The Laclede blade., 1904-09-10
THE OLD
AND THE NEW
History Of tho Laclede n.
f.. Church.

Since the members and friends o
the Methodist Episcopal Church a
Laclede have undertaken to replace
the old building with new and mod
ern structure, it may be of interest t(
the readers of The BLADE to review
briefly the history of the church al
this place. We have not the informa
ton at hand to enable us to make
mention of the splendid services ren.
dered by the men and women who
have been identified with the church
since its organization. That the
society is growing in numbers and
usefulness is evident from the plans
for larger building and better facili-
ties for work. A few are living who
were members of the church when the
first building was erected. So far as
we can learn Mr.. and Mrs. Thos.
Welsh and Mrs. Mary Williams are
the only ones who still live in La
clede. The class was organized in
1865 by R. E. Sidebottom, a local
preacher, who afterward became a
member of the Missouri annual con.
ference. After serving for few
years in the effective ranks he again
located and retired to his farm in the
northwest part of Linn county where
he died February %, 1879. At the
Conference of 1866, held at Louisiana,
No., he reported 66 members, q pro-
bationers and two local preachers.
AT this G. inference the Macon Dis
District was formed and z. S. Weller
was appointed Presiding Elder.
Among the appointments in this Dis
trict is this one: "Brookfeld and
Laclede," Guy Hamilton, pastor.
The work of raising money for
church building was begun during
the first pastorate of Rev. Sidebottom
in 1865. Soon after the Conference
of 1866 the new building was CON-
menced and in the fall of that year
the new church was dedicated by DIR.
j. H. Vincent, now Bishop Vincent.
AT the Conference IF 1867 Laclede
is made a station and w. w. Roberts
is appointed pastor. In 1868 R. E.
Sidebottom is pastor again, after an
interval of two years. He is followed
in 1869 by T. B. Brattan who is pas
tor at Linneus and Laclede. In 1870
Il. S. Weller, who has been Presiding
Elder, is appointed pastor at Laclede
and Linneus. N. Shumate is the
Presiding Elder on the Macon Dis
trict. Laclede is again station IN
1871 and J. NJ. Parker is the new
pastor. He served the charge three
years. At the Conference of 1874 F.
H. Graham is made Presiding Elder
on the Macon District and A. H.
Powell is sent as pastor to Laclede.
He Was followed in 1875 by Calvin '
Allen who only remained as pastor
four months, when he was appointed
Presiding Elder on the Macon District ,
to take the place of F. H. Graham, de. 6
ceased. The remainder Of this year
was supplied by j. R. Sasseen. At c
he Conference of 1876 Isaac Hill q
vas appointed pastor at Laclede. He t
remained three years. BY change a
n District lines at the Conference of
1877 Laclede was placed in the v
Jhillicothe District, w. J. Martindale 0
Presiding Elder. In 1878 the Brook il
ield District is formed with j. F. n
desner, Presiding Elder. Laclede is e
n the new District. In 1879 j. II. p
poland came to the charge as pastor. e
he was reappointed in 1880. At the b
Conference OF 1881 the Brookfeld 8,
district is discontinued and Laclede [
, placed within the bounds of the
District, John Gillies, Pre-
ding Elder, and j. F. Mesner pastor b,
t Laclede. He was followed in 1882 et
y II. T. Robbins. In 1883 w. j.
fartindale is Presiding Elder on the