HISTORICAL TRIVIA 1936-1940 - Fulton County Public Library

MASONS OPEN CORNER STONE
United Brethren Church, Fulton
The News-Sentinel, Aug. 13, 1936
The corner stone of the Fulton United Brethren Church was
opened Monday by masons employed in the rebuilding of the church.
Several interesting memorials, placed in the cornerstone at the time of
the laying on September 25, 1906 were found. Some of the papers were
crumbling and molded, while others were well preserved. The
cornerstone, which was located at the top of the steps to the front
entrance, was moved to the southeast corner of the church.
The history of the United Brethren church is closely related to the
history of Fulton as its organization dates among the early settlers of the
town and its membership has always been in the majority of the churchgoing
people of the community. Many of its present members are the
sons and daughters and grandchildren of its charter members and early
workers.
An article writtenj by Ross Lowe, secretary of the church in 1906
gives an account of the laying of the corner stone. Rev. John Simones,
Presiding Elder of the Peru District, delivered the sermon and laid the
corner stone on this memorable day. The meeting was dismissed by
Rev. J.W. Hindbaugh, pastor of the church.
Rev. W.S. Gandy was pastor of the church when construction
was begun, but he resigned his pastorste a week before the new
structure was completed. Trustees at this time were: W.R. Patterson,
S.M. Fitterling, J.M. Mills, G.M. Conn and William Rouch.
A brief history of the old United Brethren church was also among
the interesting papers found. According to ths document, the old
church was built in the year of 1853 by the Methodist people and was
used by them until 1870-1872 when by reason of death and removals
they ceased to maintain an organization.
In 1876 Rev. J.M. Pickard, a United Brethren minister, was
assigned to the Mill Creek circuit and in the following January, he
started a revival, which resulted in the organization of the U.B. Society.
The quarterly conference then appointed a board of trustees
consisting of N.A. Louderback, L.W. Pownall and J.V. Reed, who
purchasd the M.E. church. The church was remodeled and repaired in
the fall of 1886 and rededicated by Bishop N. Cassel. The membership
at this time totaled 115 members.
A Junior Society was organized in 1905 with 12 members and at
the time the cornerstone was laid the membership had grown to 50.
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