SHEPARDSVILLE

Shepardsville, a station on the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad three miles west of Ovid village, was laid out in 1856 by William Shepard, who in that year started a store at that point. The village made feeble headway at first, but about 1867 pushed ahead vigorously. In that year Mr. Shepard put up a grist‑mill with two run of stones, and a saw‑mill, which lie directly converted into a stave‑factory. The grist‑mill had, however, been but two days in operation when the boiler exploded, killing Dorn, the millwright, and seriously wounding six other men. This example of ill luck inflicted when the town was just emerging into something like prosperity was but the forerunner to several disasters which followed hard upon and ultimately relegated Shepardsville to a state of masterly inactivity. In IS71 the stave‑mill was burned, a business block of three stores and several shops succumbed to fire during 1872 and 1873, while upon other occasions other conflagrations put back the work of enterprise as rapidly as it betrayed its presence.

At its best, Shepardsville contained five stores, a hotel (built by H. Longeor in 1864), and milling industries which served altogether to make the place a busy one. That the untoward circumstances of its early history followed it persistently in later years finds illustration in the relation that a cheese‑factory started in 1878 by a Mr. Craddock stood but two years before it was burned.

A post‑office was established at the town in 1867 and named Ovid Centre, but in a brief time a change of name was made to Shepardsville, consequent upon a similarity of the first name to Ovid, the next office eastward. William Shepard was the first postmaster, J. L. Button the second, S. L. Brass the third, and L. 0. Ludlum, now in the office, the fourth. Dr. L. 0. Ludlum, the postmaster, located in the village in 1868 and entered upon medical practice. He is the only resident physician Shepardsville has had.

SHEPARDSVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CLASS,

worshiping in the building put up by William Shepard as a store in 1856, was organized in 1869 by Rev. A. Wood, of the Duplain Circuit, with a membership of thirty. William Shepard, who was then chosen class‑leader, has continued until this time to fill that place. The class is now on the Duplain Circuit, has forty‑five members, and has preaching once fortnight, Rev. C. A. Jacokes being the pastor. The trustees are William Shepard, P.A. Winfield and J. L. Button. William Shepard is superintendent of the Sunday‑school, which has an average attendance of fifty and employs eight teachers.

BAPTIST CHURCH OF SHEPARDSVILLE

April 15, 1876, a meeting was held at Shepardsville for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church. Among those present were P. C. Bassett, John D. Gleason, Jacob W. Welter, P. A. Winfield, Thomas Sturges, I. E. Hobart, Edward P. Castner, D. F. Aldrich, John Miller, H. H. Faragar, William Castner, Isaiah Castner, and Edward Potter. The persons named subscribed to the following: “We who do hereby subscribe our names, anxious to do something, in an organized form to promote the Christian religion, and to maintain the permanent worship of God and the institutions of the Gospel in this vicinity, do organize ourselves into a society known as The Baptist Church and Society of Shepardsville." Samuel B. Spink, Edward Potter, John Miller, I. E. Hobart, and Thomas Sturges were chosen trustees and Edward Potter clerk.

The Methodist Episcopal church edifice was used for public worship until the fall of 1S79, when the society's new church was occupied. Elder P. C. Bassett, the first pastor, was succeeded by Rev. E. V. Ney, and after the latter came Rev. A. Waxman, who is now in charge, preaching once each week at Ovid and Shepardsville. There is in connection with the church a Sabbath‑school, which enjoys much prosperity.

SOUTH OVID UNITED BRETHREN CLASS

About 185S, Eggleston and Lee, missionaries in the United‑ Brethren Church, visited the region known as South Ovid and oranized the South Ovid United Brethren class in the Wilson school‑house. There services were afterwards held until 1869, when a change of location was made to the Baker school‑house, which was used until the

completion of the United Brethren church in 18700, upon December 7th of which year it was dedicated. The class, having now a flourishing membership of upwards of one

hundred, is on the Ovid Circuit, in charge of Rev. M. H. Sly, and including points in Ovid, Victor, Duplain, and Greenbush. Preaching is supplied at South Ovid once

each fortnight. The class‑leader is George Cox, the class steward John M. Koslit, and the trustees Christian Baker, George Cox, I. N. Yarger, J. M. Kosbt, and L. H. Allen.

Cyrus Sherman is the superintendent of the Sunday‑school, which has an average attendance of fifty scholars and eight teachers.

SOUTH OVID FREE METHODIST CLASS

This class was formed June, 1871, by Rev. John Ellison (in charge of the St. Johns Circuit) in a grove upon Seba Squires' farm. The organizing members numbered nine,

of whom Jeremiah Cox was class‑leader. Since that time regular services have been held in South Ovid. School‑houses and residences of class‑members were used until 1879, when a house of worship was built, and in July of that year dedicated. There is preaching once in two weeks by Rev. G. H. Joslyn, in charge of St. Johns Circuit, and prayer‑meeting on alternate Sundays. Seba Squires is the leader of the class, which has a membership now of twenty. Seba Squires is likewise superintendent of the Sabbath school, which enjoys a flourishing existence.