Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Fairfield County, Ohio
CHURCHES:
PLEASANT RUN (LANCASTER)(1801)
Pleasant Run Church, in Pleasant township, was originally organized in Rockingham County, Virginia, by members of German descent (or High Dutch), who came out of the White House church in Shenandoah (now Page) County, in 1790. Six families, among whom were fifteen church members, settled near the Scioto River, in Ohio, in 1801, and began holding worship services there.
In October 1805, Pleasant Run Church, with three other churches, organized the Scioto Association, of which it remained a member thereafter.
In 1809, Elders Lewis Seitz Sr., Samuel Comer, and Martin Coffman (Kauffman) were the ministers, who could officiate both in German and English. Later pastors and ministers who served this church (some of whom were ordained here) included Elders Thomas Snelson, Daniel Scofield, Lewis Seitz Jr., Ephraim Barker, Jesse Stith, John Johnson, David G. Barker, J. J. Vanhorn, Louis Kagy, Benjamin Lampton, W. L. Lines, Thomas C. Williams, J. Harvey Daily (serving in 1921), F. A. Bradley, J. H. Keaton, Daily Hite, Walter Morrow, and Elza Hite.
A log meeting house was erected in the northeast part of Pleasant township shortly after the organization of the church, and later replaced with a neat frame edifice, which still stands. There is a cemetery near the site, which is called "Baptist Corners."
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Alfred, Ashbrook, Askings, Baker, Barker, Barr, Beaver, Beery, Berry, Bibler, Biggs, Bretz, Bright, Brumbaugh, Bull, Butz, Camp, Clark, Coffman, Collins, Comer, Copeland, Crawford, Crist, Cussman, Davis, Dean, Dillman, Dixon, Dollison, Elder, Eyman, Fanning, Folk, Friend, Friesner, Fry, Garrison, Geiger, Goodens, Graham, Grove, Grubb, Hardwick, Harmon, Harshberger, Heise, Hempy, Hiestand, Hite, Hoard, Hoffman, Holliday, Holmes, Hopwood, Hover, Huddle, Huffman, Irvin, Jackson, Jeffries, Johnson, Kagy, Kauffman, Keller, Kraner, Layman, Leach, Linton, Lovesque, Mast, McCowen, McMullen, McNamee, McNaughten, Mesnard, Miller, Moorhead, Musselman, Myers, Nisley, Owens, Paden, Patten, Patterson, Pence, Peters, Powell, Pretz, Reber, Rowles, Ruffner, Saine, Seitz, Seleck, Sheets, Shoemaker, Siple, Smethers, Smith, Smootz, Smutz, Snelson, Snider, Spitler, Sprinkle, Stephens, Stevenson, Stith, Stouder, Strawn, Strickler, Taylor, Thacker, Trovinger, Warner, White, Wine, Wise, Woolf (incomplete list due to part of records not having been found).
LANCASTER (1811)
The Lancaster Church was organized in the year 1811, with Elder George DeBolt as the first pastor. The charter members were Isaac Church and wife, James Lowry and wife, Stephen Whittlesy, and Anna Bruin.
Soon after their organization, they erected a comfortable frame meeting house on Chestnut street near the Talmage house. They met in this building until 1870, when it was destroyed by fire. The church then purchased a meeting house which had formerly been used by the Methodist society, on the north side of Walnut Street, between Broadway and Columbus streets.
Elder DeBolt served as pastor for several years, until his death. He was followed by Elder William White, who served until 1829, when Elder Samuel Carpenter was chosen, and served until his death in 1870. Elder William Fisher was then chosen, and was still serving as pastor of this church in the year 1881.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Awalt, Bigham, Carpenter, Craglo, Croy, Dean, Dodore, Dodron, Dollason, Hartsel, Huber, Kost, Starner, Stiff, Stiner, Wine, Yantes (very incomplete list due to records not being available to us).
WALNUT CREEK (1816)
Walnut Creek Church, at Thurston, was organized on Saturday before the second Sunday in January, 1816, with eleven charter members. The church prospered, and by 1836 numbered 74 members, but divided in 1837, when the modern mission system was introduced in the area. A strong minority of the church remained in the old paths, and opposed the new unscriptural system.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Amick, Andrews, Beadle, Beall, Beaver, Beery, Bibler, Bright, Bush, Campbell, Cast, Chineth, Clark, Corbitt, Crawford, Creed, Davis, Formess, Gessells, Good, Graham, Harris, Hart, Hawk, Hempy, Hershberger, Hite, Holliday, Huffman, Jackson, Judy, Kagy, Ketner, Koontz, Kraner, Krinn, Lamb, Latta, Leach, Leesters, Maden, McInturf, McNamee, Miller, Morris, Overholts, Palmer, Peters, Rhodes, Roush, Ruffner, Schopp, Scofield, Seitz, Sells, Shane, Smith, Smutz, Snyder, Spagler, Spitler, Stith, Stouter, Swope, Taylor, Tussing, Waddle, Warner, White, Wilson, Winegardner, Woolard, Zigler (incomplete list).
TURKEY RUN (SEE PICKAWAY COUNTY)
Turkey Run Church was organized September 6, 1817, by Elders Silas Ashbrook and Jacob Tharp. This church at first joined the Columbus Association, but joined the Scioto in 1837, when the division over missions occurred.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Barr, Baugh, Blue, Boyd, Campbell, Dunnick, Engel, Hanover, Hite, May, Peters, Shannon, Showman, Solt, Tusing, Whiteman, Williamson, Wooding (records have been located, but not yet entered into our database, which will greatly increase this list).
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