Faulk County, SD History .....Chapter XXVIII - Methodist Episcopal Church 1909
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METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

[By Rev. Thomas Simmons.]



    By the counsel of his physician in the spring of '84 Rev. Thomas Simmons was

induced to try Dakota ozone for his broken down health. The experiment was so

successful that in the fall of '85 he entered the Dakota Conference to help

build the empire of the Dakotas. He was given the choice between a charge at

$800 and parsonage or to organize Methodism in Faulk county. He chose the latter

and became the first M. E. pastor of Faulk county and January 15, 1886, began

revival work at Eatondale schoolhouse, closing a two week's meeting by

organizing a class of twenty-four members, then went to Hope Center schoolhouse

and in about a fortnight organized another class of thirty-eight members. Next

at LaFoon a class of twenty-six, then to DeVoe where a class of thirty-three was

organized, closing the season with a nine day's meeting at Roanoke (now

Cresbard) organizing with forty-two members. The work of the year embraced one

hundred and twenty conversions, two hundred accessions to the church, nine

Sunday schools with preaching appointments. Rev. Chas. Chapman, a local preacher

from Iowa, rendered good assistance in supplying these appointments with

preaching. There was no possible place to hold services in Faulkton until the

fall of 1886 when the new schoolhouse was secured and the first M. E. church of

Faulkton was organized comprising the following names: J. A. Pickler, Alice M.

A. Pickler, Lula Pickler, Mrs. Clark, Ollie Ireland, Mrs. Dr. Goslee and Anna R.

Simmons. A Sunday school was organized with Mrs. Simmons as superintendent and

J. A. Pickler, bible class teacher, which office he has held with delight till

his present sickness, except during his absence in congress.



    From the schoolhouse we went to a new store building, thence to the town

hall and then into an abandoned saloon, after some scrubbing and disinfecting,

we called it Salvation hall and had one hundred conversions in our first revival.



    By this time the M. E. swarm had multiplied so we began to provide for a new

hive. Having bought the sheeting and dimension lumber for a new church, we built

with it a temporary building to accomodate the congregation of two hundred, and

when ready put it into the new church, meantime using a tent for church

services. A happy people responded to P. E. Fielder's call for $1100 to meet

full arrears and enjoy Dr. Stafford's dedication sermon on the last Sabbath of

September '88 and the first Methodist church of Faulkton was committed to the

sacred trust of the Board of Trustees, J. A. Pickler, Alice M. A. Pickler, C. E.

Warner, Nora Warner, C. H. Seeley, Mrs. M. M. Johnson.



    The three year time limit permitted the pastor but one Sabbath in his new

pulpit. But he went rejoicing over such results—from almost nothing had sprung

into existence—three full charges, seven Sunday schools, three new churches

built and dedicated, besides two preaching appointments given to the Athol

charge. Truly God wrought marvelously in these three short years.



Additional Comments:
From:



HISTORY OF

FAULK COUNTY

SOUTH DAKOTA

CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS



TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS



ILLUSTRATED

19O9

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