[Page 17]
James Montgomery, John
McCullough, Alexander
McCullough, Robert Elliott,
David McCreight, Sr., David
McCreight, Jr., Jas. Wright,
Robert Glasgow, Joseph Glasgow.
These persons joined in a
petition to the A. R.
Presbytery, of Kentucky, asking
for the organization of a
church, and that it be called
"Hopewell," which name had
already been given to the
preaching station. This
name it bore until 1835, when it
was changed to "West Fork," and
in the year 1860, it was again
changed to "Tranquility," which
it yet bears. The next
step in its history was to build
a tent as a temporary place of
worship. This must have
been about 1807 or 1808.
These tents are structures six or eight fact square,
made of logs or boards, with
three sides enclosed, and one
side open, covered with boards
or slabs, and a floor elevated a
few feet above the ground.
They are usually built in
forests or groves. In the
front or open side, with a slab
or board for his desk, stood the
preacher, who addressed the
congregations, who were seated
in front of him, on logs or on
benches made from the halves of
saplings split in two parts for
seats, beneath the protecting
shade afforded by the thick
foliage of the branches of the
trees above them, well
calculated to remind us of
Bryant's "Forest Hymn:"
"The groves were
God's first temple.
Ere man learned
To hew the shaft and
lay the architrave,
And spread the roof
above them - ere he
framed
The lofty vault, to
gather and roll back
The sound of
anthems; In the
darklink wood,
Amidst the cool and
silence, he knelt
down,
And offered to the
mightiest thanks
And supplication." |
Such was the starting of
this church, but its
subsequent history is
obscure, its congregation
having seemingly forgotten
the injunction," the man
dies but his memory should
live."
This tent, after serving its purposes a year or two,
was probably succeeded by a
log house, in which the
congregation could assemble
and worship, protected from
inclement weather.
This house was built
sometime in the year 1810.
It was 30x35, and used for a
long time without chimney or
floor. It was
afterwards enlarged by
making an addition to the
two sides. This
addition was in the form of
a pen of three sides, joined
to the main building by
placing the front or open
side next to it, cutting out
the logs of the house
opposite, in the same manner
that the outside frame work
was made for the old cabin
fire-laces. One of
these rooms was used as a
pulpit, while the door
entered the opposite one.
This house was afterwards
celled and weather-boarded,
and used until 1853, when it
was succeeded by the present
one, a frame building 50x70,
nicely finished inside and
outside, costing $2,200.
The congregation owns about
3½ acres of land, deeded at
different times, by James
McIntire, Nancy McCreight
and Hon. John T. Wilson.
About 1½ acres of this is
used for the cemetery.
The new organization, together with Eagle Creek and
Cherry Fork, were, supplied
by the following named
ministers of the Associate
Reformed Presbyterian
Church, to-wit:
Revs. John Steele, James
Brown, Abraham Craig, James
Magill, David Risk and
R. H. Bishop, a part
of their time.
The first regular pastor of the congregation was the
Rev. William Baldridge,
who continued in charge from
1809 to 1818, giving
one-fourth his time between
these dates, and one-half
his time from 1818 to d____,
Oct. 6, 1830. The next
pastor was Rev. Robert
Stewart, from 1832 until
1833, one-half his time,
when he was released to give
his full time to Cherry Fork
congregation. The next
pastor was the Rev. John
Graham, who took charge
in 1841, and continued until
his death, July 15, 1849, of
cholera. He was pastor
of the West Fork and West
Union churches, united in
one charge. The next
pastor was Rev. Marion
Morrison, who took
charge for his whole time,
in 1850, and remained until
1856, when he resigned, to
accept the chair of
mathematics in Monmouth
College, Illinois. The
next was Rev. John
Gilmore, who took charge
in April, 1857, and
continued until February,
1871, when he resigned.
The next pastor was Rev.
Jonathan Stewart, who
took charge September, 1871,
and continued until his
death, March, 2, 1878.
The next was the present
pastor, Rev. Washington
Wallace, who took charge
June 1, 1879. The
congregation has had seven
regular pastors, who have
had charge of it during a
period of 51 years; the
other 11 years have been
made up byu supplies, making
the whole age of its
existence 73 years.
The following named persons have been ordained elders
in the congregation since
its organization, to-wwit:
John Milligan, John
McCullough, Robert Elliott
and James Wright, who
constituted the first board.
In 1814, John Glasgow
and Matthew McCreight
were ordained to the same
office. In 1832, R.
B. Glasgow, James McCreight,
Isaac Smith and John
McCullough, Jr., were
ordained to the same office.
Again there were ordained in
1851, J. M. Glasgow
and Joseph McCreight;
in 1856, J. M. McCreight
and John Bayless; in
1860, W. P. Breckenridge
and Matthew McCreight,
Jr.; in 1868, William
O. McCreight, Simpson
Williams, Isaac N. Smith, R.
P. Finley and John
Eakin, were ordained
elders, making in all, 21
elders who have at different
times been chosen by the
congregation. The
present board consists of
William O. McCreight, John
Bayless, J. M. McCreight, W.
P. Breckenridge, Simpson
Williams, R. P. Finley
and John Platter; the
last named person was
received from a neighboring
church by a certificate.
The congregation has had the following clerks:
From its organization down
to 1835, were Isaac Smith
and William McCormick;
from 1835 to 1844, Thomas
Kirkpatrick. The
next was William M. Hays,
1844-47; John McCreight,
1848-55; David Gaston,
1855-65; James
Smiley, 1866-67;
Robert S. Williams,
1867-68; S. A. McCullough,
1869-80.
The congregation at present numbers 190 members.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
William B. Gregg
Isaac Martin
|