History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 58

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

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seventy persons on examination and forty-nine by certificate ; the loss by death and removal being sixty-nine. When Mr. Johnson resigned. in October. 1857, the membership was 132, and during the next ten years this number was in- creased to 165. During Mr. Sherrard's pastorate of eleven years, 240 were received into the church, and the loss by death and removals was 175, leaving a membership on August 1, 1878, of 230. The church continued to wor. ship in their first edifice until 1860, when it was sold to the Roman Catholic congregation, who removed it to their lot on Mary street. The Presbyterian then, in 1860, erected a fine brick edifice, 72×44feet, which cost about $9,000, and was dedicated May 26, 1861. This was frescoed, repainted and carpeted in the summer of 1873, and the building is now as chaste and attractive as it is commodious and comfortable. The Presbyterian Sunday school was organized in 1835. W. M. Reid has been Superintendent of the school during the past sixteen years.

The Evangelicai Lutherans residing in the village of Bucyrus and surrounding country were organized into a congregation some time during the year 1829, by Rev. David Shuh, at the old brick schoolhouse. This minister, the first Pastor, had received a call from those who proposed establishing a Lutheran Church, and many of these persons had belonged to what was known in Pennsylvania as the German Lutheran Church. Samuel Myers, of Nevada, Ohio, is the only person now living who took an act- ive part in organizing this congregation. Mr. Shuh continued as Pastor for two years, and after his departure, in 1831, Rev. John Stough, of Liberty Township, was prevailed upon to hold services. Father Stough was at this time seventy years of age, and as he was anxious to retire from active service, the English-speaking portion of the congregation met December 1, 1832, and extended a call to Rev. F. I. Ruth. of Ashland. Previous to this, all services were conducted in the German language, except an

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occasional sermon in English by Mr. Stough, Rev. Ruth came at stated times, from Ashland, and preached to his charge, and in the spring of 1835, removed to Bucyrus. The first record of a Church Council being elected, was in Jan- uary, 1833, when the following members were chosen : Elders, Abram Mayer and George Schroll. Deacons, Nicholas Failor and Abram Schroll. Trustees, Adam Bair and Nicholas Cronebangh. At the next church election, held May, 1835, four Elders, four Deacons and three Trustees were chosen, and shortly after this the church met with a severe loss by the death of George and Daniel Schroll, two members of the council, who died with the cholera. July 12, 1835, the congregation convened, and. after showing due respect to the departed brothers, elected John Bremen and Daniel Savage to fill the vacancy. From the time the church was organized, until 1835, services were held in the brick schoolhouse, and then the congregation removed to the court house, which they occu- pied until their first church building was erected. The latter part of 1835. or early in 1836, the trustees purchased from Adam Mayer, for $400, the corner lot now occupied by the residence and office of Franklin Adams. After perfect- ing all the necessary arrangements, the corner- stone of the first Lutheran Church in Crawford County was laid August 20, 1836, in the pres- ence of what was then called a large concourse of people. The walls of the building were fin- ished, and the roof put on before winter, but the church was not completed and occupied un- til the fall of 1837, or the spring of 1838. At this time, the congregation was composed of two parts, German and English, each being repre- sented in the Church Council ; together they numbered, in 1838. eighty-one communicants. Rev. Stough held services occasionally in Ger- man, and Mr. Ruth was the regular Pastor, who continued to preach for the English portion un- til he resigned in 1852, having watched over the spiritual interests of this charge for twenty

years. Father Ruth is still living in Galion. Rev. A. R. Howbert was his successor, and he remained until about April 1, 1856. Rev. J. Crouse then accepted a call and acted as Pastor until he resigned in May, 1864. Under his ad- ministration the present church building was erected. The German interest in the old build- ing was purchased for about $400, and August 11, 1856, the congregation passed a resolution to build. The pastor and N. Failor were ap- pointed to solicit subscriptions, and by October 31, between $5,000 and $6,000 had been raised. The church was not finished until the spring of 1858, and dedicated by Rev. Conrad, of Phila- delphia, May 16, of that year. In the mean- time the services were held in the small Bap- tist Church, which occupied the lot upon which Dr. M. C. Cuykendall's residence now stands. After Rev. Crouse resigned, in 1864, Rev. M. W. HIamma was elected, and continued as Pas- tor until February, 1867. Rev. J. H. Brown was then chosen by the church, and remained until October, 1870, when, with the consent of both congregations, he and Rev. J. B. Baltzly, of Lewistown, Penn., exchanged pulpits. Dr. Baltzly remained with the Bucyrus church for six years, until Octocer 1, 1876, and then for five months the charge was without a regular pastor. Rev. A. H. Studebaker received a unanimous call from the congregation early in 1877, and continned with the church until June, 1880, when he was granted a vacation, and is at the present time making a tour in Europe-the pulpit in the meantime being filled by Rev. J. Morris and others.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church Sabbath School was organized April 5, 1838, by the more prominent members of the congregation. A constitution was adopted providing that the school should be under the control of a board of managers selected from the church ; and the following persons were chosen : Nicholas Failor. Henry Minich, Abram Myers. Samuel Myers. Christian Howenstein and F. J. Ruth. This

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Board of Managers appointed the following of- ficers for the school : President, Rev. F. A. Ruth ; Vice President, Nicholas Failor ; Secre- tary, Samuel Myers ; Treasurer, Christian How- enstein. At the end of the first year the Sec- retary made an encouraging report, which was received and adopted by the Board of Mana- gers. The Treasurer reported " having received during the year $7.25, and of having disbursed for books. etc., $6.75, leaving a balance in his hands of 50 cents, which was transferred to his successor, Nicholas Failor." The second an- nnal reports, made in April, 1840, showed that " there were in attendance seventy-five pupils under the charge of six male and seven female teachers, and that $13 had been collected and $12.35 had been expended during the year.' Favorable reports are also on record for the years 1840, 1841, 1842 and 1843, and then the records were not preserved until 1862. The last election held for a board of managers was on July 6, 1856, when the following persons were chosen : John Boyer, D. C. Boyer, Joseph Failor, Samuel Failor, Edwin Boyer, Dan Min- ich and Benjamin R. Boyer. A short time after the year 1857, the modern custom of per- mitting the teachers to choose the officers was adopted. Since the school was organized, the pastor of the church has always been appointed to act as President or Superintendent of the school, except on two occasions. In March, 1854, the managers elected George P. Seal, who served as Superintendent until July 6, 1856, and George Lauck filled the same position from

October 1, 1876, until March, 1877. The Lutheran school is the largest and best-organ- ized Sabbath school in Bucyrus ; not long since the average attendance during one year was 199. In April, 1861, the church purchased a pipe organ, the second instrument of the kind brought to town, which was used for the first time April 14; after nearly seventeen years of service this instrument was removed and a much finer one placed in the church ; this or-

gan cost about $1,000 and was dedicated by a grand concert Friday evening, February 8, 1878. At the present time some 230 persons are connected with the congregation.

The early Evangelical Lutheran Congregation organized by Rev. David Shuh, in 1829, con- tained, during the first five years, many influ- ential members, who afterward united with the Reformed Church. After the English portion of this first congregation organized a separate society, and tendered Rev. F. I. Ruth a call to act as Pastor, the Germans who were left con- tinued to worship together, and services were conducted in their own tongue by Rev. John Stough. This venerable gentleman, however, had been an active minister nearly fifty years, and was so aged that he could only preach to the Bucyrus congregation at irregular intervals. About the year 1835, those professing the Re- formed faith, employed Rev. Frederick Gott- leib Maschop to preach for them. In the early day of the German churches in America, the dif- ference between the Reformed and Lutheran doctrines was so slight that some Pastors were styled ministers of the seet "generally called the Lutherans or Reformed Church." Under the administration of Rev. Maschop, these de- nominations in Bucyrus were more widely sepa- rated, and many German Lutherans would not attend the Reformed services. Finally those Germans who professed Lutheranism, employed a Rev. Mr. Goergens to preach for them. This gentleman did not belong to the same synod of which the Bucyrus congregation formed a part, but his doctrines suited his charge better than those of the Rev. Maschop. In 1839, the church was more fully organized and Rev. John Krauss received a call; this gentleman for some time preached every fourth Sunday. Ile continued with the congregation many years, and, although a man of considerable ability, could not resist the many temptations to in- dulge too freely in the " flowing bowl." Toward the latter part of his long pastorate. his habits

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became very irregular, for he was frequently on long drunken sprees. The cause he professed to love suffered much by the sad life he led, and, in the interest of German Lutheranism, he was forced to resign his position, which he did in September, 1854. He removed to Tiffin, Ohio, and it is reported he sank deeper into vice until he finally started a saloon. In 1855, Rev. August Michaelis received a call from the congregation, which was accepted, and he re- mained for twelve years, until 1867, when he was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Graessle, the present Pastor ; thus, during forty-one years, the German Lutheran Church has been organized. Only three ministers have served as Pastors to this large and influential church. For many years the two congregations of this same de- nomination in Liberty and Whetstone Town- ships assisted the Bucyrus church in providing funds to pay the Pastor's salary, and the min- ister in charge would hold services at each congregation in succession. Finally the Bucy- rus German Lutheran Church became so wealthy and influential that this system was dis- continued, and since 1872, Mr. Graessle has labored solely in the interest of this church. In 1842, the congregation adopted a constitution, and the next year sold their interest in the church building erected about 1836, to the English Lutherans ; they continued to occupy this church, however, until their present edifice was erected in 1857. June 20, 1858, the build- ing was dedicated to the worship of God, and named " German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Good Hope." The Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and other States convened at Bucyrus for a six-days session on Thursday, May 23, 1872; some 120 ministers and fifty lay delegates were in attendance. In March, 1873, the congregation purchased from G. F. Votteler, of Cleveland, a very fine pipe organ, which was dedicated Sunday, March 16, 1873, with appropriate exercises. The Sunday school of this church was organized about the year 1844.

The early history of the German Reformed. Congregation of Bucyrus was carefully com- piled by Rev. Eli Keller, the Pastor, during 1857, and copied into the Church records. This history is as follows : " Having carefully examined various documents found on hand and questioned certain aged persons with reference to the history of the German Re- formed Congregation of Bucyrus, it would seem that the same was organized about the year 1829, standing at that time connected with the Lutheran Congregation. Not being able to obtain the services of a Reformed Pastor, they continued under the administrations of Lutheran ministers until the year 1835, and during this period they, in connection with the Lutheran congregation, purchased a town lot with a view of erecting a Union Church edifice. In the year 1835, they procured the services of Rev. Frederick Gottlieb Maschop, a Reformed minis- ter, and held services in the brick schoolhouse. About the year 1840, Rev. Maschop resigned and after some months Rev. J. J. Miller received a call, and during his pastorate, which lasted abont three years, services were held in the court house. After the departure of Rev Miller, the congregation was without a Pastor until Rev. Wendel Wasnich received a call. and he continued with the charge about the same length of time as his predecessor, and resigned during the year 1848. During his pastorate, another lot was purchased, and the present church edifice erected. When Rev. Wasnich resigned, Rev. Abraham Keller was elected to succeed him, and labored with the charge until the fall of 1832, when he was attacked with the cholera and suddenly removed by death. Rev. Keller organized a Sunday school in connection with the congregation. but this new move was opposed by many prominent church members, who could not or would not appreciate the value of this branch of the church. After Mr. Keller's death, the congregation remained about one year without

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regular services. and then eleeted Rev. Max Stern as their Pastor, who continued until thes pring of 1856, when he resigned. April 13. 1856. Rev. Eli Keller, a licentiate of the Mercersburg. Penn., Classis, was elected and ordained July 6. as Pastor." During his sec- ond year with the congregation, it was re- organized. August 29, 1857, the following officers were elected : Elders-John H. Keller, for two years : John Brehman, for three years. Trustees-Abraham Schroll, for three years ; Adam Bair. for two years ; George Brehman, for one year ; Clerk, John Miller. September 11. 1857, the church was duly incorporated by the name of the German Reformed Congrega- tion of Bueyrus. September 16, the members adopted a new constitution and by-laws for their government. At this time seventy per- sons were members of the Bucyrus charge. July 24, 1858, a missionary society was formed with the following officers : John Reiter, Presi- dent ; Aaron H. Keller, Secretary ; Abraham Steiger, Treasurer. Rev. Eli Keller continned with the congregation for over five years, until the fall of 1861, when he resigned and removed to Belleview, Huron County. His successor was Rev. G. Rettig who remained about eighteen months. June 8, 1863, Rev. W. H. Fenneman was called "at a salary of $375 per year and horse feed," and after some two years Rev. W. Wittenweiler succeeded him. This Pastor remained about three years, and then Rev. J. D. Gehring was Pastor. When he resigned, the pulpit was filled by Rev. D. Zim- merman, who came from Galion and preached for the congregation. Until his pastorate, services were held occasionally in the English language, but in accordance with the wishes of the ma- jority this custom was discontinued. In conse- quence of the clannishness manifested by this majority, the congregation has lost many valu- able members, who have united with the Ameri- can churches of Bucyrus. In May, 1874, Rev. H. Nau received a call, and during his pastor-

ate of eighteen months, the parsonage was built. Rev. A. Schade was his successor, and he continued until June 29, 1878, and then exchanged pulpits with Rev. H. Korthener, Pastor of the Sixth Reformed Church of Cleve- land, who has had, since that date, charge of the Bucyrus congregation. At the present time eighty members are subject to the Church discipline.

Dr. William Nast, the great pioneer of the German Methodists in the Western country, was the first minister of that denomination to visit Bueyrus and preach to the Germans in their own language. In the year 1837, this dis- tinguished German theologian, then quite a young man, was appointed on the first circuit laid out in this section of Ohio for German Methodist preaching. The territory covered by this first circuit was so extensive that five weeks' time was occupied in filling all the ap- pointments. Young Nast's route each five weeks was as follows : "He preached at Columbus the first Sunday, then left for Basel, on the canal, then to Thornville, where services were held the second Sabbath ; then to Newark. Mount Vernon and Danville, where the third Sunday was spent ; then to Loudonville, Mans- field, Galion and Bucyrus, where services were conducted on the fourth Sabbath ; then to Mar- ion and a German settlement near Delaware, reached by the fifth Sunday ; then to Worthing- ton and Columbus by the sixth Sabbath, when the route was completed." Services were also conducted, during the five weeks, at many points in the vicinity of these places. This pioneer circuit-rider of the German Methodist Episco- pal Church preached in the German language at the English Methodist Episcopal Church each Sunday he was in Bucyrus, but it is un- certain how long he remained on the circuit. Before many years, his talents were appre- ciated, and he was placed in charge of the Ger- man Methodist Church paper at Cincinnati. It was said of him in after years : "Dr. William

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Nast is looked upon as the great head and leader of the German Methodists in the United States ; he has frequently surprised the country with his erudition, his ripe scholarship and the vast ex- tent of his knowledge." For many years, the German congregation was very weak, and the English Methodists kindly tendered them the use of their church, which offer was accepted, and services were held there by the Germans until January, 1855. Among the ministers of this (lenomination who preached at Bucyrus before the church was erected, are the following : " Revs. Reimsneider (who was the immediate successor of Nast), Haefner, Reuff, Neuffer, Newton, Reihm, Christian Nachtrieb. Peter Sneider, Frederick Deither, George A. Reuter, Conrad Gahn and others. Rev. Gahn was ap- pointed in the fall of 1853, and remained two years. During his pastorate, the German Meth- odist Episcopal Sunday school was organized, in 1834, at the basement of the English Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and the German meet- ing-house was erected. The weak church of 1837 and 1840 was strengthened by the addi- tion of many from among the Germans who settled in the community and professed the doctrines taught by the ministers of this de- nomination. Then the congregation became strong enough to build a house of worship, and, in the fall of 1854, the church was erected by John Sneider. The building was dedicated Sunday, January 14, 1855. In the morning, Dr. Warner, of Columbus, delivered the dedica- tion sermon in English. This was at the re- quest of the German congregation. A collec- tion was then taken up, of $143, to assist in paying for the church. Dr. Nast, who was pres- ent, preached in German at the afternoon meet- ing. Rev. Gahn, Pastor at this time, was a large man, with a strong voice. It is related of him that once, while preaching in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal Church. he was sud- denly seized with bleeding at the month. and the services were interrupted for that day. , ent time living in Bueyrus, and possibly. they

This minister was assisted in his work by a young German. of noble birth, by the name of Herman Zur Jacobsmuhlen. Rev. Gahn left in the fall of 1855, and the following ministers were his successors, the pastorate of each com- mencing about September 1 of the year they were appointed: 1855. -- Wentz; 1857 George Berg ; 1859, Gustave Herzer ; 1860. J. Horst; 1862. Phillip B. Weber ; January 1, 1864, Albert Vogel : 1866, Anton Warns : 1869, John C. Kopp ; 1871, John S. Schneider ; 1874, Angust F. Menler; 1876, Philip Graessle ; 1879. August Gerlach ; 1880. John Haas. After Dr. Nast left, services were held at Bucyrus every four weeks until a few years before 1850, when the congregation was organized. Services were then held every two weeks, and the Pas- tors preached at Galion. Bueyrus, and the Broken Sword church. Some years after the Bucyrus church was erected, the churches at Galion and Bucyrus were made special stations, and. since that time, preaching is held every Sunday, but the Pastors of the church conduct religious services at the Broken Sword church every Sunday afternoon. The parsonage was built in 1863. The membership at the present time is about sixty.

The records of the First Baptist Church. in Bucyrus, are nearly complete. and it is not a difficult task to compile an accurate history of the congregation since it was organized. The minutes of the first meeting are as follows : "February 21, 1838, met agreeable to adjourn- ment at Brother Kelly's, for the purpose of con- sulting upon the propriety of forming a confer- ence. Elder White in the chair. When. upon deliberation, we, whose names are hereunto affixed, being Regular Baptists. did resolve ourselves into a Conference, to be known by the name of the Regular Baptist Conference of Bucyrus : William White, Charles Kelly, Cy- rus Peek. Prudence White, Martha Kelly and Derias Sears." (None of these are at the pres-

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are all dead.) This conference adopted fifteen articles of faith, and during the first year held meetings once each month, alternating for the first six months between the houses of Brothers Kelly and White. Services were then held in the brick schoolhouse, until their first church was completed, but before this building was occupied, the small congregation occasionally assembled at William Magers' home. Elder White was the first Clerk, and he imparted religious instruction to those who assembled at these monthly meetings. The little band was increased July 29, 1838, by William Magers and his wife Margaret G. Magers, Sevena Norton and Rachael Magers. Elder William Stevens was present upon this occasion, and preached upon the subject of "Baptism." This was the first sermon on record, delivered to this new congregation, and, after it was concluded, they repaired to the Sandusky River, and the ordi- nance of baptism was administered to the first three of the new converts by Elder White. James Quinby and John Shull were received and baptized February 3, 1839. On February 4, 1839, they decided to call a council of neigh- boring churches, and February 14. delegates from Auburn and Fairfield, met with the mem- bers of Bucyrus Conference, and, "after con- sultation, it was resolved to proceed to the constitution of a church from the Conference, and next day Margaret Williams was baptized and received. making thirteen members. The early history of this congregation is a succes- sion of trials. Since it was organized, it has passed through many dark days, caused chiefly by the difficulty of providing funds to support the pastors who labored with the charge. The church was never strong in numbers, and very few of the members have been men of wealth, but the records prove that many who have been connected with this little band were sincere and earnest Christians. Covenant meetings were held every four weeks, at which the mem- bers gave their religious experience, or led in

prayer. In August, 1839, an effort was made to seeure a regular Pastor. Elder Thomas Stevens was the choice of the congregation, but the amount raised was only $54.50, and he could not promise to visit Bucyrus and preach even once a month for this sum. Shortly after this, William White and wife left Bueyrus. The failure to secure a Pastor and loss of two members did not discourage the remainder, and the next spring Lot No. 107 was purchased, and upon it they erected their first church, which was opened for publie worship, June 13, 1840. This building stood upon the site now occupied by the residence of Dr. M. C. Cuykendall. William Magers was chosen the first Deacon, January 4, 1840, and April 11, James Quinby was appointed first Treasurer. Elder Newton preached occasionally during the year 1841, but it does not seem that he was considered the regular Pastor, for Elder Samuel Wads- worth was with the congregation many times. and shared the duties and honors of this posi- tion. During this year many members were added to the church, among whom were So- phronia Norton, the first person born on the present site of Bucyrus, and Samuel Jones. It is recorded March 7, 1841, that "the church is awake in the cause of religion, and the Lord hath heard their prayer." October 2, 1841. Rev. Jacob Tharp received a call for one year, which was accepted. December 4, 1841, E. B. Merriman, James Quinby and Samuel Jones. were elected first Trustees under the act to in- corporate the First Regular Baptist Church of Christ in Bucyrus, and all business previously transacted was voted legal. December 29, George R. Baker and John Shull were " set apart to the office of Deacons, by the laying on of hands." October 1, 1842. Rev. Tharp was asked to remain as Pastor, laboring half the time during the next year, and Elder Samuel Wadsworth was invited to preach the other half. Elder Tharp resigned June 3, 1843, and after six months, on December 2, Rev. Edwin

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 58

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