History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 40

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207

USA > Ohio > Madison County > History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions > Part 40

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Such being the purpose of the study of English, the appeal which it makes to pupils and to teachers is the strongest than can delight the mind."

HISTORY.

"'Study the past, if you would divine the future.' In this command of the famous Chinese philosopher, Confucius, is summed up the principle which for centuries has prompted the policies of the Chinese nation-a principle which has given them a civil- ization rich in culture and traditions, but nevertheless, a civilization which has, within itself, no germ of development. In the study of history, the adverse criticism is made that the past is studied to the neglect of the movement of our own times ..

"This may be true. However, we all interpret the present in terms of the past, and it is by the knowledge and light of a former age that we are enabled to interpret the trend of the present. Without'the past there could be no present, for the present in itself is wholly an evolution of the past. Given certain conditions, human nature is invariable, and the adage, 'History repeats itself,' must have justification for its existence.

"The teachings of John Ball live over again in the present-day Socialists and the jingle which held thousands to his belief might pass for the creation of some Debs of our own day.

"'When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman?'

"Then, too, many pessimists of our own time see in the fate of the Roman empire a sinister prophecy for the United States. Surely we should profit by the experience of an age long past. To quote Fuller : 'History maketh a young man to be old without wrinkles or gray hairs, privileging him with the experience of age, without either the infirmities or inconveniences thereof.'

"It is therefore the aim of the history department of the high school to make the lives of the people of yesterday, whose tombs have long been covered by the dust of ages, stand forth free from the marks of Time and see them as they were living, breathing human beings, who lived and loved, struggled and fought, suffered and died -maybe for a principle, and more often not. The words of the historical . enthusiast, 'It is delightful to transport one's self into the spirit of the past, to see how a wise man has thought before us, and to what a glorious height we have at last reached.'

THE DUTY OF THE STUDENT.

"Nor is it sufficient merely to know just what act a certain man performed- in short, what were the events of his life. This process creates absolutely no human sympathy, nor does it incline one's mind to a broad toleration in the passing of judg- ment. The student must learn to place himself in the time when these people lived- to see the events through their eyes to work under the same handicaps with them; in short, he must feel the spirit of the time in which his character lived, else his vision is astigmatized and as a result his judgment biased.

"For the student to know merely that Philip II. carried on his persecutions with a relentless severity almost without parallel in Christian history and that the defeat of the Spanish Armada marks the beginning of the decline of Spanish prestige is not sufficient. Before passing judgment upon Philip, he must know what motive impelled that grim-visaged fanatic to pursue the course which he did. He must also see how this policy reacted upon Spain and he must see the relationship existing between Philip's narrow-mindedness and Spain's decline. Also he must realize the age which

Digitized by Google

282

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

could produce a Philip II. It is in this way only, that the student's history will be of profit to him. Because he has seen the effect of the narrow-mindedness of one individual upon the history of a whole nation, he may thus be enabled to profit by experience. The student should be taught that he may say with Shelley, 'I know the past and thence I will essay to glean a warning for the future, so that man may profit by his errors and derive experience from his folly.'

"The history course in our high school is necessarily somewhat limited. However, in the course as it stands, we seek to give the student the broadest and most com- prehensive view of the ages past, and particularly that history which will prove most useful to the student himself.

"Many children, of necessity, are not able to pursue their high school course beyond the first year; many more find it impossible to enter upon their third year of work. Largely for this reason, English history, which is, broadly speaking, our own history previous to 1776, is taught in the first year of the high-school course. In the second year, our historical attention is centered upon the study of general history, while an advanced course is elective to fourth-year students.

REASON FOR UNHAMPERED GROWTH.

"The study of English history is mainly a study of constitutional growth. The' steady growth of the parliamentary system, and in particular, the steady growth of the power of the people, vested on that wonderful organization-the House of Com- mons-runs like a clear strong thread through the entire fabric of English history. We seek for the reason for this steady, unhampered growth of democracy in England and we find it in the fact of England's insular position and in the fact that she was more free from invasion; more free from neighborhood turmoil and boundary strife than her contemporaries across 'the ditch,' as Napoleon called it.

"In second-year history work, or general history, the work of necessity cannot be so intensive. It must be extensive and comprehensive. To traverse in nine months' time the growth covered by the human race in seven thousand years and to trace the growth of humanity from its infancy when it made mud houses and ate out of baked- mud or clay dishes on the banks of the Nile or the Tigris or the Euphrates, to its pres- ent maturity when it plays with its own complicated inventions on the banks of a Panama canal or the ties of a Trans-Siberian canal or the ties of a Trans-Siberian railway or at the sluice gates of an Assouan dam-to traverse this distance is a task worthy of the effort. To trace the rise of nations to their heights of power, their subsequent decline and fall-the growth of the new from the ashes of the old+-is an occupation, fascinating withal, yet not less difficult because it is fascinating.

"Our interest most naturally is centered upon those countries which have touched most vitally our own lives-Greece, with her culture; Rome, with her laws; Italy, with her renaissance; Germany, with her Reformation; France, with her political revolu- tion; England, with her parliamentary growth, and Spain, with her ever-present .example of the deadening influence of a restrictive policy. All these things claim some of our attention; when. any one of them might justly claim our whole thought. We deal with them all to the best of our ability in the attempt to feel that without that past there could be no present, as, without the child there can be no man.

"The realm of history is so broad; there is so much of great importance that can be touched upon only lightly and the architecture, art and culture of these nations must of necessity be studied in. connection with other courses. The best aim of our education is to obtain a clear sense of relative value, to create a broad human under- standing and to inspire a deep lasting appreciation of the Good, the True and the Beautiful."

Digitized by Google

1 1

CHAPTER XXV.

CHURCHES OF MADISON COUNTY.

There is no more potent factor in the life of any community than the church, and the influence of an active religious denomination is measured by the wholesome spirit. which may be found in the community. More than a hundred years have elapsed since the first settlers of Madison county made their permanent homes here, and within that time many churches have arisen in the county. Many of them have long since closed their careers, but the good which they accomplished still remains. There are those who maintain that the people of today are not as religious as were the pioneers of the state, but things religious are not to be measured by human standards. The mere fact that there are fewer churches in Madison county today than there were fifty years ago does not argue that the people are any the less religious; neither does it imply that the life of the people is of a lower standard than it was in the "good old day&"

Churches may come and churches may go, but a better civilization is not ganged by the mere number of churches. Many factors have entered into the disappearance of the rural church, and not the least of these is the shifting of population from the country to the towns and villages. For this same reason there are hundreds and even thousands of public schools throughout Ohio which have been discontinued within the past twenty-five years. Many a neighborhood which had from fifty to seventy-five school children half a century ago cannot even support a school with the minimum number required by the law at the present time. This ever-increasing drift from rural to urban centers affects not only the church and school, but life along all lines. Nor does it mean, in any sense of the word that the people are becoming less religious because of fewer churches, or more ignorant because of the abandonment of so many rural schools.

There can be no question that Madison county has passed through a marked religious change during the past three quarters of a century, nor can it be denied that things might be better. Yet it must be admitted that the people of the county are living today much closer to the Ten Commandments than ever before. History reveals that the forefathers were not always as good as they have been pictured; could we of today see them in their daily life we should be surprised at some of the things they did. The great majority of them drank-and drank whisky; they were very pro- fane; they were prone to fight; they grafted in public affairs, just as has been done since; they had many shortcomings which we have not been accustomed to associate with them. Yet, they were religious though the preacher often worked his sermon out with the aid of a whisky flask. In those cold churches of the twenties and thirties the bottle was called upon to supply the heat denied by the fireplace or rude stove. It was the way people lived in those days; in their point of view a bottle of whisky was as essential to the farmer on harvest day as the bottle of machine-oil is today.

. Under truly pioneer conditions did our forefathers live for many years, and to see them file to church on Sunday morning in the thirties, one would certainly think so. The historians of the Central West often find where the congregations were mostly barefooted. Some wore moccasins, some buckskin breeches and hunting shirts, with 'coon, fox or 'possum-skin caps on their heads. Many of the caps were ornamented with

Digitized by Google

284

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

fox tails. According to the custom of the period, the men sat on the left side of the centre aisle and the women on the right. Husbands and wives and sweethearts went to and from church together, but sat apart during the services, lest their attention be distracted from the preacher's sermon. Then the women used to sing treble, and one would hear a woman's voice away above that of the congregation. They thought it was fine, but, under the new way, the men sing the tenor. The hymns were "lined out," as it was then called. Two lines would be given out by the minister or clerk, then sung by the congregation; then two more lines would be read and sung, and so on to the end of the psalm or hymn.

PRIMITIVE HOUSES OF WORSHIP.

The forefathers in Madison county did not worship in beautiful churches, but gathered in their own homes, in school buildings, in groves when the weather per- mitted, and even in barns. They neither grumbled nor complained, but were joyful and happy in the position in which Providence had seen fit to place them, Their services were very irregular; they had no Sabbath schools and no musical instruments. Without any of the modern attractions which are now deemed a necessary part of the church, they worshipped in a quiet, simple and unostentatious manner. Often weeks must pass without a regular minister, and then some pioneer would conduet the services; if not in an orthodox manner, yet with true Christian spirit, which, no doubt, found favor with the Giver of all good things. In these humble meetings and often the little band did not number over a dozen-they thanked God for what He had vouchsafed them and asked Him to continue His blessings toward them. And who is there to say that they did not do all they could to advance the cause on earth of the Kingdom of Heaven?

As one writer puts it, what is wanted is "a religion that softens the step and tunes the voice to melody and fills the eye with sunshine and checks the impatient exclama- tion and harsh rebuke. A religion that is polite, deferential to superiors, courteous to inferiors, and considerate to friends; a religion that goes into the family and keeps the husband from being cross when the dinner is late and the wife from fretting when he tracks the floor with his muddy boots, and makes him mindful of the scraper and the door-mat; keeps the mother patient when the baby is cross and amuses the children as well as instructs them; cares for the servants, besides paying them promptly; projects the honeymoon into the harvest moon; makes a happy home like the Easter fig tree, bearing in its bosom at. once the beauty of the ripened fruit; a religion that shall. interpose between the ruts, gullies and rocks of the highway of life and the sensi- tive souls that are traveling over them." And who shall say that the simple faith of its forefathers was not as potent in bringing all that about as the religion preached today.

The Methodists and Baptists were the first to establish churches in Madison county, and they were closely followed by a number of other denominations. The Presbyterians and Christians were early in the field and by the middle of the last century more than fifty churches were scattered throughout the county. The Protest- ants had the field to themselves until about 1850, when the first Catholic church was organized, and since that year the Catholics have steadily grown in power and influ- ence. But whether Protestants or Catholics, the influence of the church is always exerted in behalf of cleaner living and for a higher conception of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God.

In the discussion of the churches of Madison county it seems best to submit a list of all the churches, both active and discontinued, which have appeared at one time or another in the history of the county. For the purpose of location they are given by townships. as follows .

Digitized by Google

285

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

Union Township-Lower Glade, Methodist Episcopal; Kingsley Chapel.

London-Methodist Episcopal, First Presbyterian, Trinity Protestant Episcopal, Universalist, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, St. Patrick's Catholic, First Missionary Baptist (colored), African Methodist Episcopal.

Somerford-Summerford, Methodist Episcopal, Christian, Dunkard, or German Bap- tists; Tradersville, or Fletcher East, Methodist Episcopal.

Stokes-Grassy Point, Christian.

Range-Sedalia, Methodist Episcopal; Concord, Methodist Episcopal; Bethel, Metho- dist Episcopal; Range, Methodist Protestant; Sedalia, Presbyterian; Darbyville, Pres- byterian.

Fairfield-Big Plain, Methodist Episcopal ; Lilly Chapel, Methodist Episcopal; Den- nison Chapel, United Brethren;, Lilly Chapel, German Lutheran.

Deer Creek-Upper Glade, or McDonald, Methodist Episcopal; Lafayette, Methodist Episcopal; Dun Lawn Chapel, Episcopal; Lafayette, Christian.

Darby-Converse Chapel, Methodist Episcopal; Plain City, Methodist Episcopal, Universalist, Baptist, Roman Catholic, United Brethren.

Canaan-Big Darby, Baptist; Amity, Methodist Episcopal, Union.

Jefferson-West Jefferson, Methodist Episcopal; Foster Chapel, Methodist Episco- pal; Blair, or Gullivan Chapel, Methodist Episcopal; West Jefferson, Baptist; Alder Chapel, Universalist, Sts. Simon and Jude, Catholic, Antioch Mission Union and African Methodist Episcopal.

Monroe-Fair Plain, Christian; Wilson Chapel, Methodist Episcopal.

Oak Run-Christman Chapel, Methodist Episcopal.

Paint-Newport, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant.

Pike-Barrow Run, Methodist Episcopal; Rosedale, Methodist Protestant, Catho- · lic, Union; Little Darby, Christian. .

Pleasant-Antioch, Christian; Mckendree, Methodist Episcopal; Mt. Sterling, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Christian.

LONDON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The Methodist Episcopal church of London was established shortly after the town was laid out, in either 1813 or 1814. The society worshipped in private residences, and belonged to a large circuit, which in 1819 had twenty-four preaching places. Its first church was erected on a lot at the corner of Walnut and Fifth streets, purchased from Patrick McLene for eleven dollars. Its officials were William Erwin, Jonathan Min- shall, John McDonald, William Warner, Sr., William G. Pritchard, Robert Warner, David Watson, James Greenley and Amos G. Thompson. This was a log meeting- house with puncheon floors and seats of split rails and was the first church structure in London. For twenty years this humble building served the congregation.' Then two lots were secured on the southwest corner of Second and Oak streets, where they built a new church about the year 1840-a frame structure some sixty feet square, with a gallery and two upstairs class rooms. A small brick parsonage stood on the west side of the church. The congregation worshipped there another twenty years, when this building was removed to make way for a brick building, forty feet wide, ninety feet long, with a tower seventy-two feet high. It faced Oak street and its site is now occupied by the corner residence. This church was begun in 1859 under the pastorate of Rev. Samuel Tippett, and was dedicated on February 25, 1860, by Bishop D. W. Clark, under the pastorate of Rev. Levi Hall and his colleague, Rev. A. M. Alexander. The former but recently passed away at his home in Minneapolis while a son of the latter is now a resident of London. This church cost seventy-five hundred dollars, of which one thousand six hundred was raised at the dedication.

In September following, London was made a half station, having as its only

Digitized by Google

286

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

other appointment little Kingsley chapel, three miles west of town, which has since . gone out of, existence. It stood on the farm of Joseph Warner and was named for Bishop Kingsley.

In 1862-3 a new brick parsonage was built, which still stands as the residence of the late Dr. W. H. Christopher. It was begun by Rev. J. M. Jameson, and was first occupied by Rev. Levi Cunningham. In 1866, Mrs. Eliza Chrisman donated seven thousand dollars for a chapel at the rear of the church, which was dedicated by Bishop Clark on Christmas day. This building is now a double residence structure facing Second street.

By 1868 this church had grown strong enough to entertain the conference, which was presided over by Bishop Kingsley. Rev. H. K. Foster was then pastor, serving three years. He was followed in 1860 by Rev. C. D. Battelle, who also remained three years, the full limit.

The Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of this church was organized in 1871. Rev. I. F. King succeeded Mr. Battelle, staying one year, and then was made a pre- siding elder. Rev. T. H. Monroe came next, remaining three years, during which time the great revival under the evangelists, Mr. and Mrs. Frame, occurred. In the fall of 1875, Rev. J. T. Miller became pastor, remaining three years. He was followed by Rev. J. C. Jackson, Sr., who came from Bigelow chapel, Portsmouth, and remained three years. The next pastor was Rev. J. W. Peters, who also came from Bigelow, Ports- mouth, and remained three years. In 1881 this church again entertained the conference, under Bishop Andrews. Rev. T. R. Taylor was the next pastor for three years. Rev. J. W. Dillon followed him, staying four years, as the pastoral term had then been lengthened to five years. In the fall of 1890, Rev. W. I. Slutz became pastor, coming from Bigelow, Portsmouth, and staying five years, during which time the old church and parsonage were sold, and the present edifice erected, costing about forty-five thousand dollars. It was dedicated on November 18, 1894, by Bishop Joyce.

A house which stood on the lot of the present church was removed to a lot donated by Mr. Jereia Sweatland, on Elm street, and remodeled for a parsonage, June 17, 1894. Mrs. Slutz died in this parsonage, and on September 21, following, Rev. Mr. Slutz's two daughters and his sister-in-law were killed by a passenger train. He was followed by Rev. B. L. McElroy, from Bigelow, Portsmouth, where he had succeeded Rev. Mr. Slutz. The next autumn, 1896, this church again entertained the conference. Remaining but one year, Rev. Mr. McElroy transferred to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was followed by Rev. A. H. Norcross, who stayed three years. Rev. Franklin McEl- fresh became his successor, also remaining three years. Rev. D. Y. Murdoch next came as pastor, but after six months was claimed by death. Rev. J. H. Gardner filled out the unexpired year, as a supply, and Rer. T. G. Dickinson was appointed pastor in the fall of 1903, remaining four years. He was succeeded by Rev. F. M. Evans, who remained two years, and was followed by Rev. John C. Jackson, coming from Bigelow, Portsmouth, who served five years and was followed by Rev. C. B. Pyle, the present pastor. Under the pastorate of Rev. John C. Jackson, the church was renovated at a cost of over ten thousand dollars. Its present membership is about six hundred and fifty, with a Sunday school of seven hundred and forty-six, in which is a men's Bible class that has averaged over one hundred and ten for the past year, with a member- ship of over three hundred, and also a woman's Bible class with an enrollment of about one hundred.

: It is impossible to give the present membership by name in this brief sketch. Among those who were prominent in early years, and many of whose families are still represented here are the Warners, the Watsons, the Farrars, the Minshalls, the Gosslees, the Dungans, Dunkin (David), the Boyds, the Joneses, the Morgans, the Chenoweths,

Digitized by Google

287

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

the Chrismans, the Clarks, the Slagles, the Adairs, the Lotspeiches, the Lohrs and the Phifers. The officiary today is as follow : Trustees, J. B. Van Wagener, R. W. Boyd, J. A. Long, Miss Minnie Cheseldine, F. C. Bostwick, J. P. Skinner, William Cryder; stewards, C. W. Farrar, G. F. Dodds, W. T .. Booth, O. E. Duff, H. H. Johnstin, H. Hathaway, L. C. Houston, T. H. Orcutt, W. E. Lukens, J. J. Yearian, S. L. Turner, E. P. Fisher, J. W. Hume, J. H. Asher, M. L. Bryan, S. S. Van Cleave; Sunday school superintendent, Chauncey T. Jones; president Ladies' Aid Society, Mrs. C. E. Gain; president Epworth League, Glenna West.

CONVERSE CHAPEL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The Converse Chapel Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1816, for many years the congregation's only place of worship being the Converse school house of that neighborhood. This society subsequently became the most flourishing society in the township. In 1840 it erected the largest church edifice in that part of the county. For about thirty-five years, this commodious building was used as a place of worship. About 1875, the congregation was united with that of Plain City.

FOSTER CHAPEL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first religicus society to be organized in Jefferson township was the Foster Chapel Methodist Episcopal church, at the home of Rev. Lewis Foster, in 1808. Following are a few of the names that constituted the original class: Lewis Foster and wife; Joshua, John, Benjamin and Joseph, four sons of Rev. Foster, and their wives; Rebecca Tomlinson ; Cassa Dwyer; Joseph Downing, his brother Frank and their wives, and John Hayden, wife and family. Among the first ministers who served the class were Rev. William Simmons, Rev. Daniel Davidson and Reverend Finley. The con- gregation worshipped in their respective homes, alternately, until March, 1825, when Reverend Foster and wife deeded two acres and forty-three poles to a body of trustees for the sum of ten dollars, and for the purpose of erecting thereon a church building, the trustees at that time being John Hayden, Frank Downing, John Buck, John Foster and Joseph Powers, and the deed was acknowledged before Squire Samuel Sexton, of New Hampton. A comfortable hewed-log church was soon erected, wherein the notes of praise were sounded to the All-Wise, and the peoples' hearts rejoiced in. the privi- leges they then enjoyed. Later a comfortable, neat and attractive brick church was built on the same ground.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 40

Author: Chester E. Bryan Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1207

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207