Source:
A History & Biographical Cyclopaedia
 of
Butler County, Ohio
With Illustrations and Sketches
of its Representative Men and Pioneers
Publ. by Western Biographical Publishing Co.
Cincinnati, O
1882

MORE CHURCHES TO BE ADDED LATER.

CHURCHES
Pg. 355

ST. JOHN. 
 

GEORGE ADAM RENTSCHLER

WILLIAM HUBER

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F. B. PUTHOFF.

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CONSTANTINE MARKT.

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EPISCOPAL CHURCH

DR. S. H. POTTER

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JOHN C. McKEMY.

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SAMUEL DAVIDSON.

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GEORGE W. WHITE.

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JAMES THOMPSON GRAY.

ARTHUR W. ELLIOTT.

EVAN EVANS.

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WILLIAM C. MILLER.

THOMAS MILLIKIN.

ALEXANDER F. HUME.

CITY GOVERNMENT.

     For a long time the citizens of both Hamilton and Rossville had perceived the vital necessity which existed for a union, and the project was taken up seriously and moved to a successful completion in 1854.  Ordinances of annexation were passed by the common councils of both villages, and at an election held on the first Monday of April, in the year just mentioned, the question, having been submitted to the legal voters, was adopted, and the consolidation soon after became a fixed fact.
     The mayors of Hamilton before that event had been, about 1834, Ezekiel Walker, Richard Easton, and Jonathan Pierson; about 1842 to 1846, M. P. Alston; about 1851, David G. Leigh, James Daughterty, John S. Wiles, and Robert Hargitt.  Since the union they have been Robert Hargitt, John S. Wiles, Ransford Smith, Daniel Longfellow, who served three terms and died in office; A. C. Stephenson, who served out two terms and the

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JOHN W. ERWIN.

LANE FREE LIBRARY.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
     In the early part of 1842 a few colored families felt the need of a Church. They had been worshiping in the white congregation, but on account of prejudice were compelled to sit in pews near the door or in the gallery. A meeting was called at one of the houses, and an organization effected with the following families as members: Andrew Sampson and wife, Stephen Hall and wife, Samuel Jones and wife, Robert G. H. Anderson and wife, Julia Samson, Silas Dixon, and Walter C. Young. This little company of believers grew rapidly, and a house of worship became necessary. A small building was erected, and in August, 1842, it was dedicated, and the Rev. Owen T. B. Vickers, of Cincinnati, preached the dedicatory sermon.
     Too feeble to support a regular pastor, the conference made it a circuit station, and sent them a preacher every two weeks. . The Rev. Henry Atkinson and the Rev. M. M. Clark were its first preachers. The latter gentleman was one of the best educated colored ministers of his day. He was pious and eloquent, and his influence is still felt among this people. There is but one person living who was among the founders in 1842, Mrs. Harriet Sampson.
     A new chapel was erected in 1877. It is a capacious edifice, situated in a desirable part of the city, of brick structure, sixty-two by forty. It will seat three hun­dred persons, and cost about six thousand dollars. At the entrance, of the auditorium, against the east wall, there is a marble slab with the following inscription on it:

~MEMORIAL~
*Payne A. M. E. Chapel*
Organized August, 1842.
Building begun In 1868, by the Rev. A. H. A.Jackson.
Finished 1877, by the Rev. P. Tolllver, Jr.
TRUSTEES—J. S. Lewis, F. Beard, A. J. Evens, B. M. Carson, H. Rimmonds.
BUILDING COMMITTEE—Alfred J. Anderson, Ira A. Collins, Clerk.
WORKERS—Mrs. L. A. Anderson, at large; M. J. Evens, M. Rimmonds, J. Sharp, Andrew Sampson.
P. Tolliver, Pastor.

GERMAN METHODIST. CHURCH.
     The German Methodist Episcopal Church was organized as a branch of the Methodist Episcopal Society of Hamilton in 1843. The first members were Conrad Stonebreaker, Mrs. Ruoff, and Mr. Griesel. A few others came to Hamilton with their families, when a Sunday school was begun, and a church bought in 1860, formerly the property of the Lutheran Society. They paid for it two thousand two hundred dollars. The trustees were Philip Berry, S. W. Mower, Joseph Lashhorn, and Conrad Stonebreaker. They were much persecuted by the members of the other German Churches, who tried to keep their members away.
     They have grown considerably in the last three years, now having sixty-two members. A year ago they bought a lot, and intend shortly to begin the erection of an edifice on the east side of the river; The Church is still a mission, and receives support from the general Church fund. The first pastor was the Rev. Martin Hartman, and since that time they have had as preachers  Messrs. Kessinger, Voltz, Rinehart, Jacob Gabler (under whom the church was bought), Breuning, Charles.Helwig, John Felsingi and John Bier. The Sabbath school has eighty scholars, and fifteen officers and teachers. Frank Keller is superintendent. There is also a Christian Church, on the west side, of which Elder Gaff is the pastor, of whose history we are not informed.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
     On the 31st of December, 1841, Dr. Loammi Rigdon, Rebecca Rigdon, Aaron Potter, and Emeline Potter, being desirous to have Baptist preaching, resolved to make an effort to maintain a minister one-half of his time, and engaged the Rev. A. Drury, of Cincinnati, for that purpose, at the rate of four dollars for each visit. In 1842 he closed, and Elder Quant succeeded, staying, however, but a short time. In April, 1843, the Rev. Mr. Osborn began preaching, receiving two hundred dollars per year. Of this Dr. Rigdon and Mr. Potter each paid seventy-five dollars, and the Ohio Baptist Association, fifty dollars. There being no organization of the Church at this time, an arrangement was made with the Muddy Creek Church to receive into their membership any who might wish to join at Hamilton. It should be remembered that all this time there was a Baptist Church here, which adhered to the anti-mission side. The split had occurred in 1836.
     In 1844 the Lockland Church received the members of the Hamilton congregation into membership, and con­stituted it a branch Church. The members were L. Rigdon, Rebecca Rigdon, Aaron Potter, Emeline Potter, Eve Davis, Elizabeth Walton, Sarah Steele, Sarah Garrison, Mary Garrison, Mary Kelley, S. Jane Walton, Louisa Pharis, and .Louisa Boatman. When Mr. Osborn's term expired no other preacher was called, but services were held occasionally, at which neighboring ministers officiated. Meetings were held in the court-house and at the Female Academy. October 20, 1844, the Rev. D. Bry­ant was called as pastor, and a couple of months after it was resolved to erect a meeting-house. This house was in due time erected, at a cost, with the lot, of $3,311, and, with an addition afterward made, was occupied till 1858, when it passed into the hands of William Miller, the German Lutheran Church, and the Episcopal Church, successively. It is now changed into stores.
Mr. Bryant accepted another call in 1845, and William Roney was installed as pastor soon after. April 15, 1846, the Church was received into membership with the other Baptist Churches of the State, under the title of the First Baptist Church of Hamilton. The first trustees were L. Rigdon, A. Potter, J. L. Batcheldor, Joseph Shotwell, and J. S. Beatty; treasurer, L. Rigdon; clerk, W. S. Going; deacons, L. Rigdon and Joseph Shotwell. Mr. Roney left on the 4th of June, 1848, and was succeeded by William Ashmore. In 1850 he went to China as a foreign missionary, and for a year the Church was without a pastor. The Rev. H. M. Richardson became pastor in 1852. The membership at this time was seventy-two. He stayed with the Church ten years, and did much good service. During his ministra­tions it was that the new church was built, at a cost of ten thousand five hundred dollars. He was succeeded by C. B. Keys, J. M. Pendleton, V. W. Snow, R. Telford, N. A. Reed, Thomas Hanford, J. R. Ware, W. R Lyon, W. A. Smith, P. M. Weddell, and Homer Eddy. The last is the present pastor.
     On Sunday, January 17, 1875, the church, building was partly destroyed by fire. The other Churches, the young Men's Christian Association, and the Masons promptly tendered their aid. The loss was fully covered by insurance. About this time, too, the Church became straitened for means, could not pay the pastor's salary, and was for several short spaces of time without preaching. It is now, however, on the upward wave. The membership is increasing, and there is much interest felt. The Sunday-school has had as superintendents Aaron Potter, E. G. Dyer, W. Richardson, W. E. Scobey, George P. Brown, Walter Webster, Joseph R. Gibbons, and F. P. Stewart. Much of the success of this Church was owing to the indefatigable zeal of Mr. Aaron Potter and Dr. Loammi Rigdon, who put their shoulders to the wheel and. made the Church an accomplished fact.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
     A society of Baptists was formed in Hamilton and organized in 1829, at which time they numbered twenty-seven members. Leonard Garver, of Rossville, made them a donation of lot No. 151, in the south part of the town of Rossville, on which, in 1833, they erected a brick building as a place of public worship, at a cost of about one thousand dollars. In February, 1833, the Legislature passed an act incorporating the Hamilton and Rossville Baptist Church, under the name of "The Hamilton and Rossville Regular Baptist Church," by which act Samuel Fields, Leonard Garver, Isaac T. Saunders, Isaac Paxton, and William Morris were elected trustees to manage the property of the association.
     The first stationed preacher in the congregation was the Rev. Daniel Bryant, who settled in Hamilton in 1829, and continued to officiate for two years and four months. He was succeeded by the Rev. Stephen Gard, of Trenton, who preached to the congregation three years. The Rev. Thomas Childers then officiated four years, and was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph H. Flint, who re­mained two years, and then the Rev. Wilson Thompson officiated two years, up to May, 1844, at which time the number of members belonging to the society was about thirty-five. Number of members at the time the society was organized, twenty-seven; there had been added by baptism, thirty-four; by letter, forty; total, one hundred and one. There had been dismissed by letter, forty; excluded, eight; deceased, eighteen; total, sixty-six Number of members in April, 1844, thirty-five. Owing to the smallness of the congregation, it .has been impos­sible to obtain any definite particulars of the later years of this society. In the division between the Old School and New School, in 1836, they adhered to the Old School, and their numbers gradually diminished. For some time past they have had preaching once a month by Mr. Danks, of Cincinnati.

UNIVERSAL1ST CHURCH.
     As nearly as we can ascertain, the history of Universalism in Butler County dates back to 1838, when occasional preaching services were held in the city of Hamilton, and at various other places in this county.
     James McBride estimated the attendance upon the various Churches in Hamilton, in 1842, as follows: "Methodist, 300; Presbyterians, 200; Associate Reformed, 200; Episcopal, 50; Reformed Presbyterians, 100; Baptists (Old School), 30; Universalists, 100. Total population of Hamilton and Rossville, 2,552; of age to attend Church, 2,089. Total attendance, includ­ing 200 Catholics, 1,030; non-attendants, 1,059.
     In one of our old county papers we find the following announcement: "Rev. D. R. Biddlecome, Universalist, will preach at Jacksonburg, at 3 P. M., and in Hamilton in the evening."' About this time there was an occasional sermon by some Cincinnati missionary Universalist minister, who preached at Oxford, Bunker Hill, and other places. Rev. Henry Gifford, Rev. Abel C. Thomas, Rev. John Gurley, Rev. George Rogers, Rev. E. M. Pingrey, Rev. W. W. Curry, Rev. Ben. F. Foster, Rev. J. C. Petrat, Rev. N. M. Gaylord (brother-in-law of General Van Derveer), Rev. Mr. Davis, and Rev. Mr. W. S. Bacon were the early occasional expounders of this faith "once delivered to the saints."
     Among the old-time attendants upon the Universalist Church services we find the following names: Jacob Matthias, Isaac Matthias, John W. Erwin, John K. Wilson, Perry G. Smith, John O. Brown, Peter Jacobs, Thomas Reed, Richard Easton, and Isaac Warwick. At this time these friends of liberal thought met in the lower rooms of the courthouse, which .were ordinarily well filled, and the religious services were always char­acterized by most excellent music. Their present church was erected in 1851 and cost about $9,000. Besides other generous contributions, John W. Erwin donated the church bell, which was a premium bell, and cost five hundred dollars cash. Christopher Hughes, Ludwick and Jane Betz, and Jasper Johnson were now attendants upon public worship with this congregation.
     The Rev. Jonathan Kidwell, a most able controversialist, and other prominent Universalist divines, occasionally held public debates with the ministers of opposing faiths at various places in Butler County. Churches have been built at Oxford and Bunker Hill, which have for many years had preaching about every alternate Sunday. Rev. C. H. Dutton, Rev. William Tucker, Rev. J. P. MacLean, and Rev. C. L. Haskell, in the order named, have been the more recent pastors of the Hamilton society. It has an interesting Sunday-school, with about eighty names enrolled, and an average attendance of probably fifty-five.
     Unfortunately the church property of this society has become involved in litigation, which for final adjudica­tion has been appealed to the Supreme Court. H. L. Morey, J. E. Morey, B. F. Thomas, John W. Erwin, R. N. Andrews, Dr. S. H. Potter, S. 0. Peacock, and various influential citizens of Butler County attend this church. Should the Supreme Court finally decide adversely to this society, it proposes at once to build a new and beautiful modern church edifice; otherwise, to entirely renovate its present house of worship.