"The Mount Gilead Baptist church located in Hendricks township, was organized May 27, 1830.
Among the early and charter members of this society were: Alexander Miller and wife,
Levy Laingor and wife,
Thomas McFerrin and wife,
Mrs. Lucy Miller,
Mrs. Updegraf.
Among the early ministers are now recalled the names of Rev. Samuel Harding, Rev. J. Reece, Sr., and Reverend Reece. Meetings were held at private houses until 1843, when a log house twenty-four feet square was provided---the same was on John McCrary's land. This building was used until 1848, when a frame
house was erected on land belonging to Jesse Laingor. In June, 1872, it was voted to build in the
village of Smithland and this house was dedicated a year later. In 1858 a number of the members
withdrew and constituted the first membership of the church at Marietta. The church was soon dissolved, however, and its members came back to the mother church. At this date (1909) the Smithland church has a membership of one hundred forty-eight. It uses the last named building."
Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, by Edward H. Chadwick, B.A., assisted by
well known local talent, B.F. Bowen & Co, Publishers: Indianapolis, IN, 1909, page 159.
Submitted by Marita Bolson
Church Index