Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/554

 494 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI bers. The churches with their membership at that time were as follows : Bloomtield, 17 Canaan in Dunklin county, 59 ; DeLassus, 6 Dexter, 54 ; New Providence, 21 ; Doniphan 97 ; Irondale, 26 ; Maiden, 45 ; Mount Car- mel, 18; Patterson, 41; Pleasant Grove, 13; New Hope, 33 ; Piedmont, 16 ; Pilgrims Rest, 24; Union, -f4; West Prairie, 67; Blackwell, 12 ; Kenuett, 9 ; Kennett Branch, 8 ; Good Hope, 10 and Mount Horeb, 21. The ministers belonging to the Presbytery in the same year were: C. M. Eaton, W. H. Cook, W. W. Spence, E. H. White, J. M. Birdwell, Henry Ilillman and P. Langford. The Cumberland Presbyterian church at Clarktou in Dunklin county was organized about 1850 and they begun the erection of their church house in 1853 and finished it in 1855. It was built of hewn logs and was two stories in height, the second story being used for a Masonic hall. The house was built before there was a saw mill in the county and all the lumber for the doors, the floors and the finishing of the house was sawed by hand, the seats in the church were long benches. In 1883 the congregation erected a new frame building at a cost of about .$1,600. One of the early pastors of the church was Rev. T. S. Love, who preached for them during the Civil war. He was suc- ceeded by J. H. McKnight, during his pas- torate the ehui'ch grew rapidl.y and in 1868 had a membership of 175. It was this congregation which had a pe- culiar experience during the war. On a Sun- day while they were engaged in worship the house was surrounded by a band of guerillas whose leader announced to them that they did not wish to disturb the congregation but that they did want to exchange clothes with the men. Resistance M'as out of the question so the men left the building and exchanged clothing with the guerillas. One young man, who was more thoughtful than the rest, saved his boots by putting them in the stove in which there was no fire, before he left the room. The rest of the men had their choice of going home barefoot or wearing the worn- out shoes discarded by the guerillas. Another of the early organizations of this church was Canaan organized at Gibson in 1862. Its first pastor was E. J. Stockton. Among its elders and prominent men have been M. J. Benson, W. R. and S. T. W^eathers and John C.- Agnew. In 1895 this church had 110 members and was an active flourish- ing body. There is also a Cumberland Pres- byterian church at Kennett and one at Mai- den. ClIRISTI.NS The first church of Disciples, or Christians, which, as we have seen, was organized in 1822 by William McMurtry near the village of Lib- ertyville, grew slowly during the years and in 1844 erected its first building. This was a frame building which was replaced in 1860 by a brick structure. The pastors of this church were : William McMurtry, John C. Farmer, Sterling Price, A. G. Lucas, B. F. Wilson, T. E. Sheppard and J. G. Dillard. About 1825 a church was organized in Madison county, three miles east of Freder- icktown, called Antioch. Among the early members of this church were : George and Ja- cob Nifong, Ephraim Potter, Joseph Bennett, James Marshall and their families. About 1844 a church was organized in the New Tennessee settlement in Ste. Genevieve county. Among its members were: Richard Griffith, J. M. Powell, Valentine Underwood and Peter Bloom. In 1854 a church was organized at Farm- ington through the efforts of Elder S. S.