50 / Pioneer Mennonite Communities

and Longenecker's, erected in 1833 and 1834 respectively. The families that made up this congregation came from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and went by the names of Longenecker, Berkey, Mumaw, Freed, Fretz, Bechtel, Shoup, Kilmer, and Hohn. Jacob Kulp (1769-1858) was the early leader, his ordination being in the year 1818. The congregation was never a large one. By 1875 it numbered fifty members."

Two other churches, originally one congregation, are Martins and Pleasant View, the former in Wayne County near Orrville and the latter in Stark County. The Martins Church was founded in 1834 soon after several families arrived from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They were the Rohrers, Brennemans, Buckwalters, Rudys, Hoovers, Westheffers, and Stauffers. The Pleasant View community grew out of an 1837 migration from Farmerstown, Pennsylvania. The long trek was made in Conestoga wagons and buggies pulled by twenty-three horses. Homesteading took place in a land of white oaks, hickory, and black walnut. Among the early settlers were Abraham Eschliman, Christian Horst, a widow Shisler, Jacob Dague, Samuel Doll, Daniel Oberlin, George Hartel, and Christian Keffer. Later family names to be added were Eicher, Hartman, Leisey, Minnich, Hess, and Meyers, also from Pennsylvania. Among the last of the first settlers were Jacob Buckwalter and John Stauffer, who came by wagon from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Henry Martin and William Westkeffer were the ministers in charge and between the two of them they looked after the spiritual welfare of the congregation in its two settlements."

Another Ohio county to gain a settlement in the early decades of the 1800's was Medina. Into this county as early as 1829 came Martin Overholt (1794-1892) of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Abraham Rohrer (1788-1878) arrived from Washington County, Maryland, in 1832. In the same year William Overholt arrived from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. By 1839 twelve Mennonites families settled in the Wadsworth community. Bishop Jacob Nold of Columbiana County organized the church in 1832, the first officials being Jacob Koppes and Abraham Rohrer as ministers and Jacob Gish as deacon. Of these, Abraham Rohrer was to become the leader."

The small log building that served as a meetinghouse was built in 1832 and lasted till a frame building replaced it in 1880. Here worshiped the families of the above pioneers. Other names included Tintsman, William Overhold, Martin Hoover, Daniel Kreider,