Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-12-08
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES.
The Cause of God i'm knoxVnIe-ihe
workings of Our Churches. :

NO. y-THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
There are no early records Of this church to
be found, if, indeed, there ever were any Kept
and again we are forced to resort to the memory
of our oldest citizens. 1t was probably organ
lied in the year 1894 or 1885, by Rev. Samuel
Carrick, and is the oldest church in the city.
Mr. Carrick was resident of this city in the
year 1874, then only village, and preached be-
fore the Territorial Legislature, by their invita-
ton, on the second day of the session. In the
same year he was elected by the Legislature as
President of Blount College, now the East
Tennessee University, and held that Office in
connection with the pastoral care of the Leb-
anon lin the Fork and the Knoxville churches.
He was born in York (now Adams county,
Pennsylvania, in July, 1760, studied Iheol-
ogy under Rev. VIM. Graham, of Lex
ington, Virginia, was licensed to preach Octo-
Der 1872, and came TO Knoxville, Tennessee,
about the year 1857. He was the pioneer OF
Presbyterianism in this region, and held pas
torship of this church from the time OF APP
pointment to his death, which occurred sudden
" on a communion Sabbath in 1909, early in
the morning, after having spent large part of
the preceding uISuG p1OPoL iOA Wv O~1
bath services There are no records to show
the growth of the church under his, ministry.
One Of the first elders of this church was Gen.
James White, who gave the ground upon
which the church now stands, and who lies
buried beneath the present edifce.
After the death of Mr.. Carrick. the church
was supplied for while by Rev. Samuel S.
Ramsey, and during that period, in the year of
1911, the church which formerly occupied the
ground of the present one was built and was
long known as ''the brick meeting house"
In the year 1912, Rev. Thos Fl. Nelson, q ma
tive of North Carolina, and reared in the old
Alan1ana Church, took charge of the church
and was its paster for 26 years, when he died IN
the Autumn of 1888. Under his ministry, from
1916 to 1888, there were 204 additions to the
church. He was not great preacher nor visit
ed his people, except in Affections and bereaVe-
ment, yet he was -eminenty good and holy
man.
At the time of the division of the Presbyteri-
an church in 1886, this branch went with the
"Old School" and has always stood firmly to
its doctrines. After Mr.. Nelson's death the
1889, when Rev. Jas T. Foote d. D., of New
York, was called to the pulpit In the winter
of that year DR.. Foete was elected President of
Washington College, near Jonesboro' and on
the 21st of April, 1910, on his way to the Col
lege to be. inaugurated, was thrown from his
horse and killed.
Rev. Reece Happersett,. of Pennsylvania,
supplied the pulpit for a few months, and in
April, 1841, Rev. R. B. McMullen, Prof: of
Chemistry and Natural Philosophy in the East
Tennessee University, was elected pastor, and
McMullen's ministry, the benevolence of the
church was developed into a moro syste-
matte effort, and the Office of Deacon was intro
duced. The first Deacons, Messrs. Jos. u.
King, g. w. CroZier and VIM. 3. Kennedy
were elected and installed in the Fall OF 1872
During the first IA years of Mr.. MeMullen's
pastorate there were 247 members added to the
church, and about so during the remainder of
his time He was called to the Presidency of
Stewart College, at GAINESVILLE, Tenn, and re-
signed the charge of the church in November,
1853. .f
In October, 1859, the church called Rev. w:
A. Harrison, of Galstin, Tenn, who came and
took charge of the church and was Installed
pastor in the Spring of 1860 He continued its
pastor until the Fall of 1868, nearly A years,
during which time some As or so members were
added to the church. Mr.. Harrison was an
uncompromising Southern man, and after the
occupation of East Tennessee by the United
States troops, was, with others, sent South
through the lines by the Federal authority. The
church edifice was used by the military author
tiles first as hospital, then as barracks. and
afterwards as a house of refuge for families
coming into the city from different parts of the
country and finally was turned over to the
Freedmens Burea, and was used by them as a
colored school house until May, 1866, nearly
two years. The church had no services from
the Fall of 1873 to the Spring of 1866, when
their church property was restored to the con-
gregation through the kind offices of Gen. S.
P. Carter.
In February, 1866. at the request of afew per-
sons, Rev. James Park began to preaehto those
who would assemble, and for that purpose rent
ed the First Baptist Church, which was then
vacant. There were only 30 members of this
church left in the city. In fact, the church was
almost disorganized the congregation scatter
ed and the building and furniture considerably
| injured. 49, $3.50, 80 - -
The church was used for the first time after
| the war on the 18th of May, 1866, for a com
munion service. On that occasion 9 persons
were added to the CHURCH and more than 70
more were added in the fall of the same year.
In February, 1867, Mr.. Park was elected
pastor The church has been prospecting under
his care; some of the old members returned
| from the South, new members were added and
| in 1869 the church was repaired and rettted
| with new furniture and is now one of the hand
| soonest and most comfortable churches in the
State The liberality of the church has been
brought out, and weekly contributions are
made, both in the church and Sunday school
All the pews are taken and many of them are
occupied by two families. The attendance of
the congregation is remarkably regular
and uniform. Since Mr.. Parks in
cumbency about 200 members have been add
ed to the church. They have contributed to
all purposes in the past six years more than
81 600, an average of nearly $1,000 a year.
This is fine showing, considering the scattered
| and disorganized condition of this church at
| the time Mr.. Park took pastoral charge of it.
The church has been severely bereayed in the
last three years by the death of several of its
most excellent and pious female members. = -
| The following persons have served the church
Gen. James White, George Mon utt1 John
Adai-, Archibald Rhea, ST., DIR. James Cosby,
Thomas Gillespie, Thomas Humes, james
| Campbell, Moses White, (son Of Geo. White, }
Robert Lindsay, james Craig, DIR. Jos. g.
Strong, James Park, VIM. Park, W. B. A.
Ramsey, d. A. Deaderick.# g. NJ. White, 3
t. King, Richard O. Curry RI, = DR.. VIM. J. Ba-
ker, G. W. Cofin,% Jos. r. Mitchell,& =. A.
Rayl, $ total number of % elders.
Those marked with the Sare the present bench
1 tha of A