From the many letters received in the second Lead Belt News "Do You Remember" contest by the judges on the subject of "Who was the first minister to preach in Flat River" and "What was the first church organized here," Mrs. F. M. Horton's letter was selected as the best. A check for $5.00 was mailed to Mrs. Horton yesterday.
The judges also decided that a letter written by Carl E. Norwine, one of the winners in the first postmaster letter contest, was worthy of honorable mention and since Mr. Norwine was not eligible for the $5.00 prize, his subscription to the Lead Belt News was advanced two years.
Flat River, Mo., May 12, 1936.
Contest Editor, Lead Belt News,
Flat River, Mo.
Dear Sir:
I submit herewith an historical sketch of the first church in Flat River, to be entered in your Letter Contest.
Very truly,
MRS. F. M. HORTON
The first church in Flat River, Free Will Baptist, was organized in 1891, with fifteen members. Some early members were Wade Adams, Joe Perry, L. L. Doe, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hicks, Mr. and Mrs. William Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Turley, John Dosing, and Mrs. Crump. The first deacons were Wade Adams, Joe Perry, and Richard Turley. The first pastor was Rev. Fred Comber. Another early pastor was Rev. J. D. Flannery, who served eight years.
The building was a frame structure and stood on West Main Street where the residence of H. H. Moore now stands. The late Dr. W. S. Stophlet acquired the property in exchange for a small Presbyterian mission building in East Flat River. Dr. Stophlet razed this old church and erected a modern residence on the site.
The Free Will Baptist Church has had continuous growth. The congregation now worships in a beautiful new church in East Flat River. Rev. James Miller is the present pastor.
The old church is gone, the old town changed from a few straggling shacks to a mining and commercial center, but this church and others that have followed remain the greatest factors for good in the community.
We are grateful to those pioneers who fostered religion here in the early days. It is commendation upon their earnestness and piety that the sound of hammer on a church building was simultaneous with the pounding on the timbers for the first deep shaft sunk in Flat River.
For some of the above information I am indebted to two of my neighbors. Jesse Doss furnished me with a copy of the Lead Belt News, 1926, which contained an article compiled by pupils of the local high school on "History of Flat River." Mrs. Nancy Dosing gave me information which was largely reminiscent. She moved to Flat River in 1886, and lived in a log house on what is now Main Street, in the National Hotel block. A large part of this information was procured from the church records and given me by members of the church.
Flat River, Mo., May 19, 1936.
Contest Editor, Lead Belt News,
Flat River, Mo.
Dear Sir:
Perched on a high grassy knoll, overlooking "Koen Branch," just one-fourth mile east of the business center of Esther, Mo., stands the oldest church building in Flat River territory -- dedicated before Civil War days and named "Flat River Methodist Church."
Who preached the first sermon in this historic old building, is a secret buried too deeply in the misty past to ever be resurrected in this or future generations; however, a few surviving witnesses are proud to testify to the fact that such "Mighty Men of God" as Rev. John Shannon, Rev. Henry S. (Rough and Ready) Watts, and Rev. Joe (one arm) Russell, were among those who expounded the gospel with telling results from the pulpit of this old, old land mark.
Rev. Lorenzo Dow Nichol, a superannuatned [sic] Methodist preacher, now residing in Flat River, preached in this church as late as forty odd years ago.
The first church organized within the confines of the present City of Flat River was by the Free Will Baptist and the first pastor called by this organization was Rev. John Flannery.
Their house of worship was erected on the lot now occupied by the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Moore, on West Main Street.
The building committee were Jesse Smith, Uncle Wade Adams, George K. and Luther Williams.
While the Williams Brothers were not members of this church, they supported the enterprise very liberally.
I am indebted to "Uncle Sy" Ferguson, charter member, for the names of the building committee.
Cordially yours,
CARL E. NORWINE
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