Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/536

 476 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI mon. There were at this time 17 churches con- nected with the association, only 13, however, sent any report which showed a total member- ship of 791. The meeting for 1870 was at Sandy church where three more churches were admitted. lu 1871 Mount Zion and Valle Mines churches were admitted to the associa- tion ; at the meeting with Swashing church at this time the total membership was 1,390 and there were 22 churches on the roll of the as- sociation. In 1881 the meeting was with Lit- tle Maramec church and the reports showed that there were 20 churches. The oldest church in Jeffei-son county is Bethlehem church which was organized in 1829, about 8 miles northwest of Hillsboro. Two ministers, Lewis and James Williams, were the oldest preachere and assisted in the organization of this church; in 1840 there were 60 members. The first house of worship was built in 1843 ; it was a log house and was 20 X 24 feet. Another of the old churches was Lebanon which was organized with 7 members in 1833 by James Cundiff and Walter W. Tucker. While a member of the Jeft'erson County As- sociation the church w'as situated in Ste. Gene- vieve county ; the first minister was J. C. Ren- fro, who continued as pastor for many years. The first building erected by this church was a log building which dated from about 1835. Swashing church was organized in July, 1843, with 6 members; W. Stevens was the first pastor. This church is about 10 miles southeast of Hillsboro and 2 miles from De- Soto. Pilgrims Rest church was organized in No- vember, 1854, with 7 members, by John Huds- peth. It was on Dry Creek in Jefferson county. Hopewell in AVashington county was or- ganized by Elder W. Stevens, September 24, 1855, with 7 members, the first pastor being William McKay. Cedac Hill church was organized by W. Stevens, April, 1856, with 7 members ; it is in Jefferson county northwest of Hillsboro. In 1910 Jefferson County Association re- ported the following churches having a com- bined membership of 1,169 : Bethlehem, 64 Blackwell, 31 ; Cedar Hill, 14 ; Cantwell, 62 Festus, 139; Grubville, 30; Highland, 81 House Spgs. — ; Hillsboro, 27 ; Lebanon, 64 Moontown — • ; Mt Hermon, 76 ; New Har- mony, 19 ; Oakland, 30 ; Oak Grove — ; Pleas- ant Ridge, 78 ; Plattin — ; Pilgrims Rest, 159 ; Providence, 40 ; Swashen, 106 ; Temperance Rest, 143. In 1850 representatives of 12 churches, for- merly members of the Black River Associa- tion, met at Castor church in Madison county and oi'ganized the St. Francois Association. The churches were situated in Wayne and Madison counties and perhaps one or two in Bollinger county. The first meeting of the as- sociation after its organization was held at Little Vine church in iladison county in 1851. At this meeting Zion church in Wayne county and Salem church in Bollinger county were admitted to membership. The ministers of the association were C. T. Graham, W. W. Set- tle, J. Duncan, J. P. Wallis, A. Hughes, R. S. Eaton and S. M. Randoff. Other ministers who later worked in this association were L. D. Bennett, A. G. Tidwell, A. R. L. Meador, A. Land, L. Langley, S. Farr, W. H. Mattox,
 * M. W. Taylor and E. J. Bunyard.

The association grew steadily up to the breaking out of the war when there were 29 churches, in 1863 there were only 10 churches reported at the meeting in Big Creek church in Madison county, with only 326 members in the association. In 1874 there were 37