HOCKING COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM

06/06/2026

LAST CHAPTER IN THE NUTTER MURDER TRIAL
The Hocking Sentinel of Feb. 5, 1903
Part 3
Last Saturday the sheriff took Charley Nutter to the penitentiary to serve a life sentence.
This is consequence of the evil life he led. Here is a lesson.
Charley Nutter was a young man of fair promise, the baby and pet of the family. He was handsome, intelligent, and industrious. In an evil day, the serpent charmed him. He became a tippler, a toper, a drunkard.
The gilded path of dissipation along which he danced so gaily led to the precipice over which he fell to the sulphureous depths of the pit where no lamps are lit for the dead. His young and promised youthful life is ended among his fellow men. Will his fate be a warning to other young men who are trifling, toying, playing with the merciless demon of drink?
The trial was ably conducted on both sides.
The defense had no evidence at all. The only hope was to break the force of the identification, and the dying’s declaration, and an excuse that there was no motive in the killing, and the improbability that a man, unless insane would attempt such outrage on a feeble old woman, his nurse when a baby, all his life her friend.
The Prosecutor was ably assisted by Messrs. Bright and Pettitt, and Mr. Vickers.
The strong point in the prosecution was, Nutter was at Gore that night the victim identified him as her assailant, and claimed her injuries, on her death bed, was the cause of her death.
The jury on the first ballot, we are told, stood seven for capital punishment to five for murder in the second degree. It was a narrow escape for the prisoner from a feeling of mercy for one so young and so full of promise when sober.
The Judge complimented the attorneys for the high professional etiquette observed, complimented the jury on its patience and attention, and commended the large crowd of spectators for the order and decorum observed during the trial.
The defense asked for a new trial. This judge refused. The defense then gave notice that the case will be taken up on error to the district court. The grounds for this proceeding are that the judge erred ibn the matter of law, in allowing certain evidence, “the dying declarations” and in his charge to the jury.
On the event the circuit court finds error on the part of the presiding judge, the case will come back for trial in the Hocking Court of Common Pleas, and the entire trial will be gone over again. Had an appeal been granted the case would have been tried by the Circuit Court.
The defense has fifty days in which to begin proceedings in error.
We are told that Nutter does not desire to be tried again.
I have found no information on if he ever got out or died in prison.

06/05/2026

THE NUTTER MURDER TRAIL – FOR THE MURDER OF MARTHA J. HITE Part 2
JOHN T. NUTTER TESTIFIES
The father of the accused took the stand. Mr. Nutter is one of the prominent men of our county, an ex-county commissioner, a popular candidate for county treasurer, a good neighbor, an honest, honorable citizen, esteemed by all. He has the sympathy of all his neighbors in this time of trouble. His testimony was listened to with breathless attention. He said he had been at his father’s until about 9 o’clock that night, got home at 10. The night was mild, dry, sky cloudy, roads good. His two granddaughters were at home with him; they all went to bed just before 11. Shortly after going to bed, he heard a noise in the kitchen, as though someone was taking off his shoes, and laying them down. Charley went to his room about 12 o’clock. The boy’s clothes were shown to him, which he identified.
He further stated Martha Hite was frequently at his house, an incredibly good friend. She had worked for the family off and on for 20 years. She was strong, a little hard of hearing and generally healthy, about 71 years of age. He said the path from Gore to his home was a very rough one, a creek and two barbed wire fences to cross. Charley often traveled on the public road, especially when drinking.
The testimony of Mrs. Alltop, as old lady, and near neighbor about covers all the material points in the evidence. It was plain to see that the state proposed to show that the woman was “dying” from the date of injury, although she lived 14 days afterward. Mrs. Alltop said she was the first to see Martha, and came about day light, and visited her every day till her death.

MISS HITE’S STATEMENT as testified by Mrs. Alltop: “Charley Nutter came to the house when I was in bed, pushed open the door; I asked him twice what he wanted. He did not answer. Then he rushed into the room, jumped on the bed, and commenced to choke and beat and abuse me. Then he took me by my feet, dragged me out of the bed, out of the house, and on the ground near the church. I fought him off as well as I could and scratched his hands. I fainted on the ground. When I came to, I crawled back to the house and got in bed. He came back the second time and abused me worse than ever. I told him to take the money in the drawer and not kill me.”
Mrs. Alltop said that Miss Hite told her that morning that she expected to die, would never get well; and on the day she died she said she was dying, but she thanked the Lord she had lived long enough to tell who had wronged her, and thought just punishment ought to be done.
The other witnesses (Mrs. Alltop, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Decker, Mrs. boring, Mr. Boring0 also testified to about the same, saying the old woman repeated the story to all who came in, claiming all the time she was going to die.
After hearing the testimony and the argument, the court decided that the testimony is competent and adjourned until Wednesday morning.

THE ROAD AND PATH
The interest in the route Nutter traveled in going home from Gore is this. From New Gore, where Nutter was last seen, a foot path leads directly to his home, more than three quarters of a mile distant, and the usual route for footmen. The public road goes by Old Gore, where Miss Hite lived, and is a quarter or half a mile longer than the pathway. Nutter said he went home on the public road. He was last seen at about 9 o’clock in Gore. It was nearly 11 o’clock when his father said he got home. Nutter’s whereabouts during these two hours is to be accounted for.
The importance of Nutter wearing gloves at the preliminary examination is this: The victim claimed to have scratched his hands in the struggle on the bed. The defense claims he had an old sore on his hand and wore gloves to protect the sore.

THE DEFENSE
The first witness for the defense was John T. Nutter. His testimony was as stated before. He explained that Charley had scratched his hands while mowing briers a few days before and wore gloves to keep from catching cold.
John Kennedy and Jacob Nutter were in the Hite house but did not hear Miss Hite blame Charley.
Charley Alltop says a stranger gets off the Straitsville train and meets a strange lady.
Howard Burgess saw a strange man and woman come from the depot and come up on the porch of his house, turn around and go off, saying not a word.
Emmet Nutter left Gore that afternoon for Buchtel.
E.O. Pettit testified he sent Nutter’s clothes to a chemist in Columbus to analyze the blood stains.
The court at four o’clock took recess until the arrival of the train from Columbus, bringing from the penitentiary Blankenship, who was recently sent up for stoning a train, and who had been for a time, in jail with Nutter.

BLANKENSHIP’S TESTIMONY
Blankenship was brought by a guard into court, on arrival of train. He stated in substance that he had been in Gore for some weeks before the assault on Miss Hite. Hearing of it, the next morning he went to Hite’s, where he saw a house full of people. He stood at the foot of the bed and heard the woman tell repeatedly that her assailant was Emmet Nutter. He told this to his father and told Charley when they were in jail together. This closed the testimony.

THE PLEA OF THE PROSECUTION will be established as facts that Nutter is the only person in the very nature of things, who could have committed the crime, his presence in Gore, his late getting home, his wearing gloves, the “dying declaration” and identification by the victim.

THE DEFENSE will hold that Nutter was at home when the crime was committed, that he had no motive for the brutal assault. That the identification is not reliable for the reason the old woman had poor eyes, that the beating had closed one eye, and that although she knew Charley Nutter well, was his nurse when a baby, had received from him many acts of kindness, yet she did not charge him until his name was suggested to her. It will be held that from the time of her injuries, she was not rational, was flighty and did not know what she was talking about. Her weak and irrational condition resulting from the medicine, the injuries, and the excitement of constant crowds of gossiping people at her bedside.

MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE
The jury retired at 4 p.m., Thursday, and were out all night being quartered at the Central Hotel. At 9 a.m. Friday morning returned a verdict, “Charles Nutter is Found Quilty of Killing Martha Jane Hite. The Premeditation and Intent to Kill could not be Proven, Hence the crime could not be the First Degree. Murder in the Second Degree.” This is a life penalty.
Part 3 tomorrow

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06/04/2026

THE NUTTER MURDER TRAIL – FOR THE MURDER OF MARTHA J. HITE Part 1
The Ohio Democrat 1902
On the night of the 20th, of January 1902, Martha J. Hite, a single woman, about 71, living by herself in the village of Gore, was brutally assaulted. The door was broken in, she was pulled out of bed, dragged out by the feet some distance over the frozen ground. Her head and face were bruised from hits with a furnace cinder in the hands of her assailant. She, for a time, became unconscious, but recovered, crawled back into the house. She was found by some neighbor women who had been in the habit of coming to see her, the woman at the time being in feeble health. To them she told them the occurrences of the night.
Charley Nutter, who was in Gore that day, and on a spree, was arrested and brought before Mayor Brooke who bound him over to the grand jury. A few days afterward, Nutter was taken before the victim who identified him as her assailant. The grand jury found indictments against him for murder, r**e, and robbery. The grand jury was ordered for Monday.
THE ACCUSED
Charley Nutter is a young man of good family. He is an industrious, well-behaved fellow generally. But when drunk he is said to be a desperado.
He pleaded not guilty, claiming he was at home at the time of the crime was committed. None of the near neighbors, who live within less than one hundred yards of the Hite house heard any disturbance or outcry.
The victim, fourteen days after the outrage died, and on the testimony of the physician, died from injuries received.
Messrs. Wright & Pettit, and Vickers assisting the prosecutor, appear for the State, Col. Weldy and Judge Bright for the defense.
THE LOCALITY OF THE CRIME
The village of Gore is about six miles out of Logan on the Straitsville branch of the Hocking Valley Railroad. It was a settlement fifty years ago, a store, blacksmith shop, etc. In the early eighteen-eighties a furnace was built here, and the place had several hundred inhabitants for a time.
Its name “Gore” well compares with the gory record of crime hereabouts committed. It is the scene of seven murders. The tree of the Weldon Family murder of Mrs. Terrill, the Shingler murder, the killing and robbery of an unknown man. It was the place of operation of Albert Guess, who for killing the marshal of Straitsville, was lynched by an infuriated people.
The present inhabitants and the farmers of the country round are among our best citizens, peaceable, quiet church going people, and the stain of blood and crime attached to “Gore” is as much deplored by them than to any community of our county. The coincidence of crime is not chargeable to the Gore people.
THE JURY
The following are the names of the jurymen; Thomas B. Prichard, Saltcreek; Allen Tannahill, Green; Henry Carrick, Star; John Downhour, Ward; John M. Floyd, Logan; James Begley, Star; John Brooker, Ward; M.V. McClelland, Perry; Kirts Hunter, Perry Frank McManaway, Ward; J.A. Donley, Ward; Daniel Hostler, Perry.
TUESDAY MORNING OPENING OF THE TRAIL – THE TESTIMONY January 29, 1903
On opening of court Prosecutor McBroom read the indictments and stated in brief that the state proposed to prove substantially that Nutter, inflicted the injuries which caused the woman’s death.
Col. Weldy on behalf of the defense, simply stated that he entered a plea of “not guilty.”
THE FIRST WITNESS
Dr. Donaldson – The Doctor testified that he was a practicing physician at Gore for the past 22 years; that he was well acquainted with the deceased; that he had, before January 20th, been treating her for neuralgia, and although she was in rather feeble health, a portion of the time being confined to her bed, yet she was improving, and in fair promise to recover usual health. He was called on the morning of the 21st. He described the condition of the woman, bruised, and lacerated about the head, face and back. Her face discolored, her eyes swollen shut, hair tangled, matted with blood and weeds and grass. He prescribed bromide of potash in doses of three to five grains every three hours, unless asleep or resting peacefully. This treatment he gave to ease pain and prevent inflammation of the brain. The patient would often be found in a stupor, but when aroused, was rational. She continued conscious until the day of her death. He said that her death was from inflammation of the brain, caused by the injuries she had sustained on her head and face.
The Doctor was subjected to a rigor cross examination by Col. Weldy, but his testimony in chief, “that is” the cause of her death was the wounds inflicted on her, was sustained.
THE CORONER
Dr. Lyons, Coroner, assisted by Dr. Donaldson, did a postmortem examination. The Doctor’s testimony was to the effect that the vital organs were in normal healthy condition, and that death resulted from the contusions inducing death. Much of the doctor’s testimony was descriptive of the brain, and the effects of blows on the head, and injuries generally, only of interest to physicians.
Wm. Alltop, a citizen of Gore, met Nutter at the saloon that night. Saw him on the road but had nothing of importance to give. Charles Alltop, a young man, saw a stranger get off the train. Saw Nutter, also. Frank Emrick, a boy, said that Nutter had called the house that night wanting to see his sister, but was refused admission.
Mayor Brooke, Mr. Vickers, and Mr. Pettit testified at the preliminary examination. Mayor Brooke identified the clothes. Mr. Pettit said Nutter asserted he had taken the public road on his way home. Mr. Vickers testified that he wore gloves during the time of examination. Col. Weldy, in a question intimated that Nutter had an old sore on his hand. The purpose of the state evidently being to show that Nutter’s hands had been scratched in the attack on the old woman and wore gloves to hide this mark of his crime.

Martha J. Hite was dragged out of bed and assaulted on January 20, 1902, and died 14 days later of her injuries, according to The Hocking Sentinel, in the report on the trial of Charlie Nutter, age 34. Her death was caused by "inflammation of the brain" because of her injuries. Murder in the 2nd degree was imposed, retrial overruled, and Charlie taken to the penitentiary. Martha had worked for the Nutter family off and on for 20 years. She was 71 years old and had never married.
No information found on her grave site.

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06/03/2026

The Hocking County Historical Society's Annual Yard Sale is Saturday. We are asking for volunteer help during the day to help us keep it running smoothly.
Your benefits - you get to visit with lots of fun people during the day, you are doing volunteer work, you are making a difference in keeping the museum's 6 buildings open, early shopping and we supply lunch.
Please contact Nyla at 740 603-1876.

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06/03/2026

FALLS-GORE TOWNSHIP BACKGROUND
Compiled by Clinton Poling – a condensed version as presented to the Hocking County Historical Society. From the Logan Daily News, December 10, 1968
Falls-Gore Twp. is six miles long and two miles wide and is bounded on the north by Monday Creek Twp., Perry County; on the east by Coal Twp., Perry County; on the south by Green Twp., and on the west by Marion Twp.
The land came from Perry County in 1818 when Hocking County was organized. In 1823, Green Twp. was cut off Falls Twp. Falls-Gore had been a part of Green Twp. On March 4, 1828, by a petition of the voters, the township came back to Falls. It has no separate government – the east half votes at Gore and the west half at Logan.
The area is drained by Oldtown, Monday, Little Monday and Scrub Monday creeks. Some of the earliest settlers were Webb, Starr, Burgess, Howdyshell, Glaize, Rhodes, Poling, Tucker, Terrell, Bright, Donaldson and Dickens.
Webb’s Chapel Church was organized in 1818 by the Rev. Ben Webb in his home, where services were first held. Then a log cabin was built for services. In 1851, a frame church, 36 x 40 feet, was built and in 1896 the present Church was built. The Gore EUB Church was organized in 1869. The Bethany EUB Church, or Glaize Church as it was commonly known, was organized before 1850. Since the land on which the church was situated was on the Glaize family farm, the church was named after them.
The Old Gore Methodist Church in early days held its services in a cabin. The church was rebuilt in 1868 and torn down about 1930. A Presbyterian – Baptist Church (reference History of the Hocking Valley, 1883) was organized in Perry County in 1832, moved to Oreville in 1875 and later disbanded. The Oreville EUB Church is now at this site.
The township has four school districts - Winona, Old Gore, New Gore and Webb Summit. The Webb Summit school was abandoned in 1956 and was the last one-room school in Hocking County to close. The school at Winona was abandoned about 1895 and torn down by Abe Inbody who moved it to Webb Summit for a store.
Webb Summit, which was laid out in 1871, had two stores, a post office, a railroad station, two blacksmith shops, a handle factory, freight yard and slaughterhouse.
Winona Furnace was located at the junction of Route 93 and Rt. 668 (Scrub and Little Monday creeks). It was situated around Winona Furnace, which was built in 1877 by the Winona Iron Co., with E.B. Green as manager. He was also postmaster of the town of Winona Furnace, which contained 33 company dwellings, a store, telegraph office and railroad station. The population was 150.
Old Gore was not regularly laid out town. It was settled in 1852 by Gromwell B. Culver, who built a store at the time. A school was built there in 1851 and the post office opened in 1852 with Mr. Culver the first postmaster. The post office was moved to Hamlin in 1883.
In the town of New Gore, the north side was originally known as Hamlin and the south side as Burgessville. Burgessville was laid out in January 1871, buy Col. Levi Davis for Henson Burges. Hamlin was laid out in February 1871, by W.H. Jenning for the Straitsville & Monday Creek Coal Mining Co. and was named for George F. Hamlin, superintendent. He was present at the time and supervised the layout of the town. These two towns later combined and adopted the name of New Gore. The Gore furnace was built there in 1876 by General Sam Thomas. The furnace used native and lake ore and mined its own coal. It employed 300 men at one time.
The town of Oreville was surveyed and platted in November and December 1872, by James Davis, deputy county surveyor, for William H. Woodruff. It received its name from the ore in the vicinity.
The first mill was built in Section 34 in 1822 by Moses Starr. It was used to ground wheat and corn and was abandoned in 1870. Noah Starr erected a sawmill in 1877 and in 1882 added burrs to grind corn.
Falls-Gore Twp. Also was the scene of a well-known murder which occurred June 22, 1877, on the John Weldon farm, and the murder of Miss Martha Hite in 1903 in the village.
Part 2 – The Nutter Murder Trial.

06/02/2026

Huge Yard Sale/Flea Market.
Most items sold by donations. This is how we keep our bills paid and our doors open.

Historical Society’s Annual Flea Market/Yard Sale
64 N. Culver St. Logan, Ohio
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 9 – 3.
Rain Date, 1 week later.

Our annual yard sale is one of the Historical Society’s largest fundraisers. As a 100% nonprofit organization, we rely on events like this to help keep our doors open and cover operating expenses.

This year also includes pieces of antique furniture that need loving care.
Most items are available for a cash donation, while some are priced.
This year’s sale features an especially unique variety of items, from well-used mannequins, toys, tools, to household goods and much more! Come and be surprised.
We are still accepting donations and clean leftover yard sale items. All of our leftover items will be donated to another non-profit organization for their fund raising efforts.

For questions, contact Nyla at 740 603-1876

06/02/2026

Ward Township Can Trace Beginnings to Coal Mines
Most of the communities in Ward Twp. can trace their beginnings to the coal mines which were abundant in the county’s early days.
According to the “History of Hocking Valley, 1883”: Road is the most eastern township in Hocking County. The soil, except in the valley, is generally thin, and the land very rough, the whole of it belonging to the mining district. The land, being mainly owned by mining companies, is cultivated on a small scale. The mineral deposits of the township, however, are of great value and during 1883 were rapidly developed. At least 90% of the land of this township was underlaid with the great layer of coal ten feet thick and of the most superior quality, besides other coal beds higher up in the hills three or four feet thick. Iron was also taken from the hills, and lime and fireclay were found in great quantities.
Ward Township is six miles square, with an acreage of 23,040 acres. It is bounded north by Perry County, east by Athens County, and on the west by Green Township.
A small part of Buchtel lies in Ward Township. The town is on what was known as the Dew farm, most of which was in Ward Township, covering some 500 acres of rich tableland at the intersection of two streams – Monday Creek and Snow Fork.
According to the “History of the Hocking Valley, 1883,” it was recorded that when the whole country between Muskingum and the Hocking was an unbroken wilderness, and before any permanent settlement had been made in the valley, a company of brave, adventurous pioneers started from Marietta to blaze a road through to the Pickaway Plains. To avoid swamps and marshes, they went across the hills. Their route for weeks was uninterrupted except by the unusual adventures common to pioneer explorers.
One Saturday evening, a mild and beautiful Indian summer day, they stopped and agreed to rest over Sunday in the valley of the stream to which, on this account, they gave the name of Sunday Creek.
The next day’s travel brought them to the site of present town of Buchtel and in the evening they camped on the banks of the stream, which, marking the day’s journey, they named Monday Creek.
That very same night, a furious snowstorm, such as was seldom experienced in the region, swept down from the hills, rendering further progress impossible. In vain they attempted the steep hills, but the narrow valley, studded densely with huge sycamores and almost shut in by overhanging hills, was closed against them by the deep billowy drifts.
Further advance was impossible, and they decided to return. The storm lasted a week and the silvery stream winding through the valley, disclosing minerals more precious than diamonds, along whose dreary banks the pioneers waded in drifting snow they called Snow Fork.
Ward Township was organized in 1836. At an election of township officers, R. Devoll, John Myers, and Samuel Stacey were named trustees.
Carbon Hill in Ward Twp. Was laid out in 1873 by Thomas Ewing and Isom Finley.
Orbiston had about 500 inhabitants, and Murray City at that time had about 300 inhabitants.
Murray City was named for a man of the same name who owned the land on which the community is situated. The plat of the town was recorded Feb. 20, 1873, and the first sale of lots took place Feb. 19, 1873. Sand Run was laid out in 1880 by U.H. Summers.
Ward Township, A Holocaust (1878)
Shortly as the history of this township is in material facts, a calamity has checkered its career which will be long remembered with horror by its people. In the prosperous little village of Carbon Hill lived John Lunsford with his wife and family of seven children, his business being the care of a store which he kept in a part of his dwelling. On the night of Feb. 27, 1878, all the usual precautions having been taken to set the store and house in safe order, the family retired to their beds, but a short-lived rest was enjoyed, it was interrupted soon by moments of anguish.
At about eleven o’clock the immediate neighbors were awakened by the cries of Mrs. Lunsford, who being driven from her burning house by suffocation could only implore her friends to save, if possible, the lives of her children. Notwithstanding, every effort was made to do so, it was all in vain, for the hungry flames were rapidly finishing their work. Mrs. Lunsford, with an infant in her arms was the only members of the family to escape.
The father, on awakening, the fire already burning furiously, had rushed up the stairs to where the six doomed children were sleeping; but before he could return the roof fell in and all hopes of escape were over. On the following morning the charred remains of the father and six children, ranging from nineteen to eight years of age, were taken from the ruins and after an inquest, were carefully and sadly laid away by their friends in their final rest. The origin of the fire is not known but is supposed to have come from a defective stove in the store.

06/01/2026

Part 2 Memories of Washington Twp. Written by Julia Anne Mauk in 1922. She was born 1840
This was printed in the Logan Daily News in 1976.
William Large was the first undertaker in that community. He made the coffins to order as needed; of the best cherry or walnut lumber he had. There were no showy caskets, or fine hearses to bear them to the tomb, but the departed ones all received a respectable burial. They received kindly remembrances and flowers while living, when they could appreciate them, rather than having them heaped upon their coffins and spread upon their newly made mounds in the graveyard.
Aaron Hainesworth Jr., gave the lot for the cemetery, joining the church lot. His child was the first one buried there, and his wife the next. A few years later, Aaron Hainesworth St., was laid away there in September of 1849, at the age of 76 years. His works do follow him. He sowed the good seed from which others gathered a rich harvest. In th4e year 1855, his wife, at eh age of 76 was laid by his side.
On a beautiful Thanksgiving Day in the year 1888, William Large, after a long and useful life of 99 years and nine months, was laid to rest in the Fairview Cemetery, beside his estimable wife, who proceeded him 30 years earlier.
The young people were always cheerful and glad. They seemed to get the thrill of joy from living so near to nature, with its great beauty and mystery. They helped to clear the fields, cultivate the crops, and gather in the harvest. By honest labor, they were casting their mite into the foundation on which our nation is built. They had their seasons of recreation, and good social times at each other’s homes. They had spelling schools where they met to spell and signing schools where they learned to sing. There were community dances, but church members and the refined class of people never attended them.
In our home, the long winter evenings mostly found us all home having a pleasant time together with books, slates, pencils, copy books, and goose quill pens, working out the problems of things about us and planning for improvements. Sometimes Father would play the fife, soft and low, and Mother would keep time with the buzz of her little spinning wheel. When bedtime came, Father would read a portion of Scriptures or lead in the singing some good inspiring hymn, and he or Mother would offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for past blessings and a petition for future protection and guidance.
All the people, old and young, were then learning the gospel of labor, thrift, and self-reliance, but were lacking, and needing , Christ’s Gospel of the golden rule, the only thing which will lift men and women up to their best selves and make a community, a state, or a nation a safe and desirable place in which to live.
Aaron Hainesworth Sr., then living in the community, and filled with a Christian and missionary spirit, went to my parents and asked if he could hold a religious meeting at their home, to which they willingly consented, although they were not Christians or members of any church, and had very little house room. So, he held meetings and quite a number attended them. He sang and prayed and read the Scriptures and exhorted them to follow their teachings.
As the people took quite an interest in the good word, he sent for a preacher to come and help him. One by the name of Brock came and preached for them and organized a class of six members: Aaron Hainesworth Sr., and his wife; James Reed and wife, and George Mauk and wife. This constituted them members of Perry Circuit, Scioto Conference, of the United Brethren Church, and they were entitled to the services of the circuit preacher.
The first one who came was Rev. McCabe. The people then took time to quit their work for a few hours and attend the meetings. Occasionally, they would hold the meetings in the schoolhouse when school was not in session. Our house was the regular meeting place for about 12 years, six of those years in the cabin. Then Father bought more land and built a larger house of hewed logs, so then we had more room for ourselves and the meeting folks too. About that time, Barney Eidson moved into the community and united with the church. They were willing workers and had the preaching at their house part of the time.
The church people had been talking for quite a while about building a meeting house, and the time had come when something more must be done. So, they met at our house and organized a board of Trustees and planned for building. Mr. Hainesworth gave the church lot, the landowners gave the time, and Mr. William Large, who was running a sawmill at Cedar Falls sawed and finished the lumber. Mr. Stuckey made the shingles for the roof.
They chopped down some of those beautiful and majestic popular trees, sawed them into lags for the house. Then they scored and hewed them and dragged them to the place of building. They set a day when they all met and raised the house. The men did the building, and the women prepared the dinner on a rustic table in the woods nearby.
The church was named “Fairview” on account of its location upon a pretty table land.
Before the church was ready for services, one night some drunken hunters set the woods on fire nearby and the men and women had to go out and fight fire all night to keep the church from being all burned up. A great forest fire at night is a fearfully grand sight.
In the spring of 1852, the church was near enough finished to hold meetings in it. The chinks in the wall were not closed, but the weather was warm, and they could get along very well. We were happy. Rev. Conklin and Rev. Perkins were the preachers then.
In June there was a great spiritual revival and gathering, and Sunday School started up. There was good attendance at all the services. Some walked, some rode on horseback, and some came in their farm wagons. In winter they went in sleds and sleighs. In that age, there were from four to six weeks of good sleighing snow nearly every year. When there was snow and the nights were dark, the people lit themselves on their way with pine torches. It was a pretty sight to see dozens of them bobbing along in the darkness across fields, along footpaths through the woods and along the roads.
In summertime a little song wren went in through the chinks of the wall at church and built a nest for herself up under the rafters, and one day when we met for worship, she came out and sat on the cross beam and sang the sweetest song I ever heard in a church. She sang solo first, then joined in with the congregational singing.
Some of the first preachers whom I remember were Rev. Ambrose, Rev. Conklin, Rev. Perkins, Rev. Walters, Rev. Thornton, Rev. Price, Rev. McDaniel, Rev. Brundage, Rev. John Deaver, Rev. Abe Shessler, Rev. Romig, and Rev. Barges.
Our home was the weary traveler’s stopping and resting place. They stopped quite often and were always welcome. They came with good cheer, whether sunshine or rain, and left with a “God bless you till we meet again.” The cornpone and biscuits which mother baked by the fire, and the bread and pies baked in the Dutch oven built in the yard, along with the good butter and milk, eggs, fruit, and vegetables, was a meal good and wholesome enough to set before a king.
When the Civil War broke out, so many of the best men and boys went to the rescue. It was very discouraging for those at home. We still had regular preaching, and a few optimists kept the fire lighted on the prayer meeting altar.
When the war was over and the men and boys returned home, the people took new courage. But so many never came home, and some came in their caskets. They died for their country, true, loyal, and brave, that all might be free, and none be made slave.
Rev. Noah Lohr came to us fresh from war, as full of zeal for the salvation of our country. We had some great revivals and gatherings in the church, so that our congregation outgrew the little log house. Then it was torn away, and a new frame house was built in its place. It was dedicated in the spring of 1868 by Bishop David Edwards.
This is a map from 2002 it shows the Church and Cemetery in Section 32.