Out at the old
Duckcreek
Baptist Church, yesterday, was held the first church centennial ever
celebrated
in Hamilton County. It was an all-day
basket-meeting, to
celebrate
the organization of the first Baptist Church in the Northwest
Territory,
from which has grown this great religious denomination in this and
other
Western States. The history of the early organization, as told
yesterday,
may not be amiss in these days of centennial celebrations.
The first Baptist Church
organized in the Northwest Territory was constituted by Rev. Stephan
Gano,
where Columbia now is, January 20, 1790. The church membership
consisted
of nine persons--Benjamin Davis, John A. Gano, Isaac Ferris, Jonah
Reynolds,
Amy Reynolds, Elizabeth Ferris, John Ferris and Thomas C. Wade--members
of the first colony that arrived at Columbia, November 18, 1788. Isaac
Ferris was appointed Deacon and John A. Gano, Clerk. A declaration of
faith
and practice was prepared and signed by the Church on June 20, 1790, at
which time three probationers--Elijah Stities, Rhoda Stites and Sarah
Ferris--were
received in the Church, and the first baptism in the Northwest was
performed
by Rev. Stephan Gano in the Ohio River. Rev. Gano, was called to the
pastorate
of the new church, but declined, and Rev. Jno. Smith, of Pennsylyania,
became the first pastor of the new Church, May 1, 1790.
In October, 1791, the
membership had increased to fifteen members, and the church decided to
build a meeting house and appointed as Trustees, David Davis, Captain
White,
Elijah Stites, Hezekiah Stites and Henry Tucker. The church was built
on
a lot given by Major Stites on the spot where the Pioneers monument now
stands in the old cemetery in Eastern Columbia and was dedicated in
1792.
The congregation was protected from Indians by Colonel Spencer and the
militia. The first ordination in the Northwestern Territory took place
in the new church, September 23, 1792, when Elder Daniel Clark was
ordained.
In 1801 Elder Peter
Smith
was chosen pastor and under his preaching a great revival came and in a
few months over 150 members were added to the church. At a
meeting
held December 5, 1801, it was voted to take steps to build a new
meeting
house on the lot of Mrs. Ginnings, the spot where yesterday's
centennial
was celebrated.
The second meeting house
was completed in 1803 and permanently occupied in 1808. The church was
named the Duckcreek Baptist Church, after Duck Creek, which flows at
the
base of the hill on which it is built, and where the members were
baptized on their admission into the church. The old log cabin meeting
house gave way to the present church which was built in 1835. Since the
organization at Columbia in 1790, members have been dismissed to form
the
churches in this city, Pleasant Ridge, Lebanon, Madisonville, Mt.
Lookont,
Linwood, Columbia and Mt. Washington. The congregation of the old
Duckcreek
church continued to worship there until February 1, 1876, when the
congregation
removed to Mt. Lookout, where it now worships. Since this time only the
annual meeting, which was started fifty years ago and called the
"annual
jubilee," has been held in the old church. The pastors of the church
during
the past one hundred years have been Stephan Gano, John Smith, Daniel
Clark,
Peter Smith, Wm. Jones.
The centennial
celebration
at the old Duck Creek Baptist Church, which is to take place today,
will
be an historical event of no small importance.
It is something for
Baptists
to look back on a hundred years of history in Cincinnati. The old
chruch
ground is two miles from Walnut Hills, via the
Madisonville pike to
Mornington
station, on the Ohio and Northwestern Railway. Rev. E.A. Ince
will
preach in the morning and Rev. B.F. Harmon will
conduct a historical and
devotional meeting in the afternoon. Everybody is invited to attend and
take along a basket of provisions for a picnic.
The church is an old
fashioned
low brick structure. The roof is devoid of the modern tower, and the
windows
are protected by solid wooden shutters. The interior walls have no
decorations
except their coat of white wash. The ceiling is supported by four large
wooden posts of ancient design. The seats are of the old fashioned
straight
backed style. Fastened to the seats are the posts on which were placed
the old fashioned oil lamps, that used to attract the people to church
at "early candle lighting."
In the rear end of the
church stands the old fashioned pulpit, reached by a flight of steps,
with
its massive front and havy rear arched framework, which inclosed the
only
decorations of the day, a cross, surmounted by a crown and the dates
1790-1890,
wrought by the ladies, of evergreen. Like all old time churches, the
building
is surrounded with a graveyard, in which are buried many of the old
members,
on whose tombstones, half covered with moss, reads: "Isaac Ferris, born
July, 1735, died July, 1819" and "Margaret Wood Ferris, born 1742, died
1825." And near by is another grave, the tombstone of which reads:
"Betsy
Miller, born 1765, died June 3, 1833."
Early yesterday morning
the members and frinds of the old church began to gather to enjoy the
centennial
day and the exercises. The morning hours were spent in listening to
reminiscences
of the early organization, and it was half-past 10 when the
people
were called to order by Rev. S.K. Leavitt, pastor of the Mr. Lookout
Baptist
Church. The exercises were opened by singing: "All hail the power of
Jesus'
name, Let angels prostrate fall."
Rev. W.E. Stevens, of
Columbia, led in prayer. After singing another hymn Rev. B.F.
Harmon,
of Pleasant Ridge, read the Scriptural lesson and Rev. J.R. Powell
invoked
the blessing of God up the centennial services. Rev. E. Armstrong Ince,
of Mt. Auburn, ascended the flight of steps up into the old fashioned
pulpit
and opening the old Bible that has been used for one hundred years,
read
his text: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."--Matthew, 11th
Chapter
and third verse. He then preached the centennial sermon, which was
eloquent
in thought and delivery.
The meeting then
adjourned
till 2 o'clock. Out in the shady church yard was set a sumptous old
fashioned
dinner, and the multitude was feasted, and
enjoyed a most delighful
social hour. Rev. B.F. Harmon called the afternoon meeting to order at
2 o'clock and after singing and prayer he delivered the historical
address.
At the conclusion, Mr. Harmon called for volunteer talks and Rev.
Patton,
Rev. J.R. Powell, Rev. S.K.Leavitt, Deacon S.M. Ferris, Charles Davis,
Esq., Dr. Scoville, of Hamilton, Mrs. Prot. J.K. Parker, of
Clermontville,
and others, responded with interesting sketches of the church and the
work.
The congregation joined
in singing "Praise God, from whom all blessing flow," and Rev. Mr.
Harmon
prayed God to continue the good work of the churches through time to
come,
and pronouced the benediction.
The last page in the
history
of this grand old church as been written, as the society has decided
that
the Centennial should be the last service held in
the old church, which
will soon be torn down and another old land mark of great religious
value
will disappear.
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