USA > Ohio > Union County > History of Union County, Ohio; its people, industries and institutions > Part 20
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PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MARYSVILLE.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MARYSVILLE.
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Love, Alex Harmount, Daniel D. Mather, Oliver Kennedy, Parker P. Pope and Wesley G. Waters.
The pastors who have served here since 1811 are as follows: Revs. James Parcels and Joseph W. Smith, 1842: Wesley Webster, 1843: John W. Young and Thomas Hurd. 1844: C. B. Warrington and Ebenezer Chase, 1845: T. M. Gossard. 1846: James L. Grover. 1847 (presiding elder) : P. F. Holtsinger and M. Coffman, 1847 : David Sharp and James Gilruth, 1849: S. C. Ricker. 1850: H. Brooks ( presiding elder ). Ebenezer Chase and Sam- uel M. Merrill (later bishop). 1851 ; T. D. Martindale and Lovett Taft, 1853; J. S Adams and D. Mann. 1854: H. Wharton, 1855: J. F. Longman. 1857 : WV. B. Grantham and R. B. Bennett, 1858; H. H. Ferris and G. G. West. 1859 ( this ends the work on Marysville circuit and since then it has been a station. In 1860 it was made a part of the Central Ohio conference ) ; Lor- ing C. Webster. 1860-62; Amos Wilson, 1863: Leonard B. Gurley ( presid- ing elder). N. B. C. Love. 1863-1867; H. S. Gradley, 1867-70: James F. Mounts, 1870: Oliver Kennedy, 1871 ; S. H. Alder, 1873-74: John F. Davies. 1875-78: P. P. Poe, 1878-79: A. Harmount. 1880-83: H. G. Higbee, 1883- 86: Dwight L. Cook, 1886-89: W. G. Waters, 1889-92; W. J. Hodges. 1892-96: E. E. McCammon. 1896-1901: T. L. Wiltsee, 1901-07; A. E. Hosford. 1907-09: Wesley Watters and E. S. Weaver, 1909-11 : J. F. Olive. 1911-14.
The first Methodist Episcopal church in Jerome was organized in 18344-5, the first services being held in the residence of Henry Beach. Among the early members were the Beaches, Hallecks. Wells and Frederick families. A very comfortable church was erected in 1842 and it was occupied till a short time before the Civil War. April 15. 1860, a frame church was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Warner. pastor. Among the pastors who have served here may be recalled the names of Revs. Chase, Hathaway, John E. Moore. Edward Rudesill, J. Shoop. Thurston. Ferris, Pierman. Abernathy. J. K. Argo, Pryor. Theodore Crayton. A. Holcomb, A. L. Rogers. B. J. Judd, Tubbs, Thomas Rickets, Thomas Wakefield. J. H. Middling. A. Plum and John Gordon. In 1914 this church was in a prosperous condition.
The Richwood Methodist Episcopal church was organized October 17. 1835. with William Phillips as class leader. The first to unite in forming the class were William Phillips, Isabelle Phillips. Mortimer Bentley, Nancy Bentley and Elsie Sirpless. Rev. Warren Frazell was the first and organizing pastor, and the presiding elder was William H. Raper. The first meeting was held at the shop of Mr. Phillips, the pastor and class leader being all in attendance. There was no house or place for worship among any of the
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denominations in Claibourne township when this Methodist class was first formed. The class met in cabins, shops, storerooms and at the small log school house. During 1837 there was erected a log church at Richwood, the first in the township. It was twenty-six by thirty-six feet, and finished in the plainest style, though quite comfortable. Its seats were only rude benches without backs, the same as the early school rooms. In the center was placed a large stove, by which it was well heated with wood from the nearby forests.
At the general conference, in 1840, a change was made in the bound- aries of the Ohio annual conference, to which Richwood circuit up to that date had belonged, and the North Ohio conference was organized. The early pastors were as follows: Revs. Webster, Kimber, Jacob A. Brown. Jesse Prior and George Armstrong. In the latter part of August. 1842, Jesse Prior and William Boggs, as assistant, commenced their labors. The year had not far advanced when Rev. Prior, the senior pastor. began to preach the peculiar doctrine of Miller, who started the Millerite doctrine in church history. They claimed the world was coming to an end in 1843. This caused a trouble in the church and before the year had closed Prior withdrew and united with the new sect, known as Second-Day Adventists. Boggs remained true to the Methodist cause and was returned another con- ference year. From 1856 to 1858 there was a great revival and as a result over a hundred were added to the church. After this they built a good brick church building, at a cost of six thousand dollars.
In 1914 there was a membership of five hundred. The value of the church's property is twenty-one thousand dollars. The average Sunday school attendance is two hundred and fifty.
In Jackson township the pioneer religious society was the Methodist class, organized about 1830, at the cabin house of Ebenezer Cheney. Prior to this date two exhorters, Mr. McCorkle, an Irishman, and John Millise, a German, from near Mechanicsburg, held meetings here, and this left good seed in the ground of the community, though no conversions were made. The class was organized with Thomas Cheney as leader. It included Ebene- zer Cheney. Thomas Cheney and wife, Benjamin Carter and wife, Mary and David Carr, Jacob Reed and Joseph Cameron and wife. Meetings were at first held once in two weeks, at the houses of Ebenezer Cheney, David Carr and others. Later the school house was used as a meeting house. A good church building was erected on the Hamilton pike, two miles southwest from Essex, the land being donated by Jonathan W. Hedges. The building cost one thousand six hundred dollars.
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Hopewell Methodist Episcopal church was formed about 1830, at the house of Samuel Martin. Cuhell Williamson and the Martin family made up the charter membership. A mile and a fourth northeast of Pharisburg a log church was erected. Later a frame structure was provided. A pro- tracted meeting was held in 1858 by Rev. Longfellow, which resulted in many additions to the class.
The Somerville class was the first in York township, and was organized in the winter of 1835 by Rev. E. T. Webster with about twenty-five members. The first class leader was John Johnson. The first services were held in houses of the membership, but later a log building was erected. This hum- ble place served until 1856, when a frame structure was provided at the same place. Still later another more commodious building was provided; this was surmounted by a neat belfry and bell. This property cost the society two thousand five hundred dollars. It was erected .under the pastorate of Rev. Solomon Lindsley. Other Methodist churches in York township are known as the McKendree and Bethel churches.
Three miles to the west of Richwood, in Claibourne township, at an early day there was a small class of Methodists formed in the Wynergar neighbor- hood. They never built a church, but struggled on for more than thirty years before disbanding.
In Washington township, about 1840, a Methodist Episcopal church was organized in a log school house built in the forest on Rock run near where Southworth Mather lived. The class was small, but all were earnest. This work later had to be abandoned on account of removals and deaths. In 1872 a Methodist Episcopal class was formed in this township with Allen Haines as leader. In 1876 a house of worship was built about a half mile north of Byhalia. It cost two thousand dollars. The Byhalia church was formed and originally included the Mt. Victory circuit, composed of four charges. The Darby Methodist Episcopal church in Allen township started from the class organized by Rev. George Harris in 1850-52. This pioneer class included Abraham Holycross and wife, James Kennedy and wife. Will- iam Holycross, Sr .. Nancy Cline and William Smith and wife. Abraham Holycross was leader.
In Taylor township, one mile east of Broadway, a Methodist Episcopal class was formed in 1854. consisting of the following persons: P. Safford. Thomas E. Lockwood and wife, Hiram Danforth and wife, Mrs. Hannah Temple, Z. C. Pooler and a few others. On account of death and removals the class finally disbanded.
Asbury Methodist Episcopal church, in Taylor township, was the out-
1
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growth of a class formed in 1843 by Rev. David Davis. The work kept up a few years and then went down. y In the winter of 1865-66, Rev. Thomas Mathews held a series of meetings in the school house and as a result of a large revival a new class was formed. In the summer of 1866 a building was erected.
Mount Herman Methodist Episcopal church, in Dover township, was the result of a class formed about 1838 by Rev. Owens, at the house of Rev. Ebenezer Mathers, consisting of the following thirteen members: Rev. Ebenezer Mathers. Elizabeth Mathers, Anna Allen, D. D. Mathers, Rev. James Ryan. John Ryan, Elizabeth Ryan, Nancy Ryan, Jesse Carpenter, Alcy Carpenter, Lewis Filler, Mary D. Filler and Anna Williams. Lewis Filler was the first class leader. In the autumn of 1840 the society erected a frame church building on the east side of the road near the Mount Herman cemetery. This house served until 1867, when the church concluded to disolve and divide its membership, part going to the village of Dover and others to Grass Run.
Dover Methodist Episcopal church, in Dover township, built its church in the summer of 1867 at the village of Dover, at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars. The church here was formed by Rev. Isaiah Henderson. The church was dedicated February 8, 1868, and following that event was a three weeks series of meetings which greatly increased the membership. A union Sabbath school was organized before the Civil War and was kept alive while many of the men were away. The union school was changed to a Methodist school in 1878. In 1914 there was a membership of two hun- dred and eighty-five. The value of church property is five thousand five hun- dred dollars.
At Milford Center, the Methodist Episcopal church has an interesting history, a portion of which was written by Eli Gabriel on the occasion of the dedication of the present church edifice in 1907. The following summary is taken from his interesting history of the church.
In 1831 Rev. Thomas Simms organized a few members into a class at the home of the late Andrew Keys. Among the charter members of that pioneer class were Ebenezer Mather and wife. John Rice and wife, Mrs. . Nancy Bowen. Mrs. Mary Monroe, Mrs. Jane Parkinson and Mrs. Patty Kennedy. Until 1835 they held services at private houses and at school houses, and then, at a sacrifice, subscribed and erected a church building thirty by thirty-six feet; it was a frame building erected by that excellent old pioneer carpenter, Andrew Keys. It had a high ceiling and a gallery. With- in this building were held many lively revivals. The membership contained
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many illustrious names of men and women who have been felt in the great busy world around them. Mrs. Jane Parkinson was the daughter of George Reed. founder of Milford Center. Her daughter, Mary Parkinson, became the wife of Charles Ketchan, who left two sons, both Methodist ministers. Mrs. Patty Kennedy was the mother of Rev. Oliver Kennedy, a presiding elder of Ohio.
The old church building was moved to Railroad street in 1862, and the following year a brick building took its place. Its cost was two thousand four hundred dollars. The brick were made by the late Edward Spain. The church was dedicated August 2, 1863, Rev. J. Trimble preaching the sermon and raising the necessary funds to cancel all debts. This building served until 1906, a period of forty-three years. The present structure is heated by furnace and lighted by electricity. The entire structure is modern in all its appointments, from basement kitchen up through the various audience, class and Sunday school rooms
The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. David H. Moore, of Port- land, Oregon, who raised the debt of six thousand dollars in a short time.
Among the well-remembered ministers here are recalled the following : Revs. Thomas Simms, the founder, D. Davidson, William Morrow, II. Camp, Riley, Lovett Taft, J. S. Adams, Tresenride, Tippett, David Mann. A. M. Mann, West, Whitehead, Horton, Longman, Lowe. Slocum, Lewis, Wester- velt, Wolf, Charrington, Abernathy, J. S. Adams, William Lewis, Callahan, Nailer, Mann, Wakefield, Cramer, Nichols, Laughlin, Stewart, Steel, Andrew Plumb, W. B. Warren, W. M. Mitchell and A. L. Rogers, the present pastor who has been returned three times.
AFRICAN METHODISTS.
The colored people in Marysville organized a Methodist Episcopal church in 1879 with eleven charter members, under Rev. Nathaniel Mitchell of Ports- mouth, Ohio, who became pastor and continued until October. 1882. Ground was bought on North street of Samuel Amrine, and the present brick edifice was constructed. It was dedicated the following February after the lot was purchased. Bishop Wyman, of Baltimore, was present at the dedication of the building. The church cost one thousand five hundred dollars. Today this society has a fair membership.
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PROTESTANT METHODIST CHURCHES.
What is styled the Methodist Protestant church in Claibourne township was organized in Richwood, September, 1836. John B. Lucas was pastor at that time, and Samuel Graham was its first class leader. Its first place of worship was in the little log schoolhouse which stood in the northeast part of the town. In the winter of 1839-40-the great winter for revivals-one was held here by Rev. John M. Young. In this meeting were converted men who made their mark in the world, and these included such men as John W. Hamilton, later professor of surgery at the Medical College of Columbus; Joseph M. Hamilton, who was a leading minister in this denomination many years; T. B. Graham, who was a prominent minister in an Ohio conference, and I. N. Hamilton, who became a local preacher of great power in the Methodist Episcopal church and a physician as well. These revival services were held in the Methodist Episcopal church building at Richwood. As soon as possible after organizing this church, its membership went to work to pro- vide a church building, and in 1842 they completed a good hewed-log house, thirty by thirty-five feet. When finished it was known to be the largest andi- ence room in the north half of Union county. When the house was ready for occupancy a serious question as to how it should be heated came up. There were no stoves for sale in the community and no railroads over which one might be brought if ordered. The problem was finally solved by the members contributing enough wheat to pay for a stove. Samuel Graham, accompanied by Rev. William Hamilton, hauled the wheat in a wagon to Granville, Lick- ing county, and there exchanged it for a stove. They brought the stove back in their wagon and placed it in the church. The church above referred to outgrew its usefulness in 1858 and in that year they commenced a brick church and the same was dedicated July 17, 1859. Its cost was two thousand dollars, and it would have stood and been ample in size for many long years had it not caught fire and burned in April, 1875. A new church costing five thousand dollars took the place of the one burned. This was remodeled in 1911-1912 at a cost of about one thousand dollars. The church property is now valued at twelve thousand two hundred dollars. The society has a meni- bership of one hundred and seventy-two. The present pastor is Rev. D. L. Custis.
Bethlehem church was organized about 1848, by Rev. John G. Peats, of the Methodist Protestant denomination, at a point about two and a half miles south of Richwood, in Claibourne township. It was not many months
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before the society enjoyed a membership of sixty persons. For a time they worshiped in a schoolhouse and then erected a commodious frame building near the east bank of Fulton creek. The two acres of land donated by Rev. J. C. Sidel was used for church lot and burying ground. Here a church was erected in 1855.
In the south part of Claibourne township, near the west line, a church was erected in 1880 under the leadership of Rev. Elliott. This was the out- growth of what was styled the "Stires Society" of pioneer days.
The Essex Methodist Protestant church was organized in Jackson town- ship in 1840 by Rev. John Hunt, at the house of John Cheney. It was started with only six members-the Cheneys, Allens and Chapmans. Services were held at the Cheney residence for a number of years, after which a schoolhouse was used. In 1846 a log meeting house was used. This was a large hewed log structure, costing the time and labor of the membership. In 1869 a frame church was built, costing one thousand four hundred dollars; in addition the lot cost one hundred dollars and the bell one hundred and twenty-five dollars more.
The Protestant Methodist church at Allen Center was organized by Rev. Plummer in 1863. Its original members were Lewis Corbitt, George Grove and Samuel Poling, with their wives and a few other persons. In the autumn of the same year they built a neat log house, which was duly dedicated to the service of God. It was used as long as the society existed, which was until 1875.
Davis Methodist Protestant chapel, located in Washington township. on the Essex and Rush Creek road, is in the eastern part of the township. This society was formed in 1848 with ten members. The services were held in a schoolhouse until they erected a building of their own. Rev. Stephens was the organizing pastor.
Three of the Methodist Protestant churches in Union county belong to the Claibourne circuit, Claibourne. Bethlehem and Pharisburg. Rev. George Foltz is pastor of all three of these churches and resides at Claibourne. The Rush Creek circuit includes Grace chapel, five miles from Essex, and the Essex church at the village of Essex. The pastor there is Rev. R. 1. Brooks. The only other church of this denomination in Union county is that at Rich- wood.
PIONEER METIIODIST MINISTERS.
Concerning early Methodism in this county, the reader is invited to re- view what was said at the conference of the church, held at Marysville in
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1904, when Rev. S. L. Roberts, D. D., spoke in a reminiscent way as fol- lows : "The circuits were long then and the salaries low. For my two years as a single man in the ministry, I received one hundred and twenty dollars per year and two hundred dollars a year the first two years after I was mar- ried, with traveling allowances enough to make three hundred and fifty- seven dollars a year in all. Babies were welcomed at the parsonages then, for each one added sixteen dollars to the pastor's salary!
"I have gone to my appointments in all kinds of conveyances-in the palace cars and lumbering freight cars drawn by a snorting engine; in the canal boat drawn by mules; in the farm wagon drawn by Percherons; in carriages drawn by blooded trotters; in the mudboat drawn by oxen ; over the ice on skates and through the mud on foot, but I made it a rule of my life to be there.
"Fifty years ago it was a common thing to see parents with a half dozen small children and a sweet babe in the mother's arms, plodding their weary way through the mud to market and church in a lumber wagon drawn by oxen. It was a sight, really more of promise to the church and state than to see the automobile with fluttering phimes and feathers and a poodle dog in the lap of the wife.
"I have preached in private houses, in churches, public halls, school- houses, courthouses, and out of doors. I have occupied all sorts of beds, beds on the floor, the dreaded 'spare bed-room' where heat has never entered and where the mercury stood below zero, where I shook by the hour, longing for dawn to come, and I have occupied the summer bed with the heavy feather tick under me and nothing over me. But I have enjoyed thousands of comfortable beds and happy homes where sleep was sweet and rest re- freshing.
"My presiding elder at the first quarterly meeting I ever attended, gave notice on Saturday afternoon that no one would be admitted to the lovefeast the next day, unless they complied with the rules of the church, one of which was that all must kneel in prayer. Sunday morning when we knelt in prayer. a lady in the back part of the room did not kneel and when asked why she did not kneel, she replied. 'It's none of your business !'
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.
In 1864, what is now known as the Marysville Congregational church was organized out of the membership of the New School Presbyterian church which had been formed in 1840. A manual published by the church in 1877
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gives the following historic account of the change from the Presbyterian to the Congregational faith :
"This church was organized thirty-seven years ago as the New School Presbyterian church, but with the utmost harmony it became a Congrega- tional church in 1864. During all its history it has been active and enter- prising. Especially have the women of the church been workers for the cause. Efforts to save perishing sinners have been frequent. Protracted meetings have often been held with gratifying results. From the first the Wednesday evening prayer meetings have been sustained by a good attend- ance. The following pastors have served faithfully and well: Revs. W. H. Rodgers, three years ; Henry Shields, three years; E. J. Moore, one year ; Henry Bushnell. five years; J. Everts Weed, two years; Walter Mitchell, twelve years; P. G. Buchanan, two years: M. K. Pasco. one and a half years ; W. E. Lincoln, two years and nine months."
Rev. W. A. James succeeded Mr. Lincoln as pastor, remaining three years His successors are as follows: Homer Thrall, who came in De- cember. 1879: G. James Jones, three years ; James M. Tiffit, one year and nine months : James A. Thorne, two years ; W. S. Rugbey, eight years ; E. A. King, three years; Harvey C. Colburn, one and a half years; Charles A. Stroup, two years and seven months: Vernon Emory, until September II, 1911, when the present pastor. Rev. J. L. Davies, took charge
A church was erected at the northeast corner of West and South streets in 1871, the corner-stone being laid August 31, 1871. A lecture room was dedicated August 4, 1872, and the building proper was dedicated March 14. 1878. The parsonage in the rear of the church was dedicated in 1881. In December. 1882, a thousand-pound bell was hung in the church tower. The first parsonage, costing about one thousand five hundred dollars, was all paid for by the sale of the "Buckeye Cook Book," which was compiled by a committee of ladies of Marysville.
The present fine parsonage, at the end of West Sixth street, was erected in 1913 and. with the lot. is valued at about four thousand seven hundred dollars. Locust street runs along the east front of the property.
The present membership of this church is about four hundred. The Sunday school has an average attendance of about one hundred and eighty. This is now the only Congregational church within Union county. How- ever, there is a church service and Sunday school known now as Blue's Creek congregation a few miles northeast of Marysville, which is in charge of the minister at Marysville.
(15)
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November 2, 1862, by a unanimous vote, it was decided at Jerome to change the old Presbyterian church into a Congregational church society. Soon after this Rev. Brinkerhoof severed his connection with the church. Following him came Rev. Hawn, who was succeeded in 1866 by Rev. C. N. Coulter, who also had charge of the congregation at Worthington. He continued as pastor until October 27, 1867, when Rev. A. N. Hamilin was installed and remained five years. The first church building was a frame structure twenty-four by thirty feet, erected about 1856. In 1877 the mem- bers of this church wished to be again connected with the Presbyterian de- nomination and were consequently admitted. Thus the Jerome Congrega- tional church ceased to exist.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCHES.
Mount Zion United Brethren church was located three miles northwest of Marysville. The society was organized about 1843. Its members were largely from the Methodist church. Rev. Frederick Hendricks first preached at the house of Samuel Elliott. He was followed by others. A frame church was erected on a lot donated by Mr. Elliott. This was the place of worship until 1876, when a new church was built.
The Otterbein United Brethren church of Liberty township was organ- ized in the southwest part of the township, near Flat Branch, in 1849, by Rev. F. B. Hendricks, who formed a class at the schoolhouse. The member- ship comprised the following: Zachariah McElroy and wife. George Hem- minger and wife, Thomas Clark and wife, John Stokes and wife. Littrell Ford and wife and possibly a few others. Until 1857, services were held in the schoolhouse and then a frame church was built which served until 1876. At that time the church had dwindled to only two members.
In Allen township Darby Chapel was the result of an organization effected in 1849 by Rev. F. H. Hendricks, from near Cincinnati. He organ- ized a class in the old log schoolhouse with the following members: D. W. Spain and wife, Sarah Ann; Reuben Moore and wife; Joseph Moore and possibly a few others. Soon after organizing they proceeded to erect a hewed-log house of worship. It was completed in 1851 and served until 1870, when a good frame structure was provided by the society. It stood on the old site, and its cost was one thousand two hundred dollars.
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