Ripley Township - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The first town, Alamo, came about years after the settlers came pouring into the township and was laid-out in Section 23 by Samuel Truax.  It has an interesting story, however, as the surveyor, a Mr. Boyce spent a fortune (he had done the same in several other towns in Indiana to great success) on advertising the wonderful new village (with streets named for famous heroes) “needing young men with energy to build their fortunes.”   Well, the plan backfired and the lots ended-up sold at auction for a pittance.  Noah Grimes built the first store and Stubbins and Milligan followed shortly after with another.  Barney Deets built the first cabin.  Land was given at the time the town was laid-out for a school and a meeting house.  Several denominations used that first church but finally the church became known as the Alamo Christian Church (First Church United deeded Dec 20, 1848 from John and Mary Fishero) which at that point was the only denomination using that original building. Nothing fancy – no basement, no cloak room, no entry just the main portion for the church meetings. The building stayed in decent shape until about 1884 when the roof was literally letting rain pour in. Many improvements and additions were added to the building clear up through the 90s and I assume the church is still active today!   One very faithful man (William Wallace McClure) lived next door and he went to his farm, cut the timber, had the logs readied into the proper boards and shingles, then fixed that bad roof, doing most of the work himself.   The Alamo Methodist Church stemmed from September 1852 on thus perhaps when the church above began their own in the original community church it built its own.  In 1927, the church celebrated 75 years but positive it was going strong in the 1940s and I remember it quite a ways past that. One now?  The Union Church was there for a few years and a photo is on the GenWeb page of the Church of Christ but know nothing about it.  In 1832, the current Yountsville Community Church was founded up the road somewhat, then later moved about eleven years after the organization.  In 1888, the trustees deeded a parsonage but it had to be sold during the Depression years.  In the 1940-50s, student ministers and retired ones preached the sermons, but not always every Sunday.  In 1953 during a Revival meeting many came into the congregation.  It was in 1968 when the church was deleted from the Methodist Synod and thus the  Yountsville Community Church was created.  It is so neat that several of the members are descendants from the original group that created it.  Sadly, in November of 2011 the church burned from an electric fire.  Pastor Alan Goff called a meeting and asked if the men of the church were ready to rebuild or what?  All agreed let’s get the show on the road.  That they did (with good community support) and will be celebrating their 180th year later in this one.  In fact, the church is better than ever, having recently built an outside shelter where they can have church, picnics and such.

Of course, Yountsville, resting on the banks of Sugar Creek just a breath away from Union Township is the other major town and is three years younger (1840) than Alamo.  Allen and Dan Yount, woolen millers put this little town by their famous work alone well-known for miles around.  The larger Snyder’s flour mill was an equal business for many years.

their school year going in one of the finest and most advanced schools in the area (James Elmore read one of his poems, a history of the schools was given – love to have that, and the superintendent gave a talk) was demolished in 1968 but the gym was there for many years often open for those to go and get their sweat up playing.  (photo provided by Bill Boone)