Saline County, Missouri - Chapter 28: Religion^ Preachers and Churches in Saline County, 1910

Chapter 28: Religion^ Preachers and Churches in Saline County

The inhabitants of Saline county were always a religious and devout people, many being- the descendants of Scotch Presbyterians. The pioneer preacher was a fighter as well as a preacher, and his services in either vocation were voluntary and without pecuniary compensation.

Before the settlers had time to erect churches, religious services of the various religious denominations were held in the private residences that were most convenient to the neighborhood, and such a thing as a salaried preacher of the Gospel was unknown. The preacher gained his living as did his fellow settler, by daily toil in the fields and clearings, with the aid of his rifle. It was a part of his religion to lend his aid in devotional exercises without anv pecuniary compensation whatever.

The names of some of the pioneer preachers are here given, and the time of their labors, it being uncertain who among them was the first to preach in the county, the claims of several conflicting in this regard. But Rev. Peyton Xowlin and Rev. Thomas Keeney, both Baptist preachers, were the first, or among- the first.

Finis Ewing and W. D. Wear, Cumberland Presbyterian preachers at a. very early date. Finis Ewing being a man of fine intellect and a leader of the Presbyterians, in fact, one of the original founders and org-anizers of the Cumberland Presbyterian church in the state of Tennessee.

Jesse Green was a pioneer Methodist preacher who lived near Arrow Rock. He preached on Sundays and worked at tlie cabinetmaker's trade during the week.

Other pioneer proclaimers of the Gospel were Ebenezer Rogers, Thomas McBride, Robert King, Caleb Weedin, John B. Langdon. Archibald McCorkle, Jacob Chism, Daniel Bone, Barnett Wear. Fred B. Leach, William Leach.

Camp meetings became popular with the church people of the county after it had become pretty well settled up. The favorite places for holding these meetings were at Hawpe's, in the vicinity of Arrow Rock; at Riser's, in Tebo Grove, and at Salt Fork church, south of Blackwater. In after years grounds were established at Henry Weedin's, on Cow creek, and at Richard Durrett's. on Rock creek.

In the year ICS35 a notable conference of the Methodist Episcopal church for the district was held at Arrow Rock. Over a hundred preachers were present. The boundaries of the conference extended south to the Arkansas line, and there were ministers present from all parts of the district. During the session there was an average daily attendance of a thousand people, a large concourse for that period. The conference lasted ten days, and the interest manifested was taken advantage of by the zealous ministers present, and many additions to the church were made. The venerable Bishop Roberts presided, and the services were for the most part very impressive. Many in attendance had nev^er before seen a real live bishop, and the occasion was long remembered. Among those in attendance were many christianized Indians from the territory afterwards called Kansas, the Delawares, \A'yandots. Shawnees and Kickapoos. Clad in their Indian costume and paying close attention to the services, they were objects of much attention. This conference was remembered by the people for many years afterwards.

The Baptist Church

The oldest religious organization in the county, and which probably had the largest membership at the time. Zoar church was organized in 1825. in what is now the Hardeman neighborhood. The first church was built of logs, the northeast quarter of section 30, township 19, range 50. This log house .answered the purposes of the congregation until 1849, when a frame church was built, and used as a place of worship for many years thereafter. In i860 the congregation abandoned the old church and locality, moving to Jonesboro, -where a new and more commodious house of worship was built, where this, the oldest religious congregation in the county, yet meets for devotional services, the Rev. Mr. White being the present pastor.

The following table shows the names of the societies of the Baptist church in the county of Saline in the year 1900, and the time when they were established or constituted :

Old Zoar has had for its preachers during its many years of existence, Peyton Nowlin, Thomas Fristoe, David Anderson, William Bell, Thoi'nton Rucker, William Gentry, J. D. Murphy, Thomas Hudson, John C. Hamner, William Cleveland, C. T. Daniels and J. L. Tichenor. There has been no cessation of preaching for any length of time since its organization. During the Civil war, Rev. J. D. Murphy was pastor, and services were continuous, the pastor residing in the village. At one time the church was surrounded by the militia during the preaching, the services were closed and the men inside were made to fall in line, and marched off.

This is one of the oldest church org-anizalions in the county, l)eing organized in 1824. Some of the first members were Wyatt Bingham and wife, Adam Steele and wife, Walker Atkinson and wife. This church organization congregated in school houses for w'orship until the year 1857. At that time, although not a member of the church himself. Dr. Crawford E. Smith donated to the congregation four acres of ground for a church yard and cemetery, also contributing three hundred dollars towards the erection of a church. John T. and D. A. Stouffer were the contractors for the building of the church, it costing about two thousand dollars, the building being paid for when it was completed. The preachers for this congregation since its organization have been the Reverends Pace, Lee, Millice, Benjamin Johnson, Best, Nichols, Lacy, Anderson, James and Thomas Wallace, Thomas Finney, \Mlliam Protsman, Joseph Dines. J. D. Reed, Warren Wharton, Nathan Talbot, Lowe, A. M. Rader, Josiah Godby, W. B. McFarland. J. D. Blevens, John R. Bennett, J. F. Hogan, M. Duren, W. M. Bewley.

Catholic Churches

Ln 1840 to 1843 the first extensive settlement of Catholics was made in this county. They settled north of the present village of Shackelford, and immediately took steps tow^ards the organization and building of a church. The most prominent Catholics of that time w^ere Christopher Fitzsimmons, Patrick Loftus, William Prior, Michael Langan, Thomas Caffery and John Clarkin. These gentlemen entered the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 10 in township 50 of range 22, and dedicated it to the church and erected a frame building thereon in 1851.

The early pastors of this church were the Rev. Francis De Maria, S. J., in 1845; R^v. James Kinney, S. J., in 1846; Rev. James Murphy, 1847; ^^^- Thomas Cusack, 1850; Rev. Bernard Donnelly, in 1854; Rev. Joseph Meister, in 1855; Rev. Bernard Hilmer, in 1856, and Rev. Eugene O'Hea, in 1857. These pastors were traveling missionaries who passed through the county at various times and remained for a few days or weeks. Father Edward Hamill, the pioneer priest of Missouri, was the first regularly appointed pastor to this church, which was called the Annunciation church.

In 1878 the frame church was torn down and a structure of dressed stone was erected in its stead, which stood until 1893, In 1892 it was found that the main body of the Catholic population was living south and west of

Shackelford. For their convenience property was bought in Shackelford and a larg-e church, the church of the Immaculate Conception, and a parsonage were built there. The following year a church was built in Mt. Leonard.

Since the death of Father Hamill, in 1889, this parish has had as its pastors the Rev. James Mulvey, who died in 1893; Rev. John J. Hogan, who built the churches now standing, and who is now in Kansas City ; Rev. C. M. Scanlan, at present at Sheffield; Rev. John W. Keyes, now in Kansas City, and Rev. M. F. X. Jennings, the present pastor.

At Marshall, St. Savior's Academy, for girls and boys, was built by the Catholics of Saline county and sold to the Sisters of Loretto, who conducted the school for twenty-four years, and the}' sold it to the Sisters of Sion, who now conduct it as an academy for girls and young ladies, under the name of the Academy of Our Lady of Sion.

Edward Hamil Council, No. 876, Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization, was installed in Marshall on July 3, 1904. Their beautifully fitted up headquarters are on North street. They have at present a membership of one hundred and seventy-five.

The Episcopal Church At Marshall

Trinity church was organized in 1872. The original members were E. D. Montague, William Gosline, John R. Vance, Mrs. Emily Montague, Mrs. J. H. Cordell, Mrs. J. V. Chase, Mrs. Maggie Montague, Mrs. Mary Gaines, Mrs. Joseph Field, Mrs. Leslie Marmaduke, Mrs. \A'illiam R. Bruce, Dr. and Mrs. B. St. George Tucker. E. D. Montague donated the lot for the church building, which was erected in the year 1874, at a cost of one thousand nine hundred dollars. The church was dedicated the next year by the Right Rev. C. F. Robertson, D. D. The membership in 1881 was seventy-two. A parsonage was built in 1879. Both church and parsonage are free from debt.

The following have been rectors of the church since its establishment: Reverends Samuel, Woodruff, Patrick, Higson, Donehoo, Fick. McElwain, Joseph, Plunkett and Bohn.

The foreg-oing is all the information that we have been able to obtain with reference to the churches of the county. It is regretted that a more extended history of the churches, congregations and church people of Saline cannot be given. The author has made efforts to get the necessary data, but failed, the church people to whom he has applied being unable or unwilling to furnish the required information.