Tennessee County Church and Cemetery Records

Source: From History of Tennessee From the Earliest Time to The Present, Goodspeed Publishing Co. Nashville, TN 1887

On May 10, 1821, Rt. Rev. Bishop David, accompanied by Rev. Father Robert Abell, arrived in Nashville, and was received by M. De Munbreun, who entertained them at his house. The following day the first mass offered in Tennessee was said. Previous to this time but four missionary visits had been made to the State since the early French settlements, and the number of Catholics in the State did not much exceed 100. Tennessee then formed a part of the diocese of Bardstown, Ky., which also included Kentucky and an extensive territory to the west, and which constituted the bishopric of Rt. Rev. Bishop Flaget.

During the visit of Bishop David a proposition to establish a congregation in Nashville was made, and met with hearty approval from both Catholics and Protestants. Rev. Father Abell, who accompanied the bishop, preached every evening during his stay in the city, and a wide-spread interest was aroused. It was not, however, until 1830 that a church was erected on the north side of what now constitutes the Capitol grounds. Father Abell proceeded to Franklin, where there was one Catholic family and where he held services. He also went to Columbia and delivered a sermon at that place.In 1834 the diocese was reduced to Kentucky and Tennessee, and in 1836 the latter was made a separate diocese, known as the diocese of Nashville, of which the Rt. Rev. Dr. Richard Pius Miles was consecrated bishop September 18, 1838. He was a native American and descendant of a Maryland family.

Congregations had already been organized at several points in the State, and mission work was pushed forward with the energy and zeal characteristic of the Catholic Church. In 1859 the work, having considerably increased, became too arduous for the failing strength of Bishop Miles, and in May of that year Rt. Rev. Bishop James Whelan was appointed his coadjutor, with right of succession. On the death of Bishop Miles, which occurred February 1, 1860, he entered upon his duties, and remained until his resignation in 1863. He was succeeded as administrator of the diocese by the Rev. Father Kelly, a Dominican priest, who remained until November, 1865. He was then relieved by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Patrick A. Feehan, of St. Louis, who was consecrated in that city on the first day of that month. He continued in charge of the diocese until June, 1883, when he was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Joseph Rademacher. While the Catholic Church in Tennessee does not embrace so large a membership in proportion to population as many other States, it is due rather to the small foreign element than a lack of prosperity or wise management.

The Catholic population of the State at the present time is estimated by the bishop of the diocese at from 20,000 to 25,000 of which about 8,000 are residents of Nashville, and 10,000 or 12,000 of Memphis. The number in the latter city was greatly reduced by the yellow fever epidemic of 1878-79. Chattanooga and Knoxville also have large congregations. The whole number of churches in the diocese in 1886 was thirty. The church supports a large number of excellent schools and academies, and one college. One of the best known institutions for young ladies is the Academy of St. Cecilia, at Nashville. This school was established in 1860 by six ladies from St. Mary's Literary Institute, Perry County, Ohio, and has long enjoyed a high reputation for the excellence of its management. The Christian Brothers College, of Memphis, was chartered in 1854. It has an attendance of 200 pupils, and is presided over by Brother Maurelian.

The formation of other Christian Churches in Tennessee followed with great rapidity during two decades from 1830 to 1850. Following is a partial list of these churches, with the dates of their organization, so far as could be ascertained and the counties as early as 1816, though probably as Baptist Churches.

• 1812 - First Church in Fayetteville, TN was organized in the fall of 1812
• 1823, the church at Bethlehem, and at Wilson's Hill, Globe Creek, Marshall County. Liberty Church, Marshall County, separated from the Richland Association of United Baptists for communing with Christians and assisting to set apart a deacon in that church. At that time it had 126 members; in 1846 it had 450.
• 1825, Roane Creek Church, in Carroll County was organized.
• 1828, Berea Church, in Marshall County, was organized
• 1831, Smyrna Church, Cedar Creek, in Marshall County, and New Herman Church in Bedford County.
• In June 1832, the church at Rutland's Meeting-house, in Wilson County, separated from the Baptists by laying aside their abstract principles and agreeing to be governed by the Bible alone, and the church at Tally's old field was organized this year.
• 1833, the church at Paris, Henry County, was organized, and in 1844 they built a very neat church edifice.
• March 30, 1834, Sylvan Church, Sumner County, was organized with nine members; in 1844, it had 115; the church at Brawley's Fork, Cannon County, and that at South Harpeth, Davidson County, were organized this year.
• 1835, Rock Springs Church, Rutherford County, and Sycamore Church, Davidson County were organized, the former having, in 1844, 130 members.
• 1835, the church at Bagdad, Smith County, was organized.
• 1836, Lebanon Church was organized with nineteen members, and reorganized in 1842.
• 1838, Lewisburgh Church, in Marshall County was organized.
• 1839, Big Spring Church, in Wilson County, was organized.
• 1840, Trace Creek Church, Jackson County, and that at Long's Meeting-house, Marshall County.
• 1841, a church at Blackburn's Fork, and at Cane Creek, Lincoln County, and the Torny Fork Church, Marshall County, were also organized.
• 1842, Hartsville Church, in Sumner County, Salt Lick Church, in Jackson County, and the church at Meigsville, on the Big Bottom, were organized.
• 1843, the church at Teal's Meeting-house, Jackson County, Pleasant Hill Church, Buckeye Church, Flynn's Creek, Union Church, Richland Creek, Marshall County, and the Cave Creek Church, Marshall County, were organized.
• 1844, and that at Murfreesboro reorganized; the church at Rich Meeting-house was organized, and there were in existence, date of organization not known, the following: 3 in Washington County, with 304 members; 4 in Carter County, with 301 members; 2 in Johnson County, with 124 members, and 2 in Sullivan County with 252 members; in Rutherford County, besides Rock Springs Church, the date of the organization of which has been given above, there were the Spring Creek Church with 40 members, Cripple Creek Church with 130 members, and Big Creek Church with 60; in Warren County Hickory Creek and Rockey River Churches; in Wilson County Liberty Church, on Stone River; besides small congregations at Cypress Creek, Blue Water and Bluff Creek; in Livingston County there were 8 churches with 970 members; in McMinn County 4 churches with 150 members.

From 1845 and 1850 churches of this denomination continued to be organized at about the same rate, since which time their numbers do not seem to have increased so rapidly. In 1872 there were in the United States 500,000 Disciples or Christians, of which number Tennessee could not have had over 15,000. Since then, this sect has grown and prospered, especially in the Southern and Western States, but recent statistics as applicable to Tennessee, are not easily obtainable. For about thirty years the Christians had a flourishing college of high grade five miles east of Nashville in Davidson County, named Franklin College which has now ceased, most of the advanced students of the denomination finding Bethany College, in West Virginia, better prepared to meet their wants. Since 1844 a valuable periodical has been published at Nashville under the different names of The Christian Review, Christian Magazine and Gospel Advocate, the latter name having been in use since 1855.

The Lutherans are among the oldest denomination in Tennessee, congregations of whom organized as early as 1800. The first Lutheran church in Middle Tennessee was established about 1825 by Rev. William Jenkins. It was located near Shelbyville, on Duck River, and was known as the "Shaffner Church." The growth of the denomination in the State has been somewhat slow, owing to the small foreign immigration. The number of ministers, too has never equaled the demand, consequently many Lutherans have united with other denominations. In 1850 there were twelve organizations in the State; in 1860 eighteen, and 1870 twenty-two. The membership at the present time is about 9,000 of which much the larger part is in East Tennessee. It is divided among three district synods, as follows: Middle Tennessee Synod, a district of the General Synod, numbering 910 members; Holston Synod, with a membership of 1,566, and forming a district under the General Council, and the Tennessee Synod (independent), with a membership of 8,185. Only a portion of the last named is included in the State of Tennessee. The Holston Synod supports a very excellent college at Mosheim, in Greene County. It was first organized in 1869, and after a suspension of several years was reopened in 1884.

The oldest Jewish congregation in Tennessee is the "Children of Israel," organized in Memphis in 1852. In October 1851, a benevolent society was organized in Nashville at the house of Isaac Cershon, with Henry Harris as president. A room was rented for a synagogue on North Market Street, near the Louisville depot, and divine worship was held, the president officiating as reader. Two years later the first rabbi, Alexander Iser, was engaged, and soon after the first Hebrew congregation in Nashville was formed under the name of Magen David, "Shield of David." The next year, 1854, the organization was chartered by the Legislature.

In 1862 the first reform congregation was organized under the same Benij Jioshren, with Rabbi Labshiner in charge. After an existence of about six years the two congregations united, in 1868 under the name of K. K. Ahavah Shoelem, "Lovers of Peace." Soon after the Rev. Dr. Isedor Kaleish was elected as rabbi. The congregation then, as they had done for several years, worshiped in Douglass Hall, on Market Street, at the corner of the public square. After three years Dr. Kaleish was succeeded by Dr. Alexander Rosenspitz, who remained in charge of the congregation about the same length of time as his predecessor. In 1876 a lot on Vine Street between Church and Broad, was purchased, and the erection of the present handsome temple was begun. It was completed the following year and dedicated by Dr. Rosenspitz. In 1878 Dr. Rosenspitz was succeeded by Dr. J. S. Goldamar, a native of Vienna and a graduate of the university of that city; also a graduate in philosophy and Jewish theology at the Rabbinical College, at Preszburg. He is eminent as a Hebrew scholar, and previous to his coming to Nashville was in charge of a congregation in Cincinnati for twelve years. He succeeded in introducing the American ritual and mode of worship in the place of the old Polish form, in conformity with the free institutions of this country and the progressive spirit of the age. A choir was also organized. It is recognized as one of the best in the city, and renders in an excellent manner the Jewish sacred music.

The adoption of the new ritual was displeasing to a small portion of the congregation, who under the name of K. K. Adath Israel formed a new society by electing I. B. Cohen, president and L. Rosenheim, vice president. The organization remains much the same at the present time, and continues to worship according to the orthodox mode. In 1885, at a cost of $12,000 a chapel and vault was erected, which is considered the finest structure of the kind in the United States.

In 1864 a congregation was organized at Knoxville, under the name Beth El, or "House of God." The membership has never been very large, and now embraces about twelve families, with E. Samuel as president and E. Heart as secretary.

A congregation was organized at Chattanooga in 1867, and now numbers about twenty-seven families, under the care of Rabbi Julius Ochs. Dr. M. Bloch is president of the society; and Joseph Simpson, secretary. The church property is valued at $5,000. At Murfreesboro a few years ago a congregation was organized with a membership of sixteen or seventeen families, but owing to the removal of a large number from the town, only three or four families remain, and the organization is not maintained. Columbia and several other towns have small organizations but no rabbis are employed. Almost every town in the State has one or more Jewish families; nearly all of whom upon the most important days especially, New Year's day and the Day of Atonement, attend services in the larger cities, as Memphis, Nashville or Chattanooga.

The Jewish Church throughout the State is in a very prosperous condition, and is pervaded with spirit of liberalty and toleration in keeping with the age. The congregation at Nashville under the care of Rabbi Goldamer, during the past eight years has increased from fifty-four to 135 families. The Sabbath-school children number 108. The annual expenses of the church are about $5,500. Its property is valued at &25,000. The president of the society is L. J. Loewenthal; the secretary, M. Wertham. The congregation at Memphis numbers 110 families under the care of Dr. M. Samfield. Its property is valued at $40,000. Its annual expenses are $6,500. The Sabbath-school children number 120. The president of the congregation is E. Lowenstein; the secretary, Samuel Hirsch