The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-01-24
BIT OF ANCIENT
CHURCH HISTORY
Organization OF The M. E.
Church AT Nocreek
Depicted

Nlu IHHut vi Aii0 paper N'it Aui H'"h
cd us by Mrs. J. II. Patton, of this
place
Along with other ancient NOcreek
history IT makes interesting reading,
and for which we thank Mrs. PattonD
The Methodist Episcopal Church a;
No Creek, Ohio County, Ky, was or
ganized in the latter part OF the 18th
OF in the beginning Of the 18th cen
fury. The original members were
from the States of Mtryland, and Pen
sylvania. The first camp meeting
held in this county was held near Co
shen. on the land then owned by VIII
liam Phipps, who was class leader
william McKender was Presiding
Elder. The first circuit rider was
Joshua Barnes. Jessie Walker was
here about 1901 and organized many
churches. In 1906 preaching was
held at a school house that stood not
far from the burying ground, near
the crossing of Nocreek and near
what was called Benefits Mill; a
mill built by Asa Bennett on land
owned by John Bennett
Glass meeting was held weekly at
Jeffress BENEFITS and quarterly meet
ings were held at the house Of John
Bennett which stood in the field
now owned by Joseph Condit Barnett
(and at this writing the above
nay,ad HnIJ &c nmnad hv navid Moro
land) the site of this house was 4
short distance Northeast Obed Ben
nett's barn. at this time the members
AS. far as can BE- a,,eftained were:
Thomas Stevens who was class
leader and Nancy. his wife. Horny
Stevens stewart and his vie. Han
nah.
Higgerson Belt and wife. Benjamin
Benton and wife, John Bennett Jr.,
and wife. Amos Hipsley and wife.
John Bennett Sr., and wife. Ruben
Bennett. Jenress Bennett, Sarah Ben
nett, Mollie Barnett. Sally Barnett,
Lucresi Barnett
The first circuit extended from
Salt River down to the Cumberland
time, AT Bethel seven miles east of
Hartford, where the frame meeting
house now stands: Here church was
organized, and among the first mem
bers were John Stevens, class leader.
also his wife, stephen Stateler and
wife. William Stevens and wife, John
Graves and wife. and several others
by the name of Leach, all of whom
came from Maryland.
The defendants of these together
with others who composed this church
In 1915 went To the church South.
There was also in 1900. a church
organized at Goshen, two or three
miles south of Hartford.
Among the members were the Bar
nards. Phipps, Rockers and CoXes.
William Phipps was also leader. This
church also in 1S45 went to the
southern church. The preachers in
the early part of this century G9th
century, were James AXley Jesse
Walker, Goodman, Peter Cartwright
Franklin Travis and Thomas 4. Nor
ris.
Thomas Taylor moved here very
early. he was "A local preacher; for
years he welded great influence for
good and to the building up of
churches; but he also became radical
in his views and opposed the travel
ing preachers and church govern
, ment and authority and was accord
Ping to the best authority we are able
Wy get excluded from the church.
\ Extracts of a paper left by Thomas
Baird, youngest son of James and
ane Baird.
Thomas Baird was born October
! 9Th. 1856, in New York county, Penn
sylvania. In the winter and spring
OF 1880, the family emigrated TO
Kentucky and settled in Nelson coun-
ty, near Bardstown, where they
resided until 1896. when they
moved TO Hartford, then Har-
din county, and sometime in
the following year they settled
In the neighborhood of Nocreek. At
that time they had but few neigh
bors; the whole country between
Hartford and Yellow Banks, tnow
Owensboro) was unsettled, an entire
wilderness occupied only by hunters.
bears. wolves and some buffalos and
sometimes a few Indians. From
such society no moral improvement
or instruction was TO be expected.
No schools could be had in the
neighborhood, but most of the few
people who lived in this, then scarce
Iy settled county, could read and
write.
Thomas was converted early in the
18th century, at a meeting carried
y 4. -.