USA > Arkansas > History of Methodism in Arkansas > Part 28
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Beebe Station, in this county, is a strong and pleasant charge, in the pleasant Town of Beebe. The adjacent cir- cuits are all excellent charges, and abound in devoted and intelligent Methodists.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
The Baptists, Presbyterians and Cumberland Presbyte- rians, all have organizations and church buildings in Searcy. The Baptists and Presbyterians have neat brick houses of worship, while the Cumberland Presbyterians have a neat frame church. The Methodist Episcopal Church (Northern Methodist) have an organization and church building at Judsonia, on the Iron Mountain Railroad, in this county. They also have an organization and house of worship at Beebe in this county. Next to the Methodists the Baptists .are the most numerous denomination in the county; then follows the Cumberland Presbyterians, Presbyterians, with a few scattering members of other communions throughout the county. The Methodist Church, however, has largely the ascendancy in the county in numerical strength and influence.
SCHOOLS.
The Galloway Female College, the pride of Searcy, was located at this place in 1888, and the first session opened in September, 1889, under the presidency of Rev. S. H. Bab- cock. The success of the school has surpassed the expecta- tions of its most sanguine friends. The College is a large brick structure, and is furnished with every modern con- venience for the successful training of young ladies. It is beautifully located within an inclosure of eighteen acres. The Rev. John H. Dye, D.D., has recently been elected to the presidency of the school, and has surrounded himself with an excellent faculty of experienced teachers.
The Searcy College, an undenominational school, was founded in 1883, as a male and female college. In 1890 the female department was eliminated from the school, and it
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became a male college. In 1891 a large and well-arranged college building was erected on a beautiful site near the town. The presidency of this school has recently passed into the hands of Rev. S. H. Babcock, whose reputation as a college president will no doubt add to the efficiency of the school. The Select Female School, under the control of Mrs. Willis and Miss Tapscott, is an excellent institution of learning, and greatly adds to the reputation of Searcy as an educational center.
. We would fail to do justice to the memory of the sainted dead if we did not mention the names of some of the lay- men who in former years contributed so faithfully to the laying of the foundation of Methodism in this part of the State; such names as Joseph Fautner, T. B. King, I. N. Moore, O. Patty, J. D. Armstrong, W. C. Petty and John Marsh.
FORT SMITH.
The City of Fort Smith, as the second city in size in Ar- kansas, and located on the border between the State of Ar- kansas and the Indian Territory, has long been the center of influence for a large part of the State. From the first es- tablishment of missionary stations among the Indians in the northwestern part of the State, there were regular services by the Methodist preachers in that part of the State. The first mention, however, that we have of a distinct appoint- ment in Fort Smith was in 1840, when the Fort Smith Cir-
cuit was formed. The appointments in regular order from that time were Thomas Berthoff, Levi Adams, H. C. Boyers, L. W. Moreland, John J. Roberts, H. W. Balch, H. A. Sugg, J. Eastabrook. Fort Smith was organized into a separate charge in 1850, with J. Eastabrook as preacher in charge. In 1852 Joseph Turrentine. From this date the pastors were T. E. Garrett, Joseph Turrentine, A. R. Winfield, R. F. Col- burn, R. W. Hammett, A. H. Kennedy. The Fort Smith District was formed in 1859, Russell Reneau, Presiding
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Elder. The preacher for the Fort Smith Station was George A. Schaeffer. In 1860, Russell Reneau; 1861, John Rhyne ; 1862-65, William Wilson; in 1868, H. M. Granade ; in 1869, Thomas Wainwright ; in 1870, H. M. Granade. The station was regularly filled from this time in the following order, some of the pastors remaining for two, three, and four years : S. S. Key, S. H. Babcock, B. H. Greathouse, R. M. Tidings, V. V. Harlan, F. A. Jeffett. In 1881 the second charge was organized. Howard Street and Mulberry Street were the names of the appointments. The appointments then follow in order : J. W. Boswell, F. A. Jeffett, J. L. Massey, J. A. An- derson, Julien C. Brown, B. H. Greathouse, J. T. Bagwell.
There are two churches in Fort Smith-First Church, valued at $20,000, and Central Church, valued at $5000.
A list of the pastoral charges with their numerical strength will give the reader an idea of the position of the Methodist Church in that part of the State :
Fort Smith, First Church. 276 Members.
Fort Smith, Central Church .255
Fort Smith Circuit 483
Greenwood Circuit 378
66
Hackett City Circuit 246
Mansfield Circuit 394
Charleston Circuit 335
I71
60
Paris Circuit
Booneville Circuit 308
Magazine Circuit 243
66
Waldron Circuit. 400
Cauthron Circuit 180
Big Creek Mission 43
Caulksville Circuit 203
VAN BUREN.
The Town of Van Buren was organized about the year 1835. As early as 1831 a post office was established at the place and called Van Buren. In 1835 Mr. Phillips had a sale
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of lots, and from this we date the organization of the town. In an article written for the Western Methodist, in 1872, by Dr. H. R. Withers, we have a sketch of the origin of Meth- odism in Van Buren :
"The Rev. John Harrell, Superintendent of the Indian Mission Conference, came here long before the town came, preached under the trees to trappers, stragglers, the few settlers and the 'wild man '-preaching the word and organ- izing Methodism. He was the Presiding Elder when the Van Buren Circuit ' entered its appearance' on the Con- ference journal in 1840, and the Rev. Benjamin F. Harris was the preacher. W. A. Cobb was here in 1841, and in 1842, Van Buren and Fort Smith became a 'station,' with H. Boyer as pastor. Bro. Boyer, at the following Confer- ence, reported 45 white 92 colored members. L. M. Moor- land occupied the station in 1843, and Bro. J. J. Roberts was stationed here in 1844, though the appointments for that year do not appear in the journal. I have been thus particu- lar in setting out the above dates and names, chiefly to cor- rect an error into which our highly esteemed Bishop Mc- Tyeire was led, last fall, by some brother, in the matter of ' planting Methodism in Van Buren.' The Rev. J. J. Rob- erts is entitled to the gratitude of all Methodists for his: moral heroism on this as well as many other hard-fought: battle-fields. And this correction cannot injure him, while it does justice to the grandest name in Methodism west of the river-John Harrell. This veteran planted Methodism here. He first threw our banner to the breeze in Northwest: Arkansas at a time when the Missouri Conference extended to the mouth of Red River."
The following is a list of pastors in Van Buren from 1846 : H. W. Balch, H. A. Sugg, L. P. Lively, W. T. Thornberry, Jesse S. McAlister, Young Ewing, Richard F. Colburn, Burwell Lee, A. H. Kennedy, James L. Denton, George A. Schaeffer, C. W. Coursey, L. P. Lively, S. S. Key, Sidney 23-M
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Babcock, W. T. Bolling, R. S. Hunter, B. H. Greathouse, B. L. Ferguson, J. W. Kaigler, J. A. Anderson, G. W. Boyles, F. S. H. Johnson, George W. Hill, D. J. Weems, R. M. Traylor, W. H. W. Burns.
The Van Buren Station has a house of worship valued at $5000, and a parsonage valued at $1200.
HELENA.
The City of Helena dates its existence as a town from the year 1829. Previous to this time it had been a trading point of some importance, on the Mississippi River. As early as the year 1800 William Patterson, Sylvanus Phillips and Philip Rames, together with a number of others, moved from Ken- tucky to Arkansas and settled within about three miles of the mouth of the St. Francis River, at a point known for many years as Little Prairie, on the west bank of the Mis- sissippi River. During this summer William Patterson cut the large cane that stands in the place where the City of of Helena now stands. We have no means of knowing ex- actly when Mr. Patterson was licensed to preach, but we do know that at the session of the Western Conference for the year 1804 he was received on trial in the traveling connec- tion. At that time the Western Conference embraced all of Kentucky, Tennessee and all the territory west of the Mis- sissippi River. We find William Patterson on the Scioto Circuit in 1804; in 1805 he was on the Gyandott Circuit; in 1806, Claibourne Parish, La .; in 1807, Wilkinson Circuit; in 1808, Fairfield Circuit; in 1809, Holston Circuit; in 1810, Nollichuckie Circuit ; in 1811, French Broad ; in 1812, Shelby Circuit; in 1813, Lexington Circuit. An examination of these appointments will show that a part of the time Mr. Patterson was west of the Mississippi River and not far from the southern boundary of the State, and while we have no positive evidence that he ever preached at Helena, we think it probable that he would have visited his old neighbors and preached to them.
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John Patterson, son of William Patterson, was born at Helena in 1800, and lived to the great age of eighty years, and from him much of the information was received in ref- erence to this early settlement. The first positive informa- tion that we have in reference to the introduction of relig- ious service in this colony was in 1818. William Harrison Baily and his pious wife came from Kentucky that year and settled at Helena. This Mr. Baily was a nephew of William Henry Harrison-President Harrison. Mr. Baily was a very devoted Methodist, and, although he was not a minister, in the absence of the regular minister he would hold religious services. Although he was not a physician, yet being a man of good education, he knew something of the nature of medicine, and would visit the sick and relieve their wants, and in this way he very greatly endeared himself to the peo- ple. He opened his house for the accommodation of his neighbors and held prayer-meetings for them in his own house, and in this way laid the foundation for the first Meth- odist congregation in Helena. We have no means of know- ing when the first Methodist Church was organized in Helena. The first positive information that we have is that in 1823 a local preacher, Benjamin Burrows, from Kentucky, settled in Helena and lived there for about one year, when he moved a few miles out from Helena. He began to preach to such small congregations as he could collect; he made no effort to organize societies, but simply preached wherever he could find a congregation. Being an old man, as he was going from Helena to his home on foot, he was overtaken in a snow storm and perished, and was found by his neighbors next day frozen to death.
In 1824 another local preacher, Littleton Martin, settled near where Burrows lived. In 1825 Jacob Hern was sent into Phillips County to organize societies. He was a very eccentric man, and interpreted literally the language of Christ, and would carry neither staves nor scrip, nor have
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two coats or hats or shoes. He was universally recognized as a good man notwithstanding his oddities. In 1829 L. M. Harris, another local preacher, came into this community. Of him it was said that he did more than any other local preacher to establish Methodism in this part of the State. In 1829 we have the first appointment from the Conference for the Helena Circuit-John Harris. From this time Helena has been a regular appointment in the Conference. In this connection we have additional information in refer- ence to this devoted servant of Christ. He was born in Montgomery County, Tennessee, in 1792. His early ad- vantages were confined to the advantages afforded by the country schools of that day. While quite young he moved to the neighborhood of New Madrid, Mo. He was converted and joined the Methodist Church in 1812. He was licensed to preach in 1816, and joined the traveling connection in 1817. He is described as being a small man, about five feet and ten inches high, dark hair and eyes, and would weigh about one hundred and thirty pounds. He was a little lame on account of a fall he received from a horse when a boy. John Harris remained two years on the Helena Circuit. He was succeeded by Fountain Brown. The Helena Circuit was filled by pastors in the following order : Micah Casteel, John P. Neill, S. Wakeley, John H. Rives, James S. Newman.
In 1838 Helena was regarded as of sufficient importance to give the name to the district, Helena District, William P. Ratcliffe, Presiding Elder. Helena Circuit, Spencer Walters, W. B. Mason, John M. Steele, S. Freeman, R. R. Burts, Charles H. Edwards, G. W. Cottingham. Helena Station was formed in 1848. William P. Ratcliffe was the first station preacher. In the minutes for this year we read, white mem- bers, 62 ; colored members, 26. The following is the list of pastors : H. A. Sugg, John P. Roberts, W. H. Gillispie, John H. Rice, William H. Gilliam, Benoni Harris, James L. Denton, J. J. Roberts.
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During the period of the civil war, after 1863 until the close, the appointments for Helena were merely nominal ones. From 1868, William T. Noe, James L. Denton, Edgar Orgain, Julian C. Brown, F. A. Jeffett, Edgar M. Pipkin, W. F. Wilson, J. C. Hooks, in the order named.
CLARKSVILLE STATION.
The first mention that we have of Clarksville as the name of a pastoral charge was in 1841, Juba Eastabrook ; 1842, J. .F. Truslow and M. B. Lowery; 1843-4, W. T. Anderson; in 1845, James W. Shipman ; in 1846, Nathan Taylor ; in 1847, John M. Steele; in 1848, W. A. Cobb; in 1849, J. J. Pitt- man; in 1850-I, Young Ewing ; in 1852, W. T. Thornberry ; in 1853, C. M. Slover; in 1854-5, James D. Andrews; in 1856, James L. Denton ; in 1857, John M. Deason ; in 1858, George Emmett; in 1859, Burwell Lee; in 1860, C. M. Slover; in 1861, William Shepherd; in 1862-3, William Robins; in 1865, Russell Reneau; in 1868, C. H. Gregory ; in 1869-70, N. Futrell; in 1871, B. Williams.
Clarksville Station was formed in 1872, Hariston R. Withers. From this date we have the pastors of Clarksville Station in the order in which their names appear : J. L. Burrow, J. J. Roberts, T. M. C. Birmingham, Josephus Loving, B. H. Greathouse, S. H. Babcock, J. W. Kaigler, J. L. Massey, J. W. Boswell, W. D. Mathews, N. Futrell, R. M. Traylor.
CHAPTER XXII.
HISTORY OF METHODIST SCHOOLS-METHODISM THE FRIEND OF EDUCATION-KINGSWOOD SCHOOL-COKESBURY-MIS- SION SCHOOLS-CONFERENCE OF 1844-RATCLIFFE, AGENT -WASHINGTON SEMINARY-SOULESBURY-BLUFF SPRING -CAMDEN FEMALE COLLEGE-QUITMAN COLLEGE-WASH- INGTON HIGH SCHOOL-ARKANSAS FEMALE COLLEGE -. ALTUS COLLEGE-HENDRIX COLLEGE-GALLOWAY COL- LEGE-ARKADELPHIA COLLEGE.
The history of Methodism would be incomplete without a notice of the schools that have been organized and sus- tained by the Church. It has been said. by some who are not informed upon the subject that while the Methodist Church has been actively and successfully engaged in evan- gelical work and is peculiarly adapted to the conditions of society in a new country and the outlying districts in the older communities, that other communions, especially the Episcopal and Presbyterian, are better qualified for the work, and are actually doing more to promote the cause of Christian education than the Methodists. An examination of the statistics of the country reveals the fact that the Methodist Church has in active operation more schools and colleges, and a larger number of pupils attending them, than any other denomination in the United States. An examina- tion of the catalogues and the course of study required will show that the standard is just as high in Methodist schools as in any others.
An eminent writer has said that " Methodism was cradled in a university though it was born in the Epworth Rectory." It could not therefore be indifferent, much less hostile to the education of the people, though its poverty and its ab-
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sorption in more directly moral labors for their elevation, did not at first allow much scope to its educational meas- ures. Wesley, however, never lost sight of such measures, and it is an interesting fact that the year which is recognized as the epoch of Methodism, the date of its field preaching, and among the miserable people where the latter began, it also began the first of its literary institutions.
Whitfield laid the corner-stone of the Kingswood school, and kneeling upon the ground, surrounded by reclaimed and weeping colliers, prayed that "the gates of hell " might not prevail against it, while the prostrate multitudes now awak- ened to a new intellectual, as well as moral life, responded with hearty amen. Wesley reared it with funds which he received from the income of his college fellowship or re- ceived from the contributions of his followers. It was the germ of the later institution that bears his name. Lady Maxwell, a pious and intelligent Methodist, gave Mr. Wes- ley £800 towards his Kingswood school. Its system of in- struction was remarkably thorough, and its comparatively few students were placed under a faculty of no less than six teachers.
,Among the first subjects that engaged the attention of Bishop Asbury, in arranging for the more successful and in- telligent work of the Church, was the organization of a school for the benefit of the infant Church in America. His traveling companion, John Dickens, drew up a subscription for what Asbury called a "Kingswood School in America," and which he hoped would be for the glory of God and the good of thousands. After consultation with Dr. Coke, they determined to build a college, and Abingdon was selected as the site. The new college was named for the two Bishops -Cokebury College.
These facts fully vindicate the early Methodists against the charge or even insinuation that the Methodist Church has ever been unfriendly to the cause of Christian education.
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The Church in many instances has acted very unwisely in its methods of building schools and colleges, and has fre- quently greatly suffered from the adoption of unwise methods. But even these misguided efforts, resulting too often in dis- aster, have been the result of misdirected zeal, laying plans upon a scale too great for the ability of the Church to con- summate.
That the Methodist Church in Arkansas committed some grave blunders, in the attempt to furnish the membership with adequate schools for the education of the youth of the Church, will not be questioned by any one acquainted with the facts, and yet these efforts were not altogether in vain. While the success of these schools has not always been in proportion to the labor and money expended, much real good was accomplished in the efforts made for the advance- ment of learning in the Church. In many instances we have learned wisdom by our failures.
As early as 1833 successful efforts were made to establish mission schools among the Indians within the Territory of Arkansas. The minutes of the Conference for that year show that appointments were made for the following schools ; McIntosh School, No. I, Harris Joplin; Wyans School, No. 2, John N. Hammill; Hawkins School, No. 3, Alvin Baird ; Hardridges School, No. 4, Henry Perryman ; Lewis School, No. 5, to be supplied ; South Arkansas School, No. 6, to be supplied ; Adairs School, Burwell Lee, Thomas Berthoff ; Chisms School, Richard Overby. These schools were con- tinued among the Indians until the organization of the In- dian Conference in 1844.
While these identical schools by these names have not been continued until the present time, they have been merged into other schools which exist in a flourishing condi- tion to the present day. These schools have been of in- calculable good to the Indians, and have contributed in a large degree to their present advanced position in civilization.
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HISTORY OF METHODISM IN ARKANSAS.
The first distinct mention that we have of any Conference action towards the establishment of Church schools in Ar- kansas was in 1844, when William P. Ratcliffe was appointed " agent for Conference seminaries." At the session of the Conference for 1844 a committee on education was ap- pointed, consisting of J. Parker, J. Custer and J. Easta- brook. They reported the following resolutions, which were adopted :
Resolved, That we approve of the erection of two semi- naries of learning of high order within the bounds of this Conference, one north and one south.
Resolved, That they shall be conducted on the self-sus- taining system, after all the necessary buildings have been provided.
Resolved, That the Bishop now present be respectfully requested to appoint a suitable agent whose duty it shall be to visit the most important parts of the Conference, receive propositions for the buildings, obtaining subscriptions and donations and doing all other matters for the completion of the object contemplated in the first resolution.
William P. Ratcliffe was appointed agent for Conference seminaries. J. Harrell and J. F. Truslow were appointed to help him in the northern, J. Custer and A. Hunter in the southern parts of the State. It is very difficult for us to fully appreciate the labors of these heroic men. It was seed sowing, and the Church of today is reaping the fruits of their generous labors. The day of great things is always preceded by the day of small things. One class must sow before the other can reap.
It does not appear from the minutes that there were any schools in actual existence. The appointment was doubt- less made in view of establishing some schools that had been projected but never fully consummated. At the Con- ference of 1846 Jacob Custer was appointed agent for Washington Male and Female Seminary. The minutes for
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1847 read: Agent for Washington Male and Female Semi- nary, Lewis S. Marshall; in 1848 the minutes read Lewis P. Lively, agent for Washington Seminary ; in 1849 P. C. Turrentine was appointed superintendent of Washington Male and Female Seminary, with H. C. Thweat as agent for the school. The same year Soulesbury Institute was organized at Batesville. The minutes read Soulesbury In- stitute, to be supplied. It was supplied by Benjamin Wat- son, who transferred this year from the Memphis Conference ..
This school was located at Batesville, and for several years it was well patronized and did excellent service for the Church in that part of the State. The minutes read for 1850, Soulesbury Institute, Benj. Watson. In 1851 Charles Turrentine was appointed agent for Soulesbury College. In 1854 the minutes read, Soulesbury Institute, H. J. Newell ; in 1855, Henry J. Newell. In 1856-57 Soulesbury Institute was left to be supplied. The minutes show that Soulesbury Institute was recognized as a Conference School until 1861, when it entirely disappears from the minutes. It shared the fate of nearly every other institution of learning in the State, and was destroyed by the ravages of war.
It will be seen from these references that this school had a continuous existence from 1849 to 1861. During these twelve years a large number of young ladies were educated at this school, and while many of them have passed away a. goodly number yet remain to bless society by their presence. No school can be pronounced a failure that succeeds in properly training a goodly number of young men or girls for useful and honorable stations in life. The usefulness of in- stitutions of learning, like men, cannot always be measured by the length of time they may have lived. The girls trained in Soulesbury Institute are, some of them, found among the elect women of the Church, a benediction to the commu- nities where they live. The two principals of the school, whose names appear in the printed minutes-Benjamin Wat-
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son and Henry J. Newell-have within the last few years passed to their reward. While both of these men passed through some trying ordeals, and much of life was darkened by adversity, their last days were made bright by the pres- ence of the great Teacher, who taught them to know in whom they believed.
The Conference minutes show that in 1854 Jesse McAlis- ter was appointed superintendent of Crawford Institute, and John S. McCarven, principal of Bluff Spring Academy, and Henry J. Newell, principal of Soulesbury Institute.
Tulip Female Seminary was organized in 1856, Benjamin Watson, principal, and Jesse S. McAlister, professor.
Wallace Institute was organized in 1857, Peter A. Moses, principal.
Tulip Female College was located at Tulip, in Dallas County. In the years preceding 1861, this was regarded as one of the most wealthy, refined and religious communities in the southern part of the State, and on this account as being a most desirable place for the location of a female college.
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