History of  Gallatin County, Part 14

The earliest record we have found of a church in Gallatin County was the Baptist church at Ghent, constituted in 1802.  Ghent was at that time a part of Gallatin County.  From Brother L. Johnson's History of Ten Mile Baptist Church, we learn that a settlement was made on Eagle Creek in the winter and spring of 1800 and among these settlers was a Baptist preacher by the name of William Bledsoe.  The Ten Mile Baptist Church was constituted in 1804 with thirteen white and two colored members.  William Bledsoe was the first minister.  A log "meeting house" was built near the present church and in 1806 Ten Mile became a member of the North Bend Association church had been constituted in 1803.

About this time (1806) a young man named David Lillard, who was to play such an important part in the history of this church came to Ten Mile.  We will hear more of him under "Gallatin County Ministers."

Some where near a hundred years ago the Baptist Church at Warsaw was constituted and the early church was built on the same lot now occupied by the present ivy-covered brick church dedicated in 1882.  The church at Ten Mile grew and in 1831 at this church was organized the Ten Mile Association of Baptists.  The nine churches of this Association were Ten Mile, Poplar Grove, Lick Creek, Dry Ridge Providence, Grass Creek, New Salem, Mt. Zion, and New Bethel. To most of these, Ten Mile was the Mother Church.

Providence church first stood where Union School house is now. The churchyard burying ground is near the school house and here sleep some of the earliest settlers of the county.  This church was reorganized into Oakland Church near Glencoe.  There will be more about this church.

While these Baptist churches were being built in the northern and eastern part of the county, in the western part of the county a pioneer Methodist minister was holding meetings in the home of Mr. Spencer (where Chas. Arrasmith now lives) and here a Methodist church was organized; and continued to meet for a number of years.  Then this church was moved to what was known as the "Camp Ground Springs" on the farm now owned by Taylor Bethel.

Here the members built a circle of log cabins or huts around an open space in the center of which a pulpit was erected, all of the little cabins being in the sound of the preacher's voice.  Here the members and their friends gathered for a month and sometimes longer for their annual "camp meeting."  Over the rough roads and almost unmarked trails the sturdy pioneer ministers would ride for miles and miles to preach the Gospel to the crowds gathered at the camp.

B. F. Rice, of Drury, tells us the tradition that has been handed down to him is that "these preachers were often men of great power who would picture heaven as a great, grand and beautiful place for a Christian to go; and then they would preach hell and hellfire so strong you could almost smell the brimstone burning, and then the members would praise the Lord and shout and rejoice so loud they could sometimes be heard for miles."

The church next moved (we still have no dates) into the Hoggins school house where they met for a number of years.  In this Hoggins school house also met at this time a little group of members of the Christian church to hold communion services an listen to the preaching of
Rev. Benjamin Tiller, of Warsaw.  This organization did not attempt to build a church, but decided to move tot he Christian church at New Liberty.

The Methodists continued to grow steadily in number until sometime in 1867 when Mr. Drury Knox, one of the good members of the church, gave the ground just across the road from the Hoggins school house and the members erected a beautiful church.

[Note: a correction published later noted “There was a mistake in regard to who gave the lot for Drury Chapel.  I have since learned it was given by Aunt Polly Hoggins instead of Drury Knox”]

At that time Brother E. L. Southgate was pastor.  This church was named Drurys Chapel in honor of Mr. Drury Knox and dedicated in 1868.  This church is on high ground with a beautiful grove of fine trees in front making a beautiful setting for a red brick church.

On the 7th day of April, 1836, the Christian church at Warsaw was organized under the ministry of Elders John T. Robinson and David S. Burnet.  The first church building was erected where the Warsaw Methodist church now stands.  The present Christian church was built in 1868.  It is an attractive brick building with an upstairs auditorium.

Sugar Creek Christian church was built somewhere near 1850 by four families who had come to that neighborhood from Montgomery county [Ky], where they had been members of "Old Spencer" church [named after Spencer Creek - no link to the author of this web site].  Desiring a church home, they built a tiny log church.  Three of the four original families are still represented in the active membership of this church.

Lick Creek Baptist church, now known as Bramlette, and situated at Crson, was about fifty years ago in Gallatin county, but later moved to Carson in Carroll county.  An old cedar tree and the chimney remain where this building once stood in Gallatin county.

South Fork Christian church is just over the line in Boone county, but with most of the members living in Gallatin county.  We have not the date of organization of the South Fork Church.  The present building is the third on the same lot.  The first, a log church, of its building we have no record; the second, a frame building was dedicated about 1859, the third was the present comfortable frame building dedicated by Bro. W. H. Howe, of Connersville, Ind., September 30, 1894.

undated, likely from the Gallatin County News