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       Everyone who went to church at Dillon Chapel before the 1930's remembers Charles and Nannie Stewart. They lived several miles up Route 10 and walked to church for Sunday morning and evening services and for prayer meeting. They carried an oil lantern which they lit to walk home after dark. She always dressed in black--long sleeves and long dresses, summer and winter, and wore either a black hat or shawl. Charlie had snow white hair and John L. Lewis eyebrows, which in spite of his gentle manner, sometimes frightened the children.
       Although she had no children of her own, Nan taught many children about the love of God. Many people in the community still have the cards carefully saved from Nan Stewart's card class.
       After her husband died, Nannie was moved into a little house across from the church, where the congregation could see to it that her needs were met. So Nan, the lady in black who had no children of her own, taught the children of Davis Creek about Jesus -- and for her faithfulness was cared for in her old age by a grateful church.

       This Deed entered into by Thomas Thornburg and the Trustees of the Methodist Church, South.
       It was delivered to the Rev. Marlin Blankenship on August 19, 1891.
       The first trustees were names familiar to this community:

R. P. Hensley who was Rufus Hensley's grandfather.

Marlin Blankenship who was the patriarch of all the Blankenships in the Davis Creek area.

Benjamin F. Dillon (Uncle Bob) was Nannie Wilson's grandfather.

John Doss for whom Doss Hill is named.

Jefferson Bolen who built the large white house across from the church.

Many have asked why such a long wait between the chartering of the church in 1889 and the obtaining of the deed in 1891. It is only speculation -- but it may have been due to the legal entanglements in settling the estate of Reece Dillon.

The text of the deed reads as follows:

Thos. Thornburg
To	Deed
Trustees M. E. Church South
This Deed made this 17th day of August 1891 by and between Thomas Thornburg of the first part and R. P. Hensley, Marlin T. Blankenship, B. F. Dillon, J. T. Doss & Jefferson Bolin trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South of the second part all of Cabell County, West Virginia. Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar cash in had paid the party of the first part doth grant unto the parites of the second part a certain piece or parcel of land lying and being on Davis Creek a branch of the Guyandotte River in Cabell County, State of West Virginia and bounded as follows to wit: Beginning at a stake on the west side of the James E. Eden branch at the mouth of said branch and on the southside of the right hand fork of Davis Creek crossing same north 10 poles to a stake on the south side of the county road with same & 14 poles to a small Hickory thence S 5 poles to a stake in said Creek thence up said Creek south 70 __ 15 poles to the beginning, containing 2 Rods and 25 poles and the said party of the first ________ to and with the parties of the second part that he will warrant specially the property hereby conveyed. Witness my hand and seal August 17 1891.
	Thomas Thornburg (seal)
State of West Virginia
County of Cabell
On this 17th day of August 1891 personally appeared before me a Notary Public in and for the county of Cabell West Virginia Thomas Thornburg whose _______ is signed to the above writing bearing date on the 17th day of August 1891 and acknowledged the same to be his act and deed. Given under my hand this 17th day of August 1891.
	M. S. Thornburg, Notary
	Public Cabell Co., WVa
State of West Virginia
Cabell County Court Clerk's Office
This deed from Thos. Thornburg to Trustees M. E. Church South bearing date the 17th day of August 1891 was this day presented to me the...

CENTENNIAL MINUTES
EAGLE SCOUT CEREMONY

AUGUST 20, 1989 - Scout Furry & Doug Triplett

       The BSA Troop 63, sponsored by the Houston Endeavor Class, was formed in 1953, but it folded in just six months. Still sponsored by Dillon Chapel UMC, the Troop was reformed in 1954 when a Church and Committee member convinced Mr. jack Jeffrey, who was just out of USMC, to be a temporary Scoutmaster until a permanent one could be found. The committee is still looking.
       The Troop has been as low as 10 boys and as high as 52 boys. It presently has 40 boys which ranks it among the biggest troops in West Virginia. Some boys have dads that were in the troop some 25 years ago.
       The Troop takes trips that are paid for in part by the boys, but mostly by fund raisers. Week long trips have been to Myrtle Beach, Boundary Waters, Appalachian Trail, Sherwood Lake, and, in June of 1990, to the Grand Canyon. Shorter trips have been to Cranberry Glades, Greenbrier River Trail, Gettysburg, and Monte Carlo. Summer camps have been held at East Lynn Lake since 1978.
       In the year 1984, the Scout Troop started their own building, which is located on the church property. They started from "zero" and, from proceeds of a fund raiser dinner, poured the footer on June 16, 1984, at a cost of $5,587.34. They started using the building in late 1986.
       The present staff has been a team since 1985. Many others have been in and out. The three on staff have their Wood Badge, which is the highest training award. And their experience totals 50 years.
       Fifty-one Eagle Scouts have come out of this troop in the last 35 years. Although this is not a national record, it is a significant milestone for the United Methodist sponsored troops in West Virginia. Less than 2 out of 100 boys makes Eagle Scout. For the presentation of the 50th and 51st Eagle Scout Award, Sen. Jay Rockefeller was the key speaker.
       Scouts from Troop 63 have become military officers, clergymen, coaches, teachers, CPAs, businessmen and respected blue collar employees. They have used the knowledge acquired all over the world, including the battlefields of Vietnam. There is no way to accurately determine how many boys have been members of Troop 63 through the years but it is sure to number well into the hundreds; and the influence of the Troop and Church into 1000'S as better men go into the world.
       That isn't a bad ministry considering it costs the church only enough to light and air condition the building. The boys are encouraged to seek and worship God. As the Promise states: "On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my Country..."

       Between the stock market crash in 1929 and the end of World War II, lay fifteen years of hard times. It must have seemed to the people of Melissa that the Depression was here to stay. The Church suffered as well. Most of the people in the community worked on their farms or dairies, where cash was always scarce and conditions were made worse by years of drought and falling farm prices. Few owned automobiles, so transportation to jobs was a problem.
       During those years, the Ice-cream Social was a mainstay for the church fund-raising. People in the community donated milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and the church people made ice cream, pies, and cakes which those outside the community came to buy.
       Della Jeffrey remembers that when she was a girl, she and her friends would help Vernie Hensley Bradbury make ice-cream. The girls would beat the eggs until their arms ached; and the boys would turn the crank. Vernie made lots of ice-cream every year to keep the church going.
       Aunt Buelah Paugh has often been given credit for keeping the church doors open during hard times. If there was a specific need, she would knock on doors with her basket asking for donations. And she kept at it until the needs were met. People responded and gave what they could. Many who would offer the fifty cents or a dollar they could spare, would drop it in Beulah's basket when she came knocking.
       The church at Dillon Chapel was more able to weather the storm than many more affluent city churches because it had no debt and few expenses. The main problem was getting enough money to pay the preacher. During these years, preachers were given a substantial cut in salary, but even that was often more than people could pay. In 1939 there was no appointment made. Raymond Workman served in 1940 and 1941. Again in 1942 the minister appointed to Dillon Chapel was listed as Beulah Paugh. No one was able to explain why -- but the lack of funds to pay the preacher was the probable cause.
       When the preacher had more than one church or there was no appointment, local lay preachers took over the service. One such preacher was Chris Chambers, a very spiritual man who served the Lord in any way he was asked. When he preached, the congregation always knew he would close the service with his favorite hymn: "Amazing Grace." The years that Dillon Chapel had no appointment, the congregation grew very familiar with "Amazing Grace!"
       All things come to an end -- even war and depression. Prosperity returned after the war, and more jobs became available in Barboursville and Huntington. More people bought automobiles, and Melissa became a mobile community. By 1948, the community was affluent enough to begin financing a new church. They had survived the Great Depression.