East Fork
Universalist Society

Clinton County

1846 - ca. 1868 (?)

A Universalist Society was established and fellowshipped by Ballou Society in 1846. And that’s all we know for sure, other than Robinson’s “See Cuba” in his The Universalist Church in Ohio. So, we are left to speculate.

As this “East Fork” is in Clinton County, it is the East Fork of the Todd Fork of the Little Miami River. Early histories of the area speak of a settlement extending several miles up the fork. Many of these settlers were Quakers and Universalists.

In 1835 a group of Universalists from the area formed what became known as the Toddsfolk Universalist Society (some records say, “Toddsfork”). Two years later they built a church in Edwardsville (Warren County) some ten miles to the east of the East Fork settlement. Perhaps, some of those from farther east did not want to travel to Edwardsville and continued to informally meet in their homes.

As the railroad drew closer to Blanchester, those living in Edwardsville began to consider moving to the railroad. By 1852, the railroad has arrived and a Universalist Church in Blanchester was organized. Although the Edwardsville Church held services into at least the 1890s it is possible that some of those who didn’t move to Blanchester were from the East Fork area and chose to unite with that society. In 1846, those worshipping in Edwardsville would have known that the railroad was eventually coming to Blanchester.

Hopefully in time we will discover more of the story of the East Fork Universalists. But for now, all we can say for sure is that they were fellowshipped in 1846 and at some point, became absorbed into the Cuba Universalist Church.

History most likely repeated herself with many of those living along the East Fork moved into nearby Cuba, only a few miles away, with the arrival of the railroad in Cuba.


Resources:

Brown, albert, The History of Clinton County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions (1915).
Lake, Griffing & Stevenson, The Illustrated Atlas of Clinton County (1876).
Robinson, Elmo Arnold, The Universalist in Ohio (1923), The Ohio Universalist Convention.

Image: Modified Google

[Posted: 09.20.26]



[Church history may be updated as new information comes to light.]

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