Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-11-26
The Early History of the PresDy-
terian CHURCH.. sa. a-s.-a

n
The Early History of the PresDy-.
terian Church. f i-.-'
What Is now known as the First
Presbyterian Church of Gallipolis,"
was the first religions society organ
lied in this city. This organization
having occurred sixty-three years
ago. a brief reference to the men n~and
incidents connected Herewith may be
of interest to the readers of the jour
NAL at this time. Thus believing
We proceed to their narration. For
the facts of this history We are in
debted to paper found atneng the
effects of the late Gen. LEWIS NEW
SOM.
Inthe year 1911 DIR. IoSAs] SaF-l
FORD having located here, and desir-
ing to promote religious instruction
among the people, took steps for the
organization of regular Sabbath day
services. His efforts met with a
hearty response from the people of the
town. The first services took place
in the old Court House, then situated
on the Public Square. The paper
to which we have referred gives the
following statement of the exercises:
',Dr. Stafford opened the exercises
with prayer; hymn was then sung,
when he read in clear, emphatic
voice selected sermon, after which
the exercises were closed by an ad-
dress to the throne of grace, the
singing of hymn and the benedic-
ton" On each Sabbath during the
summer of 1911 the same services
were observed. These, we under
stand, were the first religious Sab
bath day services held in Gallipolis.
Says the paper from which we com
pile our history: "As soon as it was
known generally that religious exer-
cises were kept up in, the Court
House, free for all, the people in the
country began to attend" P"
During this year, 1911, the first
sacrament of the Lords supper was
administenkl, Rev. Mr.. LIEDLEr, of
Athens, officiating. At the meeting
on that day there were present as fol
lows: DR.. Stafford, wife and family,
Gen. Tupper and wife, Mrs. Gleason,
Mary Gleason, Judge Rodgers and
wife, John Rodgers and wife, Ma
thaniel Gates, Gen. Steenbcrgen and
wife, James Beck and wife, Lewis
Newsom and wife, Judge SAT-
ford, John Booton and wife, DIR.
Bush and wife, William Morri-
son and wife, David Reese and
wife, Samuel Reese and wife, Elijah
Knight, Brewster Higley, Charles
Mills and wife, Michael Koontz and
wife, Luther Shepard and wife, Cal
vim Shepard and wife, John Atchin-
son and wife, and others. Rev. Lind.
lev administered the sacrament to
some nine persons, consisting of DIR.
Safferd, wife and son, Mrs. d. Reese,
William Morrison and wife, Mrs.
Gleason, Mrs. Thomas Rodgers, and
AIRS. John Rodgers.
From this time forward Sabbath
day services were kept up. In the
latter part of the same year the or
ganization of the "First religious So
ciety of GaIlipolis' took place. A
constitution reported by Gen. Tup-
per, was adopted, and signed by DR..
Jonas Stafford, Gen. f. W. Tupper.
Thomas Rodgers, Nathaniel Gates,
Lewis Newsom, John Booton, David
Reese, Samuel Reese, and others.
This was the beginning of what
is now the "First Presbyteri an
Church of Gallipolis. Its first set
tied pastor was the Rev. w. R. Gould,
which-settlement took place in 1915.
It is now Q prosperous church, and