Transcribed
from the appendix (Pages 197 & 198) of Bradley – Gibson – Jenkins Allied
Families
by Deward C. and Ruby Y. Williams, printed in1966.
Updated with comments by Ruby’s granddaughter, DeeDee Hamm
(ddhamm@aol.com)
Written by RICHARD JENKINS (b. 1808, d. 1893)
This article was originally published in 1886 and
republished on November 16, 1898.
Clipped From an Old Meade
County News Published Twelve Years Ago (Note from DeeDee, I am not sure if
this means the article was republished in the 20th century??)
“Taking
my memory to be correct, I was in my tenth year, about 1818, which is now 68
years ago. My father, John Jenkins,
resided on the farm which is known to this day as the “old John Jenkins farm,”
which lies in Meade County, Ky., about two and one-half miles a little
southwest of where the present Hill Grove Church stands.
The
time of which I am now speaking, 1818, there was a wedding took place at my
father's residence. My fourth sister,
Elizabeth, was married to Robert Phelps, Rev. David Thurman, a Baptist minister,
solemnized the marriage rites. After
neighbors and friends who had assembled to witness the marriage ceremony had
partaken of supper, the Rev. Thurman preached a sermon to the audience. At the conclusion of his sermon the
following named persons came forward and united with the Baptist Church, my
Father, John Jenkins, my Mother, Sallie, John Shacklett my uncle, and his wife,
Rachel. These four had to go to West
Rudes Creek, about 25 miles distant, in order to join a church at which they
might worship.”
“Shortly
after this Jesse Shacklett, my uncle, and Sallie, his wife, joined the church
at West Rudes Creek, dating their conversion back to the sermon which was
preached at my fa ther's house at the time of the wedding. The s ix members whose names I have given,
applied to the church at West Rudes Creek for their letters, to enable them to
form a church at Hill Grove. This, to
the best of my memory, was about 1820. The
minister that officiated in the organization of Old Hill Grove Church was Warren
Cash and David Thurman, and the delegates sent from West Rudes Creek, to be
present at the organization were John Hicks, father of Rev. George Hicks, and
his brother Walker Hicks.”
“I
can only remember one of the officers of the new church, my father, John
Jenkins, was made clerk, and acted in that capacity for many years. Rev. David Thurman was pastor of the new
church, and preached to the little flock regularly once a month for the first
year. Rev. Warren Cash preached
occasionally. Thurman continued to
minister to the wants of the little vine he had assisted in planting for
several years, always riding on his gray horse, ‘Pilgrim’.”
“The
house in which the old Hill Grove Church was organized stood on the upper side
of the road near a spring about half-way between the farms of Dan Fulton and
Dan Wimp. After worshiping at this
place for some time the church became dissatisfied with its location, so they
tore down the old house and hauled the logs to what was then known as the Jake
Hayden farm, now Meadeville, where they reared another house out of the same
old logs. At this last named place the church got along well, all things ran
smoothly and harmoniously and its membership increased in number and influence
until the year 1836. There was a ripple
on the clear still waters. The church divided against itself.”
NOTE by D.C. Williams: Here follows a rather detailed account of the events leading up to the separation of the congregation into two groups, one in possession of the church building and the other group churchless. Then the story continues:
“The
houseless element now organized under the name of the United Baptist Church in
Christ and elected as Trustees: Armistead Barnes, John Williams, John Cain, and
Daniel VanMeter was chosen as moderator and Armistead Barnes was also chosen
clerk, the first one to succeed John Jenkins.
My memory if it serves me right, tells me that James Ross and Rachel,
his wife, donated and deeded to the above named Trustees the land on which the
present Hill Grove Church now stands and they went forth and immediately began
the erection and soon completed the church house where it now stands.”
“I
left Meade County in 1864 and came to Perry County, Indiana, and since that
time all I know of Hill Grove Church is what I have heard from time to
time. I was in Brandenburg, it was
either in '65 or '66 and I saw and conversed with Elder George H. Hicks for the
last time, he told me, if my memory is not at fault, that Hill Grove Church
then numbered about 300 members.”
“Now
go back to the wedding party at my father's in 1818, think of David Thurman
preaching to the guests. Think of the
four souls that united with the church on that night. This was the nucleus, morning star of the present Hill Grove
Church. I can by taking up memory’s
chain, one by one count the links all the way back. I, in imagination, can see old Bro. Thurman and his gray horse,
Pilgrim. I am now an aged tree, but my
heart beats warm and my blood hurries up a little when I think of Hill Grove,
and the many friends I have had and still have there. But enough, I could tell your readers many a story that might
appear fanciful about old Meade and Hardin Counties, but they would be as true
as Holy Writ. God continue to bless old
Hill Grove and all that worship there is the heartfelt prayer of
Dick Jenkins,
Aged 78.
NOTE by D.C.W. In the summer of 1960 Richard's great
granddaughter, my wife, Ruby Yvette Jenkins, and I visited old Hill Grove
Church, hoping to find the graves of some of her ancestors but were
disappointed when we found only two graves that bore names we could associate
with her Jenkins-Shacklett families. It
was a pleasant experience, however, to know that we were treading where
Richard, and his beloved Mary had trod in going up to the house of the Lord to
worship. We did pause at their graves
in the little Flower Point Cemetery near Alton, Indiana, high above the
sweeping curve of the beautiful Ohio River, directly across from Meade County
and Old Hill Grove Church.
The above article was given to me by Mrs. Fast, the wife of the Mayor of Brandenburg in Meade County. It was first published in 1886 and republished on November 16, 1898.
(DeeDee’s note: Frances (Shacklett) Fast and D.C. Williams
were trading genealogy information while D.C. was researching this book)