46 / Pioneer Mennonite Communities

land donated to the congregation by Jacob Oberholtzer. Made of oak, cherry, and walnut logs the interior was conspicuously simple with plain backless benches. In the front of the building was a long table from which the ministers spoke; no elevated pulpit was used.

Bishop Jacob Nold, who in 1817 settled near the present site of Leetonia, further strengthened the spiritual leadership of, the new settlement. In 1828 a meetinghouse was built near his home. Known as Nold's meetinghouse, it was only one of his numerous contributions to early Mennonite life in Ohio.' Bishop Nold became active as an itinerant preacher and organized congregations in Ashland County (Brubaker's, 1820), Stark County (RowlandCanton, 1823), Columbiana County (Newcomer's, c. 1830), Medina County (Guilford, 1833), Wayne County (Martins, 1834). From 1828 to 1835 his bishop duties included oversight of the church at Harmony in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

Nold's Mill, Leetonia, Ohio

Nold's Mill was built in 1829 on Cherry Creek, on the headwaters of Little Beaver Creek, by Deacon Jacob Nold, Jr. It replaced Beeson's Mill which was built in 1803. The first flour ground in Nold's Mill was taken by ox team to Wellsville, placed on a flatboat, and sent down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans where it was placed on board a sailing ship bound for Philadelphia. In addition to the milling of flour, flax seed was pressed for linseed oil. The oil cakes were fed to beef cattle. When five years old the animals were driven over the Allegheny Mountains to Philadelphia where they were

sold. From Wilmer D. Swope and Ann Godfred. Leetonia Courier: Dataiin December 29, 1966, issue