Snapshots of History by Mike Avitt
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Last week I wrote about Ringgold County’s first church building in section 12 of Jefferson Township. It probably faded away slowly as I can’t find an official abandonment. It was a log structure and likely without a heat source such as a fireplace or wood-burning stove. The building would have been open to damage by weather and critters. Most likely the main reason for abandonment was the advent of rural schoolhouses. These were wood-frame structures with windows (for light), heating stoves and hardwood floors. It was very common for religious services to be held in schoolhouses throughout Ringgold County 100 to 160 years ago.
The town of Eugene was a half mile south of Pleasant Ridge, Ringgold County’s first church building, and was thriving in the late 1870s. Anticipation of a coming railroad was high and business houses were growing. The United Presbyterian Church had been in place since 1873 or before and the future looked bright. P. H. Drennen came to pastor the church in 1879.
Jefferson Township would get two railroads but both missed Eugene. In 1881, the Humeston & Shenandoah Railroad bought and surveyed the right-of-way which passed one and a quarter mile south of Eugene. The town of Tingley had been platted by a railroad company and the town of Eugene had a full year to decide what they would do. The trains came in September 1882.
George Swain, a long time merchant in Eugene, was one of the first to move his store to the new town. He was followed by Dr. St. John. So, the move was on.
But, we know the United Presbyterian Church at Tingley wasn’t built until 1888 which means the church at Eugene was hanging in there and they were. In fact, I found the church at Eugene lasted until the winter of 1893-94. It was at this time (September 1893) the United Presbyterian Church at Shannon City was dedicated. Rev. McNab was the pastor at both churches.
The second railroad line through Jefferson Twp. was surveyed in 1886 and passed two and one half miles northwest of Eugene. And while Eugene’s church held fast, the town did not. The newly created town of Shannon City got a post office in January 1888. The post office at Eugene closed in July of 1887. The post office at Eugene had to compete with post offices at Tingley, Kew, and Mortimer, as well as Shannon City. So, Shannon City absorbed what was left of Eugene.
I took this week’s photo at the Eugene Cemetery which is located about halfway between Shannon City and Tingley. Dr. Louis St. John, who is credited with being one of the founders of Eugene, is buried here having passed in 1900.
Mortimer was a community about five miles west of Eugene. It had a school and a post office. To a degree, it got absorbed by Knowlton. Kew was a flag stop on the Humeston & Shenandoah. A flag stop was a point on a railroad in which the engineer only stopped if indicated by a signal, such as a flag. There was no depot agent at Kew. The passenger would board and pay the conductor. There were two stores in Kew and one of those acted as a train station waiting room. Kew had a post office from January 1882 until about 1889. The name “Kew” comes from the “Q” in CB&Q. The Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad helped finance the construction of the Humeston & Shenandoah. The CB&Q became owners of this line in 1895 or 96. Kew was located about four miles southwest of Eugene.
When I search the digitized newspapers, the word “Eugene” comes up often because it was a common man’s name. So I search phrases like “town of Eugene” or “St. John” or “Swain” or “at Eugene.” I look for uncommon words that help to narrow my search. It’s a slow roll but it works.
