390                                HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY



    Briley Chapel, a United Brethren church in Lewis township, at the
crossing of the old Terre Haute-Louisville and the Middlebury-Center-
ville roads, built in 1887 and dedicated on the 20th day of November,
services by Rev. L. S. Chittenden, assisted by Rev. William R. Muncie,
the pastor. This society, known as the “Kiser Class,” was organized on
the 25th of July, 1885, and at a meeting held on the 7th day of August,
1886, when Alfred Shidler was pastor, the building committee was organ-
ized, of which Elisha Powell was chairman, John Bolinger treasurer, and
John Kellum secretary.

    Canaan, a Methodist Episcopal church in Van Buren township, on
the Putnam county line, near the Vandalia Railroad, originally built and
dedicated in the year 1858, as remembered by residents of the neighbor-
hood, then rebuilt and rededicated about ten years ago, on the William
Girton place.

    A Christian church on the gravel road, between Ashboro and Saline
City, was built in the years 1899 and 1900 and dedicated on the 6th day
of August of the latter year. This society, before building a home of its
own, used to worship in the Evans school-house.

    Clay Prairie, a Methodist Episcopal church in Posey township, on
the Upper Bloomington road, four miles directly south of the Brazil
waterworks, built in 1906, was dedicated March 3, 1907, services by Rev.
L.  F. Dimmit, of Greencastle. The cost of this building was $2,000, of
which it was necessary to raise $639, at time of dedication, to liquidate
balances, the contributions amounting to $1,044.44.

    Connely Chapel, a United Brethren church on Eel river, near the
E. & I. R. R. crossing, just west of the station, built and dedicated in
1889, as nearly as remembered, so named in honor of William A. Con-
nely, who appropriated the ground and contributed liberally to the gen-
eral fund. Prior to the building of this house the society previously
organized at this point had worshiped at the school-house standing by
the road-side, near the station. Within the winter of 1888-9, George
Conger and James Hosea, two local revivalists, held a protracted meeting
at this school-house, which resulted in one hundred and twenty-five con-
verts, fifty-eight of whom were afterward baptized in Eel river in one
day. From the impetus given the cause, as the sequel to this meeting,
the church was built the succeeding year.

    Deeter’s, a Christian church in Perry township, on the Lower Bloom-
ington road, two miles west of Ashboro, built in 1878, by William Deeter
and R. E. S. Swartz, and dedicated the same year, probably.

    Ebenezer (see Reminiscences entitled Ebenezer and Shiloh).

    Eel River, a Predestinarian or Primitive Baptist church, in Cass
township, west side of Eel river, near the old Samuel Stigler place. The
original church building was a log house on the river bank, near the Car-
penter mill-seat. This society was the first church organization in the
county, preceding in point of time the organization of the county, and the
log house on the river bank the first house of worship built within the
territory of the county.