USA > Missouri > Annals of Methodism in Missouri : containing an outline of the ministerial life of more than one thousand preachers, and sketches of more than three hundred ; also sketches of charges, churches and laymen from the beginning in 1806 to the centennial year, 1884, containing seventy-eight years of history > Part 15
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As his feet touched the chilly waters, he said to his dear friend, Rev. J. D, Vincil, "My brother, my race is about run-suddenly cut short. I have unexpectedly reached the end. I shall soon be on the other shore."
He left this message to his Conference : iTell my brethren, from me to cleave unto their work." Then he said : "I am going, going, O! what I am gaining, gaining, gaining." His sun set at noon. He had scarcely reached
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the zenith of his power, but his work was done and now he rests from his labors, and his works follow him. . 1840.
WESLY BROWNING. The following letter needs no introductory :
RINKELVILLE, West St. Louis. Mo., January 15th, 1885. DEAR BROTHER WOODARD :
According to your request I send you the following :
Born, August 15th, 1795, Montgomery county, Maryland; 1816, moved to Ohio; April Ist., 1820, born of the spirit; 1823, licensed to preach; 1826, admitted on trial in Ohio Conference; first two years on circuits; 1828 and 1829 in Cincinnati; 1830, transferred to Pitts- burgh Conference; Pittsburgh Station two years; Steubenville District four years; Wheeling Station, Va., two years; Pittsburgh again one year; 1839, transferred to Missouri; Indian Manual Labor School one year; St. Louis one year; St. Louis District three years; 1844, St. Louis Station ; [1845 was transferred to the Indian Mission Conference, and sent down South to build a Manual Labor School for the Chicakasaws; 1851, was transferred back to Missouri, and appointed to St. Louis District 1851 to 1855, then to Jefferson City District one year; Cape Girardeau, 1856 and 1857. Since 1857 I was Sabbath School Agent one year; superannuated one year on account of family affliction. During the war Brother J. W. Lewis and myself travelled St. Louis circuit four years, and were not dis- turbed in regularly attending our appointments. During the last four years I have held a superannuated relation, though preaching considerable. I have been mercifully favored in point of health and am still able to preach twice a day if necessary. I have had some rough work, but never felt dissatisfied with my appointment. I have never sought any particular place, nor have I met with a repulse at any one. All I have and am, I owe under God, to Methodism. My only regret is that I have not been more holy and more useful. Yet I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
WESLEY BROWNING.
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WESLEY BROWNING.
Father Browning will be ninety years old the 15th of next August ; has been preaching sixty-two years, an itin- erant fifty-nine and effective fifty-four years. He has been a preacher longer than any other man whom we have met, but
"His sun is sinking fast, Ilis race is nearly run ; His trials mostly past, Ilis triumph is begun.
MARTIN LUTHER EADS Was born in Louisa county, Vir- ginia, in 1793. In the twenty-second year of his age he was converted and joined the Methodist church. His mother was a Baptist. He was licensed to preach in 1816; moved to Kentucky and commenced his itinerant life in 1829; trans- ferred to Missouri in IS40; located in IS43 ; was readmitted in 1849 ; superannuated in 1857, and died January Sth, 1870; in the 77th year of his age and the 54th of his ministry. He was an effective itinerant preacher twenty-two years-eleven in Kentucky and eleven in Missouri.
His first appointment in Missouri was to Monticello circuit ; then two years on Shelbyville; after which he was local six years. His dying message to his conference was : "Tell my brethren when dying I realized that the atonement of Jesus Christ was broad enough for me to stand upon forever." Six preachers were received on trial this year, three of whom, John Halpin, P. B. Jones, and Henry Blasdale, traveled one year and discontinued.
MILTON W. GLOVER traveled Nianga, Waynesville, Osceola, Huntsville and Little Osage. His name disappears in IS46.
1840. 169
FLETCHER WELLS wrought five years and located in IS45. His fields of labor were: Monticello, Warsaw, White river, Smith's creek and Linntown.
H. N. WILBER traveled Bowling Green, Union two years, Warsaw, Paris and New London. He went to Iowa in IS47.
We have now completed another half decade, and after a brief summary will pause again.
Fifty-four names were enrolled during these five years. Of these, ten traveled but one year in Missouri ; five trav- eled two years ; three, four ; six, five ; four, six; one, seven ; six, eight ; three, nine; one, ten; three, eleven; one, thir- teen ; two, fourteen ; one, eighteen ; one, nineteen; two, twenty ; one, twenty-two; one, twenty-four; one, twenty- five ; one, twenty-six; one, twenty-seven ; and one-Wesley Browning-thirty-two; making an aggregate of 481 years, which lacks only eleven years of being an average of nine years for each man.
Thirty-eight fell below the average and seventeen exceeded it. Six of the fifty-four-eleven per cent .- are still living.
"They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars, forever and ever."
CHAPTER V.
SECTION II.
1836.
Conference, now limited to the state and Indian terri -- tory, met again in St. Louis.
The St. Louis district was divided, the Missouri river being the line, and that part north of the river was called Palmyra district, making five districts in the state and one in the territory.
The names Canton and Burlington disappear this year, and Monticello and Shelbyville take their places. These soon became the best circuits in that part of the Conference,. and still rank among the best in the Missouri Conference. Shelbyville circuit now has a membership of 625, which is. IS3 more than any other charge in the Conference. In the early days, the preachers read out to these appointments felt happy, nor do the preachers of the present day feel sad when they are so fortunate as to be appointed thereto. Shelby- ville circuit has been in the northeastern part of the state what Springfield circuit has been in the southwest, the sender- forth of preachers.
Through the kindness of W. W. McMurray I am able to give the following sketch of this good old charge :
Shelbyville appears for the first time in the appointment of the- preachers of Missouri Conference in the year 1836. Conference. held at St. Louis, Mo .- Shelbyville, Jessie Pryor.
I836. 171
This year a church was organized with eleven members, at a pri- vate house, one and one-half miles northwest of what is now Bacon Chapel Church, which has for years been the largest organization of Methodism in Shelby County.
They consisted of the following names: John B. Lewis and wife, Charlotte and Mary I. Wailes (these were grandparents of Rev. J. A. Wailes), Stanford Drain and wife, Chas. A. Drain and Dolly Christian, Mason Wheeler, Conley Smith, 1838, Thomas T. Ashby, 1839. Tyson Dines was received on trial and appointed to the Shelbyville circuit.
The first record of the quarterly Conferences began with this year, William Patton being presiding elder. Andrew Monroe had been the previous year. Geo. C. Light the two preceding years. The Noilles River camp ground, was established this year-1839, and was called "Centenary camp ground."
The appointments were as follows: Shelbyville, Noilles River, Lewis' (now Bacon Chapel.), Woods,' Thomas McMurry's (now Andrew Chapel), Mrs. Glasscock's (now Newark), Toad Vines,' Taylor's, Hilton's, Hickory Grove (now Oak Dale), Mt. Zion, James A. Sharp's, Wm. McMurry's, Howe's; embracing a territory about fifty miles east and west, and thirty miles north and south.
Present at Centenary Camp meeting, August 29, 1840; official members: Wm. Patton, presiding elder; Wm. McMurry, secretary ; Tyson 'Dines, C. P .; Horace Brown, L. E .; James Riggs, L. D.
Exhorters-Caleb N. Galleher and John B. Lewis.
Stewards-Elias Kinchelow, James M. Rider, Thomas J. Bounds, John A. Lyell, Thomas McMurry, Wm. McMurry.
Leaders-John B. Singleton, L.W. Turner, Thomas Dines, Julius A. Jackson, Mason Weeler.
These minutes were signed in the bold plain handwriting of Wm. Patton, and were recorded in the handwriting of my father, Wm. McMurry.
These were fit representatives of a membership who had come mainly from Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware, and the eastern shore of Maryland. Their numbers increased, by immigration and conver- sion, from year to year, until their power for good was soon recog-
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SHELBYVILLE CIRCUIT.
nized by all. No doubt the success of Methodism in Shelby county, almost without a parallel in the States, may be accounted for in part by the piety and integrity of these pioneers.
About the year 1841 or '42, a good brick church-house was built in Shelbyville, and in 1844 or 1845, a small frame house was built at Bacon Chapel. These served their purpose and were succeeded in 1870 by larger and better houses, that still meet the demand at these points, at which time church building began in earnest, Oakdale and Morris chapel being built the same year. The seventeenth church in the county is being finished this year.
REVIVALS.
Revivals have characterized the work of the church almost annu- ally. Among the most noted and far-reaching in results was one at Bacon Chapel by J. M. Green in 1842 or '43, and another in 1869. One in Shelbyville in 1848, Geo. Smith, pastor, in which the Cot- tons Marmadukes, Bounds, were included with many others. In later years the ministry of Revs. O'Bryen and S. Milam, has been specially fruitful.
PREACHERS.
Among those licensed to preach and recommended to the annual Conference, the following is a partial list :
Licensed.
Wm. H. Shroeder August 11, 1845
Wm. Holmes 1842
C. I. VanDeventer February 24, 1844
Lewis Baldwin .June 24, 1854
John R. Taylor . August 28, 1858
James B. Short.
August 28, 1858
W. W. McMurry August 28, 1858
J. J. Poage. . . . July 22, IS71
C. A. Sherman July 22, IS71
G. W. Hillias. 1868
In later years, Jesse A. Wailes, E. E. Bostwick, Lewis Parker, have been added to the list.
The following reared and converted in Shelby County, have yielded to their convictions in other fields, are really the products of Shelby County Methodism: Revs. E. M. Bounds, F. A. Taylor,
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I 836. 173
James L. Taylor, W. B. Wheeler and W. F. McMurry, and the soil seems not exhausted, as four young men were licensed last year.
EDUCATION.
The members of the church at Shelbyville, with some other friends of education, in 1856 built the Shelby High School, which for twenty (20) years exerted a power for good, running, as it was, under the auspices of the church, and lives to-day in its successor, Cen- tenary College. at Palmyra. This is the outline of a thrilling his- tory, that ought to be written up in detail-but not here.
W. W. McMURRY.
The new circuits on the south side of the river were Independence, Osage and Barry in Boonville district, and Ripley in Cape Girardeau. Independence had appeared the year before, in connection with Lexington. That year W. P. Hulse, the junior preacher, organized the first class in Independence. I have not the names of the charter mem- bers. Osage circuit was on the Osage river. Barry, which had been organized during the spring and summer of 1836 by C. F. Dryden, whom the presiding elder, W. W. Red- man, had employed to do so, was in the extreme southwestern part of the state. Mr. Dryden tells us that he preached in Missouri, Arkansas and Indian territory ; that he went round his work every three weeks, to do which he had to travel 300 miles. He reported twenty-five members to Conference. . He made his own plan and blazed his own roads. Ripley circuit was on Current river, then one of the wildest and most romantic parts of the state. It was my good fortune to travel this circuit sixteen years after this-in 1852-then called Doniphan.
Beginning at Doniphan, I went down Current river to the Arkansas line, thence up Little Black river to the old military road, thence to Scott's on Cane creek, thence to
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DONIPHAN CIRCUIT.
Poplar Bluff, thence up Big Black river to Copeland's, thence to Shiloh, on Cane creek, thence up said creek to Hull's, thence to Kirby's, on Ten Mile, thence to Ebenezer, on Little Black, thence to the mouth of Buffalo, on Current river, thence to Ponder's, on Fourche de Mau, thence to Doniphan ; 130 miles and twenty-eight appointments. Held two camp meetings, at Ebenezer and Shiloh. At Shiloh, every unconverted person on the camp ground on Tuesday was converted. From this circuit, E. V. Glass, J. H. Cox, D. C. O'Howell, G. W. Hull and L. Hull entered the itin- erant ranks. G. W. Taylor was a popular and useful local preacher. Dudly Cox and Lem Kittrell used their exhort- er's license well. John Eudaly was one of the best men I ever knew. Miles Ponder was a pillar in the church. 1837.
Macon Mission, in Palmyra district, appears for the first time this year. It was served by A. Still. Belleview is changed to Potosi. Smith's creek, Niangua and Waynes- ville are new charges in St. Louis district, the three taking the place of Gasconade, which disappears. Smith's creek was the northeast part of the Old circuit. The name was changed to Cedar creek in 1845, and to Jaque's prairie in 1847. In 1849, Herman was added to it, by which it was called a few years, and then absorbed by the Germans. This old circuit embraced the Burbeaux, Jaques, Spanish Needle and Lane's prairies and several sppointments on the Gascon- ade river. Spencer, Pinnell, Evans, Taylor, Gibson, Bran- stetter, Glenn, Harrison, Johnson and M'Ghee are only a few of the names remembered by the preachers. Miscal Johnson entered the ministry from this circuit, traveled Buf- falo circuit in 1846 and discontinued. He spent his life on
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IS37.
the Gasconade river, rafting, fishing, farming and preaching, in all of which he was successful. Possibly no man could excel him in throwing a gig into redhorse-the best fish that swim-and he was also successful when he fished for men. He was bishop of his diocese. My second circuit included a part of this old charge. I had the honor of dedicating the Bloom Garden church in the Johnson neighborhood soon after the war. There were camp grounds on the Gasconade, Burbeaux and at Tanyard spring, on Brush creek. This circuit did not send many preachers, but it gave two preachers, J. R. Burk and this writer, excellent wives, both of whom were converted at Tanyard spring.
Waynesville was the southern part of the old circuit, and took in much new territory. The following was the outline of this circuit in 1853, when this deponent was its incumbent: Starting at Waynesville, thence up Rubedeaux to running water (this is a dry valley for twenty-five miles above Waynesville) enough to run a mill, thence east to Big Piny, thence to Coppage's mill on Spring creek, thence north to Licking, thence to head of Current river, thence east to Salem, thence north to Little Piny, thence to the mouth thereof via Mill creek, thence west to Big Piny, and up Gasconade river to the point of starting. I had the orthodox number of appointments, twenty-eight, and that year-the spring of 1854-organized the first class ever organized in Salem. Preached the first sermon there but one, and that was by a Baptist preacher. J. Chase and I. N. White, who had been traveling preachers, T. O. Smith, who was subsequently, L. Thompson and one or two others were local preachers. The names of Hopkins, Dodd, York, Tilly, Gibson, Mitchell, Skyle and others were those of
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NIANGUA CIRCUIT.
prominent members. The old territory of this circuit is now divided between two annual Conferences, but the circuit remains.
The Niangua circuit was the extreme western part of the old Gasconade. It embraced a very large part of the territory of what is now Lebanon district. It was divided in IS43, when the southern pait was named Hartville, and the northern, Erie. Of the planting of Methodism on the Osage fork. I have given an account. I do not know when the church was organized in the Niangua and Glaze sections, but some time during this decade. I attended a camp meet- ing on the Wet Glaze in 1854, in the Dodson neighborhood. Wm. Dodson, a local elder, whom I had met before, was one of the most scriptural preachers I ever heard. He was an untiring worker, and went far and near to make proof of his ministry, which was "in the demonstration of the spirit." John Robertson, an eccentric local preacher, lived in this circuit and was useful.
1838.
The Conference met in Boonville. Every district lost its name this year, except St. Louis, and it was extended to embrace Cape Girardeau, which. however, comes back again next year. Palmyra is changed to Columbia and enlarged. Missouri, after being known as such for twenty- four years, disappears and is known no more. Boonville was divided, and that part north of the Osage took the name of Lexington, to which was added the western part of the old Missouri district. All the country south of the Osage and west of Franklin county and two circuits north was thrown into a new district, named Springfield. The name of this
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1838.
district, now in its forty-eighth year, has never since been changed, so that it is now the oldest district, except St. Louis, in the state.
Bloomfield mission first appears this year. I believe it has never since lost its identity. It is situated in the swamps' between Black and St. Francis rivers, in the only county (Stoddard) in that part of the state that I was never in. As presiding elder I had charge of it one year, and traveled all around it, but was prevented from making it a visit. Going north of the river two new names greet us, but two familiar ones cannot be found. Boonslick, which first appears in 1815, and from which more circuits had been taken than any other, loses her name in that of Fayette. In the north, East Palmyra surrenders her name to the lordly Hannibal. In the northwest, Platte and Plattsburg circuits appear for the first time. In the southwest, Osage disappears and Versailles, Clinton and Osceola take its place. Further on, Barry is no more, but in lieu thereof we have Sarcoxie cirenit and Shoal Creek mission. Total increase, six.
I have no data by which to sketch the new charges north of the river. The church must have been organized in Ver- sailles as early as 1836. Jacob Lanius says : "November 15, 1838, I reached Versailles about night and stayed with Brother Blackwell, a L. P. of our church. On Friday rode one mile and stayed with Brother Williamson, from Nash- ville, Tenn." The last named lived long, then died there a few years ago. His wife, "Aunt 'Becca," made things move. Dr. Bev. Thruston and his "better half" have been pillars in the church there for a third of a century. Martin, Monroe, Goode, Cooksy, Tutt and other names are remem- bered there. Twenty years elapsed after the organization
I78
VERSAILLES CIRCUIT.
before there was a house of worship in the town. Versailles gave C. C. Woods to the ministry. Here his father lived and died.
Hopewell class was organized about the same time. There was a meeting house there in 183S. The Parks were pillars there ; Hightower was an cxhorter. James Godwin came from Tennessee and settled on Haw creek in Benton county in an early day. He kept a stage stand and was class leader and a blacksmith. He was often a member of the annual Conference, and always made the preachers happy by his lovefeast talks. A year ago he finished his work at Lucas in Henry county. The last thing he did was to build a church for his neighbors. He was in many respects "a masterly man." Aunt Betsy, his wife, was as good as mortal woman could be. She followed him quickly to the "home beyond."
Cole Camp was a good place, because E. Cameron, H. H. Parks, S. Fowler and their families and others lived there. Fowler and Parks were exhorters. J. Scroggin was a local preacher, but allowed others to do the preaching. Not so with Uncle Billy Anderson on Flat creek. He preached. His son, W. H. Anderson, is yet a good man. I hope my namesake, Miss Emma W. Anderson, is on her way to heaven. Brother Elliott is remembered lovingly ; so are the Marshalls and many others. W. R. Litsinger, a local preacher, is prophet now. If I could remember everything like Brother Wakefield, of Florence, does, I could-but I must go to Clinton.
Probably the first class organized in the Tebo country was at the house of Father Glover, in Benton county, whose son Milton afterwards joined the Conference, and as early as 1836 or 1837; the next at Calhoun, in the house of the
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I 838.
Widow Wilson, mother of John Wilson, who was a member of nearly every annual Conference from 1866 till he died, a year ago.
I quote from Presiding Elder Lanius again: "May IS and 19, 1838, held third quarterly meeting for Clinton mis- sion in the town of Warrensburg, seat of justice for Warren county, a little village of ten or twelve families. We have recently made a regular appointment of this place, and formed a class of about twenty members. The meeting was well attended and sustained. Good was done; four mourn- ers, one conversion, and four added to the church by profess- ion." J. L. Porter was the preacher. This church prospered till the "late unpleasantness," when political views estranged brethren beloved, and the war rent the church in twain ; since which two Methodisms have occupied the town. I cannot give the date of the erection of the first house of worship. The second was erected under the ministry of C. C. Woods in 186S. This was sold in 1884, and the present gem-a centennial offering-on a beautiful lot, was built by the enterprise and under the direction of the present pastor, Joab Spencer. Its tasty memorial windows perpetuate the memory of Jesse Greene, Thomas Johnson, and other worthy men of former days. This beautiful house of worship was dedicated by Dr. McAnally.
About the time of which I am writing Judge Drake set- tled in the Tebo country, in Henry county. Soon a class was organized, a log meeting house built and named Drake's chapel. Then a camp ground was located there, at which successful meetings were held for many years. Subsequently a frame church supplanted the log mecting house, and now an appropriate centenary offering-the third house-prolongs the history of Drake's chapel.
I So
OSCEOLA CIRCUIT.
Bronaugh's chapel in Henry county is another of the early appointments on Clinton circuit. The good people of this neighborhood occupy their second house of worship, which was dedicated a few years ago by Rev. W. M. Protts- man.
Lindsy chapel, built in IS56, four miles west of Clinton, is superannuated.
I do not know when the church was organized in Clin- ton. Its career there has been a precarious one, with present buddings of promise. The annual Conference was hand- somely entertained there in ISZS.
Osceola circuit was in the hill country south of the Osage river, reaching cast to Pom-le-de-Terre. It still occupies most of its original territory. The church was organized in Osceola about 1836, and was a prosperous society up to the war. When it belonged to Springfield circuit J. W. Cox, steward, went fifty miles to quarterly meeting. The Doug- lass, Cox, McClain, Vaughn, Morgan, and many other fam- ilies, made it a delightful place for a Methodist preacher thirty years ago. The Arnolds, Yosts, Hunts, Mortons, Montgomerys, Evans, Tiptons, Bailys, Wisdoms, Elliotts and Corbins are a few of the prominent Methodists of the early days. James Wisdom, a local preacher, was as good a man as the sun ever shone upon. Rev. J. Yost was eccen- tric, sensible and useful. Rev. E. Morton was pompous but energetic. Rev. J. Tipton still feeds the people with the bread of life. He is a good man. Harry Douglass was recording steward for many years.
Probably C. F. Dryden organized the first class in the Shoal Creek country, in IS35, in the house of a local preacher named Weems, the grandfather of Rev. J. M. Weems, on
IS1
IS39.
Indian Creek, where Harmony now is. Next year the name was changed to Newton; afterwards to Neosho. Societies were organized at an early day on Shoal, Spring and Sugar Creeks.
Among the early Methodists are such names as Bryan, Patton, Smyth, Price, Cumming, Burns, Weems, Ellis, Kelly, Howerton, Overton, Davenport, Kinny, Ross, Jones, Sparling, etc. More. recently we have Sevier, Lloyd, Wills, Moss, and hosts of others. J. M. Kelly, D. Sturdy, J. T. Davenport, T. H., T. J. and H. E. Smith, Bolivar Ellis, J. M. Carter and J. M. Weems-mayhap others-entered the ministry from this circuit.
Local Preacher A. D. Smyth preached the gospel intel- ligently to the first settlers.
The country drained by Spring River and Center Creek is the finest part of Southwest Missouri. Sarcoxie is on Center Creek. Probably the first class was organized on Spring River, at Bowers, where Oregon now is. Cave Spring camp ground was among the first appointments. Thomas Cunningham preached the gospel in this charming land nearly forty years. The trumpets of S. G. Patterson and E. E. Degg echoed through the vales nearly ten years. More recently Dr. Armstrong has been prophet.
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