In October of 2014 Ritchey and I visited the area of Harrison, Nicholas and Bourbon counties.  While in Harrison County we stopped by Indian Creek Baptist Church cemetery to take photos.  This quaint little church was a delight – just a small country church with cemetery surrounding it.  Two of its founding ministers are buried in this cemetery – Charles Webb and Isaac Monson.  Too young to be patriots of the Revolutionary War, it is quite possible their fathers or older brothers fought for freedom.

In a 1954 article about this church, it says it was ‘built originally of white-oak logs in 1790, two years before Kentucky County separated from Virginia and became a state, Indian Creek Baptist Church now has a plank cover.

The Courier Journal, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

Sunday, January 10, 1954

Since 1790 . . . The little Indian Creek Baptist Church, near Cynthiana, has been holding services each Sabbath through the years.

It’s one of the oldest churches in Kentucky.

It’s so old it was actually built in Virginia – in 1790 before Kentucky became a state.  Kentucky was part of Virginia until 1792.

It’s the Indian Creek Baptist Church, a little wooden structure by the side of the road, where continuous services have been held more than a century and a half.  It’s on the Cynthiana-Millersburg Road, three miles east of Cynthiana.

It’s true there were a few churches in Kentucky before 1790.  But has any of them held continuous service – on successive weekends – through the years?

The Indian Creek congregation weathered some bad times.  In the early days there was constant danger from Indians.  Later, Civil War battles raged close by; twice the congregation became divided on doctrinal points.  But the little church remained open, and services were held every Sunday.

The men who put up this church built it to last, using many white-oak logs.  The floor was of poplar, fastened by wooden pegs to hand-hewn joints.  In 1880 this floor was taken up, and one of tongue-and-groove was laid.  Many years ago the oak logs were covered on the outside with weatherboarding.  The inside of the church is now plastered.

The church was built with a gallery for colored folk, many of whom united with the congregation through the years.  Church records tell of funerals for Negroes in this building.

J. Arch Bailey, 81, is the oldest member of the church.  He’s a descendant of Samuel VanHook, who came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone.  Van Hook was captured at Ruddles Station by British General Byrd and his Indians.  He was taken north, near Detroit, where he was held for four years.

Samuel VanHook’s son, Archelus, a messenger from Indian Creek Baptist Church, was a leader in the organization of Union Association in 1813.  Until that time the church had been a member of Elkhorn Association.

In 1842 a large part of the membership began to believe the doctrine taught by Alexander Campbell and his followers.  These withdrew from the Baptist congregation, forming a separate church.  The two groups continued to meet alternately in the Indian Creek building, until the Campbell followers constructed a building just across the road in 1852.

Old church records were destroyed when the home of a church clerk burned in 1854.  But later records have been preserved, and many references to Indian Creek and its leaders are to be found on the yellowed pages of carefully kept minute books of Union Association.

The little old church now has 20 resident and 20 nonresident members.  Some of these are descendants of the Rev. Charles Webb and the Rev. Isaac Monson, founders of the church.  Although Mr. Webb is considered to have been the first pastor, the two served alternately at the church for 60 years.

I found that not only were Charles Webb and Isaac Monson ministers of the same church, they were brothers-in-law – Isaac married Charles’ sister Nancy Webb.  Charles married all of Isaac and Nancy’s children, and Isaac married all of Charles and Elizabeth Davis’ children. 

Charles Webb, the son of Charles and Anna Webb of Albemarle County, Virginia, (1770, Virginia – April 1, 1853, Harrison County, Kentucky) and Elizabeth Davis Webb (August 31, 1781 – October 13, 1850) were married May 9, 1805.  Their children:

1. John Taylor Webb, September 1, 1807-March 31, 1895, married Jane McClintock Forest December 13, 1832.
2. Nancy Davis Webb, 1809-1899, married John Bowen Fisher, September 10, 1829.
3. Isaac N. Webb, 1812-? Married Nancy Baskett, October 31, 1838.
4. Sarah Webb, 1813-1869, married William M. Wilson, December 30, 1833.
5. Hulda E. Webb, 1814-1852, never married.
6. Charles Webb, November 7, 1816 – June 9, 1891, married Mary E. Cook, January 3, 1843.
7. Hamlet L. Webb, 1821-August 14, 1892.
8. Elizabeth Ann Web, 1824-1908, married William H. Stewart, July 7, 1848.

Isaac M. Monson, son of Samuel Munson and third wife, Mrs. Sarah Prudden of Morristown, Morris Co., New Jersey, Rowan Co., NC, and Fayette Co., KY. Isaac M. Monson married January 31, 1793, in Bourbon County, Kentucky, Nancy Webb daughter of Charles Webb and Anna Webb by Rev. Augustine Eastin.  Their children:

1. Elizabeth Monson married Joseph Vanderen November 25, 1814.
2. Sarah Monson married Aaron Ashbrook September 28, 1810.
3. Anne Monson married first William Riley March 26, 1817, second Isaac Gruelle January 3, 1822.
4. Emily Monson married William Browning August 28, 1817.
5. John Monson married Evaline Whaley December 18, 1823Y.
6. Mary Monson married James Barnett December 25, 1824.
7. Lucy Monson married Charles Hume August 15, 1822.
8. Isaac Moss Monson Jr. married Susannah T. Sims December 2, 1830.

The following all buried at Indian Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Harrison County, Kentucky:

Isaac Monson, born September 1, 1765, died January 11, 1852.

Rev. Charles Webb, died April 1, 1853, aged 83 years.

Elizabeth, wife of Charles Webb, Sr., born August 31, 1781, died October 13, 1850, aged 69 years.

Sarah Wilson, born January 29, 1813, died November 11, 1869.

William Webb, died April 6, 1848, aged 65 years, brother of Charles Web