The Society of the M. E. Church originated in the first instance in the vicinity south of Knox in Fremont County, the prime mover in the cause being Father Jason Rector, whose homestead was located upon the farm now owned
by Ernest Nenneman, at Spring Valley, some two miles south of Knox. This Society formed about 1850, and was connected with or in co-operation with the branch at Felton Grove. Those meeting places were at the houses of
Lovelady and father Richards, and later at school house at Pleasant Grove, about five miles southeast of Sidney.
In the early days before school houses, meetings were held around at the houses of the people; after log school houses were built, they were used until a church site was selected and church building provided, about 1870.
The Society as originally organized was removed from the vicinity of Spring Valley at Thurman, and while at Thurman, Arch Mann was recording secretary; later on the society was removed farther south towards Hamburg but
finally settled at the Jason Rector homestead at Spring Valley; the first church house was erected near what is now the Spring Valley school house about two miles south of Knox. Later on, the Society provided a church
house at the village of Knox and this was maintained as a meeting place until a short time ago. It is recalled that at the time of the final location of the society's meeting place, that much dissension arose over the
church site. Father Jason Rector desired that it should be located on his homestead and donated $150.00 toward the erection of the new building. Father Payne, who had settled farther southwest in the Missouri Bottom,
desired that the church site should be located farther south near the Shirley homestead and offered to give $700.00 toward the establishment of the church home. But it seemed to be the sentiment among the members of
the Society that it would be more desirable to accept the $150.00 of Father Rector and to locate the church at Spring Valley, as the spirit in which the gift of Father Rector was offered would procure more neighborhood
help and the nailing of more boards in the erection of the building than the money of Father Payne. The name of the presiding minister at the time of the erection of the first church is not recalled but Throckmorton was
the first recording secretary.
The Sidney Society organized in 1850, connected with Spring Valley and Felton Grove Society 78 years ago; the first M. E. Church was on the Rector homestead. There were no church houses at the time, but they met in the
homes -- log houses, as there was only one frame house around at the time, no school houses. Cottonwood from Civil Bend furnished the first lumber used in Sidney. The Knox Church was built in 1870 but the name of the
preacher who had the building responsibilities of this church is not recalled. Later, the log school house used exclusively for school, situated nearly a half mile northeast of the Lovelady house, between Lovelady's
and the Richards' place, was a final meeting place of the Felton Society at Pleasant Grove while the Knox Society was in the Rector School house now the Nenneren place. In the original organization of the church,
Father Rector's House was the central meeting point.
Mr. Brown recalled that Sam Farlow was an early day preacher whose circuit was from Kanesville to Rockport and when he came into the neighborhood to announce his coming, it was always heralded by his strong voice
singing religious hymns, among which was "How happy the man, etc." After his arrival in the neighborhood, some boy or girl was placed on horseback to notify the neighborhood that the pastor had arrived and that they
would have meetings. In these early days, all of the people were church-minded and the attendance upon the meetings was almost unanimous among the people and all of the people affiliated with the M. E. Church as there
was no other church Society organized at the time, in the vicinity. But later, a Primitive, or in the old style, hard-shell, Baptist Society was organized and a Christian Church in the early days known as a Campbellite
church Society were organized, and they adopted their place of meeting in this community.
Mr. Brown recalls Sidney as a town site laid out about 1852, about the time Des Moines was laid out. It was a few years after the town started before the church in Sidney existed.
Uncle Billy McCracken was of the Quaker persuasion, but as there was no Quaker Society, he attended the M.E. Church and assisted in the support.
Rev. Guy Lee, the preacher, had been elder; he had first church house built in Sidney. Other preachers were Mr. Thornburg and McKay Stewart; Mr. Blodgett, (a son in law of Mrs. Ben Rector,) came to this circuit
and was a good talker. Mr. Brown remarked that the only reason he, Mr. Blodgett, said he was a preacher was "because he said he had just come out of College and had not job and the only job he could find was
preaching" and came near expelling him. This was a very unfortunate remark. But he later grew in Christian character and faith and became a noted minister, now deceased. Mr. Brown added that one of the best men
as a preacher was W. H. Shipman who is now deceased.
Source: Submitted by our Volunteer Sheryl.
