Family History Research Assistance for Jefferson County, Iowa
CHURCHES:ROUND PRAIRIE
Round Prairie Regular Baptist Church was organized in March 1839. The charter members were: Ransom Coop, Amos Lemons, James Lanman, and Catherine Kirk. The name of the church originally was "Fairfield;" the name was changed to "Round Prairie" in 1848. The first pastor of the church was Elder Thomas Howell. Elder Ransom Coop was ordained in 1845. Elder Samuel Hutton, of Henry County, preached the first sermon ever heard in Jefferson County, in the fall of 1836, at the home of James Lanman, who was the first white settler in the county.
The records of Big Creek Church, in Henry County, show that Brethren James Landman and Alexander Kirk presented a request for a presbytery to constitute a new church in Round Prairie in August 1837, which was granted. In September 1838 another request was received from brethren in Round Prairie for a presbytery to constitute them into a church, which was also granted. Probably, after sending the original request for help to constitute a church, the founders must have decided to delay the constitution for a time, and the second request for help was sent at that time.
The church meetings were held for a few years at the home James Lanman. Afterward, they held meetings alternately in Round Prairie and Rich Woods for a few years, until a church called Brush Creek was constituted at Rich Woods, at the home of Henry Keltner. Jacob Wright evidently gave land to the church for a building site and burying ground. In February 1895, the meeting house being a bad state of repair, the church bought a meeting house at Wooster. In June 1900 the matter of deeding the Baptist graveyard (probably the Wright Cemetery) to the township came up for consideration, but the records do not state what was done.
The church evidently ceased to meet in about 1920. At least one of the last remaining members united with the Des Moines River Church near Eldon in September 1921.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Abraham, Baker, Blakely, Brown, Burrough, Campbell, Cassaday, Chillcoat, Cline, Comer, Coontz, Coop, Cornelison, Couch, Crowder, Cubbage, Cummins, Douglas, Fickel, Flint, Goodall, Hall, Harnach, Harper, Harris, Hopkins, Hoskins, Howell, Hutchison, Johnson, Jones, Judy, Keltner, Kirk, Langdon, Lanman, Lemons, Long, Miller, Mullens, Murrow, Owings, Parker, Powell, Pugsley, Rowland, Smith, Spitler, Still, Swearingen, Vance, Vanwinkle, Walker, Watson, Williams, Woodard, Workman, Wright.
BRUSH CREEK
As shown above, members of Round Prairie Church met in 1847 and organized a church at the home of Henry Keltner in the area of Rich Woods.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Blakely, Cassaday, Coop, Hopkins, Keltner, Lanman, Powell, Rowland, Vance (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
Go Back to the Primitive Baptist Library Page
Go Back to the Family History Assistance Page
Copyright c. 2001. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
