Church and Family History Research
Assistance
for Licking County, Ohio
CHURCHES:
LICKING (HEBRON)(1807)
Licking Church, at Hebron, was organized at the home of David Beaver, on August 22(7), 1807, with the following charter members: David Beaver, Anna Beaver, John Simpson, Ann Simpson, Moses Sutton, Susanna Sutton, Polly Sutton, Philip Sutton, Catherine Deweese, Benjamin Green, Abraham Fry, Alexander Holden, Sarah Holden, Martin Grove, Barbara Grove, Ann Grove, Ufane Thompson, Mary David, Sally Park, David Park, Rody Debolt, and Samuel Meredith. Elder Benjamin Green had been preaching at this home for about two years, beginning in 1805.
At the next meeting after the constitution, Elders Martin Kaufman and Samuel Comer presided, and Brethren Alexander Holden, David Beaver, Abraham Fry, and Moses Sutton were appointed as messengers to the bear a letter requesting admission to the Scioto Association.
About the year 1815 or 1816 the church erected a hewed-log meeting house, with gallery on the sides and one end. This was for some time called Beaver's meeting-house, but was subsequently named Licking Church. Later a good frame church building was erected, and there is a well-kept cemetery at this site. The present meeting house of the church is located in Hebron.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Atwood, Baker, Beaver, Beech, Beecher, Berry, Dove, Fisher, Geiger, Hardin, Hite, Peters, Phelps, Porter, Ruffner, Smith, Thrivener, Winegarner (very incomplete list due to not having the records).
GRANVILLE (WELSH HILLS)
The Particular Baptist Church of Granville was organized on September 4, 1808, at the cabin of David Thomas, by Elder James Sutton, assisted by Mr. Steadman, with nine charter members, viz., Theophilus Rees, David Thomas Jr., Nathan Allyn Jr., David Lobdell, Joshua Lobdell, Thomas Powell, Elizabeth Rees, Elizabeth Jones, and Mary Thomas.
The church had preaching very irregularly for the first two years of its existence. Elder Thomas Powell preached occasionally, and other pioneer preachers, braving the dangers & privations incident to life in the wilderness, sometimes visited & preached for them. Meetings were, however, held regularly, every month the church met for praise and prayer. June 10, 1810, Elder John W. Patterson, who had recently settled in the county, became the settled pastor, and continued that relation until 1816. Elder John Mott, of Knox County, was chosen pastor, and although aged and infirm, continued his ministerial labors six years. During 1819, Elder George Evans supplied the pulpit temporarily, and for a year there was no settled minister. In March 1823, Elder Thomas Hughes, a licentiate from Wales, who settled in the neighborhood, was chosen pastor, and supplied the church regularly until 1832, when he resigned. During his pastorate services in the stone school-house, and in the old log church. Elder James Berry served the church one year after Elder Hughes resigned. In 1833, Elder Hughes again became settled minister, and served the church until 1841.
The church worshipped in private houses for some time, but a log building, with a puncheon floor, and in size, about 18 by 20 feet, was erected during the year 1809, on the Rees purchase, about a mile northeast of Granville, which was used, more or less, for a church and school-house several years, when a building, 20 by 24 feet was erected two miles north, of round logs, puncheon floor and pulpit. Bro. Philipps donated a few acres of land in connection with this church for a cemetery, in which he and many of his family and descendants are buried. In 1822, this church was used as a school house and accidentally burned down. Deacon Theophilus Rees had also donated some ground for a cemetery where the original church stood, which is yet known as the "Welsh Hills cemetery", and in which he and his family are buried. It was given by him February 6, 1808, and on the same day, Rees, son of David Thomas, was buried there, being the first interment. David Lewis & Simon James dug the grave. These meeting houses were used alternately, for the better accomodation of the old people of these neighborhoods. In 1823, large hewed log meeting-house was built near the site of the one that was burnt, where services were conducted until 1834, when it, too, burnt during its occupacy as a school-house. After this, a stone school-house, on the farm of Elder Thomas Hughes, was occupied by the church two years.
The Welsh Hills Church was among the first organized in Licking county. The small Methodist organization on Hog run, ministered to by Rev. Asa Shinn, in 1803-'4, and the organization effected on the eastern borders of the county through the instrumentality and labor of Rev. Joseph Tharp, in 1805-6, together with the Congregational church in Granville, organized in Massachusettes, in 1805, and a Methodist church in Newark, being the only ones of prior date, within the present limits of the county.
The Muskingum Association was formed at this church in May, 1811, in the building first erected, by Elders William Brundige, Jacob Drake, William Thrift and J. W. Patterson. This church remained with said association until 1841, when it united with the Columbus association, as a result of departing from the original faith of the Primitive Baptists and becoming a part of the mission system.
The services in this church have generally been conducted in the English language, but occasionally in Welsh.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
James, Fry, Thomas (very incomplete list from association minutes of 1814).
FRIENDSHIP (HOG RUN, NEWARK)
The Friendship church was organized February 20, 1811, by Elders Thomas Powell and John W. Patterson. The following persons were the charter members: Samuel Meredith, John Simpson, John W. Patterson, Thomas Deweese, Ann Simpson, and Thomas Powell. Elder Patterson was pastor of this church about a dozen years or more after its organization and was succeeded by Elders Eli Ashbrook, Hill, George Breese, John Parker, Matthew Brown, S. Meredith, C. McClellan, Zachariah Thomas, and Benjamin Lampton.
Friendship Church, or, as it is commonly called, "The Hog Run Old School Baptist Church" was one of the pioneer churches of Licking Township, and of the county. It exerted a degree of influence second to but few churches in the county. Its positive creed, the free, full, outspoken profession of its doctrines, and the unreserved declaration of their belief by its adherents, their readiness to defend the faith they cherish, and the avowal and prompt support by arguments of their somewhat peculiar views as to faith and ecclesiastical usages, have all tended to attract public attention. The foregoing considerations, together with the wealth they represent, their numbers, their long history and identification with pioneer times, and other causes, have contributed to make this church a power - a church vigorous, widely known, and of considerable influence. The membership of this church has generally been considerable, and crowds usually attend its ministrations. In 1818, they erected a church which they continued to occupy 42 years. It was of hewed logs, with a gallery running around three sides of it. In 1860 it was superseded by a good frame building, which was of good size, and stood on or near the site of the original one, near VanBurenton, where the plank road crosses the northeasterly branch of Hog Run.
The original members of the church had formerly been members of sister churches mainly from Pennsylvania. The church soon united with the Muskingum Association. In 1814, her messengers were Elijah Sutton, Robert Orr, and Nicholas Shaver, who reported 46 members. Sometime shortly after 1900, the church moved the place of its meetings from Hog Run, to Newark, most recently on Western Avenue. Some of the pastors in recent years included Elders H. H. Hartman, James Bibler, Walter Morrow, and Maurice Chapman.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ashbrook, Barndollar, Barton, Bibler, Bockoven, Bodle, Boring, Cain, Chapman, Claggett, Crowe, Davis, Deweese, Dorsey, Dove, Ewing, Farmer, Fields, Frye, Gatrel, Gutridge, Hartman, Hedrick, Hickman, Hoskinson, Iden, Jury, Lafever, Lake, Lawrence, Leech, Mahan, Marston, Meredith, Morrow, Orr, Osborne, Palmer, Parr, Patterson, Paxton, Peters, Pitzer, Redman, Rhodes, Richcreek, Shaver, Simpson, Sutton, Wilkins, Yearian (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
NEWARK
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
ST. LOUISVILLE
The St. Louisville Church was organized in an early day, and Elder John Fry was one of its early preachers. They erected their first church edifice in St. Louisville in the earliest years of that village, and in 1849 sold it to the Christian or New Light society. Soon after, they erected a small log church building on Lost Run about three miles east of St. Louisville, just over the line in Washington township. Elder John Pritchard was the pastor for thirty years or more.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Dush, Hunter, Pritchard, Stevens (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
POPLAR FORK OF JONATHAN'S CREEK (GRATIOT)
Poplar Fork (or Jonathan's Creek) Church, about one-half mile northwest of Gratiot, was organized in 1822. Elders Thomas Snelson and Benjamin Cave were among its earliest ministers; they were followed by Elders William Baker, Jesse Stith, John Parker and Daniel Scofield. The charter members included Adam Smith, Daniel Drumm, Samuel Winegarner, James Redman, Thomas White, Isaac Smith, Margaret Winegarner, and Henry Claybaugh. A meeting house was erected in 1823, which was later replaced by a neat substantial frame building. Adam Smith and James Redman were the first deacons. There is a large cemetery at the site.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Baker, Barker, Claybaugh, Drumm, Ewers, Gutridge, Handley, Hupp, Iden, Lawyer, Lyle, Mason, Morehead, Norman, Parr, Prior, Redman, Scofield, Smith, White, Winegarner, Wise (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
GRATIOT
MONDAY CREEK
Monday Creek Church is listed in the minutes of the Muskingum Association, sometimes as being located in Licking County, and sometimes in Perry County.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Croy, Nixon, Skinner (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
LOST RUN
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Pritchard, Stephens (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
FALLSBURG
The Fallsburg Church was one of the first religious organizations in Fallsburg township. Miner McQueen, an early settler, gathered around him a few others, and they held religious meetings in his house, himself performing the duties of pastor. Bro. Christopher Coffman also preached occasionally for them. The church was formally organized in about 1832, and some of the charter members were Miner McQueen, Christopher Coffman, John Fry and wife, Sister Buck, Sister Vaner, Sister Porter and possibly a few others.
A log meeting house was erected in about 1835 which was used for many years, and an old graveyard was located at the site.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Frost, Painter (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
HARMONY (ALEXANDRIA)
The obituary of the Susan A. Biggs (1809-1893), wife of Elder James W. Biggs says that she and her husband were charter members of Harmony Church, in April 1837. We also have a pamphlet published by the church fairly recently.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Beaumont, Beaver, Farmer, Funk, Grooms, Hanna, Hite, Jackson, Johnson, Kinter, Linsey, Lynd, Richards, Rugg, Seymour, Skinner, White (very incomplete list).
FRIENDSHIP (LINVILLE)
The Friendship Church, in Bowling Green township, about half a mile east of Linnville, was erected in 1848, and was an arm of the Friendship, or Old School Baptist church at Hog Run, in Licking township.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Grove, Gutheridge, Hanley, Hupp, Meredith (very incomplete list).
PLEASANT HILL (HANOVER)
Pleasant Hill Church, in Perry township, was constituted in 1847 by Elder John Fry, who was the first to introduce the doctrines of this church into this territory. He was assisted by John Crabtree and Joseph Sperry, and the organization consisted of seven members, three males and four females.
The first deacon was James Holmes, and the first clerk, Ezra Sperry. In 1864, John Bilby and William Claggett were installed as deacons, and James Holmes clerk. Elder John Fry remained pastor until 1853, and was then followed by Elders Stephen C. Smith, John Pritchard, John VanHorn, and William Butler. A respectable church building was erected.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Cooksey, Holmes, Painter, Porter, Rector (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
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