The modest little gray church shown here was no exception. Trimmed in white with colored windows and bell in the coupla, it was the First Methodist-Episcopal Church of this city. The present Methodist Church is situated where the old building once stood.
At Christmas time a huge pine tree was brought in from the hills. Members of the church hung presents on the tree. A.B. Cornett, as Sunday School superintendent made a close survey to make sure that presents hung on the tree for everybody. Not a person was to be disappointed.
On Christmas Eve some of the children delivered the gifts while an older person took them from the tree and called out the name. Each person received a bag of Christmas candy with an apple and orange. In those days an orange was almost considered as a gift.
Races For Bananas
A few years later an old timer remembered when she was a small girl she heard a grocery store had a few bananas for sale. She ran home as fast as possible to get her money for a bananna before they were sold.
The church was built in the middle 1890's. Mrs May K. Jones, then a girl of fifteen nailed the first "weather boarding plank" on the church. She is the oldest living member, becoming a Methodist when she was eight.
"I could always collect the most from A.B. Cornett, Henry Smith and Pole French." Mrs. Jones said.
Large Stove Provides Heat
Services were held in the main part of the building, heated by a large stove. Sunday School classes were taught in the two flanking rooms.
Some of the charter members of the first ladies Aid Society were Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Paulina Smith, Mrs. Henry Smith, Mrs. Frankie Skidmore and Mrs. Ollie Lewis. The parsonage was built many years later.
Among the first preachers who came to the church were "circuit riders." Often one would ride horse back into Harlan every three or four months to hold a revival. The Rev. Childers was one of the first.
Do you remember the "duster" that the preachers and others used to wear? Plain country people took the dust just as the Lord made it, but dressy people, usually preachers and elders wore this loose-fitting contraption to keep their expensive suit from the dust of country roads.
Fond Of Children
Cornett, who was very fond of children, looked after the whole Sunday School as if they were his own. Each child had his money when the collection box was passed. Judge Cornett saw to that personally.
He never ceased to do good deeds for everyone. One day a poor lady went to the shoemaker to have her child's shoes halfsoled. She had little money and the shoemaker didn't want to accept it.
"Never mind," he said, "The next person who comes in here that has some money, I will put it on his bill." The next person who entered the store was Mr. Cornett. The shoemaker told him what he had done.
"That's alright," he said, I'll pay for it myself." He was always considerate of others.
Only Knew 4 Songs
"He knew we could only play four songs" she said, and it was usually"Rescue the Perishing."
When the first Methodist Church was torn away, Mrs. Mary Jones was called upon to lay the first brick for the new church.
A Christmas tree and "treat" for the community was a happy occasion for the grown-ups and children alike. The first Christmas tree was placed inside the court house. Everyone tied gifts to the tree for family and friends. Some of the adults hung quilts over the windows to darken the room when they lit the candles.
Placed In Court Yard
In later years the tree was placed in the court house yard. It was fun for the children to go to the tree and carry their latern. Each one received a bag of candy with apple and orange.
Some of the trees were decorated with dabs of cotton, homemade stars, popcorn balls and candles. The candles naturally caused a fire hazard. An old timer recalls when small girl who was doing a pantomine act caught her dress afire that was trimmed with cotton.
Volume 51 Number 298
Pages 1 & 8
