The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-07-13
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GIDEON BLACKBURN,

ervice held IN New Providence church, May
9Th 1892. Though the kindness of the TIMES
he pap ST is presented to the public aud in sub
eQuent numbers articles will appear rela-
i've to The work of DR.. Anderson, Rev, fielding |
Pope, and Rev. Prof. Bartlett,
FEE. MOORE.
Like many other parents, little
did the father and mother of the boy
born in Augusta county, Virginia,
August 9th. 1772, know what their
son would be, nor whittier he would
go, nor the foundations he would
lay, which would remain mistaken
for the ages. They called him Gid
con Blackburn they brought him
while yet a lad to East Tennessee.
There was wrought into the:young
heart an inspiration to become some
thing and to enable their son to
carry out the divine purpose,
toward their boy they placed
him in the first Literary 1nsti-
tute founded in the great Mississip-
pi Valley, by DR.. Sam. Doak, anoth-
er Virginian born within the bounds
of New Providence Congregation
in August 1749. Log houses can
make as great men as if the stud
ent had gone to marble halls; so
when young Gideon sat on his rude
seat in the little pile Of unhewn
logs (to0 poor a covering many of us
would NOV think to shelter our
proud steeds.) He knew what we
know all that buildings do not make
geius, and that if he would onlyput
himself into the books, learning
would get into him; and so it did.
The log school house made as
great men then as do the larger,and
more courtly and more capacious
ones standing on the same grounds,
namely, Washington College in
Washington county Tenn.
We may suppose young Gideon
completed DIR. Doak's prescribed
course of study and became an AL
lumnus of the Log College, and
thus became one of the first Collie
gians in this renown Valley.
Young Blackburn pursued his
theological studies under DIR. Rob-
ert Henderson, near cambridge in
Jefferson county. Was licensed to
preach by the Presbytery of Alb
ington, Virginia one hundred years
sgO-in 1892. He came to this
(BlounD county tow ards the latter
part of the last century with COM
pany of soldiers who were march
ing to defend a fort Mt the place
where Maryville now stands.
He preached to New Providence
Presbyterian church which had
been organized and took charge OF
the Eusebia Church II miles dis
tant from Maryville.
In 1897, he with Carrick, Hender
son and Ramsey formed the Pres
bytery of Union with which the
Presbyterian church is now con
nected. In 1903 his heart was NOV
ed toward the Cherokees, and the
General Assembly of the Presby
rian Church appointed him to sup
erintend a mission among them
His preaching to to this tribe of In
dams was followed with excellen
results. He continued to labo
among them, in connection will
his work in Maryville and Eusebia
until 1910. In 1911 he went Il
Maury county, Tenn. Settled sub
sequently in Franklin organized
and took charge of the Harpetl
Academy and preached in rotation
at five different places, within I
range of fifty miles. One of tn,
churches organized by him is thu
first Presbyterian church in Nash
Vile.
In 1903 he preached.a sermon o
so much power before
the General Assembly that it CAV,
him note of thanks.
On Nov -, 1923, DR.. Blackburn
Was installed pastor of the Presby'
terrain church in Louisville, Ken
lucky, where his labors were great
ly blessed.
He was President of Centre Col
lege at Danville, Ky. now flourish
ing Institution, from 1897 until 1890
He then returned to Versailles, Ky
where he was occupied partly il
ministering to the church of thai
place and partly as an agent to the
Kentucky State Temperance So
ciety. In October 1888 he removed
to Illinois. In 1885 he was an agen
tO'raise funds for theIIlinois College
in the Eastern States, and Will
thus engaged conceived a plan O
establishing a theological seminar.
in Illinois, which resulted after hi
death. i'm the establishment of sue