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
Contact her at:
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)
For more Jenkins Genealogy see: Jenkins Paternal Lines
For more McCarty Genealogy see: McCarty Family Genealogy