The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-02-01
History of Columbus in 10Th Century

"Methodism in Columbus, Miss, Du
ing Nineteeth Century" Read at the
Watch Night Service December 81, b,
G. ID. Harris, Recording Steward.
DR.. W. L. Lipscomb and j have beer
appointed to prepare a history o.
Methodism in Columbus, Mississippi
during the century just closing. Foi
convenience | have undertaken TO pre-
pare such collection of historical
facts as we have been able to collect
from records and bring together in
concise form.
4 DR.. Lipscomb will follow with suel
remarks on these facts, and with re-
miniscenccs as will make this recort
more complete
AT the time that the Tennessee ane
Kentucky troops cut the old Military
road on their way to reinforce Gen
Jackson at New Orleans in 1913, Col
umbus was little trading post with
the Choctaw Indians, and called
Opossum Town, and afterwards q
little village called by it's present
name. From that time until 1881
we have no record Of any church
building being erected at this place
although it had grown to be a village
of 500 inhabitants. To ascertain
what religious advantages it's citi
zens enjoyed, we have industriously
searched the history Of the Methodist
conferences occupying this territory.
The first item of interest is taker
from the records Of the Mississippi
conference in 1919, Said conference
at that time occupied the whole Of
the territory now included in The
States Of Alabama and Mississippi
and had been organized since 1916
Among the list Of circuits we FIND
Buttahatchie, afterwards known as
Marion circuit, which extended from
the mouth Of Sipsey on the Tombeck-
bee River, north to Cotton Gin Port
thence east to Marion county, Ala,
and taking in part of east Missis-
sippi and west Alabama, Columbus
being within the bounds of this cir
suit. We can only conclude that re
ligious services of some kind were
conducted at the time.
In 1S19-l821 this circuit was. scrv-
ed by Rev. Ebenezer Hearn and
Thomas Struggled, who must have
been the pioneers of Methodism in
this section Of Mississippi.
From 1922 to 1882, Marion circuit
was served by the following preach
ers in the order named: Thomas
Clinton, Benjamin +. Lidden, Wiley
Ledbetter, John G, Lee, Thomas Ow
ems. Thomas S. Alternately, Peyton s.
Graves, Thomas f. Ledbetter, Isaac
V, Enochs, Leroy Massengale, Jesse
Micz, Moses Perry. Wood, Blanton P.
Box, Lewis S. Turner, Preston Cooper
Nathan Hopkins and Anthony s.
Dickinson.
From 1919 to 1882 the membership
in the circuit increased from II to
932; the largest increase was in that
part which lay in Mississippi, and
necessarily included the membership
at Columbus.
During the year 1881 the Metho-
dists erected the first church in the
Gown of Columbus. Before that
time we have satisfactory evidence
that several of the religious denomi-
nations. the Methodist included, used
the Franklin Academy as place of
worship.
In 1882 the Mississippi conference
was divided and Columbus, with that
part of Mississippi on the east side
of the Tombeckbee, fell in to the
Alabama conference and became 2
station, with the Rev. Richard II,
Herbert, pastor, and Rev Eugene lie
Vert, presiding elder Of the Columbus
district.
The first quarterly conference of
Columbus station was held February
%, 1888, There were present; Eu-
gene lie Vert, presiding elder; Rich
ard H. Herbert, pastor; VIM. Dow
sing, ST., Robert d. Haden, Geo.
Shaffer, VIM. L. Clark, Ovid p. Brown
and VIM. Dowsing, Jr, stewards.
AT the second quarterly conference,
held May Is, 1888, Dabney Lipscomb
and Alexander Gray were elected
stewards.
The records Of Columbus station
were too incomplete to give an aceu-
rate number of the members at this
early date.
The growth wars slow until 1899,