Thomas Freeman's son James L. Freeman (1809-1892) was the father of Virginia Irene Freeman Ballantyne (1840-1906) who was the mother of our grandfather, Nathaniel Wallace (N.W.) Ballantyne (1868-1949).
Further research would be needed to determine if or how other early members, such as the Browns and Morrows are related. Partial transcription follows.
 |
| Picture of Zalia Church and attendants at 100th anniversary of the founding. [Identity of "Jennie" is unknown.] |
 |
| Some of the pastors and officials of the church and some early and present members are pictured. John. C. Freeman is third from left in back row, Mrs. George Freeman is third from left in front row with Miss Mary Brown fourth from left. |
100th Anniversary
Union Chapel Was Founded at Freeman's Landing in 1835.
Sunday Devoted to Celebration of Founding
The Independent, New Cumberland, West Virginia
Thursday July 18, 1935
The historic M.P. [Methodist Protestant] church at Zalia, Hancock county known in the early days as "Union Chapel of Freeman's Landing" celebrated its one hundredth anniversary of its founding with appropriate services being held Sunday, July 14, 1935.
Services began in the morning and continued throughout the day with intermissions for dinner and supper. The food was served by the ladies of the church and several hours were spent in a social way, renewing friendships and relating past history of the chapel and its members.
Rev. I.J. Howland is the regular pastor of the church, having been assigned to the charge by the Pittsburgh conference, along with his pastorship of the New Cumberland M.P. church.
The morning sermon was preached by Rev. Samuel Spencer, a former pastor of the Zalia church and Nessly chapel and in the afternoon, Rev. C.A. Daugherty of Empire who has been occupying the pulpit at Zalia delivered the sermon in the afternoon.
Both discourses were appropriate for the occasion and in the evening Rev. Howland delivered the address and his theme was "The Passing Years." His sermon touched on the early founders of the chapel and the people that have continued in keeping the good work going on for a hundred years. Rev. Spencer and Rev. Daugherty took part in all the services, while Rev. Howland presided during the celebration.
Mrs. Fred Dunleavy and Mrs. Ruth Jones sang duets at the afternoon and evening meetings and Mrs. Howland gave a reading. The evening program opened with a song service with twelve choir members, a duet by Rev. Howland and Mr. A.S. Cooper, and a duet by Rev. and Mrs. Daugherty.
Rev. Howland called upon a number of the attendants of the celebration for reminiscences of the chapel and quite a number related interesting history.
Only three near relatives of the founders of the church were present and they were John C. Freeman of Toronto [Toronto, Ohio is about 20 miles away], N.W. Ballantyne of New Cumberland, and Miss Mary Brown of Toronto. Miss Mary Brown is the oldest surviving member of the church and her father, James Brown, was a cousin of the Rev. George Brown, the first pastor and one of the organizers of the chapel. Thomas Freeman, grandfather of John C. Freeman and great-grand-father of N.W. and C.A. Ballantyne of this place was one of the founders of the church, and donated the land.
John Freeman was a son of Samuel Freeman and the latter a son of Thos. Freeman. Mr. Freeman gave a history of the church taken from the old family records.
Organized in 1835
The Union chapel, located near Freeman's Landing, now known as Zalia in Butler district this county [Hancock] was organized and services held in 1835. This county was then a part of the old state of Virginia and the deed for the church property is recorded in Brooke county. The founders of the chapel were Thomas Freeman and his wife, Thomas Anderson, (unmarried at that time_, James Black and wife, Robert White and wife and John Sutton and wife. The first meetings were held in an old brick school house until 1857 when they erected the present church. Rev. George Brown, who was a pastor of the Nessly chapel assisted in the organization.
The Union chapel was at one time one of the leading churches in the county, attended by the Freemans, Ballantynes, several Porter families, the Browns, the L.R. Smith and John W. Morrow families of Kings creek, the Wilson, Bradleys, Andersons, McConnell's, McAdoos, Hugh Irwin and sisters, Reuben Taylors family the families of Johnson Miller, Calvin Grimes, Wm. Jester, the Morans, the Lyons and many others.
George Porter gave the first argan [sic] to the church and Mary Porter Blackburn a daughter played the instrument for 12 years. Misses Martha and Alice Porter, of Pittsburgh, daughters of the late George and Maria Moren Porter, sent a contribution to the church, but were unable to attend the celebration. Their mother was a teacher in the Sunday school for many years.
. . . . . S. B. Goucher spoke as to the early days when he attended Sunay school . . . in the time of the civil war. He recalled that Freeman's Landing had quite a settlement of people and later yars there were ten brick yards from Kings creek to the Black Horse, New Cumberland. Bricks were made like in the early days of Egypt, made during the summer when the sun was hot and dried by the sun rays. In winter time the clay was dug from the hills. THe brick were transported by Keelboats, there were no railroads in this section.
Thomas Freeman, one of the founders of the church made the first fire brick west of the Allegheny mountains. [Family history indicates he began in the clay and brick business in 1833 at Freeman's Landing.]
N.W. Ballantyne, a great grand-son of Thomas Freeman was present and was called upon and stated that he had attended this church and Sunday School when a boy and that there was a big attendance, and annual picnics were held, and that this chapel was the leading church in this section of the county.
* * * * * * * * * *
The scanned clippings from The Independent New Cumberland, West Virginia, Thursday July 18, 1935 is a write-up of the 100th Anniversary of a church, originally known as Union Chapel of Freeman's Landing" in an unincorporated community, now known as Zalia, in Hancock County, West Virginia. According to Wikipedia [1] the community has also been known as Brickyard Bend.
The East Liverpool Historical Society reports that "The Union Chapel of the Methodist Protestant Church was built in 1835 at Freeman's Landing north of New Cumberland? There were 877 _graves listed in 1995."[2]
THE UNION CHAPEL is described in History of the Pan-Handle in 1879: Is located near Freeman’s Landing, in Butler district. The Methodist Protestant society of said place was organized in about 1835, by Rev. George Brown, with Thomas Freeman and wife, Thomas Anderson, James Black and wife, Robert White and wife, and John Sutton and wife. The first meetings were held in an old brick school house until 1857, when they erected the present church. The ministers were the same as those found in the history of the Nessly Chapel. Rev. John Gregory is the present pastor. They have a membership of about sixty.
Sabbath School.—In connection with the church, they have had a Sabbath school for a number of years. During the summer months they have an enrollment of one hundred scholars, T. F. Henderson is superintendent. [3]
Websites listed below were accessed in July 2015
[1] Zalia also known as Brickyard Bend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalia,_West_Virginia
[2] East Liverpool Historical Society, Rest in Peace Part 4 website: http://www.eastliverpoolhistoricalsociety.org/restinpe4.htm
[3] History of The Pan-Handle; being historical collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia. Compiled and written by J.H. Newton, G.G. Nichols and A.G. Sprankle. Wheeling, W. Va., published by J.A Caldwell, 1879. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCQQFjABahUKEwjp8_KPndfGAhUHLIgKHen5ChM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.genealogypitstop.com%2FNewton%2FPanhandleHistory.rtf&ei=1TijVam1MofYoATp86uYAQ&usg=AFQjCNGf_GytKGCwiMcWSfiiewWHW_bqMQ&sig2=EqUpf5e4g3OXMI1Utg_PLQ&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cGU&cad=rja
No comments:
Post a Comment