Selected local collectionOxford Circuit membership and church record
What it can tell you
Membership and church entries can place a person within a congregation or circuit. Distinguish joining, transfer, baptism and other events according to the actual entry.
Selected listed years: 1862–1887
Date overlap is a lead, not a guarantee of complete coverage.
How to search, request and interpret this collection
Coverage and gaps
These are distinct volumes, not a continuous register of all Benton residents. The collection summary starts 1873 although its item list includes 1862; use item dates and retain that discrepancy. Methodist Volume 7050; item-level range differs from collection summary. Consult actual entries.
How to search
Search the entire relevant volume, including indexes and later annotations. Track similarly named people and the specific congregation named within a circuit.
How to retrieve it
DePauw Archives: Oxford United Methodist Church records, LOC-2011-1624, Methodist Volume 7050, Oxford Circuit membership/church record 1862–1887. Arrange an appointment in advance.
Practical access
Request the collection and exact volume or box/folder. DePauw requires an appointment at least two business days ahead and photo identification. Ask about reproduction arrangements before traveling to Greencastle.
If nothing turns up
No match in one circuit volume does not rule out another congregation or denomination. The item range starts 1862 although the collection summary starts 1873; retain the item citation.
Read the collection source ↗
Source review: 2026-11-04. Search and interpretation suggestions are BWP guidance.
Then try thisInspect the inventory for other membership books and separate transfer or directory files.
Follow this research route → ↗ Match collections to your research years →
Selected local collectionFowler Presbyterian cookbook name index
What it can tell you
A community cookbook preserves contributors and advertisers who may not appear in formal church histories. It can suggest associates or businesses to investigate.
Selected listed years: 1909
Date overlap is a lead, not a guarantee of complete coverage.
How to search, request and interpret this collection
Coverage and gaps
A recipe contribution or advertisement is a community association, not proof of church membership. Expand “Mrs.” names with independent records. Index to contributors and advertisers in a single cookbook; not a membership roll.
How to search
Search surnames and “Mrs.” entries, then follow the printed page references. Do not expand a husband’s initials into a woman’s identity without independent support.
How to retrieve it
Ask IHS for the corresponding page of the 1909 Fowler Presbyterian church cookbook, providing the contributor or advertiser and indexed page number.
Practical access
Search the published PDF, note its page references, and request the corresponding cookbook pages. Ask IHS for an appointment if you need material beyond its reference room.
If nothing turns up
Absence from this single cookbook does not show that someone lacked a church or town connection. Participation was selective.
Read the collection source ↗
Source review: 2026-11-04. Search and interpretation suggestions are BWP guidance.
Then try thisUse the published name index to identify a specific page for follow-up.
Follow this research route → ↗ Match collections to your research years →