Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-07-20

the bristol Township. Soldiers As
ISOLATION" They met each Thanks
giving day These meetings wer
attended by the soldiers and fam
lilies and friends. The big Dime
was always a feature of the meet
ing. Soldiers of other township
were invited and many of them be
came members of the association
The last meeting was held at the
| B. Merwin home, Thanksgiving
1926. 1t was with interest we lis
tened in at the business sessions, a
well as through the program. W.
J believe an organization should b
| formed to carry on--not war, bu
| the memory Of these brave men ant
| to hold memorial services in tn
| township and see that the grave
are property cared for.
We never remember of but ON
Mexican soldier, residing here, ant
he was none other than Jefferson
Lincoln "Jeffy'' as he was known
lived alone on the south of the vii
lage, across the road from where
Clancy Woodward now lives AS We
remember Jeffy served through the
war and came home without q
scratch, then while helping load a
cannon in a Fourth of July celebra-
tion in McConnelsville, the cannon
went off prematurely blowing his
arm off In spite of the fact that he
had but one hand, he did lot of
hard work. He dug many water
wells in this neighborhood. He was
also water witch and located veins
of water "Boo Jeffy" always
brought him out-if at home. Some
relatives in a western state took
him into their home where his death
occurred several years ago.
In conversing with our encyclope-
dia of Bristol township history, he
adds the following names to our
soldier list, bringing the number up
to 1874: Bart Moody, Reason Baker
and Oliver Holmes. Names of SOL
diers of the Spanish and World
war will appear later.
We find that to make the search,
inquiries and interviews necessary
to give these facts, in way that
the history of the subjects involved
in divisions is impossible, or at least
it would take so long that we could
not give it the time necessary, so we
proceed to write as facts come to
hand.
Bristol Presbyterian Church
This church was organized in the
summer of 1885, with Rev. James
Moore, minister. Through the cour-
tesy of the w. T. Henderson fam
lily, Mr.. Henderson being clerk of
the session, we have had access to
the records which have been kept in
a very creditable manner. Mr.. Hen
derson succeeded his father, the
late John Henderson, as clerk. who
had served many years. The charter
list of this church was made up Of
folks who had been members of the
same denomination, in Pennsyl-
vania, as follows: Thomas and Hes
ter Alexander, George and Mary
John and Jane Miller,
Hugh and Sarah Scott, Mary Moore,
Allie and Jane Henderson, Abigail
Coleman (the name was spelled
'sCoalman' at that time). At a
held March 5, 1886, George
and John Miller were
ordained ruling elders. In Novem-
Der Of that year the sacrament was
for the first time, by
Rev VIM. Wallace. The list of in
stalled pastors following the two
above named are as follows: Revs.
John c. Arthur, Jas. c. Sharon, Ben
jamin J. Lowe, Thos. Smith, and
John p. Caldwell, during whose
pastorate the church prospered and
increased in membership, so that it
was felt that a new church house
was necessary, which was erected in
1853 Rev. Caldwell was succeed
I'd by w. M. Grimes, Rev. Duncan.
Rev. Grimes again, c. W. Court
light, N. C. Helfrich. w. M. Grimes,
G. B. Taylor, J. A. Baldridge, e. w.
Fisher, R. M Stevenson, C. B. Tay-
Ior, v. e. Taylor, Park w. Taylor,
CULLEN L. Young, w. ]. Mills.
W. w. Carhart, ------ Simpson,
R. F. McCracken, C. A. Beacham,
VIM. M. Mckay, George Van Arts
ialen and r. E. Leonard. The pas
tor at this time is Rev. Caller.
The present building was dedicat-
I'D December 1, 1912. Another au-I
.hority states that the first Sunday
school was organized about 1910,
With 20 scholars. with George Hen
lerson the first superintendent. The
grounds in connection with this
church consists of some five acres,
IN which is a very fine grove where
many picnics and outdoor meetings
lave been held The church roster |
Ind official membership record has
contained the Henderson name
through its entire history. While |
We trace the names Of SCOTS |
through the membership roll, and
here may be more, we trace the
henderson name through the Off
,ial as we'll as the membership list.
There have been more funerals
leld here than at any other church |
n the township. Taking one year
With another there are about as
many burials at Bristol as at all the |
,ther cemeteries combined. Since
We started this writing those inter-
,sted in the church and cemetery
With the help of or in connection
With the county commissioners have
hard surfaced the road from Cloud
% the church Then the church
,olks had the contractor pike a
driveway is feet wide clear around
he church Under the head of cem-