In a message dated 3/15/01 6:50:06 AM Eastern Standard Time, DDit972936@aol.com writes: << Subj: [OHHURON-L] Elder R. W. VINING Date: 3/15/01 6:50:06 AM Eastern Standard Time From: DDit972936@aol.com Reply-to: OHHURON-L@rootsweb.com To: OHHURON-L@rootsweb.com Good morning: Can someone lead in the right direction please. I am looking for information on the church that R. W. VINING was a preacher at. Is that church still in Huron County? Are there any records for that church? If so where can I write to get some of these records? Are they available at the FHC? Any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks Dee Dittman >> Hi Dee, In checking some of my Huron County, Ohio publications, I find an Elder R.W. Vining as the "first settled pastor" of the Baptist Church in Townsend Twp, beginning in 1837. This Baptist Church apparently no longer exists. There are also some VININGs (but not R.W. VINING) buried in the Townsend Center Cemetery in Townsend Twp.These are the only VININGs listed in the Huron County, Ohio Cemetery Inscriptions Index. I can't offer you anything on any church records which might have survived until today. You might check the holdings of the Norwalk Public Library. Go to the web page for HCC/OGS (www.rootsweb.com/~ohhuron) and click on Libraries and Museums. Perhaps someone on this Mail List may be able to help you also in this regard. Details: 1. History of the Fire Lands, by W. W. Williams, 1879. Page 248, Townsend Township. Under "Religious" and "The Baptist Church." This item mentions that the first settled pastor of the Baptist Church was Elder R.W. VINING, who began his labors in 1837. This Baptist Church was first organized in Penfield, New York, in 1816, with five original members, all of whom relocated to Townsend Twp in 1817. It was originally called "The Peace Baptist Church." After relocation , the earliest meetings were held at the homes of the members. In 1850, a (Baptist) church building was erected at the (Townsend) Center and cost about $500.00. 2. Huron County, Ohio Cemetery Inscriptions. The following VININGs are buried at the Townsend Center Cemetery, Townsend Twp. This cemetery is located on Angling Road, a short distance southeast of Hartland Center Road at East Townsend. Page 856. Row 10-- North Side of Drive. 2. "Duane" VINING. 3 Ebenezer VINING, d. 21 May 1886 age 77y 1m 4d. Julia Gray, his wife, d. 8 Jul 1888 age 72y 1m. Louis Duane, d. 7 Apr 1875 age 1y 7m 24d. 3. Just Like Old Times by Henry Timman, published originally in the Norwalk Reflector. Book VI, Page 45-- "How East Townsend got its name," dated Nov. 6, 1987. This article mentions that East Townsend used to be referred to as Townsend Center. The area at U.S. 20 and Hartland Center Rd. was platted in 1848 as "Townsend Center Village." The public square area, where the Town Hall and fire department are located was donated by Kneeland and Caroline Townsend of Milan in 1848. A school building and two churches-- Methodist and Baptist-- were built in the square. Both are gone now, the Baptist Church having been used as an auto repair shop by George Stacey after it had been moved south across U.S. 20. Regards, Ken Shute