Nevada Church

(1870-1954)

The Gospel Visitor May 1869 page 155

Nevada City, Mo. April 4, 1869

  Dear Editors: I wish to drop a few lines for the benefit and satisfaction of those of our beloved brethren who contemplate moving west, hoping that my feeble labors may not be altogether in vain, but that they may redound to toe glory of God and the welfare of his children here on earth, as this is the chief end of man to honor and glorify God and enjoy him forever.  And the way by which we can best effect those ends is to make the best disposition of our time and talents.  We cannot preach, we cannot all sing, but we can all do good in some way.  How many of our beloved brethren in the east are toiling and laboring almost night and day to support a large family, whereas if they would come to this South Western country where the land is cheap, and the winters short, they could live a great deal easier, and men of wealth could make themselves much more useful than in the old settled States where the church are large and wealthy.  I would say then, brethren come along and help to build up churches where war and bloodshed, fire and sword have held high carnival for the past ten years, as the many lone chimneys and stone heaps amply testify.  In these things, we as the meek and lowly followers of Jesus, could take no part.  But now we can step in and do the work of Christian philanthropists, and being co-workers with God, may be the means of bringing good out of evil.  The people here many of them are poor, having lost all but their land during the war, and they seem to very clever and sociable, and as a general thing not so proud and bigoted as in many of the older States.  I think the brethren would be much more successful in starting churches here now, than after other denominations get fully organized. At the present time none have church houses to worship in; they all worship in school houses, and some time in the court house, and seldom have more than one appointment at the same hour, and the consequence is they all go to hear.  This will all be changed to a great extent once all have house of their own to worship in.  this is reading understood by the close observer.  If the brethren, or churches who are the armies of the living God, would act wisely, and send their forces ahead, and possess the strong holds of Satan, before he gets to strongly fortified, there is no doubt their labors would be crowned with much harder to disposes an enemy of an advantage gained, then hold possession of it when acting on the defensive.

  We have a good country, about one-fourth timber, the balance prairie.  It is emphatically a fruit and stock  has lived on the prairies without a particles of feed all winter.  We are about the latitude of Richmond, Va.  wheat, rye and oats, do well here.  Sometimes the drought affects the corn. Land is cheap yet, but rising fast.  Prairie land can be had in some places for from $5,00 to $8,oo per acre.  Timber $10,00 to $15,00.  Now is the time to buy cheap land.  They are projecting rail roads through this country, and once they are built, land will be much higher.  We have good stone for building here, and they are well distributed, being mostly along the creeks and timber ridges so as not to be an encumbrance in farming.  We have good freestone and limestone water in most places.  About Nevada the water is not good, being strongly impregnated with alkali.  We use mostly cistern water here in town.  We have no preaching here by the brethren in this county.  there is a church in St. Clair county, east of us, and one in Jasper county, south of  us, and about 20 members about Fort Scott west of us.  They expect to organize next fall.  There are but five members here at Nevada.  We would strongly invite brethren traveling through to call and preach for us. May the good Lord send faithful ministers to labor among us.  we want true and faithful members here on the frontier, for we are closely watched, and one counterfeit may do more harm than ten can atone for .

Samuel Click

The Gospel Visitor March 1870 page 95

Dear Brethren: I am request to say to the brethren and sisters through the medium of the Visitor and Companion that on the morning of the 4th of last month (January) I started on a journey to Jasper Co., Mo., passing through St. Clair Co., Mo., Passing through St. Clair Co. Osceola is the county scat, near which place is the residence of Elder Jacob Ullery, in company with him we accomplished our visit to the members or arm of the church in Jasper, which is under of care or charge of our beloved aged brother, Daniel Hendricks, assisted in the ministry by his son, br. Franklin Hendricks, and our esteemed br. Nathan Rice.  We were with them several days during which time we had about five appointments for preaching, generally in the evening.  Now it is known, to some extent at least, that the state of things in this arm of the church were not as pleasant for some time as was desired by all who were acquainted with the same.  By the consent for the Elder and his co laborers, and in harmony with their wishes, they appointed a church meeting.  the members generally attended, and by patient labor and friendly attended, and by patient labor and friendly investigation, their difficulty and misunderstanding as far as made known or brought before the meeting, were disposed of, to the satisfaction of all present at that time.  And the laboring brethren agreed to go hand I hand in the labor of preaching the word.  And all that had hitherto not handed in their letters of fellowship agreed to hand them in.

    We would then say to the brethren wishing to move to southwestern Missouri, that there are nice portions of country in Jasper county, and that we think members moving there, who have Christ the hope of glory formed within, need not anticipate unusual trouble, or despair of enjoying themselves in the Lord, and to have the work of the Lord prosper there as well as elsewhere.  And the members there desire traveling ministering brethren to call with them.  I then parted with br. Ullery, and went to Vernon county, to Nevada, to br. Boggs, greatly desire that some laboring brother would move to them.  They also have a very pleasant looking county.  we had a few meetings with them, and also had meeting at br. Deardorfs in Cedar county.  I then return home by Ullery’s and had a couple of meeting with them, being absent from my family about 16 days, and traveled on horseback 352 miles.  John Harshey  Cornelia Mo.

Christian Famiy Companion April 16, 1872 page 253 Vol. VIII No. 16

From Vernon Co., MO.

  Brother Holsinger:  We moved here from Cedar Co., Mo., in February last.  During the winter, while staying east of this place about 20 miles, we kept on the lookout for a location suitable for a colony of brethren, I found here, if I mistake not, about 12 in number, with one young speaker, Samuel Click, two deacons, Jonathan Calyar and James Miller.  At present we number 19, all of which have come from other church districts, save one brother who was initiated into the church yesterday.

  We have a fertile country, well adapted to fall wheat and fruit of kinds, as far as has been tested.. our prairie is located between the Momataw and the Little Osage rivers.  Good timber land on those streams can be bought for $15 per acre; unimproved prairie, at from 7 to $12, owing to location, and distance from our county seat. One R. R., in running condition, and one partly under contract, and a third one under contemplation.  Building rock and stone-coal in abundance. Range for stock cannot be exceeded.  Summer seasons, short and mild in comparison with Pa., Ohio, Ind., Ill., and Iowa.  Brethren wishing to go west, I think, would do well to come and see our country, before location elsewhere.  J. D. Yoder.

Nevada City, Mo.

The Gospel Visitor Dec. 1873 page 735

 Nevada, Vernon, Co, Missouri

 Dear Editor; In as much as you have renewed your solicitations for church news, I thought I would give a short history of our little church and also our country.  We moved here in the fall of 1868, found two members in the county, and no speaker nearer than forty miles..  we were organized in 1870 by Elders John Hershey, S. S. Mohler and Jacob Ulry, by electing one Minister and two Deacons.  We now number abut thirty members, with two speakers and four deacons. We have appointments for preaching every Sunday which are generally well attended when the weather is favorable, and we can truly say the harvest is great, and the laborers few.

Samuel Click

The Gospel Messenger Jan. 17, 1893 page 45

Nevada. Mo. – The Nevada churchhouse is about completed, and will be dedicated Jan. 15. Bro. Enoch Eby will preach the dedication sermon and then hold some meetings for us. Our neighboring churches should come and enjoy a feast of fat thins with us. Let the members of our own district be ready for an outpouring of his Holy Spirit. – S. Click