USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 54
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In 1849, while Charles Elliott was pastor, the fearful scourge of cholera swept over the town and the pastor was heroic in his ministrations to the sick and dying. He was one of the notable men of the conference. After serving as both pastor and presiding elder, he went as missionary to the
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Indians. Afterwards he became editor of the Western Christian Advocate, professor and then president of the college at Delaware. Elliott Hall at the Ohio Wesleyan University is named in his honor. Asbury Lowrey was the first president of the Xenia Female College after its adoption by the Cin- cinnati conference. He was the first to suggest a university for colored students at Wilberforce. Granville Moody, the "fighting parson," was one of the most prominent men in Ohio during the Civil War. It was in this church that Chaplain C. C. McCabe, afterward bishop, delivered for the first time his lecture on Libby Prison, December 4, 1863, only a short time after his release from the prison. Four of the ministers of this church, Finley, Bigelow, Grover and Starr, served as chaplain of the Ohio state peniten- tiary. Of William L. Hypes it was written that he "was one of the most saintly men in his conference. His presence in his home church was always a benediction to our people." Dr. J. F. Marlay, who served twice as pastor and once as presiding elder, is referred to as having been "universally beloved in the church and community." Lucien Clark, during his pastorate, planned and carried out a system of Bible study that became of general interest in the community. Of Thomas H. Pearne it is written that he "was a remarkable man." He preached the gospel for sixty-two years, was United States consul to Jamaica, and rendered notable service in establishing Metho- dism in Oregon. Regarding the wives of the ministers who have served this church it is very properly written that they "have been without excep- tion worthy helpers in the work of the church; noble women, living lives of self-denial and untiring devotion, and their names and loving service are indelibly written in the hearts of our people." Many of the ministers who have served this church have been ardent advocates of temperance, notably Alfred Lorrain and James B. Finley in the early day's; Dr. J. F. Marlay and his wife during the historic "woman's crusade" in Xenia, and later, Albert C. Turrell. During Mr. Turrell's pastorate of six years at Xenia he offi- ciated at more than two hundred weddings, five hundred baptisms and two hundred and twenty-five funerals. The church has had a number of really great "revivals" of religion. In 1832-33, under the direction of James Laws and Dr. Samuel Latta, there was conducted a revival that continued from before the holidays until late in the spring, people coming twenty and thirty miles to attend the meetings. Between three hundred and four hundred persons were united with the church during that effort. Other notable reviv- als were conducted in 1840-41, Joseph J. Hill, pastor; 1846-47, William Herr, pastor; 1862, William I. Fee, pastor; 1877, Lucien Clark; 1894-95, John J. McCabe, and 1900, Albert C. Turrell.
From the beginning the church has been greatly interested in mission- ary work. In 1821 James B. Finley, then presiding elder, was sent by the
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conference as the first missionary to the Wyandotte Indians. On his way to their reservation he passed through Xenia and on Sunday the church took up a collection for his work. This was eleven years before the Metho- dist church sent its first foreign missionary to Africa and Alfred Lorrain says of this collection: "The Xenia church doubtless has the honor of tak- ing up the first missionary subscription that was ever started in the Methodist church in America." Russell Bigelow, pastor during the early '20s, was the second man sent to the Wyandottes, and his daughter Lucy married a chief of the tribe. Miss Wright and Miss Angelica Lorrain also went from this church as missionaries to the Wyandottes. Alfred Lorrain and Charles Elliott were especially filled with missionary enthusiasm, the latter being particularly anxious that the "gospel be preached in Rome right under the Pope's nose." Dr. Charles W. Drees, one of the sons of the first church, has performed a notable work as head of the Methodist mission work among Spanish-speaking peoples. A large number of young men have gone out from this church to preach the gospel, the roster including such names as those of Alfred M. Lorrain, Uriah Heath, John Alexander, John Braden, Anthony Musgrove, J. C. Reid, James L. Grover, William Alexander, J. S. Prescott, Eli R. Beall, E. C. Merrick, M. L. Reid, J. H. Payne, J. F. Loyd, William L. Hypes, Fletcher Hypes, Dennison Cheney, Charles F. Gowdy and Charles W. Drees. The annual conference has been enter- tained by this church six times, in 1836, 1853, 1863, 1877, 1889 and 1898.
During the eleven decades of its history, eighty-five pastors have served this church. From 1808 to 1836 the church was one of the appointments of the Union circuit, a circuit so large that it had to have two and often three pastors in charge of it. For many years the rule was to change the pastors every year, fifty-one different pastors thus serving during the first twenty-eight years. Following is a list of the eighty-five pastors: 1807-08, Thomas Milligan, James Davisson, William Mitchell; 1808-09, Hezekiah Shaw, William Young, Samuel Hinkle; 1809-10, Samuel Hinkle, Hector Sanford, Thomas Nelson; 1810-II, John Collins; 1811-12, John Collins, Moses Crume; 1812-13, Benjamin Lakin, Solomon Langdon, Adjit McGuire; 1813-14, Marcus Lindsey, Joseph Tatman; 1814-15, Moses Crume, Jacob Miller, Bennett Maxey; 1815-16, Abbott Goddard, David Sharp; 1816-17, John Sale, John Brooks, William Williams; 1817-18, William Dixon, John Waterman; 1818-19, Truman Bishop, Stephen Harber; 1819-20, John Strange, W. M. P. Quinn; 1820-21, John Strange, W. P. Taylor; 1821-22, John Strange, John C. Brooks; 1822-23, Arthur W. Elliott, John C. Brooks; 1823-24, Arthur W. Elliott, Burrous Westlake; 1824-25, Russell Bigelow, Burrous Westlake, Thomas Beacham; 1825-26, Charles Waddle, John Sale, William B. Christie; 1826-27, William H. Raper, George W. Maley, George
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W. Walker, Thomas Hitt; 1827-28, William H. Raper, George W. Maley, J. W. Clark; 1828-29, Augustus Eddy, Joshua Boucher; 1829-30, Augustus Eddy, W. P. Taylor; 1830-31, Francis Wilson, Eben Owens; 1831-32, Francis Wilson, Daniel D. Davidson; 1832-33, James Laws, Dr. Samuel A. Latta; 1833-34, William Sutton, David Warnock; 1834-35, Alfred M. Lorrain, Stephen H. Holland, Alex. H. Morrow; 1835-36, Arza Brown; 1836-1837, Levi White; 1837-38, Solomon Howard; 1838-39, W. M. Young ; 1839-41, J. J. Hill; 1841-43, J. W. White; 1843-45, William H. Fyffe; 1845-46, J. G. Dimmitt; 1846-47, William Herr; 1847-48, William H. Raper; 1848-50, Charles Elliott; 1850-51, Augustus Eddy; 1851-53, Asbury Lowrey; 1853-55, Cyrus Brooks; 1855-57, Granville Moody; 1857-58, Charles Adams; 1858-60, Moses Smith; 1860-62, William H. Sutherland; 1862-64, William I. Fee; 18644-66, James L. Grover; 1866-68, Thomas Col- lett; 1868-71, William L. Hypes; 1871-74, J. F. Marlay; 1874-77, M. A. Richards; 1877-80, Lucien Clark; 1880-82, E. T. Wells; 1882-85, William Runyan; 1885-89, J. F. Marlya : 1889-93, Thomas H. Pearne; 1893-98, John J. McCabe; 1898-1904, Albert C. Turrell; 1904-10, Edgar H. Cherington; 1910-15, Charles W. Sullivan; 1915, Asa James Kestle.
In 1808 when the first Methodist church in Xenia was organized the village had about thirty log houses and one frame house. The brick court house was erected the next year and in that "temple of justice" the Metho- dists of the village often held their services until 1816, when the first meet- ing-house was completed. This first house of worship occupied by the Methodists of Xenia was erected on lot No. 151, the site of the present church, the same having previously been bought from James Towler for the sum of thirty dollars. This early meeting-house was built of brick and was thirty by forty feet in outer dimensions, twelve feet from the floor to the top of the wall, the foundation laid with stone and the whole "roofed in a
workmanlike manner, joints, shingles, etc., and have a suitable number of winders." At that time Abbott Goddard was pastor of the church. This house of worship sufficed for the congregation until in 1824, when a brick addition, fifty by twenty-eight feet, was erected, the west wall of the original building being removed and the addition built on, making the completed building in the form of a T, with a door at the north and at the south ends of the new part, a door at each of the three sides of the old part and the pulpit a little north of the center of the west wall, where it could be seen from all parts of the house. This work was finished during the pas- torate of Russell Bigelow. A belfry was added in 1832. The cemetery had been bought three years before. In 1835 the congregation accepted a lot presented to the church by John Alexander, Sr., for parsonage purposes, sold the old parsonage and on the Alexander lot, which has ever since been
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used for that purpose, built a new parsonage. In 1845, during the pastorate of the Rev. W. H. Fyffe, the old church was taken down to give place for the new one, which was dedicated in December, 1846, by Bishop Morris. That was a rectangular building, fifty by seventy-five feet, to which a lec- ture room and class rooms were added to the rear in 1867. In 1883 the church was painted, re-frescoed and carpeted. In 1895 the congregation again outgrew its church home and the building was partly torn down, enlarged and remodeled into the present edifice, the dedicatory services being held from July 23 to August 2, 1896, under the pastorate of the Rev. J. J. McCabe.
In the pamphlet, "A Century of Service," mention of which has been made above, the claim is made that the Sunday school of the First Methodist Episcopal church at Xenia was the second Sunday school ever organized in the state of Ohio, one at Cincinnati having preceded it only a short time. That was in 1821 and Alfred Lorrain was the first superintendent. Since then the following have served as superintendents: Rev. John Gowdy, John Wilson, J. S. Perkins, B. G. Conwell, Nathan Nesbitt, A. B. Ferguson, William Sweny, Alfred Trader, Tobias Drees, Andrew McElwain, Prof. William Smith, Prof. J. P. Patterson, F. M. Shipley, C. L. Spencer, D. Q. Fox, William Meredith, Prof. E. B. Cox. Primary superintendents have been Mrs. M. Nunnemaker, Mrs. Catherine Wilson, Tobias Drees, Mrs. A. H. Currie, Mrs. Isaac Mowrer, Mrs. Mary Farber and Mrs. C. L. Spencer. From the time of the organization of the Sunday school in 1821 to the time of the celebration of the church's century of service in 1808 the enrollment of the school had increased from one hundred and eighty to an enrollment of three hundred in the main school, forty-three on the cradle roll, seventy- five in the home department, two hundred and twenty-five in the busy people's Bible class, thirty-four officers and teachers, making a total enrollment of six hundred and seventy-seven, and an average attendance of three hundred an'd thirty-six at the end of eighty-seven years of Sunday-school life.
The membership of the church at the time of the centennial celebration was seven hundred and twenty-five and there has been a normal increase since that time. Other departments of the church's activities are a vigorous Ladies Aid Society, a Young People's Society, formed in 1871 and later converted into the Marlay chapter of the Epworth League, a Junior branch of the Epworth League; a local auxiliary to the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society, a similar auxiliary to the Woman's Home Missionary, a Round Table Circle, a Young Ladies Circle, and children's organizations rendering service under the respective names of Standard Bearers, King's Heralds and Home Guards, all of which are reported to be doing effective work.
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TRINITY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF XENIA.
The history of this church follows that of the First church, above set out, up to the division in the early '6os, the original congregation having grown to such proportions by that time that it was considered expedient to organize a second church and on November 14, 1863, a second organization was effected under the name of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church. A lot was secured at the corner of Main and Munroe streets, the corner stone of the new meeting-house was laid on May 14, 1864, and the church was dedicated on October 1, 1865, under the pastorate of the Rev. George C. Crum. When Trinity congregation celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its beginning of service in this church on October 3,- 1915, the following were given as the names of charter members still having membership in the congregation : Mrs. J. P. Chew, Wilbur F. Trader, Miss Belle Gatch, Rev. John A. White and Mrs. Henrietta Barnes McGervey. The first board of trustees, the men under whose direction the church was erected, consisted of Alfred Trader, William Sweny, Charles R. Merrick, Samuel Newton, Alfred Thirkield, Moses D. Gatch, William F. Pelham, John L. Connable and Henry Barnes. The pastors of the church during its more than half a century of service have been as follow: George C. Crum, 1864-66; John W. Fowble, 1867-68; J. W. Cassatt, 1869-70; M. Dustin, 1871-72; D. J. Starr, 1873-74; George C. Crum, 1875-76; W. N. Brodbeck, 1877-79; Syl- vester Weeks, 1880-82; Davis W. Clark, 1883-85; A. N. Spahr, 1886-90; D. C. Vance, 1891-93; C. M. VanPelt, 1894-98; M. E. Ketcham, 1899- 1901 ; R. H. Rust, 1902-05 ; J. R. Colley, 1906-07; O. P. Hoffman, 1908-12, and Hibbard J. Jewett, the present pastor, whose service dates from 1913.
The church and parsonage of Trinity congregation were built of brick, with dressed stone trimmings, at a cost of approximately thirty-five thou- sand dollars. The present membership is five hundred and thirty-two and all departments of the work of the church are reported in flourishing condi- tion. The Sunday school, George H. Eckerle, superintendent, has an enroll- ment of four hundred and sixty-eight. Besides well-organized women's societies formed for the purpose of furthering both the home and the foreign missionary movements, there is an active chapter of the Epworth League and a Young People's Missionary Society. Trinity church has ever been noted for its excellent music, fine social spirit, generous giving to benevo- lences and loyalty to its pastors.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT JAMESTOWN.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Jamestown, located, as it is, at the corner of East Washington and Church streets, within one block of the center of the village, has always been closely identified with the moral and
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religious progress of the town and township. The history of this church dates back for more than a century, or to the year 1806, when the Metho- dists in the settlement to the north of the present village of Jamestown began to hold services in the homes of those in that neighborhood holding to the Methodist faith; but it was not until twenty years later that a regu- larly appointed preacher came to look after this society by making it a part of the Brush Creek circuit, local preachers having in the meantime shep- herded the flock. Charles Mahan, a man of extraordinary gifts, was the leader of the class in these early years and continued in this capacity until his removal to Indianapolis in 1833. Among the earliest members were Charles Mahan and wife, Moses Trader and wife, Isaiah Holloway and wife, Joel Dalby and wife, Robert Dobbins and wife, Jonathan Flood and wife, Hezekiah Clemans and wife, Philip Michael and wife, Thomas Horr and wife and George Shigley and wife. The Spahr family has from an early date been prominently associated with thi's society, and in 1836 the Spahr and Mahan societies united and erected a church in Jamestown. This first meeting-house stood on West Xenia street and was of brick, thirty by forty feet in dimensions. Gideon Spahr, George Long, George Shigley, John Mahan and John Davis were the trustees of the church at the time the building was erected. In 1852 that church was sold and the present site was secured at the corner of Washington and Church street. On that new lot was erected a frame church forty by seventy feet, with a height of twenty feet. In 1875 this second building was sold to the congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal church and was removed to make way for the present two-story brick edifice erected in 1876 at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. An eight-room frame parsonage adjoins the church on the east and all the church property is free of debt. The present trustees of the church are George Weimer, John A. Thuma, J. Walker Binegar, George R. Bargdill, Dr. L. M. Jones, J. O. McDorman, Frank Shigley, S. A. Brown and J. A. Carpenter.
The list of pastors of the Methodist church at Jamestown, with the dates of their annual appointments, from the year 1852, follow: 1852, T. A. G. Phillips; 1853-54, Thomas Collett; 1855-56, Levi White; 1857, Jasse Botkin; 1858, E. H. Field; 1859-60, J. Newson; 1861-62, J. B. Ells- worth; 1863-65, John Vance; 1865-66, J. G. Black; 1867, J. M. Gatch; 1868, William Simmons; 1869, Jonathan Verity; 1870-71, Allen W. Tib- bits; 1872-73, David Whitmer; 1874-76, John W. Mason; 1877-79, J. P. Shultz; 1880-81, Granville Moody; 1882-84, George W. Kelley; 1885-87, F. M. Clemens; 1888-92, J. S. Pumphrey; 1893, William Runyan; 1894- 95, D. C. Vance; 1896-97, James Stephenson; 1898-1900, U. G. Hum- phrey; 1901-04, James P. Porter; 1905-06, Charles L. Conger; 1907-09,
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W. M. Coffman; 1910-13, O. M. Sellers; 1914-17, C. W. Horn. The church has a membership of three hundred and thirty-eight and all its sev- eral departments of activity are reported in a flourishing condition. The Sunday school, J. Q. Adams, superintendent, has an average attendance of one hundred and seventy; Epworth League, Mable Walker, president, a membership of twenty-five; Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, Mrs. Clara McDorman, president, forty-three members, and the Woman's Home Missionary Society, Mrs. Gertrude Taylor, president, forty-eight members.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT OSBORN.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Osborn was organized in the year 1871 through the efforts of the Rev. F. M. Clemens, then pastor of the Fairfield circuit, and for a while thereafter services were held by the new society in the Lutheran church, but in that same year, by the help of such families as those of I. K. Hostetter, D. W. Portney, Peter Light, Jonathan Cox, J. J. Whaley and other contemporaries holding to the Methodist doc- trine, the first frame building was erected at the corner of Johnson and Pearl streets. In 1893 that house of worship was extensively remodeled. During the first twenty-one years of its existence the Osborn congregation was included as one of the appointments of the Fairfield circuit and was served by such ministers as James Black, A. D. Raleigh, James T. Bail and others. After the church was remodeled it became the head of the circuit, with the Rev. D. A. McColm as pastor, his services covering the period 1893-94; his successors served in the following order: W. M. Bratton, 1895-99; R. E. Smith, 1900-02; Frank Leever, 1902-05; Alexander Hamil- ton, 1906-07; J. C. Eckles, 1908-1I. With the appointment of the Rev. J. M. Bennett in 1911 Osborn became a station. The Rev. E. T. Lane was the pastor during the years 1914-15. By September, 1916, the work of the Miami "conservancy" board had so discouraged the residents of the village of Osborn that even the church work was found to be faltering and as a result the Methodist churches of Osborn and Fairfield again joined hands in a half-station plan, with the Rev. Ernest T. Clark as pastor, and have so continued. The Osborn charge has a membership right around the hun- dred mark and has a Sunday school with an enrollment of one hundred and twenty-six members. F. W. Hamm, superintendent. The Epworth League, Roger Marquet, president, has a membership of twenty-three mem- bers.
SPRING VALLEY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal congregation at the village of Spring Valley has had a definite organization since the middle seventies of the past century and has been served during that period by the following ministers: C. H.
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Lawton, 1876-78; S. W. Carey, 1879-80; David Whitmer, 1881-83; Henry Wittram, 1884-86; J. F. McColm, 1887-90: J. E. Sentman, 1891-93; Frank Leever, 1894-96; John A. White, 1897-99; Philip Trout, 1900-01; John Wilson, 1902; W. M. Patton, 1903-07; G. R. Fregner, 1908-09; H. C. Hershey, 1910-12; H. O. Collins, 1913-15, and S. W. Wiant, since 1916. The present church on Walnut street was erected in 1908. It is a modern structure built of cement blocks, with a basement and prayer-meeting room, and is valued at forty thousand dollars. The parsonage is situated diagonally across the street from the church. Preaching is held on Sunday mornings every alternate week. The present membership of the church is given at one hundred and fifty-two. The Sunday school, E. N. Barley, superintendent, has an enrollment of one hundred and twenty-five, and the local chapter of the Epworth League numbers forty-six members. The local branch of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society is affiliated with the Union circuit. Well-attended prayer meetings are maintained and there is an active Ladies Aid Society.
RICIILAND METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Rev. S. W. Wiant, mentioned above as the pastor of the Spring Valley church, also has pastoral charge of the Richland Methodist Episcopal church, located between the Cincinnati pike and the Burlington pike, three miles south of Xenia, where he preaches every other Sunday afternoon. The church in which the Richland congregation worships was erected more than half a century ago and is valued at about fifteen hundred dollars. Noble old forest trees stand in the yard. The list of the pastors who have served the people at Richland is the same as that presented above in connection with the history of the church at Spring Valley. Jeremiah Krepps, a member of the board of trustees, is the oldest living official of the Richland church. The Sunday school, Leander Spahr, superintendent, has an average attendance of thirty-five. An active Ladies Aid Society is maintained. All-day basket meetings are held at Richland annually.
GLADY METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Glady Methodist Episcopal church, which is also served by the Rev. S. W. Wiant, in connection with his charges at Spring Valley and Richland, was organized in 1835 by James Schnebly, James Baldwin and others, the new society holding meetings at Mr. Schnebly's residence until 1864, when it erected the present frame house of worship about two and a half miles south of Xenia, on the lower Bellbrook pike, the church property being now valued at about fifteen hundred dollars. The membership of this rural church is now about thirty-five and the list of pastors who have served the congregation
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since the 'zos is the same as that noted above in connection with the history of the Spring Valley church. This rural church has furnished many members for other churches. It has preaching on alternate Sunday afternoons and maintains a Sunday school. John A. Spitler, superintendent, with an average attendance of about twenty. The Woman's Foreign Missionary Society activities are carried on as a part of the work of Union circuit.
THE SARDIS METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
It was in 1820 at a meeting held at the home of William Davis, who had settled in Spring Valley township in 1817, that a Methodist society was organized by William Davis and Thomas McCool, both local preachers, Jacob Medsker, James Lyle and others, under the name of the Sardis Methodist Episcopal church. The society held meetings at the Davis home until 1828, when it built a log house of worship on the Davis farm, continuing to worship there until the development of the village of Spring Valley created there a social center which prompted the society to move to the village in 1850 and there erect a frame meeting house, this church becoming the nucleus of the church above referred to in the historical narrative relating to the Methodist church at Spring Valley.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT NEW JASPER.
It was about the year 1820 that the Methodists in and about the New Jasper settlement organized a society, the meeting for the same being held at the home of one Bone, where meetings were held for a time, or until the meeting place was changed to the home of Philip Spahr, the society not long afterward erecting a log meeting house on the Spahr farm. This answered the purpose for some years, at the end of which time a small brick house of worship was erected. In 1852 the congregation changed its place of worship to the village of New Jasper, where a brick church building, thirty by forty, was erected. Among the early ministers who served this church were the Reverends Sayles, Strange, Taylor, Trader, Clark, Collett, McDaniel, Ells- berry, Black, Tibbitts and Griffith. G. W. Matheson is the present pastor of the church.
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