then, directly eastward, toward the main entrance, past section 39, towards the center of section 29, are the graves of the parents of General Ulysses S. Grant. A good monument marks them and on one face of it, to distinguish them perhaps, from Grants of more common clay, is the name of the eminent son, who himself lies in the splendid tomb by the Hudson in Riverside park. Further on, towards the entrance in the next section, 22, lies Murat Halstead, editor of the old Commercial, a brilliant man, whose name was known over all the country. In the same section are other well-known names: the great curious and elaborate monument of John S. Gano's large family. And then on a little further down in the same section on the grassy shore of the lake, stands the headstone of Miles Greenwood, that Ajax in power, broadminded and capable, who could shoulder any mercantile or civic responsibility and carry it through mightily. In the same section still, further around the lake on the east side, and toward the entrance, is the tall, dignified red shaft to the memory of David Sinton, the self-made boy of Scotch-Irish descent, who became the wealthiest man in Cincinnati and a great benefactor to the city in which he made his riches. Further on, and to the right, is the Burnet vault, where lies the first Judge Jacob Burnet, the lawyer and writer and gentleman, who owned much land including the square between Third and Fourth and Vine and Race, where his residence stood, who created a memory to be revered by the lightest searcher into the city's history.

Nearly eighty thousand others lie in Spring Grove, the most beautiful cemetery in the world. Less celebrated personages they were, most of them, but each grave represents its human grief and is quiet now. Ground squirrels play and run over the turf, a brood of four brown thrashers walk gingerly among the fresh, stiff spears of grass, and try their wings. A redheaded woodpecker flies and drops to a nearby tree. All manner of birds live and sing happily here. On the lakes float African geese and at sunset take their slow, meandering way up to a distant hill to roost. At sunset, when the evening glow begins to fade from the marble and the trees, a robin sings his ever wistful twilight song.

CHAPTER IV.

RELIGIOUS HISTORY.

THE FIRST CHURCH FOUNDED BY THE PRESBYTERIANS

THE PIONEER PREACHER, JAMES KEMPER-ORGANIZATION OF RELIGIOUS BODIES KEPT PACE WITH GROWTH OF THE TOWN-DESCRIPTION OF THE EARLY CLERGY MEN AND PLACES OF WORSHIP VICISSITUDES OF THE TIMES AND INDOMITABLE PERSEVERANCE DISPLAYED

BY THE HEROIC MEN AND WOMEN.

The first church in Cincinnati was a Presbyterian church, but the first in the Symmes purchase was of the Baptist denomination. This was in Columbia. The Rev. David Jones, a noted Baptist preacher of that day, visited Columbia in December, 1789, and preached the first sermon to the pioneers of this vicinity, in one of the blockhouses. The Rev. David Rice, a Presbyterian minister from Kentucky, also made a visit to the village. Elder John Mason, a Baptist from Virginia, was one of the earliest religious teachers who appeared in Columbia. Elder Stephen Gano, in 1790, organized a Baptist church in the settlement. The services were held in the home of Benjamin Davis. Beginning with nine members, the church increased in a few weeks to fifteen. Elder Gano was invited to take charge of the church, but he declined and returned to his home in the east, and Elder John Smith was then selected as a spiritual leader, entering upon his work in the spring of 1791. A building site for the proposed church was given by Major Stites, and a frame house for purposes of worship was ready for occupancy in the spring of 1793. According to arrangement, in April, 1790, the Columbia church permitted Elder Smith to spend half his time in preaching in Cincinnati.

In laying out the town of Cincinnati, half of the block bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Walnut and Main streets, had been set apart for the uses of a Presbyterian church. This was done before a single lot had been disposed of for any other purpose. This original plan was drawn by John Filson, who, with Mathias Denman and Robert Patterson, purchased an extensive tract of land. After Filson had been killed by Indians, a new plan was drawn by Israel Ludlow, who succeeded to Filson's interest. The plans, however, were identical in devoting the half square spoken of above to "uses of a Presbyterian church." Denman and Patterson were Presbyterians; Israel Ludlow had been reared at Presbyterian, and was later identified with the First Presbyterian church.

On October 16, 1790, a church was formally organized by the Rev. David Rice, under a commission from the Presbytery of Transylvania; this presbytery covered at that time all the ground west of the mountains. The fact of this

organization was later recognized by the presbytery by the installation of a pastor.

In 1792 a Presbyterian church was built at the corner of Fourth and Main streets. In 1790 the Rev. James Kemper, a Presbyterian minister, had arrived. A subscription was started for the purpose of building a church. Until the building was erected, the congregation held their services in the open air, at the chosen site, seated on logs, and with rifles at hand. The church, when completed, was frame, 30 by 40 feet. It had clapboards for roof and weatherboarding. Within were neither laths nor ceiling. The floor was of planks laid upon the sleepers. The seats were of logs covered with rough boards. The pulpit was of unplaned cherry wood, while the preacher stood upon a plank resting on blocks.

It appears that the majority of the early settlers of Cincinnati were Presbyterians. The first church here was Presbyterian. James Kemper was the pioneer preacher of the community. Mr. Kemper was a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, born November 23, 1753. He was born, reared and married in the Episcopal church. He began his career as a farmer, later becoming a school teacher. He became a Presbyterian and had all of his fifteen children baptized in the church of his choice. Having forsaken teaching he became a civil engineer, a deputy county surveyor and a government surveyor in Tennessee in 1783. In 1785, he removed with his family, under escort of forty horsemen, one hundred and eighty miles through the wilderness, near Danville, Kentucky. There he began to prepare for the ministry under the tutelage of the Rev. David Rice.

During his residence in Kentucky, he lived on a small farm, studied theology, taught school, managed the farm, while his wife occupied herself with spinning and weaving. Mr. Kemper in 1785 taught school in a log cabin, the first grammar school in that state. Mr. Kemper was licensed by the presbytery in 1789 to preach "under direction of Mr. Rice while he continues in the study of divinity." He first came then to Cincinnati in 1790 as a licentiate and not as an ordained minister. On April 27, 1791, he was examined by his presbytery, and was authorized "to supply in the settlements of the Miami at discretion." This was the first ecclesiastical appointment made by any church for regular ministrations north of the Ohio, and Mr. Kemper was the first duly authorized preacher in Cincinnati.

He was invited by the Presbyterian congregation to become their minister and accepted in June, 1791. He went back to Kentucky for his family, and Daniel Doty of Columbia, and a man named French, were appointed to act as escort. These two followed a bridle path, on which two men had been killed the week before by Indians, reaching Georgetown on the second night out. At Lexington they hired horses from an army contractor, proceeded to Mr. Kemper's home, transported Mr. Kemper and his large family, with their goods, to Limestone, where they put all on board a flat boat and carried them down to Cincinnati.

Mr. Kemper came to Cincinnati but a few days before the defeat of St. Clair, and when the sick and wounded appeared after that disaster the minister proved a helper in the time of need, and strengthened the people in their season of fear by his courage.

Before the coming of Mr. Kemper, it is asserted that the Baptist minister of Columbia, the Rev. John Smith, sometimes preached in Cincinnati. Sometimes the people assembled for worship in the open air, sitting on logs; again they met in the horse mill, which stood on Vine street, below Third; and again they assembled in private homes. The law of the territory ordered that every man who came to worship should carry a gun, ready for the possibility of attack by Indians. It is recorded that Colonel John S. Wallace was fined seventyfive cents for neglecting to go armed at worship. It is asserted that the fashion of having men sit in the outer ends of pews arose from the need of prompt action during Indian raids.

The arrival of Mr. Kemper, with his family, in Cincinnati, was on October 17, 1791. The minutes of the presbytery state that he "is appointed a supply at the Miamis until the next stated sessions" of the presbytery. The next regular half-yearly meeting was held April 2, 1792, and it was then ordered that "Mr. Kemper supply one Sabbath at the North Bend of the Miami, and that he supply the rest of his time at Columbia, Cincinnati and Round Bottom; and that Mr. Rice supply at the Miami settlements two Sabbaths."

The rule of Presbyterianism is that only an ordained minister can organize a church, ordain elders and administer the sacraments and that a licentiate can preach only under the supervision of the presbytery or that of a fully equipped minister. Mr. Kemper being thus far only a licentiate, was under the supervision of the Rev. David Rice. A call was formally made out for the services of Mr. Kemper, October 2, 1792, by the united congregations of Cincinnati and Columbia. He accepted this invitation and was ordained by the presbytery in Cincinnati, October 23d, and constituted pastor of "Cincinnati and Columbia churches." He continued in this pastorate until October 7, 1796, when he handed his resignation to the presbytery. Later he had charge of the Duck Creek church for a time. He served other Presbyterian churches in this region up to the time of his death, August 20, 1834.

The organization of the church was incomplete when Mr. Kemper was installed as pastor, as he himself states it was "still unorganized, because they thought the number of males too small to select a promising session." He wrote to a friend that he had "an unorganized church, composed of six males and two females, in Columbia and Cincinnati. The church was one for the two places."

The first arrangements for the founding of this church were probably made October 16, 1790, after Mr. Kemper's first visit to Cincinnati, when the Rev. David Rice came to inspect the field.

The original eight members of this church were: Joseph Reeder, Annie Reeder, Jacob Reeder, Samuel Sering, Sarah Sering, David Kitchell, Jonathan Ticknor, Isaac Morris.

Those who took part in the ordination of Mr. Kemper and his installation as pastor of this church were the Revs. David Rice, James Connel and Terah Templin, who constituted the Presbytery of Transylvania. These men had been brought from Danville under an armed convoy, for safety from Indians.

When, on September 5, 1793, the numbers of the congregation had increased until there were nineteen adult male members, it was decided practicable to select five ruling elders and two deacons, and this was done. Until 1796, when