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 9
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JOHN KELLY was admitted on trial in the Kentucky Conference in 1721, was transfered to the Missouri Conference in 1827 and appointed to Spring and White River, Arkansas ; 1828, Hot Springs ; 1829, White River; 1830, Cape Girar- deau in Missouri ; 1831, Washington, Arkansas. In 1832 his name disappears ; but is found on Carey Fork, Tennessee Conference. In this conference he continued to serve circuits, stations and districts till 1848, when in consequence of declin- ing health, he took a supernumerary relation, in which he continued until his death, which occurred May 16, 1864.
Mr. Kelly was successful. One year "he added four hundred and fifty to the church." Another, "several hun- dred." January 25, 1834, he married Miss Lavinia Camp- bell. She became the mother of the Rev. D. C. Kelly, DD., and also mother of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the M. E. Church, South. Forty-three years an itinerant preacher. "He died peacefully." "Methodist preachers die well."
In 1830, Kentucky gave to Missouri a man of more than ordinary pulpit power in the person of J. K. LACY. His
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74
J. K. LACY.
appointments were : IS30, New Madrid ; IS31, St. Louis circuit ; 1832, Boonslick ; 1833, La Mine ; 1834, Little Rock district : 1835, Arrow Rock circuit ; 1836, local ; IS37, Lex- ington circuit ; IS3S, Versailles ; 1839-41, Springfield dis- trict : 1842-44, local again ; 1845-46, Gape Girardeau dis- trict : IS48, Arrow Rock circuit ; ISAS, Boonville circuit ; IS49. Potosi ; 1850 located third time ; IS51, however finds. him in the ranks again, on Jefferson City circuit ; IS52-3-4, Jefferson City district. Before the Conference assembled in IS55. he had responded to the roll call in the Father's house above. His body with his charge laid down, and ceased at once to work and live. Twenty-five years-the prime of his life-were given to the church in the wild west of the Mis- sissippi river, nine on districts, eleven on circuits, and five in the local ranks. He was a man of a high order of intellect and fair attainments, but of a bilious temperament. Hence, was at times despondent, and at such times was dull and dry in his pulpit ministrations, though always instructive. It was difficult for him to preach to a small congregation. But take him in his livelier moods, give him a good congregation, let him 'swing clear,' and he had but few equals in the pulpit. I doubt if any of his brethren excelled him. I heard him preach a serman at Smith's camp ground in Franklin county, in 1853. from the text, 'If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha,' which I have al- ways regarded as one of the greatest sermons I ever heard. The peculiar intonation of his voice, as he uttered the ex- clamation : 'Life !- eternal life!' still lingers with me. I make no doubt but that this reference to that sermon will awaken pleasant reflections in the minds of others who. heard it.
75
IS30.
Mr. Lacy was my presiding elder when I was a small boy ; he was my third presiding elder after I joined the Con- ference. For him we named our first-born boy, and he dedicated him to God in holy baptism.
He was, when fully himself, my ideal preacher. Of medium size ; large, prominent forehead ; quiet eyes, brim- ful of intelligence and love ; a proper nose ; thin lips ; and a voice distinct, clear, soft, sweet and musical.
That was J. K. Lacy. He died at his home in Cooper county and was buried at Pilot Grove, where his body waits "the resurection of the just." He was a member of the Gen- eral Conference of 1854. Twenty-eight years a preacher.
GEORGE WASHINGTON BEWLEY was admitted on trial by the Tennessee Conference in 1826-then in his seventeenth year-and sent to Dover circuit. He was transfered to Missouri in 1830. He was ordained elder that year, though not yet twenty-one, and appointed to Belleview circuit ; 1831, Fishing River ; 1832, Palmyra ; 1833, Bowling Green ; IS34, St. Charles ; 1835, St. Louis station ; 1836, Arrow Rock; 1837, Boonslick ; 1838, Lexington, two years ; 1340, superannuated ; IS41, Danville ; 1842, Hannibal station ; 1843, Palmyra ; 1844, superannuated, two years; 1846, translated.
Mr. Bewley was born in Fairfax county, Virginia, May 2, 1810. Was born again, joined the church and was licensed to preach when but sixteen years old. Although he died young-thirty-six-he preached twenty years.
He ranked among the leading men of his Conference ; was an excellent preacher, faithful pastor. a true friend. uni- versally popular, and respected, loved and esteemed by all who knew him.
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GEORGE WASHINGTON BEWLEY.
Just before leaving his first circuit in Missouri, William and Ellen Spencer presented him a beautiful, two months old babe for baptism. "Name this child," said the preacher. "Eliza Bewley" was the ready response. The preacher was surprised and embarrassed, but the babe was baptized and re- ceived the blessing of him for whom she was named. That child grew to womanhood ; became one of the most beautiful of all the daughters of Eve, and one of the best of women.
On her twentieth birthday she met a young preacher who was then making the first round for the Steelville cir- cuit. One year later-but the reader may guess the rest and look at the title page of this book for the name she now bears.
Mr. Bewly "died of pulmonary consumption, at his res- idence in the town of Hannibal, Missouri, November 5, 1846. His last days were bright with the light of the Lord, and his death was triumphant to the highest degree."
Class of 1830: Johnson, 52 ; Eaker, 54 ; Keetron, 40; Kelley, 43; Lacy, 28; Bewly, 20; total, 237. Average, 39 1/2 years.
We have now gone through another decade of years, during which fifty-six names were entered upon the roll of Methodist preachers in Missouri. We close this chapter with a brief summary.
One was expelled, six discontinued at the end of the first year and two at the end of the second. Fifteen served in Missouri but one year each ; nine, two years; eight, three years ; six, four ; two, five ; two, six ; one, seven ; one, eight ; two, ten; one, thirteen; one, eighteen ; one, twenty ; one, twenty-one; one, twenty-two; two, twenty-four; one, twen-
77
IS3 !.
ty-five ; one, thirty-four ; one, thirty-nine ; and one-Andrew Monroe-forty-seven. Aggregate, 425 years in Missouri ; elsewhere, 221 ; grand total, 646.
Counting all the years, local and itinerant, six preached over fifty years. Hogan, 58; Monroe, 56; Berryman, 56; Slavens, 55 ; B. R. Johnson, 52 ; and Jordan, 50; total, 327. Average, 5412. Three of these are yet living.
" He that endureth to the end shall be saved."
CHAPTER III.
SECTION II.
" Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields ; for they are white already to harvest."
1821.
Again the Conference met at McKendree Chapel and rejoiced in an increase of forty-one per cent. S. H. Thomp- son was elected president and presided till Bishop Roberts arrived on the second day.
The city of St. Louis first appears this year on the list of appointments, to which Jesse Walker was sent.
The planting of Methodism in the commercial center of the Mississippi valley-" the future great of the world "- was an epoch in history, and marks an annal in Missouri Methodism of more than ordinary note. In '20 Jesse Walk- er was appointed Conference missionary. He went to St. Louis and said : "I have come, in the name of Christ, to ยท take St. Louis ; and by the grace of God I will do it."
He brought provisions with him from his home in Illi- nois, rented a house, commenced holding meetings and opened a day and Sunday school. The following is the rec- ollection of one of his pupils :
Jesse Walker, the founder of Methodism in St. Louis, preached on the second Sunday of May, IS21. After the sermon he announced that at 9 o'clock on the next Sabbath morning he would open a school to teach young people to read. He would furnish the books,
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IS21.
and give the instruction free to all that would come to receive them, and cordially invited the young people, male and female. to come and learn to read. On the next Sunday morning there was a class of ten boys attending, I among the number. The school was opened by singing a verse of the hymn. "Children of the Heavenly King;" then a short prayer. Father Walker examined each scholar to see how much they knew in letters. He found five who did not know their A B C's; the other five could read a little. Father Walker then gave to each boy who could read one who could not, thus forming them into classes, one teaching the other his A B C's. While they were thus engaged, Father Walker called first one and another of those who could read and gave to each of them a short lesson of instruction and advice on religious subjects. This course was pur- sued for one hour and a half, when Father Walker informed them that the school must elose for the present. But it would open again on next Sunday morning, and he invited them all to come again and bring as many new scholars as they could along with them. He then made them a short address on religious subjects, sang a verse of the hymn, "Jesus my all to heaven is gone." Then a short prayer and we were dismissed with the benediction. ROBERT D. SUTTON.
Arlington Grove.
He found one man who had been a Methodist. but did not want the fact known in St. Louis, lest it should injure him in his business. So far as this writer knows, that fellow was a nameless biped. He was a cowardly ingrate. Ashamed of his religion. Had none.
On the first Sunday in January, IS21, he organized the first Methodist class ever organized in the city. John Scripps and others had, however, occasionally preached there as early as IS16.
The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. A. Burns, Messrs. John Finney, John Armstrong, - Hoyt and Mrs. Piggott, a widow; total, 6. A. Burns was appointed class- leader, which post he held for many years ; a good. true and faithful man. Two of Mrs. Piggott's sons were ministers.
So
ST. LOUIS CIRCUIT.
Three others, John Goodfellow, his sister, and a young lady, whom he afterwards married, soon after joined the class. In June the preacher held a camp meeting eight miles from the city, at which William Finney and his sister, Mrs. Kells, were converted. These, with their father and Mr. Kells, soon after joined. Father Walker procured timber, had it sawed into lumber with a whip-saw, and built a meet- ing house 20x30 on Myrtle and Fourth streets. He reported to the Conference, which was held in his new church in St. Louis. October 24, IS22, fifty-seven white and thirty colored members.
This year William Beauchamp was appointed to St. Louis, and by his great talents, complete consecration, trans- parent piety and persistent labors, gave the church a won- derful impetus. The city has entertained the annual Confer- ence nineteen times and the general Conference-May, 1850 -- once. The General Conference met again in St. Louis in 1890.
This little frame building did not meet the demands of St. Louis Methodism long. So the church built a substan- tial brick on the corner of Fourth street and Washington avenue, which took the name of Fourth Street. In 1852 a more elegant temple was erected on Washington avenue and Eighth street, to which the society moved and took the name of First Church. Since then the congregation has moved still farther west. This church gave T. M. Finney and L. H. Boyle to the ministry ; possibly a few others. Burns, Finney, Gay, Goodfellow, Essex, Coleman, Baker, and many other names are upon the register of former years.
Centenary charge is the second in the city, and was the outgrowth of Centenary year ( 1839). The first house of wor-
SI
IS22.
ship was built in 1841 or 1842 on the corner of Fifth and Pine streets, and was dedicated by Bishop Roberts. This con- gregation has also moved west, and now owns and occupies one of the most substantial churches in the city, located at Pine and Sixteenth streets.
It gave E. E. Degg and G. W. Bushy to the ministry ; maybe others. Burd, Degg, Polk, Kanard, Jamison, Lock- wood, are only a few of those whose names will never be forgotten. A number of other churches have from time to time been established in the city. The Southern church now has eight pastoral charges and nearly two thousand members in the city, with property reported to be worth $360,300. I suppose, in all, there are twenty or twenty-five Methodist churches there. There ought to be at least fifty. Meth- odism has not kept pace with the population of the town. 1822.
The Conference met in St. Louis, and was opened by electing David Sharp president. Bishop Roberts arrived in the afternoon of the first day.
Boonslick was again divided, and Fishing river took its place in the list of appointments, the thirteenth in the state (Missouri became a state in 1821) and the fifth north of the river.
The circuit was named for a small stream of that name which runs through the western part of Ray county, and empties into the Missouri river near where Orrick now is. In ISIS the Tarwater settlement was made on Fishing river. Here, I presume, the first class in Ray county was organ- ized, though I can get no trace of it.
The first class of which I can get any valid history was organized on the head of Willow creek in 1828, and is now
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S2
FISHING RIVER CIRCUIT.
known as Todd's chapel. The charter members were: D. H. Thorp, Jacob Anderson, Lewis Linville, Thos. Adkin- son, J. W .. Smith, Presley Carter and J. D. Elliott. No female names reported. Peyton Smith is now the pillar of Todd's chapel. The chapel, named for a former pastor, was built in IS51 and dedicated by W. G. Caples in 1852.
The first church in Richmond was built the same year and dedicated by the same man. The first class in Rich- mond was organized in 1830 or soon after. Jesse Boyce and a Mr. Miller are the only names of the first members I have been able to secure. Soon after, Rev. January, John More- head, David Quisinberry and wife were added.
The congregation worshiped in the courthouse twenty years. The first house of worship was secured by the per- sistent efforts of Mrs. David Quisinberry and Mrs. John Morehead. The second house was erected in 1869, and the :third-an excellent brick-in ISSI.
Richmond was made a station in 1867. It has three times entertained the annual Conference. Some of the Methodists are named Joy, Woodson, Quisinberry, Shaw, Ford, Hughes, Creel, Trigg, Miller, etc. Richmond has a good parsonage.
The old journal of Fishing river circuit is now before me. The first minutes recorded bear date March 19, 1830, eight years after the organization. Then the local preachers were M. Fraker, T. N. Awberry, J. B. Wood, T. B. Markham. J. B. Wood organized the circuit, having been appointed to it in 1822.
Soon after, the names of January, Lisle, Kelly, Rain- water, Quisinberry, Baxter and others were added to the local ranks.
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1824.
Between the years IS30 and IS55, eleven persons-G. S. Huffaker, D. H. Sharp, T. B. Markham, P. B. Jones. T. C. Ruble, M. Richardson, E. W. Holeman, J. Nelson, W. H. Saxton, J. Craft and J. G. Stanley-were licensed to preach, and eight-J. Monroe, C. Smith, J. Reed, P. B. Jones, D. Penny, E. W. Holeman, N. Huff and W. II. Sax- ton-were recommended for admission into the travelling connection. D. Penny is probably the only one now living, and he is a superannuated preacher, living in the bounds of the old circuit.
1823.
Met again in St. Louis. No change.
1824.
Conference met at Padfield's, Ill. The Illinois Confer- ence was formed this year. Henceforth. the Mississippi river will be the eastern boundary of the Missouri Confer- ence, which now contains two districts in Missouri and one in Arkansas.
1825.
The Conference met in New Tennessee settlement, on Saline creek. This is the third place it met in the state and the fifth time, No change, save a decrease in membership of ten per cent.
1826.
Lexington circuit, the fourteenth charge organized, was set off from La Mine. John Wood, who discontinued at the end of his first year (on Fishing river), was admitted again and sent to this new circuit, which included all of Southwest Missouri, west of where Marshall now is. A. Monroe was the presiding elder. Wood was not a success, and he and the circuit both disappear the next year. The circuit reap- pears in 1830, with B. R. Johnson in charge-his first year.
S.t.
LEXINGTON CIRCUIT.
He had but one organized class with which to begin, and that was what is now known as Black Water church, in Johnson county, and had been organized since Christmas, by E. T. Peery, of La Mine circuit. The charter members of this church were : Thomas, Rebecca, Sr., Rebecca, Jr., Julia and Frances Winsor; Richard, Abadiah, James, Lacy, Thompkins, Mary and Colena Bradley ; L. and S. Simpson ; Rev. J. Fine and wife ; Narcissa Fine, Z. T. and E. E. Davis ; J. Riser and W. Cox-twenty-one. J. Fine gave the ground for the church and camp ground. The first house, built of logs, was erected in 1834. Subsequently, a frame house took its place. This was burned during the war. Since then the present house has been built. The membership now num- bers near one hundred. Camp meetings were held there for twenty years, and never without success. Hundreds and hundreds were converted there, among whom was Rev. H. N. Watts, for which his father-a Campbellite-drove him from home. He is now one of the oldest preachers in the Southwest Missouri Conference.
Grand Pass class was organized in the house of J. De Moss by B. R. Johnson in 1832 : A. McAlister, presiding elder. Members: Elizabeth and Abiah De Moss, and Eliza- beth and Louisa Lewis. A. De Moss is still a member of the class. L. Lewis, now Mrs. Majors, lives in Waverly, the honored matriarch of the church there. The first man who joined was J. Meadow. The church still in use was erected in 1845, and dedicated by T. T. Ashby.
The Lexington class was organized in the courthouse, in Old Town, in 1837, my informant says by G. W. Bewly; but as Mr. B. was that year stationed in St. Louis and R. H. Jordan on the Lexington circuit, more likely Mr. J. organ-
1826. 85
ized the class. Jesse Greene was the presiding elder. James and Ann Cloudsley, Cyrus Osburn, David and M. L. Gillispie, Lucy Anderson, David Grove, J. H. and E. H. Norfolk, A. and E. L. Henning were the original members. J. and A. Cloudsley, M. L. Gillispie, C. Osburn, D. Grove and J. H. Norfolk are still living. Lexington was made a station in 1843, and has been served by the following pastors : Forsythe, Johnson, Ashby, Jones, Boyle, Hamilton, Morris, Scarritt, Finney, J. E. Cobb, Kavanaugh, White, McFarland, Shack- leford, Hall, Godby, Camp, Stacy, Boggs, T. M. Cobb, Pugh, Williams, Walker, Prottsman and Poage.
The station has sent into the ministerial itinerant ranks, A. H. Powell, J. Stevenson, T. M. L. Bedsworth, J. H. St. Clair and R. A. Allen.
The first church, a brick, was erected in 1840. Rev. T. Calloway, L. P., gave the lot. The parsonage was built in IS49, and cost $2,500. In 1860 the old church was torn down and the present one erected at a cost of $15,000. The first great revival occurred in 1850, under A. L. Hamilton. Noted revivals occurred in 1857, 1867 and 1869, under Kavanaugh, Godby and Camp.
The Sunday school was organized in 1841, with Warren Jackson superintendent. On his removal to Tennessee in 1847, Silas Silver succeeded him and continued in office till his death in 1862, when the present incumbent, E. Winsor, became his successor. In forty-three years only three super- intendents. The statistics of 1884 give 216 church members and 215 in the Sunday school.
Lexington has entertained the annual Conference five times-in 1843, 1852, 1860, 1874 and 1885.
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S6
BOONSLICK CIRCUIT-
1827
No new charges appear this year. Increase, 9 per cent.
1828
For the first time the Conference met this year on the north side of the Missouri river. The place of meeting was Fayette camp ground in Boonslick circuit, which was some two miles north of the town of Fayette, now the county seat of Howard county.
Because of the importance of this section of the state to Methodism in Missouri, by reason of the location of two colleges at Fayette, I have made determined, persistent and repeated efforts to procure material out of which to construct a suitable history of the work of the church here, but, because of the loss of the church records during the war, have had but little success. I begin with Fayette, where the first class was organized early in the twenties. The house of "Billy" Reynolds, half a mile north of the court house, was the place where the gospel was first proclaimed by Methodist preachers, and class meetings were held. The first members were : "Billy" Reynolds and wife, Mary Green, Mary Riddleberger, J. B. Clark and wife, Jos. Sears, H. L. Boon and family, H. W. Kring and wife, Mrs. Skelton, Mrs. Leverage, Mr. Ball and wife, Reuben, Dorey, Thomas, Benjamin, William, John, and Susan Johnson, James and Jane Leverage, Jas. Miller and wife. Later came Adam and Isabella Hendrix, W. H. Nipper and wife, Joel Albert, Alexander, Harriet and Mary Wisely, W. T. Lucky and wife, N. Scarritt, W. W. Mitchell and wife, Alex. Mitchell and wife, Judge C. C. Hill and family, Dr. G. M. B. Maughs; C. W. Pritchett, H. Dofflemeyer and John Ervin. I am indebted to Brother Ervin for the above items.
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IS28.
John Johnson assisted to build the first church which was built in the thirties, and was the first erected in the town. HI. L. Boon, a local preacher and merchant, furnished most of the money with which to build the house. In 1840 he procured an order from the quarterly Conference to sell the church. The Campbellites became the purchasers, and Mr. Boon went with the house into that organization. So Fayette Methodism lost her house of worship and local preacher, who was at the time her most influential member. After this the class worshiped in a school house, the court house, and the chapel of Howard High School until 1855, when another house of worship was erected, which was dedi- cated by Bishop Pierce in 1856. This was sold to the colored people in 1869, after which Central College chapel was the place of worship to 1884, when Centenary chapel was built at a cost of $25,000. It has four rooms and vesti- bule on the first floor, and one of the finest auditoriums, with gallery and vestibule above, in the state. Fayette went to the head of the circuit in 1839, and was made a station in 1869.
About the year 1825 a class was organized in the neigh- borhood where Armstrong now is. The following were among the early members: Levi and Rhoda Markland and their children, Stephen, Mary, William, Susan, Martin Sarah Ann, Wesley and Elizabeth Green, Aaron and Lucy Fray, Ann Hopper, S. B. Honey, Reuben and Nancy Alver- son and their children, Thos. and Elizabeth Baugh, Annetta Walkup and her children, John J., Margaret, and Susan, and others. The first house of worship was erected in 1830, (preaching and other services hitherto having been held in private houses, mostly at Levi Markland's), and was named Wesley Chapel. This church prospered for nearly twenty
SS
BOONSLICK CIRCUIT.
years, when in IS40 Washington church was built, and some of the members went to that and others to Roanoke and Armstrong. Washington church was built near the home of William Shores, who had been an itinerant preacher, but located in IS29, and lived in this neighborhood forty-three years, and died January, IS72, and was followed to the home of the blessed in June of that year by his wife (nee Susan Johnson), and their funerals were preached by Rev. W. G. Miller. The charter members of Washington church were : William, Susan, C. W., J. F., Susan, Jane, Ann, and J. B. Shores, D. K. and Margaret Spotts and others from Wesley Chapel. J. F. Shores is now a member of the Missouri Conference, and the others are good church workers. The first house of worship was erected in the forties. This was burned during the war, after which the present one was built. Roanoke was once at the head of a circuit, but has surrendered that honor to Armstrong. Both of these places have union churches. Of Oak Grove, another church on the way to Glasgow, I know nothing.
Glasgow has been an important Methodist point for a long time, but its genesis is hidden in the forgotten past. The earliest members by me obtainable are : G. W., Henry, Elizabeth, Edmond, Jane, and J. B. Lewis; Dr. Bull (as local preacher), and wife ; J. T. Williams, J. S. Thompson, J. F. Nicholas, J. M. Sexton, Geo. Humphreys, W. G. Brown, E. R. and Elb. Barton, R. P. Hennenkamp, Mrs. Carter, L. Wilson, Thos. Mead, T. N. Cockrell, Colonel Swinny, Mrs. Lacy, Jesse Arnott, Noah Swacker, C. Gill- iam, T. Emerson, and others. It first appears as a pastoral charge in connection with Soule chapel, in 18.44.
1828.
For many years it was one of the strongest stations in the Missouri Conference, but has lost its prestige in that respect.
It occupies its second church edifice, has a good par- sonage, and has given W. H. Lewis and J .. O. Swinny to the ministry.
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