Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 22 April 2005

The History of Warren County Ohio
Part IV Township Histories
Harlan Township by J. A. Runyan
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)

Page
678

Methodist Episcopal Church. The first organization of a Methodist Church in Harlan Township dates very early, and is probably coeval with the first settlements. It is probable that the earliest settlers were members of that church, and that meetings for worship were held at private houses. As early as 1810 an organization had been perfected, and meetings were regularly held at the house of John Liggett, a rudely-built log cabin, on the farm now known as the Hitesman farm; and perhaps this was the first place of holding regular service. This continued for several years to be the regular place of worship until about 1814, when it was changed to the residence of Henry Runyan, who lived on what is now the farm of Alexander Hutchison, Esq., near Pleasant Plain. About 1818 the place of worship was changed to the house of Joseph Bennett, on the farm now owned by John Kamp, Esq., near Rossburg. It continued here until about the year 1822 or 1825, when the first church in the township was erected at Rossburg.

On the 4th of October, 1825, James Taylor conveyed one and one-fourth acres for church and school purposes to John Collins, Jacob Collins, William Little, Oliver Wallis, Joseph Bennett, and Amos Tullis, as trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and William Bennett, William Crossen, and Isaac Runyan, School Directors. The church was built on the land conveyed by this deed, and

Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church. This was organized by Jacob Jackson, Joshua Thompson, and others, about 1846, and was a branch of the Butlerville church. The church is about one mile southeast of Level. The membership of this society now numbers about ninety-three.

McKendrie was also a branch of the old Butlerville Methodist Episcopal organization, and was organized by Ala G. Starkey, Lemuel Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Adam Huffman, and others, about 1852. They have a substantial brick church about two miles southeast of Pleasant Plain, and have a membership at this time of sixty-two members.

Pleasant Plain Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by John G. Oonk, Thomas Hill, Benjamin Benn, and others, of the Butlerville Church, in 1875, and now has a membership of about forty-seven.

The first Freewill Baptist organization in the township was at Rossburg, about 1833, John Tufts, William Coddington, Jefferson Stevens and others being the organizers. About 1843 this society erected a brick church there which for some years past has been occupied as a dwelling house. About 1856 this organization purchased the frame church in Butlerville, of the Methodist Episcopal society, which became and continued to be the place of worship until about the year 1870, when it was sold to the German Lutheran Reform Church, and the Baptist society was moved to Pleasant Plain, where they erected a neat and substantial brick chapel, which is the present place of holding worship.

The German Lutheran Reform Church, about 1870, organized and purchased the frame church in Butlerville, and handsomely repaired and refitted it, which they still occupy. This society is perhaps the largest society in the township, and is a wealthy and prosperous church.

Other denominations have been organized, and held services in the township, among them the Presbyterian and Universalist churches, but they never succeeded in establishing a permanent society.