History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 57

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County and Ohio > Part 57

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Monnett, April 17, 1879 ; C. W. Timanus, May S, 1879 ; Joseph Goodwin, May 3, 1880.

Crawford Council, No. 15, of the Royal Ar- canum, was instituted September 12, 1877, at the lodge-room of the Knights of Honor, by Deputy Supreme Regent P. L. Teeple, with the following charter members : C. D. Ward, John A. Schaber. A. G. Rosino, G. W. Myers, S. B. Mills, William Vollrath, Nicholas Reehl, J. F. Fitzsimmons. G. W. Stewart, W. H. Drought, Charles Roehr, L. E. Jones, E. P. Penfield, J. HI. Sherrard, S. D. Welsh, Charles Vollrath, W. M. Reid. W. B. Bennett, George A. Lauck, H. F. Har- ris, H. H. Moderwell and P. Bessinger. The first officers were E. P. Penfield, Regent ; W. M. Reid, Past Regent ; G. A. Lauck, Vice Regent ; J. H. Sherrard, Orator ; H. F. Harris, Secre- tary ; John A. Schaber, Collector ; S. D. Welsh, Chaplain ; S. B. Mills, Guide ; P. Bessinger, Warden ; A. G. Rosino, Sentry ; C. Vollrath, Treasurer; William Vollrath, L. E. Jones and George A. Lauck, Trustees. The meetings of the Crawford Council are held every Friday evening, in the third story of Fisher & Bros.' Block, which story this society occupies jointly with the Knights of Honor. Three thousand dollars are paid to the families of deceased members. Fifty-two persons are at present connected with this lodge, which has lost but one member by death since it was organized, and this member-Quincey A. Rowse, who died February 17, 1878-was the second from the lodges of the Royal Arcanum in Ohio to be re- moved by death.

The German Aid Association (Deutsche Un- terstutzungs Gesellschaft) was organized March 23, 1874, at Mader's Hall, with 120 members. At the second meeting, held March 25, the fol- lowing officers were chosen : John Schaber, President; F. A. Vollrath, Vice President ; Charles F. Welp, Secretary ; F. Weichold, As- sistant Secretary ; George Donnenwirth, Jr., Treasurer ; George Mader, David Sheeley and Charles Metzger, Trustees. The object of this

association is to provide financial assistance to its members in time of need. Three dollars each week is paid during sickness, and, upon the death of a member, his family receives $10 from the society funds and $1 from each mem- ber of the order. The initiation fee is $4, be- tween the ages of eighteen and thirty-five ; $5, from thirty-five to forty-five ; $6, from forty-five to fifty ; $7, from fifty to fifty-five. The quar- terly dues are 75 cents from each member. This association was incorporated under the laws of Ohio, July 14, 1874, with the following officers : John Schaber, President ; F. A. Voll- rath, Vice President ; Ferdinand Weichold, Sec- retary ; George Donnenwirth, Jr., Treasurer ; J. G. Mader, H. Faerber and George Donnen- wirth, Trustees. The first loss by death was Robert Wagner, who died in May, 1875. At the present time, eighty-five of the industrious citizens of Bucyrus and vicinity are members of the Gesellschaft.

During the past sixty years, many attempts have been made to establish other orders in Bucyrus for various purposes. Possibly the first society of any kind started in the village was the True American Society, of which order many prominent citizens of the place were members. The objects of this organization are now unknown, but the members signed the fol- lowing agreement : " We, whose names are un- dersigned, having conferred together upon. the objects proposed and designed by the True American Society, and believing the same to be of great importance, and worthy the aid and support of every true American citizen, we have resolved, and do resolve, ourselves into a branch of said society, to meet monthly, in the town of Bucyrus, on the Saturday next before every full moon in the year, and have therefore here- unto subscribed our names, in presence of each other. First signed at Bucyrus, July 31, 1823." The objects of this order may have been similar to those of the American, or " Know-Nothing," societies, which wielded considerable political

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

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power some three decades afterward. Among those who signed the agreement and became True Americans were Samuel Norton, Lewis Stevinson, Amoz Clark, David Beadle, Ishi Norton and others. The secret society which created the greatest furor of any organized in the history of the town, was Lopez Lodge, No. S5, of the Independent Order of Sons of Malta, which was formed about July 1, 1859. The Forum, of July 16, 1859. said : " A division of the Sons of Malta was organized the other night in this place. Quite a number of our most re- spectable citizens became members. The order is spreading rapidly." Mathias Buchman was chosen Secretary, and it is reported many poor

families received liberal donations during the short time this order flourished in the town. The Sons held a grand midnight parade at Bu- cyrus on the night of October 13, 1859, which was attended by many members of the order from neighboring towns.

In preparing the history of an important and active community which has existed for sixty years, of a prescribed length, very many events are necessarily omitted which should have re- ceived some notice. If, in perusing this brief sketch of Bucyrus, the reader has failed to find some mention of an event which he considers should have been written up, it is to be hoped he will deal charitably with the history.

CHAPTER X .*

CITY OF BUCYRUS-ITS RELIGIOUS HISTORY -THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES-SUNDAY SCHOOLS- EDUCATIONAL-PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS-THE UNION SCHOOLHOUSE.

T THE first ministers of the Gospel who visited the pioneer settlements in the vicinity of Bucyrus for the purpose of organizing the relig- ious element, were missionaries sent out by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It is probable that the first person to preach the word of God at what is now Bucyrus was a Rev. Mr. Bacon, who visited the place several times during the year 1821, and conducted religious services at the houses of various settlers. It is doubtful if he traveled a cirenit regularly organized by the denomination to which he belonged, but, as a missionary. visited in a roving manner many neighborhoods. His appointments were about once every four weeks, but were very irregular- ly filled. The early Methodists of Bucyrus, when first organized as a station, were attached to the Scioto Circuit. Rev. Jacob Hooper, who was appointed to take charge of this work by the M. E. Conference in the fall of 1821, preached occasionally at Bucyrus. His circuit *Contributed by Thomas P. Hopley.

was about seven hundred miles around, and services were held at each place about once every eight weeks by the regular minister in charge. Stephen D. Rowse states that, in after years, Rev. Hooper told him that he preached the first sermon ever delivered in Bueyrus under a big oak-tree which stood near the present railroad depot. This minister was un- doubtedly assisted by others, and it is likely the settlers had religious services more fre- quently than once every two months. Rev. Hooper was succeeded on the circuit in the fall of 1822 by the Rev. Thomas MeCleary. The next year, the M. E. Conference marked out another smaller district for itinerant preachers to travel over, in order to give other new settle- ments regular circuit preaching. Revs. Thomas MeCleary and James Roe traveled this' new circuit, and these men were assisted at times by Rev. William Blowers, of Liberty Township. (Revs. John O. and William Blowers were the first licentiates of the M. E. Church in Craw-

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ford County.) The labors of these early cir- cuit riders were almost herculean. Mansfield, Plymouth, Bucyrus, Marion and Delaware were points of their district, with numerous inter- mediate appointments, all to be visited by each preacher once in four weeks, occupying nearly every day of the time to make preaching regu- lar once in two weeks at every appointment on the circuit. At that early day, there were scarcely any bridges over streams. Some of the way no roads, only Indian trails to follow, and oftentimes the sun, moon and stars, or a pocket compass, were the only guides through the pathless forest. But the unselfish labors of these early circuit riders were fully appreci- ated by the sturdy pioneers, among whom universal friendship and unbounded hospitality prevailed. When the weather was fine, the ministers preached in the woods ; but, if other- wise, the services were conducted at the log cabins or schoolhouses. The old brick school- house, erected about 1826, was used for many years as a meeting-house by the M. E. Church. Occasionally an unfinished building answered the same purpose. About 1830, a large revival meeting was held in what is now the Sims House, which building was then in the process of erection. The early Bucyrus Church held several very interesting camp-meetings in the large barn of Samuel Shaffner, who resided where Daniel Boyer lives at the present time. The first M. E. Church in Bucyrus was erected about 1832. This was the first building dedi- cated to the worship of God in the village. In those early days of the M. E. Church in Crawford County, the "quarterly conference and love feast " created a much greater impres- sion upon the community than at the present time. The members anticipated these meet- ings for weeks, and great preparations were made in order to provide food and lodging for those who attended from a distance. Some families, who possessed sufficient accommoda- tions, would entertain on these occasions sev-

eral dozen guests. It is reported that at times the crowd was so large that tickets were issued on the occasion of love feast, and a doorkeeper appointed for the house of the Lord. These tickets were given to the various Class-Lead- ers, and by them distributed to church mem- bers. This system was necessary in order that those who desired to attend for their spiritual edification could gain admission to the church, and not be crowded out by some of the im- pions multitude who only assembled out of curiosity. This ticket system also served to keep out the ungodly who came occasionally to have fun by creating a disturbance. For many years, the Bucyrus Church was a station on the Delaware Circuit, and the various con- gregations contributed to build a parsonage at that place. About the year 1832, the circuit was changed, and funds were then raised for a parsonage at Marion. After 1840, the Bucy- rus Circuit was formed, and the parsonage built about 1841. Every fall, the Conference appointed two ministers to supply the stations on each circuit with regular religious services. These men were called senior and junior preachers, and generally the one who served in the latter capacity was appointed to the same circuit the next year as senior preacher, with some new man under him, but this was not always the case. The Methodists of Bucyrus were supplied with regular preaching by this system until September, 1855, when the Con- ference made the congregation a special sta- tion. Some difficulty then arose in regard to whether the parsonage was the property of the Bucyrus Methodists or of the other congrega- tions who had also contributed to erect it. The appointments for the circuits of which Bucyrus and Delaware formed two stations for many years were as follows: 1821, Jacob Hooper ; 1822, Thomas MeCleary ; 1823, Thomas MeCleary and James Roe; 1824, Jacob Dixon ; 1825, James Gilruth ; 1826, Ab- ner Goff; 1827, James Gilruth and Cyrus Car-

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penter ; 1828, James Gilruth and William Runnels ; 1829, David Lewis and Samuel P. Shaw ; 1830, Samuel P. Shaw and Alfred M. Lorain ; 1831, Alfred M. Lorain and David Cadwallader. These ministers commenced their labors in each of the years above men- tioned about September 1. During this period, the following ministers were Presiding Elders : 1821 and 1822, Jacob Young, of the Scioto District ; 1825 to 1828, James McMahon, of the Sandusky District; 1828 to 1831, Russell Bigelow and Greenberry R. Jones, of the Port- land District. Among the ministers who preached regularly to the Bucyrus churches from 1832 to 1854 were the following persons : David Cadwallader, Zephaniah Bell, Erastus Felton, Harvey Camp, John Kinnear, James Wilson, Adam Poe (son of the great Indian fighter), Thomas Thompson, Samuel P. Shaw, Peter Sharp, - Conoway, Oren Mitchell, - Hazzard, llibbard P. Ward, George W. Breck- enridge, Samuel B. Giberson, Liberty Prentice, Henry Warner, Hobert Dubois and others ; 1849, David Gray, Gabriel Williams and Jesse Durbin; 1850, David Gray and assistant ; 1851, N. Taylor and M. K. Hard; 1852, Ste- phen Fant and assistant ; 1853. Stephen Fant and George Moore; 1854, O. Burgess and E. B. Morrison. Since Bucyrus was made a spe- cial station, the following appointments have been made by the Conference, the pastorate commencing after the regular annual session in September : 1855, Uri Richards; 1856, II. S. Bradley; 1858, Dr. H. M. Shaffer ; 1860, Dr. L. B. Gurley ; 1861, O. Kennedy ; 1862, Isaac Newton ; 1865, A. Harmount ; 1867, Gershon Lease; 1869, D. D. T. Mattison ; 1871, G. W. Ball ; 1874, Dr. A. Nelson ; 1877, J. J. Henry (died in March, 1878, and J. H. Barron sent as a supply) ; 1878, O. Badgley. The want of space forbids a more extended reference to the many ministers who, during the past sixty years, have preached to the Bueyrus charge. Not a few of these were eminent for their

piety, and during their lives exerted much in- fluence in shaping the destiny of the early M. E. Church. It is, however, no disparagement to the rest to briefly tell of one who labored with the church in later years, and, just as he commenced to bring rich harvests to his Mas- ter's feet, was called to his reward. Joseph J. Henry was born at Ironton, Ohio, January 9, 1853. He was converted in his eighth year, and, July 11, 1871, licensed to preach the Gos- pel by the North Indiana Conference. Desir- ing to qualify himself for the work, he entered the college at Delaware. Before he had com- pleted the course, he was induced to take charge of the Olive Green Circuit, and, in his twentieth year, commenced his short but event- ful ministerial course. God blessed his labors, and the membership of both congregations was doubled the first year. He was returned, and the conversions were more numerous than be- fore. In 1874, he was appointed to take charge of the M. E. Church at Cardington, where in three years large revival meetings were conducted by him, which yielded rich harvests of Christians hopefully converted. In the fall of 1877, he was appointed as the successor of Dr. Nelson in the work at Buey- rus. A large revival meeting was held, lasting from January 6 to February 17, 1878, which was blessed by the Spirit. Over two hundred conversions were reported, and one hundred and eighty-three of these admitted to the church. After remaining at the church until 10 o'clock, Rev. llenry would frequently go home and study until past midnight in the preparation of sermons for the next day and evening. The intense mental exertion conse- quent upon this series of protracted meetings brought on brain fever, and, after suffering for some two or three weeks, he died March 16, 1878. The M. E. congregation of Bucyrus continued to worship in their first brick church until the year 1851, when the present edifice was erected on the same site. It was dedicat-

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ed Wednesday, October 29, 1851. Elder Poe preached the dedication discourse. In Decem- ber, 1871, the building was repainted, refitted and improved under the pastorate of Rev. G. W. Ball, at a cost of $2,000. The organ was purchased of the Congregational Church about the year 1865. The M. E. Sunday school was established about the year 1834. Among those who have been Superintendent of it during the past quarter-century are Martin Deal, B. B. McVey, W. C. Lemert, G. W. Myers, James Lewis and H. E. Kratz. Of these gentlemen, Mr. Deal has had charge for some fifteen years at different times. Services have been con- ducted once each week for the Bucyrus congre- gation since the year 1832.

The First Presbyterian Church of Bucyrus was the second congregation to be established in the place on a permanent basis. It is impos- sible to give, at this late date, anything like an accurate account of its early history, as all the records of the church, previous to the year 1838, have been lost. Rev. Silas Johnston, one of the former Pastors, in writing a sketch of the church about the year 1857, says : "We can only glean a little information from the few surviving fathers and mothers who were here before the organization of the church. When the com- munity was first settled, there were among the pioneers a few scattered Presbyterian families, who loved the church of their fathers, and looked and longed for some one to break unto them the Bread of Life. When the solemn Sab- bath came, they were ready to sit down and sigh for the ordinances of the sanctuary, which they had left behind in the land of their fathers, and these sighs and prayers that God would plant a vine in the wilderness. where their lot was cast, were not in vain. Occasionally. a minister of their faith came among them, and preached in some grove or private house. Probably. the Rev. Shab Jenks was the first Presbyterian minister who conducted religious services at Bucyrus. Rev. Robert Lee, father of Judge

Robert Lee, of Bucyrus, was the first stated minister, and it is probable that he preached here by the appointment of the Home Mission- ary Society, and, in an informal way, organized a church. The Columbus Presbytery, whose jurisdiction extended over this section, were not satisfied with the manner of proceeding, and, probably by their advice, in the spring of 1833, a petition was presented their Presbytery ask- ing for the organization of a church. This pe- tition, which was signed by thirty-four persons, was granted, and a committee, consisting of Revs. Shab Jenks and E. Washburn, was ap- pointed to visit Bucyrus for this purpose. These gentlemen met the petitioners during the sum- mer of 1833, and the church was organized for the second time. They reported to Columbus Presbytery at the next fall meeting, and the Bucyrus Church was enrolled. It is impossible to learn how many of the thirty-three petitioners were actual members when the church was first organized ; but only four are now living, viz., Mrs. John Moderwell, of Geneseo, Ill. ; John Forbes and wife, near Springfield, Mo., and Mrs. Andrew Kerr, near Bucyrus. Like most newly organized churches in pioneer settlements, this congregation was for several years destitute of a church edifice. When the weather was pleas- ant, services were held in the grove under the broad canopy of heaven ; at other times, the meeting would be held in some private house. Afterward, the church worshiped in the brick schoolhouse, which stood on the lot now occu- pied by the Monnett House. and, after the com- pletion of the court house, this church, in com- mon with other denominations, occupied it as a place of worship, and continued to do so until the erection of their first church edifice, which was built in 1839. In the Bucyrus Republican, of May 22, 1839, J. H. Donglas, John Ander- son, John Forbes, Josiah Scott and J. A. Gormly advertise that sealed proposals will be received until June 1, for building a frame meeting-house 36x40 feet in dimensions.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

A number of ministers labored with this church during the early history of the congrega- tion, both before and after its organization, but at what time, and how long each one was here, is not now known. Rev. William Matthews preached to the congregation for some time, and Rev. Robert Lee was a stated supply for several years. Rev. Henry Van Deman la- bored with the congregation a short time, and also Rev. Erastus Cratta. Rev. James Boggs began to preach to the charge a short time pre- vious to the unhappy division of 1837, and, as he sided with the new-school party, he soon left for another field, as a large majority of the Bucyrus congregation belonged to the old- school branch of the church.

May 4, 1839, the congregation invited Rev. William Hutchinson to labor among them, and a formal call was extended to him on July 3, He was ordained and installed as the first reg- ular Pastor of the church, September 4, 1839, and for many years faithfully labored to build up the charge. Success crowned his efforts, and some were received into the church at al- most every communion season. He had the warmest affections of his congregation ; was highly esteemed by the whole community, and had every prospect of a long settlement in this field ; but he was suddenly attacked with hem- orrhage of the lungs, which disabled him from preaching. He resigned the charge during the summer or fall of 1848, and removed to the mountain regions of Tennessee, where he re- mained until May, 1859, when he returned to Crawford County with his family. Mr. Hutch- inson died February 1, 1860, aged fifty-seven, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. In 1849, the church engaged Rev. George S. Ing- lis to preach as a stated supply, and after eight- een months, Rev. Robert C. Colmory occupied the pulpit for three or four months. Then the pulpit was vacant for nearly two years. April 1, 1852, an invitation was extended to Rev. Si- las Johnston, and soon afterward a formal call

was tendered him, and he was installed by the Presbytery of Marion, September 8. Mr. John- ston continued his labors successfully for nearly six years, but, toward the close of that period, difficulties and division of feeling arose in the church, concerning the choir, instrumental mu- sic, and other matters. Feeling his influence crippled by such a state of affairs, he asked the Presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relation, which was done, with reluctance, September 16, 1857. During his pastorate he preached and lectured 1,006 times. In April, 1858, a call was extended to Rev. George Graham, who re- mained until his health failed, and, in the fall of 1860, he resigned. Early in the spring of 1861, Rev. John J. Walcott was called to the pastor- ate, and installed May S. Ile remained until October 12, 1862, and when he left, the church was without a regular Pastor until April 11, 1864, when Rev. Alexander S. Milholland re- ceived a call. After remaining two years, Mr. Milholland resigned, and the church was sup- plied with preaching by numerous applicants for the pastorate, until January, 1867, when a unanimous call was extended to Rev. John H. Sherrard, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Sherrard was installed April 19, 1867, and remained with the church for over eleven years, until August 4, 1878. Numerous candidates were invited during the next six months, and, January 19, 1879, Rev. J. T. Pollock preached his first ser- mon to the congregation as a stated supply for one year, and, since then, has continued with the congregation. It is not certain who were elected and ordained Elders of the church at its organization ; but it is believed that they were Messrs. Robert Walker, William V. Mar- quis and James McCurdy. These three per- sons and Messrs. George Welsh, Aaron Carey and Samuel Andrews were members of the ses- sion previous to 1838, but the exact date of their ordination is not known. December 25, 1838, Messrs. John Dobbins, James Todd, John A. Gormly and William Robinson were

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elected Ruling Elders, and the two former or- dained by Rev. William D. Smith on February 1. 1839. At the same time all four were in- ducted into office. Messrs. Gormly and Robin- son having been ordained in another field. As time rolled on, these pillars of the church were, one after another. taken away by death and re- moval, and. in 1844, the vacancy in the session was filled by the election of Josiah Scott and Nelson Thecker, who were ordained and in- stalled on January 15, 1844, by Rev. William Hutchinson. Mr. Scott was elected three dif- ferent times to this office before he finally ac- cepted. On November 7, 1852, Dr. Cochran Fulton was chosen and ordained, but Dr. Willis Merriman. who was elected at the same time, would not serve. Messrs. Andrew Kerr and John P. Black were added to the session JJuly 7. 1854, and then. for nearly fourteen years, no additional elections were held for this purpose. Alexander Caldwell and William H. Drought were chosen in February, 1868, and ordained soon afterward. After another decade had passed away, the session became reduced by death and other causes, and July 7, 1878. the congregation elected Messrs. Andrew Walker, William M. Reid and James B. Gormly, to fill the vacancy. These gentlemen were ordained by Rev. J. H. Sherrard, July 28. The Session at the present time is composed of the follow- ing persons : Messrs. Black, Caldwell, Drought, Walker, Reid and Gormly. It is not known what the numerical strength of the church was during its early history ; but it increased grad- ually, year after year, until the troubles and division of 1837 and 1838 rent it asunder. When Rev. William Hutchinson resigned, in 1848. there were over one hundred members but the congregation quarreled in choosing his successor, and the bad feeling in the church had reduced their number to eighty-two by April, 1852-the date Rev. Silas Johnston com- menced his labors. During the next five and one-half years. he received into the church

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 57

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034