USA > Ohio > Knox County > Past and present of Knox County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 14
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weekly and daily paper in June, 1898. It is a progressive, though conserva- tive, paper, full of the daily news.
The Mount Vernon True Whig, established in 1848, was the result of the proprietors of the Times not supporting General Taylor for the Presi- dency. Taylor, living in the South, held slaves and this the Times would "not stand for." hence the new paper, which continued for seven years a stanch Whig organ. During the 1848 campaign it was ably edited by Joseph S. Davis ; in 1849-50-51 and 1852 by John W. White, and the remainder of its existence by A. Banning Norton, who also ran a daily for three years, known as Norton's Daily True Whig, carrying as a motto the saying of David Crockett, "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." The support, finan- cially, was from the proprietor's own pocketbook, mostly, and in 1855 he tired of this sort of newspaper publishing and quit short. The Democratic Banner had also run as a daily for thirty days during the winter of 1852-3.
Other early-time papers were the Rainbow, edited by Rev. A. Sanback, at Mount Vernon, then moved to Fredericktown, then to Bellville, from which place it was removed to Tiffin.
The Lily was edited by the famous Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, of costume notoriety. It was moved to Iowa after about one year.
The Western Home Visitor, established in Mount Vernon by E. A. Higgins and edited by E. S. S. Rouse, was too good and large a publica- tion for the times and price asked. A half interest was soon sold to David C. Bloomer, who six months later became sole proprietor and two years later removed it to Columbus, Ohio.
Then came the National, with Agnes & Ragnet as proprietors, with William C. Gaston as its editor. This organ supported the "Lecomtonites" and after the defeat of that political faction it went out of commission.
Next, the Knox County Express was started by Agnes & Tilton, in De- cember, 1860, and in 1862 was published by C. M. Phelps & Company and ably edited by Judge S. Davis. The Express was finally merged with the Mt. Vernon Republican, then in the hands of the Mount Vernon Publishing Company.
During the early days of the Greenback craze, two organs advocating that party were established in one week, the Knox County Advocate, by two youthful printers, Joseph H. Watson and William A. Agnew, and the Knox County National, by a young attorney named John Lennon, who soon gave way to the former. Both were part home and part "patent print," furnished from Cleveland. After one year, the Advocate saw the error of its teach- ing and dropped the word National and run as a Republican organ the Advocate, which, after a brief, but heroic struggle, suspended operations.
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During the exciting campaign of 1878, Watson & Agnew, for two months, issued a daily as a straight campaign paper.
The Centerburg Gazette was established in 1880 by E. N. Gunsaulus, who was succeeded by Fuller Brothers, F. H. Huntsberger, J. C. Mc- Cracken and the present proprietor, L. M. Bell. Its present size is a six- column quarto, which is printed on an improved Babcock standard cylinder power press. Politically, this paper is an independent. It seeks local news, rather than that of being a political party leader or organ. It is this class of newspapers that give the common people what they most desire, a clean, neat, readable paper, void of political sensation. The Gazette enjoys a good patronage, both in its list of paid subscriptions and in the excellent job work which it turns from its presses.
The Knox County Herald, published at Danville, was established in March, 1908, by Paul Welker. It is now published by G. P. LaPorte, who purchased the office from Mr. Welker in February, 1911. It is a six-column quarto journal, independent in its politics and is printed on an old reliable Washington hand press. It has a good list of appreciative patrons who look for its weekly coming as they would for a news letter from a friend. It is well edited and has the respect of the community in which Danville is sit- uated. It is the second paper of the thriving village of Danville and should have the support of all who care to be well informed concerning the weekly events as they transpire.
The Tri-County Leader, of Danville, has been published since 1902 under the style of the Standard Printing Company; J. F. Dodd, proprietor, F. O. Padgett, editor. It is an eight-page six-column paper, independent in politics, is run from a hand press and asked to be a four-page, four-column paper. The journal is the successor of the Buckeye Star, established in 1881. This paper supplies the people of the three counties with an excellent local paper in which all decent news appears.
The Universalist Advocate was the pioneer publication in Hilliar town- ship, this county. It was established as a sixteen-page magazine devoted to the "universal salvation of all men." It was printed in the village of Centerburg from early in the forties up to 1861.
The Centerburg Mirror, a local newspaper of the seven-column kind, was started in 1878, but was short-lived. John S. Watson was its editor and proprietor.
The Independent, of Fredericktown, was started in 1871 by A. M. Smith, who was succeeded in 1872 by W. S. Ensign, who later sold to C. W. Townsend who conducted it until April, 1875, when the enterprise failed on account, it is believed, because he was a radical temperance advo-
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cate-way ahead of his time. M. F. Edwards purchased the material and started the Free-Press, June 1. 1875, and continued to publish it until 1880, when he sold to H. P. Johnson, who conducted a lively independent local journal, the same being a five-column quarto sheet. In 1907 W. G. Cum- mings was proprietor; E. A. Day in 1908, and the present proprietor com- menced in 1908. The paper is run from a gas engine power press; size and form is now from eight to ten-page six-column sheet, thirty-four by forty-four inches, all home print. Politically, it is a Republican journal.
LITERARY WORK.
Among the books published in Knox county should not be forgotten one entitled "The American Revolution," which was the first attempt at book-making in this county. It was printed at Clinton, this county, by Smith & McArdle. The second book was the "Columbian," a poem of the American war, in thirteen cantos. Next was "A Caveat against Method- ism," by a gentleman of the church of Rome, printed at the office of the Ohio Register. In 1830 C. & J. Colerick published a directory of Knox county, compiled by Edward Harkness from the tax books of the county.
The Day Book office published, in 1835, the "Laws and Ordinances of Mt. Vernon," and in 1852 the "Charter and Ordinances of Mt. Vernon" were published by the Truc Whig office. The "Revised Ordinances of the City of Mt Vernon" were published by the Republican office in 1878. The same year were published the "History and Rules of the Mt. Vernon Public Schools," by Joseph S. Davis, A.M .- this was a valuable work of forty pages. Several lesser books, mostly on religious subjects, have been from time to time published in this county, especially in connection with the college at . Gambier. Aside from such works of home authorship, may be named the valuable law books written by Judge Hurd and Charles H. Scribner, whose law works have been scattered throughout the length and breadth of this country, and are found in most all law libraries. Last, but by no means least, was the authorship of Knox county's first local history, that of A. Banning Norton, in 1862. This was a creditable account of the doings of this people from the earliest date down to Civil war days in Knox county. It has more than four hundred pages and the author is credited with being more nearly correct than any later historian. Having been reared and lived here many years, he was peculiarly fitted for the task he undertook.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CHURCHES OF KNOX COUNTY.
That the people of Knox county have, as a general rule, been a God- fearing and religiously-inclined class of citizens, is seen from the-numerous church organizations in the county, and that from the earliest day. It ap- pears from the church records that the Presbyterian society was the first formed in this county, the year being 1807. The following is as near a correct account of the organization of the various church societies in Knox county as can now be compiled, with what little aid has been furnished by those who are in a position to know and from previous historical sketches of these church organizations :
THE MOUNT VERNON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
1
As near as can now be determined, the first colony of Presbyterians to locate within Knox county included the following: William and Amos Leonard, Ziba Leonard, Ebenezer Brown, Rachel Mills (wife of John Mills) and Mary Knight (wife of William Knight). William Leonard, of this little company, was the oldest and looked upon as the true patriarch of the band who located at Mt. Vernon in the autumn of 1799, which was half a decade before the town had a place, on the records of the county. Mr. Leonard was then in his eighty-fourth year. Religious services were held at the home of Ziba Leonard, as his house was central and the largest. Here on Sunday and Thursday evenings the few Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist settlers met for services, and soon the outsiders began to come and take interest in divine things. In the early spring came others, including Abner Brown, Sr., and Abner Brown, Jr., from Greene county, Pennsyl- vania, from which section the others had emigrated; also Jacob and John Cook, from Washington county. After the death of Father Leonard, in the spring of 1805, his son Amos became a sort of religious leader in the colony.
It was probably in the year 1806 when Rev. James Scott visited the new settlement and preached at the house of Ziba Leonard the first sermon in this green, glad solitude ever uttered by a Presbyterian minister in this county. Clinton and Mt. Vernon had just been laid out as town sites, and
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emigration set in from Pennsylvania, some locating here, among them two families of this faith, James Colville and Robert Work.
In the summer of 1806 (or some have it 1807), the members of this band of true Presbyterians decided that the time had arrived when some steps should be taken to provide a church home in which to better worship God. Accordingly a place was chosen, on the road to the south of Hunt's and Amos Leonard cut the logs, the few neighbors hauled them and a "meeting house" was soon raised. These logs were rough and unhewn, the roof was of clapboards, while the floor was none other than mother earth. Round logs laid on the earth were used for seats. Two small poles of proper height were inserted in the ground and to these was pinned a board which constituted the first pulpit within the county. This rudely fashioned "church" was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God, Father Scott officiating. A majority of those who there worshiped formed them- selves into a church under Rev. John Wright, of Lancaster. It was called "Ebenezer," that being the given name of the oldest man in the organiza- tion. Prior to 1808 a church had been organized at Clinton. Among its members were James Loveridge and wife, James Colville and wife and two sisters, Robert Work and wife, Mrs. Park, wife of James Park, Josiah Day, Edward Marquis and wife, and Isabell Bonar. In April, 1809, the three churches in the county had but a total of twenty-eight members, the Clinton, Ebenezer and Frederick churches.
About 1814 a better church was erected at Clinton and served until about 1818, then services were held at the old court house till in 1821, when it became apparent that the building at Clinton must be abandoned for a new one proposed at Mt. Vernon and the change was made. The place where the church now stands was chosen as the location on which to erect a new building. Hence all but two lots of the entire block were secured for church and cemetery uses by the Presbyterian people. The church had only about fifty members and most all were poor. The undertaking was a large one, but they went forward and erected a building at a cost of about two thousand three hundred dollars, which was raised by the sale of seats before the work was commenced. Fifty-three seats were sold and fifty
dollars was the most paid for any single pew. The lowest sale was ten dollars. The structure was of brick and constructed by Stephen D. Minton. The size of the church was forty-five by fifty feet. In each end were large, wide double doors, which opened into an aisle seven feet in width, extend- ing the whole length of the building. Immediately in front of the pulpit was the singers' stand, two and a half feet from the floor, and there the leader of the singing, then styled "clerk," sat. The stand was furnished
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with what was those days considered necessary-a sounding board. The pulpit, singers' stand and sounding board were all painted light blue, while the balance of the house had no paint upon its surface.
On September 13, 1827, the name of the church was changed from Clinton to Mt. Vernon.
Rev. Scott continued to attend the three churches above named until April, 1840, when he resigned from the care of the Mt. Vernon church and attended the other two and preached at various points until within two weeks of his death, which occurred in September, 1851. He was unmarried when he first came to the county and had his study in the attic .of James Loveridge's cabin, and there, by the little light gained through a knot hole in the gable, he dug out his sermons.
In either 1841 or 1842 the old brick church was torn down and a new one erected This was built of wood and was forty-five by eighty feet in size and twenty-one feet to the ceiling. After a few years this building was totally destroyed by fire, and a new one, built of brick, took its place, after many a hard struggle in way of fund raising. All three churches occupied the same site. The new one was completed in April, 1860, and cost, with furniture, about eight thousand dollars.
From May, 1841, to April, 1844, the pastor was Rev. Chauncey Leav- enworth. In July, 1844, Rev. P. R. Vanatte commenced his labors as pastor. He was followed by a supply named William Hamilton, who had a call from the First church of Cincinnati and accepted. In June, 1850, Rev. Louis L. Conrad began his labors, which were quite brief and he re- turned to his old home in Pennsylvania. Rev. R. C. Colmerry became pastor in 1851, continuing until August, 1856. Rev. J. N. Shannon occu- pied the pulpit a short time and was followed by Rev. M. A. Sackett, who was pastor but a few weeks when the church building was burned. The next pastor was Rev. D. B. Harvey, who was installed January 16, 1862. Following him came Revs. O. H. Newton and A. K. Bates, who were pastors in order given until 1881, when came C. L. Work, who served till 1883, followed by T. O. Lowe in 1884, who served until 1887, and was succeeded by F. A. Wilber, D.D., and he in turn, in November, 1905, by James S. Revennaugh, who served till the present pastor, Rev. W. A. Clemmer, came, in October, 1910.
The building above named as having been erected in 1860 has served until the present year, and to it is being added a large front of pressed, red brick, and the building is being entirely rebuilt. When completed there will have been expended more than twenty-four thousand dollars, on the present improvement and addition, which, with the main part of the old
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building still to be made a part of the new edifice, will make it one of the largest and finest churches in the city. The present membership of this society is two hundred and eighty-four.
The corner stone of the new edifice has this for its inscription, on the Gay street side of the building: "Erected to the glory of God and the honor of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. John III-16." This was done at the suggestion of one of the members of the church. W. P. Bo- gardus.
MARTINSBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Martinsburg Presbyterian church was the first to be established in Clay township in 1808, by Rev. John Wright. At an early day this was ยท the banner township for this sect in all Ohio. The Old-School Presby- terians were the original pioneers in this township. Their first meetings were held at private houses and nearly every settler was of this faith. At a very early day this church society was formed at Martinsburg. Rev. John Wright was the first pastor and remained until about 1827, when he resigned and was succeeded by Rev. John McKinney and he in turn by Rev. James Campbell. Henry Hervey was installed in 1830, when the church had about one hundred members and at one time, before he left, the church numbered almost three hundred membership, a very large so- ciety. The present membership is about fifty. A brick church was built in 1850. Since the above named the pastors have been: Revs. N. C. Hel- fudge, J. D. Walkinshaw, John Foy, C. W. Hempstead, G. H. L. Beeman, J. C. Fields, O. C. Gregg and Ozro R. Newcomb.
OTHER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.
In Jackson township a Presbyterian church was organized in 1846 as the outgrowth of the Martinsburg church. Rev. Henry Hervey, pastor of the church at Martinsburg, preached a sermon on the "evils of war," de- nouncing the war then going on with Mexico, and this gave offense to a large number of his members, who seceded and organized the church at Bladensburg, where a building was soon erected. The first pastor was Rev. James Anderson.
The early Presbyterians in the vicinity of Waterford, Middlebury township, had for their preachers Revs. James Scott and James Cunning- ham, but no organization of a church was had until in 1849, when Rev. J. M. Faris became pastor and built a neat church. It was in the west end of the little hamlet and was forty by fifty feet in size.
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About 1834 Rev. Pitkin, a Presbyterian minister, commenced to preach at Brandon, Miller township. In 1852, under leadership of Drs. Ramsey, Wheaton and Levi Beach, a meeting house was erected at Brandon, dedi- cated by Rev. Swift, but it does not appear that a church was organized in the township at that date.
In Morris township, the Rev. James Scott was the earliest Presby- terian preacher in the neighborhood of Clinton. There being no church in the locality, services were frequently held at the house of James Loveridge, but really usually held in his new barn, until a house of worship could be erected-hence the structure became known far and near as "God's Barn," the use sanctifying the place. In 1814, the society built a commodious church at Clinton. It was never completed, however, but later removed to the orchard of Mr. Loveridge and turned into a cider manufactory, the first in Knox county.
Pleasant Hill Presbyterian church was the direct result of the preach- ing of Rev. Henry Hervey, who preached the Word several years in the south- ern part of Pleasant township. The organization dates from about 1845. In 1850 a good frame church building was erected, which stood on the Martins- burg road a mile from the south line of the township.
The Fredericktown Presbyterian church was the first organized there, it being effected as early as 1808, by Rev. Wright. Their meetings were held in the old block-house, after its erection, and prior to this in the cabin homes of its devoted members. They failed to pay for their church build- ing, on account of hard times coming, and it passed into private hands. The congregation was then associated with those at Martinsburg and Mt. Vernon until 1827, under charge of Rev. Scott. The first real pastor they engaged was probably Rev. John Mckinney, of Pennsylvania. In 1840 the society erected a neat church, near the old block-house. It was built and paid for under Rev. Simeon Brown's pastorate and while this man of God was an inferior looking person, he made a strong pastor for the early day pioneers.
The Presbyterian church at Centerburg was begun as a Cumberland Presbyterian church, near Rich Hill, two miles north of Centerburg, in the early part of the nineteenth century. It was continued there in a good frame house until in the seventies, when it was moved to Centerburg. In the reunion of 1907 this body withdrew from the Cumberland church. Rev. J W. Boyer, the present pastor, began his labors December 20, 1908. The church now has a membership of eighty. Recently improvements have been made on the church, including a new set of oak pews, a new piano,
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pulpit and Bible. The building was re-roofed with metal. It is the oldest church in Centerburg, both as a society and as a church edifice.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The United Presbyterian church in this county at one time had an extensive membership, and was under the pastoral charge of Rev. J. H. Peacock. A church edifice was constructed on the northwest corner of Main and Sugar streets, in Mt. Vernon, now used for public library pur- poses. This building was finished in 1852. The last preacher in charge was Rev. Peacock, who suddenly died while on his way home from evening service during the late seventies. The site of the old church was originally purchased for school purposes at the time the city adopted the Akron sys- tem. Part of the material was on the ground when the city discarded that system and the church bought the lot. The building is now used for the public library of the city.
FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Free Presbyterians organized a church society in Clay township, at Martinsburg, sometime during the period of the great anti-slavery ex- citement which swept over the entire North. They were seceders from the Old-School Presbyterian church at Martinsburg. A number of the most radical and bitter members along this line of thinking opposed slavery, left the church and organized under the name of Free Presbyterian church. They flourished for a time, but finally ceased to exist, the most of its mem- bership returning to their former societies.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Methodism was first planted on Ohio soil between 1788 and 1792, near Cincinnati. Francis McCormick came over the river from Kentucky, located at Millville, Ohio, about 1794 and probably had the honor of founding the first Methodist society in the Northwest Territory. William McKendree, afterward bishop, was sent to the west in 1801 to take super- vision of the societies in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and a part of Illinois.
In Mt Vernon, Ohio, Methodism was introduced in 1812 by Enoch Ellis, who preached at times in the court house and in the log cabins round about. A frame church was built by this society in 1831, and stood on the
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hill where later stood the high school building. Perhaps no other church in the county had a more interesting history between the years of 1812 and 1831 than this church, but unfortunately the record was either illy kept or not preserved, for it cannot now be discovered.
This much is known, that in 1850 the old Mulberry church edifice becoming too small for the growing and large congregation, the members agreed that it was best to form two charges, to be known as the east and west charges. Sometime before that date Anthony Banning had left the Methodist Episcopal church and cast his lot with the Protestant Methodist church, and he, with others aiding, erected what was styled "Banning Chapel." Desiring to return to his first love, the Methodist Episcopal, he deeded the chapel to the last named society. This, then, became the home of the western charge in the town and the first pastor of whom anyone remembers was Rev. James Wilson. In 1852 the old chapel was torn down and on its site a new building erected, later known as the Lutheran church. The members who attached themselves to the eastern charge purchased lots on the southeast corner of Gay and Chestnut streets and in 1852 built a good edifice. This charge was under Rev. Joseph Kennedy when the church was being planned and erected. After the Civil war and in 1865 the two charges were united and the Banning Chapel property was sold to members of the Lutheran faith.
After the uniting of the two charges, the first pastor was Rev. Bush and Rev. Samuel Lynch was for several years the presiding elder. In 1880 the united church had a membership of about three hundred. A Sabbath school was established in 1830 by William Burgess, George Cables and William Sanderson, Sr., and has continued until the present.
Since 1880 the following has been this church's history :
In 1883 the present church edifice was erected and, with some changes, has served until today. Its present value is estimated at thirty thousand dollars. The parsonage property was recently sold at three thousand five hundred dollars and the pastor now occupies leased rooms in the center of the city.
The 1910 conference minutes placed the membership at eight hundred and sixty in good standing. The number in Sunday school, including "cra- dle roll," was six hundred and twenty-five.
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