| LIBERTY CENTER. |
JOHN W. RINEAR, ESQ., gave the name to this new and enterprising village, and was its chief founder and still its principal patron, in allusion to the fact that it is at the center of Liberty Township. It was laid out November 12, 1878, by Messrs. Rinear and John Ernst, the location being favored by the fact that it is at the usual distance from other towns and is surrounded by a moral and industrious commmunity (sic), and has from the start had the advantage of railroad communication with the rest of the world. It is the first station west of Bluffton, on the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad. Previous to the above date there had been a school-house there from the earliest times, and more lately a store and two or three dwellings.
The place is but eight years old, has now a population ot about 300, and as it is not necessary to give the intermediate business history ot the village, it will be sufficient to enumerate the present business establishments, to show the growth it has made in this brief period.
G. H. King & Sons (Willard B. and Benjamin J.) are the proprietors of a fine flouring mill, erected by them in 1882, and run with two run of burrs for wheat and one for corn until the spring of 1887, when they substituted the roller system. Capacity of the mill, forty barrels per day.
Charles Cole owns and runs a saw-mill for the manufacture of lumber of all kinds principally for the home market, and also of coil hoops. Built in October, 1879, by the present proprietor. Engine of thirty-six horse-power. About eight hands are employed in and about the mill. Runs most of the year.
Jacob Jones also built a saw-mill here in 1879, but the machinery was moved away in January, 1887, after having been idle a year or two.
S. J. & J. U. Jackson's tile factory was built in 1879, by Adams & Plank. Subsequently the latter sold his interest to S. J. Jackson, and the former to Mr. Myers, and Mr. Myers to Dr. F. W. Garrett and J. U. Jackson, and finally the doctor disposed of his interest to the present firm. It has not been a paying institution until within the last two years. It is now doing a thriving business. Last year they made 10,000 rods of tile, and this year will probably reach 15,000 rods, having just put in a new mill. Johnson & Morgan and G. F. Markley, general stores, including hardware; Miller & Stall, and Henry King, dry goods and groceries; Garrett & Funk, drug store; Benjamin Foreman, shoe store; William Smithson, shoe shop; Jones & Ramsey, blacksmith and wagon shop; Haumesser & Funk, broom factory, established in February, 1887, and employing four hands; Ramsey & Stall, broom factory, started last year, and employ three hands; H. J. Johnson, barber; Mrs. Maria Turpin conducts the Heckman House, which was built by W. S. Heckman in 1880.
Dr. F. W. Garrett is the only physician. A biographical sketch of him can be found in this volume by the index.
The postmasters have been S. J. Jackson, to January 1, 1877; J. W. Rinear thence to January 1, 1880, F. W. Garrett, to January 1, 1883; R. W. Croasdale, to January 1, 1885, since which time Milton Morgan has been the incumbent.
John W. Rinear, the longest a resident of Liberty Center, was the first justice of the peace at this point. During his term of office, twelve years, he married 104 couples. The next and present justice is Henry J. Johnson, who now does all the legal business of the place.
The first born at Liberty Center is Hattie S., daughter of John W. Rinear, and now the wife of John B. Funk. Having received a good education, previous to marriage, she taught a number of years in the public schools.
The first born male is Charles W., son of Samuel J. Jackson.
The first marriage was X. N. Johnson to Mary E. Ernst; the first death was that of Mrs. Clark Morgan.
In the line of fine arts, Edward Rinear is considered superior in drawing and painting.
The first school-house was a log building, erected near the point occupied by the present brick school-house. The second was a frame, 24 x 30 feet, built in the summer and fall of 1859, and it still remains. It was occupied as a school-house and a place for public meetings of all kinds until the present fine two-story brick structure was erected, in 1881, at a cost of $2,700, including the seats. This building was erected under the supervision of G. H. King, the trustee. The school is graded, the first and second departments being on the first floor, and the third, fourth and fifth above. Since the present building was erected, Mr. W. A. Luce has been the principal teacher, with a corps of assistants most of the time, and he has also conducted at this place normal schools for the last two summer seasons, with an attendance of twenty-eight pupils.
The principal church at Liberty Center is the Baptist, and the chief pillar of this church, Rev. Abel Johnson, a resident. He, with his coadjutors, have from the earliest day sustained a marked religious and moral influence over the community, in spite of many difficulties. The congregation was first organized in August, 1855, under the shade of a tree ("God's first temple," as Bryant has it), near the present site of the schoolhouse, with sixteen members, namely: Abel Johnson, Sarah S. Johnson, Silas Parker, Ester Parker, Jacob First, Charles Rinear, Jane S. Rinear, John Spake, Mary Spake, Michaia Merriman, Martha Merriman, Eliza Monsey, Mrs. Fairchild, Ruth Irwin, Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Cotton. The membership increased to 140, under the pastorate of Elder Johnson, and were also prosperous under the ministrations of Rev. C. B. Kendall; but are now reduced by deaths, removals, etc., to about seventy-five. The pastors have served in the following order: Revs. Abel Johnson, C. B. Kendall, now in Michigan, W. Wright, D. D. Spencer, D. O. Fritz, G. W. Walters, and J. E. Leakey, the present pastor, installed September, 1885. The first trustees were Abel Johnson, Charles Rinear and John Muncie; the present are Abel Johnson and Joseph Garrett, John Spake having just resigned, leaving a vacancy. Deacons, X. M. Johnson and Noah Garrett; Charles Rinear has served as deacon since tbe organization till this spring, and resigned in consequence of poor health; clerk, Lester Garrett. George W. Miller is superintendent of the Sundayschool, which has an average attendance of about 100 pupils.
The first Baptist church building at Liberty Center was a plain frame edifice, 36 x 50 feet, with a seating capacity of 400, completed in January, 1869. The present is a fine modern brick structure, of the same dimensions as the former, built in 1884, at a cost of about $3,000, and dedicated in September, that year, by Rev. William Elgin, of Indianapolis. Elder Johnson, as before intimated, has borne the chief burden in the building of both these churches, as well as in the prosperity of the church generally and of the spiritual and moral interests of the community at large.
Also the church has now a parsonage at Liberty Center, and for the first time in many years is now sustaining a pastor for his full time at this point.
The Protestant Methodists organized a society at Liberty Center in 1881, and they now have a membership of seventy-three, with Rev. J. C. McLin, resident pastor; George Merriman, class-leader; Mrs. Merriman, steward. The society is preparing to build a church at the "Center" this year. They have other societies in this portion of Wells County, mentioned elsewhere.
Mr. McLin was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1825; moved with his parents in 1836 to Jay County, this State, where he grew up and lived many years; also resided a long time in Adams County, where he organized the "Shepherd Class," of which he is now the only surviving member. He was licensed to exhort in 1850, and to preach in 1858. Married Miss Elizabeth Burford June 19, 1845.