USA > Missouri > Presbyterianism in the Ozarks : a history of the work of the various branches of the Presbyterian Church in Southwest Missouri, 1834-1907 > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
In October, 1899, the church celebrated its sixtieth anniver- sary with appropriate exercises lasting two days.
(WEMBLEAU) (HICKORY COUNTY.)
This church appears on the Assembly minutes but once, 1843, and then it is spelled Warbleau. In a letter written by Levi Mor. rison, headed "Cross Timbers, Mo., Jan. 21, 1861," there is given a list of churches, with succinct information concerning them. In this letter this line occurs:
"6 Warbleau. By D. Weir. Extinct long since."
The church was probably organized in 1842. There are in- dications that about this time the Presbyterians did considerable work in Hickory County. The fruits of these early labors have long since vanished from mortal vision. The church was sup- plied by E. P. Noel, Isaac B. Ricketts and G. A. M. Renshaw. Mr. Ricketts took charge of Osceola and Warbleau March 1st, 1843. Near the close of his five years' stay on the field he wrote: "This has been a season of great worldly mindedness. The gold fever has raged greatly in this part of the world, and conse- quently religion has been at a low ebb. There was a great alarm among the people when 'the pestilence that walketh in darkness and destruction that wasteth at noonday' were sweeping off their hundreds and thousands *
* but when the judg- ments of God were in the land there were not many, it seems.
124
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
that learned righteousness." Many similar references to the California gold excitement and to the cholera season of 1849 are found in the correspondence of the American Home Missionary Society .*
(NORTH PRAIRIE) (HICKORY COUNTY).
The ruins of Presbyterianism in Hickory County are hardly as much in evidence on the spot as were those of Goldsmith's "Deserted Village." And yet here was once probably the strong. est Presbyterian Church of the New School in Southwest Mis- souri. Rev. Enos M. Halbert says: "The North Prairie Church was organized about 1843 by Bedford Ryland *
* * at the request of ten Tennesseans. The church was partially supplied till '45 by W. E. Hendy, A. G. Taylor, William H. Smith and others hunting a home. About '45 L. R. Morrison took charge and supplied until 1861, when it numbered 175 (or 75 ) communi- cants. Thomas Davis and Joel B. Halbert were elders."
In the letter of L. R. Morrison, referred to in the preceding sketch, written from Cross Timbers, is this account: "In the autumn of 1851 I moved to my present location, not a town, as some brethren abroad write it, but a remote and almost isolated spot of loveliness, where a few humble, praying men and wo- men-people of my first ministerial charge in Tennessee-have made their little farms and set up their banners in the name of the Lord. Here I found a church consisting of twenty-four men- bers, organized by Messrs. Noel and Renshaw,* about 1845. It now numbers over 100 communicants. Here is the place of our Presbyterial High School. This people by persevering toil and with a cash expenditure of not more than $300 has created church and school property valued at $1,400. The sons of this church have been studying five years for the ministry, and are in a good state of advancement."*
The Assembly minutes corroborate the statement of Mr. Mor- rison rather than that of Mr. Halbert as to the time the former took charge of the church, but Mr. Halbert is doubtless nearer correct as to date of organization. W. E. Hendy referred to in his notes should have been written W. K. Handy. Rev. J. M. Brown wrote the following communication to the Presbyterian Ro- porter :
*Hill's Kansas City Presbytery, p. 295.
*Below in the same letter he says Noel and Ryland.
*No doubt one of these was Enos M. Halbert, whose father was an elder here.
125
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
.WARSAW, Mo., Dec. 11, 1865.
I arrived here last Friday with my family and household effects, and have juts got to housekeeping again. * * Twenty miles south of Warsaw, in Hickory County, is North Prairie Church. Here rebellion smashed everything. The church building is gone to ruin, minister and members rebels of deepest dye. Scattered and dead, so that out of more than 100 only about 25 are left. This includes both white and black. But there is some good material yet, through all these long four years of fiery trial, loyal to their country and their God. Spent a Sabbath here in com- pany with Brother A. G. Taylor and preached to a most attentive and feel- ing congregation. The old meeting house had been hardly used by the soldiers-windows all gone, stoves broken and withal so cold and cheer- less that we decided to meet out of doors, and there on the sunny side of the old church, on that beautiful hill, hallowed by the many outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the years gone by, we had one of the most deeply interesting services it was ever my lot to attend. Many tears were shed, covenants renewed, and I doubt not souls refreshed. Dr. Halbert, the patriarch of the neighborhood, and one of the leading men in this section, together with his son, are elders in the church. He (Dr. H.) and four sons were in the Union Army as soldiers. One of these sons (not the elder) at the outbreak of the rebellion had been studying for some years with the ministry in view, and under the care of the old Osage Presbytery. He was expecting to be licensed at their meeting in the spring of 1861, but they had so much to do to encourage rebellion no time was found to look after their candidate for the ministry. Thus dropped by his spiritual fath- ers, he entered the Union Army, served his three years with honor and now, on the return of peace, longs to preach the gospel. Brother Taylor (who has known him for years) and myself told him to go ahead. . We also constituted ourselves a kind of provisional Presbytery, received him as a candidate, directed him to his studies, and expect to license him next spring as one of the first acts of our reconstructed Osage Presbytery. Brother Taylor and myself will supply them at North Prairie with preach- ing. From North Prairie I went to Walnut Grove and spent a Sabbath with Cave Spring Church. This field is promising. We hope to retain thirty members-some of them very desirable members. Have here two good elders. I have had a very hard, but a very pleasant and encouraging trip. I was compelled to travel sixty miles on foot, often in mud and rain, with pack on my back soldier fashion. Hope to have it easier now, as I have a horse. But, Brother N., we must have more men very soon, and men that will cheerfully endure hardness. If such men be supplied, with God's blessing, very much may be accomplished during the next year in South- west Missouri. But now is the time to strike.
Yours in the missionary work,
JOHN M. BROWN.
After over forty years the need voiced above is the need of the hour! The expectations as to the North Prairie Church seem never to have been realized. Desultory mention is made of the church on the records of Presbytery as late as. April 11, 1888, and then it disappeared.
SPRINGFIELD-BELLVIEW (GREENE COUNTY).
Fortunately the original records of this ante-bellum church are preserved and are now in possession of the clerk of the ses-
126
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
sion of Calvary Church. This church was organized on Sabbath afternoon, April 23, 1849, "at the brick school house in Spring- field." Dr. Artemas Bullard, of St. Louis, and Rev. G. A. M. Renshaw organized the church and placed it under care of Osage Presbytery. Eight members from the Mount Zion Church and seven from other churches constituted the charter members. At the head of the list of members stands the name of David Ap- pleby. At the organization of the Mount Zion Church (1839) he was made one of the first ruling elders. This position he held alone for a time in the Springfield Church. In December B. C. Thomas was ordained to take part with Mr. Appleby in the elder- ship. The church seems to have shifted its places of meeting from the school house to the court house, the residence of David Appleby, the Little Prairie School House, the Methodist Church in Springfield, etc., until the erection of its own house of wor- ship on Jefferson street, between East Walnut and Elm streets. Rev. G. A. M. Renshaw, of the Mount Zion Church, was Mod- erator of the session while the church was without a stated min- ister. Rev. Daniel Emmerson was the first minister in charge (August, 1849-May, 1850). By reason of his decided position on the questions of the day he soon became persona non grata to a part of the church, and it was decided that his usefulness was at an end in this church. For several years the church was grouped with the Mount Zion Church under the ministry of Rev. G. A. M. Renshaw, but for a longer time it is marked V in the Assembly minutes. In 1859 Rev. Levi Morrison was employed for one-fourth time.
The Presbytery of Osage appears to have met with this church in April, 1857, at which time this suggestive record was made in the sessional records :
"Examined and approved except some orthographical and grammatical mistakes, including page 13.
"Springfield, Mo., April, '57.
JOHN M'MILLAN, Mod."
In the fall of 1858 the Presbytery of Osage "resolved itself into an independent Presbytery until its next meeting, stating as its reason that it believed some of its members and churches desired to connect with the Old School and some with the United Synod, and advising all who wished to withdraw to do so by the vote of a regular church meeting before its next stated meet- ing in March following." It appears that at this meeting in March, 1859, the Presbytery elected to unite with the United Synod. As the records of the Presbytery of Osage are lost, it is worthy of note that the Presbytery did not become extinct for some time after this, as the approval of the minutes of the Spring- field Church shows, cf. p. 36:
127
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
"Hall's School House-April 6th, 1861. Examined thus far and approved.
"L. R. MORRISON, Modr. of Osage Presbytery."
Mr. Morrison and the session did not deem it necessary to call a congregational meeting, as suggested by the Presbytery, but favored the transfer of the church to ecclesiastical relations with the United Synod. This position was highly displeasing to the members of the church living in town .* Hence arose the two distinct parties referred to in a letter from Mr. Quarles in- corporated in the sketch of Calvary Church. The descendants of both parties are still living in this community. It is exceed- ingly gratifying to be able to assure them that while the records give evidence of intense feelings and some mistakes, above them all there are evidences of ability and piety on both sides. In December of 1859 two additional elders were elected by the part of the church that favored ecclesiastical relations with the Old School body. Then followed the organization of Calvary Church, as narrated elsewhere. The Springfield Church followed the leadings of Presbytery, kept the elders who lived in the country and retained the name and the records. During the war the Presbytery became extinct and the church was almost if not alto- gether disbanded.
The last sessional record is dated August 29, 1864, and is signed by David Appleby as clerk. Then, after a blank page and certain items of information inscribed by a later hand, this item appears in the handwriting of the next clerk: "The minutes of several intermediate meetings of session are lost." The rest of this page is blank and the sessional records are resumed under date of October 24, 1870. Four other sessional entries are made, the last one dated November 14, 1870. Rev. James A. Paige, pastor of Calvary Church, was the Moderator, and the elders were James N. Appleby. W. E. Witherspoon and James P. Mc- Curdy. It will be noted that these entries were all made after the reunion of the Old and New School churches and the con- sequent organization of the Presbytery of Ozark. At the reor- ganization of the Presbytery of Osage April 26, 1866, when the churches were being enrolled "Rev. W. S. Messmer reported that he had organized a church at Prairie Grove, consisting of eleven members, to be known as the Presbyterian Church of Springfield; that the church requested to be taken under the care of the Presbytery and that the session had appointed David Appleby to represent them in this body. The request of the church was granted." The retaining of the name "Springfield," and the records and the eldership indicate that this was a resus-
*The sketch of Calvary Church should be read in connection witir this one.
I28
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
citation rather than an organization. During the war Calvary Church had obtained the building by purchase and the proba- bility is that it had absorbed most of the membership. After the 14th of November, 1870, the records were placed in posses- sion of Calvary Church. The name of the Springfield Church was changed to Bellview October 11, 1873. In the new book for sessional records is this statement :
"All the records of this church previous to Feb. 1st, 1876.
JAMES N. APPLEBY, C. S." are lost.
This may be true of the records between November 14th, 1870, and the above date. But we have seen that the records prior to the latter date are not all lost.
It appears that the purpose was to place the old record book in the cornerstone of Calvary Church. Why this was not done I cannot tell, but after the last record (i. e., November 14th, 1870), is this interesting communication, which together with the fact that the book had been placed in possession of Calvary Church indicates that the asperities of other times had happily been en- tirely wiped out :
"As matters of possible future interest for persons who may be in- terested in Calvary Presbyterian Church, and in view of placing this book with other documents and papers in the cornerstone of the new edifice on St. Louis street, in Springfield, Mo., the writer (who with his wife are now the only original members of the church) states that during the Civil War the only religious services held in Springfield were held in the Presbyterian Church. The post chaplain, Rev. F. H. Wines, preached there frequently and sustained for two years a large Sunday school. The Rev. Mr. Murdock and Rev. Mr. Fulton, O. S. ministers, were often able to give their services to us, and occasional services were held there by Cumberland Presbyterian and Methodist brethren, the churches of both de- nominations being in public use, one for an arsenal and the other as a military storehouse. The members of the church were largely loyal. Messrs. Hursh, Henry and Charles Sheppard serving as officers in the Union Army. Capt. Lee served throughout the war most creditably in places of great pecuniary responsibility. The country elders, who had sustained Rev. Mr. Morrison in his transfer of the church and Presbytery, remained loyal and joined the Old School Church themselves,* and from their efforts has since sprung Bellview Church, seven miles northeast of Springfield, a solid and useful church. The Rev. Mr. Morrison was captured by Gen. Fremont's army and marched a long distance on foot to Springfield. His health gave way and, though an earnest worker as long as he was able, he is not be- lieved to have had a regular charge after the beginning of the war. He died in Cooper County, Mo., about the year 1867. Major John Hursh died November 9, 1871. He was a faithful servant of the church in its days of poverty and weakness. Capt. Lee wa for many years elder. He died November 12, 1873. Both are buried in Hazelwood Cemetery. Rev. J. A. Paige became pastor of the church December, 1866, and remained until
*N. B .- This was evidently at the reunion of the Old and New Schools, for these elders belonged to the New School until that reunion, unless, forsooth, the Springfield Church itself belonged to the O. S. ror a time dur- ing the war.
129
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
about April, 1872. Rev. Cyrus H. Dunlap then was called to the church, which place he still holds, to the great content of his people. Calvary Church has for many years sustained its own services and given a helping hand to feeble churches. It contributes regularly to all the board of the Presbyterian Church, and turns not away from recognized worthy unde- nominational enterprises. Its influence is widespread for good and its prospects for usefulness widening as the age advances.
"June 20, 1878. HENRY SHEPPARD."
Just below in the same handwriting is this note :
"The records of Calvary church are kept in another book. It sue- ceeded the organization of which this book tells, and is the same church enlarged and improved in many ways."
The Bellview Church erected its present house of worship, in 1876 at a cost of $860. It was dedicated by Rev. C. H. Dunlap in November of that year. Changes in the personnel of the com- munity have almost depopulated the church, but the building and the cemetery grounds back of it have been kept in good repair. A. B. Appleby is the only resident elder-a grandson of David Appleby, who was a charter elder in the Mount Zion Church and later in the Springfield Church.
Among the ministers who have served this church are Dan- iel Emmerson, G. A. M. Renshaw, A. G. Taylor, W. S Messmer. J. M. Brown, John H. Wilson, E. M. Halbert, G. F. Davis. C. C. Hembree, E. A. Hamilton and J. B. Fisher.
(GASCONADE) (WRIGHT COUNTY.)
This church first appears in the minutes of 1851 with nine members. From '52 until the Osage Presbytery quit reporting it appears with Rev. Isaac B. Ricketts as S. S. It never reported more than thirty-seven members.
(WALNUT GROVE) (GREENE COUNTY.)
In a historical sermon preached at Cave Springs some years ago by Rev. Enos M. Halbert are these words: "On July 7th, '53, nineteen members were dismissed from Cave Springs Church (Mount Zion) to organize at Liberty Hill, called the Walnut Grove Church. The organization was premature, lasted but a short time, when at their own request Osage Presbytery dissolved the church and the members returned to this church."
The church was organized by Revs. G. A. M Renshaw and A. G. Taylor. It was supplied for a year or more by Renshaw and after that by Taylor, and it appears on the Assembly min- utes as long as Osage Presbytery reported to the Assembly.
130
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
(RED HILL) (GREENE COUNTY).
In the list of New School churches given by Rev. L. R. Mor- rison this note is made: "Red Hill. A. G. Taylor. Nearly dead. U. S." The church first appears on Assembly minutes in 1854, and remains there as long as Osage Presbytery reported. If there was anything left it evidently went to the United Synod. It was supplied continuously by the organizer, but never reported more than seven members. Let us cherish the hope of the little girl in the old form that "we are seven" still in the church tri- umphant.
The ten churches sketched herein are probably all that the New School Church organized in our territory prior to the war. For three or four years William H. Smith appears to have preached at Hermitage, in Hickory County, and various other preaching stations were maintained; but so far as I have been able to discover neither Hermitage nor these other stations had actual organizations.
When the "fragments were gathered up" after the war the new Presbytery of Osage enrolled but two of these ten churches, i. e., Springfield and Mount Zion. In 1867 the former reported fifteen members and the latter seventy. Little Osage and Mar- miton had gone to the Old School. Out of Springfield had gone the stronger church of Calvary (Old School). Others had "fallen on sleep" that knows no waking.
(WHITE ROCK) (TEXAS COUNTY). (LICKING) (TEXAS COUNTY). (ST. ANNE) (PULASKI COUNTY). (PEACE VALLEY) (HOWELL COUNTY).
Shortly after- the reorganization of Osage Presbytery Rev. L. J. Matthews seems to have labored under a roving commission over several counties in the southeast part of the Presbytery. He preached in county school houses, in private dwellings, in Hous- ton and Mountain Grove, as well as in the places designated above. The records of Ozark Presbytery (Book B, p. 110) in- clude this entry for September 6th, 1878: "On motion the Peace Valley Church was restored to our roll. On motion the names of Licking and St. Anne churches were stricken from the roll and the members transferred to the White Rock Church.
White Rock was organized by A. G. Taylor, and was en- rolled April 23, 1868. Licking and Peace Valley appear on the roll of April, '69. They were probably organized by J. M. Brown.
131
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
The register of the Presbytery of Ozark indicates that St. Anne was received at the organization, but the name does not then appear on either the Assembly or the Presbyterial roll.
In September, 1878, the Chairman of the Committee on Church Erection was requested to correspond with the board to get "permission to sell the Peace Valley Church building with the understanding that the proceeds be granted to the church of West Plains to erect a building."
The main interest in these churches centers in the fact that nearly forty years ago Presbyterianism had a start in a territory that has been abandoned for many years. The men of Osage Presbytery were true pioneers and pressed into "the wilderness and the desert" with the gospel.
OLD SCHOOL CHURCHES ORGANIZED BEFORE THE RE- UNION OF 1869-70.
At the organization of the Presbytery of Southwest Mis- souri June 22, 1865, the roll consisted of four churches-Eben- ezer, Mount Vernon (now Ozark Prairie), Calvary and Bolivar. Some of the New School churches given above subsequently be- came Old School. But I find no trace of others organized before this date.
EBENEZER (DADE COUNTY).
W. L. Seroggs, for over forty-four years an elder in this church, asserted at its semi-centennial that in 1840 J. M. Rankin moved from East Tennessee to Dade County, Mo., and was proba- bly the first (Old School) Presbyterian who settled in Southwest Missouri south of the Osage River. According to another author- ity, Mr. Rankin is said to have come before 1839. About that time Springfield was the nearest postoffice and seat of justice. "The laws of the State were scarcely known and but rarely ad- ministered in Southwest Missouri. Magistrates were few and far between, and it is related by John Crisp, who married in those days, that he had to take his bride forty miles to a Justice of the Peace." Greenfield was laid out in the spring of '41, and a post- office was established in '41 or '42. On the 4th of June, 1842, the Ebenezer Church was organized. Its nearest neighbor of the same branch of the church was Lexington, 150 miles to the north, whilst Boonville, far to the northeast, lent her pastor as organ- izer for this church in the wilderness. The church was organ- ized by Rev. W. G. Bell as per order of Missouri Presbytery. Twenty-eight persons entered the organization, as follows: John
-
132
PRESBYTERIANISM IN THE OZARKS
M. and Polly Rankin, Margaret Rankin, Nathan Wilkinson, Sr., Nathan Wilkinson, Jr., Rebecca Wilkinson, Jane Wilkinson, Nancy Morris, John Tarbot, Mary Tarbot, Jacob Montgomery, Rachel Montgomery, Ann A. Montgomery, Nancy S. Davidson, W. W. Rankin, Margaret Rankin, Margaret Gardner, James Sharp, Alfred Cowan, Hannah (a negro slave), Mary Weir, Sr., Betsy Wilkinson, Sarah Wilkinson, Nancy Bowers, Thomas Ross, Sarah C. Ross, Margaret Rutledge, George Rutledge. On the day of organization there were received into the church on pro- fession of their faith: Samuel C. Rankin, David C. Rankin, Jane Montgomery, Josiah C. Montgomery and Lafayette D. Mont- gomery.
The first elders were Nathan Wilkinson, Sr., Jacob Mont- gomery and John M. Rankin. In 1892 the fiftieth anniversary of this church was commemorated. At that time it was noted that seven of her sons had taken a collegiate and theological educa- tion and entered the ministry, viz: W. M. Mitchell, S. W. Mitch- ell, J. N. Rankin, Joseph W. Scroggs, L. M. Seroggs and W. A. McMinn.
The recurrence of family names among the original mem- bers in this list of ministers and in the present roll of official and lay members is worthy of note. Those old families, mostly from Tennessee and Virginia, brought with them Dodridge's "Rise and Progress," Baxter's "Saints' Rest," the Confession of Faith and the church paper.
The minister who organized the church proceeded in the unal way until he came to the place where a name was to be given, then "J. M. Rankin arose with tears streaming down his face and said. 'Let the name be Ebenezer, for hitherto the Lord hath helped us.'" For about two years the ruling elders exer- cised spiritual care over the flock, and then in 1844 Rev. Valen- tine Pentzer became the first stated supply, laboring with this flock for three years. The quality of his work may be judged from sketches of his sermons found elsewhere in this volume.
From 1848 to 1860 Rev. John McFarland ministered to this church. The first house of worship was erected in 1854. It was built of brick, which were subsequently used in the erection of the commodious manse that now gives shelter to the pastor. The erection of this first house of worship was made possible by the generosity of Elder James M. Mitchell, who invested over $600 in this building. But He who sat over against the treasury and saw a poor widow cast in two mites noted another gift. In the roll of members above is this name. "Hannah" (a negro slave). In reality "Hannah" Cowan had been freed in Tennessee, but she "came with her young master to Missouri and lived with the family until her death. When the # * # church was
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.