Famous United Brethren minister, Jonathon Thomas. Ohio history books state that Rev. Thomas was called "Father Thomas" there and had a circuit extending from Maumee, Ohio, on Lake Erie, across Indiana to St. Joseph, Michigan, and that he brought into the church over 5000 people. Rev. Thomas came from the Black Swamp of Ohio, with the rush of pioneer settlers, to Richland Township in 1836, bringing with him his wife and 10 talented children and located on land now part of the Raymond Wilson farm in the south end of the township. About 10 years later they came to Alvarado to live. A book written by his son, Rev. Fletcher Thomas, states that his father, Rev. Thomas, gave the land to Enos P. Church upon which to build a church. John Douglas made the first land entry from the government in the township on October 11, 1835 . . . an 80 acre tract from the northwest corner of what was the Douglas farm . . . and was deeded from John Douglas to Enos P. Church, April 6, 1851. Rev. Thomas' residence was directly in back of the church, and then, later, another son-in-law, John Holt, had land from both properties for the store on the corner. Therefore, the supposition is that the land was all purchased at the same time and separate deeds were made.

Though Rev. Thomas was a United Brethren, he was much an admirer of John Wesley, who founded the Methodist Church, and he named one of his sons John Wesley Thomas. Rev. Thomas died at 86 years at his son's home in Hamilton and is buried in the Alvarado cemetery
+++++++++++++++++++
Rev. Jonathan Thomas
Source: History of Steuben County, IN (1885) p.847

Rev. Jonathan Thomas was born in Pennsylvania in 1807. When he was
seventeen years of age his parents, L. and A. Thomas, moved to Wayne County,
Ohio, where he was married in 1825 to Elizabeth Beacom, a native of
Maryland, born in 1807, daughter of Henry Beacom, a hero of the
Revolutionary War. To them were born ten children; all save one lived till
maturity and four are now living -- Enoch, of Marshall County, Iowa; John
W., of this township; Fletcher, of North Manchester, Ind., a Presiding Elder
in the United Brethren church, and William H., of Tama County, Iowa.
Elizabeth (deceased), a twin sister of Enoch, was the wife of Rev. E. P.
Church. S. Mark died in Iowa. Henrietta was noted for her culture and
literary ability, many of her poems and prose articles appeared in the New
York Ledger and other periodicals. She married Frank Payton, of Huntington
County, Ind., and died at Winterset, Iowa, in 1880, aged twenty-six years.
Rev. Jonathan Thomas moved from Williams County, Ohio, to Steuben County,
Ind., in 1846, where he resided till after the death of his wife, which
occurred in 1863. Since then he has had no permanent residence. He has
been a minister of the United Brethren church sixty years, being ordained
soon after his first marriage. At present he has no settled appointment,
but is doing the work of an evangelist, and expects to do the Master's work
till called home. He is now living with his third wife.