POLLARDBIOGRAPHIES

SHELBINA TORCHLIGHT

18 October 1901

Clarence, Shelby County, Mo.

Oct. 15, 1901

Editors Shelbina Torchlight:

Gentlemen.

Having been a citizen of Bacon chapel neighborhood from a small boy to manhood; and having a personal and traditional acquaintance with most of the men who have lived in said neighborhood since its settlement, I have thought it would be of some interest to those who are yet living and it might be of profit to the boys and girls who are to meet the responsibilities of life as those have of whom I speak, to give a short biography of the men and boys who have held honorable positions of trust and profit, and of all of those who have chosen other occupations than agriculture, as they were all from the farm.

Believing that the TORCHLIGHT will be read by a greater number of those interested, than any other paper, I therefore ask the indulgence of its columns; hoping to be of some benefit to the TORCHLIGHT.

Neighborhoods, unlike counties, have no geographical lines or boundaries, or written laws by which her members are governed or even known, therefore each is known by their name and the positions they occupy and are governed by the unwritten laws of society.

Neighborhoods, like cities and counties are named for some noted person or thing, so with Bacon chapel; she derived her name from a church known as Bacon Chapel M.E.C.S., Methodist Episcopal Church South, which instituted sometime in the forties. This organization was perfected in a log school house located one half mile north of where the church house now stands, where they continued to worship until the present site was obtained and a frame house built, which stood a few feet south of where the present one stands. Sometime in the sixties the new house was built. Mr. Engles of Shelbyville was the architect and builder and Dr. John D. Vincil (now of St. Louis) officiated at the dedication. This church was named for a man by the name of George Bacon, who owned the land on which the school house was built, and gave the land for cemetery and church site; hence it is called Bacon Chapel.

The people composing this neighborhood emigrated from Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky and New York. he territory extended north some six miles, east six miles or near where Shelbina now stands, south to the Monroe county line eight miles, and west to the Macon county line eight miles. As time past and the territory became more densely populated, new neighborhoods were formed on each side, which reduced her territory to a very small compass. Duncan chapel on the north three miles, Walkersville on the east three miles, Lentner on the south two miles and Wesley chapel on the west three miles.

The parties of whom I shall write, at sometime during their lives lived in the old neighborhood. As I have no records from which to obtain names and dates, but write from memory, it is possible that some names may be omitted and some dates incorrect for which those interested will please excuse, as it will be unintentional.

We are now ready to begin our task, which if nothing happens will appear in the next issue. So for the present we bid adieu, hoping in the near future to be able to complete the work.

J. H. Pollard