The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-12-12

Del'versd October 10 1926. at the
Church reunion held at Eusebia
CHURCH.
fB, Will A. MeTssr.

the centennial address, which has
been verified by others since that
time. Col. Murphy was consider
ably over eighty years Of age, and
his boyhood days were spent in the
community. He rein smbered the
old log house which was statding
at his earliest recollection, and the
addition that was annexed to 1t.
The next house was frame, and
can be recalled by many of us. The
date of its erection Is not known, so
far as / can lean. The present
building was erected In 1874.
Like most of the carly Presby-
terrain churches, or indeed, we
might say all of them, a school
house was built along the side Of
the church.
The old school house stood some
where near the corner OF the grave
yard as it is now, between the
church and the spring. That house
became uninhabitable, and about
the time, or soon after the close OF
our late war, the present log build
ing standing no. in the grove was
erected to take its place. The Pres
byterian Church has ever been the
champion and friend of education,
and this is shown by the school
houses built by our fathers in the
first settlement of the country. A
large shed was also built In the
grove east OF the present building,
and number of cabins around 1t.
In the early days the country was
thinly settled, and it was hard to
get to the places of worship. So once
year, and some times oftener, the
people gathered from near and far
to these camp meetings, camping
and worshipiDg for a number Of
days aud nights. A stand was erect
cd at the lower edge Of the shed fol
the ministers, which must have
been near six feet high. In front OF
this stand there was a tall seat fol
the "lerks" as thay were called
that is, the leaders of the singers
They would now be called o chOi
or quartette.
The burying grounds were tn
gift OF Andrew Boyle to the churcl
for burying purposes and the use
tho church. Andrew Boyle was on
Of the pioneers of the country, tn
land being granted to hin
and by him given to the church. H
was one of the first members OF thu
Couny Court for this County, an
man prominent in public affairs
The first burial was that of a wo
man, who came with the first SET
tiers and soon sickened and dice
Her friends and the settlers had n
material for making q coffin, so
wagon bed was cut up and roug
box made, which served the pul
pose Of coffin, In which the bod
was buried. In preparing my Ger
tennial address, an old man tol
me that there was story that TIA
burying grounds were begun b
the burial of one Of Col. Christian
soldiers who was killed or died q
the regiment was passing on II
first tour through this section q
heretofore mentioned, and thi
place CHANGED to be convenieT
and the boy was laid away her
and from that, the place of buri'
was located and begun. mel
toned this in that address, an
gave it as l had received it. Flu
Their investigation, however, prove
this to be an error, for Ramsey
Annanls, says that viii
"there was some sickness in tn
command, he returned without tn
loss of man-and no one died
See Ramsey's Annals page l6
The grounds have been enlarge
from time to time, and as the cOu
try grows more populous, the n
cessity for enlargement becom
more frequent.
The clothing of those times we
very different from the preser
Knee pants, long stockings, lo
shoes claw hammer coats or huI
ing shirts. The covering for 4
head, were either coon skin cal
three cornered cockades or hea'
home made wool hats. The hunti
shirts were made of coarse wo
home spun, coming down a lit
distance on the thighs, with bt
around the waist, loose cape ia
ing over the shoulders, and coal
fringe around the borders. T