The
village of Warren, 10 miles north, is three years older
than Monroe City. It was laid out in 1854 and contained 12
blocks of 10 lots each and had five streets running north
and south and two east and west. The first house was built
by George Edelin and Wilson McElroy for a store and post
office. Under the old militia law, company and battalion
musters were held at the present site of Warren. It is
known that Indians passed through the village in 1869.
C.
M. Cearfoss, a native of Maryland, with the help of J. F.
Renshaw, founded the first telephone system in 1899 and
owned it for 35 years. Among the operators have been Mrs.
Kate Christian, Dan Baldwin, James McGlasson, Mrs. Alma
Rhoades, Dan Wagner, Ed Grunwalt and C. B. McCormick. Dan
Baldwin operated the hotel and telephone exchange. The
telephone system is scheduled to go on the REA dial system
in the near future.
Among
operators of one of two stores in Warren have been Madison
‘Payne, Wilbur Hipkins, Tom Sams, John Burditt and the
property is now owned by Mrs. Chester Garnett, but the
store is not operating.
O’Bryan’s
store was established by Tucker Rhoades, who was followed
in ownership by Ote Rhoades, Ed Longacre, Will Morthland
and J. L. O'Bryan.
Mrs.
Josephine Ragar, who is 87 years of age, was born in
Warren in 1870. She and her brother, Emmett Morthland,
make their home together in Warren now. He is 83 and was
born in Monroe City in 1874.
First
mail through Warren was a Palmyra, Warren and Shelbyville
star route. A Mr. Jackson of Clarence was the first
carrier, going over the route by horseback. L. K. Davis
was another early mail carrier. When Rural Free Delivery
was established, the mail to Warren was directed from the
Monroe City post office. In recent years the Warren office
was discontinued and all mail to the village is served on
Route 3 out of Monroe City.
Dr.
H. A. Terrill was a physician in Warren 40 years.
Warrem
Baptist Church
The
Harmony (Warren) Baptist church was organized August 19,
1842 with 18 constituent members. According to a sketch
prepared by Vernon Morthland in 1906, the meeting was held
between Warren and New Market, the church was organized in
the log school house, a short distance south of the
cemetery. Before the organization of the Warren church
there had been and was a Baptist church named Providence
located a little east of New Market. The land was given by
John and Cynthia Burch and was deeded to John Davis and
Thomas Cobbs, trustees, on August 3, 1838.
This
church was organized in 1824 uniting with the Salt River
Association in 1825 and in 1834 was dismissed and became a
constituent church of the Bethel Association and
entertained the first annual meeting of the association in
1835. Messengers were J. Martin, J. Davis and W. See, with
the church membership of 31.
After
the Harmony (Warren) church was organized, services were
held in the brick school house west of Warren, later in
the Day school house, and the Old Presbyterian church, In
1876 the people built their own house of worship,
the dedication sermon being preached by W. Pope Yeaman.
The building was remodeled in 1899 and again in 1925.
The
first members of the church were recorded in Marion County
history as follows: A. W. Johnson, Andrew B. Hawkins,
Edward Searcy, Judith P. Searcy, Win. T. Keith, Eliza
Hawkins, Philmilia Johnson, Mary Reno, W. H. Pepper, W.F.
G. Lansdale, Ann T. Wallace, Jane Ann Couch, Delilah
Johnson, Nancy Ann Sams, Marsena Maxey, Mary Vanlandingham,
Thomas Day, Sarah Pepper, Sarah S. Reed, Emeline Tolliver,
Milton Crockett, Elizabeth Pepper, Robert Lewis, Henry M.
Nicol, Eliza Nicol, Charlotte Glenn and J. Q. Christian,
thirty-seven names in all.
Warren
Christian Church
The
ground for Warren Christian church was deeded by Ed
Longacre. The church was founded by the Rev. Hoffman,
who held a protracted meeting to raise funds to erect a
building. Assisting the minister with construction were
Hubb Baldwin and Howard Johnson.
It
is not known when the church was dedicated or who the
charter members were, but among the names of some of the
oldest members are Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Longacre, Mr. and
Mrs. J. L. Foster Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. Hardy Lilly, Mr. and Mrs.
Alex Cramer, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Ellington, J. M. Smith, Mrs.
Lucy Belle Payne, Mrs. Annie McGlasson, Mr. and Mrs.
Lorenzo Gupton, Mr. and Mrs. John Batty and Mr. and Mrs.
William Baker. All are deceased. The church has 78 members
at the present time.
Among
pastors who have served the church since 1913 are the Rev.
Holloway, Rev. Thomas, Rev. John W. Golden, Rev. R.
L. Wilson, Rev. Book, Rev. J. R. Hutcherson, Rev.
Clayson, Rev. Malia, Rev. Hallis and Rev. B. L. Knight.
The Rev.
Golden is the present pastor and has served for a
longer period than any of the others. Mrs. J. L. O’Bryan
is church secretary.
The
church building has been redecorated and is in good
financial condition. Average attendance at present is 32
at regular services, and 25 at Sunday school.
New
Market
A
village now extinct is New Market located about 13 miles
southeast of Warren. It was laid out in 1836 by Hawkins
Burch and at one time was a flourishing village of five
streets and a factory or two, including the making of
wine. An old muster ground was there in early days and
elections were held. |