Church and Family History Research
Assistance
for Pike County, Missouri
CHURCHES:
RAMSEY'S CREEK
It is believed that Ramsey's Creek church was organized between the fall of 1816 and the summer of 1818. This church later went into the modern mission system.
PENO
Peno Church was organized at the home of John McCune, on Big Peno Creek, about eight miles northwest of Bowling Green, on December 25, 1819. Elder Leroy Jackson officiated at the constitution. The charter members were Leroy Jackson, Polly Jackson, Joseph Trotter, Polly Trotter, John McCune, Polly McCune, Thomas Hedges, William Biggs, Betsy Biggs, Betsy Shannon, Susan Doyle, William McCoy, and John Carr.
BETHLEHEM, CLARKSVILLE
Bethlehem Church was organized on May 10, 1823, at the home of Joel Griffith, with Elder Davis Biggs present as a presbytery. The charter members were Silas Wilson, Elizabeth Wilson, Joel Griffith, Peggy Griffith, Vincent Kelly, Susanna Kelly, Ann Barnett, John Allen, and Sarah Allen. It is believed that Baptists had settled on the waters of Calumet Creek as early as 1811 or before.
Bethlehem Church soon became a member of the Salt River Association. When conflict arose over the introduction of the modern mission system, this church composed an address in opposition to the same, which was circulated among the churches of the association, and as a result several churches withdrew and organized the Siloam Association. Bethlehem Church remained in the Cuivre-Siloam Association until the 1860's, when the church apparently dissolved. There is a cemetery at the site.
Location: Calumet Township (about nine miles southeast of Louisiana, Missouri), Sec. 23, Twp. 53 R1W, deep in the forest that now clothes the upper reaches of the southwestern slope of Bethlehem Knob.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Barnett, Crow, Davis, Dunham, Elliott, Estes, Goodman, Griffith, Hunter, Johnson, Jones, Kelly, Mackey, McLoed, Shellhorse, Thomas, Thurmon, Whitledge, Wilson (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
SILOAM, NEW HARTFORD
Siloam Church, west of New Hartford, was organized in 1825 or earlier, as the Salt River Association met with this church in 1826. It is believed that Elders Darius Bainbridge and Davis Biggs were the presbytery which constituted the church.
Siloam Church suffered the loss of several members due to the influence of Campbellism, in 1832. In 1840 a division occurred over the modern mission system, and fourteen members were excluded who went with the Missionary Baptists, but the church still had over one hundred members who remained firm on its original principles. Siloam Church was an early member of the Salt River Association. In 1840 this church, along with Spencer's Creek, Bethlehem, and Bryant's Creek, sent resolutions to their sister churches, and finally, withdrew, when it became evident that the Salt River Association had become so corrupted with the modern mission system that there was no hope of reclaiming them. In September 1840, Siloam Church was one of the churches which met and constituted the Siloam Association (which merged with the Cuivre Association a few years later, and became known as the Cuivre-Siloam Association), although under very difficult circumstances (see Elder William Davis's account).
The original site of Siloam Church was a log meeting house on land donated by James Moore, on the left side of the road leading from Ashley to New Hartford, a few rods from where the road crossed the North Cuivre. In about 1843 another log structure was built, on one acre of land acquired from Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Lewis. In 1868, James and Lucretia Riggs donated land which is the site of the present Siloam Church meeting house. This building was 46 by 32 feet, and cost about $1,000 at the time it was built. It remains virtually the same yet today.
Pastors of the church included Elders Davis Biggs, Ephraim Davis, William Davis, Peter Branstetter (up to 1890), (and after 1925) Lloyd Sapp, Stuart Flanigan, Russell Dudley, James L. Dobbs, Lawrence Jones, B. L. Nay, Russel Key, Talbert Wayman, and Herbert Ragsdale.
Elder Peter L. Branstetter joined the church in August 1844. In 1852 Elder M. Moore was ordained by the church. In April 1864 Elder Peter L. Branstetter and Elder William M. Jones were ordained to the ministry by this church.
Location: Ashley Township, Sec. 30, t-51-52N R2-3W (Site of Siloam Cemetery)
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Adams, Barrett, Beck, Branstetter, Brown, Crow, Cruther, Davis, Dobbs, Easton, Farmer, Flanigan, Heim, Hughlett, Hummel, Jones, Keith, Lewis, Lovelace, McGuire, Moore, Morris, Parsons, Ragsdale, Riggs, South, Wilhoit, Woodson (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
Click here to read a first-hand account written in December 1840, by Elder William Davis, pastor of Siloam Church for forty-six years, and an eye-witness of division over missions in the Salt River Association, and formation of the Siloam Association.
NOTE: The correct year should be 1836, not 1876, when Elder Davis moved to Missouri.
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