USA > Kentucky > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline history of Kentucky > Part 74
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Ere long he fully realized that God called him to the work of the ministry. Deep solemnity pervaded his heart, as he looked upon the subject as a matter of impossibility. He was very poor, had no education, a family of little girls, with one boy, and no one to instruct him. Thus he reasoned and deferred the matter; but the hand of his God rested heavily upon him till he was brought to realize, " Woe is me if I preach not the gospel."
He began the work first by exhortation. He would make an- nouncements and hold meetings in private residences, by the con- sent of the occupants, there being no churches or school-houses in the country. His meetings were fully attended, persons coming from miles distant. His labors were abundantly successful. In 1826 the Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian church met about sixty miles distant. He attended and offered himself as a can- didate for the ministry. On his return home he made his announce- ments for preaching. But alas! the dark scenery before him, with a helpless family, very poor, no education, none to instruct him, there was only one path lying out before him, his God and his Bible. With these weapons. he determined to enter the conflict with Satan's kingdom. So he would labor with his own hands through the day for the support of his family, and, there being no such thing as lamps, and not being able to buy candles, he would gather dry sticks on his return from the field with which to make light at night to see to read his Bible. He had but one horse, which he would work through the week and ride fifteen miles on
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the Sabbath and preach a free gospel to an anxious congregation and return home in the evening. He held the first prayer-meeting that was ever held in Owensboro, Rev. David Lowry preaching the first sermon.
He finally announced that he would have regular service at his own house and at the houses of others who so cordially invited him, thus establishing regular service over the country, occupying his full time when not at manual labor for the support of his fam- ily. He prepared temporary benches and began preaching at home. Many of his congregation would remain after preaching and take dinner with him for the purpose of enjoying a private re- ligious intercourse with him in the afternoon. This discouraged many of his warmest friends. They told him that he would soon be a ruined man-that it was impossible for him with his family to preach a free gospel, and then feed half of his congregation ; that he had better quit preaching at home at once. He kindly re- plied that when he found that he would not be able to stand it, it would then be time enough to stop.
He has often told the writer that just at this point his prosperity began-that, instead of being ruined as predicted, his finances be- gan to increase; prosperity began to abound. His table abounded with plentitude, and, in short, God blessed the man and soon ena- bled him to devote his whole time and energy to the work of a free gospel ministry.
Having been deprived of science or even oral instruction from his fellowmen, and being, as it were, cnt off from all other aids and sources of information, and left almost alone with the Bible as his only resort, and being a man of originality, with naturally a deep, searching, penetrating, reasoning intellect, he threw his whole soul into the work, searching out the deep doctrinal principles of the- ology until he became well versed in the moral law, with its bear- ings, the probationary state of man, his fall, his depraved nature, his moral attitude to his God, and the great system of redemption so wonderfully wrought and grandly displayed to a dying world. And just at this juncture an omniscient God loosed his fetters and turned him loose upon Satan's kingdom of darkness.
He marched forth, a man of commanding appearance, with as fine a voice as the writer ever heard, thoroughly furnished and equipped, not with the wisdom of the world, but with the great sword of the gospel, with a soul yearning for the salvation of a dying world. Humbled under the mighty liand of God, and yet
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his head lifted up and his soul all aglow with the burning lamp of salvation, he marched forth heralding the gospel of the Son of God till the news thereof spread abroad, and many anxious souls would come rushing from the distance. And the man of God would stand up between his Master and his dying congregation, not with pompous air, but trembling under the ponderous weight of respon- sibility, and set forth the gospel so deep and yet so clear, and with such earnestness and force and power, that the hearts of the throng- ing multitude would melt as snowflakes under the beaming rays of the genial sun.
Rev. Samuel Calhoon was indeed a gospel minister. The country rapidly increased in population, and began building school- houses and preparing temporary conveniences for camp-meetings. These Mr. Calhoon attended all over the Green River country, preaching with such earnestness, and reasoning with such depth, force and power, as to call the multitudes home to God, and, in short, to convert a howling wilderness into a fruitful garden.
He attended the various meetings of his Presbytery, and was soon ordained to the whole work of the gospel ministry. He then began the work of organizing congregations and urging the work of building church edifices with great success. It was under his ministry that the ground was given and the present church built in Owensboro, where he preached for a number of years. And not only did he organize Cumberland Presbyterian churches, but through his influence churches of other denominations were or- ganized over the country.
His style of preaching was doctrinal, not sectarian; but the deep, doctrinal principle of the Bible. In this he displayed his wonder- ful logical reasoning powers, bringing out and setting forth the leading doctrinal principles of theology with such force and clear- ness, such beauty and harmony, that the humblest of his hearers could comprehend them.
He never wrote a sermon in his life, nor spoke from a note. In- deed, he had but little use for a pen, but was naturally a speaker.
He seldom reproved any one for misconduct. Indeed, he had but little misconduct under his ministry from the fact that he in- terested his congregation and feasted their minds upon gospel food, leading them out to survey the grand unfolding scenes of the gospel scheme.
He seldom referred to the evils of his people, but spake of the heinous nature of sin in general, and contrasted it with the dying
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agonies of a loving Savior in such melting strains of love and tenderness a's to draw his people off from the paths of sin instead of attempting to drive them off.
He was a humble man, not courting the popular applanse of men, but chose rather to feed his flocks and win souls. He loved his people and taught thiem to love each other. Indeed, I regard this as one of the great secrets of his success. He held his congre- gation under a constant rule of love, and hence there was scarcely ever a discord in one of his congregations. One of his great forts was in revival work. I will give you one instance: He preached one night at a camp-ineeting to a congregation chiefly of irreligious people, from John iii: 36: " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." He knew that the greater portion of his congregation were dying sinners. He realized the importance of the occasion and trembled under its responsibilities; he put forth all the energies of his soul and preached with such force and power as mortal men seldom do. At the close of his dis- course there were inourners' benches all over the encampment; about three fourths of his congregation were off their seats on their knees, calling for mercy, and at the close of the series of meetings there were 120 who confessed to have found Christ.
In 1850 he began a protracted meeting with Rev. Joseph Weaver in the residence of the latter. But in a few days the meeting was removed to a school-house, just completed in Pleasant Ridge neigh- borhood. The meeting continued about two weeks, with the salva- tion of many souls. Pleasant Ridge Congregation of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church was organized, and a commodious church edifice was erected three miles southwest of Owensboro, Rev. Samuel Calhoon taking the pastoral charge of the church, preaching on the fourth Sabbath in each month, and Rev. Joseph Weaver alternating on the third, each of them preaching till their deaths.
Mr. Calhoon never raised a collection for himself in his life, nor charged a cent for preaching, though he sometimes received pres- ents. Although he started in life so poor, and preached a free gospel, and reared a family of ten children, eight of whom were girls, yet he became more wealthy than almost any of the citizens of his county. He was once assigned some presbyterial work, for which he was entitled to compensation; his Presbytery met, he re- ported compliance with the order of Presbytery, and was granted his salary. He arose and stated that he didn't want any salary. The
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moderator remarked that he was entitled to compensation, and ordered the treasurer to pay over the money. The treasurer arose and handed him the amount. He received it and turned and handed it to the treasurer of the Board of Missions, telling him to appro- priate it in that direction. Furthermore, he never failed to contrib- ute liberally of his own means to the various enterprises of his church. He disliked to agitate the subject of money in his congre- gations, but, as it was sometimes necessary to raise money to defray the necessary expenses of the churches, he was frequently reduced to that unpleasant necessity, and the writer heard him state, just before his death, that he never called for money for such purposes in a single case during life that he failed to get the full amount called for.
During the year 1855 there was a great scarcity of food in the country. Elder Calhoon had quite an amount of old corn left over. Corn advanced to $2.25 per bushel; he announced that he had corn for sale. People began to come from every direction to buy com; but when a man of considerable wealth would come, he would tell him kindly that he could not let him have it, that he was able to send off and have corn shipped to him, and that he had neighbors that were unable to do that, that needed his corn.
When a man of moderate circumstances would come, he would ask him the size of his family. On ascertaining, he would appor- tion him just the amount of corn he thought necessary for his family, and tell him that he could let him have just so many bushels of corn at 50 cents per bushel, and to the poor he gave corn in pro- portion to their necessities; thus he relieved many sufferers.
After Mr. Calhoon had built up churches over the neighborhood and established regnlar preaching, with prayer-meetings and Sab- bath-schools and protracted meetings once a year, such prosperity, such peace, happiness and paternal charity, abounded as has seldom ever existed in any country, Truly did Pleasant Ridge commu- nity blossom as the rose.
In 1875 Mr. Calhoon felt that he was sinking under the weight of years, and seeing that the old frame church, built in 1850, was much dilapidated, he spoke to his congregation upon the impor- tance of a new church, stating that he would soon be called to leave them, and that he had a great desire to see a new and perma- nent place of worship erected for the benefit of his people before he left them. The people at once recognized the kind, gentle voice of their aged pastor, and promptly responded, and immediately began 50
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raising the means necessary, Mr. Calhoon giving over $800. Very soon an elegant brick edifice was erected near the old frame house, in which it had been remarked that there had been more lasting good accomplished than in any other house in Daviess County.
Mr. Calhoon's health was rapidly declining; the church was completed and paid for, and the day announced for its dedication by its aged, declining pastor. What a strange occurrence; what peculiar solemnity pervaded the minds of the populace. All appeared to be impressed with the idea that that would be the last sermon that their pastor would ever preach. The day arrived, the congregation began to assemble, and behold! the new church was draped in mourning. How sad all appeared. What was the canse of the drapery ? Betsey Weaver, wife of Rev. Joseph Weaver, an aged and pious mother of the church, who had labored with Mr. Calhoon from the early history of the country, and who had con- tributed $500 to the church, the interest of whose declining life had been the church and its dedication, was there lying upon the icy lap of death in the new church. She had been very frail for several weeks, but looked forward with anxious care to the comple- tion and dedication of the church. It was the theme of her conver- sation. She was asked the question the evening previous, if she thought she would be able to attend the dedication on the morrow ? She pansed a moment, and with a pensive sigh, replied : " I'll be there," and in a few moments was dead. True, she was there to receive her monnful tribute of funeral respect.
But what an additional cross was placed upon the aged pastor. He arose, with his silvery locks and trembling frame, to perform the funeral service of his departed sister and dedication of the church in conjunction, and, true enough, to address his long-loved andience for the last time. The house, though large and commo- dious, was full to overflowing; the windows and doors were open and crowded, with many in the yard, listening with the most pecul- jarly solemn interest I have ever witnessed, as the man of God spread forth his trembling hands before his God, and submitted all to him, thus ending fifty years of gospel ministry.
It is worthy of remark that there was a lady present who had heard his first sermon fifty years previous. Though he was never able to preach again, yet he lived about four years.
Immediately after his dedication sermon, he appeared to fully realize that his work was finished. Hle remarked to a friend that his mission was over. He became interested with regard to preach-
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ing to his congregation at Pleasant Ridge. He therefore addressed a note upon the subject to the session over which he had so long presided, and which is here inserted, as follows :
COMMUNICATION.
"To the Moderator and Session of Pleasant Ridge congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church now assembled.
" My Dear Brethren and Children in Christ Jesus :
" I have been preaching to you more than thirty years. Some of your congregation heard me preach near fifty years ago, and, with Brotber Joseph Weaver, I organized your congregation more than twenty-six years ago. From that time to the present I have served you as your pastor and moderator of your session to the very best of my ability, and I now feel, that in the overruling providence of God my work is ended, my mission out, and, in the language of inspiration, 'I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.'
" It is therefore necessary that I leave you for the present; but we part to meet again. I expect to realize with you the eternal full- ness of the gospel of Christ, of which I am not ashamed, and which I have so long tried to preach to you. And while I realize that it must needs be that I leave you, your congregation cluster around my heart in emotions unutterable.
"My dear children, when I am called hence what news of you shall I bear to Canaan ? Shall I report yon as a valiant Spartan band? Oh! what will be the future of Pleasant Ridge church ? When I am gone, and, for aught I know, shall visit you in the spirit, what then shall I see ? What news of you shall I then waft back to the spirit land ?
"As I have been preaching to you so long on the fourth Sabbath in every month, my desire is that that day be still occupied by your congregation, and that the session take some legal steps to that end.
" But if in the providence of God I shall ever be able to meet you and preach to you again, it will be my great pleasure to do so. "Finally, my brethren, I exhort you to ever be faithful to the great cause which you have espoused. 'Love one another.'
" May the grace of God ever be with you. May his Holy Spirit ever guide and direct you, mark your future pathway, and shape your future destiny.
S. CALHOON."
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Rev. Mr. Cosby preached in his stead for several months, after which Rev. Willis Smith was chosen to officiate as assistant pastor until his death.
During his latter days he talked but little about the world, only with regard to its sinful state; his general theme was eternity. He often expressed that his greatest comfort in his declining help- less days was that he had been chargeable to no man, but had preached a free gospel. He often exulted at the thought of meet- ing his Savior, whom he had preached for fifty years without money and without price. And notwithstanding his early pov- erty, his rearing of a large family, with liberal contributions to the various enterprises of the church, with over $800 to the erection of Pleasant Ridge Church, yet he owned a large fine farm and nearly $10,000 in cash.
But his last days, his conversations, his blessings, his predictions and remarkable incidents that attended him which I shall not here mention, were the most remarkable that the writer ever witnessed. It is enough to say, that in a grand triumph he left this world, Jan. 22, 1879, aged eighty-five years, four months and seven days.
Thus fell a remarkable man, but he's "over Jordan at last, in Canaan at last."
William Calhoon was born May 1, 1848, in Daviess County, Ky. His father, G. L. Calhoon, was born in this county in 1819, and is one of the oldest and best farmers of the connty. - He started poor, but by good management and hard labor las accumu- lated 800 or 900 acres of fine land, under a good state of cultiva- tion. His grandfather, Rev. Samuel Calhoon, was born in Henry County, Ky., in 1793, and died in 1879. He was one of the early Cumberland Presbyterian preachers. Mr. Calhoon was reared and educated in this county. He was married Dec. 25, 1873, to Eliza- beth Barr, a native of Hancock County, Ky., born Dec. 11, 1835. They have one child-Della B., born Feb. 9, 1879. Mr. Calhoon owns a farm of 165 acres, five and a half miles southwest of Owens- boro. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
W. E. Clark, Sorghotown, was born May 14, 1861, in Marion County. He is a son of F. W. and Susan E. (Smith) Clark, both natives of Kentucky. When our subject was a year old, his parents removed to Louisville, where he lived five years, and where his mother died; then removed to Daviess County. His father followed farming, and now lives on his farm seven miles south of Owensboro. When eleven years old our subject was sent to Gethsemane College,
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Nelson County; then to St. Mary's, in Marion County, finishing his education in Cecilian College, Hardin County. July 17, 1882, he opened a general merchandise store in Sorghotown, where he has built up a good business. He is a young man of active spirit and good habits, and is destined to rank with the representative business men of the county. He is nnm? -- ied. A member of the Catholic church, and politically a Den __ _ rat. Postoffice, Sor- ghotown.
John S. Dugan was born in Daviess County, Ky., Jan. 7, 1843. His father, John Dugan, was born in Nelson County, Ky., in 1800, and died in 1863. His mother, Mary (Harrison) Dugan, was born in Nelson County in 1823. She is the mother of eleven children. Jolm S. has always lived on a farm and now owns fifty acres, seven miles southwest of Owensboro. He was married Feb. 17, 1861, to Elizabeth Thorp, who died May 21, 1881, leaving six children- Lorina, Charles, Lizzie A., John C., Patsy D. and Naomi.
Winfield Scott Gilmore, M. D., son of Benjamin and Harriet (Lane) Gilmore, was born Feb. 24, 1849, at Garnettsville, Meade Co., Ky. His father was a mechanic. When the Doctor was six years of age his parents moved to Ashfordsburg, where he at- tended the district schools a short time. After he was twenty-one he returned to Garnettsville and attended for one year the Salem College. He obtained a teacher's certificate and taught school three years. During vacation he went one term to Oakland Semi- nary, Daviess County. In 1873 he commenced the study of medi- cine, and graduated at the Evansville Medical College in 1879. He commenced practice in Hopkins County, where he remained two years, and then removed to Daviess County, settling at Sorgho- town. Here he has built a home and has a good and growing prac- tice. He was married Sept. 29, 1879, to Mattie A. Jackson, of Webster County, Ky. They have had three children, two of whom died in infancy. Millard, now living, was born Oct. 20, 1882. Dr. Gilmore is a member of the Baptist church and his wife is a Methodist. He is a strong temperance man, and was President of the Temperance Society of Hopkins County. Postoffice address, Sorghotown.
William L. Glenn, born Oct. 30, 1853, was a son of David and Mary Jane (Waltrip) Glenn, both natives of Kentucky. His father was born in 1828, and died in February, 1865. His mother was killed in 1868, by the floor above her cellar giving way. She was at home alone and had gone into the cellar to attend to her
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work; there being considerable wheat stored above her ceilar, which was too heavy for the floor, the joists gave way, letting the entire contents on her. After the death of his father, though but twelve years old, William went to work, and that year raised 600 bushels of wheat and $300 worth of tobacco, with no one to help him but an old colored woman. He was married Sept. 27, 1877, to Marga- ret Louisa Calhoon, a native of Daviess County. They have two children-Ida, born Aug. 16, 1878, and Leah, born Feb. 18, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn are members of the Cumberland Presby- terian church.
Edwin Hambleton was born in Henry County, Ky., Jan. 5, 1826. His father, Willis Hambleton, was born in Virginia, April 3, 1808, and died in Cloverport, Ky., Sept. 14, 1855. His mother, Jane (Johnston) Hambleton, was born in Virginia in 1806, and died July 14, 1854. Edwin is the eldest of their five children. His parents moved to Breckinridge County when he was two years old. He remained there till 1868, engaged in merchandising and trading in tobacco. He then went to Henderson County, where he followed farming till Jan. 15, 1874, when he came to Daviess Connty. He now owns a good farm of 133 acres, and is keeping the old Calhoon Ferry, on Green River, ten miles west of Owens- boro. He was married Nov. 7, 1850, to Amarrilla Cooper, a native of Breckinridge County, Ky. She died in 1863, leaving three children. Mr. Hambleton then married Anna H. Dent, a native of Breckinridge County, born July 29, 1840. They have two children-Maggie, born Jan. 15, 1871, and Anna, born March 19, 1873. Mr. Hambleton is a member of the Baptist church. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity.
R. G. Moore was born in Daviess County, Ky., Feb. 3, 1840. He was reared on a farm and has followed that occupation most of his life. At the ontbreaking of the Rebellion he was living in Owensboro, but soon after moved on a farm. He has 100 acres of good, well-improved land. Sept. 4, 1867, he married Augusta Colenburg, a native of Evansville, Ind. Six children have been born to them-Lilly M., born Aug. 31, 1868, died Feb. 28, 1881; Gussie R., born Sept. 8, 1871; George J., born April 8, 1874; Chrissie, born Feb. 6, 1876; Dellie E., born March 9, 1878, died Feb. 5, 1881; Leslie, born Dec. 27, 1881. Mr. Moore's father, Jolın G. Moore, was born in Kentucky and died in 1843. His mother, Nancy (Johnson) Moore, was born in Ohio County, Ky., in 1808, and died in this county in 1858. Mrs. Moore's father,
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August Colenburg, was born in Gottingen, Germany, Jan. 24, 1821. His wife, Christine (Shultz) Colenburg, was born April 4, 1823. They were married, at Evansville, Ind., Dec. 4, 1845, by Rev. A. Saubert. They had nine children-George, born Ang. 27, 1×46, married Lottie E. Brown, at Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 16, 1868; Angusta F., born June 5, 1848; Elenora L., born Oct. 6, 1850, died Jan. 27, 1883; Felepena E., born Jan. 11, 1853, died Jan. 27, 1854; Augustus II., born Dec. 7, 1855, married Nettie L. Sharp, at Owens- boro, Ky., Jan. 28, 1879; Christena M. L., born June 16, 1858, married Philip Ling at Owensboro, Ky., Oct. 17, 1878; Julius S., born July 23, 1860 ; Melissa P., born [Oct. 30, 1863; Capitola S., born April 19, 1865, and Otillie J., born May 5, 1868.
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