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 15
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On the 31st of January, 1897, the church and the parsonage that represented so many sacrifices went up in smoke and flame. This was Saturday morning. The pastor's sermons for the fol- lowing day were either burned or lost. But, nothing daunted, pastor and people went to the Methodist Church, on Spring street, and held services. The congregation figured on a frame building to take the place of the one destroyed. The pastor said, 'Let us build of stone,' and stone it was. The present beautiful struc- ture, with an auditorium to seat 300 and a lecture room of nearly 200 more, was dedicated February 18, 1898. The following sum- mer the parsonage was rebuilt and enlarged. Completed and
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paid for, this gave to Neosho oue of the best church plants in the Presbytery at that time.
For fifteen years the biography of Mr. Ely and the history of the Neosho Church are so interwoven that they are inseparable, and when the separation comes there must be many broken threads. Mr. Ely accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church of St. Charles and the pastoral relation with the Neosho Church was dissolved October 23, 1903. Ostensibly he went to his new field because of the better educational advantages offered his growing family. An indomitable worker like Mr. Ely estab- lishes precedents and acumulates duties in a long pastorate that become all but too heavy to be bourne, and I fancy that the only relief in sight was that which came through removal. But the memories are still tender in the church where he united in mar- riage 128 couples and ministered at 144 funerals. Rev. H. M. Gilbert, B. L. Stewart and J. W. Hudiburg have since ministered to this church. On the 16th of April, 1907, the Presbytery of Ozark convened in this church for its last session. On the second day of this session Presbytery received the Neosho Church. for- merly Cumberland Presbyterian, and united the two churches under the name of the First Presbyterian Church of Neosho. That evening Rev. J. W. Hudiburg was installed pastor of the United Church. Rev. B. M. Shive, D. D., preached the sermon. The Moderator, Rev. G. H. Williamson, presided and propounded the constitutional questions. Rev. B. P. Fullerton, D. D., delivered the charge to the pastor, and Rev. D. B. Whimster the charge to the people. The United Church reported a membership of 208.
AVILLA-WHITE OAK (JASPER COUNTY).
On the 3rd of April, 1868, Revs. J. W. Pinkerton and W. R. Fulton were appointed to organize a church at Avilla "if the way be clear." The entry on the minutes of September 4, 1868, is as follows: "Rev. W. R. Fulton, from committee appointed at a previous meeting to organize a church at Avilla, reported the duty performed and recommended that the church be enrolled. The report was accepted and adopted and the committee dis- charged." On the 25th of April, 1874, the name and location were both changed. Henceforth the church was called White Oak. The church had a struggling career and worshipped in a school house for eight or ten years. While Rev. G. H. William- son was serving the Greenfield Church (1882-85) he arranged to give a week night service to White Oak. One Thursday in Feh- ruary he drove from Greenfield in a drizzling rain, reached Red Oak after dark, went ont by a log and gathered leaves and sticks to start a fire in the school house. The lighted candles attracted
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an andience of two girls and three dogs! Mr. Williamson preached his sermon nevertheless. Text, "Thou hast kept the best wine until now." The news of this service spread rapidly. An an- nouncement was left for another service two weeks hence. The people said if Williamson could drive from Greenfield they could go from their homes. At the next appointment "the woods were full" of people, and by the fifth Sunday in June or July a church was dedicated out on the prairie free of debt.
(GRANBY) (NEWTON COUNTY).
The day after the appointment of a committee to organize a church at Avilla Revs. J. W. Pinkerton, W. R. Fulton and James A. Paige were appointed to organize at Granby. Previous to this September 30, 1865, the committee appointed to present a roll of the churches in the bounds of the Presbytery of South- west Missouri included Granby in the list. When or by whom it had been organized, or whether it was simply a preaching sta- tion, deponent sayeth not. The committee alluded to above evi- dently organized the church, for on September 4. 1868, is this entry in the minutes of Presbytery: "The church at Granby was recommended to the Board of Church Extension for an appro- priation of $100 to remove debt remaining on their house of wor- ship."
For some time the church was grouped with Neosho, but it never flourished. September 29, 1876: "Rev. D. L. Lander re- ported the organization of the First Presbyterian Church of Granby April 16th, 1876, consisting of seven members, with one elder." Subsequently the church was disbanded and the prop- erty sold.
URBANA-BUFFALO (DALLAS COUNTY).
On the 4th of September, 1868. Rev. John McFarland was appointed to organize a church at Urbana, some fifteen or sixteen miles north of Buffalo. March 26th. 1869, he reported that he had organized the church with eleven members and A. F. Mc- Dowell as ruling elder. The church at Buffalo was enrolled March 31st, 1871, by the Presbytery of Ozark, and on October 11th, 1873, the two churches were consolidated, taking the name of the latter. Rev. L. J. Matthews ministered to this church in an early day, and since his time it has probably had a score of students, licentiates and ministers who have preached there for a short time, and still maintains a moribund existence. The dif- ficulty in grouping the church satisfactorily has been partially
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responsible for this condition, but it must be confessed that in- ternal conditions have had their weight.
PANTHER CREEK-CONWAY (LACLEDE COUNTY).
Rev. James A. Paige reported (to Presbytery of Southwest Missouri) that on the 31st day of December, 1868, he had organ- ized a church at Schmalhorst's Mill, in Laclede County, of nine members (since increased to fifteen), with two ruling elders, viz., William H. Schmalhorst and Matthias G. Miller, and one deacon. The church was enrolled by the name of Panther Creek, changed by request to Conway September 30, 1870. Mr. Schmalhorst is still an elder in this church and has the rare distinction of having a son share with him a position in the session. The following min- isters have served this church: Revs. J. A. Harwood, 1868-70; A. W. Elliott, 1870-72; H. A. Tucker, 1872-75; L. J. Matthews, 1875-77; George F. Davis, 1882; W. R. McElroy (student), in summer of 1888; C. S. Zorbaugh (student), summer of 1892; N. D. Bristol, 1892-94; Warren Mooney, 1894-96; W. G. Moore, Feb- ruary, 1897, to December, 1899; William Alexander Smith, W. N. Crozier, Pliny S. Smith and W. L. Hackett. Beginning with the pastorate of Mr. Moore the church entered upon an era of pros- perity hitherto unknown, and although it has had its drawbacks since then, it is today the best equipped village church in the Presbytery. An unusual number of the sons and daughters of this church have entered college, and the church has been a con- stant feeder to the Springfield churches.
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(LOCUST GROVE-WESTMINSTER) (NEWTON COUNTY).
The organization of the Locust Grove Church, subsequently known as Westminster, was reported to Presbytery by Rev. W. R. Fulton August 20th, 1869. It started with eight charter mem- bers, one of whom was elected ruling elder. It was grouped with Neosho for many years and received the spiritual ministrations of such ministers as Revs. J. M. Brown, B. F. Powelson. D. L. Lander, R. W. Ely and others. The church was dissolved October 25, 1905.
(BETHEL) POLK COUNTY).
Historic interest in this defunct church centers in the fact that in its eldership were the names of Drake and Strain-names so long and favorably associated with the Bolivar and Fair Play churches. The church was reported to Presbytery by Rev. John McFarland April 15th, 1870, as having been organized since the
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last meeting. Elder W. G. Drake represented the church in Pres- bytery. Sixteen persons constituted the charter membership. For a time the church formed a part of a group served by Rev. Enos M. Halbert. It was dissolved October 18th, 1883.
(MINERSVILLE) (JASPER COUNTY).
The Minersville Church was enrolled the same day as the above-the last church enrolled by the Presbytery of Southwest Missouri. It was organized by Rev. J. W. Pinkerton with four members. Erastus Peet was the ruling elder. By April 24th, 1872, the membership was reduced to two and the church was dissolved.
CHURCHES ORGANIZED AND ENROLLED BY OZARK PRES- BYTERY 1870-1907.
In the list of the churches of Southwest Missouri Presbytery no mention was made of the churches in Henry County, which for a brief time belonged to the jurisdiction of that Presbytery, because their enrollment there was for but a brief time and in the new adjustments they fell not to the Presbytery of Ozark, but to that of Osage. Upon its organization the Presbytery of Ozark began an investigation of fields and churches whose origin is buried in oblivion and whose destiny it was, after resuscitation, to be cast with the Osage Presbytery or the Southern Church. Such were the churches of
NEVADA (VERNON COUNTY). (PROSPERITY) VERNON COUNTY). (LAMAR) (BARTON COUNTY).
Minutes March 31st, 1871: "Revs. Messrs. Fulton, McFar- land and Pinkerton were appointed to visit the churches of La- mar, Nevada and vicinity and report to next meeting." Fulton, McFarland and Pinkerton, appointed to visit the churches of Lamar, Nevada and vicinity reported that they had done so in part and found nothing encouraging in that field."
April 13th, 1872: "Letters from Nevada City were read showing the importance of occupying the place at once, where- upon a committee consisting of Rev. W. R. Fulton and Elder Scroggs were appointed to visit that field, and if the way be clear to organize a Presbyterian Church."
Minutes September 14th, 1872: "The Rev. W. R. Fulton re-
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ported the organization of a church at Nevada City, Vernon County, consisting of ten members (four elders and one deacon). The church was enrolled."
Minutes April 10th, 1875: "The church at Lamar was on motion stricken from the roll and the remaining members be (evidently were) directed to attach themselves to the church of Prosperity."
Lamar was subsequently occupied by the Presbyterians, U. S., and Vernon County was transferred to the Presbytery of Osage in the fall of 1874. In the readjustments of 1907 this county was placed in the confines of Carthage Presbytery. The reader is referred to Hill's History of Kansas City Presbytery, pp. 293, 294 and 302, for sketches of Nevada and Prosperity. The above is given as indicating work done at an earlier date than that suggested by the records available to Dr. Hill.
But the new Presbytery was not more intent on looking up moribund organizations than it was in entering new fields.
Minutes March 31st, 1871: "Organizations of new churches were reported at :
"Pierce City, January 22, 1871, with nine members, by Rev. W. L. Miller. T. Rakaby, elder; A. Bavington, deacon.
"Logan, March, 1871, James B. Milliken, elder, by Rev. W. H. Downing.
"Verona, March 26, 1871. Elders Thomas Lumley and Geo. A. Purdy.
"Mountain Grove, Elders Andrews and Griffith.
"Bolivar, Elders Randolph and Strain.
"Buffalo."
Sketches of Bolivar and Buffalo are given above. The ca- reers of the other churches were brief and uneventful. The re- union of 1907 brought from the Cumberland wing of the church into the united body churches at Pierce City, Verona and Moun- tain Grove.
STOCKTON (CEDAR COUNTY).
"Rev. W. R. Fulton reported the organization of a church in Stockton of seven members, with one ruling elders, James H. Bovell, elected and installed."-Minutes October 6, 1871.
The church was stricken from the roll April 30th, 1885, and restored September 15, 1887. The committee appointed to visit the church at that time failed to report at the next meeting-at least no record of a report is given. As the church disappeared from the roll once more, the writer organized it again in Decem- ber, 1902, and it was enrolled April 14th, 1903. In the days of Fulton and McFarland a few staunch Presbyterians lived in or
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near the capital of Cedar County, and they seem to have been in touch and fellowship with the Presbyterians of Greenfield and other places. One of these, Hugh Ross, left a farm of 540 acres that at the death of his wife was to be sold and the proceeds used to build a Presbyterian Church in Stockton. . The will was filed for record February 10, 1860. With the lapse of time the farm has become very valuable, and if the will of Mr. Ross is ever carried ont the little flock ought to have a commodious and elegant house of worship.
PRESTON (JASPER COUNTY).
This church was organized by Rev. J. W. Pinkerton October 8th, 1871. The field was practically abandoned in 1876, when this entry was made in the minutes (March 11th) : "Resolved, that in view of the removal of several members of the Preston Church and the organization of a Cumberland Presbyterian Church covering the same territory, and the conviction on the mind of Presbytery that all the time of Brother Glasscock is re- quired at Joplin, that the brother be excused from laboring at Preston until next meeting of Presbytery." Numerous ministers efficient and otherwise have served the church since that time, and it continues on the roll of Presbytery.
NEWTONIA AND RITCHEY (NEWTON COUNTY).
The name of this defunct church awakens reflections I am tempted to record. In 1868 my childhood home was transferred from Texas to Newtonia, Mo. When the St. Louis & San Fran- cisco Railroad went through Newton County we moved to the railroad, and father helped the Ritcheys to found the town of Ritchey. There was a conviction broadcast at that time that every railroad town would speedily become a city of pretensions dimensions. Many of these towns have not yet realized the ex- pectations of their founders. Not to mention others, Ritchey an- swers to this statement. Our stay there was brief and I carried with me to our new home in Johnson County the impressions of a child eight or nine years of age. I did not pass through the place again until I had finished my collegiate and theological education and had entered the ministry. Then my thoughts were similar to those that coursed through my mind as I went to Neosho to attend Synod the other day. About 150 yards from the depot is the building where father kept store and hotel. I had recollected it as a quarter of a mile away. Back of that is an ordinary hill whereon stands a brick house similar to the resi-
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dences galore of the well-to-do in many towns and cities. I had remembered it as a palatial structure commensurate with the re- quirements of the fabulously rich. Yes, I have occasion to remem- ber it, for behind that building in its incompleted state I had hid- den in an act of disobedience that led to the utterance of my first lie, and a little farther back grew the hazel switch that helped to keep the incident green in memory. Ah, but memory painted that hill as a mountain. Across the branch on another hill and near an open field stood the old school house, with its rude pipe desks. One day "Jim" struck his bare toe through the crack in the desk and dug into my back, and I pinched the toe. Two boys stood out on the floor and again the hazel switch was in evi- dence, and while my own back was yet smarting, at the risk of getting another rap, I leaned over and whispered, "I wouldn't cry, Jim, if I was you." And sometimes it has seemed to me that that boyish attempt to be a consoler was the foregleam of a sentiment that led me to enter a ministry of consolation. And I am sure that the refusal to be caught in "black man" or "base" played in that open field had something to do with my tendency to "persevere" in anything I undertake. Space forbids me to tell of the bottom farm where I planted my first corn, the prairie where the cows roamed and where we gathered strawberries, and the mill down the creek where the miller gave me a fish on my birthday. But if the prospective of childhood presents sights and scenes on so much vaster a scale than after years reveal them to be I fancy that many things that "loom up big" now will seem to be of small consequence bye and bye.
The church of Newtonia and Ritchey was organized by Rev. W. L. Miller at Newtonia, and was enrolled by the Presbytery October 12th, 1871. It received the double name because the membership resided in the two towns. Like the town of Ritchey, it failed to realize expectations and was soon abandoned. My father was a ruling elder in this church.
SALEM (JASPER COUNTY).
The Salem Church was organized by Rev. W. L. Miller, and was enrolled by Presbytery April 12th, 1872. Thirteen members constituted the charter roll, two of whom were made ruling elders. The church was originally located in the country about three miles from its present location, in the town of Jasper. Hard by the original location may still be seen "God's acre." From the eldership of this church T. H. Allin entered the ministry after having done such efficient work as a lay preacher.
Another elder of this church whose counsels were of great value to the Presbytery was S. Cadwallader. Before the city
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churches assumed such prominence in the Presbytery this was one of that group of Jasper County churches that received such efficient services and repaid the efforts that were put forth in its behalf. Like many of our village and country churches, its his- tory is marked by uneventful short time services of various min- isters, followed invariably by months of vacancy. Ministers: W. L. Miller, T. H. Allin, W. A. Cravens, R. T. McMahan, F. M. Hitch- cock, J. T. Curtis, A. M. Mann and B. F. Logan.
SHILOH (JASPER COUNTY). GRACE (JASPER COUNTY).
"Rev. Miller reported the organization of a church in the northeast corner of Jasper County, consisting of eighteen mem- bers, one elder and two deacons. Church called Shiloh."-Min- utes October 11th, 1873.
The Grace church was organized by Mr. Miller, February 21st, 1875, with eighteen or nineteen members. Removals and the inability of Presbytery to keep these fields supplied with stated preaching led to their dismemberment and disappearance from the roll of Presbytery. Grace church was restored to the roll Sept. 22, 1898, and was apparently a reorganization of the two churches. Under the supervision of Rev. G. M. Caldwell a house of worship costing $1200 was erected in 1899. Revs. G. M. Caldwell, W. A. Smith, local evangelist ; E. A. Junkin, Revs. T. C. Guy and B. F. Logan have served the church since its reorgan- ization.
ASH GROVE (GREENE COUNTY)
The minutes of Oct. 11, 1873, contain this entry: "Rev. J. M. Brown reported the organization of a church in the western part of Greene county consisting of 12 members, with three eld- ers, viz, Samuel Blackburn, Thomas Mayes and William Dalzell, who were ordained and installed, the church to be called Presby- terian Church of Ash Grove. The church was placed on the roll." Among the ministers who have served this church are Revs. C. C. Hembree, G. T. Thompson, G. H. Williamson, Jay C. Hanna, B. H. Gragg, Charles Memmott, J. W. Knott, W. L. Hackett and S. V. Sydenstricker. During Mr. Hackett's term of service April, 1903-April, 1904, the house of worship was destroyed by fire and the congregation began worshipping in the Cumberland Presby- terian church. And when Mr. Sydenstricker came he was em- ployed by the two congregations. The two congregations erect- ed a commodious manse before they were officially consolidated,
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and were to all intents and purposes one church. The New Pres- bytery of Ozark ratified the consolidation June 18, 1907.
(VIRGIL CITY) (CEDAR COUNTY).
"An application was received from the Virgil City Presby- terian Church (O. S.) to be taken under the eare of this Presby- " tery, and the name to be placed on the roll of our churches. Ow- ing to certain irregularities in this application Presbytery di- rected that the matter be referred back to the church to make a regular and formal application to this Presbytery at its ad- journed meeting, to be held in Neosho, Mo."-Minutes October 17th, 1873.
"The following resolution was read and adopted: 'That the request of a portion of the members of the Virgil City Church to be received under the care of this Presbytery be granted, the church put upon our roll, and that we instruct our Presbyterial Missionary to visit this church as soon as possible.'-Minutes November 1st. 1873.
Query : Is (O. S.) the clerk's designation of the Presbyterian Church, U. S .? This church does not appear on the permanent roll of the Presbytery, though the resolution called for its placing there. It was organized with fifteen members by Rev. J. Gal- breath, and was enrolled by the Presbytery of Lafayette, U. S., .September 8th, 1870.
JOPLIN FIRST (JASPER COUNTY).
"There is a new town in Jasper County. Its name is Joplin, location fourteen miles southwest of Carthage, on the farm of J. C. Cox. Has lead in unlimited quantities under it. Everybody out of employment ought to go there and dig. This is better than doing nothing and it may lead to certain fortune."-Chron- ological data for June 22d, 1871, in Jasper County History.
In the Joplin Daily Globe of September 28th, 1906, it is stated that W. J. Hayden, a missionary of the American Sunday School Union, organized the first Sunday school in Joplin more than thirty-five years ago. Telling of his experiences at the time, Mr. Hayden said: "There was only one brick building in Joplin then, the residence of John C. Cox. While here I stayed in the home of a man who had a house built of hay. It was the only residence of the kind I have ever seen. Though built almost en- tirely of hay, it was comfortable and well arranged.
The town was just then beginning to attract attention and some mining was being done along Joplin Creek. It was in a little
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frame building near this stream where I organized the Sunday school, which had the distinction of being the first to be estab- lished in the city." Joplin First found a place in the annals of Ozark Presbytery April 24th, 1874, when this entry was made: "Rev. B. F. Powelson reported the organization of a Presby- terian Church at Joplin on the 28th of December, 1873, consist- ing of thirteen members, with two ruling elders. The church was enrolled." There is some uncertainty as to the date of the organization, but probably the above is correct. Mr. A. B. Me- Connell, one of the elders, wrote me: "There are two or three old session record books. * * In one of these it is stated that the church was organized in 1872. It is also stated in one record that the organization was approved by the Presbytery of Ozark in the spring of 1873." Mr. McConnell places the date of organization on the 27th of December, instead of the 28th, as per the records of Presbytery, but he intimates that the historical parts of the old records appear to have been written from mem- ory. The roster of charter members includes the following: W. H. Clippinger, Mrs. M. A. Clippinger, Mrs. D. Gordon, Mrs. M. E. Allen, Mrs. J. M. Thompson, Mrs. Mayfield, Mrs. Alcorn, Mr. Clayton, J. H. Taylor, E. Rogers, Mrs. E. Samuel and Mrs. Sulli- van. Of these charter members, Mrs. Allen alone remains. Messrs. Clippinger and Clayton were elected ruling elders. It will be seen that the names of twelve members are given. Depo- nent sayeth not what became of the "thirteenth" mentioned in the Presbyterian report. The newly organized church, largely through the liberality of John H. Taylor, purchased a half inter- est in the M. E. Church, South, located in East Joplin, and con- tinued to worship there until the fall of 1876. Thereupon the church decided to locate in what was then called West Joplin. Ferguson's Hall was rented for a year, and here the little flock worshipped until they were ready to occupy their new church at the corner of Seventh (then called Eighth street) and Main streets. The lots for this structure were donated by O. S. Pitcher, and the total cost was $4,000, of which the Board of Church Erec- tion contributed $1,000. The second house of worship was erected in 1900 at the corner of Pearl and Sixth streets. Mr. John H. Taylor donated the adjoining lot, on which was erected a commo- dious manse at a cost of $2,000. The church building itself cost $29,000, and is more nearly adapted for institutional work than any other building within the hounds of the Presbytery. The ministers who have served the church are:
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