Source: "Brief History of Ohio Charge of the Methodist Episcopol Church, Ohio, NY. Charge located in both Herkimer and Hamilton Counties. A copy of a handwritten document by Rev. F. H. Lewis - pastor 1903-08 and 1927-32. Copies of the full document can be obtained from the Morehouse Town Historian.These pastors served the societies of Postville (now Grant), Ohio, Turner's, and Wilmurt all in Herkimer county and later Morehouseville in Hamilton county. There is a tradition that there were both Methodist and Presbyterian services in Ohio and Wilmurt even before 1836. Prior to 1841, the area would have been served by circuit riders. The Ohio Charge was previously known as the Wilmurt circuit until 1856, then the Ohio mission for one pastorate and finally the Ohio charge.
The church lot in Ohio was purchased in 1847 from John and Martha Wood by the trustees of the Union Society of the Methodist and Presbyterians of the town of Ohio. The trustees were Jeremiah G. Phillips, Roland Ewell, Reuben H. Wood, Jas. Copernoll and Gilbert Allen. The church was built in 1848. In 1852, the lot for the parsonage was again purchased from the Wood's by the Union Society and the parsonage was erected by the end of 1853. A Methodist church at Grant was built during Rev. Benj. F. Wood's pastorate (1860-2). During Rev. Joseph Harkness (1895-7) pastorate the spire and bell were added to the Ohio church; Eli Laird was the carpenter. The Rev. J. E. Coons pastorate (1899) added four lighted windows. He became the son-in-law of John McIntosh and later graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. Rev. Eveland (1922-4) founded Old Home Day and purchased new seats to the Ohio church and Rev. Dodge personally put together and installed the new seats with his father helping.
In 1855 in Morehouseville there was a Catholic church and a German Lutheran society. A lot for a church building in Morehouseville was purchased in 1861 by the German Evangelical Association from Henry Herdon. In 1866 the Catholic church was closed and the building was left derelict to slowly decay with no sign of it's existence today. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Morehouseville was organized on July 4, 1881 with the Rev. Raslus O. Beebe, pastor of the Ohio Charge, as the presiding Elder at the formation meeting. The first Methodist pastor to serve Morehouseville was Rev. Wm S. Chase (pastorate: 1868-70). He was an evangelistic pastor as were many of the earlier pastors. A statement by Rev. David Santmire who was one of his converts and became an evangelistic pastor follows:
"The pastor did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. Every doctrine was plainly set forth. Repentance meant turning from sin, never to go back to it. It is a condition of saving faith and that secures immediate salvation. Without it, it is impossible to please God. Jesus calls it being born again. To gain it there must be immediate surrender."In 1903, the author held services in Wilmurt at the Upper Wilmurt Schoolhouse, on the same trip as Morehouseville, every other Sunday at 2:30 p.m.. Grant and Turner's were served on opposing Sundays from Wilmurt and Morehouse and Ohio was served every Sunday, alternating between afternoons and evening services. Turner's was only served for 8 months of the year. Each society paid $100 annually, except Ohio that paid $150 plus janitor services. There was a year round church school at Grant and part time one in Ohio City, the Reising District, Morehouseville and Wilmurt. A full-time Jr. Epworth League existed at Ohio City and a part-time Epworth League at Turner's.The Methodist Episcopal Church of Morehouseville was organized on July 4, 1881 with the Rev. Raslus O. Beebe, pastor of the Ohio Charge, as the presiding Elder at the formation meeting.
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Rev. Franklin Hawkins | 1841 | Rev. Jas. F. Clark | 1888-1891 |
Rev. Jas. H. Wilbur | 1842 | Rev. H. L. Hastings | 1892 |
Rev. Alvin Robbins | 1843 | Rev. L. R. Grant | 1893-1894 |
Rev. David Stone | 1844-1845 | Rev. Jas. Harkness | 1895-1896 |
Rev. Darius Mason | 1846-1847 | Rev. M. E. Duesler | 1897-1898 |
Rev. Thos. W. Thurston | 1848-1849 | Rev. J. E. Coons | 1899 |
Rev. Thos. Mitchell | 1850-1851 | Rev. F. J. Fulton | 1900-1902 |
Rev. S. C. Kinney | 1852-1853 | Rev. F. H. Lewis | 1903-1908 |
Rev. Orra Squires | 1854-1855 | Rev. Geo. Merritt | 1908-1911 |
Rev. Othniel Holmes | 1856-1857 | Rev. C. Dunbar | 1911-1912 |
Rev. Waley P. Hall | 1858-1859 | Rev. Judson S. Washburn | 1912-1914 |
Rev. Benj. F. Wood | 1860-1861 | Rev. Lawrence Heatherington | 1914-1917 |
Rev. Sam'l Salisbury | 1862-1863 | Rev. M. G. Webster | 1917-1918 |
Rev. Thos. K. Doty | 1864 | Rev. C. H. Bowman | 1918-1920 |
Rev. Robt N. Barber | 1865-1866 | Rev. Ray Armstrong | 1920-1922 |
Rev. Daniel Moose | 1867 | Rev. R. D. Eveland | 1922-1924 |
Rev. Wm. S. Chase | 1868-1870 | Rev. Allen Dodge | 1924-1925 |
Rev. Stephen De Lamatter | 1871-1872 | Rev. H. V. Boone | 1925-1926 |
Rev. Allen Miller | 1873-1874 | Rev. C. H. Bowman | 1926-Oct '27 |
Rev. Isaac Jenkins | 1875-1880 | Rev. F. H. Lewis | Oct '27-1932 |
Rev. J. Free Beebe | 1878-1880 | Rev. W. G. Geeson | 1932-Jul '33 |
Rev. Raslus O. Beebe | 1881 | Rev. N. J. Polney | Jul '33-1934 |
Rev. Jas. R. Clark | 1882-1884 | Rev. Lyle B. Caldwell | 1934-1937 |
Rev. Jno. N. Lattimer | 1885-1887 | Wm. A. Caldwell | 1937 - |
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