastor, Mr. Cortleyou, the writer is under obligation for many facts pertaining to the more recent history of the church.
SALEM METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Methodists held irregular meetings in the neighborhood of the present town of Sharonville as early as 1806. Old Benjamin Lakin and John Collins were circuit preachers, and held meetings at the house of Jacob Hutchinson, about two miles west of the present village of Sharonville.
Until 1809 the house of Mr. Hutchinson was the
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established place for preaching, after which time the meetings were held at the house of John Myers, about a mile and a half south-east of where Sha- ron now is. How long the meetings were continued to be held here is not known, but as early as 1816 the regular place of meeting was at the house of Amos White, west of Millcreek, in section 35, Syca- more township. Whether previous to this there was a regularly organized church, and if so, the particular time of its establishment, and the number and names of its members, are questions that cannot now be satisfactorily answered. It is thought that an or- ganization was effected as early as 1808 or 1809, but it is certain that the church was fully organized and recognized at the time the meetings were being held at the house of Amos White. These regular meet- ings continued until 1820-21, when the Salem meeting- house was built. At this time the Revs. Moses Crum and Arthur W Elliott were on that circuit, and the Rev. Samuel Baker the preacher in charge at Salem. The church was dedicated in the fall of 1821. It was constructed of brick, in dimensions about 25 by 40 feet, but was never plastered. It was built upon the lands of Mr. Amos White, he donating a lot of ground for the purpose, and also for a grave yard, which is still known as the Salem burying ground or cemetery.
The church continued to be a regular appointment
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on the circuit until the conference year of 1835-6, when, the walls being considered in a dangerous con- dition, the society met thereafter in the district school- house at Sharon. Perhaps the old church would have been repaired, and continued as the place of wor- ship for many years, which could have been done at a small expense, but the center of the community was changing. Since the organization of Salem church Sharon had been laid out, and had, in 1836, be- come a village of several hundred inhabitants, and the body of the population was fast tending to it. This alone was a sufficient reason for changing the place of meeting. The society worshiped in the school-house until 1838, when, through the efforts of the Revs. M. P Gaddis and J. J. Hill, there had been raised about one thousand one hundred dollars for the pur- pose of building a meeting-house. The house was erected during that year, but not fully completed until 1839, and was dedicated during the centenary meeting. Old Salem chapel was torn away, and the bricks were used in constructing the new church at Sharon. The board of trustees at that time consisted of Col. John Myers, John Ferris, John Vansant, and John Ross.
After the removal of the church to Sharon the minutes of the proceedings have been preserved, but nothing of any great historical interest appears therein, except the unenviable notoriety the church
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brought upon itself during the year 1841, through the trial and expulsion of John Vansant, one of its trustees and leading members, upon the charge of harboring absconding slaves, and giving them aid and comfort, the particulars of which, together with a short biographical sketch of Mr. Vansant, will be given in another part of this work.
LOCKLAND (FORMERLY SPRINGFIELD) BAPTIST CHURCH.
There is a prevailing impression among the pre- sent members of this church that its organization dates back to 1798, in support of which, however, no reliable evidence is attainable. Certain facts con- nected with the early history of the settlement where the church was first organized have no doubt con- tributed to the support of such impressions, if, indeed, they are not the sole grounds upon which they are founded.
The church was established at what was generally known as "Tucker's Station," and in the neighbor- hood of "Valley Grove Station," which were among the first interior settlements of the county. Henry Tucker, one of the leading spirits of the settlement, being a very zealous member of the Baptist church, and, so far as now known, the only open professor of
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religion among the first settlers, was earnest and active in the attempt to organize a church or a Baptist society in the neighborhood. Religious meetings were held at his house and at the station even prior to the year 1797. These meetings were attended by several of the Baptist Elders then living at Columbia: John Mason, John Smith, Daniel Clark, and James Lee.
There is still one living witness, Samuel V. Roll, who attended these meetings, extending from the year 1806 down to 1815, and who says that during moderate weather they were usually held in the barn of Jacob Skillman.
Notwithstanding these facts there appears to have been no organized society until the year 1815, in confirmation of which the writer cites the following historical evidence :
First, By the records of Carpenter's Run church we find that Henry Tucker and his wife Mary joined that church March 27, 1802; that he was made Deacon November 26, 1803, and that they both took their dismissal in 1815, for the purpose of assisting in constituting or organizing the Springfield Baptist church.
Second, That between the years 1800 and 1815 the following persons, who resided in the immediate neighborhood of the Tucker settlement, were con- nected with the Baptist church at Carpenter's Run,
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viz. : Thomas Higgins joined October 24, 1801; Mary Tucker, May 22, 1802; Isaac and Mary Martin, May 28, 1803; Abraham and Abigail La Rue, Feb- ruary 27. 1808; Mary Tucker, jr., November, 1808; Ephraim Tucker, June 23, 1810; Hannah Tucker, June 23, 1810; Jacob Skillman, and Massey, his wife, August 25, 1810; Nelly Higgins, May 24, 1812. Had there been a Baptist organization at Tucker's settlement it is not at all probable that these persons would have connected themselves with a church so far distant and inconvenient of access as that of Carpenter's Run.
Again, the minutes of the Miami Association, for the year 1816, show that Springfield church was added to that body during that year. In further confirmation the deed for the church lot, executed by Ziba and Rachel Stibbins to Henry Tucker and Jonathan Burdge, trustees of the Baptist church of Springfield, bears date February 27, 1816.
These facts seem to fix beyond a reasonable doubt the date of the organization to be sometime during the year 1815. In 1816, when the church was first represented in the Miami Association, it reported seventeen members, among whom were the follow- ing: Henry and Mary Tucker, Jacob and Massey Skillman, Jacob and Josinah White, Jonathan and Rachel Burdge, Thomas and Nelley Higgins, Abra- ham and Abigail Skillman, Thomas and Jane Sortor,
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and perhaps Catherine, daughter of Henry Tucker and wife of Providence White, and Elizabeth, wife of Peter Wilkinson.
In the following year there were but sixteen members reported to the association, and it would seem that for a number of years following the church made but slow progress.
As before mentioned, a lot suitable for a meeting- house and grave yard was purchased during the year 1816. The ground selected was situated on the east side of the Old Hamilton Road, adjoining the south line of Jonathan Pittman's farm, in section 2, Spring- field township, where the old grave yard is still to be seen. The meeting-house was built during that year, and was a substantial frame structure, about thirty-five by fifty feet. In the north and central part of the building was the pulpit, elevated some seven or eight feet above the floor, with steps ascend- ing on either side. On the other three sides of the building was a gallery.
Between the years 1817 and 1825 there were a great many accessions to the church, a few only of whom can now be named: James and Joanna Bratton, Ephraim and Hannah Tucker, John Tucker, father of Wm. O. and Mattie Tucker, Sarah, wife of Benjamin Tucker, Joseph and Ann Bloomfield, Jacob A. and Charlotta Riddle, William and Eliza- beth Woolley, Jacob and Elizabeth White, James and
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Elizabeth Classon, Catherine Ferrell, and soon after- wards, Stephen and Catherine Stibbins, Aaron and Rachel Brown, Edward and Marian Pratt, Manning R. and Rebecca Tucker. Sometime after 1825 John and Sarah Patterson, Mary, wife of Alexander Pen- dery, Thomas and Hannah Cooper, and Mrs. Mary Brown, became members.
In 1834 or '35 Elizabeth, wife of Frederick W. Athearn, joined by letter. She was formerly the wife of the Rev. Dr. George Patterson, of the First Baptist Church of Cincinnati.
It is not known who were the first Elders of the church, but among those who preached there at a very early period in its history were Abraham Griffith, William Jones, Stephen Gard, Moses Frazee, and Wilson Thompson. A young preacher named William Bascom and an elderly man named Sterrett are mentioned by some of the older inhabitants of the neighborhood as having preached at the Spring- field church occasionally prior to 1825. About that time Elder James Lyon, of Duck Creek, was em- ployed, and preached two Sabbaths in each month, and continued as one of the pastors until 1844, when the church became extinct. Elder William Jones, formerly of the First church of Cincinnati, preached one or two Sabbaths in the month, from 1827 to about 1830. Besides the regular elders, there were others who preached occasionally, among whom the writer
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remembers Thomas Childers, and at a later period, perhaps in 1841 or '42, Elder O. Mott, who preached there quite frequently. Mr. Mott was one of the old- time Baptist ministers, whose peculiar manner of de- livery, crude expressions and quaint comparisons, be- long so distinctly to that period, that although less than half a century has gone by, would now excite the greatest wonder and merriment.
One of Mr. Mott's practical illustrations is remem- bered by many who are still living. To fully impress his audience with the fact that the transgressor could not even in this world escape just punishment, he said : "Though the sinner may seem for a time to flourish and spread himself as the green bay tree, he will find as a rule, ah, that retribution follows close at his heels, and he will reap the just wages of his sin, ah. I have had, my dear friends, some experi- ence of this myself, ah. When I was a boy about twelve years old, I did one of the meanest things of my life, ah. I caught a poor innocent bluejay, and I plucked the feathers from its wings, ah, and the feathers from its tail, ah, and then turned it loose upon the air, ah. The poor thing rose for a moment and tried hard enough to fly, ah, but it could'nt, ah, for its pinions and its rudder were gone, ah, and falling helpless upon the ground, it cried out most piteously : 'Caleb, Caleb, Caleb !' And the cry of that bluejay, my dear brethren, is still ringing in
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my ears as a just punishment for that cruel sin. Caleb, Caleb, Culeb."
In this, as in all other Baptist churches in the West, the troublous question of mission and anti-mis- sion arose, and interfered greatly with its prosperty. In the great division of 1836, the large majority of its members were anti-mission, and the church adhered to that party; yet an actual separation did not occur until 1840.
At the time of the grand division in 1836, each faction or party formed an association; both were known as the Miami Association. The mission party had six churches, viz: the Sixth Street Cincinnati, Middletown, Dayton, . Fairfield, Muddy Creek, and East Lebanon, with a membership aggregating 441. While the anti- mission association comprised 19 churches, with a membership of 706.
The ostensible cause of this discussion and separ- ation arose from the difference of opinion in regard to certain benevolent institutions, Sunday schools, missionary and temperance societies, etc., as to whether they were spiritual or secular in their character, and if secular should the church uphold and support them. But a question far more essen- tial and important, and underlying all this, was that of general or partial atonement, and was in- deed the real or primary cause of this division, not only in the Baptist church, but in the Pres-
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byterian likewise. The old, old question, involving God's sovereignty and man's independence, which, though it has passed through centuries of disputa- tion, never has, nor can it be, reconciled, yet upon which men will continue to differ in the future as in the past.
For four years succeeding the great division of 1836, the factions (Mission and Anti-Mission, or Old and New School) worshiped together in the old church, but not always harmoniously. In 1840 the Mission party determined to build a meeting-house in Lockland, and proceeded to purchase the site where the present Baptist church now stands, and there built a brick edifice of the same dimensions as the present one.
Elder Daniel Bryant, who had been one of the champions of the Mission party in the great discus- sions, was chosen pastor, and the church entered upon a period of great prosperity.
The following are the names, so far as can be ascertained, of those who left the old church and assisted in organizing the new one at Lockland, viz : William and Elizabeth Woolley, Aaron and Rachel Brown, John and Elizabeth Simington, John and Mary Tucker, John and Rebecca Sortor, Elizabeth Athearn, Mary Lindley, Thomas and Hannah Cooper, David and Eliza Beeler, Sarah and Phebe Woolley, Mary Brown.
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At the close of the first year the membership in- creased to near 75, and among those who joined during the two years, ending January 1, 1842, the writer is only able to name the following: John and Elizabeth Shadenger; F. W. Athearn; Rachel Rose; Martha Lytle; Sarah Ann Humes ; Elizabeth Lacy ; Fanny Weston; William and Samuel Patterson; David and Elvira Bryant, and Julia and Wilson G., their children; Sarah Ricker; Beracha and Mary Dunn; Abigail Dunn ; Brazilla Dunn ; Caleb Dunn ; Naomi Dunn; Abraham and Roxanna Service; Calvin and Edith Harris; Charles and Lydia Salyer; William Bucknell; Thomas and Eliza Bucknell; Jeptha Shotwell; Rufus and Martha Hubbard; John H. Tangeman ; Daniel and Nancy Thompson ; Mary, wife of John D. Olden, who died April 18, 1846; Solomon Jenkins; Daniel Bowman; Mary Brown; Sarah Morrison; David McFarland; Sam. Randall; Isaac King; Susannah King; Ann Riggs, who died October 18, 1841; Isaac Smith; Samuel Beeler ; Daniel and Julia Brown; Hanson Hard, school teacher; Sarah Ann Gaston; Sarah Hawkins; Abra- ham Price; Henry and Ann Beeler; Stephen and Lydia Vanskyawk ; Edward and Sarah Pratt; David and Eliza Beeler; Susan Ouring; Elias and Ann Drake; Elizabeth Wright; R. W. and Ann Lee, and their daughter Sarah; Francis Gaston; Hannah Nichols, who married Robt. Carson; William and
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James Lovett; Henrietta, wife of Jesse Flinn, who died April 23, 1844; Amanda Gaston; Wil- liam Sweet; Hannah Ann Price; Phebe Terry ; Sarah Dunn; Martha Ann Gaston; Mrs. Clara, wife of Goodlow Pendery; Mary Lacy; Mrs. Eliza, wife of Mathew Long; Sarah Berset; Caroline Hanna ; Spencer Cooper and wife; Martha Ogden; Sarah Woolley ; Caroline Shaw, Julia Brown; Charlotta Patterson; Phebe Woolley; John Wilson, Bearna Wilson ; Israel and Lucy Thornell; Margaret Dunn ; Mary Herbert; Amanda Castner; Wm. B. Dayton ; Julietta Gorland; Ann Leary; Charlotta Myers, married Richard McDonald; Martha Ogden; Mary Price; Hannah Riggs; Dr. Asahel Smith; John Scofield, and Joseph and Mary Shotwell.
The following members were admitted between the 1st of January, 1842, and the 1st of January, 1860:
March 20, 1842, by letter, Lydia Fuller and Eliza McFarland. April 6, 1842, by letter, Susannah Sayler.
May 14, 1842, by letter, William and Eliza Harrison.
October 30, 1842, by baptism, Nancy Cooper, Elizabeth Dayton, James Robbins, Sarah C. Skillman, Rachel -Lacy, Emma Weston, John. H. Fagle, and Mary Pyfren,
November 6, 1842, by baptism, John L. Smith, Mary Smith, William Herbert, John Nichols, Albert P. Barrett, Joseph Jenkins, Amanda Riggs, John Scofield, and Charlotta Bowman.
February 19, 1843, Peter Carrol, by baptism ; and the following persons received at a former meeting, held at the Liberty school house, and were baptized March 5, 1843, viz .: John
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Pyfren, Meranda Scofield, Edmund D. Smith, Ellen Carrol, Joshua Randall, and Milton and Emeline Lindley.
May 20, 1843, by baptism, Ann Pyfren.
December 16, 1843, by letter, Eliza Duboice.
February 24, 1844, by baptism, Mary Ann La Count, Charlotta Redinbo, Mary Osborn, Jonathan Hand, and Jonathan Banister.
February 26, 1844, by baptism, Peachey A. Garriott and Amanda M. Mowry.
March 16, 1844, John D. Olden, Ann Spader, and Mrs. Galena, wife of William Galena.
April 20, 1844, the following members of the Baptist church, living at Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, were admitted to membership, and authorized to constitute a branch of this ·church at that place, viz .: L. Rigdon, Rebecca W. Rigdon; Aaron and Emeline Potter, formerly of Lockland; Sarah Steel, Louisa L. Ferris, Sarah Jane Watson, Jemima Taylor, Sarah L. Garrison, Mary Kelley, Ann Davis, Nancy Lyon, Eunice Lyon, Elizabeth Walton, and Elvira Boatman.
August, 1844, by letter, Mrs Bucknell.
April 19, 1845, by letter, Jesse Wilson, Elizabeth Wilson, Ann Wilson, Hannah Wilson, John Wilson, Benna Wilson, Jesse Wilson, Jr., Jonathan Wilson, and Jethro Wilson.
February 14, 1845, by letter, Amanda Dobson.
March 22, 1846-The members of the Branch church at Hamil- ton were dismissed in order to constitute an independent church, viz: L. Rigdon and wife, A. Potter and wife, Eve Davis, Elizabeth Walton, Sarah Steel, Sarah F. L. Gar- rison, Mary Garrison, Mary Kelley, Sarah J. Watson, Louisa S. Phares, Elvira Boatman, Samuel B. Randall and wife, James S. Beatty and wife, Rebecca D. Bachelor, Mr. Casper, and William Roney and wife; also the entire Wilson family as above named.
Bros. A. Service, John Sortor, John H. Tangeman, and Daniel Thompson were appointed as council to constitute the new church at Hamilton, and attend the ordination of Wm. Roney, as Elder and Pastor.
July 11, 1846, by letter, Elder Wm. Blair and wife.
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December, 19, 1846, by letter, Martha Dobson.
January 16, 1847, by letter, Sarah W. Morris.
January 19, 1847, by letter, Elder J. V. Hopper and wife.
October 17, 1847, by baptism, Amelia E. Bassett.
November 20, 1847, by letter, Rachel McGregor; by experience, Robt. McGregor.
February 28, 1848, by baptism, Nelson Davis and wife, Beracha Dunn, Jr., Mary Price, Jane Price, and Mary Skillman.
March 6, 1848, received for baptism, Daniel McNealege, Mary Johnson, Margaret Brown, wife of Lloyd S., and Mary Ann Thayer.
May 20, 1848, by letter, Margaret Thompson, from Mt. Carmel. June 17, 1848, by letter, Jonathan Harpham and wife and Elizabeth Wells.
September 16, 1848, by letter, Mary Crain.
May 13, 1849, by letter, Elder Geo. Webster and Eliza Jane, his wife, George Florence, Catherine Florence, and Eliza- beth Levering.
February 16, 1850, by baptism, Israel Cole.
March 2, 1850, by baptism, Sarah Leary; by letter, William Wilson ; by experience, Julia Ann, wife of William Wilson; by letter, Francis Broadmore and wife, Mrs. Higby, and Isabella Patterson.
October 20, 1850, by experience, Hiram Pray.
November 10, 1850, Elder J. S. Goodman and Mrs. Hamet, by letter from First Church, Detroit, Mich.
November 15, 1850, Elder J. S. Goodman ordained to the min- istry. Council consisted of Elder D. Bryant, of Fifth Street Church, Cincinnati; Elder D. Anderson, of Ninth Street, Cincinnati; Elder R. N. Henderson, of High Street, Cincinnati; Elder William Leet and T. Turner, of the Miami Church; Elder C. Elliott, S. Beeler, R. Stout, R. L. Jones, J. Mc Means, S. F. Beeler, and John Sortor, of Muddy Creek Church. Beside these the following ministers were invited to seats in the council: Rev. Benjamin Graves, of the Lockland Presbyterian Church; Reverends J. S. Pere- grine, M. Koffman, and J. J. Thompson, of the Lockland M. E. Church. The services were as follows: Introductory
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prayer by Elder C. Elliott, Sermon by Elder D. Bryant, praver by Rev. J. S. Peregrine, charge by Rev. B. Graves, right hand of fellowship by Elder William Leet, address by Elder R. N. Henderson, benediction by the candidate, J. S. Goodman.
November 18, 1850, by baptism, Miles Skillman.
February 18, 1851, by baptism, Mary Thorp, Mary E. Grimes, Martha Dobson, Hannah Bryant, Tyler Thayer, Isaac McKelley, Edward J. Preston, Mrs. S. Preston, Leslie Bassett, Stephen Crain, William Skillman, Jane and Adelade Critch- field, Ann McLaren, and Elvira Ferrel.
April 19, 1851, Amelia E. Bassett, by letter from High Street Church, Cincinnati; and John H. Tangeman was elected Deacon,
During the summer and fall of 1852 a dissension arose in the church, growing out of the disaffection of some of the members upon points of doctrine. During that year an English minister, named Morris, came to the neighborhood and introduced the doc- trine of the total destruction or annihilation of the wicked or unregenerate, alledging that the promises of God, as revealed in the scriptures, gave immor- tality to those alone who become regenerated through the saving blood of Jesus Christ, and that a future place of torments was unknown to the primitive christians, and nowhere to be found in the scriptures. That the penalty of the original sin was eternal death ; and that Christ came not to save from tor- ment, but to restore that life and immortality which had been forfeited by the disobedience of Adam. These lectures produced great excitement and dis-
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cussion in the religious community, and Mr. Morris found many followers. In the Lockland Baptist church there were quite a number who embraced and openly advocated his views; and several, who were of English nativity, gave notice of their with- drawal from the church, whereupon, at a meeting held November 21, 1852, the following resolution was passed :
"Whereas, Francis Broadmore, William Herbert, Mary IIer- bert, and Adelade and Francis J. Critchfield, have this day announced that they have withdrawn from the Baptist Church in Lockland; and, whereas, they have for some time past attended other meetings to the entire neglect of those of their own church, and of their duty as members, therefore-
" Resolved, That they be and they are hereby excluded from this church for disorderly conduct."
June 19, 1853, Matilda L., wife of Isaac C. Conklin, by letter from Duck Creek Church.
July 16, 1853, Mary J., wife of Peachey A. Garriott, by letter from Fulton Street United Brethern Church, and was baptized August 21, 1853.
August 20, 1853, Dr. Jas. G. Hunt and Sarah E., his wife, and Mary Chatten, received by letter from First Church, Cin- cinnati.
August 21, 1853, Ephraim B. and Elizabeth Whipple, by letter from Cheviot Church.
December 4, 1853, Sarah Catherine Ferrel and Mary Mowry, received, and were baptized December 25, 1853; also Hannah Brooks, on relation of her experience.
December 17, 1853, Abiah IIartwell, Lewis Whipple, John and Martha Chatten, received, and were baptized December 25, 1853, except Abial Hartwell, whose baptism was postponed for one week.
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