USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 20
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the school was opened under the charge of the sisters of charity of Cincinnati, Ohio.
In the year 1899 it was found that the old church building was in need of extensive repairs. Upon deliberation it was determined to erect a new edifice on the southeast corner of Third and Elm streets. In the same year active preparations were begun, and in June of 1900 the cornerstone was blessed and set in position. Thereupon, thanks to the united efforts of the parish members and the generous help of several citizens of Greenville, the work of building could be success. fully prosecuted and completed in the following years of 1901 and 1902. The solemn dedication of the new church took place on the 19th of October, 1902. This stately pile of gray brick with its two large towers, its mellow chimes, its stained glass windows, its interior decorations and fur- nishings cost about $26,000.00 and is a worthy monument to the zeal and devotion of the Catholic families of the coun- ty seat. Mr. Dennis Dewyr, one of the parishioners, was the contractor.
Since then, though the membership has somewhat decreased, owing to the demise of some older members and the removal to different localities, the congregation still continues in an active and prosperous condition. Rev. J. H. Brummer has been the faithful resident pastor since 1882, and, as above noted, the new school, parsonage and church have all been erected during his pastorate.
The United Brethren in Christ.
The denomination known as the Church of the United Brethren in Christ was founded by Philip William Otterbein, a German-American preacher, in the latter part of the eigh- teenth century. In doctrine it is Arminian and evangelical, and in polity it is much like that of the Methodist Episcopal church. Numerically it stood ninth in the denominational families of the U. S. in 1912, having some three hundred and twenty thousand members in the two affiliated bodies. Like the Reformed church it is strong in Pennsylvania and is well represented in the upper Miami valley, having a large pub- lishing house and a vigorous theological seminary at Dayton, Ohio. Besides this denomination has recently purchased the large and valuable Shaker community farm in Warren coun- ty with the view of establishing thereon a home for the aged.
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Although it now stands second in the number of churches in Darke county, it seems to have appeared on this field com- paratively late. The oldest churches mentioned are in the southern part of the county, the Ithaca church having been founded about 1830; Otterbein about 1840; Castine, about 1849; Abbotsville, about 1850 and Caylor's Chapel (Van Buran township) about 1868. Zion Chapel near Weaver's is one of the oldest crurches.
A United Brethren society was organized in Greenville a few years before the war and built a brick church on Vine street between Third and Fourth streets. This building was afterward sold and finally purchased by the Catholics, who remodeled and improved it in 1863 as noted elsewhere. The history of the present church dates from August 22, 1883. when Rev. H. A. Secrist was appointed pastor of the Green- ville Mission by the Miami Conference with stations at Greenville, Hillgrove, Coletown and Abbotsville. Rev. Se- crist preached his first sermon on Sunday, Sept. 16, 1883, in the Evangelical church on the southeast corner of Fourth and Ash streets. His text in the morning was Psalm 84:1. "How amiable are thy tabernacles. O Lord of hosts." His evening text was Hebrews 10:9.
At first services in Greenville were held twice a month. Class was organized on October 14. 1883, with nine members. as follows: J. M. Klefeker and wife Sarah ; Samuel Klefe- ker and wife Lucy; Mr. and Mrs. Worshing; Mrs. Sarah Guy, Mrs. Hannah Felton and Mrs. Sarah Fuller. The first superintendent of its Sunday school was J. A. Gruver. A great revival was held in the Evangelical church in February and March, 1884, as a result of which one hundred and twen- ty-eight conversions were reported, and one hundred persons united with the church. With such an impetus the church went forward with rapid strides, as shown by the fact that a lot was purchased on the southwest corner of Wayne avenue and Devor street in the new section of the growing city, and the erection of a good sized brick church edifice begun in July, 1884. This church building was finished in the spring of 1885, and dedicated on July 12, 1885, by Bishop Jonathan Weaver, D.D. The site was well chosen, as it is now lo- cated at a strategic point in reference to the new south side of the city. The cost of the building and grounds was about six thousand dollars. The building committee was Hender- son Albright, Daniel Reasoner, J. M. Klefeker, J. A. Gruver,
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and N. G. Karns. A substantial frame parsonage was erect- ed on the lot adjoining the rear of the church during the pas- torate of Rev. Klinefelter in 1900. The church property has been considerably improved from time to time and a pipe or- gan added to the equipment, the gift of Mr. George Hartzell, a lumber merchant of Greenville and active worker in the church at that time. The church now has an enrollment of about three hundred, including several substantial farmers from the immediate neighborhood of Greenville.
The trustees in January, 1914, were: Chas. Minnich, W. D. Brumbaugh, O. E. Young, Alvin Pierce and J. Joseph O'Brien. Treasurer. Jacob Young. A very efficient and ac- tive Sunday school is held in connection with the church, of which Mr. Oscar Vannoy is the superintendent. The en- rollment in this organization is 212 (Jan., 1914). The num- ber of organized classes, six.
The president of the Ladies' Aid Society is Mrs. Margaret Snell; of the Woman's Missionary Association, Mrs. J. H. Vance; of the Y. P. S. C. E., Miss Beryl Stephens. The latter organization was the first Christian Endeavor Society organized in the county and has had a continuous history since its establishment, Oct. 18. 1887. It was first organized as a Young People's Society in 1884. J. B. Long is president of the Otterbein Brotherhood.
The pastors who have served this church to date are: H. A. Secrist, Sept., 1883-1885: S. W. McCorkle, Sept., 1885-July, 1887: G. P. Macklin, Sept., 1887-1889; WV. L. Byers, 1888- 1889; G. P. Macklin, 1890-1891: J. W. Kilbourn. 1891-1894; E. W. Bowers, 1894-1895; W. J. Pruner, 1895-1897 ; H. H. Klinefelter, 1897-1901 ; F. G. Grigsby, 1901-1906; E. C. Petry, 1906-1907: J. M. Replogle, 1907-1910; G. WV. Self and H. F. White, 1910-1911 : D. R. Wilson, 1911-1913; \V. M. VanSickle, 1913 -.
This denomination now has nineteen churches in the . county, making it first in the number of stations. A late re- port shows the following charges, pastors and preaching sta- tions :
Rossburg Charge, C. Plack, pastor, including Rossburg, Heistand, New Weston, Rose Hill and Zion churches; Sa- vona Charge, F. H. Linville, pastor, including Mt. Zion (near Weaver's Station), Caylor Chapel (north of Arcanum). Ab- botsville and Savona; Waterhouse Charge, M. Stein, pastor, including Waterhouse, Pleasant Grove and Hillgrove church- (15)
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es; New Madison charge, including New Madison and Yan- keetown ; besides separate stations at Greenville, Union City, Arcanum, Ithaca and Castine. The above data indicate that this is one of the most active denominations in the county and bids fair to exercise a strong and salutary influence for many years.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church. (Courtesy Mrs. Hildegarde K. Schopp.)
About the year 1850 a small number of Lutherans in Green- ville, O., all Germans, feeling the need of religious worship in the town, called a meeting at the home of Gottfried Brom- bacher on Walnut street, where the Rev. Reichardt, who was preaching in this part of the state for the Lutheran church at that time, conducted the services. Subsequent meetings were held at the home of William Boeger on Fourth street and others. These meetings continued and as there was need of administering the holy sacraments, this handful of Luth- erans decided to organize and did so as "The Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's congregation of Greenville, O."
Among the charter members were: William Boeger, Gott- fried Brombacher, Lewis Foutz, Wm. Hiddeson, John Her- ter, Wm. Ollmetzer and Frederic Reinhart, Sr.
Others of early membership were: Christian Gerstner, John Weitbrecht, Chas. Hiddeson, Bernard Renz, Henry Klemine.
As the homes became inadequate to accommodate the peo- ple, the old court house on public square was used for the meetings. Eventually the frame building situated on the site of the present church on East Fourth street, and used by the Presbyterians as their church, was purchased from them, and there the German Lutherans worshipped for forty years. The Presbyterians taking their church bell with them and the Lutherans being too poor to purchase one, caused the removal of the little belfry and thus the plain white, un- assuming frame structure had to serve as a church until in 1889 the congregation secured in the person of Rev. E. E. Ort- lepp a man who set about at once to prepare for a new church building.
The Rev. A. Reichardt and Rev. J. Lehnert preached for the congregation until in 1859 Rev. John Lautenschlaeger was called, and most efficiently and faithfully served the congre- gation for ten years, when he was relieved by Rev. K. Koe- berlin, who was pastor up to the time of his death, which oc-
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curred in 1876. He was followed by Rev. John Hinderer, who also served until his death in the year 1881. His suc- cessor was Rev. Wm. Funkey, who served the congregation four years, and was succeeded by Rev. Wm. Gettle, who also served four years, as did Rev. B. Lederer three years.
During the pastorate of Rev. John Lautenschlaeger a Sunday school and the Ladies' Aid Society were organized, the latter in 1864. For many years Mr. John Baus was the faithful superintendent of the Sunday school, whilst the work of the Ladies' Aid Society has been far-reaching.
On December 20, 1891, the congregation dedicated the first and only church they ever built, on the site of the old frame structure occupied for forty years. The cost of the building was about $7.500.00, which sum included the bell. Through the generosity of one of its members, Mr. Daniel Henne, Sr., the congregation has never carried any debts. Six years later, on June, 20, a splendid pipe organ of the Moeller firm of Hagerstown, Md., was installed. Also furnishings of white San Diego mahogany in the chancel, namely : pulpit, baptis- mal font, and a memorial altar and crucifix were added. The walls were beautifully frescoed. All this represented an out- lay of $3,500.00. The congregation next bought an additional lot adjoining the church in the rear at an expense of $1,900. In 1900 a general restoration of the church building took place and besides a modern steam furnace, a slate roof, and other necessary improvements there were added two memo- rial electric candelabra right and left of the altar, four oil paintings on the walls being the work of an artist in Wis- consin, and floors and walls were covered at great expense in a tasteful manner. A door paneled in cut glass leads from the modest exterior to the interior. Beautiful electric light effects about the altar, and its niche, were a donation as were the electric light chandeliers; $5,400.00 was expended for these improvements, making of the interior of St. Paul's Lutheran church a beautiful place of worship.
The congregation, though not a large one, is active, and under the guidance of its beloved and able pastor, Dr. E. E. Ortlepp, has been singularly blessed.
As early as 1883 occasional English services were held, and as the ranks of the German members are being thinned out by the hand of time, the work is being conducted mostly in English, services in German being held only every two weeks. There is, however, still a choir which can sing in the
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German language, having been organized in the eighties by Mrs. Wm. Furkey and at present conducted by Mr. Wmn. Kurz. Mrs. Anne Lecklider has been organist at St. Paul's for many years, as was her father before hier in early days.
The Sunday school is altogether English, and has for a number of years had a woman superintendent in Miss Ame- lia Koeberlin. The Luther League, a society of young peo- ple, organized in 1893 by Rev. Ortlepp, who is also its presi- dent, does valiant work for the church, and is in a flourishing condition. Mission work has no special organization, there being only a children's mission band at present.
Mrs. Minnie Buechy is president of the Ladies' Aid So- ciety, and the following are the names of church officials in 1913: Elders, Andrew Renz, William Schaefer, I. H. Miller : trustees, Wm. Kurz, Oscar Gross, Henry Leas; deacons, James Schwartz, Fred Steffen, Albert Suter.
The congregation with its societies raised for congrega- tional and beneficent purposes during the year 1913 the sum of two thousand one hundred and fifty-three dollars ($2,153). and it hopes to be an influence for moral good that cannot be reckoned in dollars and cents in the future.
Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church.
One of the most remarkable rural congregations in the county is the Evangelical Lutheran St. John's church, situated about two and one-half miles north of Greenville on the Ver- sailles pike. The early history of the German people of Darke county is closely interwoven with the history of this church. About 1838 or 1839 German immigrants began to settle in this neighborhood. Being poor in this world's goods some took up lands that had been passed over or re- jected by the earlier settlers and others purchased partly im- proved lands at $12.00 to $16.00 per acre. They were ac- customed to hard manual labor in the Fatherland, however. and took up the task of reclamation with brave hearts and the stoic determination characteristic of the typical German stock. Many obstacles were encountered, and hardships, ex- posure and sacrifice experienced in the early years, but time wrought marvelous changes and today this section is one of the best farming communities in the county. A visitor writ- ing of this section in 1890, said: "We passed a beautiful church and parsonage of the very latest pattern, with its
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fine painted fences and beautiful lawn well kept. Going up a slight ascent we came in full view of the Lutheran settle- ment as far as the eye could reach. We saw one of the grandest parts of Darke county. The improvements are very fine, the houses fit to adorn Avondale or Clifton. The tobacco sheds and barns were of the very latest pattern and well painted. This part is very thickly settled, the most of the farms being about forty to eighty acres, under a very high state of cultivation."
During the early years of the settlement the people wor- shipped at Wakefield, then known as Clapboardtown, just north of the present site of the children's home. Emigrants kept coming and in a few years there were enough families to establish a more conveniently located church, where they might worship according to the dictates of their consciences. Accordingly a congregation was organized in 1851 by the fol- lowing persons : John G. Deubner, Ferdinand Prashun, Fred- erick Meier, Frederick Dohme, Christian Kruckenburg, Ferd- inand Krueckeberg, Henry Koester. George Ruess, Frederick Krueckeberg and George Martz.
In 1852 the first church was erected of logs and furnished with split plank pews. It was a rude, plain structure, but as the historian says, "This old log church was the place of worship for the Lutherans until 1876, and though it was a rude tabernacle, visited by a plain, unpretentious people. it was the house of God, and the place where He recorded His name, and the worshippers were happy in it and loved to meet and greet each other after the trials and tribulations of a week of hard labor : they felt God's nearness." Revs. Paul Heit. Gotthilf Reichert and Joseph Lehner were the first pastors, each serving two years. They were succeeded by Rev. J. Lautenschlager and Rev. C. H. Althoff, each of whom served eleven years. During the period of their pas- torates the church had a slow but steady and substantial growth and the time came when a new edifice was needed to accommodate the overflowing congregation. Accordingly, in 1876, under the pastorate of Rev. Althoff, a beautiful struc- ture was erected, which stands today as a monument to the thrift. zeal and devotion of these people. This building is fronted by a tower one hundred feet in height, has a beau- tifully decorated interior. a large altar-niche, with two beau- tiful high altars, two sacristies and side pulpit and organ loft with a fine pipe organ. Rev. C. H. Mayer was called to suc-
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ceed Rev. Althoff in 1880, and served until his death in 1904 -a period of twenty-four years. He was a well beloved pastor, acceptable to his people, fond of the things they cher- ished and his demise was sincerely mourned by them. Dur- ing his pastorate the church increased greatly in membership, the old church debt was paid off, a beautiful and substan- tial parsonage and a parochial school built beside the church, and many improvements made about the site. Rev. W. F. Benzin succeeded pastor Mayer in June, 1904, and served acceptably until the fall of 1911, and was succeeded in No- vember, 1911, by Rev. August W. Zell, the present faithful pastor.
Among the membership have been enrolled many of the best known German families, including such names as Beis- ner, Brand, Duebner, Dismeir, Dohse, Glander, Glase, Grewe, Grote, Hollscher, Hiddeson, Hoffman, Hupe, Klopfer, Knick, Koester, Krueckeberg. Meier, Mergler, Peters, Piit- zer, Prasuhn, Requarth, Roebke, Roesser, Sander, Schafer, Schwier, Schnell, Strotner. The members of the church council are: Rev. Zell, chairman; elders, Frank Baldschun, Sr., Christ Kester; deacons, Wm. Beisner, Wm. Schaffer; trustees, John Schaffer, Harmon Hupe, Henry Brand, John Kruckeberg, Louis Dohse. The pastor is the superintendent of the Sunday school in which there are six teachers, three classes being taught in English and three in German. A young people's meeting is held in which all the young people participate. The communicant members number about 220, and the baptized some 300. The morning services are now conducted in the German language and the evening in Eng- lish. This church belongs to the Joint Synod of Ohio. Other churches belonging to this synod are located at Arcanum, Ansonia, Pittsburg and Ithaca besides Grace Lutheran church.
This latter church is located on the corner of Water and Boston streets in Greenville, and was built in 1909, under the pastorate of Rev. Benzin, who was then also serving St. John's church, at a cost of some three thousand dollars. The present elders are Wmn. Grote and Henry Schake: the deacons, Henry Dismeier and Carl Dininger; trustees, John Meier, Harley Dininger, Henry Dismeier, Walter Stahl and WVm. Stevens. Rev. Paul Schillinger was pastor from the fall of 1910 to fall of 1913. Rev. Edgar Ebert, a graduate of Capitol University, Columbus, Ohio, began his pastorate on
ยท
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Easter, 1914. There is a Ladies' Aid Society in this congre- gation, of which Mrs. Frank Stauffer is president. There are about eighty-five communicants and about 130 baptized members. This church was formed by English members of St. John's and Emmanuel's (Dininger) congregations who de- sired to have a church in Greenville where the services could be held exclusively in the English language. The Sunday school has about fifty members, in four classes. The pastor is the superintendent.
Old Order German Baptist Brethren.
This body is one of three now comprising what is common- ly known as the Dunkers, or Dunkards, a name derived from the German word, "Tunken," meaning to baptize, or more specifically "to dip." This body arose in Germany at the beginning of the eighteenth century and its followers were driven from that country by persecution between the years of 1719 and 1729. They fled to America where they expected to be accorded the privilege of worshipping God according to the dictates of their own conscience, and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. Here they encountered many obstacles inci- dent to pioneer life on the border and suffered severe hard- ship and exposure during the early Indian Wars and the Revolution. Progress was necessarily slow, but we note signs of growth in the organization of their first Sabbath school in 1738, their first annual conference in 1742, and the printing of the first German bible in America in 1748. In these pioneer days meetings were evidently held in the homes of the members, as the first meeting house mentioned was built in Franklin county. Pa., in 1798. They believe in bap- tism by trinne forward immersion, oppose war and litiga- tion, resemble the Society of Friends in requiring extreme plainness of language and dress, and practice feet washing and the kiss of charity. They are temperate, industrious, economical and thrifty and insist on the payment of financial obligations. As the natural consequence of their exemplary manner of living they have prospered wherever they have settled, and commanded the respect of their neighbors.
As large numbers of the early emigrants to the Miami val- ley came from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. there were among them a goodly number of German Baptists. Jacob Miller, who settled near Dayton in 1800, is credited with
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being the first brother of this order to establish himself west of the Miami river. He raised an exemplary family of three daughters and nine sons, three of the latter becoming able ministers, and was in this respect the forerunner of a host of brethren who, by industry, morality, frugality and tenacity of purpose, have made numerous prosperous settlements and dotted the valley with their homes and meeting houses. As the result of a progressive movement in the church a division was caused in 1881, and all the meeting houses and property went to the New Order. The Old Order now has the fol- lowing meeting houses in Darke county, all built since the separation above mentioned: Union City District-Jackson township, three miles east of Union City on Wenrick pike ; Pleasant Grove, German township, one mile east of Palestine : Oak Grove, Adams township, two miles north of Gettysburg ; Miller's Grove, Franklin township, two miles south of the vil- lage of Painter Creek; Fourman Meeting House, two miles east and two north of Arcanum. Besides these a number of members living in the neighborhood of Castine attend Price Creek Meeting House, two miles south of Castine in Preble county.
The Church of the Brethren.
At the conference held in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1908, the conservative branch of the German Baptists who had been separated from the Old Order in 1881, as before noted, changed her name to "The Church of the Brethren." This body is numerically strong in Darke county and has a thriving church and home for the dependent children and old folks at Green- ville, besides several rural congregations. The following very interesting and instructive sketch, prepared by Levi Minnich, of Franklin township, the vice-chairman of the General Sun- day School Board of this body, gives a brief history of this organization and shows its present status in Darke county and elsewhere. What is said in this article about the Breth- ren church in Darke county prior to 1881 applies likewise to the Old Order.
"Probably the first member of the Church of the Brethren locating in Darke county was Wm. K. Marquis, of French parentage. He came from Virginia and settled near the pres- ent site of Union City in 1821. Soon thereafter others fol- lowed and in 1833 the little band of pioneers elected John Crumrine and Wm. K. Marquis as their first ministers. Fred-
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erick Roe and John Zumbrum were the first deacons. Re- ligious servics were held in the homes of the members.
In 1851 a more definite organization was effected and christened "The Greenville Creek Church." This body con- sisted of about seventy members. There are at present six church houses and four congregations in this territory.
About the year 1833 members of the church of the Breth- ren from Pennsylvania began to settle in Franklin and Mon- roe townships and formed what has ever since been known as the Ludlow congregation. This includes four chuich houses; one near Painter Creek village, one at Pittsburg, one at Red River and one at Georgetown in Miami county. Among the first members of this church were Jacob Stauffer and wife. Barbara Brandt, Sallie Finfrock, David Kinsey and wife, Frederick Holsopple and wife, David Mishler and wife. At this time there were seventeen members living in the above townships.
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