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OLD-TIME CHURCHRAZING OF THE O’MEARA BUILDING TAKES ONE BACK TO FIFTY YEARS AGO.METHODIST EPISCOPAL ON OHIO ST.Something of a Reminiscent Nature Regarding Church That Was Dedicated Sept. 2, 1866-Corner Stone Contents.SHEEP—17good ewes, one Shropshire iFarming Implements 3rh;h0°0rdinch International feed grinder, one gasoline pumping engin surrey, two wagons, corn planter, sulky hay rake, mower, 01 vator, disc harrow, one set pump tools, one pump jack and Lot of extra early seed corn. Household and kitclDiSPERSIOOF10t£t aofJss., lnev Pills [ me the him. a clecl bles, and r. E.i offorneryrep-partiteehiborr. Rt her Jeff* I WTh** tearing down of the O’Meara building on South Ohio avenue, near fourth street, marks the passing of one of Sedalia’s ohl landmarks, which originally was the former Ohio street Methodist Episcopal chinch, the corner stone of which was laid on Sunday afternoon, September 2, 1866.From the corner stone were taken Friday by Eugene Atterburry, foreman of the T. H. Johnson Construction cohopany, employed in razing the structure, several religious publi cations, local newspapers of that day, a New Testament, a revised edition of Methodist hymns, printed in 18C2, a book containing articles of faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, and which contained addresses to the members of the church by the then seven bishops.Copies of the Methodist Christian Advocate of August 22, 1866. and also a copy of the Sedalia Times, published. by Stafford Magann, the former being Mr, P. G. Stafford, still living here, who wds present at the cornerstone laying, and’ who remembers well the address of the Rev. John Montgomery, D. D., on that occasion.A United States flag was also found in the corner stone, and all of these several papers, looks and a manuscript written on foolscap iaper were taken from the stone. They had been encased in a large glass bottle, and in state of being sealed, they were found in a state of dilapidation. The binding on the books had rotted away and the papers had deteriorated to a great extent, but many parts of them were still legible and distinct enough to be read.Mr. Stafford, to a Democrat reporter Saturday, stated that John F. Philips, former judge of ihe Western district of the United States court, and at that time a Sedalia attorney, was present at the cornerstone laying, and after the address of Dr. Montgomery, remarked. ‘Til tell you what, ‘Old Sledgehammer’ is the best crafor we’ve got.”Dr. Montgomery was a Presbyterian minister and the father of Attorney James T. Montgomery.The Methodist Episcopal conference at the time of the cornerstone laying comprised Missouri and Arkansas and was known as the Missouri Arkansas conference.The Rev. George McKee was the first pastor. He served the church faithfully for three years, retirin account of ill health, being granted a superannuated relation to the conference.The church was a substantial brick “building, 45x65 feet, and was two stories, the lower floors being rented for business purposes and the second floor being used for church and Sun day school services. About the time ;he church cornerstone was laid the Presbyterians had a chiffch in Sedalia situated where the Terry hotel now is located, and the Baptists the same year had a church erected at the cor ner of Fourth street and Lamine a\e nue. The Christian church was organized also and the congregation worshipped at the Presbyterian church.At that time Sedalia had a population of between 3,000 and 4,000. but was a thriving, bustling city, doing an immense business immediately following the close of the war.Reading the old papers found, one soon sees that partisan spirit ran high in those days. The republicans were strongly in the majority, and ran things high-handed and *o their own liking. The republicans were referred ^ to as ‘radicals in the Independent jWill Also Sell My Entire Herd of Thoroughbred Prize-Winning L25 Bred Sows and Gilts, 10 10 Boars,Including 2 GrandAnd a Number of Other Prize Win!Also 2 High Class Herd BoTERMS CASH nil IQ Lunch Will Be Served on the Grounds blindAuctioneers—Col. WT. D. Ross Otterville, Mo. Otl-Col. W. D. Ross. Otterville, Mo. Col. C. C. Boyd, Centralia, Mo.theally denominated as “rebels opposition.The democrats disfranchised by the war had not been restored to citizenship. The Sedalia Times, editorially, had a scathing article a bout a confederate sympathizer, who had not seen active service during the wax, but whose wife had embroidered him pair of slippers with a confederate flag on each. The Times said, among other things, he had never smelled powder and was a coward.West Goodwin hadn't reached Sedalia at that time. He .was running paper down in Springfield, and was even then stirring up things, as will be seen by the following news item the Times:Mr. J. W. Goodwin, editor of the Springfield Union Press, ihe only conservative paper published in th$ Hourth congpessional district, has been sued tor slander by one James McFarland, of Jasper county, who assesses damages at $20,000. Mr. Goodwin defies Mr. McFarland to have the case +ried in his own county.”The two Sedalia papers, the Independent Press and the Times, devot-, their columns principally to pol-j itical affairs, and personal attacks j were made that, if printedtor, was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Bus hong, and in the interim up to the present day the church has had many notable divines, j The present magnificent place ofiwoc^nfp of the rongregation of the First Methodist church, at Fourth street and Osagb avenue, erected at | a cost of $1 i*,ooo, was dedicated Sun-j day, July 21, 1907, under the pastorate j of the Rev. 'S. S! Martin.T he site was purchased after the of the old Ohio street churchsaleproperty on April 14, 1887, and' the cornerstone whs laid in 1S8.The chiirch was opened for public service by the Rev. H. G. Jackson. D. D.. oi Chicago, a former pastor of the Ohio street church, In 1891. The debt was all paid and notes and mortgages burned with special1 ceremonies on September 12, 1906.At the dedicatory ceremonies the Rev. Eugene May, D. D., of Washington. I). C.. delivered the dedicatory sermon to an immense gathering of Methodists and visitors of other denominations.The dedication ceremonies were beautiful and impressive, and were not celebrated until the entire indebt-todav I e(^ne?s on tbe structure had been wip-woutd doubtless result in the editors being sent to jail and their properties confiscated.The disfranchisement of civilians sympathizing with the confederate cause resulted in the continuation ol bitter political struggle, and it was not until gathering around the standard of B. Gratz Brov.n, who’was laier fleeted as governor on an independent-republican ticket, that these had their citizenship and right to vote restored.The papers contained lilieral advertising of the principal businesses and industries of that day. Among the advertisements was that of William E. Bard, Sr . who conducted a drug store on West Main street, where the W. E. Bard Drug company’s Main street establishment is now located. J. H. jMertz, at present in the drug business on South Ohio avenut, was associated with a partner named Glasscock.The firm of Cloney, Crawford Co., engaged in business as forwarding and commission me’chants, was among the advertisers, Mr. Cloney being the father of W. H. Cloney, now engaged in the laundry business a* Third street and Lamine avenue.From the time of the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church in Sedalia, in 1865, with a rpembershipj of seven, to the present time, witfr-a I membership of over 609, time has I brought many changes.The Rev. Mr. McKee, the first pas-'Rheumamakes the joints ache and causes the For quick reliBALL A SNOW Ll[It Is a Powerful, PemThe relief is prompt and very gratiithe joints and conveys a screngthenir normal conditions. Use it also for Burns, Scalds, relieving Stiff Neck, 1 It rarely fails to give good results. PJAS. F. BALLARD, PropricSold By W.Barley’s MaiRepair Steam, Farm Machinery.Gasoline and At Build Smoke StaDo General Blacksmithlng, P lo\ Anchors, etc., Boiler and Engine S Valves, Belting, Packing, Pulleys, S Machines, Land Rollers, Steam and Beam Drill for Sale. West Main SPress, anil the democrats were gener-^RICH 1N curative qualities-no habit forming of «* us* krK. a. mr* m.
Newspaper Details
Sedalia Weekly Democrat
Sedalia, Missouri, US
Fri, Feb 26, 1915
Page 10
Full Page
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