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Jefferson Township Churches

From History of Madison County, W. H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1883

Page 634

The first society organized within the present limits of Jefferson Township was that of Foster Chapel, which met at the residence of Rev. Lewis Foster in 1808, and organized a small society. We are able to give a few of the names constituting the original class: Lewis Foster and wife; Joshua, John, Benjamin and Joseph, four sons of Rev. Foster, and their wives; Rebecca Tomlinson; Cassa Dwyer; Joseph Downing, his brother Frank and their wives; John Hayden, wife and family. Among the first ministers who served the class were Revs. William Simmons, Daniel Davidson and Rev. Finley. They worshiped in their respective homes alternately until in March, 1825, when Rev. Foster and wife deeded two acres and forty-three poles to a body of Trustees for the sum of $10, and for the purpose of erecting theron a church building. The Trustees at the time were John Hayden, Frank Downing, John Buck, John Foster and Joseph Powers. The deed was acknowledged before Squire Samuel Sexton, of New Hampton. A comfortable hewn-log church was soon erected, wherein the notes of praise were sounded to the All-Wise, and their hearts rejoiced in the privileges they then enjoyed. Now the ground is ornamented with a comfortable as well as a neat and attractive brick church. The present Trustees are Chauncy Beach, John Millikin, Owen Harbage, Philip Tewax and A. J. Dickerson. The last named is now serving as Class-Leader.

The Methodist Church of Jefferson – The society at Foster Chapel had grown and cast its seed in the vicinity of the village of Jefferson, but not until 1833 was there a class organized here, which consisted of about ten or a dozen members, a part of whose names we are able to record, viz.: Ezekiel Arnett and wife; a Mr. Mortimore and wife, who lived in a log house where the residence of James Peene now stands, and in whose house the society was organized; Mrs. Jarvis Pike and Mrs. Mary Lewis. the officiating minister was Rev. Gavett. they were industrious and zealous in the good work begun, and erelong the class numbered almost double as many as at first. They worshiped in Mortimore's residence mostly until 1836, when they commenced holding their meetings in the schoolhouse in Jefferson, where they were served by Rev. Sutton. They experienced some unpleasantness with the Universalists, who also used the same building, and in 1837, even though the flock was small, and financially not able, they had the will, and also found the way, to erect a substantial frame church, on Lot No. 50, in the village of Jefferson. While in this house, the society still enlarged, and in 1862 a more modern and comfortable brick edifice was erected, at a cost of about $5,000. They have a good bell of 1,378 pounds, a parsonage, and the total value of the property is about $8,000. Their present membership will number about one hundred and seventy-five, and they have an interesting Sabbath school.

Blair Chapel – Methodism still continued to grow in the township of Jefferson, and in 1844 we find, largely by the efforts fo the Blair family, that a society was organized about four miles northwest of the last-mentioned congregation. In the year above given, Rev. J. W. Young, of the Marysville Circuit, was solicited to come and organized the society, which resulted in the following members: John Blair and Jency, his wife, G. W. Blair, R. C. Blair, J. C. Coon, Elizabeth Tillman, Leonard Thomas, J. Zadock Chapman, Hiram Stodard and Eliza Stodard. Four of the original class are now living. The church has had numerous revivals, and swollen its membership to about seventy in all, and is new [sic] served by Rev. – – . for nine years after the society was organized, they worshiped in the residence of G. W. Blair, when they all threw their mite together; Mr. Blair donated a lot from his farm, and a frame church edifice was constructed, plain but comfortable, at a cost of about $700, and was dedicated in the fall of 1853, by Rev. Uriah Heath. The building served them a period of twenty-nine years, with the nominal expense for repairs of $20 – a striking illustration of economy. At present there is a substantial brick church, five miles northwest of Jefferson, nearing completion, on the farm of E. B. Haynes, who donated the lot on which it stands. The building is 32x52, with steeple and bell. It is to be completed at a cost of about $2,600.

The Baptist Church of Jefferson – Among the early settlers of New Hampton we find the most of them from New Jersey, and the majority of them clinging to the persuasion of the Baptist Church. The date we are unable to give, but, during the early part of the third decade of the present century, Rev. Isaac Jones' labors resulted in organizing the first society of Baptists in this township. They first worshiped in a very plain log hut, which stood about twentypaces west of the gate entering the Hampton Cemetery. Its ceiling was only about eight feet high, covered with clapboards. Subsequently, however, a brick, as they thought of modern style, was erected, and, if now standing, would be near the center of the cemetery. It was 20x32, and twelve feet ceiling, which served them until about 1848, when they built their present frame in the village of Jefferson; but now a new and handsome church edifice is expected in the near future.

Rev. Jones labored hard in the cause of Christianity in his chosen church, pssessing unwavering fidelity. the people were industrious and determined to sustain the cause. Rev. Jones continued his ministerial labors here until his death, in 1842. The church now numbers seventy-six members, and prosperity still seems to stretch forth an inviting hand. They are served by Rev. L. R. Meers, the present incumbent. The church property is in the hands of a Board of Trustees, composed of J. T. Colliver, M. D., George Silvers and C. C. Jones. The present Church Clerk and Treasurer are Quinn Bradley and L. D. Hull, respectively.

Alder Chapel Universalist Church was organized as a society in the spring of 1860, known as the First Universalist Church of Jefferson Township, though there had been for years occasional visits of Universalist ministers, directed to the interest of the vicinity. In the year the society was organized, Thomas Timmons deeded a half acre of ground in consideraton of $50, on which to build a church edifice, and the same year a comfortable, plain, but neat structure, 28x40 feet, was erected, at a cost of about $1,000, including the bell. The society now numbers twenty-three members, and is served by the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Crosley, of London, Ohio. Since the re-organization in 1874, it has been regularly served, and it has since that time also been designated as Alder Chapel, and is under the control of a Board of Trustees, viz., C. H. High, Stephen Cary and D. J. Cutler.

St. Simon and Jude's Catholic Church. – The settlement of Catholics dates quite early between Columbus and Springfield, but very sparsely for a time. They were, however, visited by different clergymen about every three months, who held services in the respective dwellings of the members subsequently in the Town Hall of Jefferson. In this manner was Catholicism nursed in its infancy in Jefferson Township, but not until the year 1864 was the subject of a church edifice agitated, when Rev. John M. Conway took the matter in charge. Soon afterward, a subscription was begun and favorably patronized. In 1866, Edward Buck donated the lot for the church, and in the spring of 1867 the foundation was begun and the cornerstone laid May 19 of the same year, by the Rt. Rev. Sylvester H. Rosecrans, Bishop of Columbus, Ohio. The building is a brick, 34x67 feet, and was completed to the tower under the management of Father Conway. It was dedicated by Bishop Edward Fitzgerald, of Little Rock, Ark., October 31, 1869, and has since been served by the Revs. F. McGrath, J. M. thisse, J. A. Burns, H. Kiffmeyer and W. F. O'Rourke, under the supervision of Father Conway, but in March of 1873, Rev. B. M. Müller took charge, and is the present pastor. In the meantime, the standing debt has been released, and, during 1879, a tower and belfry, ninety-one feet in height, erected, and furnished with a good bell of 1,234 pounds, at a total cost, building and all, of about $7,000. Nearly seventy families worship in the building, of which about nine are German.

African Methodist Church. – In the year 1865, the spirit of Methodism was first kindled among the colored people of Jefferson, of whom we may mention the names of Mary Smith, Andrew Bayless and wife, David Slago, Louisa Walker, Pereene Ricks, Mary Cooper, and a few others. they were first visited by Rev. Edward Wright, and through his efforts a few accessions were made, and the society regularly served with a minister ever since. Their membership is composed of twenty-five. The society first worshiped in private dwellings, and mostly assembled at the house of "Mother" Smith, whose door was always open and her reception warm to any who might choose to enter. The second step was, by and by, to rent a house; though very poor, it answered the purpose, and finally, in 1870, they purchased their present property, which is the old academy and grounds. The building is very plainly furnished, the total value of grounds and building being estimated at $1,000. It is under the control of a Board of Trustees, composed of Martin V. Ricks, Henry Jones and Washington Boone. The first-named Trustee is also Class-Leader, as well as one of the Stewards, with Henry Jones and Henry Grimes.

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