USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 31
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 31
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Dr. Peek visited the county in 1818, and in writing about the establishment of his own church ( Baptist ), said : -
" During the war, when the people had to live in forts, and until 1818, no correctly-thinking person could expect Christian churches to be organized, revivals to follow, and the baptism of converts to be reported. With five Baptist preachers and as many more Cumber- land Presbyterians and Methodists, only five Baptist churches, with numbers not much exceeding one hundred in all, were gathered before 1818."
From the above we find there were five Presbyterian ministers in the county, as early as 1818, and equally as many preachers repre- senting each of the two denominations. Which, then, was actually the pioneer religious organization in the county we do not know, the three churches named having an equal number of preachers upon the ground as early as 1818.
It is, however, claimed, that the Baptists erected the first church edifice, called Mount Pleasant, near the town of New Franklin. The first camp-meeting in the county was held by the Cumberland Pres- byterians, in 1824, about two miles above Old Franklin, on the Adkin Lee farm. Among the ministers present upon that occasion,
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were Revs. Samuel Pharr, J. W. Campbell, and Finis Ewing. The latter was quite a distinguished preacher, being the founder of that denomination (Cumberland Presbyterians). The Methodists held a camp meeting at Clark's chapel, many years afterwards.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
[Prepared by Rev. M. J. Breaker.]
General Sketch. - The Baptists were the pioneers of religion in Howard county, and laid the strong foundation of the education, morality and religion of the present population. The faith of the earliest settlers was that of the Baptists, and the oldest protestant organization now existing in the state, north of the Missouri river, and lacking but little of being the oldest in the whole state, is the Mt. Pleasant Baptist church, near Franklin. This venerable church was organized in 1812, and has had a continuous existence ever since. It was composed chiefly of persons who had first settled, and had or- ganized a Baptist church near Lontre island, in Montgomery county, but who, having been disturbed by the Indians, came to the Boone's Lick country for greater security. From Mt. Pleasant the Baptists rapidly spread all over the country (including the territory now called Cooper, Boone, Randolph and Clinton counties, as well as Howard ). For some years they were the only religious denomination having or- ganized churches in the county. During that time they were earn- estly engaged in discharging the responsibility they felt God had laid on them. Life in a frontier country was rough, but they found time and had inclination to attend to the duties of religion. Their preachers were illiterate and had to support themselves by manual labor, but they abounded in efforts to save sinners, and their Master blest them. The people were scattered over a wide territory, and often surrounded by savage enemies, but they met for Divine worship, though they had to take their rifles with them ; and their places of meeting were often uncomfortable. In the pleasant weather, the spreading branches of an oak, or an arbor of boughs afforded fine facilities for preaching and hearing- the preachers had lungs in those days, and, report says, the sound of their voices could sometimes be heard for miles ; but in inclement weather they had to crowd into the log cabins of the settlers, or into the but little larger meeting-houses they were able to erect. The first meeting-house in the county and all the territory north of the Missouri river, was that built at Mt. Pleasant, in about 1816. It was about twenty feet square, and was (23)
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
built of unhewn logs. The roof was made of clapboards, kept on by poles laid on them. The chimney was built on four posts in the cen- tre of the house. The house had no windows, and the two doors had thick shutters. The floor was the native soil. In the middle of the floor, under the chimney, a fire was built to warm the worshippers, but, plainly, they were better warmed by a fire within them. The seats were long stools made of slipt logs. There was no pulpit, but the preacher stood on the floor wherever it suited him best. The babes, which the mothers always brought with them, amused them- selves by playing in the wholesome dirt on the floor. But great pros- perity attended these earnest efforts to serve God, so that by 1834 - just twenty-two years after the planting of the first church - the de- nomination had increased from oue church, with twenty-three members, to some twelve churches, with upwards of 750 members.
Up to this time the utmost harmony, both in doctrine and practice, had prevailed ; but now, and for some four years, strifes and schisms occurred. In 1834, the views of Elder A. Campbell were introduced into some of the churches, and confusion followed. The result was that, in some of these churches, the members and preachers were di- vided, and new organizations were formed. These new organizations took the name of " The Christian Baptist Church," -so at Mt. Pleas- ant - from which they afterwards dropped the word " Baptist."
In 1835, occurred the great split in the denomination. This was on the subject of missions. Two years before there had been a simi- lar split in Virginia on the same subject. One party opposed mis- sionary operations by district associations, general associations, state conventions and general conventions, and likewise opposed Sunday- schools and ministerial education. The other party, which in this part of the country was in the minority, favored these things. For some years the points at issue were warmly discussed ; finally, at a ses- sion of the Mt. Pleasant Association, at Mt. Zion church, the matter came to a head. The minority submitted to the majority these prop- osition, preferring the first to the second, and the second to the third : -
" 1. We are willing to be at peace on the principles of the United Baptists of the United States.
" 2. We are willing to be at peace if the association will adhere to its advice given at its last session, giving to all liberty of conscience on the subject of missions.
" 3. If a division upon the subject of missions is inevitable, the minority proposes that it shall be effected by advising the churches to grant to ministers in each church, if the ministers request it, a copy
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of the record of the church book ; and that the majority in each church, whether for or against the foregoing propositions, retain the regular days of meeting and the church book. Should the minority in any case require it, they shall be entitled to the use of the house two days in every month, selecting for themselves any other day, Saturday and Sunday, than those upon which the majority meet."
The majority in the association voted down the first and second of these propositions, and adopted the third. This divided the denom- ination. Each party continued the association, but for a time retain- ing the old name - " The Mt. Pleasant Association of United Bap- tists "- but after some years the anti-missionary party changed the name of their association to " Mt. Pleasant Old School Baptist asso- ciation."
After this split the missionary party showed great vigor, and numbers now some eighteen churches and 1,200 members. The op- posing party has declined to three churches and about 150 members.
Soon after the close of the late war the negro members withdrew and formed churches of their own. These will be more particularly mentioned below.
BENEVOLENT WORK.
The Baptists of Howard county have ever been among the fore- most in the state in the support of the missionary and educational work of the denomination. In 1818 " The Mt. Pleasant Association of United Baptists " was organized at Mt. Pleasant church. Than this, there are but two older associations in the state - Bethel and St. Louis - and for many years it was the most efficient body of its kind among the Baptists of Missouri. Until 1880 its main strength had always lain among the churches of Howard county. Here lived its wisest leaders and its strongest supporters. Since 1880, most of the churches of the county have belonged to the Mt. Zion Baptist associa- tion, which was organized in that year at Mt. Zion church, and which is a vigorous and efficient body.
The general organization of the Baptists of Missouri for missions and education is the general association, which has exerted a great in- fluence and done vast good in the state. This body - first called the " Central Society or Committee " -- took its origin in 1833 from a prayer-meeting in the house of John Jackson, near Fayette, in this county, which meeting was composed of Elders Thomas Fristoe, Ebenezer Rodgers and Fielding Wilhite. For some years the execu- tive board of the general association was located in Fayette, and Mr. Leland Wright, now a resident in Fayette, was the corresponding
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secretary. And the Baptists of Howard county have never failed to support most warmly this great missionary body.
William Jewell college, Liberty, Mo., is the male college which the several associations founded and fosters. It is the chief Baptist college of the state. Many of its trustees, and some of the most liberal contributors to its endowment, have been found among the Baptists of Howard county. And Mount Pleasant college, which existed for many years at Huntsville, partially derived its origin and its strongest support from the churches of this county. For the past few years the average annual contributions of the denomination in the county for Christian work has been about as follows : -
To sustain the preaching of the gospel in the churches, $3,300; missions, education and other benevolent purposes, $1,200; total, $4,500.
Ill CHURCHES.
In almost every neighborhood in the county there has been and is a Baptist church. Among the points where there used to be churches, but where for various reasons they have become extinct or been removed, may be mentioned Boonsboro, Richland, Old Chariton, Lower Monitean. The following list embraces churches now existing in the county : -
1. Mount Pleasant church, near New Franklin, was organized near its present site, April 8, 1812, by Elders David McLain, Colden Williams and John Sneethen, presbytery. The original members, besides these three preachers, were Samnel Brown, Abraham Grooms, William Creson and wife, John Berry and wife, William Monroe, - Stephenson and wife, Mrs. Winscott, Nancy Goggin, Nancy Cojum, Joseph Boty, Mrs. John Sneethen, Sophia Swearingen, Josiah Boon and wife, Dan Rider and wife. The following have been the pastors till now : David McLain, William Thorp, Ebenezer Rodgers, Reuben Alexander, William Duncan, Green Corey, Noah Flood, B. F. T. Coke, B. F. Smith, X. X. Buchner, J. D. Murphy, M. H. Williams, H. M. King, E. D. Isbell, M. J. Breaker. The church now numbers about forty-two members, and worship in an excellent frame house - union.
2. Mount Zion church grew out of the above, and was organ- ized December 20, 1817, at the house of Elisha Todd (now Mr. Richard Payne's ) by Elders David MeLain, Edward Turner, Thomas Hubbard and Coklen Williams. These were the original members : David MeLain and wife, Thomas Hubbard, Elisha Todd and wife,
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Henry Burnham, Colden Williams and Edward Turner. The follow- ing have been the pastors : Edward Turner, William Thorp, Colden Williams, Fielding Wilhite, William Duncan, Green Corey, Noah Flood, Thomas Fristoe, B. F. T. Coke, T. H. Olmstead, X. X. Buchner, G. R. Pitts, W. R. Painter, M. F. Williams, B. F. Lawler, E. D. Isbell, N. T. Allison, M. J. Breaker.
The house of worship is a neat frame building, owned by the church and situated near where the church was organized. Present membership about thirty - a small but intelligent and active body.
3. Glasgow church is a continuation of the Old Chariton church, and so also is the Chariton church below. This Old Chariton church was organized at the town of Chariton, Chariton county (about one and a half miles from Glasgow), April 8, 1820. The presbytery consisted of elders John B. Longan, William Thorp, Charles Herry- man, and Thomas Henson. The constituent members were : General Duff Green, Daniel Riggs, Ebenezer Rodgers, John Tooley, Benj. F. Edwards, John Bowles, David Love, Enoch Morgan, Elizabeth Bowles, Sally Maddox, Kitty Bailey, Nancy Riggs, Phoebe Tooley, Sarah Botts, Sally Love, Nancy Morgan, Lucretia M. Green. The pastors until 1848 were Wm. Thompson, D. D., Ebenezer Rodgers, and Thomas Fristol, with Addison M. Lewis as assistant pastor. In 1827 the church moved from the town of Chariton to a point about two miles northeast from Glasgow. Here it remained until 1861, when it removed to Glasgow. The pastors from 1848 to 1861 were Thomas Fristol, Addison M. Lewis, A. P. Williams. And from that until the present time, the pastors have been A. P. Williams, D. D. M. L. Laws, M. J. Breaker, J. F. Kemper, W. Pope Yeaman, D. D., W. F. Harris. When the church removed to Glasgow it built a substantial brick house - now owned by the Presbyterians - which was sold in in 1866, when the majority of the church withdrew and reorganized the present Chariton church. After some years the Glasgow church built, at a cost of $12,000, the present house of worship, the most elegant in the county. The present membership is about sixty.
4. Chariton church, about six miles north of Glasgow, is a con- tinuation of the Old Chariton church just referred to and located at its present place in 1866. At the reorganization the presbytery was com- posed of Elders Jesse Terril, Thomas Kilbuck, S. Y. Pitts, and G. W. Rogers. The pastors from 1866 until the present time have been W. R. Painter, F. M. Wadley, L. M. Berry, M. P. Matheny, A. F. Pear- son. The church worships in a substantial frame house which it owns. Present membership about 130.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
5. Mount Moriah church was organized August 13, 1823, by elders Ebenezer Rodgers and Colden Williams. The original members were Henry Burnham, Sarah Burnham, Samuel Hughes, Nancy Hughes, John Jackson, Susannah Jackson, John Matthews, Rachel Matthews, James Reid, Abraham Dale, Pleasant Wilson, Susannah Wilson. Pastors : Ebenezer Rodgers, A. J. Bartee, William Duncan, Wm. Thompson, B. T. F. Cake, G. R. Pitts, W. R. Painter, M. F. Williams, M. J. Breaker. The house of worship is a substantial brick, situated about four miles west of Fayette, and is owned by the Bap- tists and another denomination. Present membership about sixty.
6. Roanoke church is a continuation of the old Mount Moriah church, which was formed about twelve miles north of Fayette in 1826, but the names of the original members and of the pastors before 1836 could not be obtained. In 1836 the name was changed to Mount Olive, and after some years the church removed to the town of Roan- oke, and has been called by that name ever since. The pastors have been since 1836, as follows : -
Thomas Fristoe, Jesse Terril, W. H. Mansfield, Wm. Thompson, Noah Flood, S. G. Pitts, W. L. T. Evans, F. M. Wadley, L. M. Berry, W. P. Yeaman, W. F. Harris. The church owns the lower story of a substantial frame house in Roanoke. Present membership about 120.
7. Gilead church was organized in April, 1820, by Elders Ed- ward Turner and Colden Williams. Original membership : Edward Turner and wife, Daniel Lay and wife, Sally Brashears, Amos Death- erage and wife, Henry Saling and wife, Elizabeth Saling, Jane Maughan, Paten Maughan, Henry Bowman. The pastors have been Edward Turner, J. D. Butts, Thomas Turner, A. J. Bartee, William Duncan, Jesse Terril, R. H. Harris, Noah Flood, W. R. Woods, Green Carey, Wm. H. Morris, J. D. Murphy, J. W. Terrill, P. T. Gentry, M. F. Williams, E. D. Isbell, J. B. Dotson, L. M. Berry. House of worship is situated about five miles east of Fayette, a frame house, owned in part by the Baptists. The present member- ship of the church is about ninety.
S. Fayette church grew out of Mt. Moriah in 1839. The mem- bers were these : Wm. Taylor, Emily Taylor, Sarah C. Birch, Olivia C. Birch, Elizabeth Daly, Louisa Major, Elizabeth Major, James Bradley, Susan Wilson, Adelia Garner, Euphemia Turner, Geo. W. Lydiletes, D. E. Searcy, David Morrow, Eleanor Morrow, Mary Ann Anderson, Elizabeth J. Searcy, Eliza Holliday, Terry Bradley, Chris- topher Cockerill, Hardin A. Wilson, Amanda Shepard, Eliza Ann
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Reynolds, Letty Watts, Polly Litchler, John Hansou, Jane Hanson, John W. Searcy, Mrs. W. R. Dickerson, John H. Potts, Priscilla Price, Susan, slave of Jos. Major ; Esther, slave of Eunice Payne ; Esther and Eliza, slaves of Mrs. E. Daly. The pastors have been : A. M. Lewis, Thomas Fristoe, A. B. Hardy, W. W. Keep, G. C. Harris, N. Flood, Wm. Thompson, Green Carey, F. Wilhite, X. X. Buckner, G. R. Pitts, A. M. King, E. D. Isbell, T. A. Reid, M. J. Booker. The house of worship is a substantial frame building, well situated in the town. The present membership is about eighty.
9. Mount Ararat church was organized iu 1865 by Elder William Woods and Jesse Terril. The original members were : T. Creeson and wife, T. Pemberton and wife, William Nicolas and wife, Andrew Nicolas and wife, Sallie Nicolas, Eunice Creeson, Jane MeGruder, James Creeson, Willis Graves and wife, Ruark Graves, Nancy Cree- son. Pastors: W. H. Woods, S. G. Pitts, F. M. Stark, L. A. Minor. No house of worship is owned by the church, but services are held in the Pemberton school-house, about eleven miles north of Fayette. Present membership about seventy-five.
10. Friendship church, about six miles north of Fayette, was or- ganized May 9, 1829, by Elders Edward Turner, Ebenezer Rodgers, Thomas Turner, A. J. Bartee and Thomas Todd. The original mem- bers were : Benjamin Cook, Polly Cook, Wm. Coruett, Nancy Cornett, John Kirby, John Leach, Jemima Leach, Wmn. Baskett, Susan Baskett, Samuel Fields, Elvira Gibbs, John Swetnam, Sarah Swetnam. The pastors have been : A. J. Bartee, Jesse Terril, W. H. Woods, W. L. T. Evans, Joshua Terril, J. D. Smith. Present membership abont seventy-five. A good frame house is owned by the church.
11. Sharon church was organized January, 1877, by Elder J. W. Terril. The original members were W. A. Morris, Sr., and wife, B. O. Morris and wife, Bettie Morris, Mary J. Morris, J. S. Morris, Til- ford Pemberton and wife, Sarah Pemberton, Florence Pemberton, Henry Hatler, J. C. Taylor, Thomas Magruder and wife, W. H. Mor- ris, Jr., Annie Morris. The pastors have been J. W. Terril, G. C. Brown, W. R. Woods. The church partly owns a good frame house about ten miles north by west from Fayette. Present membership abont twenty.
12. Boone's Lick church, near Lisbon, was organized January 20, 1870, by W. R. Woods and William Kilbuck, presbytery. The original members were Preston V. Smith, Mary Smith, Nancy Cooper, Martha Booth, J. H. Bodle, Rachel Bodle, Mary Stuart, Mary M. Wiseman,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Richard Jackson, Louisa Garvin, M. E. Ainsworth, Martha A. Dunn, Mary E. Johnson, Susan Burton, Robert Tippett, Catharine Tippett, Eglantine Headrick. The pastors have been Jackson Harris, W. L. Baskett. Luther Cloyd. The present membership is about twenty- five.
13. Moniteau church, at Bunker Hill ( Myer's post-office ) was organized at the house of Mr. John Perkins in 1847 or 1848, by Elders J. W. Terril and Green Carey. The original members were John and Rachel Perkins, Aaron and Willis Andrews, Henry and Cynthia Lynch, A. Banes. The pastors have been Jesse Terril, Bartlett Anderson, James Burton, William R. Woods, W. L. T. Evans, John Byrum, W. L. Baskett, Green Carey. The church worships in a good frame house in which it owns a half interest. The present membership is about sixty.
14. Ruhamah church, six miles north by west from Fayette, was organized in 1870 by Elders M. L. Laws, R. J. Mansfield, W. L. Baskett, John Byrum and W. R. Woods. The original members were Martin and Nancy Andrews, Nancy and William and Van Buren Andrews, Bennett Brown and wife, James Y. Miller and Ann his wife, Willis Rout and Sally his wife and Nancy his daughter, Harriet An- drews, Joe Andrews and Fannie his wife, Strotta Pritchett aud Patsy his wife, Russia Branham, James Hutson, and Alex. his son and Re- becca his wife, Robert and Jimmie Andrews, Mrs. Eaton and Ike, Kibble, Nancy and Jane her children, John Eaton and Mary his wife, Lucy Hackley, Eva Hackley, James Miller, James Branham, William Pulliam, Luther Pulliam, Bradley Pulliam, Emma Broaddus, Mary Hudson, Newton Hudson, George Rout, Franklin Smith and Bett Ann his wife, Dora Browning, Nieinda Andrews, Mary Gibbs. The pastors have been W. L. Baskett and William Kilbuek. The church worships in a school-house. Present membership is about forty-eight.
15. Mizpah church, about four miles northeast of Fayette, was organized in 1872, by elders M. L. Laws, M. F. Williams, and H. M. King. The original members were J. Q. Moberly, Prior Burton, Robert Dougherty, Charles Berkley, Mrs. A. E. Berkley, Mrs. S. Burton, Mrs. M. E. Moberly, Mrs. Mary Dougherty, Mrs. H. George, Mrs. E. Williams, Mrs. J. Patterson, Miss Laura Patterson, Mrs. M. . Jourdan, N. Brown, S. R. Jourdan, Miss N. George, J. Stroby, Mrs. P. George, Owen Williams. The pastors have been P. S. Collop, M. F. Williams, W. K. Woods, J. D. Smith. The church is a union house, a good frame building. Present membership about fourteen.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
16. Sulphur Springs church, about three miles northwest from Rocheport, Boone county, was organized September 22, 1880, by elders J. B. Dotson and B. E. Harl, with these members : J. H. Jordan and wife and daughter, Levi Barton and wife, John Farris and wife, William Dodson and wife, Mrs. L. Minor, Miss Ada Row- lings. The pastors have been B. E. Harl, J. B. Starke, J. F. Par- mer. The church owns a good frame house. Present membership about forty.
17. Rock Spring church (old school) is situated about eight miles west of Fayette. It was organized in 1823 by Elders Ebenezer Rodgers and C. Williams. The original members were the same as those given for Mount Moriah, for this church is a continuation, in one line, of the Mount Moriah church. The pastors since 1839 have been : R. Alexander, A. B. Frioreor, J. W. Akers, Martin Doty, James Bradley, L. B. Wright. In 1872, the name of the church was changed to its present name, and the church built its present sub- stantial house of worship. The membership numbers about fifty.
18. New Hope church ( old school ), near Bunker Hill, was organ- ized as early as 1830, but further information could not be obtained. The present membership is probably about eighteen persons.
19. Sharon church ( old school) has the same location as the Sharon church above. It was organized as early as 1826, and is a continuation of the old Mount Ararat church. It has a membership of abont eighteen persons. No further information could be obtained concerning it.
N. B. - These three churches do not contain quite all the Old School Baptists in the county. At all the above points where churches were organized prior to 1835, that organization continued iu two lines, and we have given the line that has kept up an organization till now. In many cases the old school line continued many years parallel with the other.
20. Second church, Fayette (negro), was organized soon after the close of the war, but no names or dates could be obtained. The present membership is supposed to be about 100.
21. Bethel church (negro) is situated in the Missouri bottom, a few miles west of New Franklin. This is all that could be ascertained about it.
SUMMARY.
Whole number of churches, 21; aggregate membership, about 1,200. Number of preachers now resident in the county were, viz. :
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
W. K. Woods, Jackson Harris, M. J. Breaker, W. F. Harris. Most of the churches are presided over by preachers not resideut in the county. Most of the missionary churches have Sunday schools, but no statistics could be obtained.
CHRISTIAN CHURCHI.
[Prepared by Elder James Randall.]
Two of the Christian churches of this county were organized at a very early day - between 1816 and 1820. They were organized substantially on the same basis as those which were afterwards known as the Disciples of Christ and Christian churches, that originated from the ministry of B. W. Stone, of Kentucky. The ministers who or- ganized and who became the pastors of these churches, were Thomas McBride, and James McBride, his son ; he and his son left the county at an early day. Joel H. Hayden came to the county in 1827 or 1828, and labored with the McBrides. He was a man of strong mind and spotless reputation. Joel Prewitt was among the early ministers, coming in 1830, and did much for the cause of Christ.
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