The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-03-31
7. n. FIGIERy.
EARLY METHODISM IN COLUMBIA.
S cond Paper by Rev. =. A. SOwell, of
the First NJ. thOdist Church.

S cond Paper by Rev. =. A. Sowell, of
the First Nj. thodist Church.
Editor HerdLd:-YOu were kind enough
to publish two column article several
weeks since on early Methodism in
Columbia" and as quite number of
old people, both members of the Metho-
dist church and of other denominations,
expressed pleasure At its appearance, |
have concluded tn write another shOlt
article. In my search among the min
utes of the conferences | made one or
two errors, which | uesire IT, correct,
and | also desire to look back behind
the period that Columbia has been a
separate charge and give the names OF
the presiding elders and pastors who
were sent to preach in COlum Oia whi e
it was an appointment on the Ducn
River Circuit.
TIE name of Duck River Circuit"
ha' place in the Conference Minutes
for many years. 1t WAS first formed in
the ear of 1910, with Miles Harper,
presiding elder, and John Crane, pastor;
ISL, Learner Black man, presiding elder,
and John Crane, preacher in charge. In
1872 the Tennessee Com ereuce was or
gained; hitherto it had been known as
the v estern Conference, embracing the
states of Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee
and Mississippi. The first session was
held at Fountain Head church, on the
ridge 10 miles or more north OF Gallatln
in sumner county. Bishops McKendree
and Asburry presided. This year Learn
er Blackman, presiding elder and John
Crane, preacher in charge, were sent to
the Duck River Circuit 1913, Thos. l..
Douglass, presiding elder, and John
Daniel, preacher in charge; 1914, ThOs. l..
Dougltss presiding elder, aud Zach
ariah Witten, preacher in charge; 1915,
Thomas l.. Douglass, presiding elder,
and no pastor assigned; 1916, Thomas H..
Douglass, presiding elder, and Ebenezer
Hearn, preacher in charge; 1917, Thomas
l.. Douglass, presiding elder, and no
pastor assigned; 1918, William McMa-
non, presiding elder, and Thomas Stan.
ley, preacher in charge; 1919, Thomas
l. Douglass, presiding elder, and Lewis
Garrett, preacher in charge.
At this point of time, IL will be re-
mem bered, my other article began, with
Columbia separated from the circuit
and Thomas Maddin, preacher III
charge.
In 1925, Columbia must have been re-
placed III the Duck River Circuit, and
Lewis Garrett, presiding elder, and
Joshua Fitzpatrick, preacher in charge
1926, Robert Paine, presiding elder, and
William Mullins, preacher in charg' .
In 1927 and 1898, Columbia again appeal 5
| AS a separate charge, and the preachers
! sent were named in my former article.
in 1879 it is again placed in the Duck
River Circuit and Lewis Garrett, pre-
siding elder, aud q. ). Taylor, preach
in charge; 1880, Lewis Garrett, presiding
elder, and Thomas Paine, preacher III
charge.
| In the year 1881 Colum bia and Pulaski
were formed into pastoral charge and
James McFerrin, presiding elder, and
Joshua Fitzpatrick, preacher IN charge ;
1892, James McFerrlu, presiding e.der,
and Dick &. NcLeOd, preacherin charge
In my former article | failed to account
for the years of 1881 and 1882 | did not
| notice the change of olum ola from the
| Nashville district to the Florence dis
trlrt. James McFerrin mentioned as
presiding elder during these two years
| was the father of the late john b. Me
| FerrIn and of William Me Ferrin, who
served this church as preacher in charge
in 1888, and grandfather of the two
younger McFerrIn's, VINO served it at d
more recent period.
have been reliably Informed, though
| there Is no "t1icIal meltiOn of the fact
in the minutes, that during the TIVE
years of the war between the states
| Sj3 and lS64-ln which there was NJ
1ssi, Of the conference held, William
| ii. LeICwiCh served the church As pas
| tor. MIR. L-ttwich was reared "A few
miles from COlu mbia, a I'd is one of tht
very finest preachers in the Southern
Methodist pu pit to-day.
p. A. SowELL