Editor's Note: Trace Branch Methodist Church of Knox County received a Kentucky Historical Marker in 2015. Trace Branch Methodist Church is located on KY 11 about three miles north of Barbourville. While the present church building was erected in 1895, the church organization itself is widely believed to be the oldest congregation in Knox County, reportedly dating from 1801.
The following article was written by Jakalyn Jackson of Cannon, Kentucky. Ms. Jackson also wrote the article for the church's 100th anniversary celebration in 1995. Among her sources was an earlier article written by W.S. Hudson for the Barbourville Mountain Advocate, member recollections, the book Union College 1879-1979, edited by W.S. Marigold, and a 1965 history of the First United Methodist Church of Barbourville.
Trace Branch United Methodist Church
BY JAKALYN JACKSON
In 1763 Robert Strawbridge organized a group of people into the first Methodist Society in America. John Wesley authorized the establishment of the Church and in 1784, Wesley organized the "American Societies" into the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. The first Society in Kentucky was founded by Francis Clark in 1783 near Danville, Kentucky.
Shortly after the founding of the first Society in Kentucky, our own Knox County Methodist history began. Bishop Francis Asbury's journal tells of a trip he made to our area in 1790. He writes, "We fed on the banks of the Cumberland River, and kept up to the head of Richland." It seems that Bishop Asbury left the Boone Trail at Beech Hill, went up and over the head waters of Little Richland Creek and Goose Creek to a gap through it and on into Big Richland using what was later known as the "Old State Road cut-off." During this time, Bishop Asbury made numerous trips through southeastern Kentucky over the Boone Trail and the Old State Road. (First Methodist Church Centennial Celebration Catalog, November 28, 1965, Barbourville, Kentucky)
Trace Branch Methodist Church is widely believed to be the oldest congregation in Knox County. The Trace Branch Methodist Church dates its history from 1801 when the noted Bishop Francis Asbury is said to have established a church in the Trace Branch community. Although there are no written records to verify the claim there is much justification through oral histories. (Article by W.S. Hudson, Barbourville Mountain Advocate)
There is no record of the location for the first meetings, however in the mid-eighteen hundreds a circuit rider named Cartwright held services in an old log school building located at the beginning of Trace Branch Hollow one half mile south of where the present church now stands. In 1895 Lawson G. Morris donated one acre of land, one hundred dollars, and a summer of free work to help construct a new church. The foundation of the church was made from rock quarried by Mr. Morris.
The rock steps are still in use today and were hand-hewn by Patton Gillinwater. Lumber was cut from nearby woods and carpenters in the neighborhood helped construct the frame building. The seats, door, window frames, altar and furnishings inside the church were all handmade by local artisans. The siding was hand-planed and each piece had no defects. Located near the entrance of the church is a large rock which was used by ladies to mount and dismount from their horses which they had riden to church. When the road in front of the church was built by the Patterson Construction Company the rock was pulled to its present location by a team of mules.
The first ministers to serve the church were circuit riders who conducted services in four different churches in the district. Services were alternated at different churches on each of the Sundays in the month. Some of the families who attended church in the log school and helped to organize the new church were Morris, Jones, McDonald, Messamore, Fisher, Jackson, Catron, Cannon, Hammons, Newman, Barley, Higgins, Mitchell, Tuttle, Valentine, and Miller. Dan McDonald was the first minister. William C. Judd, a circuit rider from Jackson County, Kentucky was the next minister. He performed the first marriage ceremony to be held in the church. The marriage took place on October 27, 1898 between John Cannon and Lucy Miracle. (Knox County Courthouse Marriage Book A 10 page 554)
Reverend Judd only held services on one Sunday a month at Trace Branch. On alternating Sundays, he preached at Campground Methodist Church in Laurel County, Old Paynes, and Fighting Creek or Friendship (both in Knox County). Reverend Judd died June 7, 1905 of smallpox and was buried at night to prevent the spread of the disease. He is buried in the McDonald Cemetery located near the church.
Also during this time, the church served the community as a school for several months when the local school building burned. At the present time, Trace Branch is the only surviving church from the original list of these churches in Knox County.
The next minister was Samuel Fleming Kelly, one of the best know circuit riders at Trace Branch and the surrounding communities. Reverend Kelly officiated at many marriage ceremonies throughout Knox County, including Jake and Dora Oxendine, Jakalyn's grandparents. In 1886 Union College was purchased by the Kentucky Methodist Conference at the recommendation of Reverend Kelly, and members of Trace Branch helped support the college by providing funds, food and other support to the faculty. (The history book Union College 1879-1979)
In 1897 Reverend Blair began a revival at Trace Branch which became one of the most tremendous revivals in the history of the Trace Branch Methodist Church. Large numbers of people attended the revival and many people were saved and joined the church at this time, including one of our most dedicated and beloved members, Mrs. Delia Jackson McWilliams, who was 14 years old at the time. Others who joined the church at this time were Annie Fisher Hughes, Havala Cannon, Harvey Morris, Maggie Messamore, Effie Morris Jackson, Steve Jones, and John Jones. (This is not a complete listing of people who were saved during this tremendous revival, but was provided by family information and remembrances of Mrs. McWilliams.)
Other members of the church at this early date were:
Lawson G. and Harriet Gentry Morris
George and Susan Jones Jackson and family (8 children)
James and Littie Gross
Effie Morris Jackson
Finley Fisher and family
Will and Margaret Fisher
Corda Parrott
Higgins family
McDonald family
Laura Judd Miracle (granddaughter of Reverend William C. Judd)
Flora Chadwell
Edd Miracle
Herman Kelly
Finley Valentine
Nathaniel and Elizabeth Jones and family
Laura Baker Valentine
Frank Tuttle
John and Amelia Hammons
Florence Kinder
Mayme Cole
Minnie Frank
Crit and Katherine Valentine Mitchell
Messamore family
Isaac Jones
Barley family
(Church book)
At this time there were four Methodist churches in the Knox County distric: Trace Branch, McClellan, Old Paynes, and Fighting Creek. Located at Girdler, Kentucky, Old Paynes was a log building with a dirt floor and split log seats. When the L&N Railroad was built from Barbourville to Manchester (early 1900s), the church lot was purchased and the building was torn down, leaving the community without a church. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon church services were held at Trace Branch and most of the members from Old Paynes moved their membership to Trace Branch.
Following are names of some of the people who moved their membership from Old Paynes to Trace Branch at this time:
Margaret Disney (Rev. Gillis Disney's mother)
Joe Carty and wife
George and Jenny Carty Jones
Charlie and Mable Carty
Jim and Belle Payne
Wesley and Harriet Burnett
John Burnett
Jack and Maggie Hughes
Dora Province Valentine
George Downey
Brilla Hammons Hurst
Mariah Bolton Jackson
Tom and Patsy Bolton
John McWilliams' family: Cora, Herbert, Rufus, Eugene, Fred, Joe, Robert D. and Guessie McWilliams Jackson
Nan and Else Hughes
As with other listings this is taken from personal recollections and might not include all names.
With the uniting of the two churches, the membership at Trace Branch increased and Trace Branch became known throughout the county as a place of warmth and welcome to each visitor and guest speaker. Among many of the distinguished guest speakers were two Kentucky governors, Gov. James D. Black and Gov. Flem D. Sampson, and a lieutenant governor, Kenneth H. Tuggle, all of whom were residents of Barbourville, Kentucky.
The church building retained its original structure and furnishings with only surface maintenance until 1981 when a new shingle roof replaced the existing tin roof. The 18-foot ceilings were lowered with a tile ceiling to conserve heat. A new lighting system, carpet to cover the hardwood floors, and heaters were added during this renovation. Up until this time, the church had been heated by two large potbellied stoves in the front of the church. The stoves were kept blazing through the cold weather due to the dedication of the janitors such as Otis Parrot and his sons.
As part of this renovation, new pews were purchased to replace the old handmade wooden pews. New pews were bought and donated in memory of the following:
Frank Homer and Estileen Abner, Paul and Deloris Hart, Glen Jackson and Family, Claybern and Marie Abner, Lee, Barbara and Mark Cann, Delia McWilliams and Family, Roy and Sudie Leddington, Tip and Emma Hinkle, Kenneth and Charlene Jackson, Finley and Lizzie Fisher by Doyal and Hilda Watkins, Mr. and Mrs. David Parrott, Larry and Danny, Garrard and Effie Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy McDonald donated by their daughters, In memory of Cleo Mullins donated by Beatrice H. Carter, In memory of Sudie and Otis Parrott, Flora Cannon Chadwell, Chris and Ethyl Fisher, Jordan and Berie Higgins, Etta Martin, In memory of Beecher and Guessie McWilliams Jackson, Herbert McWilliams, Rufus McWilliams, Cora McWilliams Whitfield, Henry Matt and Dorothy Jackson Mills, Diana Mills, Alan Mills and children: Regina, Matthew and Jeffrey.
In 1983 a new classroom and bathrooms were added in the rear of the church. The exterior was not altered, but the renovations also added an entrance to the sanctuary. In 1986 a new porch was added to provide a handicap accessible entrance, and a new foundation of concrete blocks was completed in 1987 by Henry Epperson who did the carpentry work and his son, Henry, with help from Alan Mills.
The American and Christian flags in the sanctuary were donated by William Douglas, Leanna and Scott Butler. The chandelier in the entrance was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Irvin. The electric baseboard heaters were purchased by Anna Gander. The organ in the sanctuary was donated by Nancy Lehman.
A new steeple was bought in 1991, and the original bell was reinstalled. The church bell is cast iron and weighs approximately 150 pounds. It is placed in a wooden frame in the attic and has a wheel with a long rope attached which reaches down to the back of the sanctuary of the church. It has been the honor of most young people to ring the bell. This requires some expertise and care because if the rope is yanked too hard the bell will tilt on its side and will not be able to swing from side to side to sound. If this happens, someone must then climb to the attic and swing the bell back into position. For years the bell was sounded not only as a call to worship, but also as a means to notify the community of important occurrences. During both World Wars the bell was happily sounded at the end of each war, and it was rung for a death in the community. Its melodious sound has reached out across the community to announce both sad and happy news. It is rung each Sunday to announce the beginning of services and to welcome everyone.
In 1991 a beautiful communion set was donated to the church by Mr. and Mrs. Milton Townsend. Mr. Townsend was president of Union College at the time. It was presented to the church by Jakalyn Jackson and Effie Morris. Prior to this time Nannie Morris and the Young Peoples' Class had donated a communion set, purchased by selling vanilla extract for $1.00 per bottle. A communion set to be used for members unable to attend services because of illness, etc. was presented in the memory of Mrs. Cora McWilliams Whitfield by her family.
In 1998 the Bill and Robin Parrott Fellowship Room was completed. The fellowship room provides much needed space for additional seating and has a kitchen for events such as homecoming and youth activities. Central heating and air was added.
The church has served the community as a meeting site for graduation for Trace Branch Elementary School, weddings, bridal and baby showers, Christmas plays, and Bible School. Currently the church has Wednesday night youth services coordinated by Bill Parrott, Robin Parrott, Robin Jones and Richard Jones, and a sewing ministry made up of community and church members Betty Parrott, Patty Abner, Sue Henson, Faye Taylor, Dianne Simpson, Barbara Cann and Diana Mills which provides adult bibs and other supplies to local nursing homes and hospice services.
Trace Branch is a typical small county church that has survived winter storms, floods, and other hardships to serve as a welcome to any visitor and to offer comfort and support to anyone who is in need. Through the dedication of many Christian people, the church building itself has served as a solid reminder to all that through God's leadership and love everyone is welcome.
(Written by Jakalyn Jackson for the 100th Celebration—book, 1995)
Data source: Trace Branch Church-book and personal recollections
More about the Trace Branch United Methodist Church marker dedication
In 1994 Trace Branch United Methodist Church was designated a Kentucky landmark "worthy of preservation by the Kentucky Heritage Council" and today we gather to unveil the Kentucky Historical Marker for Trace Branch United Methodist Church.
In the 1950's, the daughter-in-law of Harriet and Lawson Morris, Effie Morris embroidered and quilted the quilt on display in the fellowship room to raise money for repairs for the church. Harriet and Lawson's great-granddaughters, Carleen Sue Jackson Henson, Faye Jackson Taylor and Dianne Morris Simpson, used Effie's idea to help raise funds for the Kentucky Historical Marker.
Jakalyn Jackson and David Cole developed the wording for the marker. Church and community members' names were added to a quilt and raffle tickets were sold at the Trace Branch Community Reunion. Barbara Morris Trent (great-granddaughter of Harriet and Lawson Morris) won the quilt. Our sincere thanks to Jakalyn Jackson, many others who provided help and the Trace Branch community for support of this project. The members of Trace Branch United Methodist Church would like to thank everyone for their generous support of the Kentucky Historical Marker project. The Kentucky Historical Marker was unveiled in a dedication ceremony on Saturday, May 30, 2015.
Trace Branch United Methodist Church is located on Hwy 11 North. Sunday School begins at 10:15 and Service begins at 11:15. Everyone is welcome to join us in our worship services.