Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church
Also known as the White Gravel Methodist Church
The Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in Madison Township. The building was erected about 1880. One of the pastors was Rev. G. E. Hughes.
April 9, 1911:
Charles Debo, Superintendent
John Shoemaker, Assistant Superintendent
William J. Culp, Secretary
Cynthia Deco, Treasurer
March 8, 1931:
Jackson Fletcher, Superintendent
The Portsmouth Times, July 8, 1932
TWISTER CUTS WIDE SWATH OF RUIN THROUGH EIGHT COUNTIES
Storm of Cyclonic Fury, Accompanied by Deluge of Rain; Towns In Pike Hardest Hit; Loss Will Run Into Thousands of Dollars
CLAY PLANT, TWO CHURCHES DESTROYED
WAKEFIELD, SARGENT, STOCKDALE, BEAVER, WHITE GRAVEL AND OAK HILL BEAR BRUNT OF STORM'S ANGER
MUCH PROPERTY DAMAGED AND DESTROYED
Heralded by an ominously black cloud, a storm of cyclonic fury and one of the worst in this section of the state, swept out of the west, between three and four o'clock Thursday afternoon and cut a wide swath of destruction across Adams, Highland, Ross, Pike, Jackson, Vinton, Athens, and Gallia counties.
Although loss to property, farm and garden crops, orchards and poultry will run into the thousands, not a person was reported killed or injured, although hundreds had remarkable escapes from an unfortunate fate.
Pike county bore the brunt of the tornado's wrath. Nature, in a furious mood for the last week, showed her ugliest side in the wind storm Thursday.
Floods caused by cloudbursts and unprecendented rains the earlier part of the week, which roared down through Adams, Pike, Jackson and Lawrence counties, wreaked havoc and left a tremendous amount of damage to property, crops, livestock, bridge and highways, were climaxed by Thursday's cyclone.
Scioto County apparently escaped the devastating windstorm but continued in the grip of its high water epidemic in some sections. Both Rarden and Otway were flooded for the third time this week although the muddy flood crest did not reach homes and business places.
Streams in other counties went on a rampage and in some districts reached the highest stage known in years. However, the Ohio and Scioto Rivers are falling at Portsmouth and vicinity Thursday afternoon.
Wakefield, Sargent, Stockdale, Beaver, White Gravel, Jackson, cArthur and Wellston were in the parth of the violent twister and terrific downpour of rain that accompanied the snarly outbreaks of the elements Thursday.
Losses will run into thousands. A complete inventory of damage is impossible, due to the fact that telephone service was paralyzed as poles were snapped off and wires twisted into a hopeless tangle and communication with some sections completely disrupted.
Oak Hill and White Gravel sections appeared the hardest hit.
Clay Plant Destroyed
In the trail of destruction was found the plant of the Chapman Clay Co. at the southern edge of Oak Hill, completely destroyed at a loss of $18,000 partially covered by insurance.
Two churches, the White Gravel Methodist church in Pike county and the Hamilton church in Hamilton township, southern part of Jackson county were destroyed.
Hundreds of beautiful shade trees, many valuable fruit trees, in some instances complete orchards, barns, silos, poultry houses, garages, outbuildings of all kinds, roofs of dwellings, corn cribs, porches, fell before the twister as grain before a giant scyhte.
Poultry was forced to pay a heavy tell as rains of cloudburst proportions descended without warning and drowned out many young chickens and the cyclonic wind crushed hen houses and snuffed out the lives of many a farmer's flock.
Farm and garden crops were also sacrificed on the altar of the elements' displeasure.
Violent winds seemed to vent their spices on locust and maple shade trees and peach and apple orchard trees. In some sections trees were blown across the highways partially or completely blocking traffic. Many giant trees were snapped at the ground or wrenched out by the roots as if they were mere saplings.
Hundreds of telephone and power poles were laid low.
Debris covered the entire journey of the storm and it will require days to clean up the wreckage.
In some sections, especially at Camp Creek, Pike County, a hailstorm accompanied the outbreak.
Gaining the peak of momentum and destructiveness in Highland, Adams and the western part of Pike county, the hurricane crashed east across the hills, hopping over the timbered elevations to strike Stockdale, White Gravel and Oak Hill, reaching out with less dangerous tentacles into adjacent territory as it tore along and roared on into Gallia County, apparently blowing itself out near Gallipolis.
The storm missed Thurman, east of Oak Hill entirely, then jumped over to Centre Point and thence to Mills station, six miles from Gallipolis.
A path of ruin through wooded mills and fertile valleys, approximately 25 miles wide and 100 miles long, was cut by the cyclone.
Following are some of the towns struck by the cyclone and the major damage reported:
Wakefield and Sargent - While members of the Ladies' Aid Society of the Sargent M. E. Church were meeting at the home of Claude Crain, near Wakefield, with Mrs. Crain as hostess, the storm struck in cyclonic fury and tore off a porch of the house, reducing it to kindling wood, blew out virtually every window pane in the dwelling, scattered pictures and furniture, and greatly disarranged the interior of the Crain home. Fortunately, the occupants of the house escaped injury, although they suffered considerably from shock.
A garage on the Rodemyer farm south of Wakefield was blown to pieces.
Forty large trees along the Scioto Trail, between Wakefield and Sargent were twisted off at the ground or uprooted. The terrific wind displayed one of its freakish moods when it tossed the trees away from the highway, thus preventing a complete blockade.
South of "Ben's Place," at Sargent, 10 beautiful shade trees on the lawn of Ernest Humphries place were destroyed.
Windows in the Slavens home near Wakefield were blown out.
Motorists along the Scioto Trail, sensing the violence of the wind, applied brakes to their cars, but that didn't phase the elements as the pressure from the storm carried the automobiles along the highway.
Large orchard on the Welty sisters' farm near Sargent uprooted.
CHURCH DESTROYED
White Gravel - Methodist church, a large frame structure, twisted into a grotesque shape and left standing like the leaning tower of Pisa is considered a complete loss.
Half of sheet-iron blown off John Shoemaker's house. Porch swept away and tossed into bits onto garden, destroying garden. Apple orchard badly damaged. Paper roof blown off barn. Garage lifted up, but set down in slightly different location on top of 30 gallon gasoline vat that kept machine in garage from being flattened into junk pile.
Near John Shoemaker place a corn crib on the Frank Debo place was blown over.
A mile north of White Gravel, back of the White Gravel school house, the back end of Albert Richards garage was blown out. A home was sent crashing across the house, causing considerable damage.
White Gravel school house escaped unscathed.
Heavy frame front doors of the White Gravel M. E. Church were torn loose and carried 50 feet into the Zane Debo cornfield, while the main structure of the frame house of worship was left a twisted shape and at an angle that meant complete collapse destruction. The building continued to crack Thursday night and farmers at the scene would not permit anyone to enter to salvage two small iron stoves or pews. The heavy lumber to which the doors were fastened was torn out with the doors. The vestibule was the hardest hit, this section of the church standing at a 40 degree angle while the belfry above was more upright. The rer of the church must have been of more sturdy construction as it was but little out of shape but was being pulled more and more out of line as the front part of the structure leaned.
Four large windows on each side of the church contained 12 panes each but one two small panes of glass were broken.
The church was built 46 years ago. It was closed for several years but in recent months was put to use again and has been served by Rev. Conklin of North Moreland.
A black oak tree, about three feet in thickness, in the front yard of the church was blown down, the roots being torn from the ground as it fell before the wind.
The Charles Hopkins apple orchard, close to two miles from White Gravel M. E. Church felt the full power of the wind, many of his best trees being leveled.
The home of the Jasper Culp home, not far from White Gravel Church was damaged.
The J. L. Toland and Cecil Perkins farm places on White Gravel, northeast of Minford, escaped cyclone damage Thursday, but were not passed up by lightning during Tuesday's rainstorm.
A horse, two cows and a young heffer were killed by lightning when it struck a small barn on the Toland place. The barn was not far from the residence, but the house was not damaged.
At the Perkins home a bolt struck a wooden water bucket on a back porch and splintered the bucket, but did not damage the proch or any part of the house.
The Portsmouth Times, July 15, 1932, p. 5:
CHURCH BELL MISSING - White Gravel Flock Plunged Into Mystery
For virtually 18 years, the bell in the tiny belfrey of the White Gravel Methodist Church at regular intervals has run the knell of departing day, calling members of the little flock from toll to worship, heralded the dawn of spirtiual Sabbaths and tolled passing of many a devout Christian to the Great Beyond.
But no longer is the soft peel of the church's single tone chime heard in the calm, peaceful twlight of the happy and prosperous little White Gravel community, bringing promise of spiritual blessing to the worried and weary and swelling to overflowing the hearers of the joyful.
The bell has disappeared. From the serene and uneventful atmosphere of years of undisturbed service, the bell has been plunged into the vortex of a deep mystery that has reached out and clutched the entire humble population in its seething swirl.
Five hundred pound of metal--one quarter ton--the bell disappeared over night.
It seems to have fallen a victim to a series of circumstances. First a cyclone recently twisted the unassuming little rural house of worship, nestling in a sylvan glade into a grotesque mass, a cross between the leaning tower of Pisa and a lumber pile.
Members of the congregation were afraid to remove the bell without the necessary block and tackle for fear it would crash and exact casualties among its human admirers.
In the meantime the bell became the football of factional strife amoung the handful of John Wesley's followers who settled in the White Gravel neighborhood.
Some want to rebuild the church, others want to use the United Brethren church whice escaped the wrath of the tornado.
Both factions wish to possess the bell.
To many its fate is obvious, although its exact location is a deep mystery.
In the meantime, members of the flock are chanting "Where Is My Wandering Bell Tonight?" The storm wrecked church still stands at a dizzy and precarious angle.
Action by Pike county officials may be necessary to return the prodigal chime.
The bell was bought by Charles Debo and cost of installation was borne by that well known and faithful member of the congregation, 18 years ago.
Joining the bell in seclusion are the organ, whose soothing notes floated through the White Gravel community from the United Brethren Church and a gasoline tank used for lighting purposes at the U. B. church.
These house of worship possessions disappeared about the same time as the Methodist bell and helped materially to convert the peaceful valley into one of spiritual unrest and mental turmoil.
The Portsmouth Times, July 24, 1934, p. 6
Church was demolished by a tornado 2 years ago.
