The Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Sandy was organized by Rev. Patton MITCHELL, in 1835 or '36. The Society when first organized consisted of John S. HUNT and wife, J. MORLEY and wife, and __ Gates and wife. J. s. HUNT was the first Ruling Elder elected by the Society. In the winter of 1836-7 the Society was strengthened by the addition of Samuel COX and wife, George BEATTY, Anna PAGET, James CALDWELL and wife, Wm. BROWN and wife, James BEATTY aud wife, Jacob MYERS and wife, Wm. SWARTS and wife, and Jane BOWMAN. Soon after Charles PAGET, Albert BOWMAN and Sarah BOWMAN joined the Society, and Albert BOWMAN was elected an Elder in the church. Mr. MITCHELL was in charge of the Society for three years, and was then succeeded by Archibald JOHNSON.
The first camp meeting ever held in this Township, and perhaps in the county, was under the administration of Mr. JOHNSON, in the summer of 1841, and was held on the ADAMs farm, then owned by Samuel COX. Robert TAYLOR succeeded Mr. JOHNSON, and in the summer of 1842 held another camp meeting on the same ground. These meetings and other special occasions were attended by Cornelius JOHNSON, a brother to Archibald JOHNSON, and a man of much more than ordinary ability. At the camp meeting in 1842 Mr. TAYLOR at the close of a very earnest sermon drove the people all from the encampment under a peremptory order for all to retire to the woods for prayer. While the sinners began to scatter for their homes, the faithful obeyed the order, and in a few minutes in every direction was heard the voice of earnest supplication. Toward the close of the same meeting Mr. TAYLOR chose for his text: " Rejoice, O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart, cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes." He began by telling the people that he had been trying to tell them how to get to heaven, but they were not disposed to hear him, and now he proposed to tell them how to go to hell.
Other pastors that followed were W. LORANCE, D. VANDEVENDER, D. CURRY, W. HUTCHINSON, W. BISHOP, P. BISHOP, Patten TROWSDALE, S. HUDSON, J. J. HOUSTON, S. SHULL, MARLOW, KREIDER and ROGERS.
The Sandy Cumberland Presbyterian Church was erected in 1868, under the administration of John J. HOUSTON. The present pastor, Mr. ROGERS, is serving that Church in connection with the Society at Clear Creek.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Wenona was organized in 1861, by S. R. SHULL. The Ruling Elders were John TAYLOR, Robert SNODGRASS and John N. WOOD. The following ministers have since been in charge of the Church: S. R. HUDSON, P. K. HEDGES, D. M. HARRIS, L. R. WOODS, R. T. MARLOW and J. C. MORNYEA. For the past three years the Church in Wenona has had no pastor.
Extracted from Records of the Olden Time
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
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La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
