By Lee Crouse
[email protected]
METHODISM IN ADA
This church history was borrowed from “A History of the Ada United Methodist Church-Celebrating a Century: Reflections of Faith 1899-1999
By Betty Miller, Ada First United Methodist historian
The spirit of Methodism began to manifest itself when the hardy pioneers first blazed the way for civilization through these primeval forests. In 1852 and 1853, a few settlers banded together in a “class” holding meetings in the old school house at the corner of what is now Main and Montford Streets. Ada was then composed of a few log cabins and other primitive buildings, some of them separated from each other by standing timber, and forests surrounding all. Much of the land upon which the present town stands was low and swampy. The name of the settlement was Johnstown, by which it was known until 1868.
Rev. Samuel Hagerman, a local preacher residing in Huntersville, assisted in organizing this first “class” which proved to be the beginning of Methodism in Ada.
Among the pioneer members were Mr. Jacob Sletcher, J.B. Tyler, Eliza Tyler, Margaret Johnson, Harmon Gilbert and wife, Daniel Oyler and wife, Mrs. Brundage and daughter, Eli Newman and wife and daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, and a brother by the name of Hinkle. The society first was a part of the Huntersville circuit, and Rev. Urity helped to build it up.
It was customary to have two preachers for large circuits, a “senior” and a “junior” preacher. Rev. Jacob Holmes and Rev. William Gardner were in charge at Huntersville circuit when the Johnstown class was first admitted, in 1855, and consequently were the first regular pastors of the Ada church
It was the year 1861 that Johnstown was attached to the Patterson circuit, with Rev. Joseph Wykes and Rev. J.C. Castor as senior and junior preachers. This year the first church structure in Ada was begun, the old frame Presbyterian church, which was replaced on the same site by the present brick church in 1890.
We are told the Methodists assisted the Presbyterians in building this initial house of worship. After its completion the Methodists forsook the school house and for a time worshiped with the Presbyterians.
During the pastorate of Rev. James S. Delisle in 1866, the work of building was undertaken. There were no cornerstone laying ceremonies as the first Methodist church was begun, but the membership came together and put up the frame as in an old-fashioned “barn raising.” The women cooking for the “raisers” as they continued to do while the building was in progress. But there was a division of opinion as to the location and plan of the church.
The people began to loose heart in the enterprise and when the lower story of the church was completed it was used for meetings, but the upper story was left unfinished. For seventeen years the church stood in this unfinished condition, not being completed until the pastorate of Rev. A.C through the untiring efforts of Rev. Cook the present parsonage beside the old church was built.. Barnes in 1883.
Rev. Dwight R. Cook came to Ada in 1878, and returned in 1880 and 1881 for a second pastorate. The year 1879
Ada Methodists organize on March 5, 1897, electing Mr. Keckler president. The discussion topic is “building a new church.” And a committee is appointed to investigate sites: Mr. Fess, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Maglott, Mr. Cunningham and Rev. Boyers. On June 4, they adopt a purchase order for the Montgomery property, and in July they take out a bank loan to pay for the property.
Frederick Maglott is elected Ada Methodist trustee president in 1898. The trustees incorporate and reorganize as The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Ada. In April, they sign a contract with George Kratt to begin the building of the new church. The cost of the church is estimated at $26,800 and that cost includes an organ.
On May 29, 1898 the cornerstone of the new Ada Episcopal Church was laid. In the cornerstone were placed copies of the Bible, the early church history, a Methodist hymnal, national Christian publications, letters from Bishops, a history of the Ladies Aid Society, a work by John Wesley, and Central Ohio Conference minutes left a spiritual legacy.
To give us a sense of their time in history, the 1898 congregation also included “the declaration of war with Spain, “the call of troops, a list of ships of the Navy, an account of Dewey’s victory at Manila, an account of Gladstone’s death, and a “souvenir of the World’s Fair.
So that we might know something of their smaller world in Ada, Ohio, they left a catalogue of the Ohio Normal University, a program of the Eisteddfod [the Welsh name for a competition among choral groups organized for Ada by Hugh Owens who taught music at ONU] and current copies of the two Ada newspapers, The University Herald and The Ada Record. This church burned to the ground 13 March 2012. The contents of the corner stone could not be located.
The new church was dedicated June 18, 1899.
