Caldwell County MO Archives History .....HISTORY OF THE M.E. CHURCH SOUTH OF POLO MO. 
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Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 8, 2008, 4:25 pm

HISTORY OF THE M.E. CHURCH SOUTH OF POLO MO.
	Narrator:  Mrs. C.H. Smart

     Mrs. Smart did this research in connection with the 60th homecoming and 
anniversary in March 1935.  At the annual conference of the M.E. church South 
in St. Joseph, 1874, it was decided that Polo needed a minister.  T.H. 
Swearington came to Polo in the fall.  In 1875, he held a revival in the old 
United Brethren Church, which was the only church in Polo then.  There were 
100 conversions and he organized the M.E. Church South.  Ninety joined the 
church out of the 100, and 76 came in at one time.  He had nine different 
appointments with Polo.  He stayed at the home of Frank Burdick, S.B. Hardman, 
Charley Achenbach and others.  His circuit finally embraced - Kingston, Far 
West, Cottonwood, and Polo.  The following 8 ministers resided at Kingston and 
kept the circuit; Rev. Swearington, John Perry, T.H. Leeper, Rev. J.L. Meffert 
who during his term of three years raised funds and built the frame building 
in Polo, overseeing the work himself, the labor of all being donated.  Wiley 
Thompson gave the land, Martin Brenneman father of the narrator) gave the 
stone for the foundation.  They used the church even before finished.  For 
seats, they used slabs and wooden boxes were the props.  The next on the 
circuit was John O. Edmundson then W.J. Parvin, then G. Tanquary, who took 
down the belfry and replaced it with a spire.  That takes to 1888.  The last 
man on the circuit was Rev. Mc?lintic.  The circuit was changed to include 
Cowgill (a new town), Pleasant Hill (rural), Millville, and Polo.  Now the 
preacher in charge lived at Cowgill, the best town.  The new circuit rider was 
Rev. Howerton who organized the M.E. Sunday school.  He was a great favorite 
with the youth.  One young lad declared his greatest ambition was to be a 
Sunday school superintendent like him.  And eventually he was.
     So the work went on with little change except in the circuit riders till 
1903, when the present church building was built.  It was not until 1914 that 
Polo was made a station, that is not on a circuit.  The preacher who first had 
full time there was T.P. Middleton.  From the time of that wonderful revival 
which proved the beginning of this Polo M.E. Church, South, there have elapsed 
60 years and yet some of the people converted at that time are still connected 
with the church:  Mr. John Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Stone, Mrs. Sarah Carr, 
Mrs. Sallie Stoutmore, Mrs. Mary Hardman, Mrs. Wm. Estes, Mrs. Louisa Hill, 
and Mrs. Elaine Simmons Brelsford who this spring was 92 years of age.
     Interview  1935.


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