HISTORY: MARTIN, John 1943 GUERNSEY COUNTY OHIO *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Submitter: Email: MMacmurph@aol.com Date:26 March 2000 *********************************************************************** Stories of Guernsey County, Ohio by William G Wolfe Published by the Author Cambridge, Ohio 1943 Copyright, 1943, by William G. Wolfe Typography, Printing and Binding in the USA by Kingsport Press, Inc., Kingsport, Tennessee. According to On-Line Database of all the on-line library card catalogs anywhere in the world (OCLC): Reprint. Originally published: Cambridge, Ohio : the author, 1943. Work has lapsed into the public domain. Submitted, transcribed and paraphrased by: Marilyn Murphy, Ft. Worth, TX, March, 2000. MMacMurph@aol.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pg. 728 Chapter: Miscellaneous Stories Section: John Martin Background: This is a verbal account from John Martin, who at the time of the writing of this book, was the oldest man living in Guernsey County. [Begin quote] At his next birthday, January 21, 1936, he will have attained the remarkable age of 100 years. ... To all our questions he gave ready answers. We have joined them omitting the questions we asked, thus forming Mr. Martin's Story, as follows: [end quote] The account begins with his birth, home life, schooling, church life. The following is an excerpt from his church life. (punctuation is correct) [begin quote] "On Sabbath we would all go to church. It was over on Salt Fork near Miller's mill, six miles from our home. We usually walked, leaving home early in the morning and getting back after sunset; occasionally we went in the big wagon. "For a long time Rev. John Anderson, a Scotchman, was the pastor. He would preach a long sermon in the forenoon, and another in the afternoon. We always took our dinners and attended both meetings. There were no Sabbath schools. "When a church was started at Salem, which was closer to our home than Salt Fork, we went there. Rev. James Duncan organized the church and was its first pastor. Until a building was erected he preached in the woods. The people sat on benches. He was a fine man and well liked as a preacher. [end quote] Page 788 Chapter: Adams Township Section heading: Lebanon.- [begin of section] Many Adams township people are United Presbyterians. Their church is Lebanon in the northwestern part of the township. It was established on April 24, 1824, with David Proudfit as its first pastor. It now is and always has been one of the leading rural churches of the county. Among the pastors of this church during the first fifty years of its existence were Rev. Welch, Rev. Benjamin Waddle, Rev. Samuel Wallace and Rev. James Duncan. As early as 1838 there were seventy-three families connected with the church. The building now in use was erected in 1905. Several of its present members are descendants of the first settlers of that section and founders of the church. Near the church is the Lebanon cemetery. There was once a Lebanon school but it has been closed and the pupils are now transported to a consolidated school. The section is widely known as the Lebanon community, and is reached from Cambridge by the Lebanon Road, one of the best roads in the county, from which many be obtained a beautiful view of the surrounding country. Dr. James Duncan.- The pastor of the Lebanon church in the 1850's was Dr. James Duncan who was one of the first graduates of Madison College. Making his home at Mantua, he also preached at Mt. Hermon. He afterwards became known throughout the United Presbyterian church from coast to coast as one of its most eloquent pulpit orators. He possessed an outstanding style which was particularly picturesque and, it was said, wherever he went to preach he was reasonably sure of a full house. In the fall of 1857 Rev. Matthew Henderson Williams resigned as president of Madison College. The board of trustees insisted that Dr. Duncan accept the position. He did so tentatively and drove from Mantua to Antrim, a distance of twenty or twenty-five miles, each Monday morning, reaching the college in time for the opening exercises at nine o'clock. On Friday afternoons he would return to Mantua and preach at each of his churches the following Sabbath. His two congregations were absolutely unwilling to part with their pastor and left the matter with the presbytery to decide. That body voted against releasing him from the pastoral oversight of Lebanon and Mt. Hermon, whereupon he declined the presidency of Madison College, having served, however, as acting president for several months. It is generally agreed that the declination of Dr. Duncan to continue as president was the death knell of the college. The institution was heavily involved in debt. Along with his preaching ability Dr. Duncan possessed a rare administrative ability, and he might have been able to save the college from falling into the hands of its creditors. Rev. William Lorimer succeeded Dr. Duncan as president of Madison College. During his term the crisis came. The last commencement was held September 1, 1859. Dr. Duncan delivered the anniversary address. The class was composed of five young men and one young woman. Four of the young men became prominent ministers, and the young woman became the mother of some of the most outstanding ministers and missionaires of the U.P. church - Rev. John McClenahan, D.D., of Chicago; Rev. William McClenahan, D.D., missionary to Egypt; and Dr. Frank McClenahan, professor of Physics and Geology at Monmouth College. Thomas P. Proudfit, salutatorian of the class, was the father of Dr. Charles P. Proudfit who recently served as pastor of the Cambridge United Presbyterian church and is now the general secretary of the Board of Education of the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Thomas P. Proudfit became one of the pioneer home missionaries and one of the first to serve in the great territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. He taught Latin and Greek and was the author of a number of books relating to the work of the United Presbyterian church. The male member of the class who did not become a preacher was Dr. John McBurney who chose to be an educator. A sketch of Dr. McBurney may be found in another chapter of this work. [end of section] Pg. 947 Chapter: Oxford Township Section: Beginning of Fairview.- This section begins with the history of Fairview which was laid out March 24, 1814 by Hugh Gilliland. Two paragraphs precede the following paragraph, sketching contributions by pioneers Ralph Cowgill, Jesse C. Weir, James and Martin Rosemond. [begin quote] John Duncan was one of the earliest settlers of Fairview. He laid out what was called "Duncan's Addition," extending the town westward. Mr. Duncan was an enterprising citizen. he started a carding machine, operating it by horse power on the tramp-wheel principle. This mill, many years later, was struck by lightning and burned. He was a man of education. He built a schoolhouse and taught the children of the settlement for a number of winters. Soon after an addition was platted by Duncan, Lemon Ryan laid out another. This part of the village was called "Turkeytown." [end quote] This section continues identifying pioneers John Gibson and John Davenport. Transcribed and paraphrased by Marilyn Murphy, Ft. Worth TX, March, 2000. --------OHFOOTSTEPS Mailing List--------