.... (from loose page dsc09922.jpg)

....sincere, decided but harmless sympathizer with the Union cause.  When last seen alive, he and his neighbor, Eli Buzzard, were in charge of some persons claiming to be Confederate Scouts.  A few days afterwards, these two civilians were found dead near the roadside.  From the attitude in which his body was found it is believed he died in the act of prayer, heedin the text referred to above.

James Wanless was a zealous local preacher, and rarely ever spent a silent sabbath.   He seems to have had great admiration for John the Baptist as a model backwoods preacher.  It was evidently his belief that it was his duty to lift up a voice in the Pocahontas wilderness against the vanities of time.  His spirit would be deeply stirred by the advent of a new fashion, and he would look up Matthew xi.8  for his text:  "But what went ye out for to see?  A man clothed in soft raiment ?  Behold they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. "  While commenting on the wearing of soft raiment, he would assign to the fashions and the vices of their portion in due season as  he thought it was needed.  "Now just consider what I say, my brethren and hearers,  how would John the Baptist have looked in a swallow tailed coat , pointed toed shoes, pipe,  whiskey bottle and stove pipe hat."  The devout people felt it would have been out of the question for John to have been fond of such things, and many of the young people from their talk, evidently thought that to be in the fashion was to make a long step in the downward path.  While it is hard to suppress our smiles, still it must be acknowledged that when it was felt to be a Christian duty to be plain and economical, it saved a vast deal of needless expenditure, and it was not so expensive to rear a family.    

Price's History

Juanita S. Dilley

Pocahontas County

January 24, 1941

Chapter 6 Religion

MT. PLEASANT CHURCH - INDIAN DRAFT

An old Sunday School record in this church shows that the first Sunday School in this community was organized in 1840.   It is believed by older people to have been organized by Rev. James E. Moore and the Rev. John Waugh.  (Rev. Waugh had moved to the Indian Draft from Mt. Zion some time just before the Civil War.)  [ and was carried on by Rev. Moore and Rev. John Waugh as leaders from this date until around 1880 or perhaps a little later. - Note from Pocahontas Times]

The first services were held in an old log school house near the present church.  In 1868 another log school house was built just across the road and from that time until 1893 this building was used as a community center.  It was later bought by Andy Taylor and then by Bolar McKeney and is at this time the home of the McKenney family.

Rev. Waugh and Rev. Moore were the Supts. and class leaders until their deaths.  After the deaths of Revs. Moore and Waugh, or from about 1880 till 1900, the class leaders were Clark Mann, Levi Waugh, Samuel Waugh, and later John Waugh, Jr.

The new school house built in 1893 was used for church purposes until 1922 when it was converted into a church.  At that time the board of education found it necessary to build a two room school, so the Rev. G. S. Weiford deeded them a lot upon which to build the new school in exchange for the old school building paying them $300 besides.  People paid him back part of this amount.  Then on November 21, 1922, G. S. Weiford and Rebecca Weiford, his wife, deeded to A. N. Barlow, John D. Gay, J. O. Cogar, W. H. Shearey and G. S. Weiford, trustees, this school house property of 624 sq. feet, to use as a place of divine worship for the ministry and membership of the M. E. Church and the M. E. Church south, that the M.E. church aforesaid shall at all times have the seniority right of using and controlling the same.  Rev. Weiford also lived in the community and was for many years Superintendent and class leader, and after him was A. Neal Barlow until his death in 1936.

In the church is an old Bible presented to the church in 1873 by Henry Barlow, Mary Poage, A. J. Smith, John C. Price, Enoch Moore, Montgomery G. Mathews, John Gay, George P. Moore and James E. Moore.

In 1886 some one made a complete list of all the persons who had been members of this Sunday School from 1840 to 1886.  It was as follows:  Thomas Auldridge, Sarah Auldridge, Elizabeth Auldridge, Mary Auldridge, Henry Auldridge, Moffett Auldridge, George A. C. Auldridge, Julia Auldridge, William Auldridge, Malinda Auldridge, Maggie Auldridge, Ida Auldridge; Laura Arbaugh, John Arbaugh, Susan Arbaugh, Davis W. S. Alderman, James Bridger, Joseph Bridger, Maggie Bridger, Amos Barlow, P. A. Barlow, Dolly Barlow, Dora James Courtney, Ann Courtney, Andrew Courtney, Thomas Courtney, George Courtney, James Courtney, Julia Courtney, Hannah Courtney, Margaret Duncan,  Caroline Duffield, John Friel, Jane Friel, Jos. F. Friel, W. T. Friel, Mary Friel, Margaret Friel, Daniel Friel, A. H. Friel, Montgomery Friel, Barbara Friel, Martha Friel, Ann Friel, Madora Friel, George Friel, Frances Dilley, Levi Beverage, William Beverage, Maggie Beverage, Hannah Gay, Sarah Gay, Samuel Gay, William Gay, John Gay, Sallie Gay, Mary Gay, Levi Gay, M. B. Griffin, William Griffin, Virginia Hamilton, Susan Hamilton, Alice Hamilton, Mary Hamilton, Sallie Harper, William Irvine, Samuel B. Moore, Levi Moore, Chesley K. Moore, Henry Moore, William Moore, Martha McNeill, Mary NcNeill, Nancy McNeill, John McNeill, Joseph McNeill, Clark Mann, Phoebe Mann, Mattie Mann, Walter Mann, Orval Mann, Maggie Mann, Susie Mann, Mack Mann, Billie Mann, Hammond Mann, Mae Mann, Daisy Mann, Woods Poage, Julia Poage, Moffett Poage, William Poage, James R. Poage Rankin Poage, Elizabeth Poage, Mary Poage, Amanda Poage, Sarah Poage, Rebecca Poage, David Smith, William Smith, Jonathan Smith, Tacy Smith, Margaret Knapp, Robert Knapp, Thomas Kellison,  Etta Kellison, Mary Smith, Robert Smith, Martin Smith, Alsa Smith, James Smith, Sarah Smith, Polly Smith, Margaret Smith, Rachel Smith, Caroline Smith, Mary Twyman and M. G. Mathews.

This record not only gave the names but told of whom they were the son, daughter or wife.   There was also a list of all those who had died.   Minutes of each session of the Sunday School had been kept telling who read the Scripture and what passage, what hymns had been sung and who had played the music, who had led in prayer, etc.   As organists appeared the names of Lula Waugh and Aggie Gay.

The record did not give the date of joining the Sunday School or the date of death, but I know that some of the names  were there before the Civil War for Moffett and William Poage were both killed during the war and Frances Dilley who is listed as being the wife of Moffett Poage died soon after the war.  And James Bridger left Pocahontas and went west just before the war [typists note: James Bridger found in 1860 Census of Cedar County, Iowa.]

The Bridgers, Knapps, and Friels lived on the Greenbrier River, the Poages at Poage Lane, and some of the others in adjoining communities which shows how people journeyed to attend church. 

This is one of the oldest sunday Schools in the county.  They have always had competent, Christian leadership, which is probably one of the reasons for its success. 

At the present there is an enrollment of 45 in the Sunday School, with S. P. Landis as the superintendent and G. P. Baxter assistant.  The teachers are Mrs. G. P. Baxter, Trudy McKenney, Lena McKenney, Iva Landis.   Other workers are Sallie McKenney, James Dinkle, Tipton Dilley, Naoma McKenney, and Genevieve McKenney.   The present trustees are S. P. Landis, J. O. Coger, and Lawrence McKenney. 

They have prayer meeting every Friday night, and community song service every first Sunday and on fifth Sundays.  In 1940 they met all their financial obligations, and Rev. R. H. Skaggs, the present pastor, told me that it is one of the best appointments on the Edray circuit.

Re-typed by Daneille Griffin Grimes