Chesley Woodard is mentioned on p131 of Harding's History of Decatur
County as an early settler (shortly after 1828) of Jackson Twp. On
the same page: the first church in the township was built by the
Baptists on land donated by Charles Woodard. Mt Pleasant Baptist
Church, in the southern part of Jackson Twp, was organised in Feb
1835 and Chesley Woodward is listed as an early pastor (p241). He's
also listed as having preached at the Rock Creek Bapitst Church
(p246). There's further mention of him under both spellings in the
Atlas of Decatur County at pp. 10, 44, 73; Samuel Cantwell is also
mentioned at p44 and Adam Cantwell at p73. Adam is also mentioned in
Harding (p235) as member of the council of the Liberty Baptist Church
in 1828.
There are several other Woodards and Woodwards in early Decatur Co
histories, but these are the only appearances of Cantwells, while the
only Starr is the Rev WD, who was pastor of the Greensburg Christian
Church 1902-04 (Harding p261)
In 1840 my great-great grandparents were married by Chesly Woodard,
ordained
preacher, and I was wondering if anyone on this list can tell me what church
he was the preacher. Anything else you can tell me about him I would
appreciate. My gggrandparents were Jonathan Cantwell and Louisa Starr. If
anyone knows anything they can tell me about them, I would really appreciate
that as well.
THANKS, Verla Pinkerton <2pinks(a)computron.net>