USA > Missouri > A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I > Part 15
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New Franklin, on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, has, since the railroad has been built, come on the church map and is the center of considerable Catholic work. Father P. J. Ward, the present pastor, also attends Fayette, the county seat.
SHELBY COUNTY
In 1869 Shelbina, the county seat, became the first Catholic parish in this county and the late Rev. D. Macken the first pastor. Rev. Father M. J. Collins, the present rector, built the present fine church. There are flourishing Catholic congregations regularly attended in Hunnewell, Lakenan and Clarence.
LINN COUNTY
Previous to the excision of this county from the archdiocese of St. Louis, as provided at the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, various places containing Catholic settlers had been occasionally visited by priests. It was, however, only after the erection of the St. Joseph diocese and the annexation of this county thereto that we find any regu- lar organization attempted. Accordingly, in 1866, we find for the first time the announcement of a parish, Brookfield. During the pastorate of the present rector, the Rev. Walter Tormey, M. R., which covers nearly half the age of the parish, a flourishing organization has been maintained. The Rev. D. A. Feely is associated with the pastor in all the work.
Marceline has come on the map somewhat later and is the seat of a flourishing parish under charge of the Rev. P. J. Cullen.
CHARITON COUNTY
The first mention one finds of any Catholics being regularly attended at any place in this county is the year 1869, when Brunswick was regu- larly visited from Carrollton. It soon came under the charge of the Franciscan Fathers.
Later the Franciscan Fathers organized the parish of Wien from
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Chillicothe, and it has become a large congregation, chiefly German, with a large parish school.
Salisbury, however, is the most important parish in Chariton county. In the '80s it was but a mission attended from Glasgow. Finally it be- came part of the late Father J. Hennes' charge. The Rev. J. F. Lubeley, present permanent rector of Holy Trinity church, St. Louis, succeeded to Salisbury about 1903. Under his pastorate of about five years the present fine stone structure was built, fully equipped, paid for and dedi- cated. Salisbury has likewise a parish school. The present rector is the Rev. F. J. Ernst.
Aholt, a settlement with its parish school, has a resident priest.
MACON COUNTY
Until 1871 the Catholics of this county had no priest permanently stationed among them. The late Rev. P. B. Cahill came up from Moberly, where he had been a short time assisting Father F. McKenna, and begun the real work. The first structure, a brick one, with the rectory, two rooms in the rear adjoining, was built on the site presented to Father Cahill. Father Cahill, somewhat broken in health, retired about 1898 and as he had sufficient personal means returned to his native Tipperary, where he died in 1904. The most recent successor is the Rev. Richard J. Healy, now permanent rector of Edina, Knox county. Under his pas- torate the greatest work since the parish was established has been accom- plished, the building of a splendid new church.
AUDRAIN COUNTY
Not until 1871 was there a priest to regularly attend any place in this county. It was just the year before that the well known and sturdy pioneer, the Rev. Francis McKenna-"Father McKinny" of the old people-had come up from New Madrid in the Southeast to Northeast Missouri and started to organize a congregation at Mexico, the county seat. He soon, however, went farther west as he sensed a far more important opening about thirty-eight miles farther west and north. He had at the time for his assistant, the Rev. C. F. O'Leary. Accord- ingly he early turned over the organizing, as well as the new parish, to him. Thus Father O'Leary became the first pastor of Mexico. Father O'Leary also organized the mission at Martinsburg, fourteen miles east. He established the parish at Fulton, and built its first church. He vis- ited Columbia, held services in the court-house, later organized the parish and turned the further work there over to his assistant, the late Rev. William T. Stack.
At the close of about seven years of strenuous missionary work, Father O'Leary was succeeded at Mexico by the late Rev. E. J. Dempsey, a son of Shelby county. Father Dempsey's. pastorate covered a period of about twenty years. During the first years of his time in Mexico he had for assistant, the Rev. J. T. Tuohy, who attended the missions estab- lished by Father O'Leary, Martinsburg, Fulton, Centralia, Columbia, and also Sturgeon. He later gave up these missions and they were transferred to Moberly
Father Dempsey was succeeded by the present energetic and popular rector, the Rev. H. J. Dillon. Vandalia was organized and regularly attended, also Laddonnia. At the former there is now a resident priest. Father Dillon also built a fine church structure for the congregation at Fulton. Father Dillon enjoys the distinction of being Dean of the Northeast Missouri Conference, an honor conferred by the vote of his
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fellow priests, eleven in the district. The conferences are held at his residence.
Martinsburg finally became a separate parish under the Rev. Joseph Haar its first rector, who still continues in charge.
RANDOLPH COUNTY
Father Francis McKenna in 1876 began his ministrations in Moberly, then a new railroad town. His long years of fruitful work in Moberly and surrounding mission stations is part of the church history. He early opened a parish school under charge of the Sisters of Loretto. He built a church edifice, St. John's, which at once became a center of large influence. Father McKenna retired in 1885 and died in 1888. Father John Ryan succeeded him in a successful pastorate of twenty years. Father P. J. Carney followed and in a short time succeeded in. building a magnificent new church of brick and stone costing $75,000. Moberly, together with other places in twenty of the counties of North- east Missouri was by decree of the Holy See in 1911, annexed to the Diocese of St. Joseph, Missouri.
CALLAWAY COUNTY
Priests have visited this county from time to time at the various points which contained Catholic settlers. At the old settlement of Cath- olics in the southeastern point of the county known as Hancock Prairie services have been held and a mission chapel built from an early date. This congregation is still extant and is at present attended from Starken- burg, Montgomery county.
At Fulton, the county seat, the first effort to organize a regular par- ish took place about 1874. Father Russell, who later made his head- quarters with Father O'Leary, was the first to visit Fulton regularly. He did not long remain, however. Father O'Leary then took up the work. He soon had the little congregation organized. Work was begun on a permanent church, and finally the little brick church was dedicated under the title St. Peter's. This was about 1876. During Father Dempsey's pastorate at Mexico, Fulton was attended by his assistant, the Rev. J. T. Tuohy, LL. D., and also by the latter when Father Mc- Kenna took charge of the missions. The Rev. J. J. Dillon next took charge of Fulton, attending it from Mexico. During his charge the present new church was built. About two years ago Fulton was made a separate parish and the Rev. Joseph Gilfillan appointed the first pastor. He was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph S. Hirner in 1911. Aux- vasse, Guthrie and McCreedie, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad branch, have a few small Catholic settlements. These are looked after by the Rev. J. J. Dillon, of Mexico.
BOONE COUNTY
The comparatively few Catholics in small, scattered settlements here and there in the county had for years received only few and far-between visits from priests. From the establishment of the church at Mont- gomery City, however, the records give Columbia as "attended occa- sionally" therefrom. At the county courthouse Catholic services were held a time or two. But not until after the building of the branch line of the Wabash Railroad, then the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern Railroad, south from Centralia was there any systematic effort made in the way of a church organization. The church building was largely the result of the persistent zeal and activity of Mrs. James Clapp. Later
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the work was helped by Miss Cornelia McAfee, now Sister Mary Augus- tine, of Louisville, Kentucky, a devoted daughter of the church. Column- bia was first attended as a mission station from Montgomery City, but in 1881 was assigned a resident priest, the Rev. John N. Kern. His suc- cessors were the Rev. G. A. Watson, the distinguished and scholarly Rev. P. F. O'Reilly, now retired at Elfin Dale, Greene county, the Rev. C. E. Byrne, the Rev. Arthur O'Reilly, now of Catawissa, Missouri, the Rev. William E. Randall, the Rev. Dr. J. B. Pleuss, and the pres- ent, much respected rector, the Rev. Thomas J. Lloyd, who is doing much excellent organization work. Father Lloyd has secured the Sisters of St. Joseph to open a parish school.
Sturgeon is likewise an old Catholic center in this county. It has had the honor of being attended at one time by the Right Rev. Bishop Hogan, now the nestor of American hierarchy, then pastor of Chilli- cothe. He left a record of a visit and some baptisms on the occasion of a visit in 1869. It was Bishop Hogan's custom at the time to visit the various railroad camps along the line of the new railroads and the stations near by. The writer has seen the record which he left, and been the guest of the family which he visited on the occasion of his call at Sturgeon. The present church at Sturgeon was built in the early '70s under the pastorate of the Rev. M. J. McCabe, now of St. Michael's, St. Louis. It is now attended from Columbia. Centralia is also at- tended from Columbia, mass being said there the third Sunday of each month.
ADAIR COUNTY
The Catholic settlements in this county were few and far between. They were occasionally attended from Edina. The Rev. John Ryan came to St. Mary's Parish in Adair county as resident priest about 1876. He had been previously assistant priest to the famous Father James Henry, that Lord Chesterfield of the clergy, the late pastor of St. Laur- ence O'Toole parish, St. Louis. Father Ryan remained in charge of Adair until his transfer to St. Bridget's, St. Louis, in 1889. He was succeeded by the present rector, the Rev. John O'Shea, who had ex- changed places with Father Ryan. Kirksville, the county seat, was erected into a parish about 1903, when the Rev. A. Gass, S. T. D., was sent from St. Louis to become its first pastor. Under Doctor Gass & mission church was built and a rectory. Doctor Gass was succeeded by the present rector, the Rev. Alexander L. Mercer, a son of the "Old Bay State" and, like Doctor Gass, an alumnus of the American College, Rome. Father Mercer had been assistant at St. Cronin's parish, St. Louis, the previous ten years. He attends the mission of LaPlata from Kirksville.
Novinger, another Catholic settlement, and Connelsville have been organized within the past few years; both are attended from Milan, Sullivan county.
SULLIVAN COUNTY
The principal Catholic center in this county is at Milan, the county seat. Its history is hardly twenty years old. It is in charge of a resi- dent priest, the Rev. John J. Jermain. Green City is also attended from Milan, and also three other places in the adjoining county of Putnam.
PUTNAM COUNTY
Unionville, the county seat, has been a Catholic settlement and vis- ited regularly by a priest since 1876. It has a mission church but not a resident priest. It is, however, regularly attended from Milan.
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There are Catholic settlers at Howland and Mendota, which are sta- tions also attended from Milan.
SCHUYLER COUNTY
The principal Catholic congregation in this county is that known as Mudd's Settlement in about the center of the county towards the Iowa state line. Its establishment dates back at least half a century. It has been visited at intervals by many of the well known missionaries of Northeast Missouri. While it has had for years a substantial church structure, it has never had a resident priest. It is now attended from Kahoka.
Downing, on the Santa Fe Railroad, has come up as a Catholic settle- ment since the building of the railroad. It is also attended from Kahoka.
GENERAL SUMMARY
Outside of St. Charles county, the history of the Catholic church in the twenty-five counties of Northeast Missouri is little more than sev- enty-five years old. Not a congregation was organized or a priest regu- larly stationed in that entire section at that time. Sixty-four priests are today regularly stationed and resident in this section. There are seventy-one churches, twenty stations preparing to organize congrega- tions and build churches, twenty-nine parish schools, having an attend- ance of 3,206 children. The Catholic population is about 25,000. All except the eight southern counties adjoining the Missouri river were, by decree of the Holy See, last year annexed to the Diocese of St. Joseph, Missouri, having been taken from the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of St. Louis. This, it is considered, will concentrate more direct attention upon these northern counties by the church officials and should stimulate rapid religious development.
Bibliography: Catholic Encyclopedia; Catholic History of the United States, by John Gilmary Shea, LL.D .; Reminiscences of a Missionary Priest, by the Rt. Rev. John J. Hogan, D. D., Bishop of Kansas City; Centenary and Annals of St. Charles Borromeo's Parish, St. Charles, Mo., by the Rev. James Conway, S. J .; Historical Sketch of the Church in Montgomery County, by the Rev. Paul Gross; Official Catholic Directory, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, etc., etc., to 1911.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES By the Rev. T. P. Haley, D. D., Kansas City
The eastern counties were populated to a considerable degree before the Missouri territory was admitted 'as a state into the Union. With this early population were many families who were members of the Christian churches in the states from which they came. With them also came a number of able ministers of the gospel, who settled among them and soon began to preach in dwelling houses, in groves and in the few country school houses that had been erected. Among these were such men as Thomas M. Allen, of Boone county, Joel H. Haden, of Howard county, and Joseph Creath, of Marion county, with others of less power as public speakers. These men soon began to organize churches and the people gathered by them began to erect meeting houses and where this was impossible obtained permission to preach and organize churches in school houses.
Perhaps the earliest churches were planted in Howard county. In this county resided Joel H. Haden, a commanding figure more than six feet in height, weighing not less than two hundred and fifty pounds and
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finely proportioned. He had a fine voice and was a fluent and powerful speaker. He was a man of liberal education, though not a classical scholar, nor a graduate of any college. The common people heard him gladly and understood him and under his ministry many were converted and gathered into congregations. After a time Dr. Winthrop H. Hop- kins also settled in Fayette and began the practice of medicine. He, too, was a fine looking man of commanding personality. He soon aban- doned his profession and gave himself to the ministry and under his able preaching great numbers were brought into the churches and many congregations were organized. Joel Prewitt, father of Robert Prewitt and Dr. Theodore Prewitt, a farmer-preacher, was possessed of liberal means and preached without salary and for the most part without any compensation. Hampton L. Boone and his brother, W. C. Boone, and many traveling evangelists also aided in establishing churches through-
MISSOURI BIBLE COLLEGE, COLUMBIA .
out the county. Prof. John W. McGarvey, who became a distinguished preacher and president of the Bible College at Lexington, Kentucky, was ordained to the ministry in Fayette. Alexander Proctor, another distinguished preacher, was for a number of years the preacher at Glas- gow. Noah W. Miller, a graduate of Bethany College, taught school and preached at Roanoke and at other points in the county. Elder T. M. Allen, of Boone county, held many meetings at Fayette, Glasgow and at other points in the county and aided greatly in building up churches in the county. This accomplished and eloquent preacher trav- eled and preached extensively in Howard and adjoining counties and prepared the way for the organization of many churches. Under his ministry Hampton L. Boone, a prominent Methodist minister, came into the Christian church and served the church in Fayette and preached throughout the county. W. C. Boone, afterwards a banker, became a member of the Fayette church and a local preacher who did much to build up the churches in the county. In Fayette Dr. J. W. McGarvey was ordained to the ministry and became a distinguished preacher and educator. He was for many years president of the Bible College of
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Kentucky University, now Transylvania. Alexander Proctor was the first pastor of the church in Glasgow.
The ministers who were most prominent in the organization of the early churches in Boone county were Thomas W. McBride, William Roberts, Richard Carr, Richard T. Roberts, Joel H. Haden, Thomas M. Allen and Marcus P. Wills. Hon. Jesse Boulton gives, as a curiosity, the following copy of a church record verbatim :
June 6, 1824. We the undersigned subscribers, being called upon to examine into the faith and ability of brethren living on and near Bear creek (north of Colum- bia) desiring to be constituted, find them, in our opinion, sound in the faith and possessing the abilities of keeping in order the house of God. We have therefore pronounced them a church of Jesus Christ under no other discipline or ritual of faith and practice, but the Old and New Testaments, professing at the same time to have charity enough as a church to let each other judge of the doctrines contained in the Scriptures for ourselves. Given under our hands, who are elders and have constituted the undersigned names.
THOMAS MCBRIDE, WILLIAM ROBERTS, JOHN M. THOMAS.
The early preachers in Boone county were Thomas M. Allen, Marcus P. Wills and Richard Carr. The churches at Red Top in the northern part of the county, Friendship, Bear Creek and Columbia were the first churches formed in the county. The church at Columbia was organized in the year 1832 and about four years afterwards Elder T. M. Allen be- came its pastor.
The same men who preached and organized churches in Howard and Boone counties were prominent in establishing the early churches in Callaway county. In addition to these men may be mentioned Marcus P. Wills and Absalom Rice. For many years the churches in Fulton, at Stephens Store and New Bloomfield were the prominent churches. At New Bloomfield a debate between the Baptist and Christian churches was held by Prof. R. S. Thomas, of the Baptist church, and the Rev. D. P. Henderson, of the Christian church, many years ago.
The first ministers of the church who preached and organized churches in Montgomery were Elders Sandy E. Jones, Timothy Ford, J. J. Ewell, Dr. Hatchett, Jacob Coons, and T. M. Allen of Boone county, and still later Dr. W. H. Hopson, whose father resided in Fulton. Still later Elder D. M. Grandfield, who after his return from Bethany College where he graduated, located in Middletown, where he taught school and preached, extending his labors throughout the county and the surround- ing territory. Near this town also was born the Rev. A. B. Jones, who afterwards was pastor at Fulton and subsequently resided in Liberty, in Clay county, where he taught in a woman's college and preached for the church and in the surrounding country. The churches at Montgomery City and at Middletown have been maintained through all the years and many of the most prominent citizens of the county have been members. The following churches were reported by the corresponding secretary : Danville, Jonesburg, Middletown, Montgomery City, New Florence, Price Branch, Two Mile, Wellsville.
St. Charles county has not been a successful field for the Christian church. While parts of the county have been visited by the ministers in that part of the state, only one church has been reported, Foristell. The failure to plant churches in this county is attributed to the fact that at an early day the foreign population, especially the Germans, occupied the field. It is not intended to intimate that the people are not a relig- ious and church-going people, but only that they are for the most part members of the Catholic, Lutheran, and other churches, better known in the countries from which their fathers came.
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Elders Allen, Jones, Coons, Ford, Grandfield and others have preached and established churches in Lincoln county. In the latest reports the following churches are reported: Corinth, Elmgrove, Elsberry, Hawk- point, Linn Knoll, Louisville, Liberty, Troy, Moscow Mills, Olney.
Nearly all the ministers who resided in the eastern part of the state held meetings or served as regular pastors in Ralls county. Joseph J. Errett, S. E. Jones, Timothy Ford, Jacob Coons, D. M. Grandfield and, in later years, J. B. Corwine and E. V. Rice. Elder T. M. Allen, who traveled so extensively over the county, also held meetings. The follow- ing churches are reported: Ariel, Bethel, Center, Hays Creek, Hunting- ton, Liberty, Lick Creek, New London, Newport, Ocean Wave, Perry, Pleasant Grove, Prairie View, Renssalear, Salt River, Spaling. At New London J. B. Corwine resided and preached for many years and in the meantime evangelized for many years. A school for young men and young women was maintained at this point. Professors Christian and Laughlin were the principal teachers.
Joseph J. Errett lived and labored long in Pike county and was the patriarch of all the many ministers who lived and labored in the county. J. D. Dawson and son, William, who afterwards became an Episcopal clergyman, lived at Louisiana and served the churches in that region. E. B. Cake, T. A. Abbott, Jacob Hugley, Eugene M. Lampton, William Meloan, E. V. Rice and, in later years, E. M. Richmond served as pas- tors of churches and on occasion held protracted meetings. The following churches are reported : Ashburn, Ashley, Bowling Green, New Harmony, Clarksville, Eolia, Frankford, Spencersburg, Louisiana, Paynesville, Salem.
The early preachers in Marion county were Elders Jacob Creath, Dr. David T. Morton, T. M. Allen, Esom Ballinger, L. B. Wilkes, James A. Meng, Dr. W. H. Hopson, and others. From an early day the church of Palmyra was prominent. It established and maintained a female school. Dr. Hopson was the first president of the school. He was suc. ceeded by L. B. Wilkes, who subsequently became president of Christian College at Columbia. In later years E. C. Browning and others served as pastor. The Hannibal church had the services of L. B. Wilkes and Henry H. Haley, C. B. Edgar, J. H. Hardin, S. D. Dutcher, Levi Mar- shall. The following churches were reported : Antioch, Emerson, Hanni- bal, Hester, Palmyra, Philadelphia, Mt. Zion, Warren, Woodland, Han- nibal 2d. In the fifties a debate between Dr. W. H. Hopson and Rev. W. G. Caples, of the Methodist Church South, was held in Hannibal and created widespread interest in that part of the state. Several state con- ventions of the churches have been held at Hannibal.
The early ministers of Lewis county were Jacob Creath. Esom Ballinger, John Shanks, John C. Risk, and later the ministers connected with Christian University at Canton, Missouri. During all the years preachers in the faculty of Christian University and student preachers have preached in the county and in the surrounding counties. The following churches are reported: Antioch, Buena Vista, Bunker Hill, Canton, Cool Springs, LaBelle, LaGrange, Lewistown, Midway, Monti- cello, Newman Chapel, Prairie View, Sugar Creek, Williamstown, Mt. Zion, Turpins, Tolona.
Being just north of Lewis county, Clark county has had the services of the same preachers from the faculty and students of Christian Uni- versity, with much the same results. The following named churches have been organized and maintained ministers and kept up regular services : Alexandria, Carmel, Fairmount, Elm, Kahoka, Louray, Peak- ville, Shiloh, Star, Winchester.
In Scotland county the following churches are reported: Antioch,
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Bible Grove, Concord, Lawn Ridge, Prairie View, Granger, Gorie, Plum College, Memphis, Rutledge, Salem, and Union. These churches have been organized by the ministers and students of Christian University.
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