The Cecil Whig., 1886-05-22

Otis, 1855, 80. Since 1881, the nam
of the appointment has been Elkto1
and Crouch's Chapel.
6. This sketch would be culpabl
imperfect if it did not give some con
nected, though necessarily very brie
account of the Sunday School work 0
Elk ton NIethodlsm. In the summe
of 1926 Miss Ann Hollingsworth wa
converted, and in the spring of 1927
she started out as home missionary
gathering all the children she CoulC
find, both white and colored. Brother
Isaac Thomas taught three classes o
the latter in the gallery of the church
This was the first Sunday School ir
Elkton. Some young ladies assisted
but the older members did not engage
in this work, for several months. Rob't
Johnson was the first regular superin.
tendent. At that time the younger
scholars were instructed in the primer
and those who could read, had the
New Testament for their tes. book
During 1888 Isaac Thomas was super
intendent. He was succeeded by VIM
Torbert, son of Rev. VIM. Torbert,
who continued in that office until his
death in 1854, when he was succeeded
by H. Ninsinger, the present superin-
tendent. The surrounding country also
has been diligently cultivated on this
line. In 1888 Francis B. Gottier be-
gan Sunday School work in Johnson S
school house in Elk Neck, and con-
Quoted it for about fifteen years. 1t
was then closed for about twenty-four
years, but reopened in 1872 by Volney
Cloud. The superintendent since
then have been Nicholas Johnson,
James Drew, John Torbert, Robert f.
Cantwell, G.. p. Smith a Gcentiate of
the Wilmington Conference, Jno. Chick,
Howard Johnson, and John w. Cant
well. In 1889, John Perkins, assisted
by Lemuel Purnell, opened Sunday
School in the locality called ''the Bar
rens," about two and half miles west
from town. 1t met at first in a barn
owned by Mr.. James H. Smith, his
children preparing the threshlng floor
every Saturday night, and arranging a
few rude benches. Two years later
ground was procured and cleared for a
chapel, but the project was defeated by
the excitement attending the outbreak
of the war. Still later, Boulden S
Chapel was built, and at irregular in
tervals meetings were held in it, under
the supervision of the church in North
East, but 1t has not been used for sew
eral years. West Amwell Sunday School
was organized in 1865, by those living
at and near the Rolling Mill of the
Mccullough Iron Company, and John
Perkins elected superintendent, a posi-
ton he still occupies. This school has
been vigorous from the beginning.
Many conversions have occurred there :;
IN 1875 there were forty or more.
About 1860 some members of Elkton
church started a Sunday School at
Frazer's school house, some two rifles
south of town. In IS7oT. c. Crouch
became superintendent, and has so
continued till recently, except short
period in 1855, when the late c. C..
Wright was at its head; John NJ. Ter
rell is now superintendent After
about two years, revival work was en-
gagged in, resulting in some fifteen con-
versions, and the organization of a
church class. 1t seemed advisable to
have a building of our own, and an ex-
cellent lot was donated by Mr.. George
w. Boulder, a member of the Presby-
terian church at Chesapeake City. 1t
is on the road to Pivot Bridge, near a
locality then known as the Bull Frog.
Mainly by the energy, and largely by
the liberality of Brother Crouch, the
neat building known as Crouch's
Chapel was erected and dedicated to
the worship Of God, Oct. 2oth, 1876.
In 1877 Daniel Harvey, Sr., established
near New Leeds, at a locality now
known as wilma, what has since con-
tinued to be aflourlshing neighborhood
school, and he is still its head.
I. About eight years ago a move
ment was inausurated by some men,
bers of our church, which at first took
the form of Sunday School on High
street, but was soon organized as a So
ciety of the Free Methodists. There
are about twenty-seven members.
Some hints have already been given
as to the work or NIethodism among
the colored people. They continued
in membership with us until about
1910, when most of them withdrew,
and they set up All organization of their
own. Some thirty years ago they had
frame church on Water street, near
the bridge; then one near Far Creek
bridge, which was burned; then one al
Cow Run bridge. The frame church
now occupied by the African Union
Methodist Protestant denomination was
built some time since the war. They
have about ninety members, seem tC
be doing fairly good work and are
under the jurisdiction of the Maryland
District, of what is called the African
Union First Church Methodist Protes.
tant denomination-a name, resulting
from an attempt to combine the name:
as well as the forces of two separate
movements; one coming out of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
,,,J tho r>+bar o,,+ Of ,l,o NJo.boJ;r