Coal Creek (Snoddy) Church
Source: Excerpts from Fountain County Genealogy Society
Newsletter Oct 2013 p 3
Rev. Hiram Elwell married his love, Julie Perkins in Clay
County, Illinois on the 13th day of March in 1860. Born in
January of 1833 to John and Ann Deneen Elwell right here in Fountain County, He
spent 42 years expounding the bible to mainly the United Brethren
Church congregations in Illinois, Indiana and Washington where he
passed away on the first day of January in 1918 at Olympia, Washington
where his family had moved about 1888. Julie was blind, but never let
that get her down, beginning Sunday Schools where none existed or working with
the children if one did. She raised six sons. Her bible was
printed in Braille and she knew it well. The Sunday School classes, and it is
assumed church was held in the Snoddy School House until Rev. John Rosenbarger,
a builder, not only preached but erected the church, as well.
Wilson Richardson gave the property for the church.
James Elwell gave the timber and many pitched-in to help erect their Coal
Creek Chapel. Dedication for the church was in August of 1896 and the
first trustees
were James Elwell, Riley Richardson and Elmer Snoddy.
Early ministers were John Teague; C.J. Pettyplace; B.B. Phelps; John
McHargue; FE Penny; WN Coffman; T. Hamilton; JS Cooper; RB VanAllen and John
Rosenbarger. It is thought that Floyd Mitchell's funeral was the last
(June 23, 1946) held in the church.
In 1963, Dale Clawson purchased the property and worked at
getting interest in to restore the church but could not get it done,
and by 1970 or so, the building was dismantled.