The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-04-29
FIRST METHODIST
CHURCH in ny.
Was In Depth Of Vast Wild
erneSS.
State As Well As Church has
Grown to Much I'm
por. s1ce.

When the first Methodist church
was erected In Kentucky in 1887, the
State was a wilderness, and those who
attended the first conference which
was held In the edtfice had to urddrr
go the suffering of hunger and the
perfls of land which was infested
with Indians, who were ready to in
flict death or amy kind of torture upo
their victims.
Not only has the State grown since
the date of the erection of the first
Methodist church in Kentucky, but
the growth of the denomination has
been phenomenal. Progress has been
made in every section of the State
and the world at large. In Louisville
the Methodists are among the strong
est denominations of the city.
The first church in Kentucky was
erected al Masterson's Station, five
miles northwest of Lexing On, and the
first annual conference was held there
in the spring Of 1870, with Bishop
Francis Asbury presiding. There was
a.. that time six members Of the confer
ence, Francis Poythress. James Haw,
Wilson Lee, stephen Brooks, Barna-
bas McHeny and Peter Massee.
MasterSnn's Station was in the CEN
ter of a wilderness in 1887, and to
reach the seat Of conference a volun-
teer company WAS raised to escort
Bishop Asbury through the dreary
waste, which was replete with dangers
and savages- This company was COM
posed of the Rev. Peter Massee, John
Clark and eight Others. Seven days
weIe required 10 reach Richmond, and
three more days were required to
reach Lexington. In writing of the
trip at the time Bishop Tisbury said:
Il was strangely OutdOre for the
want of sleep. having been greatly
deprived of it in my journey through
the wilderness, which is like being at
sea in some RESPECTS, and in others
II is worse. Our way is over mountain
steep hils deep rivers and muddy
creeks-a thick growth OF reeds for
niles together ard no Inhabitants but
wild bcasas and savage men. / slept
about an hour the first night and
about TWO the last. We ate no regu-
lar mea Jour bread grew short, and
was much spent" He also referred to
seeing the grave of twenty-fouu men
who had been murdered a few nights
previous by the Indians.
The conference began on May 10,
: ard Lasted two days. One of the most
important matters which was taken
up was the consideration of the es-
Establishment of Bethel ACADEMY, as it
became known, and 300 pounds, equiv
lent 20 about 1900, was subscribed in
land and money. This academy was
built in Jcssamine county on the
banks Of thV Kentucky river II was
a building eighty feet long and forty
feet wide, and three stories high.
Even at that carly time the MethO-
dists were anxious to establish edu-
ca.iOnal Institutions and teach the
people of the State
At the first conference which was
held at Mas orlO-'s Station, Bishop
Asbury ordained three men as elders.
These were Wilson Lee. Thomas Will |
hanson and Barnabas McHenry Bishop
McHenry was son Of a ycOman in !
the parish of Hardsworth, Stafford /
shire, Eng aud. and was converted at 7.
the age of seventeen years. He was |
appointed to America at the age of /
twenty-siX, and at the Christmas con- /
ference in Baltimore, in 1884, was
unanimously elected Bishop
The coming of Bishop Asbury, and .
the conference at Mastersoa's Station |
was decidedly the most important /
church event in that day. 1t is said
hat a revival Of religion commenced
following the conference,and that this
revival spread throughout the State.
1t IL said that the year proved by far
more prosperous than any which had
proceeded 1t.
The first deed for ground on which
to buisd a church On record in Mason
county is dated 1906. and the loc con-
tanned an acre. IL was sold for shilling
or about twenty-five cents.
In 1919. the Methodist population
in Louisville was eighty-seve white
people and thirty negroes. In 1920
membership was las.
The first conference in Louisville
was held in 1916.
.