First Christian Church, part of the American religious movement known as The Disciples of Christ, was organized in 1847 and since its beginning has been a fellowship of over 5000 members. Its present location at Fifth and Market Streets has been the site of all three buildings erected by the congregation in 1850, 1894, and 1959. Alexander Campbell preached here in the spring of 1849. During the Civil War, dissensions caused the church to cease meeting, and for a time a detachment of U.S. soldiers and horses were housed in the building. The church bell used since 1894 came from the steamboat Saluda, which exploded and sank near Lexington, Mo., in April of 1852; with a loss of 200 lives, this was the worst disaster on the Missouri River.