Brief History of the ME Church Ohio, Herkimer Co., NY

Brief History of the
ME Church, Ohio, NY
1841-1937

Source: This information is condensed from the "Brief History of Ohio Charge of the Methodist Episcopol Church, Ohio, NY. Charge located in both Herkimer and Hamilton Counties." A copy of a handwritten document by Rev. F. H. Lewis - pastor 1903-08 and 1927-32, written in 1937 for the centennial of the Charge. Copies of the full document can be obtained from the Morehouse Town Historian, Carol Ford, Hoffmeister, NY, 13353 (Hamilton County).

These pastors served the societies of Postville (now Grant), Ohio, Turner's, and Wilmurt all in Herkimer county and later Morehouseville in Hamilton county. There is a tradition that there were both Methodist and Presbyterian services in Ohio and Wilmurt even before 1836. Prior to 1841, the area would have been served by circuit riders. The Ohio Charge was previously known as the Wilmurt circuit until 1856, then the Ohio mission for one pastorate and finally the Ohio charge.

The church lot in Ohio was purchased in 1847 from John and Martha Wood by the trustees of the Union Society of the Methodist and Presbyterians of the town of Ohio. The trustees were Jeremiah G. Phillips, Roland Ewell, Reuben H. Wood, Jas. Copernoll and Gilbert Allen. The church was built in 1848. In 1852, the lot for the parsonage was again purchased from the Wood's by the Union Society and the parsonage was erected by the end of 1853. A Methodist church at Grant was built during Rev. Benj. F. Wood's pastorate (1860-2). During Rev. Joseph Harkness (1895-7) pastorate the spire and bell were added to the Ohio church; Eli Laird was the carpenter. The Rev. J. E. Coons pastorate (1899) added four lighted windows. He became the son-in-law of John McIntosh and later graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. Rev. Eveland (1922-4) founded Old Home Day and purchased new seats to the Ohio church and Rev. Dodge personally put together and installed the new seats with his father helping.

In 1855 in Morehouseville there was a Catholic church and a German Lutheran society. A lot for a church building in Morehouseville was purchased in 1861 by the German Evangelical Association from Henry Herdon. In 1866 the Catholic church was closed and the building was left derelict to slowly decay with no sign of it's existence today. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Morehouseville was organized on July 4, 1881 with the Rev. Raslus O. Beebe, pastor of the Ohio Charge, as the presiding Elder at the formation meeting. The first Methodist pastor to serve Morehouseville was Rev. Wm S. Chase (pastorate: 1868-70). He was an evangelistic pastor as were many of the earlier pastors. A statement by Rev. David Santmire who was one of his converts and became an evangelistic pastor follows:

"The pastor did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. Every doctrine was plainly set forth. Repentance meant turning from sin, never to go back to it. It is a condition of saving faith and that secures immediate salvation. Without it, it is impossible to please God. Jesus calls it being born again. To gain it there must be immediate surrender."

In 1903, the author held services in Wilmurt at the Upper Wilmurt Schoolhouse, on the same trip as Morehouseville, every other Sunday at 2:30 p.m.. Grant and Turner's were served on opposing Sundays from Wilmurt and Morehouse and Ohio was served every Sunday, alternating between afternoons and evening services. Turner's was only served for 8 months of the year. Each society paid $100 annually, except Ohio that paid $150 plus janitor services. There was a year round church school at Grant and part time one in Ohio City, the Reising District, Morehouseville and Wilmurt. A full-time Jr. Epworth League existed at Ohio City and a part-time Epworth League at Turner's.

Pastor	Years	Pastor	Years
Rev. Franklin Hawkins	1841	Rev. Jas. F. Clark	1888-1891
Rev. Jas. H. Wilbur	1842	Rev. H. L. Hastings	1892
Rev. Alvin Robbins	1843	Rev. L. R. Grant	1893-1894
Rev. David Stone	1844-1845	Rev. Jas. Harkness	1895-1896
Rev. Darius Mason	1846-1847	Rev. M. E. Duesler	1897-1898
Rev. Thos. W. Thurston	1848-1849	Rev. J. E. Coons	1899
Rev. Thos. Mitchell	1850-1851	Rev. F. J. Fulton	1900-1902
Rev. S. C. Kinney	1852-1853	Rev. F. H. Lewis	1903-1908
Rev. Orra Squires	1854-1855	Rev. Geo. Merritt	1908-1911
Rev. Othniel Holmes	1856-1857	Rev. C. Dunbar	1911-1912
Rev. Waley P. Hall	1858-1859	Rev. Judson S. Washburn	1912-1914
Rev. Benj. F. Wood	1860-1861	Rev. Lawrence Heatherington	1914-1917
Rev. Sam'l Salisbury	1862-1863	Rev. M. G. Webster	1917-1918
Rev. Thos. K. Doty	1864	Rev. C. H. Bowman	1918-1920
Rev. Robt N. Barber	1865-1866	Rev. Ray Armstrong	1920-1922
Rev. Daniel Moose	1867	Rev. R. D. Eveland	1922-1924
Rev. Wm. S. Chase	1868-1870	Rev. Allen Dodge	1924-1925
Rev. Stephen De Lamatter	1871-1872	Rev. H. V. Boone	1925-1926
Rev. Allen Miller	1873-1874	Rev. C. H. Bowman	1926-Oct '27
Rev. Isaac Jenkins	1875-1880	Rev. F. H. Lewis	Oct '27-1932
Rev. J. Free Beebe	1878-1880	Rev. W. G. Geeson	1932-Jul '33
Rev. Raslus O. Beebe	1881	Rev. N. J. Polney	Jul '33-1934
Rev. Jas. R. Clark	1882-1884	Rev. Lyle B. Caldwell	1934-1937
Rev. Jno. N. Lattimer	1885-1887	Wm. A. Caldwell	1937 -

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