About St. Alexander Catholic Church

In 1841, John Reed donated two acres of his property in Cleavesville to the bishop of St. Louis, and that year a  new church under the patronage of St. Michael was built on the site. At first, the Jesuit Fathers of Washington, Missouri administered the church. Later priests from Owensville, Westphalia, and Rich Fountain administered it irregularly. The last Mass was offered there in 1909.

In 1908 Dr. Joseph Tellman was able to purchase a suitable site for a Catholic church within the town. By June 1910, with the generous support of other local families, the doctor succeeded in building a new log church dedicated to St. Alexander that was to serve for the next 60 years.