OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 29A ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 April 4, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley Tid Bits - Part 29 A Notes of S.Kelly +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 29 A Shakers of Ohio Needle Station was the first fontrier settlement in Warren County, Ohio after the signing of the Greenville Indian Treaty in 1795. All the territory south of the Greenville ( Ohio ) Treaty Line was now open to European settlement. William Beedle and his wife Esther and their five adult children and their families were the first pioneers to settle in Warren County. They moved north from Cincinnati with a survey company led by Captain John Dunlap. In late 1795, they moved to an area which was four miles west of Lebanon, Ohio and approximately two miles south of Union Village. Because of fear of the renewed tension with the Indians, a blockhouse was built. The early pioneers were all related to one another, and those who came later bonded with the Beedles into a close knit group. They all belonged to the Turtle Creek Presbyterian Church which was built in 1798, just north of the blockhouse. In 1798, Rev. James Kemper and his wife came to tend his flock of Presbyterians. He stayed for a while and in 1802 he was replaced by Rev Richard McNemar. Rev McNemar was a well educated man and was well respected. He had been at one time intensely involved in the Kentucky Revival ( the second Great Awakiening .) After a trumultuous time, He and other later Presyterian ministers left the church and became what they called " New Lights." The " New Light " movement eventually became known as the Baxton Stone-Alexander Campbell Restoration Movement, which is the parent movement to the Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ. In June of 1804, the entire Presbyterian Congregation at Turtle Creek, following Rev. Richard McNemar, joined the " New Light " movement. Then 9 months later, Rev McNemar and his family was to join another religious movement, the Shakers. The majority of the Turtle Creek church again followed their pastor. But there were some who did not. The animosity of this division was to live on for many generations. The Beedle family was severly divided. William and Esther Beedle did not embrace the Shaker faith. Among Beedle's immediate family who became Shakers were: James Beedle, William Beedle's son ( who eventually left and became an intractable enemy of the Shakers). Francis Beedle and his wife. Francis was William Beedle's brother. Elijah Davis, one of William Beedle's son-in-law. + William Davis, Grandchild of William Beedle. + Jonathon Davis, Grandchild of William Beedle. Jonathon Davis, another son-in-law of William Beedle. + John Davis ( who left the Shakers and was violently opposed to the Shakers as his uncle, James.) [ Elijah Davis and Jonathan mentioned above who had married the two Beedle daughters.] ++++++++++++++ In order to understand the Shaker movement is to see what the Shaker movement was--- Their prayer; ' Tis the gift to be simple, ' Tis the gift to be free, ' Tis the gift to come down, Where you ought to be, And when we find ourselves In the place just right, ' Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend we shan't be ashambed, To turn , turn will be our delight, 'Til by turning, turning we come round right. " The Shakers, a member of the United Society of Believers in Christ's second appearing, was founded by the Mother, Ann Lee in 1784, her successor, James Whittaker, began the process of "gathering " believers " into Gospel Order." After his death in 1787, this process was continued by Joseph Meacham & Lucy Wright. Joseph Meacham first gathered believer's into community at New Lebanon, N.Y. in 1787. New Lebanon, called Mt.Lebanon after 1861, became the ecclesiastical and spiritual center of Shakerdom. It was the home of the Parent Ministry, also refered to as " The Ministry or The Lead Ministry," New Lebanon, N.Y. and it became the model for all other Shaker villages and towns. The plan of a Shaker village is a combination of practical frontier realism, deep religious faith and an innovative solution to the demands of communial living. In the hands of the Elder Meacham. these qualities emerged to create a style of communial life of the Shaker village or town. After their initial conversion, believers at first lived and worshiped in their own homes scattered throughout the larger communities. These clusters of charismatic Shakers in the east were eventually called to worship in Meetinghouses built by Moses Johnson under the direction of James Whittaker. The first meetinghouse was built at New Lebanon, N.Y. in 1785. It became the prototype for ten other indentical Shaker meetinghouses throughout New England. Whittaker also introduced a severity and legalism into Shakerism which had been unknown under the Mother Ann Lee and her brother, James Lee. Whittaker died, however, before the actual gathering into community could begin. John Meacham insisted on a dual order of leadership ( separate but equal ) between men ( Elders ) and women (Eldresses). His lead mother was Mother Lucy Wright, who had been a close companion of Mother Ann Lee. Both John Meacham and Lucy Wright strove to mold a religious society where the Spirit of Christ could freely inspire a people who were highly disciplined and hard working. It was under the guidance of Mother Lucy Wright, that the Shaker mission to the West was undertaken and thrived. The Lead Ministry at New Lebanon, N.Y. , after hearing about the spiritual exercises of the Kentucky Revival, sent three missionaries, John Meacham, Benjamin S. Youngs and Issachar Bates, to the west in 1805 with the Shaker gospel message. They first stopped at the home of Malcolm Worley, on Friday evening, March 22nd. His house was located on the site of the later center family at Union Village, Ohio. The following day they sought out the famous New light minister, Rev. Richard McNemar of the Turtle Creek Church. His log cabin was located a half a mile east of Worley's house. Their farms were adjoining. Later, the Shaker East Family, was established around the McNemar cabin on the land he donated to the Shaker Church. Turtle Creek New Light Presbyterian Church was loacted a short distance north of Beedle Station, an outpost with a blockhouse ( four miles west of the present day Lebanon, Ohio, approximately a mile south of Lebanon Pike). The first western conversion to Shakerism was Malcolm Worley, the second was Anna Middleton, a slave, followed by Richard McNemar, his wife, Jenny, and his seven children, and Francis Beedle and his wife Polly. Eventually, the majority of the Turtle Creek Church congregation followed McNemar into the Shaker faith. The first meeting of Believers was held on May 23, 1805 at the home of David Hill, about a mile southwest of Union Village. Meetings were also held at the home of Richard McNemar. His cabin was a double cabin with a porch between two sections. It was broad enough to gather together in worship and the dance. Later, during the Era of Manifestations, the garden was chosen as the area for the Holy Mount and Fountain Stone at Union Village. During 1805 about 370 persons were gathered into the Shaker fold. When the numbers became too great to dance at the McNemar cabin, a dancing platform with a hand rail around the circumference was built at the center of the village. Elder David Darrow, Daniel Mosely and Solomon King were sent by The Ministry at New Lebanon, N.Y., to lead and nurture Union Village and other budding western communities. They arrived at Malcolm Worley's house on June 29, 1805. The Eldress sent to co-minister with David Darrow was Eldress Ruth Farrington. New Lebanon also sent Prudence Farrington, Lucy Smith, Martha Sanford, Molly Goodrich, Ruth Darrow ( David Darrow's daughter ), Peter Pease, Samuel Turner, Constant Mosely and John Wright. They arrived May 31, 1806 and moved into Worley House. They eventually moved out of Worley's house into a cluster of log cabins on a farm purchased from Timothy Sewell. It became known as the South Family. Father David Darrow and Mother Ruth Farrington oversaw the transition from log cabins to framed buildings at Union Village. The first building erected was a saw mill in 1807 and the second one in 1808. The Meetinghouse was built in 1809 The first written Covenent in Ohio was signed 1810, and a second Meetinghouse built in 1818. The western Meetinghouses were of gable construction unlike the eastern Meetinghouses which had gable roofs. The ground floor of the second Meetinghouse at Union Village was a large room 60x44 feet. The upstairs was the living quarters of the Village Ministry. The Center, East, and West frame and the South Dwellinghouses and families were established by 1820. The population had grown to approximately 600. " Gathering into Gospel Order " required Believers to turn away from the spirit of the world and to turn away from " fleshy" or natural relationships and embrace the order of the New Creation. Shakers believe that the life, mission, and death of Jesus Christ was initiated the promised New Creation. Shakers also believe that the Christ Spirit in these latter days has returned in Mother Ann Lee and continues to return in the community of Believers. The presence of the Christ Spirit signals the final epoch of Light which heralds the progressive fulfillment of the New Creation. The " harvesting of the world " ( referred to in Rev 14, 15ff ) has already commenced. Those who are spiritually baptized are " regenerated" ( reborn, made a new creation ) and are called to live the Millennial life-style. The plan of the Shaker Village reflects this belief and reinforces Millennial ( simplicity ) values. Gospel Order creates a new relationship between men and women. The New Creation calls for a " spiritual " relationship between Brothers and Sisters. Shakers live a resurrected or heavenly lifestyle, so consequently, they are celibate. [ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor or given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven ( Mark 12:25, also see Matthew 22:30 ). ] Through confession of all sin, Shakers have experienced their own inward "apocalypse," a profound death to sin, and a "resurrection," a re-birth out of sin. They are rising out of the effects of the Fall of Humanity and stuggle to live a morally pure life. Shakers are traveling out of sin and seek a moral perfection. They experience a "moral resurrection " unto new life in the New Creation. Shakers believe that they have " died " to sin in this life, they will not have to experience the second death, which is judgement and condemnation, at the fullness of time. [ Blessed and holy is he who shares in the frst resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.( Rev. 20:6 ). ] The " thousand years," the Millennium, shouls not be interpreted literally. The New Creation is a state of being, or more precisely, a state of soul a person can enter through the confession of all sin. The " Millennium " is also the time of the final epoch. The length of time of the Millenniun is unknown. The Shakers interpet the seven thunders mentioned in Rev. 10:3ff as the seven stages or cycles of Millennial time. The number seven in Revelations is a highly symbolic number which signifies wholeness or completeness. The seven thunders, or cycles of Millennium, symbolizes the ultimate completion of God's work of salvation. Shakers believe God desires the salvation of all people ( Tim. 2: 1-4 and Titus 2: 11 ) and so the Millennium will presumably last long enough to: 1. Invite everyone, living and dead, to realize that the Day of Judgement has already come, that it is present now and from moment to moment, and, 2. to embrace the everlasting gospel amd enter the Regeneration ( see Rev 14:6ff). The 19th century Shakers believed that the tasks of the first cycle of the Millenium had been accomplished theough their "gathering into order" and their embracing of Millennial values. Elder Fredrick Evans listed those Millennial values as : ++ A profound belief in the communion between this world and the Spirit World -- a true Spiritualism. ++ A refusal to take oaths-- no com- promising with the world. ++ Oral Confession to an Elder or Eldress. ++ Celibacy ++ Community Life. ++ Pacifism ++ Health and wholeness of body. Further reforms or values could be revealed during the next stages of the Millennium. An openess to unfolding revelation has always been a strength of Shakerism which encourages them to respect their past history but not to enshrine it as the only response to continuing revelation. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To be contnued in 29 B.