History of First United Methodist Church - Trenton, Tn  

October 2002 Was the 175th Anniversary of the First United Methodist Church of Trenton                                 

Gary Blankinship has developed the history of

          The First United Methodist Church.

October 13, 2002 - 175 th Anniversary Skit by;

John Mischke, Jordan Leigh Grant, Jessica Avery, Matt Curtis

HISTORY OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF TRENTON

BY GARY BLANKINSHIP

In Year 1901

Before Additions --- View is from South East

In Year 2002

ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH

          Olive Branch Methodist Church, our mother church, was established in 1825.

·                     The Rev. John F. Ford preached the first Methodist sermon ever delivered in Trenton in 1825. He was instrumental in starting the Trenton church and is considered as the "Founder" of our church.

·                     "Uncle Johnny Ford" as he was called began the church and its services were held in the first courthouse, a log structure. That courthouse was located where the present one now is located.

·                     In 1827, Olive Branch organized the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Trenton, the first to be organized after the settlement of Trenton.

·                     The original members included the families of the Fites, Blakemores, Raines, Levys, and Crawfords.

                                     The Blakemores

·                     Our church was then a part of the Forked Deer District.

·                     At first the church was served by three circuit riders: Pleasant Robinson, Thomas Neely, and R. M. Tarrant.

·                     In 1834 with over 100 members, a building lot was purchased from Thomas Jones for $75.00 and a wood frame white clapboard church was built by Thomas Fite. This was located on the corner of 1st and Church Streets.

·                     In that same year, the Trenton Circuit was formed and included Olive Branch and a few other churches.

·                     By 1839, the Trenton Station was formed and the church had grown enough to have its first full time pastor, the Rev. Ben Hubbard.

·                     In 1844, the Trenton Station was abolished, at the request of its members, and resumed as a part of the Trenton Circuit. J. W. McFarland served as the circuit rider.

·                     In that same year, the National Methodist Episcopal Church was divided into two branches over the question of slavery. There was the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

·                     In 1846, the Trenton Station was re-established with B. A. Hays as the pastor.

·                     From the beginning of our church to 1866, the church kept two separate rosters for men and women.

·                     The hours of morning worship were from 11:00 a.m. to 1 or 2 p. m. Evening services began at "early candle lighting" and continued as long into the evening as desired.

·                     The pastor's salary, if single, was $100 per year and $200, if married, plus $25 for each child under 7 and $50 for children over 7.

·                     Our Sunday School program dates back to 1850 with 80 enrolled and having 4 classes. John W. Elder was the first Sunday School Superintendent.

·                     Due to our church's interests in education, our church built and operated Andrew College on College and 10th Streets in 1852.  That college was located where Peabody Place is now. A marker there once stated: " Andrew College, founded 1852 by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was the successor to the Trenton Female Academy established 1825; Used as hospital during Civil War; Purchased for Public School 1875; Presidents: The Rev. A. L. Hamilton, Dr. Guilford Jones, and Dr. W. S. Moore." In 1870, the church formed the Melrose Institute for girls located behind the Neil House.

PRESENT SANCTUARY BUILT

·                     In 1862 during the Civil War, Trenton and Humboldt shared a pastor. Following the Confederate defeat at Shiloh, Trenton like many other West Tn. towns were occupied by the yankees. In Dec. 1862, Confederate cavalry commander General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeated the federals here.

·                     After the Civil War, during the dark days of Reconstruction, plans for a new church were made.  A lot was purchased on the corner of College and Fourth Streets (the present site) from Dr. R. A. Hicks measuring 60' x 145' for $300.

·                     The bricks were fired and made by the Barretts' Brickyard in Trenton. Building began in 1868 or 1869.

·                     The Building Committee consisted of Henry Elder, Chairman and Dr. Zack Biggs, Treasurer.

·                     Before its completion, funds ran out, construction stopped and the building was boarded up.

·                     Finally in 1870, the building was completed becoming the first brick church in Trenton.

·                     This building is now the beautiful sanctuary of our church.

·                     The new church had 2 doors in the front and 2 in the back. The Presbyterian Church was not there then (it was built in 1892).

·                     The church was then heated by a wood stove, later coal. Kerosene lamps provided light and the sanctuary floors were covered with red carpet.

·                     In 1871, the new church was given a pipe organ by Mary Levy in Philadelphia in memory of Dr. Lewis Levy. Our church was the first in the county to have one. The organ had to be pumped by hand and it was the job of the young boys for years to keep the air pumped to it.  Below is a picture of the Pilcher Organ when it was still in use in 1973. Notice the keyboard was just under the pipes.  These pictures were taken just before the new Schantz was installed.

WOMEN'S ROLE IN THE CHURCH

A Methodist women's group called the Mite Society was formed in 1879 and they were

 responsible for the upkeep and furnishings of the church building and parsonage

·                      The Mite Society purchased three beautiful brass chandeliers with crystal prisms in 1882 these were lit by kerosene lamps. These were removed in 1897 and replaced with electric lights. No one knows what happened to the chandeliers. The Mite Society, also, donated to the church a communion set and silver collection plates

·                     In the 1880s, the Woman's Missionary Society was organized to raise money for foreign and home missions.

·                     In the late 1880s and 1890s, the Willing Workers made many contributions to the church.

·                     In the early 1890s, a youth organization was formed by Mrs. T. K. Happel, Sr. They were called the "Happel Gleaners" and were quite active until the late 1920s. In 1908, the Wesley Workers (a young ladies group) began and were instrumental in raising funds to pay for the Art Glass windows in the new Education addition built in 1912-1913.

REMODELING   OF THE CHURCH

·                     In 1897, the church was remodeled. The vestibule, bell tower and stained glass windows were added. Also, the choir stand was lowered and the front round window was added.

·                     In 1913, an annex was joined to the church which consisted of Sunday School rooms and a Fellowship Hall.

·                     In 1947, more Sunday School rooms were completed.

·                     In the mid 1960s, the final addition was made with six new classrooms and the present Fellowship Hall.

PARSONAGES

·                    Our church has had three different parsonages over the years.

·                    The first parsonage was located at 708 South High Street and was used from 1884-1928. It is the present home of Evelyn Medlock.

·                    The second parsonage was built next to the church in 1928 and was used until about 1965, when Rev. Bivens left. The house was torn down in the early 1980s.

·                    The third parsonage was bought in 1965 and is located at 1307 Shady Lane. The family of Rev. Bill Evans was the first to live there. 

                                                  SUPERINTENDENT

In 1850 John W. Elder was elected Superintendent of the Sunday School, a position he held for forty-nine consecutive years

PASTORS

The following are the pastors who have served through the 175 years of our church's history:

1827- 1839: Pleasant Robinson, Thomas Neely, R. M. Tarrant

 1839-1841: Benjamin Hubbard

1841-1842: Stephen G. Starks

1842-1843: Joseph H. Brooks

1844: W. C. Robb

1845: J. W. McFarland

1846:  B. A. Hays

1847: J. W. Knott

1848: D. C. Wells

1849: R. V. Taylor

1850-1851: R. F. Colburn

1852: M.H. Neal

1853: W. W. Peeples

1854: A. R. Nelson

1855: Gilford Jones

1856: J. T. Merriweather

1857: A. J. Lee

1858: E. E. Hamilton

1859: N. P. Ramsey

1860: William H. Leigh

1861: Joseph H. Evans

1862-1863: James W. Mathis

1864-1865: R. H. Mahon

1866: W. F. Mister

1867: R. H. Mahon

1868-1870: S. W. Moore

1871-1872: A. L. Pritchett

1873: J. S.Renshaw

1874: C. Y. Rankin

1875: James Hooks

1876- 1879: J. M. Scott

1880-1882: Gilford Jones

1883-1884: G. W. Wilson

1885-1888: David Leith

1889-1892: J. H. Roberts

1893-1896: J. G. Clark

1897-1899: J. W. Blackard

1900- 1903: S. L. Jewell

1904-1907: W. C. Waters

1908-1910: A. J. Meadors

1911-1912: J. W. Irion

1913-1914: A. B. Jones

1915-1916: R. M. Walker

1917-1918: S. L. Jewell

1919-1923: W. D. Jenkins

1924-1927: W. D. Pickens

1928-1929: R. A. Wood

1930-1931: W. S. DuBose

1932-1934: W. H. Saxon

1935-1937: J. M. Jenkins

1938-1939: A. W. Lassiter

1940: E. M. Mathis

1941-1947: G. W. Bell

1947-1952: B. O. Clark

1952-1958: L. L. Jones

1958 -1962: L. B. Council

1962-1964: Raymond A. Bivens

1965-1970: Bill Evans

1971-1974: Luther Clark

1975-1979: Tommy Edwards

         Edwards

1980-1982: Gordon R. Henderson

1983-1986: Ronald C. Allen

1987-1992: Cecil L. Bellew

                 Bellew 

1993-1996: James C. Cooper

REPLACE WITH PICTURE

1997: Richard T. Carruth

                Carruth

1998- 2003: Dr. Steve Mischke   

                                     Mischke

June 2003 - Present: Rev. Dan Weathersbee

                 Weathersbees