St. Clair County Missouri
Churches
Kidd's Chapel Church
Kidd's Chapel Church, then... and now
Kid'd's Chapel Church, November 2007
KIDD'S CHAPEL CHURCH
St. Clair County Courier,
11 October 1984:
Kidd’s Chapel Church Has 100th Anniversary
Kidd’s Chapel Church, southeast of Appleton City, celebrated their 100th
Anniversary Sunday,
September 30 with services in the morning and an
afternoon program. A basket dinner
followed the morning worship service.
An interesting history was given of the church: In the early 1800’s many
families
came from Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio to
Missouri. Among those
who came to this area were the names of Ledbetter,
Kidd, Higgins, Garnett, Cooper,
Inskeep, Yeoman, Frisby, Shoemaker, Howard
and Prior. They built schools, store buildings
and homes but most went to
worship in their local schools. However, Daniel Boone Kidd
wished for a
church and so donated the 7 ½ acres of land for the churchyard and cemetery.
He also donated money for the rock mason, the other labor was donated by the
community
and so Kidd Chapel Church came into being as a South Methodist
Church. Rev. George Penn,
a native of Virginia assisted in the formation of
the church.
The building was 40 feet by 60 feet, 19 feet up to the square and 38 feet to
the gable,
walls are 36 inches thick and rafters 30 feet long. The building
was made of sandstone
from a quarry north of the church and hauled there
with horse and mule teams.
Small boys rode the lead teams to direct them out
of the quarry.
The original church windows were purchased in Sedalia by the Ledbetter
brothers.
Lanterns were used for light at night and singing was acappella
since the church had no organ.
The members decided they needed an organ so they solicited members in the
community.
Donations were small, by our standards, most giving 25 cents, 50
cents or perhaps one dollar.
One couple offered an old Dominique hen, saying
she wasn’t good, then decided to throw in the
Dominique rooster as well. The
two sold for about 30 cents.
The members also held an oyster supper. For this a special treat was fresh
celery,
brought by train to Lowry City.
Enough money was raised to purchase an organ, costing about $40.00 then,
and
lamps to put in all of the windows.
In 1909 the church membership had dropped so much that it was decided to
sell the
building to the United Brethren Congregation which had been meeting
in the Lewellen School.
Submitted by Mary Zeiler
Kidd's Chapel Cemetery
Kidd's Chapel Cemetery