Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 35, 1897

Chapter 35

Cliiistianity made its way into Anderson townsliip with the advent of the first settlers, and long before a church had been erected religious services were held in the log cabins of those who had brought with tiiem into the wilderness the faith of their childhood. ''The groves were God's first temples ," and no better illustration of this fact can be cited than the introduction of Christianity into Madison county The early sower who went forth to sow the seed of the gospel encountered difficulties and hardships that appear in this day almost insuperable. Mounted on a horse he traveled " the circuit ," stopping at the "cabin in the clearing ," with the lonely woodman in the primeval woods by " the paths traversed by few " - wherever there was a soul in need of spiritual refreshment - to inculcate the doctrine of salvation. Their's was a calling fraught with privation and danger. But they went forth without purse or scrip, letting each day provide for itself and hoping for no other reward than the plaudit of the approving Master. "Well done thou good and faithful servant.'"

The pioneer ministers in Madison count}' were Metliodists, and to this fact is doubtless attributable the large and influential membership of that denomination. A number of families of Methodist predilections had settled at Anderson, and the first M. E. church was organized in 1827. Anderson at that time belonged to the Indianapolis circuit, which was subsequently changed to the Fall Creek circuit and afterwards to the Madison circuit. Previous to this, meetings were held at the homes of Elias Hollingsworth, Collins Tharp, William Curtis, and others. James Havens was the presiding elder. Rev. Havens was not an educated man and his piety was as rugged perhaps as his person, which was not very prepossessing, to say the least. He was a fiery talker and pursued sinners with a tongue that never wearied in the use of flaming metaphor - often using language that was taken as per- soiial by persons who were out of the fold." It is said that in one of his camp-meeting efforts near Pendleton at an early day, he drew- a vivid picture of a sinner that offended one of his audience. Some time after the meeting was over the offended man met Havens riding along a road and stopped him with a salutation that left no doubt in the mind of the reverend gentleman that the man intended to assault him. The man appeared to be very angry and ordered Havens to dismount, saying that he owed him a tiirashing for alluding to him in his sermon at the camp-meeting and that he proposed to pay him. Havens endeavored to placate the man, whom it would be appropriate to call Dennis, but he would accept no explanation. Nothing would satisfy iiim but a fight. Havens realized that he could not avoid an encounter and asked the man if he would give hiui time to pray before he fought. Permission was given and Havens dismounted, iiitched his horse to a sapling, and kneeling on the greensward offered up a ferveut prayer to the Lord to remember him in the struggle he was about to engage in for His sake. After his supplicatiou he rose and said to the man :

"You will bear witness that the fight we arc about to engage in is not of my seeking and that I fight vou under protest. The fight may be unequal, as you are somewhat larger than I, and I ask you to promise mc that when I ' holler enough ' vou will desist from fighting anil let me go."

The promise was made and tliey went at it. Both were hardy, muscular men and capable of dealing good, strong blows. Havens displayed as much spirit and energy in the fight as he did in his sermons, and the result was that he soon had his adversary down and crymg " enough." But Havens kept right on regardless of his cries until he had given him as sound a thrashing as one man dare give another without becoming a homicide. After the man got on his feet he said to the victorious preacher, " I thought we agreed that when one of us "hollered enough' the other was to quit fighting?" " My friend," said Havens, '- I do not know what you thought concerning this business we have just been engaged in, but wiiatever your thoughts maj' have been they were evidently wrong. I suppose you were so sure of whipping me that you did not consider it necessary to e.xact any promises ; you made the promise but I said nothing about letting vou off if you cried ' enough.' I gave )-ou just what you richly deserved, and now hope that you may repent of your sins and be suveii." The story of tliis fifjht went round '' the circuit," and no doubt had a sahitary effect, as no man ever had the temerity to attack Rev. Havens afterwards for what he said about sinners.

Notwithstanding the M. E. church had been organized in 1827, it was probably not until 1839 that the society had a place of worship of its own. Collins Tharp, in that year donated a tract of land to the society for a cemetery and church. This tract of land was used for many j'ears as a place of burial, but is now the site of many pleasant homes. It is situated immediately west of Delaware street, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets. A church was begun on the land soon after the donation was made, but was never entirely completed, and after being used as a place of worship for several years was sold to J. E. D. Smith, \^ho converted it into a carpenter shop. It was afterwards consumed by Hre.

In 1849, the society which had been holding services in the school house and other convenient places, purchased two lots on the north-east corner of Meridian and Eleventh streets of R. N. Williams upon which a frame church, 86 x 50 was erected, at a cost of !fl,200. A small parsonage was subsequently erected just north of the church. This church was used by the society until 1870. when it was sold to D. W. Swank, who removed it to the south-west corner of Meridian and Ninth streets, where it was converted into business rooms. Early in the summer of 1886 it was consumed by fire.

The First M. E. Cihijcm

This edifice, which stands on the north-east corner of Meridian and Eleventh streets, was erected in 1870, at a cost of many thousands of dollars, and at the time it was built was the largest in the city. It has a lecture room, also a number of class rooms in the basement and an auditorium above that can accommodate six hundred people.

With the increase of pojiulation in Anderson the accessions to this denomination have been so large that two ciiurches besides the First M. E. church are now reijuired to accommodate the membership, namely, the Noble street and North Anderson M. E. churches. The Methodists also have two missions, one in each of the additions known as Hazlewood and Shadcland.

The Catholic Church

Following the Methodists in this part of the county were the Catholics, priests of that church having visited Anderson as far back as 18H7. Masses were first said by Father Francois and Hacquelin, in a log tavern at the southeast corner of Central avenue and Ninth street, mention of which has been made elsewhere in these pages. They came from Logansport to look after the spiritual needs of the Catholics employed on the canal. They were succeeded by other ]iioneer priests, and in 1857, Father Clark came to Anderson, and for a while celebrated mass in the court house. In 1.S5S, the foundations of St. Mary"s church were laid on the site of the present magnificent temple of worship, at the northeast corner of Fletcher and Eleventh streets. The building was not completed until LS(')4. Father Clark was succeeded by Father Fitzmorris, who had charge of the Catholic congregation until 1860, when he was succeeded bv Father McMahon. This priest is still remembered by the older members of the church and citizens generally, as a man of many marked traits of character. He was relieved by Father Crawley in 18(5(5, and subseiiuently joined the Fenians in their ill-advised and disastrous raid into Canada that j'ear. He was captured and thrown into prison ^vhere he remained for some' time, no little diplomacy being emplo3'ed to secure his release.

In 1S70 the lot at the northeast corner of Fletcher and Eleventh streets, just opposite the old church, was purchased, and on the 4th of July, 1875, the corner stone of a new place of worship was laid. The building was dedicated on the 29th of May, 1877, and services were held there until the completion of the present noble temple, when it was converted into a school building and has since been used as such exclusively. In the meantime Father Craw'ey was succeeded by Father Weichman, a joung priest who rendered himself popular with all classes of people, not only on account of his ability and eloquence as a speaker, but for his many genial qualities. He came to Anderson in 1884 and was relieved in 1891 by the present pastor. Rev. J. D. Mulcahey. Immediately following the discovery of natural gas in Anderson the membership of the Catholic church grew very rapidly, and soon after Father Mulcahey was installed as priest he began taking steps toward the building of a new place of worsliip that would be commensurate with the number and importance of his congregation. The place selected upon which to erect the new edifice was the site of the first Catholic church, in which the parochial school had been held for a number of years. This building was torn down, and the work of laying the foundation of the new edifice was begun. The corner stone was laid on the Stth of July, 1893, with appropriate ceremonies and on the tith of October, 1895, the new temple was dedicated.

This occasion will long l)e remembered in Anderson, as the ceremonies were conducted by the bishop of the diocese, assisted by a corps of clergymen, and accompanied bv a civic demonstration, that for pomp and splendor has never been equalled in the city's historj'. Excursion trains were run on all the railroads, and thousands of people, including many military and other organizations connected with the church, visited the citv to witness the ceremonies and take part in the pageant that followed.

This temple was erected at a cost of .tll.OOO, and stands as a monument both to the untiring christian zeal of Father Mulcahey, who so ably officiates at its altar, and the liberality of the Catholic congregation in Anderson. It is easily the largest and finest church edifice in the city.

The Presbyterian Church

This society was organized at Anderson in September, 1851, through the instrumentality of Rev. Edward Schofield, and numbered but eleven members at the time of its organization. But the membership was active and zealous, and in 1855 a brick church 3(5 x (50 feet was erected on Meridian streets, between Tenth and Eleventh street, where the Hurst block now stands. The building cost $2,500. In 1872 it ^vas sold to the Baptists and not long after the Presbyterians erected their present handsome church at the south-east corner of Jackson and Ninth streets. The ground upon which the ciuuch stands was donated by the Hon. James Hazlett. The pastors have been Revs. Edward Schofield, J. S. Craig, A. S. Reid, W. M. Grimes, W. J. Wood, W. H. Zeigler and S. N. Wilson, the last named being the present minister in charge.

The Disciples" Church, or Church of Christ, was organized about the year 1858, through the agency of Elders lumeson and Xew, of Indianapolis, who came to Anderson and vicinity during the '50s and held meetings at various places, but principally at the " Chestnut Grove school house," one mile east of the " Crossing."' The first members here were Burket Eads, John Kindle, Joseph Sigler, John R. Stephenson and William Mustard, the last two named being the only surviving members of the original organization. In 1861 a permanent house for the society was built at the northwest corner of Main and Thirteenth streets, and in 18G2 Joseph Franklin, a resident of Covington, Ky., received a call from the congregation to locate here and look after its spiritual needs which he accepted. Elder Franklin remained as pastor of the church until 1874, and during the time was instrumental in adding a large number of names to the roll of the church membership. He was assisted at times in his ministerial labors by his father. Elder Benjamin Franklin, who was admittedly one of the ablest exponents of the Disciples' faith of his day. The church is in a flourishing condition and steadily increasing its membership. A number of able ministers have occupied the pulpit of this church since it was erected. The present incumbent is Elder W. M. Harkins.

Thk B.M'Tist Church

This society had an organization in Anderson in 1871, being composed of members of the Baptist denomination residing at Chesterfield, Pendleton and this city. In 1872 the building committee of the church purchased of the trustees of the Presbyterian church the latter's place of worship on Meridian street. The Baptists were few in number, however, ant! being unable to meet the payments on the building it finallv reverted to the trustees of the Presbyterian church. After giving up their place of worship the Baptist society had no permanent house in which to hold its meetings and the organization languished. In 18'.'0 a successful eft'ort was made to reorganize the church by Rev. J. W. Porter. Meetings were held in Oriental hall and other places and the society prospered. In 1808 the society began the erection of a place of worship at the southeast corner of School and Fourteenth streets. Work on the building progressed slowly and it was not until May of the present year that the building was dedicated. The society no\v has a membership of 150, and through the efl"orts of the present popular pastor, I'. M. Mc- Guire, is gradually becoming one of the strongest denominations in the city.

The Church Of God

In the suinnier of 1881) Maria W'oodwortli, a trance evangelist, made her appearance in Anderson and held a series of meetings under a tent at the fair grounds. She subsequently removed her tent to Ruddle's grove, across the river, where she continued her meetings with wonderful success. Her preaching and methods appealed to the emotional nature of her hearers and the result was that 106 persons who had been converted through her efforts were baptized at the close of the meeting. The scene of the baptism was at the bridge across White river near the cemetery, and thousands of people assembled to witness the unusual occurrence. The morning the converts were baptized they assembled at the tent in the grove and at the appointed hour marched to tiie river with hands joined and singing with the greatest fervor one of their revival hymns. The scene was impressive in the extreme to all who believed in such manifestations of religious rapture and was likened by them to the scene that occurred at the Pentecostal feast. Soon after the close of this remarkable meeting, at which more that two hundred had professed religion, the new converts organized a society known as the Church of God, purchased a lot at the north-east corner of Hrown and Fourteenth streets and began the erection of a place of worship. This building was completed and dedicated in 1887, the president of the eldership of the Church of God being present and delivering the dedicatory sermon. The first regularly appointed minister was the Rev. Spiher, who was followed by Mrs. Frank Shelly. The minister in charge at present is Elder W. R. Covert.

Trinity Episcopal Ciiihcii

The organization of Trinity I'^piscopal church in Anderson is due to the efforts of Rector J. 11. McGlone, who came here in 1890 and at once began the work of organizing a societ}' of Episcopalians. There were Ijut few members of this denomination in the city at that time, but he called them together and announced his purpose of organizing a church. This was done, and the first meetings of the congregation were held in the Doxey Opera House, which was subsequently burned. Meetings were also held in the Olympic Theatre building. In the meantime a lot was purchased by the trustees of the church at the southeast corner of School and Thirteentii streets and in June, 1891, the corner-stone of Trinity

Church was laid. The work, which was under the immediate .supervision of Rector McGlone, was not permitted to drag and in September of the same year the building was completed and, there being no debt hanging over it, consecrated with appropriate ceremonies by Bishop Knickerbacker. A handsome rectory \vas also erected at the same time thechurch edifice was being built, and like it, when completed, was free of debt. Considering his small congregation, the smallest in the city and poorest, perhaps, so far as worldly possessions are concerned. Rector McGlone deserves great credit for the successful accomplishment of this work. Without his activity, perseverance and good management the work would no doubt have failed. He is still the rector in charge and one of the most popular ministers in the city.

Hope Congregational Church

This society was organized on the 22d of November, USUI, with eighteen members. Rev. \V. C. Gordon was the first pastor, and remained with the church until 1<S98, when he was succeeded by the present pastor. Dr. A. H. Ball. The first year after the organization of the church, meetings were held in the (Olympic theater. They were subsequently iield in a Ijuilding on Chase street until the completion of the new ciiurch. the corner-stone of which was laid August 1(5, 1S04. This building stands at the south-east corner of Chase and Tenth streets, and is one of the handsomest places of worship in Anderson. The building was dedicated .September S, 1^95, Dr. Crum, of Terre Haute, deli\ering the dedicatory address. The first trustees were E.J. Buftington, \V. B. Cutter. J. C. Van Riper, E. R. Cheney and H. P. Coburn.

In the autumn of 188U, Rev. J . T. Roberts, a voung theological student of the United Brethren faith, organized the present society of that denomination wiiich now has a home at the corner of Sansberry street, near Eleventh street. Tiie society was organized at Westerfield's hall on north Main street, and meetings were held there and at other convenient places until December, 1892, when tiieir church was completed and dedicated.

Dunkard Church

This churcii was erected in 1892 under the auspices of a few members of this particular sect. They iiave no regular minister, and services are held only occasional!}'.

The Liitiieran cluirch was organized Febniarv 1, 18U3, by the Rov. W. J. Finck, and the lirst meeting; of the society was held in a small building on West X'inth street. Property at the north-east corner of Fourteenth and Dolman streets was subsequently purchased, where services have since been held. The congregation is composed of sixty members. It is the intention of the memljership to erect a new place of worship in the near future.

On the loth of January, 1894, a small number of Friends, or Qiiakers, under the leadership of the Rev. W. S. Wooton, organized and founded the Friends' church. The first meetings of the Friends were held in the second story of a fraine building on West Tenth street. The society after^vard purchased the residence at the north-east corner of Fourteenth street and Central avenue, where services have since been held. The congregation is composed at the present time of 100 members.

The Spiritualist Society

The present organization of Spiritualists in Anderson dates from January 15, 189:?. The Spiritualists of the city and vicinity, however, had lield meetings in the Westerfield hall on North Main street, and at private residences many years ago. under the leadership of the late Dr. John \V. Westerfield, who, although not a lecturer nor medium, was very active in promoting the cause of \yhat is now known as Modern Spiritualism. On the above date a number of believers in the doctrine organized a society by electing a President, Secretary and a Board of Trustees. Dr. G. N. Hilligoss was chosen President. Immediately after the organization had been effected, ground was purchased at the north-west corner of Thirteenth street and Madison avenue, and the erection of a Spiritualist temple was begun. The building was completed and dedicated in the summer of 1892, and is one of the neatest places of worship in the citj'. The society has a large membership and is in a nourishing condition. The present President of the society is Mr. Alexander P. McKee.

Second M. E. Church

Anderson in 1873. A small frame building situated on Delaware streets between Eleventh and Twelfth streets, was purchased and converted into a place of worship. Services are held regular!}' every Sunday. The congregation is composed of about thirty members.

African M. E. Church

This society was organized about the vear 1890, and in 1896 the membership built a place of worship on South Sheridan street. The building is ample for the accommodation of the congregation, which numbers about thirty members. It is one of the prettiest edifices of its kind in the city.

The colored members of the Baptist denomination organized a society of about thirty members in Anderson in 1892, and subsequently erected a small frame church on South Sherman street. Services are held regularly cverv Sunday, and the society is in a flourishing condition.