Buchanan County, Missouri - Churches in Rural Districts, 1881

The first settlement of the county and the organization of the first churches, were almost contemporaneous. The plow had scarcely begun to turn the sod, when the pioneer preachers commenced to labor in the new field. In the Western country, as well as in the Orient and the isles of the sea, marched the representatives of the Christian religion in the front ranks of civilization. Throughout the centuries which compose this era, have the Christian missionaries been taught and trained tO' accompany the first advance of civilization, and such was their advent here. In the rude cabins and huts of the pioneers they proclaimed the same gospel that is preached in- the gorgeous palaces, that, under the name of churches, decorate the great cities.

The Christian religion had its rise, and the days of its purest practice, among an humble, simple-minded people, and it is among similar surroundings in modern times that it seems to approach the purity of its source. This is best shown in the days of pioneer life. It is true, indeed, that in succeeding times the church attains greater wealth and practices a wider benevolence. Further it may be admitted that it gains a firmer discipline, and wields a more general influence on society, but it remains true that in pioneer times, we find a manifestation of Christianity that we seek in vain at a later time and under contrasted circumstances. The meek and lowly spirit of the Christian faith - the placing of spiritual things above vain pomp and show - appear more earnest amid the simple life and toil of a pioneer people than it can when sur-» rounded with the splendors of wealth and fashion. But we may take a comparison less wide, and instead of contrasting the Christian appearances of a great city with that of the pioneers, we may compare that of forty years ago, here in the West, with that in the present time of moderately developed wealth and taste for display, and we find much of the same result.

ply take the broad fact not to decry the present, but to illustrate the past. So that looking back to the early religious meetings in the log cabins, we may say, " Here was a faith, earnest and simple, like that of the early Christians."

It is not our purpose at this place to give a full. account of the organization of all the churches of the county. Such matters of detail will be given in connection with the history of the towns. At this place it is our purpose to speak of the churches in general and more particularly the pioneer churches of the county. ,

One of the first sermons delivered within the limits of Buchanan County was by Bishop Marvin, in what is now known as Agency township. This was in a log cabin called "Woods school house." Bishop Marvin spent the early years of his ministry in Northwest Missouri, and labored in Clay, Platte and Buchanan Counties. In a letter, dated "St. Louis, September 3rd, 1874, and written to the President of the "Old Settlers" meeting, held in St. Joseph, during the same month, (given in full in our chapter on "Old Settlers' Reunions") he says : "In 1842,1 passed the present site of St. Joseph, on my way to a field of labor quite on the frontier ; it embraced all the country west of Nodaway River. You will remember, at that time, there was no St. Joseph. I shall never forget the uncalculating. unbounded hospitality of the "old settlers." Many of them were in their first rude cabins, but those cabins had the rarest capacity for entertaining both friend and stranger of any houses of their size I ever saw. I often saw them crowded, but to the best of my recollection I never saw one of them full ; there was always room for a fresh comer. I recollect once, in the Platte Purchase,* I was wedging myself into a bed occupied by five children, when one of them awaked sufficiently to exclaim, " mamma, he's a scrougin' me ! "

Bishop Marvin's circuit was established in Northwestern Missouri, at quite an early day, when the larger portion of it was just beginning to be settled. The circuit was a. large one, but the Bishop, being a young man and full of zeal, succeeded in making the round of his circuit as often as it could possibly be done. Bishop Marvin was a selfmade mati, in the true meaning of that term, and by his own unaided efforts arose from one of the humblest positions in life to the most exalted place within the gift of a powerful religious denomination.

He had no advantages in early life, except the example of an honest, industrious father, and the influence and precepts of a pious and most exemplary mother. In those early days, there were but few schools in Missouri (Warren County), and young Marvin's only instruction in the rudiments of an education was received from his mother, who taught her own children and those of her neighbors, in a cabin erected for that purpose in the yard that surrounded their dwelling. *Said to have been in Buchanan County.

During his pastorate, in one of the St. Louis churches, he delivered his famous lectures on Catholicism, which have ever since been accepted as a standard defence of the Protestant faith. In 1876, he sailed as one of the missionaries of his church to visit the missions in foreign fields. During this trip he visited many of the countries of the old world.

While on his death bed, 1877, he finished the last pages of his last and most important work, entitled "To the East by Way of the West," giving an account of his voyage around the world, and describing the field of labor in heathen lands. This book was his masterpiece, and gave him high rank among the most famous descriptive writers.

Another pioneer minister was W. G. Caples, who also went through the " Platte Purchase " bearing the message of the Gospel of Peace. Mr. Caples was at one time cennected with the M. E. Church South at St. Joseph. He was an earnest, eloquent preacher, and did much for Christianity in Northwestern Missouri. In speaking of Mr. Caples, Bishop Marvin says : " There was a man, a minister of Christ, a large portion of whose public career belo ngs to the ' Platte Purchase,' of whom I must say, he was in some respects the most remarkable man I ever saw. I refer to W. G. Caples. He was another 'Agamemnon, king of men.' He was a first-class wit - a man of the finest social feeling, having positive ideas and a great end to accomplish. He did much for Northwest Missouri in establishing schools under Christian auspices. Now I proceed to say, that the old citizens of Platte have heard as great preaching as any other people on the American continent, and from the lips of the man Caples. I have heard more scholarly men, men whose sermons evinced higher cultivation and a better classical finish, but for power of argumentation, for philosophical breadth and sweep, for grandeur of conceptions, for greatness of imagination, for force and pungency of popular appeal, my conviction is, his superior has not appeared in the American pulpit."

"Mount Moria" was one among the first church edifices constructed in the county. It was a rude log house, and was located near Frazer. The organization is still in a flourishing condition. Among the early expounders of the Word at this church was George W. Rich, John C. Davis, John Stone and John Ellis.

In the early history of Buchanan County, religipus services were held in log cabins and in the shady grove. It was often the case, when cabin services were held, that a portion of the congregation \yould be in the house, while the balance of the audience would be seated outside on rough benches and stools. The speaker took his stand in the door, so that he could be seen and heard by all in attendance. At one of these meetings, while the preacher was rnaking the opening prayer on his knees in the door, a pet sheep belonging to the family and which was in the habit of going in and out of the cabin at pleasure, attempted to go in. When he reached the door and saw the movement of the minister's hands, he took it as a challenge, and as the sequel shows, was not slow in accepting the banter. A slight backward movement on the part of the assailant, with a perceptible adjustment of the head and neck^ was immediately followed by a furious blow from the only weapon known in sheep warfare. Of course there was much more confusion than blood. The prayer was concluded without any amen. His majesty, the sheep, was hastily dragged to the rear of the building, while the minister with his, at least, seeming gravity, and without the slightest allusion to the disturbance, proceeded to dispense to his hearers the bread of life.

Next after the Methodists, and sometimes even before them, may always be found the Baptists in all pioneer and mission work. From our best information, the Baptists held religious services in the county about the same time, and contemporaneous with the Methodists.

One of the first houses of worship was erected by the Calvanistic Baptists in Platte Township, and was known as the ''Witt Meeting House," taking its name after Judge Nelson Witt, on whose land the house was built. It was quite a large structure and made of hewn logs. The first minister who officiated in this church was John Evans. Mr. Evans was from Kentucky, and through his instrumentality the first organization of that denomination was effected in the county between 1838 and 1840.

The Missionary Baptists subsequently erected in the same township a frame edifice wbicn was called " Hebron," which is still standing in a ruined condition, but is not used for church purposes.

The Baptists also built a large frame building with two rooms, in the old town of Bloomington, in 1858. Rev. Isart Williams is the present pastor. The Hard-shell Baptists had organizations at an early day at one or two places in the southern portion of the county in Bloomington Township, in 1839.

The Christians were among the earliest religious denominations to proclaim the Word in the Platte Purchase. A church was organized three miles south of DeKalb, in Bloomington Township, by Archibald Stuart, in 1839, the first sermon being preached by him under a buckeye tree on Sugar Creek. His church was known at that time as the " New Light," now the Christian Church.

Young, an aged man, preached here among the first. The Elder was said to have been entirely a self-made man, but was an earnest, devout minister. Like others of his calling at that early day, he always carried with him a small copy of the New Testament, covered with old-fashioned green and white spotted calico.

The Presbyterians organized a church in the northern portion of the county, called " Walnut Grove," which is still in existence, with a membership of thirty.

The same denomination had a church at Easton, shortly after the settlement of the town. The first camp-meeting was held in the year 1842, near the Valley Chapel school house, in Bloomington Township. Other camp-meetings were held in 1847, below Martin's Mill, in the same township. The Episcopalians had a Mission Station as early as 1859, ^t Saxton's Station, and one also about three miles below St. Joseph.

During the first ten years of the county's history there were but few church buildings erected. Public religious services were generally held at private houses, until school houses were built, after which these buildings were used for religious services on Sundays, and are even now used in some localities for the same purpose.