Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1913-10-09
Growth of M. E. Church

AC pCOptC VI OOOhctlllc ar
very much interested in the
Conference of the Methods,
Episcopal Church South soon te
bc held here. We are expect
ing to enjoy it and that oul
community will receive grea,
spiritual benefit from it, and
then we are proud of the fact
that our town has grown to the
size and Importance that it can
entertain the conference, and
is deemed worthy of such an
honor.
: The town is a little over fifty
years old, the first deed of con-
veyance of a town lot being dat
ed January 8, 1856. 1t was then
in the woods, far removed from
railroads, and the wild deer was
plentiful in this section of the
country. In 1889, when a rail-
road was built connecting it
with Nashville, it had only
about three hundred inhabit-
ants, but since then it has rap
idly increased in population and
business Importance.
At first a small frame build
ing used as a courthouse was
also used by the Methodist
preachers in which to preach.
The church having acquired a
town lot, the foundation of a
Methodist church was laid in
the beginning of the year 1857,
and soon completed. 1t was a
wooden structure and Mr.. Reu-
ben West was the contractor
who did the work. AS soon as
he got the roof on he enclosed
one corner of the building by
means of quilts hung up, and he
and his wife lived in this while
he finished the building. The
Methodists, Presbyterians and
Baptists by agreement used
the house different Sundays In
which to preach. This section
of country was then in what
was termed by the Methodists
as the White Plains Mission.
From the best information we
have, a man by the name Of
Driscoll was presiding elder at
that time, and Sam Randolph
was the preacher in charge.
Some time afterward the name
of the charge was changed to
Cookeville Mission. Following
Driscoll as presiding elder, we
are informed, were Burr and
Petway before the Civil War,
and following Randolph as pas
tor before the war were Parks,
Freeman, Cherry and .Harmer.
Since the Civil War we have
had as presiding elders Steph-
ems, Allison, Conner, Hannah,
Cullom, Goodloe, Moodey, Fish
er, Currey, Jackson, Hinson,
Haggard, Jarratt, Lowery and
Blackwood. There have been
as pastors on this charge since
the war, Blanton, Clenny, San
ders, Sebastian, Allison, Moores,
Patterson, Freeman, Jared, AL
Ford, Herriges, Jarvis,
SmOtherman, Baker,
Gilbert, Nackles, Baird, Hudg-
ems, Allen, Doss and McClearen.
Cookeville was made a sta
ton two years ago. In 1895
the church first built and the lot
on which it stood were sold and
a lot more centrally located in
reference to the population as
It now exists, was purchased,
and a nice brick church built on
It, which was amply large for
The accommodation OF the men,
bership at that time, but a few
years ago Bro. Molloy came
here and held a. protracted
meeting, and with the growth
If the church up to that time
and the additions to it as a re-
suit of this meeting, it became
necessary to enlarge the church
~ making a considerable addi-
ion to its size, and this was
at the time to be
arge enough to accommodate
he Sunday school and church
or a number of years, but In
his they were mistaken, and
he steady growth of both the !,
,hurch and Sunday school since |
hen has been such that the
rouse is now not sufficiently ,
arge. especially to accommo-
late the Sunday school. /