First Sunday School

THE FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL.

By:  Thomas A. Walton

Ironton Register, May 4, 1876

Editor Register.

About 1825 or 1826, at Haskellville, as near as I can ascertain, the first Sunday School or class was taught by Thomas Walton.  In 1831, he moved to the Rome farm and taught a class on Sundays during the summer. About 1840 or 1842, he organized his classes into the Rome Sunday School and had a constitution, adopted Republican in form, with a Superintendent, Assistant Supt., Librarian, Asst. Librarians, Secretaries, and treasurers were elected annually on the first Sunday in April until a few years ago.

When the preacher in charge at Rome station appeared to want to be dictator, he claimed to reorganize it as a Methodist school, since which time his sons have not taken part in it, neither does it prosper like it formerly did. However, it has had some very persevering and industrious Superintendents and now has one of the go-ahead styles.

About 1853 or 1854, A. S. Proctor, as Superintendent, organized a tract society with a contribution box, which was opened monthly. The contents were sent to Cincinnati to purchase tracts, which were distributed in this and other parts of the county by their Colporteur, T. A. Walton, and, I think, was the means of doing much good.  They were read by men on rainy days and Sundays, which kept them out of mischief, made them desirous of reading, and would anxiously wait for more of them to read, and many of them were finally awakened, who otherwise would have been in darkness had they not received them, for they would not go to meet.

If I have not given as complete an answer as you wish, please say what you want, and I will try again. 

T. A. Walton.

FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL IN LAWRENCE COUNTY.

BY:  W. H. Kelley

Ironton Register, May 4, 1876

Union Landing, Ohio, April 29, ’76

Editor Register:

I believe it is given up that the oldest Church in this county is the Ohio Baptist Church.  The organization dates October 1804; I am certain when and where the first Sabbath School in the county was held.  The first Sabbath School I ever went to occurred in the Summer of 1823; Judge Reuben Kelley was our Superintendent. 

The churchhouse was made of hewn logs and stood on the bank of the Ohio River, about one mile below Union Landing.  I cannot say that I attended the first year this school was organized; the distance from where we then lived to said the school was all of seven miles, but we did not consider that anything of a walk in those days, as we went in our bare-feet and shirtsleeves, and felt proud of a new chip hat, worth ten cents. Talk about hard times now!

W. H. Kelley