Church and Family History Research Assistance for Orange County, Indiana
CHURCHES:MT. TABOR
Mt. Tabor Church was one of the original churches which organized the Blue River Association in 1816. Its messengers were Elder Thomas Vandeveer, and Brethren Henry Sanders and Williby Blake, who reported 34 members. Elder William Noblitt joined this church in about 1821. This church hosted the Association for the first time in 1821, at the Cave Spring meeting house, in Orange County.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
LOST RIVER
Lost River Church was one of the churches which organized the Blue River Association, in 1816, her messengers being Uriah Glover, Jonathan Orsburn, and Joseph Crawford, who reported 32 members.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
STAMPER'S CREEK (1818)
Stamper's Creek Church was organized on August 30, 1818, at the home of George Duncan Jr., near the present site of the church. There were eleven charter members, viz., George Duncan Sr., John M. Lewis, Jonathan Stout, John Duncan, Betsy Duncan, Patsy Duncan, Elnora Stout, Anna Johnson, George Duncan Jr., Elizabeth Duncan, and John Johnson. The presbytery was composed of members from Union, Lost River, Sinking Spring, and Lick Creek churches.
Elder Jonathan Jones became the first pastor of the church, and served until his death in December 1853. Services were held at first in the homes of the members; a log meeting house was then built, which was replaced with a frame building in 1836.
Stamper's Creek Church went into the constitution of the Lost River Association in 1825. In 1833 the church took a stand against the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, and also against the doctrine of Alexander Campbell. In 1837, thirteen members were dismissed to go into the constitution of the French Lick Church.
Later pastors included Elders Charles Sands (1854-1862), Benjamin Keith, William P. Robertson, James Strickland, Samuel McMahan, William Guthrie, Thomas N. Robertson, George T. Mayfield, C. W. Radcliff, J. B. Hardy, P. T. Oliphant, W. C. Hancock, James Arnold, James Wolfe, and Ray Jones. The present pastor is Mike Chastain.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
PROVIDENCE (1819)
Providence Church, about three miles east of Paoli, was organized on August 7, 1819, at the home of Brother Robert Sands, in Crawford County, with twenty-one charter members. They included Robert Sands, Zipporah Sands, Cornelius Newkirk and wife, Samuel McMahan, Jennie McMahan, James McMahan, Mary McMahan, Rachel Pittman, and Mary Peters. The presbytery was composed of Elders Isom Gwin and Kinsey Veatch.
The church met for a few years in homes, mainly in Crawford County, but in 1828 constructed a log meeting house in Orange County. In 1852 a hewed log structure replaced the first, and still later a frame house replaced the log one. The present frame meeting house was erected west of the cemetery in 1880, at a cost of $700.
Providence Church became a member of the Blue River Association in 1819 and remains part of that body.
Pastors have included Elders Isom Gwin, Kinsey Veach, Samuel McMahan, William H. Gammon, William C. Hancock, Robert Sands, Cornelius Newkirk, James McMahan, Paul Chastain, Ray Jones, Raymond Adkins, Elmer Fleener, Lloyd C. Chastain, Lawrence Motsinger, and Mike Chastain.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
ROCK SPRINGS (1826)
Rock Springs Church, near Valeene, in Southeast township, was organized at the home of Charles Vandeveer, one mile east of the head waters of Patoka Creek, on December 10, 1826, with thirteen charter members, including Charles Vandeveer, Aaron Vandeveer, Joel Vandeveer, George Vandeveer and their wives, a Bro. Phillips, Abraham Pierson, and their wives. Elder Aaron Vandeveer was the first pastor, and Abraham Pierson and Charles Vandeveer were the first deacons. Elder Jonathan Jones became pastor in 1830, after the removal of Elder Aaron Vandeveer to Illinois, and served until his death in 1853.
A frame meeting house was erected at the present site in 1841, and was replaced by a new building in 1890. Later pastors included Elders Charles Vandeveer, Charles Sands, John Clements, Benjamin Keath, Nathan Pinnick, Kinsey Veach, Samuel McMahan, Wesley Polson, Henry H. Polson, F. M. Mattox, T. N. Robertson, William H. Lanman, William H. Gammon, and O. P. Danner.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
FRENCH LICK (1837)
HILLSBOROUGH
CAVE SPRINGS
YOUNG'S CREEK
Young's Creek Church was organized November 23, 1872, near Unionville, with fourteen members. Another source gives the following as the original members: Elizabeth Lambdin, Lensford Lomax and wife, Harriet McDonald, William Willyard, Rebecca Willyard, John Cook and wife, Ruth J. Lomax, Lovisa Hancock, Martha Lomax, Mary E. Lomax, Sarah Hill, Leander H. Wright and wife, Nelson Willyard and wife, Emma Lomax, Albert Mayfield, Rachel Hammond, Minnie Tarr, George T. Mayfield, Susannah Hammond, Daniel R. Lambdin, Nancy Lomax, Tamor A. Lomax, Elva Truax, and Martha Lambdin.
The first messengers chosen to represent them at the Blue River Association were L. H. Wright, G. T. Mayfield, L. Lomax, and N. Willyard.
Elder T. N. Robertson was chosen the first pastor of this church, and Albert Mayfield the clerk. A substantial frame house was built in 1873 at a cost of about $600. Samuel McMahan and George T. Mayfield followed Elder Robertson as pastors here.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
PLEASANT GROVE
Pleasant Grove Church, about three miles west of Livonia, was organized on April 19, 1874, at School House #2. The charter members included H. H. Polson and wife, William McIntosh and wife, Phoebe Rigney, Phoebe Strange, William Jones, Polly A. Jones, and a few others. The church united with the Blue River Association the same fall, Granville Patton, Samuel S. Wible, and H. H. Polson being the messengers who bore the request, and they reported 24 members in fellowship. Elder Wesley Polson was chosen the first pastor.
A frame meeting house was completed by November 1875. It was razed in May 1987, and replaced with a new building. The first service held in the new building was in March 1988.
Pastors who have served have included Elders Wesley Polson, F. M. Mattox, James L. Noblitt, W. H. Lanman, James V. Wolfe, Thomas W. Mitchell, G. W. Atkins, A. S. Chastain, W. C. Hancock, Omer Chastain, Ray Jones, Leslie Wolfe, Ernest Motsinger, Lloyd C. Chastain, Raymond Adkins, and Jesse Motsinger.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
MT. ZION
Mt. Zion Church was organized on May 29, 1880, with twelve members. The messengers who bore a request for membership in the Blue River Association the same year were W. C. Hart, G. Skelton, and Peter Bradley.
PLEASANT VALLEY (1928)
Pleasant Valley Church, at Orleans, was organized on April 14, 1928. The charter members were Willis McDonald, Susan McDonald, Elder Oscar P. Danner, Harry McCoy, William Foster, May McCoy, Ella Foster, Elder James V. Wolfe, and Mary Wolfe. The prebytery was composed of Elders George W. Atkins, William C. Hancock, Harvey O. Chastain, and Omer O. Chastain, and Deacons Ora G. Chastain, John A. Lewis, and John A. Mattox.
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