Trace Branch United Methodist Church

Exerts from Jakalyn Jackson's Trace Branch Church-book and personal recollections

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 writers, “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, KY)
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, alter 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 ridden 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: Jones, McDonald, Morris, 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 building burned. At the present time, Trace Branch is the only surviving church from the original list of churches in Knox County.
The next minister was Samuel Fleming Kelly, one of the best know circuit rides at Trace Branch and the surrounding communities. Reverend Kelly officiated at many marriage ceremonies throughout Knox County including Jake and Dora Oxendine, my grandparents. Reverend Kelly was instrumental in the founding of Union College, a Methodist sponsored college, located in Barbourville, KY (The History of Union College)
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 fourteen years old at the time. Others who joined the church at this time were: Annie Fisher Hughes, Havala Cannon, Harvey Morris, Valentine, 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:
George and Susan Jones Jackson and family (8 children)
James and Littie Gross
Lawson G. and Harriet Gentry Morris
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 district. 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.
Listed are names of some of the people who moved their membership from Old Paynes to Trace Branch:
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 given 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. As the attendance grew, 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 eighteen foot ceilings were lowered with a tile ceiling to conserve heat. A new lighting system, carpet to cover the hard wood 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 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 family.
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. ~ Message for full history.