USA > Missouri > History of Platte Presbytery; or, Presbyterianism in northwest Missouri > Part 1
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K47
பிரிஞ்சி
செல்ப் சின்ற் பாகமும்
-ஓர் ஆரியம் மும் ச ல்கள்
கார், நண்ர்து க்
ஆண் நாகரி இதை ப் புதுப்புக்கும் ஸ்பரஸ்
குறிக்க மலம் மன் த்தில்
பிரச்சின ச்பு ஸ்ஸ் ஸ்ஸ் ஸ்ஸ் ஸ்ஸ்ஸ்ஸ்ஸ்
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ஈஸ்ட் மின்கு
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ஸ்டைல்
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--- - ன் மல் சம் பிரமிஸ்விஸ் என் தலைக்கு
வீடுஎன் ஆன்தஸ் சபயன் படும் மல் மக்கள்
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சசேல்ஸ்சர்வீஸ் எல்லாம்விதி அன்னை
சவு ஷன் த்தின்
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எக்ஸ்டீன்
Hie Wheha hasw are
புதிய்து
சானியா
அச்சு கள்ஸ்டி
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போவதைப்பா
ஜாப்ஸ்ச் சார் பு அச்சுறுத்த tomspommeles
அருடர்க்கு -
அரிசிசன் பண்ணி ஸ்
---- பிலிடிக்ஸ் ஸ்ரீ அப்பிரபுபுஸ்கிரி ஸ்க்ன்னு சீல் சோகம்
அவர்லாம் நூல்
படன்ஸ் ஸீஸ் மிஸ்ஸ்ஸி டன்க்
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கம்பாவம் 24-1904
பத்திற்கு ஈர்ப்புந்து துண்டு
எஸ் சிவது
Happyடம்y
Gc 977.8 C54h 2005004
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01716 4564
The Session of the First Presbyterian Church.
HISTORY
OF
PLATTE PRESBYTERY
OR
PRESBYTERIANISM
IN
NORTHWEST MISSOURI ..
COMPILED BY
REV. WALTER H. CLARK
KANSAS CITY : TIERNAN-DART PRINTING COMPANY 1910
$25.00 Hieronymus Bbs BJuly 20-1978
CONTENTS 2005004
Introductory
Page
History, in chronological order, by periods :
1826-1840 5
1841 14
1842-1843 21
1844-1848 33
1849-1854 42
1855-1860 51
1861-1866 67
1867-1874 78
110
1886 -- 1907
121
Extinct and Non-reporting Churches. 133
Early Pioneers
158
German Work
168
Platte Presbytery (U. S. A.)
169
Educational Work
178
Ministerial Register 189
Index-General 222
66 Churches 223
Ruling Elders 225
66
Ministers
234
Personal
240
1
487600
1875-1885 .
FOREWORD
Several years ago Platte Presbytery requested the compiler, as Committee on Presbyterial History and Stated Clerk, to prepare a History of the Presbytery, and ultimately it appropriated two hundred dollars towards the expense. The gathering of material was begun at once, and extra copies of the first "form," which was printed about two years ago, were largely distributed to aid in the work. Repeated periods of ill health have delayed the work, with the advantage of making it more complete. During this delay, the scope of the history has been enlarged to include all Presby- terian work in this section, and up to date, so that the secondary title of the book most fully and cor- rectly gives its character.
Most of the material has been obtained by a very extensive correspondence. No pains have been spared to secure accuracy in the statements. One error oc- curs on the thirteenth page, in the fourth line, where "sixteen" should be "nine." Names, figures and facts easily obtainable from published Minutes have not been
largely used, but chiefly such as are not ordinarily accessible.
This work seeks to cultivate, in the entire member- ship of our churches, an intelligent interest in the his- tory and prosperity of their own church, and thus in cite them to a fuller consecration and a more loyal devotion to the Divine Master in the great work of bringing every human heart to know experimentally the power of His great salvation. He recognizes and holds dear the humble worker equally with those set apart to lead or to rule.
This work; carried forward only as the time and strength not required by regular duties have per- mitted, has been, to the compiler, a labor of love. That it may be useful is the only reward he seeks.
Parkville, Mo., December, 1909.
HISTORY
OF
PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
-
INTRODUCTORY.
This little book aims to give not only some account of Platte Presbytery since its organization in 1870, but also and more especially the "beginnings of Pres- byterianism" in connection with the Presbyteries of upper Missouri, Lexington, Barnett and Platte A, previ- ous to that date, in the territory embraced in the bounds of that Presbytery. What that territory is will appear from the following extract from a brief history of Platte Presbytery, by Rev. Dr. E. B. Sherwood, pub- lished in 1888 :
PLATTE PRESBYTERY took its name from the Platte river which rises in the State of Iowa and crosses into Missouri in the county of Nodaway, and runs through Nodaway, Andrew, Buchanan and Platte into the Missouri river. This Presbytery in- cludes the 19 northwestern counties of the State of Missouri, and is bounded on the north by the State of Iowa, on the west by the states of Nebraska and Kansas, on the south by the Missouri river to where the Grand river empties into the Missouri, thence North on the east boundary of the counties of Car- roll, Livingston, Grundy and Mercer to the Iowa line. This Presbytery is a child of the union of the Old and New School divisions of the Presbyterian Church. The United General Assembly that met in Philadel- phia in May 1870 ordered the United Synod of Mis- souri to meet in St. Louis on July 7th, 1870, and fix
2
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
the boundaries of the Presbyteries and the names thereof. The Synod of Missouri did then and there assemble and passed the following order :
"The Presbytery of Platte is hereby to consist of the ministers and churches in the counties of Mercer, Harrison, Worth, Nodaway, Atchison, Holt, Andrew, Gentry, DeKalb, Daviess, Grundy, Livingston, Cald- well, Clinton, Buchanan, Platte, Clay, Ray and Carroll."
The Presbytery of Upper Missouri, as originally . constituted, covered this territory and no more; while the Presbytery of Lexington included also several counties south of the Missouri. The Cumberland Presbyteries of Barnett and Platte also covered this territory, wholly or in part, as will be noted later.
To avoid possible confusion, a brief notice will here be given of an earlier Platte Presbytery, obtained from a valuable manuscript "History of the Presbytery of Upper Missouri," written in 1900 by its Stated Clerk, Rev. Oscar W. Gauss.
At its fall meeting in 1857, the newly-erected Synod of Upper Missouri set off the six northwestern counties of this state, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Nodaway and Platte (the "Platte Purchase") as Platte Presbytery. It existed till 1864 when the Gen- eral Assembly (O. S.) re-attached it to the Presbytery of Upper Missouri, and then re-attached that to the Synod of Missouri, the Synod of Upper Missouri hav- ing become disintegrated by the loss of a quorum of Presbyteries.
As it may be satisfactory to have a glimpse of the earliest general history of Presbyterianism in this state, the following abstract, taken from Rev. Dr. John B. Hill's history of the Presbytery of Kansas City (p.p. 12, 13) is given.
By order of the Synod of Tennessee, "the Presby- tery of Missouri was duly constituted at St. Louis on Thursday, December 18, 1817, consisting of Rev. Timothy Flint, Rev. John Matthews, Rev. Salmon Giddings, Rev. Thomas Donnell and elders from the Concord, Bonhomme, St. Louis and Buffalo churches."
3
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
This Presbytery covered not only Missouri, but also the western two-thirds of Illinois. In October, 1828, it was transferred by the General Assembly to the care of the Synod of Indiana. In January, 1829, the Illinois ministers and churches were set off as the Presbytery of Kaskaskia. In September, 1831, the Presbytery of Missouri was divided by the Synod of Illinois (to which it had been transferred) into three Presbyteries, St. Louis, St. Charles and Missouri, the latter covering all the State west of the other two. "For some years after the general disruption of 1837, the Missouri Presbyterians remained united and declined to con- nect with either Assembly. But at last, in 1840, the division came. The civil courts gave to the Old School Synod of Missouri the records and the succession."
The following ecclesiastical history (given here because it does not appear in Dr. Hill's book) antedat- ing and connected with the first Presbyterian work done in our territory, has been kindly and painstak- ingly furnished by Rev. W. O. H. Perry, Stated Clerk of Platte Presbytery A.
The godly women of Kentucky connected with the Cumberland Synod sent the first Home Missionary, Rev. Robert D. Morrow, D.D., to Missouri about the year 1817. McGee Presbytery, organized in 1819, embraced a part of Illinois and the whole of Missouri, and extended westward indefinitely. "The Cumber- land Synod in session at Russellville, Ky., on the third Tuesday in November, 1827, passed the order to organize Barnett Presbytery." It included the Platte Purchase, the tier of counties adjoining it on the east, with Ray and Caldwell and some territory south of the Missouri. It met at Lexington on the third Tues- day in April, 1828 and the opening sermon was preached by Rev. Samuel King, one of the founders of the Church. Rev. R. D. Morrow was elected Moder- ator. The ministers present besides the two just named were Daniel Patton and Henry Renick. The elders were William Jack and Andrew Robertson.
"Missouri Synod, in session at the home of John M. Bell in Chariton County (probably near Keytes- ville) October 18, 1844, ordered Platte Presbytery to
4
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
be formed out of Barnett." It comprised the Platte Purchase and the adjoining territory drained by the Platte river. It met at Miller's School House, in Platte County, April 11, 1845, and was opened by Rev. Hugh R. Smith. Rev .. Wm. T. Lewis was chosen Moderator. The above ministers and Jesse R. Allen, Henry Eppler and John Price were present, together with elders John Bigham, of Bee Creek Church, Abijah Means, of Rock House Church, and Joab Schultz.
"August 23, 1872, Platte Presbytery, in session at Flag Springs, Andrew County, appointed Rev. F. M. Miller, Rev. O. D. Allen and Elder A. D. Capps a com- mittee to arrange for the union of Barnett and Platte Presbyteries." (Barnett then included only Ray, Clay and Caldwell counties and a part of Clinton.) These came before the Synod of Missouri, (to whose. minutes I have no access) that fall, and evidently the desired action was taken.
Any one desiring to have the ecclesiastical history of this period more at length will find it given in Dr. Hill's History of the Presbytery of Kansas City. In passing on, only very little notice will be taken of the ecclesiastical distinctions and divisions that existed during this early period, for in the final outcome the work done has, on the whole, become inextricably and happily blended together.
5
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
1826-40.
All religious work in this territory was very unfavorably and seriously affected by the coming in of the Mormons after their expulsion from Jackson County in 1833, as they then scattered themselves over the easternmost counties, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, Livingston, Ray and Caldwell, especially the last named, in which nearly four out of the five thou- sand inhabitants were Mormons at the time of their final expulsion from the State in 1838-9, when they removed to Nauvoo, Ill.
The opening up of the "Platte Country" in 1837 to settlement started a heavy tide of immigration into this whole country, mainly from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. This swept not only up the Missouri into the newly opened section, but also into the Grand River country. At that time the Grand River was navigable for a long distance and was utilized by the settlers as a public highway. The high character of these settlers for morality and intelligence is indicated by the numerous churches they organized and their early founding of colleges, as that at Richmond and the Grand River College five miles from Trenton, and the Sugar-tree Grove academy in Clay County.
The earliest settlements in our territory were very naturally made along the Missouri, notably in Clay County, both because it was the farthest section open to settlement, and also because the military post at Fort Leavenworth, which was established in 1827, furnished a near market for its produce. Hence we find that the only two Presbyterian churches organized during this period in our territory of which we have any satisfactory record, were both located in Clay County.
To our Cumberland brethren belongs the honor of organizing the first church and congregation in our territory, called Lebanon. "Among the early pioneers sent by the women of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky came the Rev. Robert D. Morrow,
6
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
D. D., a man of power, filled with the Spirit. On June 3, 1826, he organized, at the home of Rev. Henry Weeden, the Lebanon congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which came under the care of Barnett Presbytery. The original membership was twenty-seven. A log meeting house, nearly in the form of a Maltese cross, and afterwards used as Sugar- tree Grove Academy, was built on a part of the farm then known as 'Weeden's Campground.' It was lo- cated about two miles north and about three-fourths of a mile west of the north end of the present 'Milwau- kee railroad' bridge. The membership being greatly depleted by deaths and removals, the organization was moved into Platte county, to Second Creek, about two miles southeast of Linkville, and the name change accordingly. In connection with three other denomi- nations they built a large, commodious brick church, forty by sixty feet, on a ten acre tract designed for camping and a cemetery.
"Campmeetings had been held annually from the first organization and were continued at the latter place for a number of years. At both camp grounds, members, filled with a holy evangelistic zeal, built log cabins into which they came with their families, re- maining while the meeting lasted, and feeding and lodging the multitude." When one camp meeting was over the preachers would go to hold another at some point waiting for them.
(It is not known by every one that camp meetings are a Presbyterian institution, originated, it is said, by Rev. James McGready, in 1796, in Kentucky. They were the great evangelizing agency of that day and eminently adapted to both the state of the country and the habits of the people.)
"Again weakened by deaths and removals, the or- ganization was moved to Barry in 1859, and the name changed accordingly. The present house was dedi- cated November 13, 1859, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Rev. George S. Woodward, pastor of the Parkville Presbyterian Church, and the dedicatory prayer offered by Rev. G. L. Moad, the pastor, through
7
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
whose labor and influence the house was built. The services were continued fifteen days and nights, Brother Woodward doing the preaching, and resulted in seventeen conversions and additions. Revival ser- vices have been held almost annually since the church was dedicated, the last being in August, 1906, when fourteen were received on profession."
From the above our readers will not be surprised at some facts yet to be given. The following six of its members entered the ministry: Benjamin Musick, Thomas Harmon Hardwick, C. A. Davis, Charles B. Hodges, Joseph Clark and Caleb Weeden. The first carried the Gospel to Oregon in 1848 or 1849. The second served in mission work in St. Louis and is be- lived to have established the first Cumberland Presby- terian church in Alton, Ill., about 1850, later removing to Texas, where he died. Rev. C. A. Davis, established the first permanent Cumberland Presbyterian church in Memphis Tenn., and died at his post of duty during an epidemic of yellow fever, refusing to leave his peo- ple. Charles B. Hodges, after years of service near home, established and built up the first Cumberland Presbyterian church in Nebraska City, Neb., and after aiding others in Nebraska and. Kansas, removed to Texas, where he died in the harness a few years ago.
"A Union Sabbath School was organized in Barry- on the second Sabbath in March, 1860, with Dan Car- penter as superintendent and Thomas S. Pratt (Bap- tist) as assistant. The Baptists and the Methodists (South) each had an organization and monthly preach- ing in the church, and for several years were equally interested in the Sabbath School. But deaths and re- movals caused the dissolution of both of these organi- zations, when the Sabbath School was made Cumber- land Presbyterian in name, though it always continued unsectarian. For seventeen years it was a 'summer' school, continuing from March to November, but since then it has been 'evergreen.' About 250 of the scholars have united with the various churches, and six have become superintendents of other schools. One is doing good work as a minister of the M. E. Church (South) ."
8
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
In the eighty years of its existence this church has been served by Robert D. Morrow, Henry Weeden, Caleb Weeden, Samuel King, Henry Rennick, John Linville, Daniel Patton, Hugh R. Smith, Jesse R. Allen, Thos. Allen, C. A. Davis, Chas B. Hodges, G. L. Moad, O. D. Allen, Robert D. Miller, Walter Schenck, M. B. Irvine, John G. Fackler, J. Harvey Norman, James Froman, Chas. B. Powers, S. T. Divinia, S. H. Murray, R. B. Ward and D. M. Boyer.
The following is a list of the elders: Benjamin Gragg, Samuel Tilford, Joseph Clark, Samuel Hodges, John McKissick, Thos. Stokes, P. A. Hardwick, John Stokes, John Gragg, Dan Carpenter, Horace L. Moore, Albert Tillery, Henry R. Davis, James M. Barnes, An- drew Loughrey, Jacob R. Funk, G. W. Thompson, G. C. Martin, Frank R. Chambers and Frank P. Ched- ester.
The charter members were Thos. Adams, Polly Ad- kins, Cicero Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Jane Burns, Jeremiah Burns, Esther Davis, Harmon Davis, Charles English, Jane English, Jonathan English, Polly English, Rebecca English, Edna Fox, Nancy Frost, Benjamin Gragg, Anna Harris, Matilda Linville, John McKissick, Patsy McKissick, David Magill, David P. Magill, Sally Magill, Wm. Malott, Edna Weeden, Henry J. Weeden and Sarah Whitson.
The preceding information has been furnished by Elder Dan Carpenter, who has been Clerk of Session and Treasurer for forty-seven years, as well as Super- intendent of the Sabbath School for the same period, and for the last five years of a flourishing country Sabbath School which meets in the afternoon. He is still active in every good work, in which his no less devoted wife, Mrs. Pauline Gash Carpenter, has been for over fifty years equally efficient as co-worker. He is widely known in all the country, both as a successful business man and as an untiring, self-sacrificing Chris- tian worker, and might well be called the "people's minister," for he has officiated at over two hundred funerals. He was born at Hanging Rock, O., March 7, 1825, and began business as a merchant at Randolph,
9
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
Mo., in 1845, removing in 1847 to Barry, which has since been his home.
Of the wealth of biographical sketches of the "wor- thies" of this church furnished by Elder Carpenter, a few (only a few because of lack of room) will be given to show the material that made up this church which, while never strong numerically or financially, has weathered adversity and been a mighty power for good. These sketches have been largely condensed and so much of interest necessarily omitted.
Miss Margaret Gregg (familiarly known as "Aunt Peggy"), daughter of Harmon Gregg, a Pennsylvanian of Scotch-Irish descent, was born in Tennessee, July 31, 1801. She was brought early to Missouri, where her parents, for protection, lived in Cooper's Fort, and where she saw Capt. Cooper killed by the Indians. She was married in Howard county, October 9, 1821, to Capt. Philip A. Hardwicke, a well known and efficient officer in the early Indian wars, who settled in 1824 near "Weeden's Campground," and was received in 1828 into the Lebanon Church; which, he served effi- ciently and faithfully as elder from 1843 till his death, April 22, 1851. After training up her ten children, Mrs. Hardwicke "again took up her work in the service of the Master," and was called to her reward Novem- ber 29, 1892, after sixty-two years of service in the Lebanon Church. "Her whole life was a living epistle to be read by all those who came within the range of her influence."
Benjamin Gragg, the first elder of Lebanon Church, was born in Cooke county, Tenn., December 28, 1791, came to Missouri in 1819 and to Clay county in 1822. A soldier under Gen. Jackson in the war of 1812, he enlisted under the banner of the cross in 1823 and served most faithfully for forty-eight years-till his death, June 30, 1871. His younger brother, John, born February 11, 1810, who came to Missouri when he did, also became an elder in the Lebanon Church, serving till his death, July 28, 1881. These brothers "were pillars of strength and wisdom who largely bore up and carried forward the work all their years, adorn- ing their lives with a holy conversation and pure walk.
10
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
To them, especially John, in connection with Rev. G. L. Moad, belongs the honor of building the church in Barry and giving it the impetus of whatever success it may have had in the Master's cause." Both were men of unusual intelligence, especially in the Scrip- tures and Christian doctrine, broad-minded, and in close touch "with all the pioneer ministers of all the churches in the West." Both their wives were a "present help in every time of need and trouble."
Their sister, Mahala Gragg, who died February 19, 1895, aged over eighty-one years, and after sixty-one years of service for the Master, "was an almost uni- versal nurse in sickness among her neighbors, ex- emplifying pure and undefiled religion by visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keeping herself. unspotted from the world."
Samuel Hodges, born in Norfolk county, Va., in 1789, came to Fulton county, Ky., in 1810. He served as a minute man in the war of 1812, and married Miss Nancy Cain in 1822. To them were born two daugh- ters and five sons, three of whom measured six feet six inches in height. All were ardent Cumberland Pres- byterians, and one, Charles B. (already mentioned), a well known and popular minister. In 1851 the family came to Platte county and settled near where Linkville now stands. He served as elder many years-till his death in 1875. In 1876, his children, with a number of others, built a church in Linkville.
Joseph D. Gash was born near Asheville, N. C., No- vember 4, 1797, and on September 17, 1822, married Miss Eliza Killian, of Hendersonville, N. C., who was born March 3, 1801. Having entered a large body of land in Clay county in 1824, they moved here in 1831, and soon united with Lebanon Church by letter. "They built comfortable cabins at both camp grounds, en- tertained freely and were earnest workers for the Mas- ter during their entire lives, and liberal in their sup- port of the church in all its work. Ministers were hos- pitably entertained and often preached in their home before churches were built. They were staunch Pres- byterians, training their children well." Their daugh-
11
HISTORY OF PLATTE PRESBYTERY.
ter, Mrs. Mary A. George, who died November 18, 1906, aged eighty-four years, has the record of sixty- five years and three months of faithful Christian service in connection with this church.
The first regular Presbyterian Church in our terri- tory was organized at Liberty, Clay county. Happily the complete records of that church are in existence.
"On the 29th day of August, 1829, a number of per- sons convened in a grove in the west part of Liberty, Mo., and after a sermon, notice having been previously given for that purpose, they presented themselves and were organized into a church, as follows:
"Rev. Hiram Chamberlain, of the Presbytery of Mis- souri, presided, aided by Rev. N. B. Dodge, of the Harmony Mission. Letters were received in testimony of the qualifications of the following, viz .: Archibald McIlvaine and wife, Mrs: Hannah McIlvaine, James Mc Williams and Mary his wife, Walter Davis and Margaret his wife, William Modrel, Margaret Ward, Hannah Thompson, Isabella Moore and Jane P. Looney and her daughter, Polly W. Looney. The following persons were admitted on examination, they having been members of Presbyterian churches and removing
without letters, viz. : Robert Elliott and Sarah his wife, and Mrs. Mary Long. After these examinations were made, the following covenant was read to the members present and solemly assented to by them: Having professed your sincere belief of the Holy Scrip- tures; your firm faith in the adorable Trinity; your hopes of pardon through Christ your Redeemer, you, and each one of you, do now in the presence of God and before these witnesses, enter into solemn covenant with this church that you will submit yourselves to its government and ordinances; that you will pray for. its peace and enlargement; that you will study to pro- mote its edification ; that you will make the Word of God your constant rule of faith and practice; that you will most earnestly endeavor to walk in all the ways of the Lord blameless; and that by a pure conversation and by holy living you will seek to convince the world of the superior excellence of our holy religion and try
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