The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, May 21, 1970, Image 2
I ‘A(iK 2—'Fhe Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. (b, Thursday, May 21 1970
1218 College St., Newberry, S. C. 29108
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
0. F. Armfield, Jr., Owner
Second-Class Postage Paid at Newberry, South Carolina
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $3.00 per year in advance.
Six Months $2.00.
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Trinity United Methodist
Church stands in a pleasant
rural setting, amid broad, roll
ing lawns and groves of trees,
about eight miles west of New
berry. The brick sanctuary,
beautiful in its simplicity, is
the third house of worship to
serve this church, which was
formed by the merger of three
older churches in the 1830’s.
The name of Trinity, therefore,
is quite appropriate.
Trinity’s beginnings lay in the
arrival of Methodist pioneers
from Virginia and >n the self-
sacrificial labors of devoted lo
cal preachers during the Ameri
can Revolution, or soon after
ward. James Foster, a Virgin
ian, preached in what is now
Newberry County prior to 1783.
Settlers who heard Foster
preach wrote to Methodist lead
ers in Baltimore and asked for
more preachers. To young Bis
hop Francis Asbury these ap
peals for help were like the
Macedonian vision of St. Paul.
Hurrying southward, Asbury
organized the new work and set
up the Broad River Circuit, in
cluding what is now Newberry
County, with William Partridge
as pastor. In 1789 Newberry
County became part of the
gigantic Bush River Circuit,
which reached to the Savannah
River, with William Gassaway
as pastor, or Circuit Rider. The
early ministers, or Circuit Rid
ers, were truly heroic men.
They rode through rain and
snow, swam swollen rivers, en
dured harrassment by rowdies,
and were often endangered by
wilderness bandits. It took weeks
to make the rounds of the
huge circuits of those days,
when ministers were scarce. Ex
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treme hardship and exposure to
the weather caused most of the
:ircuit riders to die in their
thirties. Only the aid of many
ievoted class leaders and local
ministers helped keep the work
alive.
One of the early local minis
ters was a brilliant young
Scotch physician Dr. Meredith
William .Moon, who served many
congregations while attending
to his extensive medical prac
tice. One of these congregations
organized and established Moon
Meeting House, near Old Town,
in the 1790’s.
In 1800 the Rev. Jeremiah
Russell preached in a Quaker
log church, White Lick Meeting
House, near Higgins Ferry, on
Saluda River, and organized
Shady Grove Church, which
was set up on land secured from
the Stewart Family, about two
miles west of the present Silver-
street. Daniel Stewart was a
leader of this church.
In 1812, under the ministry of
John S. Capers and Allen Turn
er, Kadesh Church was found
ed. It was set up on land se
cured from William Plumkett,
on the Belfast road, aoout seven
miles from Newberry. The Gild
er and Cromer families were
the principal leaders. George
Cromer could be heard praying
about three miles, and some
said more. Col. James S. Mos
ley Gilder taught school in the
church many years. Indeed, all
these three pioneer churches
were centers of education.
In 1820, when the Newberry
Circuit was set up, with Cole
man Carlisle as pastor, the
early churches were in their
bloom. Very soon, however, a
serious decline set in as local
people moved in large numbers
to new lands in the southwest,
or to the Ohio country.
In 1830 the Rev. David Der
rick began a determined effort
to revive the Lord’s work in
Newberry County. A revival be
gan slowly end gained momen
tum. It spread to other denom
inations and lasted several
years. The first churches in
Newberry Village were set up,
and efforts began to consolidate
several small rural churches.
In 1835, under the ministry of
Henry W. Ledbetter and Will
iam C. Ferrell, several years
of effort bore fruit in the union
of Kadesh and Moon’s Meeting
House and their establishment
as a new church on land se
cured from David M. Waters;
this was near the Lewis Spring,
in the area between the forks
of Beaverdam Creek. Since ef
forts at further consolidation
were still proceeding, the future
name of the new church was
uncertain. When the deed was
drawn up, the spaces allotted
for the name of the church
were left blank; they are still
blank today. The name Kadesh
was used temporarily. However
two or three years later, after
Shady Grove joined the com
bination. the name of Trinity
came into use
Most of the people of Trinity
were poor and had few or no
slaves. However, the servants
of some wealthy neighbors at
tended Trinity, and there was
a considerable colored member
ship at one time. Classes were
held for the instruction of the
Negro members.
For a long time Sunday School
was held only in summer, due
to poor heating facilities. In
1847, after a stove was secured,
the Sunday School was set up
on a permanent basis. The first
organ replaced the old-fashion
ed tuning fork in 1892. The
church cemetery was started in
1867. Horse-drawn hearses re
placed farm wagons at funerals
in 1890.
The war between the States
brought much sorrow and hard
ship to the congregation. Lad
ies met the trains at Silverstreet
and fed the wounded soldiers
The 8 inch Howitzer delivers its devastating package to
an unseen target over eight miles away. Annual training
for members of Emergency Operations Headquarters, S.
C. Army National Guard, includes range firing among
many other things. Units of the Headquarters, command
ed by Gen. James Henderson of Newberry, are at Fort
Bragg, North Carolina for two weeks of annual training,
May 16-30. Among the units undergoing training is Head-
quarters and Headquarters Detachment of the 151st Sig
nal Battalion located at Newberry. About 50 members of
this unit left Saturday for their training at Fort Bragg.
The remainder of the local units will go to Fort Stewart
on July 4th for two weeks. (SCARNG Photo)
aboard. Severe impoverishment
followed the war. About two
years later the colored brethren,
went out and founded their own
church, Trinity A.M.E. Church;
it exists today, active and flour
ishing, and is housed in a beau
tiful, brick sanctuary a mile
from the parent church.
On July 13, 1879, Trinity’s
Woman’s Foreign Missionary
Society was set up with ten
members. Mrs. Wilson W. Wald
rop was president. This society
has been known as the Womens
Society of Christian Service
since 1940. A sister organiza
tion, the Wesleyan Service Guild
was set up in 1951 for working
girls unable to attend regular
meetings.
A second church building, con
structed in 1886, was dedicated
by the Rev. M.M. Brabham in
1888, and Sunday School rooms
were added about 1912.
For many years the church
supported a day school in a log
house on the church property.
A frame structure was built in
1894. This school became part
of the newly-established public
school system. It was moved to
a new site in 1910 and merged
with Silverstreet School in the
late '20’s.
The first automobile arrived
at church and frightened the
many horses and mules half
to death in 1912, and the last
buggy appeared in 1933.
John Clarkson, son of a pastor
organized the Epworth League
among Trinity’s young people
in 1920. Known since 1939 as
the MYF, this organization is
very active today.
The third sanctuary was com
pleted in 1949 and dedicated
August 14th of the same year.
An education annex was added
in 1957, and a new Baldwin
organ installed in 1964.
Trinity completed a parson
age and became a station church
in 1955, with Rev. Philip Mace
Jones as pastor.
The people of Trinity cooper
ate readily with other denomi
nations in Thanksgiving ser
vices. Easter services. World
Day of Prayer meetings, fifth
Sunday night services for young
people, and in other ways.
Four living Methodist minis
ters recall Trinity as their first
church. These are the Rev. Rex
Vanlyn Martin. James Henry
Martin, Matthew Evans Booz
er. and William Reuben Bouk-
night, Jr., son of a pastor.
The present pastor is the Rev.
James G. Mis hoe.
MEETING CALLED
TO DISCUSS ROAD
There will be a meeting of all
interested citizens at the Bush
River School on the night of
May 28 at 7:30. This meeting
will concern the improvement
of the Bush River Road. This
includes interested citizens of
the county and those who use the
road as well as property own
ers.
POLITICAL
COUNTY COUNCIL, DIST. 1
I hereby announce myself a
candidate for the office of Coun
ty Council, District 1 in the June
9 Democratic Primary, and I
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Primary.
CARMAN BOUKNIGHT
COUNTY COUNCIL, DIST. 2
I hereby announce myself a
candidate for the office of Coun
ty Council, District 2 in the June
9 Democratic Primary, and I
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Primary.
EARL H. GILLIAM
COUNTY COUNCIL, DIST. 2
1 hereby announce myself a
candidate for the office of Coun
ty Council, District 2 in the June
9 Democratic Primary, and 1
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Primary.
JOHN H. SCHUMPERT
COUNTY COUNCIL, DIST2
I hereby announce myself a
candidate for the office of Coun
ty Council, District 2 in the June
9 Democratic Primary, and I
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Primary.
BILLYE L. WEST
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2
I hereby announce myself a
candidate for renomination to
the office of School Board, Dis
trict 2, Newberry County and I
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Democratic Pri
mary.
W. HUNTER CALDWELL
PROBATE JUDGE
I hereby announce myself a
candidate for re-election to the
office of Probate Judge for New
berry County in the June 9
Democratic Primary, and I
pledge myself to abide by the
results of the Primary.
FRANK H. WARD