St. Paul's United Methodist Church — Celebrating 200 Years

“While the homes were being used for preaching, it was customary after each service to call everyone in and about the community in for class meetings to receive religious instructions. Perhaps no man did more for the young of the community than did Mr. Preston Talbott. For more than 20 years, he was the Sunday School Superintendent. “Well do I remember another, Mr. Dooks, a quaint old Englishman, who by his honest and upright life commanded the friendship and respect of all. He was the sexton who for many years cared for the church, keeping it pure and clean for the service of the Master. Then, there was Benjamin Weaver, the Class Leader, who never grew weary or faltered in the service. He had a good voice and dearly loved to use it in songs of praise. He moved from here to Illinois and enlisted in the Civil War. We are told by a comrade that his singing cheered them on many a long and weary march. There were a host of others loyal to the Master and his cause. Among them were the five Jaquess brothers: Garrettson, Wesley, Ogden, Fletcher, Asbury and Thomas. Also, Joseph Davis, Logan Westfall, John Weaver and George Trainor. Also, the Endicott brothers: James, George and Samuel. “In the early days, the circuit was large and quarterly meetings came only once or twice a year. But what an even it was! People talked of and prepared for it for days before its coming. The visitors began to arrive on Saturday morning and remained until Sunday afternoon. They usually came on horseback, man and wife both on one horse, sometimes each carrying a child. Some times each rode a horse carrying children in their arms and two on behind. “They came from all the country around – New Harmony, Owensville, Mt. Vernon, Beach Grove, Blue Grass and Evansville. People took ten, fifteen, twenty or even thirty of the visitor’s home with them to care for and feed, and thought nothing of it. Beds were made on the floor – the farmer’s own stock was turned out of the barn to make room for the strangers. Love feasts were held early Sabbath morning, and at a stated time the doors were closed and locked and none was allowed to enter until the doors were thrown open for the 10:00 service. This had the effect of making all prompt. For many years, camp services were held on the grounds near the church. The camp being formed into a hollow square. At night, log heaps, bonfires, torches and lanterns burned all round. This with the singing and preaching made a strange and weird picture.

“The Sunday Schools then were quite different from now. They had no Berean system or helps. They usually began with the second chapter of Matthew; each teacher using his or her own pleasure or judgement in the questioning or catechizing. As the Sunday School was usually disbanded at the end of Fall or the beginning of winter (to be reorganized in the spring), the scholars never got farther than the

This frame church replaced 2 log structures and was built in 1861 on the corner of Second and Cale Streets. It was sold to the Baptist church in 1903 and moved to a location on west Main Street

St. Paul’s UMC History

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