whose house of worship is on Cleveland Avenue, between Long and Spring streets. In 1888, sixteen other members obtained letters of dismission and, with four others from other churches, organized Union Grove Baptist Church, whose house of worship is on North Champion Avenue.

The immersion of converts to the Baptist faith, a rite which has always proved interesting to the curious, was, until 1858, when the baptistery was con

MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH.

structed in the First Church, administered in the Scioto River. Crowds invariably gathered and the early records show that it became necessary for the church to protect itself from the ridicule of unbelievers by the appointment of officers to keep order. There is, however, no record of violence, but the annoyance of the crowds, as well as the inconvenience of outdoor baptism made an indoor arrange.

ment for the administration of the rite desirable. The baptistery in the First Church was used for the first time on Sunday evening, July 18, 1858, in the immersion of John Williams and Catherine Decker.

The most remarkable outdoor baptisms in the history of the city were those conducted by Shilob Baptist Church from 1879 to 1882. The place where the rite was administered was the Scioto River just north of the Broad Street bridge, and the time was in February or March. The announcements were made publicly, in advance, and great crowds were attracted to the river bank. The newspapers gave long and graphic accounts of the unusual spectacle, from one of which the following is taken :

The bridge was packed with spectators and the west bank was thronged, while shops, foundries and other buildings were black with humanity, and the entire sweep down the river to below Town Street was crowded with people, gazing from every available point, some with opera glasses. Others, more fortunate and daring, had secured boats and rowed near to the scene. The converts and congregation arrived soon after 12 o'clock noon and were hemmed in so closely that those in front were crowded into the water. The sun shone, but the wind was cold and the spectators were chilled through. The old-time melodies of Shiloh rang out in immense volume to be heard by all. Then prayer was offered, no less distinctly, the aged gentleman having a powerful voice which was heard for a quarter of a mile. The novel part of the exercises, from the standpoint of the curious, next took place, the congregation singing the while. A gentleman was immersed first, when the work was rapidly continued, the majority of the candidates being women. There was considerable demonstration on the part of some of the women who, after being immersed, were with difficulty conducted to the shore. In one instance the reverend gentleman who was administering the ordinance was thrown down, and assistants who came to his rescue were likewise pushed under by superior physical force. Although in nowise to the credit of the immense gathering, these demonstrations were greeted in their turn with unmuffled applause, extending up and down the river to an extent which would have made it difficult under ordinary circumstances, to determine whether the enthusiasm was in recognition of the victor on the homestretch at a National regatta or, as it was, an observance of the holy rite of baptism.

Another feature of Shiloh's activity which, like the public baptisms, was well meant but of questionable influence on outsiders, was the series of campmeetings held in 1880-1-2 at what is now Franklin Park. One of the purposes of the campmeetings was to raise money with which to secure a new church home. A small fee was charged at the gates and the general public was attracted by programmes announcing "The Killing of the Fatted Calf;" "The Midnight Sermon: Behold the Bridegroom Cometh ;""The March Around the Walls of Jericho," etc. Thousands of people flocked to the park, many of them with no thought that there was anything sacred about the grotesque demonstrations. The first year, so boisterous and excited was the crowd that the march around the walls of Jericho was dispensed with, but the second year, it was given, the worshipers carrying lanterns and blowing horns and being followed by the rabble with hooting and jeering. The experience of the first two campmeetings taught the wiser ones that such demonstrations accomplished no good, if they were not actually dangerous, and in 1882, the services were more soberminded, though crowds aggregating 5,000 to 7,000 persons continued to attend. The campmeeting lasted each year for fifteen or twenty days and the net profit to the church for the three years was about three thousand dollars.

With this money Shiloh Church which had, since its organization in 1871, worshiped in a building on the south side of Long Street between High and Third, paid in part for their present house of worship (formerly Christie Methodist Episcopal Chapel) on Cleveland Avenue. The dedication of the building to its new use occurred August 10, 1884, the services being participated in by Revs. Mitchell, Green, James Poindexter and the pastor, Rev. James Shewcraft. The

work of Shiloh has progressed without notable incident since that time, until now it has a membership of 340 members. Four pastors have served since Rev. Mr. Showcraft retired, as follows: Rev. L. B. Moss, Rev. G. W. Scott, Rev. W. E. Nash and Rev. W. P. Cradic, who is now in charge.

The Union Grove Baptist Church had its origin in a Sundayschool of a nondenominational character begun in 1886 under a tree near the corner of Hughes and Baker streets. With about a dozen regular attendants, Mrs. Cordelia Thompson, who was superintendent, teacher and chorister, moved soon to a log cabin, now demolished, which stood on Mt. Vernon Avenue, a short distance east of Champion Avenue. Here Mrs. Thompson and others who came to her assistance labored for some time, but Mrs. Thompson's health failed and the school was turned over to the Baptists. It was in December, 1887, that Jesse B. Ridgway, of the Second Baptist Church, took charge of the school which was then given the name the church now bears by a committee composed of Maggie Jackson, Fanny Isbell and the new superintendent. The organization of the church was effected April 29, 1888. Rev. James Poindexter officiated, assisted by Rev. Irving W. Metcalf, of Eastwood Congregational Church, Rev. W. E. Nash, of Shiloh Baptist Church, and Elder Meredith. The original membership was twenty, most of which was drawn from the Second Baptist Church. The first business meeting was held on May 10, 1888, and the first officers were then elected as follows: Trustees, John Littleton, Jeremiah Freeland, Thomas E. Isbell, Henry Harris and Lewis Ross; clerk, J. B. Ridgway; assistant clerk, Maggie Jackson. Rev. W. E. Nash was the first pastor of the church, his pastorate extending from September 2, 1888, to April 26, 1891, during which time the membership grew to 168. A lot was purchased on Champion Avenue near Mann Street, which, after it had been enlarged by a donation from Charles Garnes of four feet frontage, was built upon. The cornerstone was laid July 21, 1889, and the edifice, which is of brick and now almost complete, will soon be formally dedicated. Rev. A. M. Lewis, the present pastor, began his labors May 10, 1891. The membership is now about 175.

Bethany Baptist Church (colored), which is now worshiping in a building of its own at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street, had its origin in a Sundayschool, begun in the fall of 1888 on East Fifth Avenue. It was nondenominational, both Methodists and Baptists attending. In the spring of 1889, the Baptists under the leadership of William A. Burk, a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, withdrew from the alliance and began holding services separately at the residence of James Jackson in the same vicinity. Mr. Burk conducted the Sundayschool as superintendent and, in the following summer, a public meeting was called to consider the advisability of erecting a church building. Mr. Burk's proposition to give a lease of a lot for three years, if a building was erected, was accepted, and a frame structure was put up on East Fifth Avenue, being first used in November, 1889. In April, 1890, R. C. Minor, a young minister of the Baptist faith, came to Mr. Burk's assistance and later began preaching at the church. The question of establishing an independent church arose, but was opposed by some on the ground that it would weaken the old churches without doing any special good otherwise. In August, 1890, Mr. Burk resigned as superintendent of the school and was succeeded by Mr. Minor, a strong advocate of a separate church. In October, revival services were begun and a number of persons professed conversion, thus encouraging the idea of independent organization. On January 1, 1891, a meeting was held and it was decided to go ahead with the organization. J. D. Warner of the Tenth Avenue Baptist Church, was moderator and Professor F. W. Sperr, of the same church, was secretary. It was decided that the church should be called Bethany Baptist Church. The articles of faith and the covenant were adopted and thirteen persons were enrolled as

members, actual or prospective. Of these only four were in good standing as Baptists, viz, R. C. Minor, Harvey Johnson, Mary A. Madden and Liddie Johnson. The others were received to membership after their baptism a few days later. The church, thus organized, called Rev. R. C. Minor to the pastorate. In November, 1891, the building was moved from the leased lot to the present site which had been purchased for $700. The church has grown steadily and now has a membership of forty-two.

CHAPTER XLIV.

LUTHERAN.1

The earliest settlers in Columbus belonging to the Lutheran Church were Lorentz Heyl and his wife, together with their two sons, Conrad and Christian, a widowed daughter – Regina Pilgrim and her family, and a grandson named Christian Meyer; all of whom arrived in 1813. At the beginning of the year 1818, about a dozen families of the same denomination had taken up their homes here and about as many more were located on farms in Franklin County, east of the Scioto River. The first steps to gather and organize these members into a congregation were taken under the lead of Rev. Michael J. Steck, then of the neighboring town of Lancaster. The first Lutheran service was conducted by him later in the same year, in a secondstory room of Christian Heyl's "O. H. Perry Inn," afterwards known as the Franklin House, on South High Street. Three or four individuals of the German Reformed Faith, who were intermarried with Lutherans, united with the congregation, the services and pastors of which, however, were exclusively Lutheran from the beginning and throughout its entire history. The name given to the church was St. Paul's, which it still retains.

After Rev. Charles Henkel, from Shenandoah County, Virginia, its first resident pastor, took charge of the congregation in the fall of 1819, the meetings were first held at the house of Conrad Heyl, southeast corner of Rich and Front streets. Among the earliest members besides those abovenamed were Gottlieb Lichtenecker, William Altmann, Jonathan Knieriemer, Henry and Philip Borman, Simon Stahl, John and Peter Putnam, Rudolph Loeliger and their respective families. Among those from the country, chiefly from Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson and Mifflin townships, were George, John and David Ridenour, Michael Neuschwender, Jesse Baughman, John Saul, "Father" Heltzel (for whom the Heltzel Church, afterwards built six miles southeast of Columbus, was named), and his sons Jacob, Nicholas and Philip, and Frederick Stambaugh, and their families. Some of these lived from nine to twelve miles from Columbus, but nearly or quite all of them were, when the weather or the state of the roads permitted, regular attendants at the church services, usually coming on horseback and often mounted two on the same horse. During sleighing seasons rough, homemade sleds were used as conveyances.

Early in 1820 the church lot, Number 561, southeast corner of Third Street and the alley between Town and Rich streets, was bought of John Waddle for two hundred dollars, and the erection of a frame church building thereon was immediately begun in the spring of that year. From a little memorandum book in the handwriting of Christian Heyl, it appears that the first payment on the lot, amounting to $60, was made up of a contribution of $43 by himself and one of