Information Sheet

 

 

R         Howell County Historical Society (Mo.).

368                  Church survey papers, ca. 1890‑1984, bulk 1968-1971.

                                    Sixteen folders.

 

MICROFILM

 

 

 

These are data forms, church histories, miscellaneous papers, and photographs collected by the Committee On Church History of the Howell County Histor­ical Society.  The papers include information on churches at Hocomo, Mountain View, Pomona, South Fork, West Plains, White Church, and Willow Springs.  Non‑denominational “Union” churches are also included.

 

The Howell County Historical Society formed the Committee On Church History in July 1968.  It was to compile an authentic record of the churches and religious life of Howell County from the time of the earliest white settlers.  The committee consisted of the Rev. and Mrs. Doug­las Gallo­way, the Rev. D. J. King, Mrs. Ella Horak, and Mrs. Jack (Lena) Cooper.

 

The members began their work in October 1968.  A card file and master list of churches in Howell County were created and a standardized data sheet was devised.  The forms were mailed to church officials, members, or ministers, or to local informants in the cases of inactive churches.  The data sheets contained twelve categories for responses in statement, list, or ques­tionnaire for­mats.  The categories include the dates of organiza­tion, acquisition of prop­erty and improvements, the names of founders and former ministers, the types of church pro­grams sup­ported, participation in the work of any other local, regional or national organiza­tions, and the number of members when the data were submitted.

 

Eighty‑seven churches ultimately responded to the survey or are rep­resented by some type of material on file.  Most of the information was collected during the committee’s active work, 1968‑1971, but some churches submitted updated material as late as 1984.  Most of the churches are rep­resented by only the data sheets, which vary in the amount of information completed.  Wider ecclesiastical affiliations are not always specified.  Some churches submit­ted histories, di­rectories, or other printed materials, and a few included photographs for the files.

 

Committee members Rev. Douglas Galloway and Mrs. Ella Horak contrib­uted greatly to the survey from their original research.  The Rev. Galloway’s History of the First Congregational Methodist Churches in Howell County (1970) is included in the files for Methodist churches.  Ella Horak of Wil­low Springs wrote brief histories and provided photographs for many of the Baptist churches in that area. She continued to deposit information through 1975.

 

The church survey papers were stored at first in the vault of the Howell County Collector at the courthouse in West Plains.  In 1974, the materials were transferred to the West Plains Public Library.  The files are arranged according to denomination, thence by the various communities in which they were located.  The data sheet begins each file, followed by addi­tional materials ar­ranged in chronological order.

 

 

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