USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present : together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, V.3 > Part 1
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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 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01712 9989
HISTORY
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OF
TENNESSEE
V: 3
FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH AN HISTORICAL AND A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF FROM TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY COUNTIES OF EAST TENNESSEE, BESIDES A VALUABLE FUND OF NOTES, ORIGINAL OBSERVA- TIONS, REMINISCENCES, Erc., Erc.
ILLUSTRATED. -
CHICAGO AND NASHVILLE:
THE GOODSPEED PUBLISHING 1887.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
appointed to wait upon them. The first criminal case tried at this term was that of the State 8. Obediah Gents for horse stealing. A change of venue was applied for, but denied. He was found guilty and sentenced to receive thirty lashes, to stand in the pil- lory two hours per day for three successive days, to be branded upon the right hand with the letter H and on the left hand with the letter T, and to be imprisoned in the county jail for six months. During the first years of the court few criminal cases of importance were tried. A vigorously contested case, and one which created a general interest throughout this section of the State was begun in 1820. It was the trial upon a change of venue from Campbell County, of Robert Delap, indicted with being accessory to the murder of Eve Martin. The principal, Mitchell Marcam alies Marcom, was not tried in Hawkins County. Delap was convicted. He appealed to the supreme court, and the case was remanded for a second hearing. This was had in April, 1822, after an application for another change of venue had been denied. The defendant was again found guilty, and again took an appeal to the supreme court. The decision of the lower court was affirmed and Delap was executed.
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Another case which caused intense excitement was tried in May, 1861. Two slaves, John and Ned, the property of a Mr. Haynes, on the night of May 1, brutally murdered George I. Kite, Richard Kite, Mary Haynes and Louisa Haynes, and set fire to the bouse. When the deed was discovered excitement ran very high, as a general insurrection of the slaves was feared, and the lynching of the murderers was prevented with difficulty. A special term of the circuit court was called to meet on May 9, 1861, at which timo Judge D. T. Patterson presided. They were promptly convicted, and were hanged on the 12th of June following.
Since the close of the war two executions have taken place. The first was that of W. N. Berry, hanged in August, 1875, for the murder of his wife. The second that of Joseph Harris, of Hancock County, executed in November, 1881. He was convicted of the mur- der of two men in Rogersville for the purpose of robbery.
The first chancery courts were held in 1825. The division consisted of Sullivan. Hawkins, Grainger and Claiborne Counties. The judges of the supreme court alternated in presiding over the chancery court from that time until several years later.
The first lawyer of prominence in Hawkins County was William Cocke, who is men- tioned elsewhere. Hc had two or three sons, who also became lawyers. One of them, John Cocke, located in Grainger County; another, Sterling Cocke, remained in Hawkins County. He was admitted to practice in 1812, and six years later was made attorney- general, in which position he continued for many years. He was not looked upon $3 3 lawyer of great ability, but was a man of strict integrity and of pleasing manners. Peter Parsons, a somewhat prominent lawyer of his time, was a resident of Rogersville for a few years, but subsequently went to Alabama. Orville Bradley, who was licensed to practice in 1817. was a bachelor of large wealth, and never gave that close attention to his profession necessary to secure success. One of the ablest of the early members of the Rogersville bar was John A. Mckinney, uncle of the late Judge Robert J. Mckinney, and father of Judge John E. Mckinney. He began practice about 1807. and very soon took a leading position at the bar. He was appointed United States district attorney by John Quincy Adams, and was chosen to represent the county in the Consti- tutional Convention of 1834. He died in 1845. His great success was due to his thorough knowledge of the law, his untiring perseverance and his incorruptible integrity. He was associated during the latter years of his life with his son-in-law, John Netherland, who had formerly resided in Sullivan County. The latter is still living, but for some time has been retired from the active prosecution of his profession. He was an eloquent speaker. and became distinguished as a great criminal lawyer. He has always taken an active interest in politics, has served several terms in the Legislature, was an elector for the State at large on the Whig ticket in 1848, and in 1860 was the Whig candidate for governor.
Two other men of eminence in the profession, in the early history of the State. resided in the county. They were Pleasant M. Miller * and Judge Samuel Powell. The
See page 385.
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HAWKINS COUNTY.
latter resided on a large farm near Rogersville. He began the practice of law in Ten- nessee early in the century, and soon became favorably known for his ability and legal attainments. In 1807 he was elected a judge of the superior court, and so continued until that court was abolished. In 1814 he was chosen to represent his district in the XIV Congress, and while in that position he was tendered a seat upon the supreme bench, which he refused. In 1831 he was elected judge of the First Judicial Circuit, and from that time was upon the bench for twenty consecutive years. He was the preceptor of several men who afterward obtained eminence, among whom were Robert L. and Abraham Caruthers.
Among other resident attorneys of the county prior to 1860 were Michael McCann, admitted to practice in 1828; Dicks Alexander, for many years clerk of the chancery court; William O. Winston and George R. Powel.
The present members of the Rogersville bar are F. M. Fulkerson, A. D. Huffmaster, Hugh G. Kyle, Thomas McDennott, W. P. Gillenwaters, W. N. Clarkson, T. C. Sensa- baugh, H. C. Jarvis and Ellis Cocke.
Rogersville was founded by Joseph Rogers, who settled upon the site in 1796. At the June term of the county court in 1787 the commissioners appointed "for fixing on a place for building the courthouse, prison and stocks" reported "that it be fixed at Joseph Rogers', on Crockett Creek." Joseph Rogers then relinquished the right and title of two acres of land for the use of the public buildings, and Thomas Hutchings, Hatson Johnston, Francis Doherty, Joseph Cloud and Thomas Gibbons were appointed commis- sioners to lay off the town, which was done on June 15, 1787. At about this time, or very soon after, Mr. Rogers entered into a partnership with his brother-in-law, James Hagan, and in 1789 they applied to the Legislature to establish & town at Hawkins Courthouse, where a number of lots had already been laid off. It was accordingly enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina. on December 22, 1789, "that Thomas King, Thomas Hutchings, Joseph McCulloch, Thomas Jackson and Elijah Chissom bs. and they are appointed, commissioners and trustees for designing, building and carrying on a town at Hawkins Courthouse by the name of Rogersville, and they, or a majority of them, are hereby empowered and required to lay off thirty acres of land, including the public buildings at the said courthouse, in half-acre lots, with convenient streets and alleys."
Previous to this time a store had been opened by Rogers & Hargan, and a courthouse and jail had been erected. The character of these county buildings is not known, but they were probably very temporary structures, since in 1794 the Territorial Asserubly granted the county permission to levy a tax for a jail and courthouse. The oldest court- house now remembered was a one-story hewed-log building, weather-boarded. It stood in front of the Bank Building, with its side to Market Street. now the main street of the town. It was occupied until 1886 or 1837, when the present substantial brick building was erected. In 1807 the old jail and lot were sold, and a new brick jail erected upon the site of the present one, which was built a short time prior to the war.
As before stated, the first store was opened by Rogers & Hogan. Among the other firms in business from 1790 to 1800 were Joseph Parks, Hugh & Campbell, North & Nel- son, and Sherman & King. They were succeeded early in the present century by Samuel Neill and William Simpson, who did business in a small frame house immediately oppo- site where the hotel now is: Francis Dolzell, whose store was ou the adjoining lot west. and Nicholas Fain, who was located where the postoffice now is. The first hotel was kept by Joseph Rogers, who continued in the business until his death.
In 1817 a branch of the old State Bank was incorporated under the title of the Ros- ersville Tennessee Bank. Its capital stock was $4,000. The directors were Richard Mitchell, John A. Rogers, Francis Dolzell, William Hord, Jacob Miller, Dr. Joseph W. Carden, Hugh G. Moore, William Lyons, William Simpson and Nicholas Fain. This institution did business in the house now occupied by Mr. Caldwell, situated a short dis- tance west of the public square. About 1828 this bank began to wind up its affairs. Ten years later the last Bank of Tennessee was incorporated, and one of the two branches
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
allotted to East Tennessee was located at Rogersville, thereby causing great indignation among the citizens of Knoxville and Jonesboro. The new bank was organized with C. H. Coffin as president, and S. D. Mitchell, cashier. For the first two or three years it occupied the building formerly used by the old bank. The large and imposing brick building, which is still standing, was then erected. This bank continued in business until the war, but with a frequent change of officers.
The business of Rogersville in 1885 was conducted by the following individuals aud firms: Charles H. Coffin and John A. Mckinney, James K. Neill and P. S. Hale, Nich- olas Fain & Son, R. G. Fain, Neill & Simpson, and Armstrong & De Wolf, merchants; Jacob Wax, coppersmith and tinner; F. B. Evans and George C. Speck, tailors; Joseph Huffmaster, carpenter; John Aston, cabinet-maker; George C. Bradley, hatter: Michael Baugh, silversmith, and Robert Carden, blacksmith. Richard Humphreys kept the present Hale Spring Hotel, which was built by Jobn A. Mckinney. Richard Smith also had a hotel where the postoffice is.
Among the business men of the fifties were Sevier & Simpson, Mckinney & Rogan, Mitchell, Caldwell & Co., James K. Neill, M. S. & R. D. Wells, Johnston & Thompson, William White and Mitchell & Kyle.
To Rogersville belongs the honor of being the place at which was issued the first newspaper published in Tennessee. It was known as the Anocrille Gazette, and the first number appeared on November 5, 1791, bearing the names of G. Roulstone and R. Fer- guson as publishers. Where the building stood in which the paper was printed is not known, but as the lot on the northeast corner of the public square was purchased by Mr. Roulstone it is probable that that was the site of his printing office. The publication was continued at Rogersville for about one year, when he removed to Knoxville, which had been established during that year. The next paper established in the town was the Rogersville Garette, the first number of which was issued in July, 1814, by Carey & Early. It was a five-column folio, with the couplet, "The Star Spangled Banner, etc., " as its motto. A few years later the Western Pilot was established by John B. Hood, who after- ward removed to Rhea County, and there published the first paper in East Tennessee below Knoxville. In 1827 Rev. James Gallaher, F. A. Ross and David Nelson established the Calvinistic Magazine, devoted mainly to the theological discussions of the times. It was published for about five years. On July 4, 1831, the first number of the Railroad Advocate was issued by an association of gentlemen, for the purpose of encouraging and advocating the building of railroads in Tennessee. It continued for a little less than & year, and was probably the first journal of the kind ever published. Iu August. 1838, 3 prospectus was issued stating that a number of gentlemen had formed an association for the publication of a Whig paper to be known as the Holston Watchmen, the first number of which was to appear about November 1. For some cause the publication did not begin until the following March, and then it was known as the East Tennesseeun. The editor was William Wales. It had but a brief existence, and in other papers was estab- lished until 1850, when the Rogersville Times appeared, bearing the name of L. L. Posts as editor, and LaFayette Jones as publisher. It continued for six or eight years, and was then succeeded by the Independent, under the editorial management of Rev. M. H. B. Burkett. In 1860 the State Sentinel was published by Capt. R. D. Powell. The papers established since the close of the war have been mainly published for campaign purposes, and have been short lived. Among them have been the Spectator and the Telephone. In 1885 Will T. Robertson established the Holton Review, a well edited and newsy Demo- cratic paper. The Rogersville Herald, a Republican paper, was established in 1896.
The first schools in Rogersville, are said to have been taught in a small house, which stood near Union Spring. In 1800 trustees were appointed for McMinn Academy as fol- lows: George Maxwell. William Armstrong, Richard Mitchell, Andrew Galbraith and Thomas Jackson, to whom were added in 1817, Peter Parson,, Orville Bradley and S. D. Mitchell. In 1813 or 1814 a brick building was erected, by money obtained, as was com- mon in those days, from a lottery. The institution was also ai led by a bequest from Gen. McMinn. Among the first teachers were JJohn Scruggs and Rufus Kennedy. A few years prior to the war the present brick building was erected upon the site of the old one.
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HAWKINS COUNTY.
In July, 1849, the Odd Fellows laid the corner-stone of a large brick building in which. in September, 1850, was opened the Rogersville Female Institute. Since that time the school has undergone various changes, and has been under the control of many different organizations. Finally the property and franchise of the institution were pur- chased by Joseph R. Anderson and Samuel N. Fain and transferred by them to the Synod of Tennessee. Since then it has been under the care of C. C. Ross, and now ranks as one of the best Female Colleges in Tennessee.
The early religious history of Rogersville is not well known. It is probable that religious services were held there from the establishment of the town. The first regular preaching was said to have been done by Rev. Charles Coffin, who, for a while pre- vious to 1815, had given the people of Rogersville one-sixth of his time. In 1815 Rev. James Gallaher located at Rogersville and began preaching in the academy building, where the next year a Presbyterian Church was organized. The elders chosen were George Mooney, Edward Mooney, Samuel Neill, William Alexander, William Armstrong and John Armstrong. Mr. Gallaber continued to preach to this congregation until 1830. During the next three years the church was without a stated supply. In 1833 Rov. Phillip Wood assumed pastoral charge, and continued until about the time the schism in the Presbyterian Church occurred. The congregation then divided. The property was sold at auction, and was purchased by the old school party, of which James A. Lyons became pastor. Ile continued for some time. Among his successors were Rev's. Carter, McBride, Park, Jones, Page and Campbell. The retiring division chose James McLim as its first pastor, and soon after erected the Second Presbyterian Church. Among the ministers who served this church from that time until the war were John McCampbell. Rev. Mr. Mathes S. Sawyers, J. M. Huffmaster and J. W. Elliott. Since the close of the war the two congregations have again united and attached themselves to the Southern General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Services are held in the Second Presby- terian Church.
A Methodist Church was organized early in the history of the town and the congre- gation erected a house of worship at about the same time as the Presbyterians. The Baptists had no house of worship until about 1850, when, in connection with the Masonic fraternity, they erected a two-story frame building, and occupied the lower story. The building was destroyed during the war, and they have since had no church in the town. The members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, however. formed an organization, and have erected a neat house.
One of the first Masonic lodges in Tennessee was organized in Rogersville under 3. dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina and Tennessee on December 14, 1805. It was known as Overton Lodge. The officers were Samuel Powell, Wor- shipful Master; Jonathan Spryker, Senior Warden, and John Johnston, Junior Warden. In 1820 a new charter was issued by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, designating this lodge as Overton Lodge, No. 5. Among the members at that time were Jacob Peck, R. L. Caruthers, Absolom Looney, S. J. W. Lucky, S. M. Howry, Orville Rice, Peter Par sons, H. Rutledge, Dr. P. McCarty, William Young and John A. Rogers.
Rogersville at the present time contains a population of about 1.000. It is one of the handsomest towns in the State, and has a large trade. During the construction of the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad a branch to Rogersville was begun, and in 1860 it had been completed from Bull's Gap to the Holston River. After the close of the war it was purchased by H. M. Aiken, and completed to Rogersville. The business interests of the town are represented as follows: A. D. Simpson & Co., Hale & Rogan, H. C. Shanks, C. S. Mitchell. and Smith & Fudge, general merchandise; H. J. Nelson & Co. and J. M. Pierce, drugs; A. B. Rogan & Co., groceries and hardware; Hale & Riley, agricultural imple- ments; Joseph Wright & Co., boots. shoes. saddics, etc., and V. Bagler, clothing. There are also three banking institutions as follows: Rogersville Bank, S. Neil!, president. and W. D. Kenner, cashier; Citizens Bank of Rogersville, J. C. Stamps, president. G. 1. Smith. vice-president, and J. M. Gray, cashier; and the Exchange and Deposit Bank, H. M. Aiken, president, and James Cooper, cashier.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
The principal villages of Hawkins County are Mooresburg, Bull's Gap or Rogersville Junction, Surgoinsville, Rotherwood, New Canton, Stony Point, War Gap, Austin's Mills and Persia, some of which are quite old. Surgoinsville was established by an act of the Legislature passed in October, 1815. It was laid out upon land owned by James Surgoin and Arthur G. Armstrong, Joseph Klepper, Jonas Lough Miller, James Surgoin and Ed- ward Erwin, were appointed commissioners for its regulation. At this time Arthur G. Armstrong had a store, and John A. Rogers subsequently built a mill there. Mooresburg was founded by Hugh G. Moore who opened a store at that point. It is now a pleasant village of about 200 people.
Bull's Gap postoffice took its name from the Gap in the ridge one mile to the east. 'This in turn was named for John Bull, the first settler in the vicinity. Since the comple- tion of the railroad to Rogersville a thriving village has grown up, at its junction with the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad. It has two churches, a good school, four stores and a hotel. The merchants are W. S. Myers & Co., Mooney Bros. and J. W. Brown, dealers in general merchandise, and John McFerrin, druggist.
The following partial list of the officers of Hawkins County is as complete as could be made in the absence of records:
Clerks of the county court-Richard Mitchell, 1987-1812; S. D. Mitchell, 1812-36; Will- iam O. Winston, 1886-37; John Blevins, 1837-38; James M. Hord, 1838-43; C. Smith, 1843-14; R. Johnson, 1844-46; James H. Ellis, 1846-50; J. H. - 1850-62; James R. Pace, 1862-65; James Lackey, 1865-70; Jo. R. Armstrong, 1870-86, and James Nugent, 1886 ---.
Clerks of the circuit court-Thomas Cocke, 1810-21; Willie B. Mitchell, 1821-40; George R. Powell, 1840-52; L. H. Rogan, 1859-58; James M. Hord, 1856-65; William MI. Piper, 1865-70; John J. Wolfe, 1870-78; C. C. Spears, 1878-80, and A. Davis, 1886 --.
Clerks and masters -- Dicks Alexander, 1825-55; George R. Powell, 1853-58; Richard G. Fain. 1858-65; James R. Pace, 1805-70; C. M. Bales, 1870-73; D. M. Gray, 1873-85, and W. H. Watterson, 1885 -.
Sheriffs-Thomas Berry, 1787-90: Joel Gillenwaters, 1796-98; Benoni Caldwell. 1798-1800; Alexander Nelson, 1800-02; Joseph Parks, 1802-05; Alexander Nelson, 1805-07: Absolom Looney, 1807-12; Thomas Gillenwaters, 1812-15; Gabriel McCraw. 1815-25: James P. McCarty, 1825-33: James Bradley, 1838-36; James P. McCarty, 1886-42; Benja- min Thurman, 1842-41; Jacob Miller, 1844-46; James P. McCarty, 1846-48; Samuel Smith. 1848-50; Henry Tartar, 1850-52; Harvey Hamilton, 1852-58; Elias Beal, 1858-78, C. M. Bales, 1868-70; C. C. Spears, 1870-76; R. L. Blevins, 1876-82; W. R. Sanders, 1882-84; M. H. Kenner, 1884-86, and H. C. Armstong, 1886 -----.
Registers-William Alexander, ------- 1840: Adolphus Hutcheson, 1840-41; R. C. Craw- ford, 1844-52; R. M. Senabaugh. 1852-36; W. B. Mitchell, 1836-65; A. Lee, 1865-70: John Walker, 1870-72, and L. L. Poats, 1872.
Trustees-Joel Gillenwaters, --- 1826; John Johnston, 1826 --; H. Watterson. 1836-40; James Y. Campbell, 1840-42; A. P. McCarty, 1842-44; Thomas Marshall, 1844-46; David Lauderbach, 1846-50; William Hutcheson, 1850-52; Martin Phillips, 1852-56; Robert John- ston, 1856 -; Thomas Chestnut, 1860-64; Frank Self, 1866-70; Joshua Smith, 1870-79; James Nugent, 1872-76; George Webb, 1876-82; I. S. Gillenwaters, 1882-86, and T. J. Par- rott, 1886.
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GREENE COUNTY.
GREENE COUNTY.
REENE COUNTY is the fourth county in size in East Tennessee, having an area of Or 530 square miles. It lies between the Unaka Mountains on the south and Bays Mountains on the north, and is traversed by a series of valleys and ridges. The principal stream is the Nolachucky River, which receives as tributaries Lick Creek, Little Nola- chucky, Horse Creek and Camp Creek. The soil of the county is generally fertile, with the exception of the extreme southern part, and even in this section the lands are found to be well adapted to tobacco culture. The richest farming lands occupy the northern portion of the county and the bottom of the. "Chucky River." The minerals embrace almost every variety found in East Tennessee, with the exception of coal. Iron is espe- cially abundant in many places, and has been worked with success. The settlement of what is now Greene County was begun about 1778. One of the first settlers was Anthony Moore, who in that year located not far from Henderson's Station, and whose daughter is said to have been the first white child born in the county. Other settlers followed soon after, and during the next two years, the greater part of the land along Lick Creek and the Nolachucky River had been occupied. Daniel Kennedy came in 1719, and located on the river four miles east of Greenville, at the mouth of Holley Creek. He was one of the most prominent pioneers of the State, and deserves to rank with Sevier, Shelby and Cocke. He was chosen clerk of the county court upon the organization of the county, and continued to hold it under four successive changes of government, a sufficient proof of his integrity and worth. He was an ardent supporter of the State of Franklin, and was au active participant in the conventions which founded it. He was also elected a brigadier-general of the Franklin militia. Among the other early settlers of the county were James English, on the headwaters of Lick Creek; Joseph Hardin, on the Roaring Fork of Lick Creek; George, William and Henry Conway, at the mouth of Lick Creek; Amos Bird, on the Chucky River; Alexander Galbraith, on Sinking Creek; James Delaney, on Holley Creek; Lewis Brayles, on Horse Creek: James Houston, in what is known as the Cove; Lanty Armstrong, on the sight of Rheatown; Robert Carr and Robert Hood, on the sight of Greeneville; James Patterson, who had four sons-James, Andrew. Nathanieland William-located on Lick Creek in 1783. The Moores, Ranking and David Rice also settled in the same vicinity. A station was erected by the Carters about eight miles northwest of Greeneville. Tephaniah Woolsey lived south of the river. About 1790 a large number of Friends or Quakers began to come into the county from Pennsylvanis and North Carolina, although a number of persons of that faith had come several years before. Among the pioneers were William Reese, Garrett and Peter Dillon, Williama and Abraham Smith, Solomon, David and John B. Beales, Samuel and Mordecai Ellis. Abraham Marshall, Samuel Pearson, Samuel Stanfield and George Hayworth. The first religious services were held on the eleventh day of the ninth month, 1791. Other meet- ings were held from time to time, and on the twenty-eighth day of the second month. 1795, New Hope monthly meeting was organized about one mile west of Rheatown where a house of worship was erected. A church house was also erected on Lick Creek at au early day.
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