History of Our
Buck's Grove Country Church
by Stella Manuel
Pages 399-400 in the book:
The Ancestry and Posterity of Obil Beach
Ox teams and wagons were the mode of travel. Corn meal and flour were obtained only by taking the grain to the mill at Valley Falls and later the people were happy by having a mill built at LaClede. Necessities were hard to obtain and luxuries none.
But these people being Christians, felt the need of worship, so three families organized a church. Services were first held at the home of O. O. BEACH, better known as Grandfather BEACH. later services were at the school house which stood near to our present pleasure resort, namely, the "Heath Hole." Services being held each Sunday with preaching every other Sunday. Dr. CHANNEL (grandfather of our present Sunday School superintendent), being the first minister. Later services were held at the Rock school house every alternate Sunday to make it more convenient for all.
Various means of travel were used in going to church. Some rode horseback, hayracks were not uncommon. One family tells of going on the running gears of a wagon and walking was always good tastes.
Choosing one's wearing apparel was a simple matter for the girls. As a general rule each girl having but two dresses would wear their next week's dress, fresh from the laundry.
About this time the people began talking of building a church. Money was scarce, but by subscription $1,000 was raised. Mr. BEACH gave them a mule which was sold for the sum of $100. Mr. Samuel MYERS had previously donated an acre of his land for a cemetery. At this time there were about a dozen graves, so it was agreed upon to build the church on this plot.
John BOTTOM, Henry KROTH and Simeon BEACH were the building committee. Mr. CLOVERDALE and Mr. ELLIS, the carpenters. Work was begun on the building about harvest time in the year 1879.
The church was dedicated in the summer of 1880 with no debt against it. However, the seats first used and at the time of dedication were but two-inch plank placed on blocks of wood. Later these were replaced by chairs. By the year 1896 the church was too small to accommodate the congregations, so twelve feed was added to the building, also a belfry which added much to its appearance.
Why call it Buck's Grove, you ask?
A little Post Office had been established in the woods just south of where Mr. CHANNEL's house now stands. This Post Office was kept by and Ebenezer HUFFMAN. One day a young man jokingly remarked about calling the office Buck's Grove as the woods around about was owned by a Mr. BUCK. So the name was sent in, approved and recorded as such in Washington, D.C. So since that time we speak of our church, school and community as Buck's Grove.