Mt. Pleasant Township
Jefferson County, Ohio
Presbyterianism in the Upper Ohio Valley
(Author, Andrew G. Slade, published 1976) – Title page - An authorized publication of the Presbytery of the Upper Ohio Valley in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the United States of American in 1976
Bloomingdale United Presbyterian Church – On April 19, 1825, the inhabitants of Bloomfield and its neighborhood took the first steps toward organizing a Presbyterian Church at the meeting of Steubenville Presbyterian held at Island Creek. The request was compiled by Rev. Mr. Beatty and the Rev. Mr. Hunt appointed to supply and report at its next meeting. On July 26, the committee appointed to visit and preach at Bloomfield reported favorably, and the motion of the petitioners was granted. At that time, the Rev. Nesbit was appointed to supply Bloomfield on the fifth Sabbath of July; the Rev. Arbuthnot on the second Sabbath of August, and the Rev. Rutherford on the fourth Sabbath of November.
United Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant - org. 1798
{Photo in book of the Presbyterianism in the Upper Ohio Valley}
April 18, 1826 the congregation of Bloomfield requested that they be organized as a church. The Rev. McMillan and Rev. Beatty were appointed to organize a church and to administer the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper on the fourth Sunday of September. The congregation met June 29 and elected the following elders: Robert Crouch, Cyrus Day and John Kinney. These men were ordained by Rev. Hunt in September. On September 24, a church was formally organized…It has in membership 18 and in ten years had grown to 77 members. Between 1836 and 1846, it seems from session records, that the church was in a weak condition….by September 1846, the moderator reported that William Marsh was found to be the only surviving member of the session. From 1846 through the Civil War, the Rev. John Watson was pastor. He rode on horseback throughout the area. During the war, Rev. Watson proved to be a Secessionist. Feelings ran high among the church members, so finally the session voted to close the church doors to all political meetings. One Sunday morning, seven of the headed Union sympathizers expressed their disapproval of the pastor by sticking large honey locust thorns up through the seat of the pulpit chair. That morning, however, while getting ready for church, Rev. Watson died suddenly, and thus relieved a most delicate situation…In 1865, it was recorded that Rev. Beatty, who helped organize the church some forty years before, was present at session meetings serving as moderator. Before the church was built, the congregation worshipped in a small log schoolhouse on a hill in the center of town. When it came time for a new church to be built, the schoolhouse was sold for a princely sum of one hundred dollars. Land for the new proposed church was donated by David Craig, who owned a large portion of the land in Bloomfield. By 1869 Rev. Parkinson served as the church pastor. On June 30, 1888, the church was growing…In 1876 (this could be a typo and maybe should be 1896?) Rev. Boyd was pastor, and construction on the new church was begun. Repairs were made on the church in 1926. It stood on the same ground as the original church in the cemetery, but was closer to the road...In 1913, during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Love; the United Presbyterian Church was disbanded. A number of its members transferred their membership to the Presbyterian Church…In September of 1960, construction of a “new” church building, located east of the Bloomingdale corporation line on Old Route 22, was begun. In 1961 the church was completed…the dedication sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Grimes, This congregation, we are glad to say, is in a thriving condition and is doing a good work for the service of the Master.”
Ministers list since 1834
James Robertson 1834
John Knox 1839
E.H. Neven 1842
John Watson 1846
M.A. Parkinson 1866
John B. Dickey 1870
J.F. Boyd 1874
Samuel Forbes 1886
T.C. McNary 1896
A.B. Mindmyer 1899
Martin W. Simpson 1900
Minister list continues through 1974
Presbyterianism in the Upper Ohio Valley
(Author, Andrew G. Slade, published 1976) – Title page - An authorized publication of the Presbytery of the Upper Ohio Valley in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the United States of American in 1976
Mt. Pleasant United Presbyterian Church - The first church had its early beginnings in 1798. The people first worshiped in the area at the Beech Spring, later coming to worship at the Indian Short Creek Presbyterian Church which had its beginning in November of 1798. Rev. Thomas Marquis and Rev. John McMillan organized the church. The first Elders of the Short Creek congregation were James Clark, James Eagleson, Richard McKibbon and Thomas McCune. Other important figures of the early church are William Pickens, High McConahey, and Henry West. Joseph Anderson was licensed to preach as their minister on October 17, 1798 and he was formally installed on August 20, 1800. The church was first known as the Indian Short Creek and the name changed to the Presbyterian Congregation of Short Creek on February 24, 1834. In 1965 the Church was made the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church. At the bottom of Hoge’s Hill on Little Indian Island Creek, the first building was erected which was made of log between 1798 and 1800. In 1819 it was moved to the top of the hill, using the Union House (building owned by the Associated Reformed Congregation) until 1829. (The Oak Grove cemetery is still at this location). The church moved to Mt. Pleasant where the congregation worshiped in the Seceder Church until their own building was erected in 1830. In 1855, the building was torn down and a new structure built. In 1937 the building burned down and a new structure was erected at the present site. Mt. Pleasant has been the parent church of a number of churches: Portland (now Rayland) which was organized in 1870, the Morning View Sunday School organized in 1906, and many others. Several churches were organized and later dissolved including: the Oak Grove Union House Associate Reform Church with Rev. Alexander as pastor from 1800-1829. The Seceder Church (Associated Reformed) Church in the early 1800’s. There were two pastors who served this church, Rev. Calderhead and later Rev. Joseph Clokey. Other congregations included the Piney Fork Associate Reformed Church (no date listed) and the Florence Mine Church (20th Century Church). Rev. Lloyd Smith, who has served the church since 1973, is the grandson of Rev. Isaac Lloyd Kinsey who was the pastor of the Friends Church in Mt. Pleasant from 1904-1914 and again in 1938 to 1939. Outstanding leadership has extended over many years of the early settlers including Thomas McCune, who served as an elder for this congregation who served as a private in the Revolution. Thomas Major was an elder who served this church from 1770 until 1838. John Hoff served the church for many years. He was a wealthy merchant and meat packer. Joseph Blatchford, who was an elder in the church, had three sons who entered the ministry: Alexander who was one of the first missionaries to Brazil, Robert and John. Ferdinand Ring, who was an elder in the church, was superintendant of the schools in Jefferson County from 1923 to 1926. There are several cemeteries located around and near the Mt. Pleasant Church. These are the Seceder Cemetery, Oak Grove Associated Reformed Cemetery, Indian Creek Cemetery (used from 1798-1819, with the exact location unknown because of no markers on the graves) has 100 buried there, the Wheeling Valley Cemetery, the Crab Apple Cemetery and the Unity Cemetery.
Ministers who have served:
Joseph Anderson 1800-1829
Benjamin Mitchell 1829-1876
Samuel W. Pringle 1877-1896
Benjamin J. Brown 1897-1903
Sylvester W. Young 1904-1909
Jacob C. Mergler 1918-1920
Percy E. Burtt 1912-1915
And the list continues through Nov. 10, 1974.
