West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 139 by Charlie Miller

Early Churches cont’d

- 1865 – The African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded by Martin Van Buren Ricks and his wife Peerne in 1865. Martin had been born into slavery in 1843 in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Around 1863, he and Peerne escaped north and settled in West Jefferson. He later served in the Civil War in the 27^th U. S. C. T. (United States Colored Troops). The church was regularly attended until around 1905, shortly after Mr. Ricks died. It was later bought by the Apostolic Church. The church originally met in the old Academy building built in 1845. After it was bought by the Apostolic Church, they later erected a fine new building on E. Pearl St. Martin Ricks was killed by a fast freight train in West Jefferson on August 1, 1905. This was before the tracks were elevated, and he is buried in New Hampton Cemetery.

- 1867 – Sts. Simon & Jude – In 1866, Edward Buck donated land on the corner of W. Main and Twin Streets for the erection of a Catholic Church. The foundation was started in the Spring of 1867, and the cornerstone was laid by Rev. Sylvester H. Rosecrans, brother of Gen. William Rosecrans, Civil War general. The church was dedicated on November 1, 1867, by Bishop Edward Fitzgerald. In 2006, they erected a new building at 9350 High Free Pike, and it was dedicated on October 28, 2006. Edward Buck was murdered on Main Street on September 23, 1896, by March Ricks, the son of Martin Ricks.

- 1907 – The Antioch Mission started on the streets of West Jefferson in November of 1907; when the weather turned cold, they moved into the old A. M. E. building on Pearl St. They raised funds, and on November 26, 1910, they completed a new building on S. Twin Street. The Rev. Jenny Linn was the Evangelist who built up the Mission. Around 1920, she opened a rest home in West Jefferson and later opened one in London. Jennie was born June 6, 1868, and died August 29, 1937, and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The building was later bought by the Darby Grange; around 2014, the Grange had disbanded, and the building was razed. Jennie Linn’s picture and pulpit are on display at the Hurt-Battelle Library.

Schools

-1823 – The first effort of having a school in this area was in 1823 when Lucinda (Burnham) Thomas procured a subscription and taught a school of a few scholars in a log hut that stood on the present site of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. She taught until about 1826, when she was succeeded by George Pike, who also farmed. Mr. Pike taught in this same cabin. It had round logs, chinked with split stickum, and plastered with mud. It had greased paper over openings to admit the light and huge fireplace, puncheon floor, slab writing desks, and seats. In 1826 – 27, Samuel Sexton, a widower, had a double log house, obtained a subscription, and taught a session or two in a room of his dwelling.

In about 1830, the first schoolhouse was built; it was just west of the house now at 466 W. Main Street and was used until 1836 when a frame building was built in Jefferson. In 1842, the council passed a resolution that the Council House (Market House) be granted to the citizens for 6 months to use as a school when not in use by the Village Council or Township Trustees. In 1845, a building was built on E. Pearl St., which was used by an academy. This Academy failed, and in 1856, the School Board bought it. It was around this time that Jefferson was set aside as a separate school district.