Banta Churches and Cemeteries

Shiloh Methodist Church was organized in Johnson County at the home of Sarah and John Taylor Senior in 1829. Worship was moved to a log school at the north crossroads the next year. From 1833 to 1837, Thomas and Mattie Mitchell opened their home for services. They lived, in Morgan County, one half mile west of the county line. A log church, 36'X30', was built, in 1840, adjacent to the Mitchell home, and later replaced by a frame structure. Land for the church and cemetery was donated by James L. Bromwell. Members of the church, in 1840, are listed as: John

Taylor, Thomas Mitchell, Jacob L. Bromwell, James Epperson, Henry Benton, Gideon Drake and others. In 1846, the pastor was Reverend Zelots S. Clifford and trustees were; James Epperson, Gideon Drake, William Robe, Lewis W. Saint John, and Josiah Drake. In 1844, the church's name was changed to Shiloh Methodist Episcopal Church, during a national split amoung Methodists over the question of slavery.

In 1892, a decision was made to move the church. Ground was donated, just northwest of the Village Store, by Albert K. Taylor, and a new church was constructed using parts of the old structure. Reverend Doctor Riley Halstead dedicated Banta Methodist Episcopal Church, on Christmas Day 1899. In 1939, separate branches of the Methodist Church reunited. The Evangelical United Brethren merged with the Methodists to form the United Methodist Church in 1968.

Banta United Methodist Church still stands at 800 west Banta Road after 100 years of service.

Shiloh Cemetery, lies about one half mile west of Banta, and is land-locked by private property. Access is available from a gravel road at 8780 Big Bend Road. A path back to the site, is on the left, just before the bridge.

Family names include: ARMSTRONG, BALAY, BOAZ, BROMWELL, BROWN, BRUNNEMER, DRESSLAR, DUKE, GROSECLOSE, KNOX, MITCHELL, PERSINGER, ROBE, SAINT JOHN, STOTTS, TACKETT, TAYLOR, THROCKMORTON and WYRICK. The cemetery's oldest grave is that of a Bromwell son, who died in 1827.

Fellowship Baptist Church, once the Bethel Wesleyan Methodist Church, is at 8240 New Harmony Road. It was organized in 1939, and used the old Brown School building. The Wesleyan and Pilgrim Holiness Churches combined, in 1968, and Methodist was removed from the name.

The following is a list of Morgan County cemeteries, in the extended area of Banta, with their township and section location on the township map. Some have records but no stones, one has not been found, some are on private property. Records are available in the Morgan County Library on many of the sites. Information was obtained through the Morgan County Cemetery Society. In Harrison Township: Aldrich, section 27 and Etter, section 36, and the Odd Fellows', section 25 . In Green Township: Brian/Musgrave, section 14; Duke, section 1; Duke/Hensley, section 1; New Harmony, section 11; Williams, section 15; and Perry, section 13.

Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, in White River Township, Johnson County, was established in 1834 or 1835. Meetings were held, by Reverend Jacob L. Brumwell (Bromwell), in the home of Anthony Brunnemer. Members were: Jacob and Charlotte Brumwell (Bromwell), Berrien and Catharine Reynolds, William and Margaret Dresslar, George and Mary Duke, John and Sarah Taylor, Anthony and Magdalene Brunnemer, Henry and Malinda Dressler, William and Sarah Brunnemer, and Abraham and Harriett Lowe. Henry and Eliz Dresslar deeded a lot to the members and, in 1848, a log church was built. It was in use until 1868, when a frame building was constructed on the same lot. In 1888, Salem Methodist Episcopal Church had 100 members.

The Mallow Cemetery, is on the north side of Whiteland Road, in White River Township, of Johnson County, and was donated by George Mallow, in July 1871. Names include: BAGLEY, BAKER, BEDFORD, BURGE, COLLINS, DUNN, FRY, GOWIN, HARDIN, HUMBERT, JACOBS, MALLOW, PEARSON, PIERSON, McCAMMACK, RICHARDSON, SLAYTON, SMITH, TOTTEN, and ZOOK.

Web Page Created by Marsha and Ron Riggan for SCICAN Corporation - September 1999.

Text written and researched by Marsha Riggan. All photographs and graphics by Ron Riggan.