The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-10-07
REV. Smith is
ASKEDTOIRETURN
ANOTHER YEAR
An Interesting
Sketch Of Church

Sketch Of Church
A large congregation assembled at
1.-THE First Methodist Episcopal church
last night to observe the SEVENTEEN
anniversary Of It's organization and the
fifth anniversary Of Rev. G. D. Smiths
pastorate. The Observance was hiss
torlcal in its nature and many inter.
esting "reminiscences were recalled.
Rev. Smith gave an interesting his.
torical sketch otthe church which he
had carefully compiled. His Sketch
was followed by addresses by Rev. j {.
Engle and Rev. ]. s. Robinson the pre-.
siding elder Of the Fairmonts district.
These addresses were followed BY; a J
sort OF free for all addresses In which
the members recited much that was OF
, interest to those present. The choir
rendered some excellent selections.
Rev. Smith leaves tomorrow to att
tend the annual conference which con,
venes at Huntington. A general vote
! of the congregation last night showed
that It IS unanimous for Rev. Smiths
return. 1t is hoped that the confer
ences will listen to the voice OF! his
congregation and have him returned
to Fairmont.
We give Rev. Smiths sketch below
in full: s
"Early records Of this church more
than once have been carefully compII.
cd, but as otten,lost. / have resorted.
to all known sources OF Information.
and think | have a agrecord absolutely
correct save a few points that would
have made our early history more
definite could they have been obtained.
For the earlier data notlfound In the
written records l am Indebted to Mrs.
Ruhama Boydston, now GOOD living
in good state Of mind In her sstt
year. For the later data i am indebted
to Mrs. Ell Musgrave. whose good
memory has been able to supply much
valuable uawritten Information reach.
ing as far back as 1850. it.sa. s
Mrs. Boydston's husband, Eugenus
Boydston, came to Fairmont in tho tho,
summer of 1897 He Joined the church
by letter almost Immediately, being
the ninth member Of the organization.
He was married BY Rev. b. F. seds.
wick November 2sth, 1sss. These
dates are given by Mrs. Boydston and
are found recorded In the old family
Bible and no one can doubt their ac.
curacy.
These dates establish some facts
pertaining to our early church history.
First, that We had a Methodist Epis.
copal Organization In Fairmont as ear ear
ly as 1887. The date Of the organisa.
tion may have been'as early as 1886.
but the fact that Eugenus Boydston
found only eight members In the or.
ganization in the summer Of! 1881 In.
dicates that. It had not long existed. TO
ix the date Of the first organization
Of the church earlier than 1887 would
have to be done on some presumption.
We have the fact that there was an OF.
Faniza.lon as early as 1897, and tie
most reasonable presumption lis that
1t was formed early In. that year
through the instrumentalIty Of the
Rev. Frank Reed. the frst Methodist
Episcopal itinerant who preached in
Fairmont, and a slr. Kramer. the first
class leader who Is known to have
taken the initial steps toward organi1.
ing the church.
The names Of seven of the eight
members composing the organization
when Eugenus Boydston entered Il
are known to a certainty. 4 They are , \
Mr.. and Mrs Kramer, Nj. and Mrs.
James Burns, alr. and Mrs. Benjamin
Burns and Hanson Boggess. It Is
thought that James Prickett was the
eighth member The second class
leader was Eugenus Boydston. The
second pastor was Rev. B. II sedg.
wick. who was here In 1888 and 1899.
eWho the pastors were from 1859
to. 1SiS is not known to a certainty. a
part Of this time Fairmont belonged
to the Palatine circuit and 9 part OF
the time to the Marion circuit. Mrs.
Boydston remembers the names Of hye
pastors who we're here during that per.
iod, but not the order In which they
served. Their names appear In the'list
ofpastors.
The church was organized when
the seryices were held for some time