Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/529

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 469 of the Mississippi, Cape Girardeau county in 1821, Cypress in Scott county in 1821, Hub- ble Creek in 1861, Harmony in Mississippi county in 1830, reorganized in 1855, Little River, later called Sylvania, in 1845 in Scott county, and Goshen near Oak Ridge in 1841. Franklin Association was organized at the house of J. C. Duckworth in the year 1832 At that time there were ten churches repre- sented, ten ministers and a total membership of 374. The territory embraced in the asso- ciation consisted of the counties of Franklin, Washington, and parts of Jefferson, St. Fran- cois, Gasconade, and Crawford. The second annual meeting was held at Potosi in Washington county in 1833. There were at that time 13 churches and a member- ship of 544. In 1835 the association met at the Provi- dence church in St. Francois county, there were then 20 churches, 15 ministers and a membership of 797. By 1839 there were 26 churches, and among the prominent minis- ters were John Hutchings, Uriah and Josiah Johnson, Isaac Penning, Z. Jennings, Simeon Frost, J. C. and P. P. Brickey, J. H. Banbo, and James Glenn. In 1844 the session was held at Union church in Ste. Genevieve county. After cut- ting off a large number of churches, thirteen remained with a total membership of 1,482. Among the prominent churches of tliis body were Black River situated on the middle fork of Black river, organized in 1833 by Elder H. Lassiter. Among its preachers have been R. S. V. Caldwell, H. M. Smith, J. N. Russell and J. R. Pratt. Another of the old churches was Liberty, called Bellevue, organized June 9, 1816, by Elder Felix Redding, who was its first pas- tor. This church was anti-missionary but was organized as a missionary church in 1829 being called Liberty. Old Mines was organ- ized in 1834 in Washington county by James Williams with a membership of 16. Union church in Ste. Genevieve county was organ- ized May 7, 1832, by Elder James Williams, T. B. Green and James Cundill. The most prominent minister of the period of this association was James Williams, who was a native of Kentucky and came to St. Louis and later to New Madrid, where he suffered the loss of property in the earth- quake of 1811. After the earthquake he re- moved to Cape Girardeau county and began the work of preaching about 1816. He then moved to Madison county and in 1832 to Washington county. Through his work a number of churches were organized in these various counties and he was a very active and able man. He died in Jefferson county in 1861. Franklin Association in 1910 had 25 churches with a membership of 2,911. The churches were: Bismark, 126 members; Bonne Terre, 176 ; Belleview, 33 ; Big Creek, 34; Cove, 42; Cantwell, 56; Chestnut R'ge, 91 ; Doe Run, 141 ; Desloge, 164 ; Elvins, 224 ; Flat River, 459 ; Farmington, 184 ; Genevieve, 40; Hopewell, 105; Ironton, 168; Irondale, 41 ; Knob Lick, 20 ; Leadwood, 289 ; Liberty, 55; Little Vine, 73; Providence, 47; Hercu- laneum, 90 ; St. Francis, 87 ; Union, 153 ; Mt. Zion — Black River Association was organized with churches dismissed from Cape Girardeau As- sociation, in 1835 at Greenville, in Wayne county. The churches entering into the or- ganization were Black River, Cherokee Bay, Columbia, Big Creek, Bear Creek, and Green- ville. There was an aggregate membership of 188. The ministers were Henry McEl- murry, William Maeom, and S. Winningham,