"The Regular Baptist Church of Christ" on Indian Creek was "constituted on July 28, 1810; by Elders Joshua Palmore, Moses Frazy, and William Tyner; number of members 22 . . .” "The Indian Creek Church is open for the reception of members" wrote Abraham Lee (clerk) in the original Minute Books that are now preserved in the vault of the Miami University Library.
Built in 1829

Being the first Church in this part of Butler County, it soon became a powerful force for law and order.
A log Church was built in 1811; a saddle house in 1813, a platform for Association Meetings in June, 1816. These Pioneers were aware of National Issues; Clerk Abraham Lee recorded in the Church minutes on January 25, 1812, "We will not receive any members into the Church who hold the principle of Slavery supported by the Word of God."

The church membership had increased to 150 members by 1829 and they voted to build a "brick meeting house of not less than 35 x 45 feet." The bricks were made by hand and burned in kilns at the site. Bricks being hand made,  they varied considerably in size; and the average size was 8 1/2 by 4 by 2 inches.  The original front wall of the church is on the long northerly side and was laid in Flemish Bond, other walls being of running bond.
The huge timbers supporting the roof system were hand hewn with ax and broad-ax; mortise and tenon joints, pinned with wood pins; trusses supported a roof system that still holds straight and true today. The floor boards were made with a "whip-saw" and most are in place today, silver gray with age; and are fastened to hewn floor beams with hand made nails.

For over Fifty years this Meeting House served the "Regular Baptists.” On Saturday, April 26, 1879 the church was dissolved and letters issued to P. T. Jones and wife Lydia; William Hannah and wife Molly; and Margaret Dawson. After their last five members were dismissed to Big Cedar Church, meetings were held irregularly for thirty years more.

Two itinerant Baptist preachers, famous for their work in the early days of the North West Territory served this church well. Elder William Tyner of Brookville, Indiana, a man "of rare worth and a natural born orator" moderated the first meeting of the Church in the cabin of John Morris. That July day Elder Tyner rode horse-back through the dense forest up along the White Water River to the mouth of Big Cedar Creek up that creek, across a divide to Indian Creek. While Elder Tyner was watering his horse in Big Cedar Creek, he saw an Indian with drawn bow on opposite bank, with arrow pointed at Tyner's heart. Elder Tyner stared "for an eternity" before the Indian lowered his bow andmelted into the forest. Elder Thompson living near Lebanon, Ohio moderated many meetings; the most famous one being in early 1829 when the congregation voted to build the present brick meeting house. Elder Thompson was riding home with his family after burying his father in Indian Creek Cemetery, when his horse was swept away by the flood waters of the swollen Big Miami River.

In 1812, Valentine Chase sold three acres of his farm to this church and its adjoining cemetery for the sum of nine dollars. On July 15, 1812, the deed was recorded in the Butler County Court House. This free cemetery was the first land sold in Butler County for public burial. The cemetery was never plotted. Anyone might pick a site, mark it with stones and bury their loved one. A committee was appointed to keep track of these graves; "so that strangers passing through might know where to bury their dead." One woman after burying two little girls planted twin cedar trees to mark the spot; these trees stand high to the East, marking their graves.

Buried on the sunny hillside is Thomas Boone, cousin of famous Daniel Boone. His wife Susannah Brumfield Boone has a relative named William Brumfield who married Nancy Lincoln, an Aunt of Abraham Lincoln. Their daughter Lavinia Boone Bourne married Nathan Bourne, founder of one branch of the Bourne family in Ohio. Elizabeth Bourne Crocker was the mother of Bethenia who taught the Female Institute that became Oxford College. There sleep Abraham and Sarah Jones, Abraham and Eunice Lee, very active in "Regular Baptist" Church; Gideon and Abigail Wilkinson, the latter a courageous pioneer woman who was "churched" for speaking out in meeting, but later "restored to fellowship"; Joseph Brady minister of Church; Isaac Brady Civil War soldier; Valentine Chase; Amos Smith; Susannah Vanness; Pliny and Sarah Barnum; Joseph Vanness, whose descendants have worked so hard and cared deeply to save this property for the present generation to restore.

These men and women of the past are much more than genealogical statistics, more than our ancestors. They filled their own niche in Eternity; did their special part in taming a wilderness, building a Nation.  For them our voluntary gifts of Time, Skill, and Funds are gladly given so future generations may appreciate them.

 © 2000 by the Butler County Historical Society