The following history was authored by
Pastor Scott
Jenkins (11/20/2008) from [Material obtained from former church historian,
Sherwin Buckley and from H.H. Magee & the Van Tress collection]
Although the church
was organized in 1833, the story of this particular spot of land began for
us in 1816 when Sherwin Buckley's great-grandfather (John Craw) came to
Clinton County and stopped in Oakland to ask if there was a cabin in the
vicinity where he and his family could live until spring. They were
directed to a log cabin owned by Thomas Luddington which was built on the
site near where Sharon Church is today.
John Craw was the
founder of Methodism in Chester Township. He held prayer meetings at the
houses until there were enough members to organize a church. According to
a library book of the history of Clinton County, the first Sharon Church
was of logs built between 1825 and 1830. Another account gives the date
to be 1831 or 1833. So they built a log house near the present site of
this building. The roof was made of clapboards and the windows were
small. There were two preachers on the circuit. The country was new so
they had to go on horseback. They carried their leather saddlebags which
contained their bibles and hymn books and some clothing. As time went on
there came a demand for a Sunday School, so Henry Steelle went around to
see how many would come.
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