HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 495 CJiurch. This congregation erected a large brick building, but it finally passed out of their hands, and became the property oi the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. Thomas Douthitt reorganized the con- gregation in 1875 and it purchased the house of worship formerly used by the Methodist Episcopal church, South. The church pros- pered and now has a handsome and commo- dious brick building. The Poplar Bluff church was organized in 1877 through the efforts of Elder E. Chil- dress. There were about twenty members in the organization but it gradually lost num- bers and finally became extinct. Rev. G. A. Hoffman reorganized it in 1887, at which time there were twenty-two members. It has grown very greatly and is now a large and powerful organization. The Dexter church was founded by Elder Thomas Sheppard in 1879. The membership was small at first and no hoiise was erected until 1883. The congregation is active and growing now. In 1886 a church was organized at Maiden. A good frame building was erected which was afterward destroyed by fire caused by light- ning. It was replaced with the present com- fortable building. About the same year the church at Kennett was organized. It has a frame building and is actively engaged in church work. The great gi-owth and expansion of the church has been the work of the last thirty years. Up to that time the denomination was of comparatively small numbers in this part of the state, but it has grown to be one of the large and influential church organizations. It has been found impossible to secure de- tailed information concerning the foundation of the various congregations or their present membership. There are many other churches in South- east Missouri besides those we have men- tioned. There are congregations at Charles- ton, East Prairie, Festus, Predericktown, Caruthersville, Greenville, Hematite, Marble Hill, Morley, Naylor, Marquand, Mine La Motte, Higdon's chapel, Bismarck, Knob Lick, Bonne Terre, Mill Springs and DeSoto. The DeSoto church was founded in 1868.
