The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-01-02
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

some time desired to send your readers
} communication regarding the advance Of th'
Presbyterian Church within the bounds o.
} the Presbytery of Paducah, especially il
} Union county. The Presbytery is composed
of the counties lying in the western part Oi
Kentucky, from Henderson county to the
extreme south western limit of the State
This area is a rudely shaped triangle nearly
$50 miles long on each side. A large pro-
portion of this country is comparatively new,
and abounds in undeveloped agricultural and
mineral resources of great value. Lands are
cheap, and the soil is generally of an excel
lent quality, large part of it consisting OF
very rich alluvial deposits lying upon the
waters of the Green, Tennessee, Cumberland,
Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Within this
Fgrest area there are only fourteen Presbyse-
rian churches, two of which belong to the
Northern Assembly, and but three Of the re,
nainder are self.sustaining. Yet in the last
few years very encouraging advance has
been made in almost every part of the Pres
bytery. The church of Paducah, of which
Rev. DR.. j. T. Hendrick is the beloved pas.
tor, is large and we'll established. In Hen
derson a strong and furnishing congregation
is blessed with the ministratons of Rev. D..
0. Davies. Rev. R. M. Tuttle is acting
pastor of two recently organized churches
near Henderson, (Ridgewood and POsey's 8
Chapel and is greatly encouraged, especially
at the former point. The faithful labors of
Mr.. TuttIe have developed still third inter-
esting point at Corydon, small village in
Henderson county. With the assistance of
Rev. w. D. Morton he conducted a meeting
of several days at this point last month, and
on the 10th of November organized church
of twelve members. DR.. Dorsey, Professor
Payne and Dr. Smith were elected ruling
elders, and Mr.. Knoll and Mr.. Wohman
deaCons. There is 9 prospect of additions at
an early day, and lot and some hundreds
of dollars have already been contributed to-
ward the erection of a building.
Rev. W. W. Evans is settled as stated
supply of the churches of Clinton and Co.
lumbus, in the extreme south western point
of the State. The FIRST of these churches has
been organized but short time, yet it has
met with cheering degree of success, and
owns very neat house of worship. Union
county is the third in Presbyterian strength
within the bounds of the Presbytery, and
your correspondent would call the attention
of the readers of the Central more especially
to this point, 1st The resources of the coun-
ty are of exceeding value. The tide of emil
grafton has flowed on north ndsouth of this
county, which agriculturally is one of the
richest in the State, and left it comparatively
unsettled for though there are some 5000
voters in the county, it can readily support
10 or 10000 with their families. The lands
of Union are in fertility unsurpassed by any
in the State, and most of them are we'll
watered. The sell is a rich black alluvium,
from one to 20 feet in depth, yielding read
lily from 40 to 60 bushels of corn, and 800
or 1000 lbs of tobacco to the acre. Large
tracts of land unimprOved can be bought at
prices ranging from SIS to $12 per acre,
while improved lands, according to locality
and facilities for transportation, command
$15 to $50. The county is based upon Q
rich bed of coal that makes this fuel even
cheaper than the wood which sbounds every
where. q There are few if any counties in
the State that offer such advantages to emf
grants from the east and south. Quite mum
Der of Virginians have settled here, botf
before and since the war, most of whom have
become Furnishing farmers and successful
professional men. The county is readily &C.
cessible from the east or west, IS three dis
tinct lines of railroad approach or touch it'
limits, while the Ohio river with its daily
line of steamers sweeps for forty miles around
, the country. The writer knows of no county
in the State compared with it in wealth, OIL
where the public and private indebtedness
of the people is so small. The people Cal
3 always depend upon good corn crop: ther,
8 has been no failure for 70 years, it is said
> Large quantities Of this staple, together will
hogs, wheat, hay and tobacco, are annual.
. shipped to st. Louis, and the eastern cite
= as far as Liverpool and London. 4. TIL
3 free school system is supplemented by seve
: raj other good schools with charming pros
pect of greater increase in the educstiona
q advantages Of the county, and We assur
Presbyterians who are looking for homes
that they may expect warm welcome il
8 Union county. 5. The Presbyterian pee
8 ple here had no house of worship until 1872
when they completed beautiful brick build
ing in the Gothic style at cost of $4,000
and called the Rev. W. D. Morton as thei
o pastor. This church is located ct Morgan
I I field, the county seat. Services are hel
= here three Sabbaths in the month, and sine
q the erection of the building the church hs
n doubled its strength, and now numbers abor
}; 100 members. Last Sabbath (DeCembt
5, 16sh) was another era in the history of Pre-
:, \ byterianism in Union county. The paste
: of the Morgan6eld church gives One-fOurth
st his time to the little congregation at UniOl
K town, a village of some 1900 inhabitant
Of and the chief shipping point for the count