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 18
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1843. 213
WILLIAM HENRY LEWIS is a Virginian, and was edu- cated at Randolph-Macon college. He was converted when a boy, and commenced preaching while young. His first appointment was Keytesville circuit, and his second Jefferson City station, where he was continued two years, during which there was a most gracious revival of religion, which per- meated the city, the legislators and the people in the sur- rounding country being brought under its power, and resulted in 350 conversions. (See appendix. ) He located in 1855, was readmitted in 1870, and is still an effective, efficient and successful member of the Missouri Conference.
Much more could be said of him, but I am touching the living lightly.
JOSEPH REESE traveled two years, and discontinued in IS45. His appointments were Cravensville and Harrison- ville.
DANIEL PENNY is an Englishman, and commenced preaching in England in 1830, came to Missouri in 1842, and licensed to preach by the St. Charles circuit that year. His first two charges were Carrollton and Keytesville. He located in 1860, was readmitted in 1861, and superannuated in 1873, which relation he now sustains. He has been a member of the Missouri Conference forty years, and effective twenty- nine.
JOSEPH COTTON was this year junior on Danville circuit ; in 1844, junior on Bowling Green. In 1852 this minute occurs: "Joseph Cotton, left without appointment, by order of Conference." His name occurs no more.
1844.
Twenty-one new names were entered upon the roll this year; two by transfer, two by readmission, and seventeen
214
JESSE C. DERRICK.
were admitted on trial. The transfers were George Dunkart, from Ohio, and H. C. Koenecke, from Illinois. Both Ger- mans, and both disappear in IS45.
JESSE C. DERRICK joined the Holston Conference in · IS38 and located in 1841 ; was readmitted into the Missouri Conference this year and sent to Greenfield circuit. His name disappears in 1850. In the spring of that year he went to California, and some years ago returned to East Tenn- essee, where he may still live. Mr. Derrick was a fair preacher, a superb talker, and a most excellent exhorter. I don't know of anybody that excelled him in this gift, save H. G. Joplin. He was a man of good appearance and fine address, possessed of winning ways and splendid social qualities, hence was very popular. But, unfortunately, he carried too much sail for his ballast, and did not successfully resist the storms that met him on an overland trip to Cali- fornia, and in the mining districts there, and, alas! made shipwreck of his faith. At least, he forfeited his Christian integrity and ministerial dignity. He received me into the church March, 1846, and I loved him dearly. I devoutly pray that we may yet meet in the mansions prepared for us in our Father's house above.
DANIEL S. CAPELL was born in North Carolina Decem- ber 15, 1801, converted when quite young, moved to Ken- tucky in 1816, and joined that Conference in 1830, having been a local preacher for some time. He traveled four years and located ; joined the Missouri Conference in 1844 and was sent to Columbus circuit. His two last appointments were to Warsaw district. He was greatly afflicted with rheuma- tism. He had two children in California. In the hope of finding health, he, with his wife and two other children,
.
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1843.
started in May, 1852, to cross the plains, and on the 10th of June found a grave seventy miles west of Fort Kearney. Mr. Capell was a good man and an excellent preacher. He died most triumphantly.
EPHRAIM E. DEGGE began his ministry in St. Louis. He was one of the first persons licensed to preach by Centenary church, at which altar he was converted in his boyhood. His first appointment was with J. H. Headlee on Charleston cir- cuit. He located in 1852 ; having faithfully served the church eight years in the itinerancy, he retired to the local ranks . and continued faithful to the end of his journey. He settled in Sarcoxie, where he carried on a saddler's shop, having been brought up to that business in St. Louis. Here he finished his work, and "fell on sleep" in the early spring of 1859, and we buried his body (I was his pastor at that time) " in the hope of the resurrection."
Mr. Degge was a true man, a fast friend, a conscien- tious Christian, a good preacher, and did much good.
JOSEPH O. WOODS was born, raised, converted, licensed to preach, and recommended to the annual Conference on trial in Belleview valley, in sight of Caledonia. He and Green were brothers. His first appointment was to Bloom- field circuit. A cloud came over the moral character of Mr. Woods during the war, under which he withdrew from the church. He is now in northwest Arkansas.
PERRY B. MARPLE's first appointment was Greenville. He was a gifted, but vain man, and came to grief. He was expelled in 1849.
HENRY NEWTON WATTS was converted at a camp meet- ing at Blackwater church, in Johnson county, Missouri, and was driven from home by a Campbellite father because he
216
MARCUS ARRINGTON.
joined the Methodist church. He began his ministry this year on Ripley mission. On account of family afflictions he located in 1851, but re-entered in 1852. He was superannu- ated in IS78, but effective again the next year. He is now an effective member of the Southwest Missouri Conference. Has been an effective preacher thirty-eight years.
MARCUS ARRINGTON wrought this year on Osceola cir- cuit ; 1845, Hartville ; discontinued in 1846, but began again in 1851. Some time during the war he was transferred to Arkansas, and back to the St. Louis Conference in 1869, where his name appears again in 1870. He took a supernu- merary relation in 1879, and his name appears in the list of superannuates in ISSo, where it still remains.
Though a member of the St. Louis Conference, his home is Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Arrington was licensed to preach by the second quarterly Conference of Bolivar cir- cuit, held in Bolivar February 10, 1844.
H. W. PEERY, of this class, was this year appointed to Osage. He located in 1847 ; was readmitted in 1849, and located again in I851.
WILLIAM T. CARDWELL's first appointment was to Mill Creek. He traveled seven years and located in IS51.
DANIEL W. BURFORD was sent to White River, and dis- continued in 1845. Mr. Burford started from Hartville cir- cuit. He now lives near Long Wood.
CORNELIUS I. VAN DEVENTER was born in Loudon county, Virginia. July 25, 1825; was converted at a camp meeting in Monroe county, Missouri, 1839, and received into the Methodist church by R. H. Jordan ; was licensed to exhort by M. L. Eads in 1842, and to preach by the quarterly Con- ference of the Shelbyville circuit, February 22, 1844; and
IS43. 217
from that circuit entered the Missouri Conference that year, and was assigned to Liberty circuit as junior. Mr. Van Deventer has served nine years on circuits, seventeen in sta- tions, and fourteen on districts ; total, forty. He has "stick- ality" and many other good qualities. He has been a member of every general conference since 1866.
BENJAMIN R. BAXTER was raised in the Platte pur- chase. His first appointment was as junior on Savannah circuit. In 1860 he located. He was readmitted into the Columbia Conference in 1869, and located again in 1875. He is still living in Oregon and serving the church as a local preacher.
J. M. GARNER served White Oak Grove mission this year. He disappears in IS4S.
PATRICK M. PINCKARD was appointed to Trenton. He located in 1869 and died in Nevada, Missouri, in IS71. His remains were taken to St. Louis and interred in Bellefon- taine cemetery.
Mr. Pinckard was no ordinary man. He had varied gifts-a diversity of talents-which he improved assiduously. Hence he rose quickly to distinction. He made an eminent preacher, and served circuits, stations and districts with great acceptability. But in the business department of the Con- ference and the church he distinguished himself most.
He loved church work in all of its details.
While yet young he took part in Conference discussions and manifested such capacity to transact the business thereof that he soon became a trusted leader in all the plans and enterprises of his Conference. Hence, when an agent was wanted to secure an endowment for Central College, all eyes looked to P. M. Pinckard as the man for the necessary, but
218
WALTER TOOLE.
difficult work. When a great publishing house for Missouri Methodism was planned, he was the Hercules on whose shoulders it must be laid.
He had capacity and energy enough for all these things, but his health was inadequate. His nervous system, by being too severely taxed, was broken down, and he died before his time, an overworked and an overburdened man.
I am glad that I knew him and that he was my friend. I hope to overtake him where "the weary are at rest."
WALTER TOOLE commenced on Big Creek mission. Like Van Deventer, he has "stuck to his bush" and been a . regular field hand for forty years. Still his "bow abides in strength." He has served eight years as presiding elder.
WILLIAM T. ELLINGTON also started from the Platte country. His first appointment was Gallatin.
He located in 1848; readmitted in I851 ; located again in 1854 ; readmitted again, 1869; located again, 1870; read- mitted again, 1878, and located a fourth time in 1883.
ZACCHEUS N. ROBERTS served his first year as junior on Danville circuit. He died in 1851. Here is the entire memoir in the minutes of that year: "Brother Roberts was an estimable man, of agreeable manners, and a faithful, use- ful preacher. ' He labored with success and died at his post . in the full assurance of eternal life."
C. JOST and S. BARTH were Germans and disappear in 1845.
As this brings us to the division of the church and to the division of the Missouri Conierence, it seems to be a proper place to pause and make a change in the schedule of the work.
Henceforth only the prominent dead will be sketched.
219
1843.
In the last four years, 91 preachers have touched us, of whom 19 served but one year in Missouri ; 7, but two years ; 9, three ; 5; four ; 6, five ; 5 six; 4, seven ; 3, eight; 4, nine ; 2, ten ; 2, eleven ; 2, twelve ; 1, thirteen ; 1, fourteen ; I, sixteen ; 3, twenty; I, twenty-four; 4, twenty-four; I, twenty-five ; 2, twenty-six; I, twenty-nine; I, thirty-one ; I, thirty-two; I, thirty-six; I, thirty-eight; 3, forty, and I -W. M. Rush, forty two, making an aggregate of 920 years, being ten years over an average of ten years to each man ; twenty-seven have exceeded the average and sixty- four have fallen below it; nineteen-nearly 21 per cent, are still living.
We have now gone over thirty-eight years, and come into contact with 287 itinerant Methodist preachers who planted Methodism in Missouri, and whose aggregated services amount to 2,29S years, which is two years over an average of eight for each man. Of the 287, thirty-one- over ten per cent-are still living. Of the thirty-one living nineteen are still in the itinerancy. Of the nineteen itinerants, eight are still effective, and of these, three-Forsythe, Van Deventer and Toole-have always been so. Wesley Brown- ing has been preaching longer-sixty-one years, counting three local, from 1823 to 1886-than any other man. Chronologically Berryman ranks the St. Louis Conference, 1828; Sherman, the Missouri, 1837, and Peery, the South- west Missouri, 1838.
"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father which is in heaven."
CHAPTER VI.
- -
SECTION II.
"Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall r( ap if we faint not."
1841.
Conference at Palmyra. In the Southeast Charleston comes to view and Jefferson City takes its place on the Mis- souri River. Charleston was always a good circuit-has for years been a good station. I suppose it is the only endowed charge in the state. One of its original members, Mrs. Smith, left, by will, her estate to it.
The Smiths, Handys, Moores, Swanks, Haws, Rushes Reasors, Griffiths, Sheeks, Myers, Kays, Goodes were some of the Methodists of the early days and many of their children walk in the footsteps of their fathers.
Charleston has entertained the St. Louis Conference three times. W. H. Lusk was a useful local preacher. Judge Handy was a gifted polished, popular gentleman, deeply devoted and sincerely pious.
Uncle Jimmy Moore was as solid as a rock. Of course the Smiths were good. That's a good name. The name Swank brings to remembrance a certain suit of clothes.
The church was organized in Jefferson City, in the house of Jesse Waldron, in 1838, by Thos. Wallace, and composed of Peter McLain, W. M. Carr, J. Waldron and
221
$843.
J. D. Curry. No female names given me. Suppose there were some. The first church building was begun in 1839, finished in 1843 and dedicated by Thos. Wallace. The present beautiful house of worship was erected under the pastorate of C. C. Woods, 1873, and dedicated by Bishop Marvin. The most extensive revivals were under the ministry of W. H. Lewis in 1844, and recently during the pastorate of W. B. Palmore, by whom, old bachelor though he is, the present parsonage, the best but one in the Con- ference, was built. The Ewings, 'Millers, Longs, Winstons, Gordons, Houghs are a few of the prominent Methodists there. The church there licensed J. C. Shackleford, T. B. King, and J. D. L. Blevans to preach and sent them to the itinerant ranks.
North of the river, Weston, Grundy, Adair, Waterloo and Pinkney came upon the list as new charges, and St. Charles becomes a station.
Weston developed rapidly, soon became a station, for a while was the head of a district and the seat of a high school and was an important prosperous centre of church opera- tions, but in late years its history has not been so interest- iug as in former times.
Grundy was immortalized by being Marvin's first charge.
Waterloo was for years an excellent circuit, but the name, like that of Grundy, has disappeared.
Pinkney was a German charge.
St. Charles was not only made a station but placed at the head of a district where it yet remains.
1842.
Two new charges appear this year in St. Louis-Cen- tenary and Mound. The mounds have been removed and the charge has gone west and been christened St. Paul's.
222
CROOKED CREEK CIRCUIT.
Crooked Creek circuit, which first appears this year, was in Bollinger county, and subsequently named Dallas. It was regarded a hard appointment till 1857, when under. the effi- cient ministry of E. H. White, it rose to one of the best cir- cuits in that part of the Conference. My recollection is that brother White reported $100 missionary money, which was the first time any circuit in the state had paid that much in one year. He also had a great revival and at the next Con- ference reported two hundred more members than any other circuit in the district.
This year Jefferson City became a station. Huntsville and Savannah became good circuits and abide to the present. They appear for the first time this year, as did also Oregon Mission, Spring Creek, Edina and Auburn. These have taken other names.
1843.
The Conference met for the first time in Lexington, which was honored for its hospitality in being made a station
1843.
South St. Louis, with W. M. Rush pastor, appears this year ; changed next year to Wesley chapel, and is now known as Chouteau avenue.
In the Springfield district we have four new charges : Bolivar, Greenfield. Roscoe and Little Osage.
Bolivar circuit was taken from Springfield. H. G. Jop- lin organized a class in Bolivar in 1837. Richard Stout and family were the members. Soon after, Samuel Moore and wife joined. Their daughter became the wife of W. W. Jones, whom Bolivar gave, through Sarcoxie circuit, to the ministry, thereby making herself immortal. The first meet- ing house was built of hewed logs, in 1839. The second
223
1843.
was a brick house, and the third, which is to be a very fine church, is now in course of building, under the indefatigable Hagler. The first parsonage located there was built in 1844. The second and third were located at Pleasant prairie (now Morrisville ).
The Mitchell camp ground class was organized in the house of Ransom Cates, in 1834 or 1835, he and his family being the members, by J. P. Neil.
About this time the Mitchells settled there, and ever afterwards the neighborhood was known by that name. A hewed log house of worship was built in 1836; the camp ground in 1841, in which year the first camp meeting was held there, at which William Jones was converted. A brick church was erected in I858.
Rev. Morris Mitchell had two sons and ten grand-sons that were (some still are) Methodist preachers, and great- grand-sons, nephews, and other kindred not to be counted now. When this good man and his wife died, they left a posterity of 720 souls, most all Methodists.
James, a son of Morris Mitchell, was converted under the ministry of Jas. Axley, in IS07; commenced preaching in IS12, preached twenty-two years in Tennessee and forty-one in Missouri ; then "fell on sleep and was gathered to his fathers" in the eighty-ninth year of his age, having served the church acceptably as a local preacher for sixty-three years. He was more than an ordinary man. Large, very tall, angular, with a voice like a lion, no man can forget him who ever heard him preach. Very appropriately, he sleeps at Mitchell's camp ground.
224
BOLIVAR CIRCUIT.
(Here four pages of the manuscript have been lost. The following begins in the midst of a sentence in an extract from a journal by Jacob Lanius .- AUTHOR. )
"sixty miles north of this place, which is called Woodard's mill. Here there is a good society ; three or more local preachers, two of whom, Bros. Perkins and Bewly, were once members of the Holston Conference. The quarterly meeting is to be held one mile and a half from here, at Bro. Winton's. Bro. Woodard has been a Methodist half a cen- tury. and says he is not yet weary of the way. He is a man of wealth, and has a drove of servants. My soul was warmed. last night when I saw all the negroes come in to prayer. This is as it ought to be.
"December 14 and 15, held the quarterly meeting. There was a fine state of feeling among the Christians. At least sixty persons-all Methodists-took the sacrament of the Lord's supper. Six were mourners, one professed religion, and three joined the church. Seven local preachers and one traveling preacher were present. We had a good meeting. This is the best circuit in Springfield district. It embraces Green and Polk counties, has twenty appointments, 250 members, forty members of quarterly Conference, ten of whom are local preachers. The brethren are about to secure forty acres of land, on which they have a meeting house and camp ground, and will have a parsonage."
The meeting house referred to was Ebenezer. In 1839 the first meeting house for Woodard's class was built of neatly hewn logs, was nicely pointed with lime and white sand, had glass windows and doors, seats and pulpit made of sawed lumber. This was the fifth house of worship built in this. part of the state and in its finish and furniture, was the best.
225
I834.
The house was built in a grove of black hickories and was named Hickory Grove.
But the dear old house, in which were held so many happy meetings, is gone. Only the foundation stones show where it stood. A larger and better one, a frame building, has taken its place and stands a few yards away.
The class is still a live, working church but the cemetery in the rear of the church-house, has now the larger member- ship. In 1839, Jerome Perkins was interred there; soon after Cynthia M'Knight, then Jesse S. Woodard-all infants. There my grandparents and parents and some of my broth- ers and sisters sleep. I know of no other place I would pre- fer to rest when my work is done.
Of my grandparents I must say something more. Pit Woodard was born in one of the Carolinas in 1766. While a young man he went to Davidson county, Tennessee, and settled on White's Creek. Here he married Miss Elizabeth Smith, and raised a family of five daughters and four sons. On his place there was for years a Methodist camp ground, known as Woodard's camp ground. Here his children were converted and joined the church, and he was a steward and class-leader. My grandmother was the first of her family to be- come religious. She was converted in a Methodist class meet- ing and joined the church. She refused to go to balls. To en- trap her, a ball was had at her father's. At the first squeak of the fiddle she went to a secret place and spent the time in prayer. Her steadfastness and zeal brought the family to the Saviour. Two of her brothers, Jesse and John Smith, became Methodist preachers. John was three years a mem- ber of the Tennessee Conference, located, came to Missouri, lived and died three miles below Commerce, in Scott county.
226
BOLIVAR CIRCUIT.
Two sons-in-law, James Mitchell and Elisha Luter, were preachers. The last named died.a few months ago in · Ken- tucky. Jesse W., T. R. and E. D. Luter : Pitt W., W. H., J. S. and R. A. Vann; W. S., W. E. and J. S. Woodard ; R. P. Faulkner, and D. A. M'Knight, grandsons, and G. M. Winton and Liles Hopkins, grand sons-in-law ; J. B., W. H. and G. B. Winton, great grandsons, and S. M. Godby a great grand son-in-law-in all twenty-two-have been (some are now ) preachers. My grandmother was a holy woman. She was my ideal of Christian perfection. She fasted every Friday. For me, no one else could pray so well. Her class and love-feast meeting talks can never be forgotten by those who heard them.
Clementine Bewly (now Cook) still lives within a quarter of a mile of the Church. She is the daughter of Wm. and Polly Winton and can pray almost.as well as my grandmother. In ISS7 she can celebrate her semi-centennial connection with the class. May I be there. Her husband, Cousin John, is a holy man. This sketch of Bolivar circuit will be incomplete if I do not say that Johnathan Rice, king of Turkey Creek, was a wise, great, good, sweet spirited man, and one of the best friends a young preacher ever had. Other names and places on this old circuit are clamoring for a place in my book, but I must forbear and conclude this lengthy sketch by writing the names of persons licensed to preach in addition to those already given. They are, fesse, A. C., B. F. and f. C. Mitchell, M. Arrington; I. Ruth, E. W. Morton, M. R. Anthony, W. D. Stewart, M. L. Maddy, M. L. M' Guire and M. A. Ewing. I write from memory and do not think of others just now. Those in italics became itinerants.
IS31. 227
Greenfield started well, but six years later an unfortun- ate church trial, which resulted in the expulsion of the preach- er in charge, P. B. Marple, from the church, so crippled the circuit that it soon after lost its name, and although there is now a Greenfield circuit, Methodism has never prospered in that fair town. The town was twice in my charge and I know whereof I speak.
Limestone camp ground has been the scene of many a spiritual battle and glorious victory. The names of David- son, Daughtry, Finley, Farris and others are immortal there. The parsonage is located there and they have a nice church. Both were built under the pastorate of J. L. Hagler.
Roscoe made but little history.
Columbus and Harrisonville take their places among the circuits.
These have been, and still are, good charges. I have sketched Blackwater class. The class at M'Kendree Chapel was organized in 1842 by W. P. Hulse, a local preacher and now made a part of the new Columbus circuit, of which T. T. Ashby was the first pastor.
The charter members were : Morris, Rebecca, James M., Patsy and Myra Cobb, F., Sarah, Sr. and Sarah, Jr., Wood, Ishalm, Matilda, W. H., Elizabeth, Nancy and Phoebe Reese ; 14. I. Reese was class leader.
The first place of worship was the house of J. M. Cobb. The chapel was built in IS58.
Six preachers-J. N., T. M., W. B. and T. P. Cobb, W. F. Wagoner and E. J. Chambers-were sent out by this class, four of whom are brothers-sons of the father and mother of the class.
228
HARRISONVILLE CIRCUIT,
The first class ever organized in Cass (then VanBuren) county, was in the house of Wm. Ferrill in 1836, near where Pleasant Hill now is. Charles Myers and wife, Samuel McIninche and wife, Wm. Ferrill, wife and daughter, E. J. Clemins, Sam Sheat and Elb. Carter -- ten-were the original members. . Chas. Myers, C. L.
They first worshiped in the McIninche school house ; afterwards, 1845, in the public school house in Pleasant Hill. A brick church was erected in 1868 at a cost of $4,500, which was destroyed by a tornado in IS78, and afterwards rebuilt.
The first house of worship erected in the county was on the place of Robt. A. Brown, three miles west of Harrison- ville, in 1843. This was built of hewed logs, and covered with clapboards. It was in Independence circuit, E. B. Headlee, P. C. This house was used till 1856, when a brick church was erected in Harrisonville. under the direc- tion of Brown, Garrison and Hooker. This was taken down in IS78 and rebuilt, at a cost of $4,500, and in its propor- tions, finish and furniture, is one of the most beautiful churches in the state.
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