West Virginia Statewide Files WV-Footsteps Mailing List WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 6 Today's Topics: #1 HIST: WV Church Dev [Valerie & Tommy Crook Subject: HIST: WV Church Developement - 1913 From the Semi-Centennial History of West Virginia, by James Callahan, 1913. pg. 522-524 Church Devlopment The Editors and Committee, unable to obtain a general treatment of this subject in a single article, decided to assign brief articles to representatives of each denomination. They were able to secure articles for five denominations which have the largest membership in the state. THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION By Rev. L. E. Peters. A tradition says that the first wagon that crossed the Allegheny moun- tains westward, carried the goods and chattels of Elder John Alderson, who settled on the Greenbrier river, where now the town of Alderson if located, arriving some time in October, 1777. Here he opened a farm, and often plowed with his gun swung on his shoulder to profect himself from the Indians. In 1781 he organized the "Greenbrier Baptist Church," which has an unbroken history to the present day. About the same time the Forks of Cheat Church and the Simpson Creek Church, at Bridgeport, Harrison County, were constituted; these two were planted a few years earlier than the Greenbrier Church. The dates are not definitely determined. These three church were the centers in the territory, now West Virginia, from which the denomination has grown in the state. Up to the breaking out of the war in 1861, all the churches in that part of Virginia now West Virginia co-operated with the General Association of Virginia and were known as Virginia Baptists. At the close of the war these churches were very much dis-organized and the membership scattered, and there was no bond of denominational unity. But soon Divine grace triumphed over bitter feeling and blood-shed, and on the 15th of November, 1865, the Baptists of the state met through their representatives in Parkersburg and organized the Baptist General Association of West Vir- ginia. Perfect harmony and brotherly love prevailed throughout the en- tire session of the convention, and here the Baptist denomination of West Virginia was well born. Here the history of West Virginia Baptists begins. In the limits of this sketch, I can not go into details, but shall give the development of the Denomination in the state along a few leading lines. 1. Numerically.—It is impossible to get a correct statistical statement of the Baptists of West Virginia at the close of the war or even when the General Association was organized in 1865. They have been estimated at about 10,000. The first statistical table published was in 1869. Then we had 274 churches with a total membership of 17,518. The total of all con- tributions for that year was $26,536. At the close of our last associatlonal year—September 30, 1912—we report 649 churches, with a tofal member- ship of 53,406. The total contributions for church expenses were $173,818.68; for benevolences, $30,511.38; grand total for all purposes, $204,351.31. While our Sunday-school work has kept pace with the churches and sometimes been in advance of them, we have no accurate published statistics. The old-time "union school" has give way to the Denominational school; the summer school has largely disappeared and the "evergreen school" is the rule. The old lessons consisting of the reading of a few chapters from the Bible has been replaced by the "Uniform Lessons," and in the last few years a splendid system of Graded Lessons is used in the lower grades. 2. Development in Mission Work.—The General Association was organ- ized primarily for state mission work. This was managed by an executive board, who made the appointments, collected funds and paid the mission- aries. In 1869 the board had in the field 16 missionaries who traveled 22,323 miles, preached 2,053 sermons, delivered 450 lectures and addresses, baptized 501 persons, 200 of whom were baptized by one missionary. Rev. C. J. Rippetoe, held 450 prayer meetings and visited 24,468 families. Now, for the year ending September 30, 1912, we employed 44 Missionaries who performed 1,360 weeks of labor, delivered 4,616 sermons and addresses, made 15,119 family visits, reported 553 conversions and 373 baptisms, and traveled 55,537 miles. The first missionaries were appointed by the state board in 1866, seven men to labor in eight counties, at a total salary of $1,170. Mission work outside of the state in these days consisted largely in resolutions and speeches." The first record we find of contributions was in 1866, as follows: For home missions (North America) $6.50; foreign missions, $103.00. The records of 1912 show contributions for home missions, $5,357.30; for foreign missions, $6,688.69; for Sunday-school and colporter work. $2,707.98; for state missions, $15,161.26. In the prose- cution of the state mission work. In addition to the 44 missionaries given above, the state board employs a general secretary, and two general mis- sionaries, one in the northern and the other in the southern part of the state. $308.05 was contributed last year for church edifice work. 3. Development in Denominational Education. (1) Schools. The Baptists of "Western Virginia" some two or three years before the war bought the property of Blue Sulphur Springs and opened a school that started off under the name of Allegheny College, with fine prospects.- At the beginning of the war of 61 it was closed, and in time of the war the buildings were destroyed by the Federal Army. Effort has been made to recover damages from the Government, but so far has failed. The managers paid off the entire debt against the property during the war in Confederate money, which after the war the courts decided wag not a "legal tender" and the denomination lost the entire property. This school gave to the Baptists of West Virginia its two greatest preachers, Dr. W. P. Walker and Dr. J. W. Carter. Before the war Dr. Wheeler started Rector College at Pruntytown in Taylor county, but the buildings were destroyed by fire and this ended its career. After the war Rev. J. B. Solomon came from Virginia and started a school and claimed for it a "regular university" course, but he was elected to a professorship in the State University, and that school was not. In 1869 Baylus Cade, a brilliant and enthusiastic student from Richmond College came to West Virginia and established Coals Mouth High School. Prof. P. B. Reynolds was its first principal. It was finally changed to Shelton College in honor of its largest donor, Mr. Matthew Shelton. While this school was short lived for want of funds, patronage and proper appreciation, yet it did a great deal of good in discovering talented young men and giving them a start and taste for learning. Some of them now fill prominent positions as educators and preachers. About 1877 Rev. E. J. Willls moved Broaddus Female College from Winchester, Va., to Clarksburg, where it had a varied experience, but did much good work and sent out a goodly number of well-trained young women in the state. It was reorganized and stripped of its title as a college and has ever since been known as Broaddus Institute. It changed admin- istration about every two or three years. The buildings were enlarged and the attendance grew, it being now a mixed school. As the town grew it was hemmed in and demanded a better site. An offer was made to move it to Philippi, which was accepted. It now has on "Battle Hill" a splendid up-to-date plant and is doing good work under Prof. Elkanah Hulley, an experienced educator. Alderson Academy at Alderson, in Greenbrier county was organized a few years ago, and has had several very successful sessions. It is now erecting an up-to-date building. (2) Ministerial Education.—In 1865 I doubt whether there was a col- lege and seminary graduate in the Baptist clergy of the state, but now we have scores of them. There was not much done in an organized effort along this line until 1891, when Rev. John S. Stump, D.D., of Parkersburg, or- ganized a State Education Society. It is incorporated under the laws of the state in the form of a joint stock company. Mr. Jarrett Linch, of Monongalia county, left a handsome nucleus of an endowment in his will to the society. The proceeds ot this endowment, annually supplemented by the contributions from our churches, put the society in good condition to help young men called to the ministry. This year we are assisting 23 students at a cost of $2,150.00. For the improvement of our present min- istry, we have a state Minister's Fraternal Union with 42 members. 4. Other Movements.—Women's missionary circles, young people's so- cieties, twenty district associations, nineteen Sunday-school Conventions and an annual summer assembly keep our forces in line and at the work. 5. Changes in the personnel of our Ministry.—The old pioneers who laid broad and deep the foundations of our denominational life in the state have gone to their re-ward. Strong, self-made, godly men they were. My heart longs to give a sketch of them, but my space forbids. Now we have a fine class of men, cultured and able preachers, such as Brinenstool of Wheeling, Bennett of Sistersvllle, Smith, Hank, Stump, Moore and Bart- lett of Parkersburg, Wood of Huntington, Johnson, Binford and Bayles of Charleston, Powell of Grafton, Eddy of Fairmont, and Briggs of Mor- gantown, Taylor of Clarksburg, Woofter of Salem and scores of others I might mention. The three greatest preachers in the state among the old men were Dr. W. P. Walker, Dr. J. W. Carter, gone to heaven, and Jonathan Smith, who is still living. ______________________________X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:32:37 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook Subject: BIO: Alexander E. MAHAN, Hancock Co. *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 230 Hancock County ALEXANDER E. MAHAN is a native son of Hancock County, a representative of one of the old and honored families of this section of the state, and as a fruit grower is fully upholding the prestige of the family name and that of the county, his attractive orchard homestead being situated near the Village of Arroyo and on rural mail route No. 4 from New Cumberland, the county seat. Mr. Mahan was born at New Cumberland, this county, on the 9th of October, 1879, and is a son of Captain W. Chester Mahan and Margaret (Smith) Mahan, the former of whom died in 1908, at the age of sixty-six years, and the latter in 1921, at the age of sixty-eight years. The father was a gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil war, in which he was a member of Company I, Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. He was captured by the enemy and was held a captive of war at Anderson- ville Prison for six months. He took part in many en- gagements and did well his part in preserving the integrity of the nation. After the war he became actively identified with navigation service on the Ohio River as part owner of packet boats. He served as captain on these river steamboats, including the "John Porter," which vessel unfortunately carried the yellow-fever scourge as far as Gallipolis, Ohio, at the time when the dread epidemic was raging at Memphis, Tennessee. Captain Mahan later en- gaged successfully in fruit growing on the fine place now owned and operated by his son Alexander E., of this sketch, who is the elder of the two children and whose sister, Miss Helen M., likewise remains at the old home. Alex- ander E. Mahan married Miss Sadie Brenneman, a daugh- ter of George G. Brenneman, and the one child of this union is Alexander E., Jr. *************** ______________________________X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:31:57 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook Subject: BIO: George G. BRENNEMAN, Hancock Co. *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 229-230 Hancock County GEORGE G. BRENNEMAN. Seven miles north of New Cumberland, the county seat of Hancock County, and near the Village of Arroyo, is situated the splendid fruit farm owned and actively managed by Mr. Brenneman, who is one of the most extensive and successful fruit growers in this section of West Virginia. He was born on his present homestead farm, on the 10th of May, 1847, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Brown) Brenneman, the latter a representative of an honored and influential pioneer family of which mention is made in other personal sketches in this publication. Jacob Brenneman was born in Penn- sylvania and after his marriage he and his wife con- tinued to reside on the farm that is now owned by their son George G., this being one of the fine places on the Ohio River in Hancock County and comprising 318-3/4 acres. Jacob Brenneman showed marked progressiveness and initia- tive ability in here developing one of the best of the early apple orchards of Hancock County, where his father, Chris- tian Brenneman, has obtained a large tract of land and divided the same ultimately among his three sons, Jacob, Richard and Cyrus. Richard Brenneman developed a fine landed estate of 300 acres. One of his sons, Dr. R. E. Brenneman, is a representative physician and surgeon at Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, and another son. H. C., resides at Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia. Cyrus Brenneman sold his land to his brother Jacob, and even- tually he became a railroad agent at Empire, Ohio. Jacob Brenneman was seventy years of age at the time of his death and his sons Cyrus E. and George G. succeeded to the ownership of the old homestead farm, which they equit- ably divided, Cyrus having later died, at the age of fifty- six years, and, with no children of his own having willed his property to his brother George, who thus retains the old homestead in its entirety. To the property George G. Brenneman has added by the purchase of an adjacent tract of forty-three acres. He specializes in the fruit-grow- ing department of farm enterprise, has an orchard of 100 acres, devoted mainly to apples of the best grades, many of the trees having been planted by him and the annual yield from the great orchard averaging about 20.000 bar- rels, the while he has storage facilities for the accommoda- tion of 14 000 barrels and is thus enabled to regulate effectively the placing of his fruit on the market. He is still extending his orchard, and he limits his production of applies to four standard varieties, in which he gives prefer- ence to the popular "Willow Twig" type. Mr. Brenne- man's farm is situated in the finest apple-growing section of the state, soil, water and drainage being such as to insure the maximum returns from orchards and to make the industry one of major scope and importance. Mr. Brenneman is liberal and progressive in his civic attitude but has had no desire for political activity or public office. He married Miss Mary Cowl, and they became the parents of six children: Elizabeth H. is the wife of Frank Goodman, of Cleveland, Ohio; John C. and Jacob N. are associated with their father in the fruit-culture busi- ness, under the firm name of G. G. Brenneman & Sons; Miss Margaret remains at the parental home; Girard G. died at the age of twenty-eight years; and Sadie O. is the wife of Alexander E. Mahan, of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this work. *************** ______________________________X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 18:54:44 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook Subject: BIO: Lorenzo Franklin MAHAN, Hancock Co. *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 231 Hancock County LORENZO FRANKLIN MAHAN is one of the venerable native sons of Hancock County, a representative of a sterling pioneer family whose name has been one of prominence in the history of this part of West Virginia, and he has individually contributed his share to the civic and material development and progress of the county that has repre- sented his home from the time of his birth to the present. This sterling citizen of the Arroyo neighborhood in Han- cock County was born at Mahan's Mills, on King's Creek, this county, November 17, 1838, and is the only surviving son of John Mahan, the latter a son of William and Nancy (Jones) Mahan. William Mahan had operated a line of stage coaches out from the City of Baltimore, Maryland, and upon coming to what is now the State of West Vir- ginia he settled at Follansbee in Brooke County, his sons John and Thomas later having established a grist mill on King's Creek in the present Hancock County. In 1842 John Mahan established his residence on the farm now owned and occupied by his son Lorenzo P., of this review, near the Village of Arroyo, and the saw and grist mill which he here erected and operated was later used as a vinegar manufactory. His landed estate here comprised 576 acres. He became one of the owners also of a line of river boats, including barges and the steamboats "Oil City" and "Iron City," which were built in Hancock County. Later he became one of the owners of the navi- gation business conducted under the title of the Cumber- land Tow Boat Company. He was one of the vigorous and resourceful business men of his day and did much to further the advancement of his home community and county. He and his sons eventually converted the saw and planing mill into a vinegar factory, which they operated suc- cessfully. In 1852 Lorenzo F. Mahan assisted in setting out the first orchard in a county that has since become one of the foremost in the apple-growing industry of West Virginia. Lorenzo F. Mahan married Mary H. Lowry, whose father was mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, during the Civil war, and their ideal companion- ship continued for thirty years, the gracious bonds being severed by the death of the devoted wife and mother, who is survived by two children, Grace and Frank Earl, the latter of whom resides at Chester, this county, and is in the employ of the Homer Laughlin China Company at Newell. He is a republican in politics, as is also his ven- erable father, who has been unfaltering in his allegiance to the party during virtually the entire period of its exis- tence. In 1897 was solemnized the marriage of Miss Grace Mahan to William V. Powell, who is engaged in the gen- eral insurance business in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania. Mrs. Powell owns a part of the old homestead estate, and after remaining eight years in Pittsburgh she returned home to care for her venerable parents. She is according to her father the utmost filial love and solicitude, and resides with him in the fine old home-house which he erected fully half a century ago and which, situated on a slight elevation above the Ohio River, commands a fine view of the valley for a distance of many miles, while directly opposite, on the Ohio shore, is the beautiful Chil- dren's Home in Jefferson County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Powell became the parents of five children. Franklin, eldest of the five, is now engaged in the insurance busi- ness in Pittsburgh, and in connection with the World war he was in the nation's military service in France for a period of eighteen months. The younger children are Ed- ward Hewitt, Mary Elizabeth, William Thomas and Bar- bara Brenneman. Other personal sketches in this publication offer much additional data concerning the Mahan family, and the general history of the county likewise makes proper recogni- tion of the splendid part this family has played in con- nection with the development and progress of Hancock County. *************** *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ***********************************************************************