Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/608

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��HISTORY OF EICHLAND COUNTY.

��was established the same year by William Dar- nell and J. F. Adams, which gave a new im- petus to trade and settlement. In a few 3'ears, Lexington had attracted a population of several hundred souls. While the newly born city was growing in material wealth, her religious wel- fare was also sought after. Rev. Henry George, a Baptist minister of Scotch blood, was the first itinerant who traveled in this region. He was a stonemason by trade, and possessed of con- siderable talent. There was no stated preach- ing until 181G, when Rev. George Van Eman, a Presbyterian minister, labored at Lexing- ton a portion of his time. In 1817-18, Rev. George and Rev. Summerville occupied the field, alternating every two weeks. Services were held at dwellings, the schoolhouse, in barns and other such structures for several years. From these humble beginnings, the religious and educational interests of Lexington have developed to a degree that would do honor to a city of greater magnitude. Five diflferent denomi- nations have houses of worship, and maintain sei'vices at stated times. It is ditficult to ascer- tain which denomination was the first to occupy the field. The Old School Presbyterians held services in the schoolhouse and elsewhere very eai'ly, yet the United Presbyterians, Methodists and Universalists held services in an early da}'. The first meeting-house, however, was doubtless built by the Presbyterians as early as 1831 or 18.32. It was a small frame, and built upon the lot now used and owned by the United Brethren. The lot was donated by Amariah Watson ; the neighbors united to clear it oft' and •• Uncle Noah " Cook contracted with a Mr. Bell, who furnished the materials, Iniilt the house, and received as compensation from Mr. Cook seventy acres of new land. The Presljy- terian society was organized Ijy a committee of Presljytery March 20, 1832. The first Pastor was Rev. Adam Torrence, and some of the orig- inal members were Noah Cook, Ezekiel Boggs, William Kelso, John Herron, Marv Mitchell

��William McMillan and Hester Cleland. By order of the session, the house was sold in Ma}', 1836, to the United Brethren for $422. It was replaced by a brick building the following year. Revs. Brown, Rowland, Robinson, Shearer and Smith succeeded as supplies or Pastors till 1844, when Rev. Evan Evans became the Pastor. During this year, slavery and other causes rent the church, and Rev. Evans with a number of his flock seceded and organized as a new-school congregation. In 1848, Rev. Luke Doreland became Pastor. The brick house having proven defective, it was replaced b}' a substantial frame which is still in use and in good repair. Some of the later Pastors were Revs. James Anderson, Mr. Hillman, J. 0. Proctor, T. B. Atkins, Mr. Mc- Millan and A. Duncan. The present incum- bent, Rev. G. G. Copland, was installed in the summer of 1879. This denomination is at pres- ent much the strongest, both numericallj' and financialh', of any in the village.

The Congregational Church was formerl}' a New School Presbyterian, organized as such in 1844, by Rev. J. B. Walker. The records dur- ing the interval from the secession to the final organization are very meager. The Pastors of the church during this period were Rev. E. Evans, Rev. Shedd, Rev. Buslmell and others. Some of the original members were Mr. Chap- man, L. Barnum, William Kelso, John Rusk, William Lyon and Mr. Brown. In March, 1862, Rev. Kelso organized this bod}' into a Congregational society. Thomas Brown, Carter Cook, Samuel Douglas, Samuel McCluer, Will- iam Kelso, John Barnum and Phineas Barnum were some of the original members. The first meeting-house was liuilt in 1846, at a cost of $835, not including painting. In 1873, the church was repaired and remodeled at a cost of $1,600, making a very comfortable and attract- ive edifice. The first Pastor under the new organization was Rev. Samuel Kelso. From 1864 to 1872, Rev. George Fry, who died quite recently, served the society as Pastor. He was

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