McGee Memorial Presbyterian Church
College Mound, MO
The McGee Memorial Presbyterian Church of College Mound was organized by a group of pioneer Cumberland Presbyterians who settled in southwest Macon County a little more than one hundred years ago. Upon their arrival they established a church and a college. That was in 1852. McGee College was established primarily for the purpose of educating men for the Christian ministry, but soon became a general educational institution with a top enrollment of 280 students.
Today McGee Memorial Presbyterian Church stands near the old college campus. In 1952 the church celebrated its centennial. It has given over 100 years of continuous religious guidance to the people of the community. The first regularly installed pastor was the Reverend Levi Haynes who came to Missouri from Tennessee. Many fond memories center about the life of McGee College and Church. The college was closed as a Presbyterian school in 1874, and reopened at Marshall, Missouri, as Missouri Valley College. Old McGee College buildings were sold to private parties who operated the school for several years, then it was sold to the Church of God and operated by them for some years. At one time the College Mound had more than a thousand people. As the population dwindled the church grew smaller, and today both town and church are small., but still serving well the people of the community.
McGee College
College Mound, Missouri
Taken from the history of Macon County, MO (1910), pages 143-144
McGee College, at College Mound, was incorporated under act of the 17th General Assembly of Missouri, approved February 23, 1853. The original board of directors ws composed as follows: James Dysart, Thomas McCormack, Stephen Gibson, Isaac Teter, Stewart Christel, Macon County; William A. Hall, Giles Crook, Joseph Turner, Matthew C. Patton, Samuel C. Davis, Nicholas Dysart, Randolph county; James B. Mitchell, William Holliday, Monroe county.
College Mound is in the southwest part of Macon county, on a beautiful eminence, giving a broad view of the picturesque landscape in almost every direction. The college building is a large, commodious brick structure, one of the finest and most imposing of its class in its day. The town was situated on a stage line running from Huntsville to Des Moines, Iowa. Soon after the eestablishment of the college it grew to be quite an important place. A number of boarding houses were erected and several other structures. The attnedance, previous to the Civil War, was about 200 students, coming from the various portions of Missouri and surrounding states. The Rev. James B. Mitchell, member of the Board of Trustees, was chsoen President and filled the office as long as the institution was operated by McGee Presbytery, with the exception of two years (1865-1866) when the Rev. John N. Howard, who came from OHio, acted as President. The school was closed until the war ended, and in 1867 it was reopened and Dr. Mitchell was recalled to the presidency.
The Rev. "Jimps Dysart" was among the earnest promoters of McGee College. It was his land on which the town and college were built. It seems there is no complete record in existence of the enrollment of McGee College. Not long ago the late Robert G. Mitchell, son of President J.B. Mitchell; Major D. R. Dysart and Captain Ben Eli Guthrie furnished the following list of the living alumni from memory:
The Rev. B.P. Fullerton, St. Louis' Major A.W. Mullins, lawyer, Linneus; Frank Sheets, lawyer, Chillicothe; L. H. Moss, lawher, St. Joseph; Dr. JOhn T. MItchell, Kansas City; Rev. J. W. Mitchell, Marshall; Rev W. O. Perry, Stewartsville; George Mayhall,lawyer, New London; Rev. D. E. Bushnell, Alton, Illinois; Captain John M. London, Kaseyville; Bingham Trigg, Marshall; Rev. J. T. Johnson, Chicago; Rev. H. M. Boyd, Weaverville, North Carolina; Rev. J. D. Hull, Japanese Missionary; Rev. W. Benton Farr, Texas; Hon. F. C. Farr, lawyer, Kansas City;' Hon. W. W. Whitsett, lawyer, Pleasant Hill; Captain Ben Eli Guthrie, Major B. R. Dysart, Captain Ben F. Stone, Judge R. S. Matthews and John T. Banning, Macon.