The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-15
SMALL BEGINNINGS OF NEAR
LY FORTY YEARS AGO IN
COUNTY TOLD BY MRS.
HUME.
NAMES OF FIRST OFFICERS
New Departments Added Prom Time
To Time-Many Brilliant Men
and Women Brought To
the County.

The occasion of the annual con-
vention of the Marshall County Sun
day School Association revives in
terest in its beginnings and history.
AS often happens in the early stages
of many things, no records are pre-
served. Indiana owes much to the
late VIM. H. lowering, who died at
his home in Lafayette in 1907, for
early Sunday school history, and,
incidentally, for many other facts
of pioneer days. He was a persistent
investigator. and had rare method
in arranging and indexing all his
conclusions. He bequeathed to the
State great collection Of manu-
scripts, carefully catalogued. These
are now in the public library in In
dianapolis.
Mr.. lowering says ne finds no
trace of any Sunday school in In
diana until 1918, when Rev. Isaac
Reed organized one in his own
church in New Albany. That Mr..
Reed held it to be rather unimport-
ant adjunct is gathered from the
fact that, in 1910, he published the
youths Book" of go pages, in
which he discourses at some length
on missions, temperance, agriculture,
etc., but only twice makes any refer
ence to Sunday schools. These two
illusions are In funeral sermons.
Indiana was missionary ground in
those days. There is a record of the
organization of Daviess county In
1929. Minutes of various schools in
that Union are preserved. Notes
from them are as follows:
"Most of the schools continued
during the winter
"Some who commenced with the
alphabet can now read"
"Those who religiously instruct
their offspring have found Sabbath
schools not interfering with their
rights, but an auxiliary in bringing
up their children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord
Neither have these schools been
without benefit to the teachers. They
have increased their benevolenoe,
their spirit of prayer, their self
denial and their knowledge of Divi ne
truth"
A bill for the purchase of books
includes: FIFTY spelling books at
10 cents each
In '';1829 appears a record of a
subscription to buy a library signed
by n persons.
These quotations are not made to
minimize the day of small things.
These were laying the foundation.
The building steadily grew, but has
not even yet attained its perfect
proportion. The present Indiana
Sunday School Association Tor
Union, as, it was called) was organic
ed at Indianapolis in 1865. At first,
there were district groupings, coun-
ty organizations followed as fast as
those interested were able to effect
it. Marshall county was organized
on May 81, 1876 with Mr.. w. E.
Bailey as president and Mr.. Geo. R.
Cheney as secretary. However, an
earlier report of Marshall county
Sunday schools was made to the
State convention of 1873 as follows !:
"Sixteen Sunday schools make de-
tailed report. In Plymouth three
are reported. The M. E., Washing
ton Kelley, Supt.; the Presbyterian,
r. A. Chase, Supt.; the German
Evangelical, John Hoham, Supt. In
Inwood, one school, Tyner one, Link
vile one, Bourbon, one, one In
Greer township, three in West town.
Ship"
District conventions in Marshall
county are remembered before the
day of its organization in 1876.
Conventions to which came Judge
Gillette, Of Valparaiso, and Mr..
Holahird; also Rev. II. C. Morey,
of South Bend, and Dist. Pres, o.
H. Palmer, and Fl: w. johnson, of
Michigan City. It seems probable
that annual conventions have been
observed since 1875. It would be
if the convention Of the
year would refer this matter
to a committee, which would report
accurately, and correct the announce
ment for 1913.
The Early Officers.
The early presidents, whose terms
Of Office cannot be. exactly deter
mined are:
w. E. Bailey, Plymouth.
Rev. ]. B. De1iotte, Argos.
Philip Kanegsr, Bremen.
Then follow: