Plymouth Methodist Church, Clark County IL
Plymouth Methodist Church
Clark County IL
Submitted by Cindy McCachern
Church Building to be Sold to Highest Bidder
Wednesday, 23 July 1941, Robinson, Illinois
On Thursday, July 24, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the
Plymouth Methodist church building located in Melrose Township,
a few miles west of West York will be sold to the highest
bidder, With the wrecking of this building will pass one
of the old landmarks of that section.
The church was organized in 1838 at an old school house near
Melrose by Rev. William Blundell. The first meetings were
held in this school house and at the home of Nixon Evans and his
wife, Emily Minerva (Bartlett) Evans, whose grave was the first
in the well-kept cemetery adjoining the chuch lot. Mrs.
Evans died September 17, 1853.
The church was built in 1860 with Miles Evans, W. D. Lamb,
Leander Frost and Zachariah Henry named as trustees. The
land was bought from John B. Richardson. From the time of
the organization of the Plymouth church until his death at the
age of nearly ninety years, on October 27, 1904, Nicon Evans was
a loyal and active leader of the congregation. He preached
his last sermon there at the funeral of Noble Drake, son of Mr.
and Mrs. James Drake, on May 15, 1895, when he was 79 years of
age.
The roster of names of the members for the year 1859 are
contained in the old Class Book of the church on the fly leaf of
which is written, "Class Book for Evan's Class, Livingston
Circuit, Paris District, Ills., Conference I. L. Crane
Presiding, Elder and H. C. Hockensmith Past in Charge."
Following are the first names entered on the membership roll:
James Howerton, Sarah Howerton, Nixon Evans (local deacon),
Clarissa Evans, Zachariah Henry, Nancy E. Lamb, Dunn Lamb, Axey
Lamb, Matilda Caywood, Daniel Dawson, Hester Dawson, Enos
Buckner, Julia Buckner, Enoch Ralston, Mary Ralston, Hannah
Evans, Eviline C. Dawson, Wm. Buckner, Elizabeth Buckner, Miles
Evans (Class Leader), Elizabeth Evans, Cinthea Arrowsmith, Sarah
Due, Leander Frost, Sarah Frost, A. W. Dix, John Spivey, Abigail
Spivey, Dianah Cooper, Susan Cooper, Sarah Bartlett.
Miss Sarah Bartlett, who will be 93 years old on December 8,
1941, is the only living member of the pioneer group who saw the
building of the Plymouth Methodist Episcopal church in 1860.
By 1861 the membership had grown to seventy-five, but during the
sixties the Civil War took its toll of the young men of the
church.
Opposite the names of Enoch Ralston, Joseph Smith, Thomas
Harris, J. W. Dawson, Joseph Due and Richard Ralston appear the
words "in the army", while the name of James K. Polk carries the
notation "exhorter in the army."
Among the names on the lists of 1877 to 1884 are Prevo Ralston,
(class leader), Ann McConn, Warren B. Evans, Mahala Ralston,
Sarah A. Willard, Pliny Draper, Catherine Draper, Tacy Dix, J.
W. M. Drake, Alice Evans, Daniel and Elizabeth Cooper.
The church was discontinued as a circuit point about 1909 or
1910. It was last used in 1940 when it was opened for the
funeral of James Drake as he had requested.
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