Huntington County, Indiana - Chapter 16: Church History, 1914

First Missionaries - Visit op Marquette and Joliet - The Catholic Church - John Roche's Generosity - The Methodist Episcopal Church - Wesleyan Methodists - United Brethren - Christian Church - The Baptists - German Baptists or Dunkards - The Presbyterians - First Pipe Organ in the County - Friends or Quakers - The Lutherans - German Reformed Church - Evan¬ gelical Societies - Miscellaneous Organizations.

Long before any permanent settlements were made in the Wabash Valley by white men, Jesuit missionaries visited the Indians in that region with a view to converting them to the Christian faith. Some authorities state that the missionaries, Marquette and Joliet, stopped with the Indians while crossing the portage between the Maumee and Wabash rivers some time in the year 1673, feasted and prayed with them and taught them some of the simple precepts of the church. The story of this visit of the "Good Men" became an Indian tradition, and among the Miamis children were told of the missionaries and how they spoke with reverence of the "Great Spirit." Later other Jesuit priests worked among the Indians and converted many of them to the Catholic faith.

Most of the early French traders were Catholics and these early mis¬ sionaries often said mass at the trading posts for the few white people who might be living in the vicinity. It was therefore natural that the Catholics should be the first to establish a church organization in Hunt¬ ington County. About the time the county was organized, Rev. Stephen T. Badin, of Bardstown, Kentucky, was appointed missionary-at-large for all this section of country, and in June, 1834, visited the little town of Huntington, which was yet in its swaddling clothes. At that time there were but five resident Catholic families in the neighborhood, viz : Patrick and Daniel Johnson, Michael Kennedy, Martin Roche and Mich¬ ael Doyle. The Wabash & Erie canal was then under construction and many Catholics were engaged at work on the canal, some of whom pur¬ chased land and remained in the county.

Father Badin induced the proprietors of the town to donate out-lot No. 1, a triangular piece of ground containing about three-fourths of an acre, as a site for a Catholic Church. There was then no resident priest in Indiana nearer than Vincennes and Father Laluinier, of that place, visited the Catholic families of Huntington in 1835. A little later Fathers Ruffe and Miller came from Fort Wayne. On the occasions of these visits meetings were held in the homes of the Catholic residents or at the schoolhouse until 1838, when a hewed log church, about 25 by 40 feet in dimensions, was built upon the lot procured by Father Badin three years before.

Rev. Julian Benoit was established at Fort Wayne as a resident priest' in the fall of 1839. For some time after this either he or one of his assistants, Fathers Rodolph and Faller, attended the church at Huntington at regular intervals. In 1844 the log church was plastered inside and weather-boarded outside, which gave it the appearance of a frame build¬ ing. Five years later a frame addition was made to the church and used as a school room until the erection of Ss. Peter and Paul's Church in 1866, at a cost of $30,000.

From 1846 to 1857 the parish was attended by Fathers Patrick McDermott, Michael O'Flannigan and John Ryan, resident priests at large. Father Shippert was installed as the first resident pastor in 1857. He was succeeded by Father Fuchs, who remained but a short time, when Father Mayer took charge of the parish, and it was under his management that the present church edifice was erected, with the exception of the steeple. Father Steiner succeeded Mayer and in 1871 the steeple was added to the building. The clock in this steeple was donated by the business men of Huntington. Elaborate decorations distinguish the interior, including oil paintings of the stations from Munich artists, handsomely framed, and the organ is one of the most powerful and melo¬ dious in Northeastern Indiana.

St. Mary's Catholic Church at Huntington is the gift of John Roche to the English speaking Catholics of the city. A majority of the priests at Ss. Peter and Paul 's Church were Germans and the services there were conducted in that language. Before his death in 1894, Mr. Roche fre¬ quently announced his intention to erect at his own expense a church for the English-speaking Catholics, but he died before he was permitted to carry out his object. His sister, Miss Bridget Roche, who was the principal heir to his estate, determined to execute the plan her brother had so long cherished. She purchased the lot adjoining the Roche resi¬ dence on North Jefferson Street, which is not far from, if not the exact spot, where the first Catholic mass was said in Huntington by Father Badin, in 1834. The corner-stone of the church was laid on October 3,

1896, and the building was pushed forward to completion under the supervision of Rev. J. R. Quinlan, assistant priest in the cathedral at Fort Wayne, who made' frequent trips to Huntington while the edifice was under construction. The church was dedicated on October 10, 1897, and Father Quinlan became the first priest of the new parish, which at that time numbered about one hundred and thirty families. The cost of the church and grounds was about $80,000, donated by the Roche estate. Since then the priest's residence, schoolhouse, home for the Sisters of Providence, and some other improvements have been built by donations from the members of the congregation, which now num¬ bers nearly two hundred families.

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church of Roanoke was organized in 1860, by Father Fuchs, of Huntington, with a membership of about a dozen families, some of whom lived in the town and others in the coun¬ try. For a time the congregation met in the house formerly used by the Disciples, but in 1874 the Presbyterian Church was purchased and fitted up as a permanent home. This house is a substantial brick struc¬ ture, located in the northern part of town, nearly opposite the high school building. The parish now numbers about forty families, but has no resident priest, Rev. Peter Smith, of South Whitley, visiting Roan¬ oke and holding services at regular intervals.

A Catholic Church was established at Andrews about the time the Wabash shops were located at that place, for the convenience of a number of Catholics employed by the railroad company about the shops and yards. On January 21, 1890, a fair was held by the members of the church and a number of Huntington people went down by special train, among them being the Knights of St. John and Catholic Benevo¬ lent Legion. A sumptuous supper was served in the rink, after which there were music and dancing. In the course of the evening a town lot was raffled off to the holder of the lucky number. After the removal of the shops, the church went down and the building is now occupied by the Holiness denomination.

This denomination stands next to the Catholics in point of priority, and was the first Protestant denomination to organize a society in the county. Services were held at the house of Anderson Leverton, in Wayne Township, by a Methodist Episcopal minister, as early as 1836. In the spring of 1838 the Peru circuit was formed, including all the territory along the Wabash River as far east as Roanoke. About a year later Rev. George Beswick, then presiding elder, sent Revs. S. Reed and

Enoch Holdstock to the Little River Valley as missionaries and the first services in Huntington were held late in May, 1839, in the old log schoolhouse. At that time there were no members of the faith in the Town of Huntington, and it is said that the missionaries went to the house of a Methodist in Clear Creek Township to spend the night.

During the following year several Methodist families settled in Huntington and in the fall of 1840 a class was formed. In 1846, Lewis W. Byron, John S. Hendrix, Samuel Moore, Cyrus Adams and John R. Snyder were appointed a board of trustees to assume the duty of build¬ ing a house of worship. Lot No. 17 in the original plat of Huntington was purchased and a frame building erected thereon, which was occu¬ pied by the congregation until 1867. In 1866 a building committee was appointed to select a suitable site and superintend the erection of a new church. On October 3, 1866, a lot fronting the north side of the public square was purchased and a new building was completed and dedicated in 1869. In the course of fifteen years the congregation outgrew that building and began looking around for a new location. The lot at the northwest corner of Market and Guilford streets was bought and plans adopted for a modern brick edifice, which was dedicated in August, 1889.

The growth of the church continued after removing into the new house of worship, which at the time of its completion was the finest and most commodious Protestant Church in the city, and in the spring of 1914 the work of erecting a larger and more modern church and parsonage was commenced, the intention being to expend about sixty-five thousand dollars. With this improvement, the Methodist Episcopal Church will be one of the largest and finest in the upper Wabash Valley.

Among the early pastors of this congregation were Dennis B. Clary, Samuel C. Swazey, E. Maynard, P. F. Miller, A. S. Kilnman, E. S. Preston, R. J. Smith and S. L. Sanford, who served in the order named from the time the Huntington circuit was formed in 1850 to the begin¬ ning of the Civil war. Other prominent and popular pastors included Reverend Greenman, Rev. C. C. Alberts, G. H. Hill and J. A. Beatty. The present pastor is Rev. AV. F. Smith.

Probably the next oldest Methodist Episcopal Church in the county is the one at Mount Etna, which was organized at an early date and numbered among its members quite a number of the pioneers of Lan¬ caster Township. For some time services were held at the homes of the members or in the schoolhouse, but finally & small house of w oi ship was erected. This was used until about 18b6 or lbb7, when a brick structure took its place. Although the membership is not laige, the

About the time the classes at Huntington and Mount Etna were formed, one was also organized in Salamonie Township. In September, 1838, Rev. Elza Lank, of Wayne County, held services in James Morri¬ son's barn. At the close of the meeting he announced that the confer¬ ence would soon assemble and that if any citizen in that neighborhood would agree to open his dwelling, or provide some suitable place for holding meetings, he would ask conference to send a missionary to that part of the county. Mrs. Simeon Swaim authorized him to say that her husband would undertake to provide a meeting place and soon after the adjournment of the conference Rev. G. W. Bowers came as a mis¬ sionary. The following year a class of seven members was organized. They were Nancy and Elizabeth Swaim, John Dillon, Hester Jones, Jane and Hannah Ewart and Elizabeth Irwin. The early meetings were held at the house of Mrs. Simeon Swaim.

A few years later another class was organized at Warren and to this village the first organization removed its membership, thus form¬ ing the Warren Methodist Episcopal Church. After meeting in various schoolhouses and vacant storerooms for several years, the congregation, in 1856, bought two lots and built a frame church, at a cost of about one thousand two hundred dollars. This building was used as a place of worship until 1896, when the present handsome brick structure was dedicated. The old house was subsequently sold to a hardware dehler, who used it as a warehouse for agricultural implements, etc., for some time, after which it was sold to the United Brethren and is now used by that denomination.

From the time the church was first organized until the completion of the present church edifice more than forty pastors occupied the pulpit. Rev. Elza Lank was the first pastor. Revs. Henry Howe, Ansel Beach, David J. Starr, who won quite a reputation as the boy preacher, Wil¬ liam H. Metcalf, Charles W. Timmons, John AY. Miller, Joseph Morrow and other well known Methodist clergymen during that period served the congregation at Warren. The present pastor is Rev. Grenville B. Work.

As early as 1839 a few Methodist pioneers gathered at the house of George Zellers, in the northern part of Warren Township, and listened to a sermon by a Methodist minister, whose name has been forgotten. This might be considered as the beginning of the Bippus Methodist Episcopal Church. Although no regular organization was effected untilseveral years later, meetings were held at irregular intervals, as min¬ isters could be procured to conduct services. Finally a society was

Clear Creek Methodist Episcopal Church had its beginning in the summer of 1839, when Rev. S. Reed, one of the first missionaries sent to Huntington County, conducted services for a few of the faithful at the home of John R. Emley. In the fall of that year a log house was built near the center of the township for school and church purposes and soon afterward a class was organized, under the name of the Clear Creek Methodist Church, by which it is still known. In 1864 the old log house was torn down and a neat frame building erected on the site. This has since been remodeled and enlarged and the society is in a flourishing condition.

Early in the '40s a Methodist class was organized in the northern part of Jackson Township. Among the early members were the fam¬ ilies of Peter Erick, David Voorhis and Thomas Hackett. The first meetings were held in the homes of the members, or in a schoolhouse in the neighborhood, but about 1850 a hewed log house was built and given the name of "Wesley Chapel." It was on the farm of Peter Erick, about two miles north of Roanoke, and was used as a temple of worship for about ten years, when it was replaced by a frame build¬ ing. After some years, deaths and removals weakened the congrega¬ tion, but the organization was maintained and in the last few years has regained much of its former prosperity. It is one of the charges of the Roanoke circuit.

In Polk Township the Methodists were the pioneers in the religious movement. Services were held, soon after the settlement of the town¬ ship, at the home of Nathan Fisher, where a small class was organized and held meetings for a time, but so far as can be learned no effort was ever made to build a church. In 1840 the Mount Hope Methodist Church was organized. Meetings were held in the homes of the members and at the schoolhouse until about 1860, when a house of worship was erected near the west line of the county. This congregation kept up its identity every since, sometimes prosperous and sometimes suffering from lethargy, but regular meetings are still held.

The Markle Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the strongest in the county outside of the City of Huntington, grew out of a small class that was organized in the northeastern part of Rock Creek Township at an early date. After the Town of Markle was laid out in 1852 the con¬ gregation began holding meetings at the schoolhouse there. The church had been organized at the house of Jonas Kelsey, by Rev. Ansel Beach, some years before, and the meetings had been held at the homes of Mr. Kelsey, James Johnson and Israel Black. From 1852 to about 1860 meetings were held in the Markle schoolhouse, but when the Baptist Church was completed the members of that denomination gave the Methodists the privilege of holding their services there. In 1874 a neat frame church building was erected, at a cost of $2,700. Rev. Chester Church, then pastor, reorganized the congregation and started it on the road to prosperity. A few years ago a new church edifice and parsonage were erected and the church is in a flourishing condition. At the last session of the conference Rev. F. A. Lemaster was assigned as pastor of the Markle Church.

About the time the Town of Roanoke was laid out by George A. Chapman, a class of Methodists was organized at the Center schoolhouse, about two miles west. Among the members of this class were Thomas Hackett, who had previously assisted in establishing the Wesley Chapel congregation, William Payton, David Seibert, J. P. Christie and David Roberts and their wives, and Mr. and Mrs. Yahne. For five or six years meetings were held in the schoolhouse where the class was organ¬ ized, at the end of which time the upper story of the seminary building was fitted up for holding religious services. Early in the '70s the United Brethren exchanged places with the Methodist congregation, by means of which the latter became possessed of a neat frame house of worship. The present church, a handsome brick edifice, was erected in 1889.

Soon after the Town of Antioch (now Andrews) was laid out in 1853, a Methodist class was formed there. John S. Morris, William Randolph, Samuel Pressler, and their wives, John B. Collins, Jacob Yantis and a few others constituted the charter members. The records of the society show that "On the 3d day of May, 1860, according to notice previously given, the members assembled at the usual place of meeting to elect five trustees, whose duty it should be to erect a house of worship."

The usual place of meeting referred to was the schoolhouse in the village, and the trustees elected at that time were John S. Morris, Samuel Pressler, William Randolph, John B. Collins and A. E. Richardson. These gentlemen lost no time in carrying out the purpose for which they were chosen. A canvass for funds was begun immediately, a site was selected and purchased, and on December 3, 1860, the new church was dedicated by Rev. J. V. R. Miller. The building is a frame structure, the original cost of which was $1,200, but fully that much more has since been expended in remodeling and enlarging the church to meet the needs of the growing congregation and Sunday school. The present pastor is Rev. G. E. Hughes.

not far from the Polk Township line, was organized at an early date by the few Methodists living in that vicinity and takes its name from John Pilcher, one of the early settlers. A house of worship was built many years ago and was remodeled in 1914. It is one of the charges of the Majenica circuit. Besides the church at Mount Etna, previously mentioned, and Pilcher Chapel, the Methodist Episcopal denomination has two other churches in Lancaster Township - one in the Village of Lancaster and the other at Kelso. The latter is one of the flourishing churches in the southern part of the county and recently erected a new frame house of worship.

A Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at Plum Tree many years ago, through the efforts of Samuel King and a few other pio¬ neers, and is still in existence, though not as strong as formerly. Another congregation of this faith holds meetings at what is known as the "White Church," in Rock Creek Township, which house is also used by a society of the old school Baptists.

Greenwood Methodist Church is located in the southern part of Huntington Township, on the road to Mount Etna, not far from the Lancaster Township line, and east of the City of Huntington on the Roanoke Road is the Bethany Methodist Episcopal Church, both of which are regularly supplied by ' ' circuit riders. ' ' There is also a church of this denomination at Buckeye Station on the Clover Leaf Railroad, in Salamonie Township.

This denomination has never been very strong in Huntington County. Probably the oldest society is that in Jefferson Township, which meets at Plummer's Chapel, about five miles west of the Town of Warren. The meetings of this congregation were first held in the neighborhood of Bellville, but for the accommodation of a majority of the members the chapel was erected at the location above mentioned.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church at Mount Etna was organized a little after the one in Jefferson Township, and at one time had the distinction of being the strongest religious society in Lancaster Town¬ ship. While in its palmy days the congregation erected a neat frame house of worship, which is still used, though the membership at present is comparatively small. The present pastor is Rev. Hiram T. Hawkins.

A society of Wesleyan Methodists was organized at Lancaster some years ago and it is now one of the most prosperous of this sect in the county. There is also a Wesleyan Methodist Church in the Town of Warren, established about the same time as the Lancaster Church, or per-

The youngest church of this denomination in the county is located in the City of Huntington. It was organized about the beginning of the present century and a little later a modest frame house of worship was erected on Etna Avenue, south of the Little River. Although not strong numerically, meetings are held regularly and the society makes up in zeal what it lacks in numbers. It is one of the active religious organiza¬ tions of the South Side.

Among the early settlers were several families who belonged to the United Brethren Church. These families ' settled in different parts of the county and soon after building their cabins they began to consider the question of organizing churches. But they were scattered and in no one neighborhood were there enough of them to bear the burden of building and supporting a church. As early as 1837 Rev. John Pugsley held services at the cabin of Peter Wire, in Jefferson Town¬ ship, but no attempt was made to form a church there until several years later.

Early in the '40s the White River Conference sent Mr. Pugsley as a missionary to that part of Huntington County lying south of the Wabash River, and about the same time the Sandusky conference assigned Rev. J. Surran as a missionary to the northern portion. These men began the work of building up the church in the wilderness and it was not long until their labors bore fruit.

What was at first known as the "Simons" class was organized by Mr. Surran at the house of Abraham Simons, in Jackson Township, in 1844. Mr. Simons had come from Stark County, Ohio, but a short time before. Two of his sons afterward became ministers of the United Brethren Church. About two years after this class was organized a cheap frame house of worship was erected on the farm of Moses Bran¬ denburg and given the name of Pleasant View, or Pleasant Chapel. This was probably the first United Brethren Church to be erected in Huntington County. In 1904 a large and substantial brick building was erected in place of the old frame house, and when completed had the reputation of being the finest church edifice in the county outside of Huntington.

Mr. Surran organized the class at Roanoke in 1844, though the town had not been platted. In 1846 the first church was erected for the use of the little congregation. About 1870 Rev. J. Weaver bought the old academy building, in which the Methodists had been holding meet¬ ings for several years, and a little later a change was effected, the United Brethren turning over their house of worship to the Methodists and holding their meetings in the seminary. The present church was erected on the site of the old seminary in 1902. It is a commodious brick structure and at the time it was built was thought to be large enough for the needs of the congregation for many years. In the spring of 1914 it was found necessary to fit up the basement for a Sunday school room and to raise the rear part, which had a low ceiling, to the same height as the main building, the improvements costing about two thou¬ sand dollars. Rev. J. C. Glick is the present pastor.

Rev. J. R. Brown, who came to the county as a missionary in 1844, organized a class soon after his arrival at the house of William Enyert, about three miles southwest of Pleasant View, on the Fort Wayne Road. Meetings were held at the home of Mr. Enyert for awhile, when a house was built for the use of the congregation. This church has since become known as the Zion United Brethren Church. The old frame church was erected about 1860 and the present brick structure was built in the '90s.

The annual conference of 1848 sent Revs. J. T. Vardeman and B. R. B. Holcombe as missionaries to the settlements along the Salamonie River. They established a meeting place at what was known as Sala¬ monie Center, where meetings were held until 1851 when a society of the United Brethren faith was organized under the name of Zion Church. About 1860 a frame house of worship was built on the northwest cor¬ ner of section 23, about a mile west of the present Buckey Station, at

The only other United Brethren Church in Salamonie Township is the one in the Town of Warren, which is of comparative recent date. It is a thriving organization, occupying the church built some years ago by the Methodist Episcopal congregation, but a movement is on foot at this time (June, 1914) to erect a new house of worship more in keeping with the spirit of the times.

In 1849 Rev. J. Terrell visited Clear Creek Township as a mission¬ ary and organized a class in the Shutt neighborhood. Meetings weie held in the schoolhouse until 1857, when the Clear Cieek United Biethien Church was built in section 21. This was the first frame house of wor¬ ship in the township. A brick building was erected by the congregation some years later. Another United Brethren Church in this township holds meetings in a building erected for the purpose on the farm of Peter Goble, in what is now the little hamlet of Goblesville.

ized at an early date, but its early history is clouded in obscurity. After holding meetings for some time in the homes of the members and the schoolhouse, a church was built in section 4, near the northwest corner of the township. Meetings are still held here, though during the last twenty-five or thirty years the society has become somewhat diminished in numbers by deaths and removals.

Some time in the early '50s a few United Brethren families living in the Loon Creek Valley, about four miles southwest of the City of Huntington, met at Brown's schoolhouse and organized a society, to which they gave the name of Pleasant Grove Church. The church build¬ ing was erected in 1859.

Late in the year 1839 a traveling minister of the United Brethren church held services in the eastern part of Warren Township, and one account says that soon after his visit "a log building for public wor¬ ship' was erected on the farm of George Slusser." The meetings held there developed the organization of Bethesda Church, which is located about eight miles northwest of Huntington. It was regularly organized by Rev. P. Wells in 1858, and in 1861 a log church was erected for the use of the society. In 1875 a new frame church was built while Rev. John B. Bash, was pastor and was then considered the finest country church in the county. This church is still in existence, though since remodeled. The class is still in a fairly prosperous condition.

Otterbein class, in Jefferson Township, was organized in 1860 by Rev. William Hall, and about the same time, or perhaps a little earlier, the Macedonia class of United Brethren was organized in Union Town¬ ship. In 1870 the people of the latter township united in the erection of a church edifice to be free for all denominations, without conflict of dates. It is known as the "Union Church" and is located near the center of the township. Here the United Brethern, Methodists, Winebrennarians, or Church of God, and some other religious organizations held their meetings for many years.

Last but not least of the United Brethren churches is the one in the City of Huntington. In 1842 a minister of this denomination by the name of Eby visited the Town of Huntington and held services in private dwellings or at the schoolhouse. No organization was effected at that time and the missionary efforts of Mr. Eby were continued by Revs. John Hoffman and John Hill, of the Muskingum conference. In 1844 Rev. John Terrell came and took charge of the work, and before the close of that year the First United Brethren Church of Huntington was organized. The original members were John and Michael Houseman, George W. Whitestine, Philip, George and John Aumuck, Martin Hull and David Miller and their wives, Misses Mary and Mahala Whitestine,

Miss Nancy Houseman, John Morrison, Misses Lydia and Mary Aiunuck, and Misses Mary and Lucinda Miller. John Houseman was the first class leader and Rev. George Whitestine was the first United Brethren preacher in Huntington.

The early records of the church cannot be found, but it is known that for several years it had a struggle to maintain its existence. Some of the members died, others moved away, and after ten or fifteen years the congregation ceased to hold meetings. In 1864 the church was reorganized and held a protracted meeting that lasted for six weeks. A number of new members were taken into the church, which then made arrangements to hold regular meetings in the old frame church on the corner of Poplar and Matilda streets. This building was afterward pur¬ chased from the old English Reformed Church for $1,500 and was occu¬ pied by the congregation until the erection of the present house of worship.

In 1875 Rev. George Sickafoose, of the St. Joseph conference, assisted by Rev. John B. Bash, of Roanoke, came to Huntington and held a series of meetings which resulted in adding about seventy-five persons to the membership. Reverend Sickafoose continued in charge for about two years, during which time some repairs were made upon the church building. He was succeeded by Rev. John R. Brown.

Rev. C. H. Bell came as pastor in 1904 and began a canvass for funds for the erection of a new church edifice on the southwest corner of Frank¬ lin and Guilford streets. The work was commenced in that year and the building was completed in 1905. It is built of concrete blocks and cost about twelve thousand dollars. The old frame church was then sold to John Kenower & Sons for $200 and they removed it to their lumber yard a short distance south, where it is still in use as a carpenter shop.

Members of the Disciples or Christian Church, sometimes called Campbellites, were among the pioneers of Huntington County. As far as can be learned, the oldest society of this denomination in the county is the one at Plum Tree. It was organized on July 22, 1840, by Rev. Hallett Barber, and consisted of six members, viz. : Andrew Y., Nathaniel, Margaret and Peter Rittenhouse, Sr., Lavina Marshall and Margaret Christman. Five new members were added by the following spring. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse, or at other convenient places, until 1871, when a frame church was erected, at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Although never very strong in numbers, this church

Some time in the '40s a Christian Church was organized in Jefferson Township by Rev. John Richardson or Elder Scott Green, who were the first ministers of that faith to visit the southern part of the county. The church was organized at Center schoolhouse, where meetings were held for awhile, when the congregation was disbanded, the members becoming affiliated with others in the neighborhood of Bellville, where a new church was organized. Here the meetings were also held in the schoolhouse at first, but a few years ago a modest frame house of worship was erected.

In 1839 Elder Ebenezer Thompson, a minister of the Disciples, came from Bracken County, Kentucky, and began preaching the Gospel accord¬ ing to the tenets of his denomination. The result of his labors was that on April 13, 1845, the Central Christian Church of Huntington was organized with the following members : Ebenezer and Mary A. Thomp¬ son, Elias, Maria and Persis Craft, Miss Mary A. Thompson, Amzi D. and Rebecca A. Meese, Anna P. Slack, Elizabeth M. Bagley, Susanna Wilcox, and Ann and Melinda Boles.

Elder Evan Thompson, a nephew of the founder of the church, preached for the congregation, part of the time regularly and part of the time occasionally, until about 1852. From that time until 1861 the pulpit was occupied by various clergymen. During the war no regular pastor was employed by the congregation. In August, 1866, Rev. L. B. Smith assumed the duties as pastor and remained with the church for more than twenty years, with the exception of the year 1873.

The first house of worship, a modest frame structure, was erected in 1851, on a lot at the corner of Franklin and Guilford streets, donated to the church by Elder Thompson. The present handsome church edifice was erected in 1905, on the same site - the northeast corner of Franklin and Guilford streets - and is one of the best in the city. It has a stone foundation, with brick superstructure and the congregation is in a pros¬ perous condition.

About 1847 or 1848 a Society of Disciples was organized at the Hilde¬ brand schoolhouse in Polk Township and at one time had a large and active membership. The meeting place was subsequently removed to Monument City, where a house of worship was erected.

The Clear Creek Christian Church was organized in the early '50s by Elder George Abbott, one of the early preachers of that denomination in the county. Soon after the church was established a neat frame house of worship was erected in Section 15, a short distance east of the Metho¬ dist Church that had been built some ten or twelve years earlier. Among

A society of Disciples was organized in Wayne Township some time in the '50s and a frame church was built near Banquo a little later. In its early days this church was fairly prosperous, but in recent years it has declined to some extent, though meetings are still held at intervals and the members hope to see the work revived.

The Christian Church of Andrews was organized in 1859, and was the outgrowth of a series of meetings held there by a Christian minister named Teeple. Among the pioneer members were Martin James and wife, Mr. and Mrs. David Manford, and a few others, who had formerly been affiliated with Christian churches at other points, and who had induced Elder Teeple to come to Andrews. Nearly forty members signed the roll at the time of the organization. Services were held in the schoolhouse until 1862, when a lot in Campbell's addition was purchased and the work of raising funds for the erection of a church was begun. The following year a comfortable frame building was completed and dedi¬ cated, the cost of which was a little over twelve hundred dollars. In later years additions costing several hundred dollars were made to accommodate the growth of the congregation. One of the pastors of this church was Rev. Ira J. Chase, who was elected lieutenant governor of Indiana in 1888, and became governor upon the death of Gen. Alvin P. Hovey.

A few years after the close of the Civil war a society of Disciples was organized at Roanoke, but it never met the expectations of those who encouraged its establishment. Meetings were held for some time in a building on Main Street, rented for the purpose, but after a precarious existence of several years the society disbanded, the members taking letters to other Christian churches in the county. The present Christian Church of Roanoke was organized in 1909 by Rev. C. A. Frakes, who has been pastor since. A vacant store room was leased as a place of worship, but in the spring of 1914 a movement was started for the erection of a church. The congregation is growing and the members feel that they are strong enough to have a home they can call their own.

The Disciples' Church at Warren was founded about a quarter of a century ago and soon after it was organized a frame temple of worship was erected in the eastern part of town. This building is still used, though somewhat the worse for wear. During the early years of the society 's career it grew slowly, but more recently there has been an acces¬ sion of quite a number of new members and a new church edifice is under contemplation. Rev. Charles Wharton is the present pastor.

houses of the county at divers times, and for some time a small society of Disciples held services in the Baptist Church at Markle. Unable to gain sufficient strength to erect a church, this little band finally separated, the members joining other Christian churches in the vicinity.

In the study of the history of the Christian Church some confusion is likely to arise from the fact that there are two religious bodies that call themselves Christians, without any distinguishing designation. One of these is the Disciples, above mentioned, and the other is the denom¬ ination frequently referred to as the "New Lights." The parent society of the latter, in the upper Wabash Valley, is doubtless that known as the Eel River Church, in Miami County, which was established about 1842 or 1843.

About 1868 a society of this denomination was organized in Jefferson Township, the first to be established in Huntington County. Among the early preachers there were Revs. John Robinson, James Stackhouse and A. W. Sanford. In 1870 a neat frame building, called the Purviance Chapel, was erected at a cost of about twelve hundred dollars, and still serves the congregation as a place of worship.

The First Christian Church of Warren was organized on October 22, 1871, by Rev. D. W. Fowler, who was the first pastor. On January 5, 1874, S. L. Good and Robert Sprowl were elected trustees, with instruc¬ tions to present some plan by which the society could proceed with the erection of a church. In the spring of 1877 a lot was purchased and in June, 1879, a house of worship was dedicated by Revs. B. IT. Christman and David Hida, the latter at that time being pastor of the church. The society has prospered and in 1904 the old frame church was replaced by a handsome brick structure. The present pastor is Rev. Clark H. Kershner.

What is known as the First Christian Church of Huntington was organized on May 23, 1891, by Rev. Peter Winebrenner, with twentyseven organized members. Ten years later it numbered about one hun¬ dred and fifty. 0. W. Whitelock, ex-judge of the Circuit Court and presi¬ dent of the Christian Publishing Association and also of the Eel River Conference, is a member of this congregation. The first house of worship was the old Tabernacle Baptist Church, which was so badly damaged by fire in the winter of 1904 that it could be no longer used. Prior to that time, however, a lot at the corner of Front and Whitelock streets, south of the river, had been secured as a site for a new church. After the fire the work of building was pushed forward with all possible vigor and the present commodious brick edifice was dedicated in 1905. The present pastor is Rev. W. H. Sando.

The oldest society of this denomination is the First Baptist Church of Huntington, which was organized in May, 1841, with fifteen members. Three of these had come to Huntington some time before that, but had made no effort to organize a church. They were Mr. and Mrs. David Hollowell and Elder David Lewis. Early in the year 1841 a colony con¬ sisting of William and Charles Taylor, Hugh Montgomery, Harmon J. Betts and their wives, Misses Lucy and Elizabeth Montgomery, S. P. Barnes and John Kenower, came from New Carlisle, with a charter from the First Baptist Church of that city to organize a congregation in Hunt¬ ington. The organization was effected on May 16, 1841, and Elder Lewis wras installed as the first preacher. John Kenower is the only one of the original members now living.

In November, 1841, Elder Lewis resigned as pastor and the church was without a minister until in July, 1842, when Rev. George Sleeper was engaged and served for four years. A memorandum, in the hand¬ writing of Mr. Sleeper, has been preserved by Mr. Kenower, and shows that the pastor's salary from August 1, 1842, to August 1, 1843, was $178.88. Among the contributions listed are a straw hat, shot, pills, candles, an ax, two five-franc pieces, a pair of boots, a broom and some butter.

The first church building was planned by a committee consisting of John Kenower, H. J. Betts and Charles Taylor. It was built of brick, was 34 by 45 feet in dimensions, and stood on West Market Street, nearly opposite the old American Hotel. It was occupied first about 1847 and was used for twenty years. In the spring of 1867 it was sold and the building on Market Street, between Jefferson and Warren streets, was completed later, the dedication taking place on August 9, 1868. It is still standing and the congregation which worships here is one of the oldest Protestant societies of the city.

The next Baptist Church in the county, of which there is any reliable account, is the West Union Church, located near the northwest corner of Salamonie Township. One of the early settlers in that locality was John Laymon, who built his cabin on the Salamonie River, about two miles below where Warren now stands. In 1838 his father, Rev. Jacob Laymon, a Baptist minister of Clinton County, Ohio, came to pay him a visit, and while in the neighborhood preached five sermons at the homes of some of the settlers. No organization was then effected, but the seed fell in good ground, and when Rev. Mr. Neal came to the settlement in August, 1841, the work was advanced. He was followed by Revs. Robert Tisdale and J. B. Allen, and the church was organized as a "Regular Baptist church" on May 3, 1845. John Morgan donated a site for a church in Section 6 and the first house of worship was completed in 1855, at a cost of $600.

The organization of the Baptist Church in the Town of Warren some years later, drew some of the members from West Union and meetings have not been held regularly for several years, though the organization is still maintained. At Warren the Baptists have a strong congregation and a handsome brick house of worship.

About 1850, probably a year or two earlier, a Baptist society was formed in the southern part of Wayne Township and within eighteen months had a strong membership. The schoolhouse was outgrown and in 1852 an unpretentious but comfortable frame house of worship was built in the northwest corner of Section 34, about a mile from the Grant

Among the pioneers in the vicinity of Markle were a number of Baptists and meetings were held at the homes of some of these people many years before any attempt was made to organize a regular church. In 1860 Albert Draper agreed to donate a considerable sum of money for the founding of a Baptist church and in that year or early in 1861, the society was organized under the ministry of Rev. Abel Johnson. At the time of the organization there were but four members enrolled, and although these four worked faithfully to build up a church their efforts were futile and after several years they became discouraged to such an extent that the society was disbanded. The house was then used by the

There are several branches of the German Baptist denomination, but in this chapter no especial effort has been made to differentiate very closely in classifying them, further than to state that the three principal divisions are the German Baptists, the Church of the Brethren and the Progressive Brethren. The name "Dunkard" has never been officially accepted by the church. It is, in fact, only a nick-name and is said to allude to an abundance of water, it being a corruption of the German word "dunker, " for dipper, and alludes to the method of baptism by immersion.

From the best authority at hand, it is believed that the first meeting of the German Baptists in Huntington County was held in the barn of Jacob Fullhart, in Polk Township, in June, 1840, a minister named Moss conducting the services. No organization of a church was made at that time, but a few years later a small society was established, which met at the homes of the members or in the schoolhouse until about 1857, when the members united with others of the same faith and founded the German Baptist Church of Andrews. Among the early members were the Calverts, Leedys, Herdmans, Bowmans and other leading families of Polk and Dallas townships. The first house of worship was erected soon after the removal to Andrews. It was practically rebuilt a few years ago and the congregation holds regular meetings under the pastoral charge of Rev. J. C. Murray.

Sometime in the early '40s Rev. Joseph Hardman and Rev. Michael Minnich, two German Baptist ministers began holding meetings in Lan¬ caster Township. When the weather was favorable these meetings were held in groves and at other times in the homes of the members. After a while a regular organization was effected and a small house of worship was erected. About 1868 a new church was built in the village of Lan¬ caster, which at the time is said to have been the largest in the county, with the exception of two in Huntington, having a seating capacity of over six hundred. It is still in use and regular services are held.

Among the early settlers in the eastern part of Clear Creek Township were several German Baptist families. Elders Leedy and Calvert visited this neighborhood along in the '50s and organized a church. A large brick building - the largest in the township at that time - was erected in the southwest quarter of Section 24, about the close of the Civil war, and for many years this was the leading religious organization in the township. It still has a strong membership and holds meetings regu¬ larly. Some six or eight years after this building was erected, the German Baptists living in the western part of the township organized a society and in 1874 erected a large brick church on the road run¬ ning north and south between Sections 19 and 20, just one mile east of the Warren Township line. This society is still in existence and is fairly prosperous.

The Church of the Brethren at Markle began by holding meetings in the old Baptist Church building, where they worshipped for several years before purchasing and remodeling the house for a home of their own. Rev. David B. Garber is the present pastor.

A few German Baptists settled in Warren Township at an early date, but no effort was made to organize a congregation until late in the '70s. Meetings were held, prior to that time, in the schoolhouses or private dwellings. In 1881 the society united with the Lutherans in the erection of a house of worship about a mile and a half north of Bippus. It is a substantial brick structure, which cost about forty-five hundred dollars, and is known as the "Union Church."

Near the northern boundary of Huntington Township is the German Baptist Church known as the Huntington Rural Congregation. It was established many years ago. In 1891 Simon S. Bonebrake, of this con¬ gregation; Dorsey Hodgden, of the Clear Creek Church; John Holler, of Markle ; and Daniel Shideler, of Lancaster, were appointed a commit¬ tee to make arrangements for the founding of a church in the City of Huntington. Among the early active members were Mrs. Nancy Kitch, who is remembered as the "mother of the congregation." Elder Noah Fisher was engaged as pastor in the fall of 1893, and meetings were held for a few months in the old courthouse. In the spring of 1894 Abraham Mishler and David Hoover were apopinted a building committee, a lot at the northeast corner of Washington and Guilford streets was secured, and in the fall of the same year the church building, a brick edifice, was dedicated. The original cost of the building was about eight thousand dollars, but extensive improvements were made in 1914, under the direc¬ tion of the pastor, Rev. C. C. Kindy.

In Roanoke there is a society of the Progressive Brethren which has a comfortable house of worship built of cement blocks, and which was com¬ pleted in 1908. It is now under the pastoral charge of Rev. A. E. Whitted. There is also a Church of the Brethren in the City oF Huntington, which holds meetings in a hall at No. 20 South Jefferson Street, and in the western part of the county there are a number of Brethren, who are members of the Oden Creek Church, in Wabash County.

On November 11, 1843, the First Presbyterian Church of Huntington was organized in the old courthouse by Revs. Samuel Steele and Thomas Anderson, with the following members : William and Nancy L. Steele and James C. and Jane Best, Phoebe and Belinda Anderson, Catherine and Evaline McClelland, and Philander Anderson. Services were held in the courthouse for awhile and later in the Methodist Church. Then a hall on the second floor of a building on Jefferson Street was occupied for about two years, after which the congregation removed to the Christian Church.

In 1844 Judge Hanna, of Fort Wayne, presented the society with a lot in Huntington as a site for a church, but it was sold in 1851, and ten years later the present site at the northwest corner of Warren and Tipton streets was purchased. In July, 1864, a brick church, erected at a cost of about four thousand dollars, was dedicated. It is related of Jacob Kenower, who became identified with the congregation soon after it was organized and who had carried hymn books, etc., from one place to an- , other, that when the new church was completed he exclaimed with a sigh of relief : ' ' Thank God, I am done carrying books ; we are at home now and I have lived to see it." Mr. Kenower served as the second ruling elder, sexton, choir leader and general supernumerary for many years, and the Presbyterian Church was frequently spoken of as "Father Kenower and his flock." He died in August, 1866.

The first pipe organ in Huntington was installed in the gallery of the new church soon after its completion. It was a quaint-looking affair, with 153 pipes, and was brought to Indiana in 1843. A recent newspaper article says of this organ : "Its tones, so mellow and powerful, enchanted the cultivated ear and were a great attraction to the untutored Indian, who seemed to take extra pride in decorating himself with paint and feathers for the occasion, as they were sure to visit the pastor's home when this instrument was to be played, however frequently. While listening they would bow their heads reverently, as to the noise of the Great Spirit, and when about to leave, with outstretched hands would often place a piece of money on the key-board, indicating that they sup¬ posed everything done by the white man was for money, and when their money was refused they were dissatisfied."

The old organ was finally replaced by a new one - finer in appearance, but not any finer in tone - and many of the older members regretted the change.

The church erected in 1864 served as a home for the congregation for more than a quarter of a century. About 1890 a movement was started for the erection of a new building, which was completed in due

A Presbyterian Church was organized at Toledo, or Brown's Corners, in Rock Creek Township, at an early day, but is passed out of existence several years since.

In 1848 a society of this denomination was organized in the Town of Warren by two Presbyterian ministers named Wright and Barnett. Among the charter ' members were the Coolman, McKee and Giphart families, who were some of the first settlers in that locality. Samuel Jones donated a lot for a church in 1850 and a house of worship was erected, at a cost of $600. This church, like the one at Brown 's Comers, has ceased to exist.

The Roanoke Presbyterian Church was organized, as near as can be learned, about the close of the Civil war and a brick house of worship was erected in the northern part of the town. For a few years the society flourished, then a decline set in, and in 1874 the building was sold to the St. Joseph's Catholic congregation. The failure of these churches leaves the one at Huntington the only Presbyterian Church in the county.

Sometime in the early '40s John Moore, who came from Wayne County, Indiana, in 1838, and settled in Dallas Township, founded the "Friends' Meeting" and a house of worship was erected on land donated by him for the purpose. This was the first Quaker meetinghouse in the county.

In 1870 a Friends' Church was erected at the Village of Pleasant Plain, in the western part of Jefferson Township, at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Among the early preachers here were Susan Ratliff and a Mrs. Bogur, this denomination being one of the first to admit women to the ministry.

One of the first, if not the very first, societies of this denomination in the county was organized in Warren Township and a church was erected about a mile west of Bippus. In the same township, north of Bippus, is the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which meets in the same house as the German Baptists, as above mentioned.

The first Evangelical Lutheran Church in Huntington was organized on March 2, 1849, under the name of St. Peter's, with Jacob Weber, George Ricker and Gotlieb Pohler as the first board of trustees. The first pastor was Rev. August D. Stegher. For a few months meetings were held in the courthouse, after which the congregation moved into its first house of worship - a frame building on Lafontaine Street, erected at a cost of $300. In 1873 the present edifice was erected on the same site, at a cost of about $13,000. The congregation also supports a good parochial school conducted in a substantial brick building.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Huntington was organ¬ ized in May, 1876, by Rev. O. S. Oglesby, who was the first pastor. In 1883 the society purchased a lot in Foust's addition, on the corner of Second and Washington streets, and built thereupon a frame church and parsonage, at a cost of about three thousand five hundred dollars. This congregation has experienced a steady growth and is in a healthful condition.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Warren was organized in April, 1880, and purchased the building formerly occupied by the Universalists. Lutheran churches were also established at Andrews and Markle some years ago, but, with the church at Warren, they are no longer in exist¬ ence and none of the details of their history can be learned.

St. Peter's German Reformed Church of Huntington was organized in January, 1857, with Henry Drover, Sr., Frederick Blum and William G. Faust, elders; George Fahl, Jacob Shearer and Herman Borchers, deacons; Conrad Peipenbrink and Daniel Shearer, trustees. Meetings were at first held on Sunday afternoons in the hall occupied in the morn¬ ings by the Central Christian Church. In May, 1859, Henry Drover, Sr., presented the congregation with a lot at the corner of Etna Avenue and Henry Street, and before the close of the year a house of worship was completed and dedicated. The cost of this first church was $4,700. In 1869 the sum of $3,000 was expended in the erection of a schoolhouse and parsonage. The present handsome edifice was erected at a cost of about twenty-five thousand dollars, and was dedicated on June 19, 1904. Rev. Frederick H. Diehm is the present pastor.

Probably the first Evangelical congregation in Huntington County was the one formed in Union Township about the time of the Civil war. It was also called the Albright Church. Late in the '60s the society erected Mount Zion Church, in Section 1, near the northeast comer of the township, where services were maintained for many years.

Bethel Evangelical Church of Huntington was organized on June 10, 1882, with thirteen members and Rev. D. J. Pontius as the first pastor. The society has a comfortable house of worship at the comer of Front and Allen streets and is steadily growing. Rev. C. H. Bergener is the present pastor.

An Evangelical or Albright Church was organized in Clear Creek Township some time before the one in Huntington and a building erected in Section 25, near the southeast corner of the township. Little can be learned of its history.

The Village of Bippus has two Evangelical churches. St. John's Church was organized about 1884 and has a good brick house of worship, and the German Evangelical Church was established some years later. It has a substantial brick church edifice, erected in 1897 and recently enlarged and remodeled. Rev. E. D. Haley is pastor of the St. John's Church and Rev. J. Frank of the German congregation. There is also a society of this denomination at Markle, known as the Salem Evangelical Church, of which Rev. Edward E. Miller is pastor.

Many years ago there was a society of the Winebrennarians, or Church of God, in Union Township, which held services in the Union Church previously mentioned. A Protestant Episcopal Church was organized at Andrews about the time the Wabash shops were located there, but it has passed out of existence. There is a small society of this denomination in the City of Huntington, which holds services at intervals in the courthouse. The Apostolic Holiness Church of Huntington meets at the hall, No. 46 South Jefferson Street, and a Christian Science Society has its home in the old residence at 204 East Tipton Street, where regular services are held every Sunday.

It is a matter of regret that church records are not preserved with greater care. In the foregoing account of the various organizations in Huntington County, every effort has been made to ascertain the facts, but it is possible that some of the early congregations have been omitted, because their records have been destroyed and no one can be found who can tell their story. It is known that the Congregationalists and Universalists, and perhaps some other denominations, once maintained churches in the county for a brief period of time, but their history is now little more than a faint tradition.