206 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
But still its mission is to the regions
beyond; its position in the
advancing columns is on the front line.
Its business is to find
and drive the enemy, leaving to the
slower-moving forces the
work of fortifying and garrisoning the
conquered provinces.
Its muster roll begins with those of
Caesar's household and ends
not until it includes the faithful
Onesimus. Quenchless zeal for
souls is and must forever be its
characteristic; a simple and full
salvation its message; and its reward
not human applause, but
the well-done of its Lord.
METHODISM IN GALLIPOLIS.
The Rev. Henry Baker preached the first
Methodist sermon
in Gallipolis sometime during the year
1817, at the residence of
Ahaz S. Morehouse, a log house located
at the mouth of Mill
creek. The Methodist itinerant was not
then received with as
cordial a welcome as others have been
since. "The rowdies
were so troublesome," the minister
stated, "that Mr. More-
house could not have services there any
longer, and unless some-
one else would open a house he would not
come again." Calvin
Shepard, who may justly be entitled the
"father of Gallipolis
Methodism," was present, though not
then a member, and
cheerfully offered his house as a place
of worship, and from that
time they continued to hold regular
services. Shortly afterward,
Brother Shepard, while on a visit to
some friends near Cincin-
nati, sought and found the Savior. A
class was then formed
consisting of the following persons:
Calvin Shepard, Mahala
Shepard, his wife, John Knapp and wife,
Christopher Randall
and wife, Stephen Sisson, Mary Varian
and her two daughters,
Abigail and Matilda. The society was
soon strengthened by the
addition of James Hanson, Sarah
Dranillard and David Smithers,
and many others. In 1820, under the
labors of John P. and
William Kent, there was a very
successful revival in which
about thirty more were added to the
society. About this time,
says the Rev. T. J. N. Simmons, in
Calvin Shepard's obituary,
written October 10th, 1856, "They
met with much opposition,
Philosophy of Methodist Success. 207
and from a source that would dispose us
now to throw over it
the mantle of charity. Having been
denied the court house and
school house for public worship, they
continued to meet in
father Shepard's house and barn until
able to erect a church for
themselves." Says a later writer in
speaking of these persecu-
tions: "The perpetrators were not
all rowdies; Satan himself
seemed to control public sentiment from
those high in religious,
as well as in civil authority, down to
the lowest in society
against the despised Methodists. It was
considered fatal to
every good person to become a Methodist,
and these opinions
were enforced by stones and eggs and
filth. Vehicles were
thrown over the river bank, harness and
saddles were cut and
smeared, and persons passing to and from
the meetings were
subjected to every annoyance." The
circuit, of which this was
but one appointment, extended from
Letart Falls, thirty-six
miles above us, to Wheelersburg, eighty
miles below, embracing
large territory on both sides of the
river. The first Methodist
church was built in Gallipolis in 1821,
and stood where the par-
sonage now stands. The deed for the lot
dates from May 7th,
1793, from George Washington (by Thos.
Jefferson), to Rufus
Putnam, Rev. Manasseh Cutler, Robt.
Oliver and Griffin Green,
for Ohio company. Rufus Putnam and
others to Return
Jonathan Meigs, in trust for French
inhabitants. December 26,
1796, Fearing and Meigs to Lewis
LeClercq. July 30, 1811,
Lewis LeClercq and wife to Anthony
Maguet. June 2, 1821,
Anthony Maguet and wife to trustees of
M. E. church, viz.:
Calvin Shepard, Daniel Combs,
Christopher Randall, Moses
Brown and John Knapp, for which was paid
the sum of $150 in
specie."
This church built in 1821, was 44x50
feet-one story brick,
and ceiling twelve feet high. This
served as a place of worship
until 1849, when a new church was built
at a cost of about
$1,675.00. This building was of brick,
40x60 feet, two stories
high; basement nine feet high; upper
story sixteen feet, vesti-
bule 8 feet wide; four class rooms
twelve feet square; lecture
room 23x40 feet. The pastor was Rev. W.
T. Hand. The
society worshiped and prospered here for
twenty-six years, when
it became necessary to "tear down
and build greater." Accord-
208 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
ingly in the year 1875, under the
pastorate of the Rev. C. D.
Battelle, the present beautiful and
commodious building was
erected, at a cost of $20,000. This
church is 70x86 feet, with a
lecture room 45x50 feet. There are six
class rooms and a vesti-
bule below. The upper room is equal to
about seventy feet
square, a comfortable seating capacity
for 700, with a gallery
seating 150. The building committee was
D. V. Smithers, John
T. Holliday and J. W. Gardener;
architect, T. S. Ford. The
church was dedicated June 25, 1876, by
Bishop R. S. Foster.
The vine that was planted here, though
under much perse-
cution, early in the century, has been a
very prosperous one.
The secret of its prosperity here, as it
is of Methodism every-
where, is in her revivals, and as long
as she clings to her revival
methods, no weapon that is formed
against her will prosper.
The first record, made by the first
legally constituted Board
of Trustoes, contains a list of all the
members and adherents of
the Methodist church, January 18, 1821.
The list contains fifty-
one names. There are now on the church
record 612 names of
members in good standing. The
Sunday-school enrolls over 400
scholars and has a library containing
600 volumes.
*The following is a list of the
ministers that have served
the charge from 1817 to 1890.
LETART FALLS CIRCUIT.
1817-William Cunningham. (To January,
1818.)
1818--Abner Bowman.
1819-Henry Baker and John P. Kent.
1820-William Kent and James Gilruth.
1821-Ebenezer Webster.
1822- Edward Taylor.
1823-James Gilruth.
1824-John P. Kent.
1825-26---Francis Wilson.
1827-Henry and Stephen Rathburn.
*In 1885, a mission chapel, known as "Domron
Chapel," was built in
the upper end of the city, with a
seating capacity for two hundred. Sunday-
school, class and prayer-meetings are held there weekly.
Philosophy of Methodist Success. 209
1828-Jacob Delay.
(Gallipolis circuit was then formed.)
1829 -Jacob Delay and Ebenezer Webster.
1830-John Ulen and James Callahan.
1831-William Herr.
1832-James Armstrong.
1832-David Whitcomb. (From February to
June.)
1833-Elijah Field and Adam Miller, Benj.
Ellis and Abra-
ham Miller.
1834-Charles R. Baldwin.
1835-Jas. Parcells an Benj. D.
Jefferson.
1836-Wm. P. Stricklen and Jacob Martin.
1837-Jacob Delay and Elijah Pilcher.
(In March, 1837, Gallipolis city became
a station.)
1837-Elijah Pilcher.
1838-39-W. P. Strickland.
1840-A. M. Alexander.
1841-42--E. V. Bing.
1843-44-E. M. Baring.
1844-A. I. Lida.
1846-C. C. Lybrand.
1847-48-W. T. Hand.
1849-50-Samuel Baleman.
1851-52-Andrew Correll.
1853-54-E. V. Bing.
1855-56-T. J. N. Simmons.
1857-58-H. Z. Adams.
1859-60-E. P. Hall.
1861-62-J. T. Miller.
1863-64-65-Joseph F. Williams, under
whose pastorate
the present parsonage was built, valued
at $2,500.
1866-67--Levi Cunningham.
1868-Wm. Glenn.
1869-70-F. S. Davis.
1871-72-73-J. E. Moore.
1874-75-C. D. Battelle.
1876--E. H. Heglar.
1877-78-J. W. Dillon.
Vol. III-14
210 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
1879-T. M. Leslie.
1880-81-82-C. F. Creighton.
1883-84-85-W. H. Lewis.
1886-87-Benj. A. Stubbins.
1888-M. V. B. Evans.
1889-90-P. A. Baker.
NAMES OF PRESIDING ELDERS FROM 1816 TO 1890:
1816 to 1822-Jacob Young.
1822 to 1824--John Witterman.
1824 to 1829-Zachariah Connell.
1829 to 1833-Isaac C. Hunter.
1833 to 1835-Robt. O. Spencer.
1835 to 1837-John Ferree.
1837 to 1841-Samuel Hamilton.
1841 to 1842-Isaac C. Hunter. (Died June
18, 1842.)
1842 to 1845-John Ferree. (Died 1845.)
1845 to 1846--J. M. Jamison.
1846 to 1850-John Stewart.
1850 to 1853-Robt. O. Spencer.
1853 to 1854-Andrew Correll.
1854 to 1856-N. Westerman.
1856 to 1860-John Stewart.
1860 to 1864-A. M. Alexander.
1864 to 1868-H. Z. Adams.
1868 to 1871-J. T. Miller.
1871 to 1875--John Dillon.
1875 to 1877-John W. Dillon.
1877 to 1881-T. H. Monroe.
1881 to 1885-Z. W. Fagan.
1885 to 1889--J. C. Arbuckle.
1889-M. V. B. Evans.
I have been greatly aided in preparing
the above by a his-
torical memoir of the society, prepared
by the Rev. C. F.
Creighton, J. G. Domron, J. W. Gardener
and M. Malahan.
Gallipolis, O., Dec. 4, 1890. P. A. BAKER.