At the heart of a community is often a church, partially cultivated out of the need for people to connect to others no matter how far away they are from home. This was especially true in the early beginnings of settlement in south Kansas City.
When towns across the plains popped up and promoted settlement in the 19th century, one of the first buildings carved out was that of a church. In southern Jackson County in 1845, the first church to plant its roots was the Bethlehem Church of Christ, now known as Hickman Mills Community Christian Church at 5809 E. Red Bridge Road.
On May 4, 2025, this church, still in operation, will celebrate its 180th anniversary with services, a rededication and an open house.
Seeped deep in its foundations are the stories of some of the earliest pioneers of the area who took the gamble in the Wild West thousands of miles away from their kinfolk.
Early Settlement in Southern Jackson County
The area that now comprises part of Lee’s Summit, Grandview, Martin City, Raytown and Hickman Mills was known as Washington Township. It was called the “Lost Township” because, according to stories passed down, the government land surveyor ran across some whiskey and some Native Americans while out measuring the landscape. After passing out, his notes were lost.
Because of this, legal settlement of the land was delayed, and it wasn’t until the early 1840s when pioneer families – predominately from Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee- opted to try out the cheaper land to the west.
Harvey H. Kemper (1906-1988), a descendant of two pioneer families, wrote, “[Men] came to subdue the Western wilds for their future homes, bringing with them their families and their property. When they came, the vast prairies of the Big Blue River had no fences and for miles, not a tree could be seen.”
The conditions were less than favorable. There were no roads except for the roughly-carved out Santa Fe Trail from Independence, Mo. and another rough path that traveled from Independence to Harrisonville. There were no stores, no settlements and no schools.
This didn’t deter these early pioneers who usually traveled with groups of extended family members.
Rev. Jefferson H. Johnson (b. cir. 1810) arrived in Jackson County with his wife, Eliza (b.1810) and three children from Mississippi. He settled on land in the northeast portion of Washington Township and established what would be hailed the “first high school in Jackson County.”
His personal mission when arriving in the area was clear by looking at the caravan of supplies. Out of four “heavily loaded covered wagons,” one was solely weighted down with books written in Greek and Latin.
Built near current-day 87th St. and Raytown Rd., Johnson erected a large school building with log outbuildings for students who would need to board away from home. He called it Highland Academy.
But Johnson wasn’t just interested in furthering the education of children; he, along with his faraway neighbors, saw the need for a church.
The Beginnings of Bethlehem Church of Christ
Most of the settlers in the area came from Christian backgrounds, but this didn’t guarantee they were all from the same denomination. But the scarceness of the population created the need for uniformity under a Christian foundation.
On May 24, 1845, 13 men and women gathered to sign the charter for the Bethlehem Church of Christ. The document read, “We, the undersigned, do hereby give ourselves to God and to each other, to live together in the capacity of a Christian Congregation, and to be governed by the Sacred Scriptures as our only Religious Faith and Conduct.”
The founding members were listed as follows: G.W. Hockensmith, S.A. Hockensmith, Susan Davenport, Frances M. Emerson, Thomas Simmons, Nancy Simmons, John R. Whitsett, Stephen C. Oldham, Nancy Oldham, Elizabeth Whitsett, Eliza M. Emerson, Jefferson Johnson and Eliza Johnson.
Jefferson H. Johnson, who founded Highland Academy, also pioneered the first Christian Church. The first church built was likely on his land near his school about three miles north of current-day Hickman Mills. It was a simple structure – a one-room log cabin heated by a single fireplace.
As people settled in the area, they were still miles and miles apart from one another. According to the history of the church, Saturday afternoons were used to prepare Sunday dinner. Members would take baths and lay out their clothes for the next day.
Everyone would arise early so that breakfast could be cooked. Men and boys would make sure the horses were ready for the long trip. People tended to have either a carriage or an old lynch pin wagon; straw was laid in the bottom of the wagon, and chairs or boards were placed inside for seating.
Families would load onto their wagons or walk next to them, some traveling eight to nine miles one way. Services would last about two and a half hours, and after returning home, families would gather for their Sunday dinner.
Edwin A. Hickman (1819-1887) purchased 40 acres of land in 1854. There on his new land, Hickman erected a steam-powered gristmill and sawmill just behind the current fire station at 6006 E. Red Bridge Rd. Just as with most mills in operation at the time, people came from all around to have corn ground into meal and wheat turned into flour. The little place became a social rendezvous for pioneers in the vicinity.
Hickman donated one acre of land near his mill for the erection of a church and joined the congregation. It only made sense to relocate the church closer to the mill, and in about 1856, a new frame church was erected on the site. This frame meeting house was much larger than the prior log cabin. It faced west and was just north of the current location of the Hickman Mills Community Christian Church.
There were two doors that led inside- one for men, one for women and children, and “light for evening services was furnished by kerosene lamps resting in brackets having reflectors and attached to the side walls.”
Founding member Jefferson Johnson passed away by 1850. His wife continued to attend the church and run the school as long as she could, even sending her daughter to Daughter’s College in Kentucky where she graduated in 1860.
Other founding members said goodbye to Jackson County as quickly as they settled it. Francis M. Emerson and his wife, Elizabeth came from Kentucky in 1843 and returned to their home state just three years later.
The Strife of the Civil War
It’s common knowledge that the Civil War, especially in this area, tore families apart. During the war, the church was turned into Union barracks and was used for a time as a stable for their horses.
Nearby, the Union established a post that during Gen. Order No. 11 in 1863 was used as a way to squash guerrilla control over the area. The order mandated that everyone living in Jackson, Cass, Bates, and part of Vernon County vacate their homes in 15 days. Those living within one mile of Independence, Hickman’s Mill, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville along with the Kansas City/Westport area could stay if they could prove loyalty to the Union.
Around 25,000 people were displaced during the order, and the Union post of Hickman’s Mill moved 32 families inside of two large farm homes near the church.
Members of the church weren’t immune from the dangers.
George W.R. Hockensmith (cir. 1809-1866) came with his brothers from Jessamine County, Ky. in the early 1840s settling first two miles north of current-day Hickman Mills. He married Sidney, another founder of the church, and after her death, the family moved to Cass County. There, the 7th Kansas Cavalry raided their farm at Christmastime 1861.
George’s sons enlisted in the Confederate Army, and his nephew, Clarke, joined the infamous Quantrill’s Raiders and was with William Quantrill when he was killed in Kentucky in 1865. He also lost his life.
Founding member John R. Whitsett (1805-1892) settled on land one mile northeast of Hickman Mills and married Eliza Oldham (1808-1883), sister to founder Stephen C. Oldham. When they moved to their homestead in 1840, “the pioneer homes were widely scattered and this work of civilization had just begun.”
During the war, John R. Whitsett sided with the Union, but his son didn’t follow suit. James Simeon Whitsett (1845-1928) joined the Confederate Army and later left to run with Quantrill. He “served” as a guerrilla until the close of the war “and was never wounded or captured.”
Although not a founding member, Elijah F. Slaughter (1825-1902) married the daughter of founder Susan Davenport in 1853. He served as an elder in the church, and during the Civil War, he was arrested for being disloyal but was released on a $10,000 bond in November 1862.
Elijah’s son, Orlando (1854-1935) was given a message by the rebels to carry through Union lines near his home in Hickman’s Mill. He was caught by the soldiers. Orlando swore he didn’t know anything. One officer wanted to search him, but another said, “Can’t you tell he is just one of those dumb country kids?” With that, the soldiers let nine-year-old Orlando go – and he was able to deliver his hidden message to the rebels.
Orlando later became the superintendent of Sunday School at the church.
Post War and a New Building
The Hickman Mills Church was reorganized in October 1866, and some of the branches of the church split off to build their own churches closer to their homes. The Southern group organized the Christian church in Belton; the Western group organized the church at New Santa Fe (near 122nd and State Line); the Northern group split into the Raytown community and the Eastern group laid the foundation to the Lee’s Summit Church.
But all of them held their roots back when the church started in 1845.
In 1896, the community built a new church on the same ground as the frame church but further east. It faced north with the church closer to the road. It was painted white with ornate details, including a belfry and short steeple on top. Services were held weekly with preaching twice a month.
In 1922, the church got their first full time pastor, Reverend King Stark from Richmond, Mo. He called for a need for a baptistry when he arrived, and this began the push for a new building. A.F. Wished, advisory architect of the United Christian Missionary Society, was consulted and a building committee was formed.
Architects from the St. Louis firm Hoener, Baum and Froese were selected to build a church of native stone in Norman-Gothic architecture. The plans were unanimously approved.
Orlando Slaughter, president of the church board, and his wife, gifted $10,000 for the work to begin. Donations poured in, and the building was dedicated December 15, 1929.
Cast into a stone wall near the entrance of the church is the old millstone that once powered the steam-powered mill in Hickman Mills.
A 180-Year Celebration
On May 4, the Hickman Mills Community Christian Church welcomes everyone to come to the 180th anniversary celebration of the church. After an 11am worship service, there will be a rededication of the church and an open house until 3pm. Lunch will be served, and tours going over the history of the congregation, the stained-glass windows and the wood carvings done by Scrip Schreiber will be given.
Entertainment includes the Longview Chapel Choir, North Oak Ukulele Band, and Michal Pagan, jazz pianist.
At the roots of our community are a collection of hardy pioneers who chose to till the land in southern Jackson County, leaving much of what they knew behind. They brought with them their faith and core values, and the cradle of the churches that came long after began at the organization of the Bethlehem Church of Christ in 1845- now the home of the Hickman Mills Community Christian Church.
