USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 37
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Rev. H. H. Fout was called to the pastorate on September 1, 1891, and served the church for eight years. The splendid auditorium was built during Mr. Fout's first year and dedicated on October 2, 1892.
Rev. J. G. Huber became pastor on August 27, 1899, and continued through a period of ten years. During this pastorate the Sunday-school rooms were further enlarged and an elegant pipe organ, the gift of Mr. George W. Hartzell, was in- stalled in April 1906. In the winter of 1908-9 a finely equipped basement was placed under the auditorium to accommodate the men's Bible classes and to pro- vide suitable rooms for social uses.
At the end of twenty-three years of uninterrupted prosperity the church mem- bership numbered six hundred and fifty. Rev. E. S. Bowman was appointed pastor August 26, 1909.
THE FAIRVIEW CHURCH was organized in the spring of 1887. The building was begun in the fall of 1886 and completed in the spring of 1887. The class was organized by the Methodists and the building was also erected by them but was purchased by the United Brethren before it was dedicated and was formally dedi- cated by the United Brethren in July, 1887. The deed was recorded July 13, 1887.
The church was the outgrowth of a Union Sunday school, organized in 1868 or 1869 and directed by Benjamin Mumma, a member of the First English Luth- eran church and was superintended by him for seventeen years. This Sunday- school was organized in the old schoolhouse on North Main street located be- tween Marathon and Hudson avenues. The building is still standing but is not being used at present.
About 1885 the Sunday school was moved to the school house in District No. 2 on Catalpa Drive where the Fairview high school building now stands. This change was made on account of the fact that a large number of the pupils came from this section of the country. This was a good move, for the attendance in-
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creased from fifty and sixty to over one hundred, the highest attendance during this period being one hundred and sixty-seven.
This increased interest and attendance and the conducting of cottage prayer- meetings and a revival meeting carried on part of the time in the schoolhouse and during the summer in Ephraim Seebers' barn by Mrs. Staley led to the purchas- ing of the lots and the erection of the Fairview church. .
The first names given for the class organization were: Hiram Mumma, Mrs. Anna Mumma, Noah Mumma, Cyrus Shawen, Mrs. Cyrus Shawen, Frank Mumma, C. W. Kurtz, Mrs. Jacob Puterbaugh, Nola Shawen and Mary Lear.
The first and only Methodist Episcopal pastor was Rev. H. Hershey, who served till July 13, 1887. The first United Brethren pastor was Rev. M. R. Bair, a student in the Bonebrake Seminary, who served the church for one year, until September, 1888. The following pastors served the church in order named: Rev. J. E. B. Rice, L. A. McGrew, P. M. Camp, F. G. Grigsby, S. W. Kiester, G. P. Macklin, H. K. Pitman, E. C. Petry, L. Barnhart, C. W. Kurtz, C. H. Snyder, C. A. Gumere, A. Dunkelberger.
The congregation has purchased two lots opposite the high school building and expects to build a new and modern church in the near future.
HOME AVENUE CHURCH is the outgrowth of a Sunday school conducted by James Manning under a tree near the present church, on Sunday, June 2, 1889. He succeeded in gathering six young people together. The following Sunday there were eleven present but none of the first six. The ground on which the first two meetings were held was owned by a large brewer in the city, who objected to the holding of religious services on his grounds. On request of Mr. W. B. King the meetings were next held in the beautiful grove adjoining the lot where the church building now is.
As winter drew near, the need of some kind of building was apparent. A subscription to the amount of sixty dollars was taken, and on a Tuesday, the last week in September, a building twenty by thirty-two feet was begun and on the following Sunday was ready for service. The first money received for this building was ten cents given by two little colored girls by the name of Barnett.
During the winter the Sunday-school had increased to an average in attendance of eighty-five, and on June 2, 1890, the school having outgrown its quarters, plans were announced for the enlargement of the structure, which was accordingly done the following fall.
The school was begun as an independent organization, but in the fall of 1890, by mutual agreement it was turned over to the United Brethren church, and was placed under the care of the Summit Street quarterly conference.
Said quarterly conference on December 5, 1890, elected D. R. Miller, D. O. Kimmel and P. E. Little as trustees. Said board was instructed to negotiate for the purchase of the building and furnishings of the old mission. The same were purchased for $400. On request of Dr. Miller the board was increased to five members by the addition of the names of A. W. Drury and J. Manning.
W. E. Shank was appointed to assist J. Manning the superintendent of the Sunday school and in the following spring on the resignation of Mr. Manning became the regular superintendent.
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On the 8th day of November, 1891, a special meeting was begun which closed on the 13th day of December with thirty conversions. Action was immediately taken looking to the organization of a church, which was completed on the 10th day of March, 1892, with forty-two charter members.
J. Mathias was elected leader and a Mr. Davis was elected steward of the new organization.
By an official act of the Summit Street quarterly conference, the interests, authority and responsibilities of the officers appointed by said quarterly con- ference were transferred to the quarterly conference of the Home Avenue United Brethren church, March 15, 1892.
The corner stone of the present edifice was laid on Sunday, October 23, 1892, by Rev. D. R. Miller, at which time five hundred dollars was raised toward the cost of the building.
The church was dedicated on Sunday, April 9, 1893. Rev. G. M. Mathews preached the sermon which was followed by short addresses by Rev. C. L. Work of the Third Presbyterian church and Bishop J. Weaver, D. D. Rev. D. R. Miller then presented the financial needs of the church. stating that the church had cost four thousand, five hundred dollars, of which amount two thousand, one hundred dollars was needed to clear the church of all indebtedness. The sum of one thousand, seven hundred dollars was secured, and the balance being assumed by the Board of Trustees, Bishop Weaver formally dedicated the building
A parsonage costing about two thousand dollars was afterward erected on the lot adjoining the church.
Rev. J. C. Gardner, a student in the seminary was appointed by the pre- siding elder as pastor, and served until the ensuing session of the conference, at which time he was appointed regular pastor until the following conference held in the last week of August, 1893, at which time Rev. F. G. Griggsby was appointed pastor and served the church for eight years. He was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Kilbourn, who served the church as its pastor for one year, and he in turn was succeeded by the Rev. J. Elmer Yingling, the present pastor.
The church building is of frame, with a seating capacity of 500, including the auditorium and two lecture rooms.
The church has grown in membership from forty-two in 1891 to three hundred and thirty-two in 1909. The Sunday school has increased from six members, June 2, 1889, to about four hundred and thirty-five enrollment in 1909, with an average attendance of two hundred and forty-two. The Senior Christian En- deavor numbers one hundred and five, while the Junior Christian Endeavor num- bers one hundred and eight.
COWDEN MEMORIAL CHURCH is located at the corner of Herman avenue and Linwood street. The story of this church is succinctly told in the following "bit of history."
1889-Lot purchased and chapel built by Mr. John Dodds.
1890-January Ist, first pastor, Rev. J. A. Groves appointed. February, church organized with thirty-one members.
1892-August, chapel moved to the present site at the corner of Main and Hershey streets.
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1901-Present building erected in the pastorate of Rev. H. K. Pitman.
1902-April 27th, new building dedicated.
1906-September 9th, Merle Beard Memorial Pipe Organ dedicated.
The following ministers have served the church: J. A. Groves, 1890; J. G. Graham, 1890; P. M. Camp, 1891; S. W. Kiester, 1892; G. P. Macklin, 1895; H. K. Pitman, 1898; Warren L. Bunger, 1903 to the present time.
The present membership is three hundred and ninety-five. The enrollment of the Sunday school is four hundred and sixty-four. The present value of the church building and grounds is twenty-five thousand dollars.
The church is named in honor of Colonel Robert Cowden, a member of the congregation who has been general secretary of the Sunday-school board of the United Brethren church from 1877 to the present time. The church has some unique features and is doing an excellent work.
HARTFORD STREET CHURCH was provided with a location under the auspices of the United Brethren Alliance of the city of Dayton, which purchased a lot at the corner of Hartford and Dudley streets, in the fall of 1890. The first trustees were : M. R. Drury, E. M. Glancy, A. Garst, C. W. Olinger and H. M. Hager. In July, . 1891, work was begun on a church. The first service in the completed church was held November 22d of that year. The entire cost of the church property was six thousand, two hundred dollars. November 29th, fifty-two persons from other United Brethren churches enrolled as charter members, and the same day a Sun- day-school was organized.
In the early period and for years afterward, Rev. M. R. Drury had much to do in promoting the work of the congregation. During the first three months - when there was no regular pastor, as a result of evangelistic meetings there were fifty-nine additions to the church. March I, 1892, Rev. J. A. Groves became pas- tor, who served till September of that year when he was succeeded by Rev. J. A. Eby. The church was at no time a mission but paid its own expenses from the beginning. In 1897 Rev. William Cleaver became pastor, serving till the begin- ning of 1898, when Rev. P. M. Camp became pastor. The succeeding pastors were: Rev. W. M. Van Sickle, 1903 ; Rev. H. H. Haller, 1904 ; Rev. W. C. Nise- wonger, 1908, to the present time. The church was remodeled in 1902 at a cost of four thousand, two hundred dollars.
OLIVET CITURCH owes its origin to the interest in the spiritual welfare of the children in District No. 7, Harrison township, by Misses Carrie Ward and Lide Martin, who were at that time Presbyterians. A Sunday-school was organized by them at the schoolhouse on the Germantown pike, July 12, 1896, sixteen per- sons being present the first session. The Sunday school was continued here for about four years, when Mr. D. H. Gard gave the use of a small building at the corner of Gard avenue and Germantown street. In this building a church of twenty members was organized March 10, 1901, Rev. I. E. Runk, a student in the Bonebrake Seminary, being pastor.
The first preaching services were by Rev. A. Dunkelberger in the schoolhouse on Sabbath afternoons. Rev. H. H. Haller, now of Los Angeles, California, was one of their helpers while in the seminary.
After the organization of the class under Rev. Runk's pastorate, the congre- gation was served by Revs. U. S. G. Renn, Eugene Williams, J. H. Roberts, E. J.
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Blackburn and F. B. Church until September, 1904, when Rev. W. M. Van Sickle was appointed to Olivet, as it had been named, and Belmont jointly.
June 21, 1905, ground was broken for a new church on a lot at the corner of Lakeview and Cliffton streets, which had been purchased previously. Sunday, Sept. 17, 1905, the corner stone was laid. Sunday, Jan. 7, 1906, the first morning session of the Sunday school and church service was held in the new building, which was dedicated Jan. 21, 1906, by Dr. H. H. Fout. The building is of concrete blocks, thirty-six by fifty-two feet, with basement under the entire structure. The audience room is thirty-six by thirty-six, with vestibule ten by ten and small room sixteen by twenty-six, with gallery above. When the rooms are all thrown to- gether there is a seating capacity of three hundred and fifty. The cost of building and ground was five thousand, seven hundred dollars. W. M. Van Sickle re- mained pastor until September, 1908, when he was succeeded by Rev. D. R. Wil- son. The present membership of the church is one hundred and thirteen, with a Sunday-school enrollment of ninety-three.
BELMONT CHURCH began as a Sunday-school in November, 1902. Mrs. Bogen- zife who was then a member of the Oak Street United Brethren church and Mrs. Miller, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, gathered a few children together in the Belmont schoolhouse. Some months later they prevailed upon D. D. Secore, then a member of the Beavertown United Brethren church to su- perintend the Sunday-school. He is now in his seventh year of continuous efficient service in this position.
In February 1904, Rev. J. H. Dutton, then a student of the Bonebrake Sem- inary and Rev. P. M. Camp, who was then presiding elder in Miami conference, held a protracted meeting in the schoolhouse which later resulted in the organiza- tion of a class of about thirty members.
September, 1904, W. M. Van Sickle was appointed pastor, and in a few months began planning for the building of a church. Lots were secured and the church, a neat frame thirty-six by fifty-two of two rooms, gallery and basement, was begun.
November 25, 1906, the church, which cost about five thousand dollars, was dedicated by Dr. H. H. Fout, a member of the congregation.
The conference of 1907 made this a mission station and Rev. W. L. Duncan, a seminary student, was assigned to the work.
August, 1908, Rev. J. B. Showers was assigned to the pastorate of the church and still continues that relation. The present number of members is one hun dred and ten, with a well organized Sunday-school, numbering one hundred and seventeen.
Belmont is a rapidly growing suburb of the city of Dayton of seven or eight hundred people at the intersection of the Spring Valley and Xenia and Dayton traction lines. This is the only church in the locality.
TROY STREET CHURCH was organized through the officers and members of the Summit street church who, in the fall of 1903, felt inspired to plant and foster a mission Sabbath school in some needy piace. A new part of North Dayton was chosen.
The Summit Street Sunday-school raised one hundred and twenty-five dollars to start the work. A small Sunday-school was started on Warner avenue, near
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Grove street, and Monroe Crecelius, a student in Bonebrake Theological Sem- inary, was given charge of the work, with the relation of assistant pastor of the Summit Street church.
The first service was held January 4, 1904, with an attendance of sixty-six per- sons. From the very first the interest and attendance were such that it soon be- came apparent other quarters would have to be found.
The Miami Conference Church Extension Board, after looking into the situa- tion thoroughly, purchased three lots on the corner of Troy and Leonard streets. Here a tent was pitched and on Sunday, June 5th, the Sabbath school moved into it. The average attendance during this period was seventy-six.
On July 20, 1904, the church and Sunday-school were formally organized with the officers-Rev. Monroe Crecelius, pastor, and Rev. J. M. Phillipi, superintendent.
About this time ground was broken for the erection of a suitable building in which the church and school might be permanently located. The corner stone of this building was laid July 24, 1904. January 1, 1905, the school went from base- ment to the auditorium and began a forenoon session.
The dedication of the church occurred January 8, 1905. The services were in charge of Bishop W. M. Weekley. The pledges secured on the building fund were about eight thousand dollars, of which one thousand, three hundred and fifty dollars came from various classes in the Sabbath-school.
Rev. Monroe Crecelius continued to act as pastor until in August, 1905, when Rev. H. H. Yohe was appointed his successor. Rev. Yohe served until April I, 1907. Rev. C. W. Stevens was appointed in May of that year and continued as pastor for fifteen months when he was succeeded by Rev. George W. Self, the pres- ent pastor.
The church has a membership of two hundred and one, and a Sabbath-school enrollment of three hundred and twenty.
The congregation are hopeful that the next few years will witness the erection of a large church edifice on the spacious ground immediately in front of the pres- ent building.
This sketch would not be complete without tender reference to the first pastor, Rev. Monroe Crecelius, who in September, 1906, went to Japan to engage in mis- sionary work. After fifteen month's service he died at his post, December 20, 1907.
THE EAST DAYTON CHURCH was organized in 1903 as a mission under the care of the First United Brethren church. The present chapel which was built in 1904 is located on the corner of Burkhardt avenue and Fifth street. Rev. G. Mahlon . Miller was the first pastor, serving at the same time as the assistant pastor of the First church. Rev. W. T. Frank succeeded him in 1909. The membership of the church numbers two hundred and forty-one. The Sunday-school has an en- rollment of over four hundred. The pastor and people are now planning for a new and much larger church. Although the youngest United Brethren church in the city it is aggressive, the church membership uniting in a spirit of hearty co- operation.
OTTERBEIN FIRST GERMAN CHURCH grew out of a German mission started in Dayton in 1853 with Rev. H. Staub as pastor. The second pastor was Rev. J. A. Sand. At first worship was conducted in the lecture room of the First United
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Brethren church, but in 1855 a one-story brick church was built on Wayne avenue near Jones street. Rev. W. L. Craumer was the third pastor. The succeeding pastors were : E. Light, G. Fritz, G. Schmidt, A. Krause, M. Bussdicker, C. Streich, E. Lorenz, Charles Schneider, Solomon Vonneida, Justus Moeller, Charles E. Schneider, George Schmidt, Justus Moeller, J. Sick, A. Schmidt, E. Lorenz, Justus Moeller, C. H. Baumbach, 1896; J. Sick, 1900 ; J. Assel, 1903 ; and John Schwab, 1900.
The present tasteful and commodious church at the corner of Xenia avenue and Quitman street was erected in 1891. The church membership numbers one hundred and thirty-seven. The enrollment of the Sunday-school is one hundred and thirty.
SECOND GERMAN CHURCH was organized in the year 1893. The membership of the First German church was divided at that time to form a mission in North Dayton, where a goodly number of the members lived. These people had been gathered into the German United Brethren church on Wayne avenue under the incessant labors of Rev. G. Schmidt, still remembered among the older mem- bers as "der Lebendige," and formed the nucleus for the mission which was started several years later. Though not Germans themselves, having emigrated, for the most part, from that section on the Russian border formerly the duchy of Lithuania of Poland, they nevertheless understood and spoke the German language sufficiently to enable them to worship in conjunction with the European Gerinans.
In snow or rain, sunshine or storm these sturdy and devout Christians walked back and forth between North Dayton and Xenia avenue for several years. It was then decided to start a class over on the north side and for this purpose a small wooden structure was purchased from the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church for two hundred dollars and moved to Chapel and Whealon streets where it still serves as a place of meeting. Sixty-five members comprised this new mission, of which number twenty-six are still in the church.
The first minister to be sent to the new field was the Rev. H. J. Fischer now of Cleveland, Ohio. He served only one year, being followed by Rev. John Dunz- weiler who occupied the pulpit from 1893 to 1895. He in turn was succeeded by Rev. G. Meyer who died after two years spent at the charge. Rev. G. Moeller followed him remaining four years, 1897 to 1901. Rev. William Dunzweiler was pastor from 1901 to 1904. He was succeeded by Rev. J. Dunzweiler. In 1907 Rev. William A. Weber, the present pastor, was appointed to. the charge.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
THE FIRST CHURCH was organized November 23, 1880, with fifteen families and twenty-nine members. Their first building was purchased from the First English Lutheran congregation on the corner of Fourth and Jefferson streets, and was occupied as a place of worship until it was sold in 1894. The new church building was erected in 1895 on the corner of High and McLain streets and was dedicated December 15, 1895.
The pastors who have served the congregation have been the following: 1881, J. B. Foster ; 1883, Ebenezer Curry; 1888, W. S. McClanahan ; 1867, Rob-
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ert Stewart ; 1869, F. A. Hutchison; 1874, James W. McNary; 1880, D. W. French, D. D .; 1893, E. C. Simpson, D. D .; 1900 to the present time, C. E. McStravick.
The membership at last reports was two hundred and ten. The enrollment in the Sabbath school is about one hundred and sixty.
SECOND CHURCH was organized April 28, 1904, with twenty-eight members. The organization was the ontgrowth of a Sabbath-school which had been organ- ized and conducted under the direction of the First church beginning January I, 1904, and aided by a missionary, Miss Margaret J. Stewart, from the Women's Home Mission Board.
Their first and only building, the one which they now occupy on the corner of Wayne avenue and Park street, was purchased from the Park Presbyterian church in October, 1904. Rev. Edgar G. Bailey became their pastor in the year of their organization and is still serving the congregation. Their membership at last report was one hundred and forty-three.
THE DISCIPLES.
THE CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST was an outgrowth of the First Baptist church in Dayton.
In 1827 David S. Burnet became pastor of the First Baptist church, then hav- ing a membership of fourteen. It had adopted a declaration of faith and rules of business such as were in use at the time by the Particular Baptists.
In the year of Mr. Burnet's arrival these were discarded and new rules adopted. In November of the same year a lot was purchased on Main street between Water and First streets, for one hundred and fifty dollars. In 1828 a house was built on this location. On March 31, 1829, a resolution was adopted by the congre- gation rejecting all former creeds used by the church and a covenant was adopted declaring the New Testament as the only rule of faith and practice.
This action brought the congregation into accord with a movement for the restoration of primitive Christianity which had been inaugurated under the labors of Thomas and Alexander Campbell and others in western Pennsylvania in 1809. The purpose of the movement and the hope of its promoters was to heal the bitter spirit of sectarian hatred then prevalent and bring all followers of Christ into one divine fellowship. To this end human creeds were discarded and the New Testa- ment taken as the only rule of faith and practice. "Where the Bible speaks, we speak, and where the Bible is silent, we are silent," was the motto. It was the hope that by attempting to restore the primitive church a sure foundation would be secured. The platform of the united church of the first century was regarded as the sufficient foundation of the reunited church of the last days.
This new action of the congregation on Main street brought them into full ac- . cord with the restoration movement of the Campbells and others. At about the same time the church, which had grown to the number of eighty-four members, excluded eight persons from the fellowship of the congregation. These in turn resolved that they were the Baptist church and attempted to exclude the others and secure the property. In 1832 a decision of the state supreme court, how- ever, gave the property to the followers of Mr. Burnet. The decision was based
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on the fact that the church was congregational in government and that the majority favored the new relations.
The church continued in that location until 1855, when it sold the property and moved to its present location at the corner of Brown and Sixth streets.
The present building was dedicated early in 1890.
The membership of the church has grown to eight hundred; the Bible school has an enrollment of three hundred and fifty.
The church has been served by a number of ministers who have been men of national fame and influence among the churches of Christ. D. S. Burnet, the first pastor, was a man of unusual powers of mind, cultured, refined and a foremost factor in the earlier days of the movement to which he gave his life. He remained with the Dayton church till 1832.
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