The men of those times carried in their hearts the unquestioning faith of the early followers of the Wesleys. They were perhaps a little rough, but honest and enthusiastic in their religious belief. It must be supposed that while there were but a few of them, they worshiped in private houses and were conseled and exhorted by the conscientious preachers of those days by their own firesides. But when they grew more numerous, they felt the need of a "meeting house," and as memers of the community died, of a place near a church to bury their dead. Accordingly about 1836 they built on the spot where now stands the handsome modern church, a log structure which was grand in its day, no doubt. It had windows and a door, seats with no backs to them and at the rear end a pulpit elevated about four feet above the floor, and enclosed with a wooden wall with a tightly fitting door at the top of the four or five steps that led up to it. This enclosure was high enough to strike the average man about the third button of his waistcoat and left little more than the head and shoulders of a short man visible to his audience. the "women" (old fashioned term) occupied one side of the house and the men were confined to the other. "No silks rustled there." Here the gospel was preached with vigor. Crimes of all grades were called by their proper names and the penalty for committing them more than casually alluded to. Earnest men talked to earnest men and women in a way that would be delightful to hear now a-day. When this church was completed it was dedicated by the Rev. John SWAZEY, and named in his honor, Swazey Chapel. A long line of notable men of their time occupied the pulpit in this log church before it gave place to its successor. Among these may be named about in their order Wlater ATHEY, Robert BOYD, noted for his strong opinions on the slavery question and who only a few months ago died in Barnesville, Ohio; John HARE still remembered for his eloquence in the pulpit by the older people and whose widow still lives in Summerfield, Ohio; Jeremiah PHILLIPS who was in entire sympathy with BOYD on the slavery question, and who at nearly 88 yrs of age still lives in Dexter City, Ohio, and loves to recall his ancient friendship with BOYD; Henry WHARTON was contemporary with PHILLIPS & HARE; then followed Dr. McGEE and others down to the time of G. G. WATERS; when the old church having grown too plain and small for the times and the congregation, it was replaced by the present temple in 1858. The new church is a little beauty surrounded by a handsome cupola in which hangs a fine bell, and article not thought necessary fifty years ago when clocks were not so plenty as now, but which is regarded as a prime necessity in modern times. At the entrance there is a small vestibule with three doors; one opening into the center aisle, the side doors leading to narrow aisles next to the walls. A platform at the opposite end from the door with a book rest has taken the place of the ancient pulpit. Back of the platform is an empty niche in the wall bordered by a colored moulding. The seats are here but they are comfortable and have backs to them. The aisles are covered with matting and the platform or alter with green woolen carpet. Everything is near, clean and comfortable. When this house was dedicated more than twice the people that could get in it were here and overflow meeting was held in the school house that only accommodated a part of the surplus. Now it is generally well filled and often packed, as on Christmas last by as orderly and intelligent a congregation as can be gathered anywhere. Rev. Geo. M. WILSON, a lineal descendent of one of the oldest settlers on the Little Muskingum, is their Minister. In the great free West the free schools and the church have traveled hand in hand, and they have together grown in symmetry and culture. Here the school house preceded the church but not worship. As early as 1825 school was taught in a log house that stood near the creek just at the mouth of the first little stream that puts into it from the east side below the church. We may well believe this was a primitive arrangement. It is easy to imagine the few scholars there swinging their feet as they sat on backless benches unable to touch the floor, conning over Webster's spelling-book, their backs badly bent with fatigue. The familiar hickory, which has long since disappeared, was stuck in a crack where it could be readily reached. The children's hats and bonnets, of coarse texture, were hung on pegs driven in the wall along one side of the house and their lunch, or perhaps corn bread and apples or pork, tied up in carefully preserved remnants of worn out garments, or in small home made baskets were arranged on a bench behind the door. The "Master" had a goos quill pen stuck over his ear and doubtless lorded it over the small boys to chop and carry in the wood to replenish the large open fire that occupied half of one side of the room. But woe to the master when Christmas came. Then he was a very coward. Treat he must or suffer terrible punishment, such as a ducking in the creek, after the ice had been broken for that purpose. Yet out of the schools, crude as they were, came boys, who as men, became eminent. This primitive school-house served its day and about 1838 was replaced by a better one on the spot where the present one is, just in rear of the church. This one had better seats and a stove (at least in the latter years of its existence) and we may well believe a black-board. This house was in its turn soon outgrown to be replaced by the present one in about 1856. The site is a beautiful one, surrounded by a grove of forest trees. Just above the house a spring gurgles from the hill side and runs past the house. Inside are all the modern fixtures, patent seats, large balck-board on which to diagram sentences, solve algebraic problems or demonstrate geometric propositions. The "three R's" no longer absorb the whole attention of the youth. At least on teacher (and probably many) who have taught here have become eminent. J. W. HAMILTON, who taught the school in the winter of 1860-1861 has since built and is Pastor of the People's church, Boston, Mass., and had the good sense some years ago to refuse the honarary degree of D. D. tendered him by an eastern college. This school is a good one and always supplied with a good teacher. This farm just in front of the church and this hamlet are the property of Capt. Wm. GIBSON. Young and Thomas are said to have been the first owners of the 100 acres of land now owned by the Captain which at one time would not sell for $300. That sum would scarcely buy five acres of it now. Wm. GIBSON is son of John B. GIBSON, a soldier of the War of 1812. He was a native of Maryland but came to Barnesville, Ohio, where William was born June 1834. William came here thirty-two years ago and farmed till 1862, when he entered the army in Company "D," 92nd Infantry, returning in June 1865. He began merchandising in the spring of 1866 in an old log-house that stood just below where this cluster of houses now stand. The building was of the ancient pattern with a large fireplace on one side. Here he did a business for several years that required the annual purchase of about $17,000-$18,000 worth of goods. But he was too near the creek and a flood entailed on him a loss of $300 or $400. That was about eighteen years ago. Warned by this he built the small brown house just below his white cottage, in which he did business till 1883 when he removed to his new rooms across the street and a little farther down stream than his residence. During seventeen years he bought each year abuot 175 hogshead of tobacco and packed it in that large frame building at the lower end of the hamlet. His present quarters built in 1883 is a one-story frame building 40 x 27 feet. By the way he was largely influential in having the postoffice established which is now served with a daily mail. His stock like most country stores, attempts to comprehend the whole circle of human wants and he has nearly accomplished it. there is probably no more complete, nor as complete, and nicely kept country store in the county. The Captain has prospered all these years and continues to prosper. In a corner of the sotre stands his old sword. the boy with us caught sight of it and asked to see it, when, with pardonable pride he handed it to the boy telling him, not boastfully, where it had traveled, from Nashville, Tenn., to Hoover's Gap, Chicamauga, Mission Ridge, Dalton Buzzard Roost, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek and was at the taking of Atlanta. How it crossed Georgia to Savannah, then to Columbia and Goldsboro, and was at the surrender of JOHNSON. How he carried it to the Statue of Washington in that city. How he carried it to Washington City, and there in the grandest review the sun ever shown upon. He is evidently going over it all in his mind. The God-like column passes in review before him; the weary marches in swamps, or over mountains; the sturggle in the day of battle and the grand triumphs marred by the thoughts of missing names on the muster roll. The boy says, "it is a handsome blade and has traveled much." Then he resumes possession of it and replaces it in its accustomed corner, and the conversation turns to the subject of LOGAN's death. O well, the Captain is only a type of a rapidly diminishing crowd who alone can penetrate his thoughts and understand his mood at such moments. He did not make the trip with his sword alone and he never forgets it. But here his sword rests in peace, and troops of friends attend its owner in his hamlet of brown houses, barns, stables, etc., decorated by the one white cottage in which he and his amiable wife love to dispense their hospitality and live in the contenment, plenty and peace, typical of the whole population of the valley. A. R. P. The Monroe Gazette, Woodsfield, Ohio Friday, January 7, 1887 Volume XIV, No. 25 Sincerely, J.L. http://www.y2kfoods.homepad.com