USA > Ohio > History of the Central Ohio conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, 1856-1913 > Part 12
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Dawn, a village some three miles east of Ansonia, on the Big Four Railroad, a Sabbath evening appointment, was reached by hand-car, which the section boss, a generous Catholic, loaned to the pastor, and which was pumped down to the service by young men of the village, who kindly proffered their muscle and wind to save the preacher a long ride by a circuitous route.
In 1899, during the pastorate of the Rev. J. S. Snodgrass, steps were taken towards the enlargement and remodeling of the church building, and in the following year the Rev. J. T. Pope, pastor, some $4,000 were expended in greatly improving and beautifying the church. Since 1900 Raper Chapel is the only society con- nected with Ansonia, Webster Chapel having become a part of Rossburg, formerly called Rossville Circuit, and Dawn with asso- ciation elsewhere, and Union being dropped. During the pastorate of the Rev. M. M. Markwith, in the middle nineties, Raper Chapel, Lightville (which succeeded Webster as an appointment), and Ross- burg, each built new churches. Among all these various places Raper Chapel was the first to have preaching services, which was in 1835, in the house of Samuel E. Carter, and at that time a class was organized. In 1856 the Rev. John S. Kalb, presiding elder of the Sidney District, Central Ohio Conference, the Rev. Harry O. Sheldon was preacher in charge.
The pastors of the circuit have been: R. D. Oldfield, E. D. Whitlock, T. L. Reade, Philip Lemasters, John R. Colgan, E. E.
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McLaughlin, M. M. Markwith, J. W. Hodge, C. G. Smith, J. S. Snodgrass, J. T. Pope, W. N. Roberts, and J. D. Simms. The presiding elders and district superintendents have been, since the organization of the circuit: W. G. Waters, S. L. Roberts, Joseph Ayres, Oliver Kennedy, L. A. Belt. E. D. Whitlock, A. J. Fish, T. H. Campbell, C. H. Havighurst, and D. H. Bailey.
BELLEFONTAINE CHURCH.
Reliable and authentic sources from which to glean the early history of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Bellefontaine are lacking.
The Rev. John Strange, who was widely known as a pioneer preacher in Indiana and Ohio, is said to have preached the first Methodist sermon in this region, about the year 1816, in the old town of Belleville, located south of the present site of the Logan
BELLEFONTAINE CHURCH.
County fairgrounds. He was a frequent guest in the log cabin of Samuel Carter, south of town. The town of Bellefontaine was laid out in 1818 by William Powell. and soon outstripped its rival and became the center of missionary operation in Logan County. Such men as the Rev. James B. Finley and the Rev. Russel Bige- low, whose fame as great preachers and heroic missionaries in the
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primeval wilderness of Ohio will never be forgotten, were frequent visitors in these parts, and did effective work in laying the founda- tion of Methodism in this vicinity.
The first church building, or, as it was then called, meeting- house, was a little brick structure, 20 x 25 feet, located on West Chillicothe Street. The lot was conveyed by Samuel Newell to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church for $55, the date of the deed being December 18, 1826. The church was then in process of erection and was completed early in 1827. The trustees were Robert Casebolt, David Segar, John Bishop, Jacob Foster, Jacob Stanley, John Carpenter, Samuel Carter, John Powell, and Wm. Stanfield.
The first Quarterly Conference record we have been able to find dates back to December 7, 1833, William H. Raper, presiding elder, and Thomas Sims, preacher in charge. The total amount con- tributed by the ten or more appointments for the preacher's salary during that year was $99.54. Noah Z. McColloch was the re- cording steward. Among the members at this early date whose names are familiar were Robert Casebolt, Lemuel G. Collet, Samuel Carter, Rachel Mayse, James Starr, Noah Z. McColloch, and Isaac S. Gardner. .
Robert Casebolt was an effective local preacher, and his ex- emplary life and jealous zeal for the cause of God are still enshrined in the memory of many. Rev. John Shepherd, father of Mrs. A. M. Roebuck and Mrs. Josiah Shuffelton, who had been ordained in early life by Bishop Asbury, and whose earnest labors as a local preacher are still frequently mentioned, removed here with his family in 1834. Bellefontaine was then included in a large circuit of many appointments: West Liberty, Zanesfield, Logansville, Cherokee, Roundhead, Rushsylvania, Rum Creek, Messick's Meet- ing House, and other points scattered over the territory now called Logan County.
The first Methodist parsonage, located on lot No. 172, now occupied by the residence of Dr. W. W. Hamer, was bought of Adam Minear, September 21, 1837. In 1839, during the pastorate of the Rev. Wm. Morrow, a new and larger church was built upon the site of the old edifice, costing $1,139. He was supported in the enterprise by a zealous body of men, foremost among whom
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were Lemuel G. Collett, Noah Z. McColloch, Daniel Hopkins, James Starr, Jonathan Seamen, and Isaac S. Gardner. The church was completed and dedicated in 1840, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Adam Poe.
Bellefontaine was made a station in 1847, during the pastorate of the Rev. Samuel L. Yourtee, and from that time the work of the Church was blessed with increasing growth and prosperity. A division occurred in 1853, while the Rev. David Rutledge was pastor, the congregation worshiping in the old church calling itself First Charge, and the other calling itself Second Charge and wor- shiping for a short time in the little brick church which was located back of the present African Methodist Episcopal Church, and re- cently torn down. The Second Charge soon projected a church edifice and located it on the southwest corner of Main Street and Sandusky Avenue. The congregation was not a wealthy one, and it was only after hard work and the most rigorous self-denial that they finally brought their handsome church to completion at a cost of $7,000. The Rev. David Rutledge was pastor, and was earnestly supported by such men as Anson Brown, Hamilton B. Short, Daniel Stephenson, J. O. Butler, Thomas Miltenberger, Joseph Chambers, and S. L. Taylor. J. O. Butler is the only one of these now living. The church was dedicated June 17, 1855, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Davis Clark, D. D., then editor of the Ladies' Re- pository. The newspapers of that time were not very profuse in their reports of local enterprises. The only paper that gave any mention of the dedicatory services was the Bellefontaine Republican, in the issue of June 22, 1855. The following is the brief notice, occupying seven lines, a sample of journalism in the fifties: "At the dedication of the new church last Sabbath, $1,500 was sub- scribed to meet the indebtedness, and but $500 more remains to be raised to pay the whole expense of this magnificent structure. This, we conclude, is a favorable state of things for those most directly interested. One more peep at the stars and the day is yours."
The two charges were consolidated in 1858, at the conclusion of the pastorates of the Rev. Franklin Marriott and the Rev. Oliver Kennedy. The Rev. Thomas Parker was the first pastor of the united congregations. His deeply spiritual and magnetic eloquence
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is still remembered by many of his old parishioners. The Church now entered upon a period of great prosperity. The pastoral term was increased to three years in 1864, and for five successive pas- torates the full term was served, namely, the Revs. Wesley G. Waters, L. A. Belt, Isaac Newton, S. L. Roberts, and E. D. Whit- lock. Since 1863, with the exception of two years, there has not been a pastorate of less than three years' duration.
In the autumn of 1885, during the Rev. Isaac Newton's second pastorate, occurred what is known as the great "Bitler Revival," which resulted in about two hundred accessions to the Church. The church building now became inadequate to accommodate the growing congregation. A new church was talked of, and subscriptions were solicited by Brother Newton. In September, 1886, Rev. J. L. Albritton was appointed his successor. From the very beginning Brother Albritton with his wonted energy urged the building of a new church. A soliciting committee was accordingly appointed, consisting of John B. Williams, J. O. Sweet, and Joseph Colton. The original plan was to build a $20,000 church on the site of the old edifice, but the trustees finally concluded to purchase the Davidson lot, on the opposite corner, which would afford them more room to build a larger and finer structure. Under the wise and energetic administration of Brother Albritton, assisted by a faithful Church and an efficient Building Committee, consisting of J. M. Williamson, John B. Williams, Robert Colton, Alfred Butler, and E. J. Short, the present magnificent edifice was brought to completion at a cost of $40,000. The dedicatory services were held Sunday, June 23, 1889, Bishop John P. Newman preaching the sermon. It was a great occasion, fully 1,600 people being present, and, under the efficient management of Presiding Elder L. A. Belt, $9,000 were raised in subscriptions to cover the total indebtedness.
All bore nobly their part of the financial burden, and many con- tributions, especially among the smaller amounts, involved the severest self-denial and were given with tears of gratitude. Never, perhaps, was a church built with so little friction. All entered into the enterprise enthusiastically and thus built for themselves this beautiful memorial. Robert Colton, Joseph Colton, J. B. Williams, Alfred Butler, J. M. Williamson, and others, together with the
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pastor, gladly sacrificed time and much energy in the management of the finances and the supervision of the work of church building. The architect of the church was Wm. Kauffman, of Pittsburgh, Pa., son of Mr. and Mrs. James Kauffman, of Bellefontaine. It is in many respects one of the finest church edifices within the bounds of the Central Ohio Conference.
Four times within the history of the Church has the Annual Conference held its sessions in Bellefontaine. The first convened August 30, 1365, Bishop Thomas A. Morris presiding; the second, September 26, 1877, Bishop Matthew Simpson presiding; the third, September 9, 1886, under the presidency of Bishop John M. Walden, and the fourth, September, 1896, Bishop Charles H. Fowler presiding.
The Church has had the distinction of having three of its mem- bers represent the Central Ohio Conference in the General Confer- ence.
Judge Wm. Lawrence was unusually honored in being elected repeatedly as a lay delegate to that body : to the General Conference at Brooklyn, in 1872; at Philadelphia, in 1876; at Cincinnati, in 1880, and at Omaha, in 1992. In all of these Conferences his reputation as a lawyer, jurist, and statesman won for him dis- tinguished recognition and gave him a commanding influence. On the floor of the Conference, as in the committee room, he was always prominent in the discussion of the great constitutional ques- tions of the Church.
John B. Williams was elected to the General Conference which convened in New York in 1888, and proved himself worthy of the honor conferred upon him; and Robt. Colton to the General Con- ference of 1900, in Chicago.
Dr. C. R. Havighurst, at present pastor of a large and promi- nent Church in Youngstown, Ohio, to whom we are indebted for this excellent history of the Church, was the pastor in Bellefontaine in the early nineties.
In 1891 the Church gave $1,339 to missions, of which $1,010 was contributed by the Church and Sunday school, and $329 by the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society. For a number of years the Church enjoyed the distinction of being the banner missionary Church in the Conference.
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MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH, PRESIDING ELDERS, AND DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS.
Pastors: Levi White; George Gotch; Thomas Beachman; Joshua Boucher ; John W. Clarke and James B. Finley ; Robt. W. Finley and Wm. Sutton; John G. Bruce, John Stewart and Peter Sharp; W. M. Sullivan and Thomas Sims; Wm. S. Morrow and Wesley Brock; Stephen H. Holland and Wm. J. Elsworth ; Adam Minnear and John W. Steele; Daniel D. Davidson and John W. Stone; William Morrow and Abram B. Waumbaugh; Jacob Brown; David Warnock and Wm. Nickerson; Samuel Lynch and Geo. S. Phillips; Wm. Spafford; Robert S. Kimlen and Wm. Boggs; Mathew L. Starr and Alex. Harmount; Samuel L. Yourtee and Elisha Hook; Joseph Jones, Jacob T. Caples, David Rutledge, Thomas H. Wilson, Joseph Wykes, Franklin Marriott, Wm. W. Winter, David Rutledge, H. S. Bradley, Jas. W. Fribley, Oliver Kennedy, Thomas Parker, John S. Kalb, Chas. W. Ketcham, Samuel Lynch, Wesley G. Waters, Leroy A. Belt, Isaac Newton, Samuel L. Roberts, E. D. Whitlock, Gershom Lease, Oliver Ken- nedy, E. D. Whitlock, Isaac Newton, J. L. Albritton, C. R. Havig- hurst, J. M. Mills, T. H. Campbell, Jesse Swank, M. M. Figley, J. F. Olive, and C. C. Peale.
Presiding Elders and District Superintendents: J. B. Finley, Sandusky District, Ohio Conference; John Callins, Miami District, Ohio Conference; J. B. Finley, Lebanon District, Ohio Conference; John F. Wright, Lebanon District, Ohio Conference; Wm. H. Raper, Lebanon District, Ohio Conference, for one year, and on the Urbana District for two years; Robert O. Spencer, Urbana Dis- trict, Ohio Conference; Zachariah Connee, Urbana District, Ohio Conference; Wni. S. Morrow, Bellefontaine District, North Ohio Conference.
For the next nineteen years the Sidney District appears in the Minutes of the Conference, twelve of which were in the North Ohio, four in the Delaware, and three in the Central Ohio Conference, with Samuel P. Shaw, Wesley Brock, Hiram M. Shaffer, John S. Kalb, and Alexander Harmount as presiding elders. The name then changed to the Bellefontaine District, Central Ohio Conference, with Joseph Ayres, Joseph Wykes, Wesley G. Waters, Samuel L. Roberts, Oliver Kennedy, Leroy A. Belt, E. D. Whitlock, And. J.
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Fish, T. H. Campbell, as presiding elders, and C. R. Havighurst and D. H. Bailey as district superintendents.
BETTSVILLE CHURCH.
The Bettsville society was formerly a part of the Port Clinton Mission.
In 1851 the territory comprising Bettsville was known as the Seneca Mission.
Newell J. Close was appointed pastor of the mission in 1851, and received $174. The charge is now composed of Bettsville, Fort Seneca, Kansas, and Amsden. At an early date in the history of Bettsville it was connected with Lower Sandusky (Fremont), and was served by ministers of the North Ohio Conference.
Like all other appointments in the early days of Methodism, it has undergone many changes of relation, and as no consecutive account of the society has been kept, it is impossible to give the history of the Church in this place.
The Annual Conference Minutes afford some information con- cerning the names of pastors, the following appearing in the list: J. Brakefield, James Milligan, J. T. Caples, Jonas Adams, Lorenzo Rogers, Richard Biggs, David Bulle, John W. Hill, Sr., L. O. Cook, Philip Lemasters, N. S. Brackney, Oramil Sheeves, J. S. Snodgrass, A. Barker, S. W. Scott, C. S. Barron, T. J. Engle.
All the societies worship in good church buildings, and the circuit is provided with a new and very commodious parsonage, located at Bettsville, and erected under the pastorate of C. S. Barron.
BOWLING GREEN CHURCH.
[We are indebted to the late Mr. Samuel Case, of Bowling Green, and his daughter. Mrs. Lura W. Callin, for this historical sketch .- EDITOR.]
Along in the early twenties the itinerant Methodist preachers began work in this neighborhood, preaching in the cabins and the primitive schoolhouses, wherever a few pioneers were willing to gather together to listen to their messages. The house of Joseph Sargent, near Portage, became a regular preaching place, as did also the home of Robert Barr, in Center Township, the site of the old house being within the city limits of Bowling Green.
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Later on a schoolhouse, situated on the Napoleon road, near Main Street, became a permanent preaching center, and the Rev. I. Tracy (a local preacher, and the father of I. R. Tracy, of To- ledo), Joshua Carr, and others, ministered to the little class, of which John Sargent and wife, Joseph Sargent and wife, and Wil- liam Hunter and wife were among the members.
Bowling Green received its first regular ministry in 1836, from Revs. Alanson Fleming and Wesley Shortis, who were the preachers on the Waterville Mission, which included then Wood, Lucas, Henry, Hancock, Ottawa, and San- dusky Counties. Rev. John Janes was presiding elder. There were at that time 224 members on the circuit, but eight years later there were but 104; the situation may be understood by the following incident: In 1843 Rev. Charles Thomas came to the Water- ville Mission, but, after spending one night at the home of Father Pray and discussing the work, he left before daylight the next morning, with the parting message that if he must starve, or die of chills and fever, he preferred REV. JACOB A. HOFFMAN, PASTOR. a natural death and burial at Jeromeville, Wayne County, Ohio.
But there was a brave and gallant force whose nerve did not fail them in facing the terrors of the "Black Swamp" in behalf of the struggling pioneers for the sake of our Lord and Master, and we find among these hardy pioneer itinerants the names of Elnathan C. Gavitt, L. B. Gurley, James A. Kellam, John Janes, Wesley Brock, S. B. Guiberson, Oliver Burgess, Rolla H. Chubb, E. R. Hills, Horatio Bradley, John T. Kellam, Austin Coleman, Ira Chase, Elijah H. Pilcher, John L. Johnson, Samuel L. Yourtee, John A. Shannon, Thomas Barkdull, W. W. Winter, and Luke Johnson.
The first Sunday school was organized in Bowling Green in 1838 by Rev. Austin Coleman, with Henry Lundy as first librarian.
The first church building was erected in 1846, on the site now occupied by the Church of Christ, at the corner of Main and Wash- ington Streets. Rev. Joseph O. Shannon was pastor in charge, and
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Thomas N. Barkdull the junior preacher. This old building, the only place of worship in town for many years, and the cradle of each of the leading Church organizations of the town, was burned after being removed from the original site; the parsonage, pur- chased in 1856 and located across the street from the church, is still standing.
In 1866 this property was sold to the Congregational society. A new site was secured at the corner of Wooster and Prospect
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BOWLING GREEN CHURCH.
Streets, preparations were made to build a larger and more com- modious structure. These preparations were seriously hindered by the county seat contest, which overtaxed the little community's financial resources in the building of a new courthouse, so it was not until 1871 that the corner-stone was laid in the foundation, which had been in slow preparation for several years. Rev. Willis- ton officiated at this ceremony, and Chaplain C. C. McCabe dedi- cated the church in 1872, also giving his famous lecture, "Bright Side of Life in Libby Prison," to help swell the building fund. At this time . Thomas N. Barkdull was the pastor in charge and was finishing the allotted term of three years' service, to the sorrow of the small but courageous little society which had profited so much
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by his kindness and wisdom. He had been preceded by Fielding L. Harper, who was appointed here in 1865, but died February 22, 1866, aged thirty-five years. He was succeeded by Rev. John Poucher in 1866, who remained until the fall of 1868, when John Kalb came for one year.
The following are the names of the preachers serving from 1852 to the present time: Frederick W. Vaticon, Nelson B. Wilson, Ambrose Hollington, Henry L. Nickerson, Joseph O. Shannon, Martin Perkey, Samuel L. Roberts, Josiah Adams, John A. Shan- non, Jason Wilcox, Gershom Lease, I. N. Kalb, Joseph Good, Field- ing L. Harper, John Poucher, John Kalb, T. N. Barkdull, D. R. Cook, L. M. Albright, Adam C. Barnes, I. N. Smith, Richard Wallace, I. D. Simms, N. B. C. Love, L. E. Prentice, G. H. Priddy, C. W. Taneyhill, W. H. Scoles, J. W. Holland, W. W. Lance, George Matthews, Stewart C. Wright, F. H. Essert, A. J. Fish, A. R. Custar, and J. A., Hoffman. These make the complete list of faithful and competent men that have served this Church during the past half a century, each leaving the impress of his ideal of the divine attainments and its demonstration in real life, and all adding something to the composite result attained at the present time.
It was during the pastorate of the Rev. J. W. Holland that plans were laid for the building of a new structure better adapted to the needs of the growing congregation and Sunday school, which finally materialized in the present beautiful church.
This new church was dedicated December 10, 1899, by Bishop C. H. Fowler, assisted by Dr. J. W. Bashford, president of the Ohio Wesleyan University, and the pastor, Stewart C. Wright.
The membership of the Church now (1914) numbers 725, and the Sunday school has an enrollment of more than one thousand scholars, each enumeration having almost doubled in the last five years, during the pastorate of the present pastor, Rev. Jacob A. Hoffman. Bowling Green is now one of the strong, aggressive Churches of the Conference.
BRADNER CHURCH.
The Methodist Church was organized in Bradner in 1866 by the Rev. Melvin T. Ayers, a member of the North Ohio Conference since Lakeside was transferred to that Conference. The number of members constituting the original roll was eighteen.
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The present church building was erected in 1891, under the pastorate of Wilson U. Spencer, deceased. This building is now being remodeled at a cost of about $5.000.
Bradner was an appointment on the Prairie Depot Circuit until 1898, when W. T. Dumm became the first resident pastor, with Portage and Bethel as outlying appointments. Within the next
year or two Portage was taken off, and Rollersville became a part of the circuit.
During the pastorate of J. W. Miller a neat and comfortable par- sonage was built.
The membership is constantly changing, because the town is in an oil region, but those belonging to the Church are faithful and earnest in service.
Prior to the organization of the REV. ROBERT E. CARTER, PASTOR. Church in the town occasional preaching was held, which led to the formation of the society in the year mentioned.
The principal mover in the establishment of the society and the erection of the church was M. E. S. James, who secured nearly all the money to build the house of worship.
The pastors serving the Church have been: W. T. Dumm, J. W. Miller, C. A. Moore, S. W. Scott, Geo. A. Whitlock, and R. E. Carter.
BRYAN CHURCH AND WILLIAMS COUNTY METHODISM.
Williams County was created by legislative enactment in 1820, but was not organized until 1824. At that time there were few, if any, white inhabitants within the present boundaries of Williams County ; however, a large part of what is now Defiance County was then included in Williams, and in 1825 the county seat was located at Defiance, then a small settlement on the Maumee River, near Ft. Defiance, at the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers.
In 1826 a call went up from this settlement to the Ohio Con- ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for help; and in re-
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sponse Elias Pattee was sent, who was probably the first Methodist preacher sent into Northwestern Ohio. There was no fixed boun- dary to his field of labor; it was limited only by circumstances and conditions, which were continually changing. but his efforts and influence brought gratifying results.
In 1833 Daniel Colgan settled on Bean Creek, within the present boundaries of Williams County. Other settlers came, and they applied to Defiance for preaching. James B. Austin came and probably preached the first sermon, and formed the first Meth- odist class in the county, at the home of Daniel Colgan. Other settlements were forming in the county, and there was organized a circuit, to which various names were given, one authority calling it the "Bean Creek and Pulaski Mission," others applying the title, "Lafayette Circuit." Whatever name may be applied to it, the work went on.
Henry Warner and Austin Coleman were the first men regu- larly sent out from Defiance upon the circuit, which at that time embraced all of what is now Williams County, a part of Fulton County, and Defiance County, and even extended into Indiana. The presiding elder's district embraced all of Northwestern Ohio.
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