Aaron Frakes

Aaron is shown owning land in Franklin County, Indiana Territory, on 13 Oct 1814.

By 1820, Aaron had moved to Sullivan County, IN (1820 Indiana census).

Aaron succeeded Elder Isaac McCoy as pastor of Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Vigo County in March 1817. The church was reportedly founded in May of 1816: According to a history of the church written by Norah M. Johnson, Elder McCoy and Daniel Boone were travelling through the territory together and came to the small Lykins settlement near Vigo, IN. They joined with a group of Baptists from the Maria Creek Church of Knox County, IN, in founding the new one at Prairie Creek. The first building was made of logs and was 30' square with split log benches around an open fireplace in the center of the room.

His younger brother, Asa, was minister of the Prairie Creek Church for 35 years, longer than any other minister.

Judge Arthur E. DeBaun of Sullivan, Indiana, related a story in the 1950s of a Frakes who had died during the early years of the settlement. Since no coffin was available, a large tree was felled and hollwed out and used for burial. The location of the grave, according to Judge DeBaun, was on a part of the land held by Philip Frakes from 1817 until 1826, when it was deeded to his son Daniel. By excluding other Frakes known to be in the area at the time, the person buried in the hollow log is most probably Aaron.

Joseph Chambers, a deacon at the Maria Creek Baptist Church, which was located in Freelandville, kept notes during the years he served. These notes were collected into a booklet, "Maria Creek Church Papers," which Jack Lee Jones obtained at the Vincennes University Library. Maria Creek Church was formed 20 May 1809. Isaac McCoy, a licensed Baptist minister from Silver Creek Church in Clark County, was received in June 1810. In June of 1815, Elder McCoy asked the liberty of the church to travel and preach on the frontier in the Illinois and Missouri territories. On May 16, 1816, a group from the church left to form the Baptist church at Prairie Creek. Rev. McCoy went north along the Wabash to preach among the Indians still living in the territory.

Chambers notes that at revivals in 1819 about sixty settlers were baptized in the Maria Creek area, and that Elders McCoy and Frakes were the principal instruments of success.

According to a notice distributed at the Maria Creek Church upon Aaron's death, his favorite sermon was inspired by Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3:7: "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." The note also said, "He always quit speaking when he was done. This is a lesson that too many of our good brethren in the ministry have not yet learned."