Annual Blue Ridge Homecoming

Blue Ridge Church with the Tabernacle to the left.

Annual Blue Ridge Homecoming & Blue Ridge Cemetery Association Meeting will be next Saturday, April 18, 2009. Business meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m and will be followed with a picnic lunch, visiting, and cemetery decorating. Any donations for upkeep would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in donating leave a comment and we will email more info to you.

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Steeple Dedication at Providence Baptist Church

Pictured are brothers Danny and Mikel Craig installing the steeple.

This Sunday April 5th, Providence Baptist Church will dedicate their new steeple during the 11 am worship service. The church is also providing a fellowship lunch after the morning services. The steeple was installed in January. Funds for the steeple were provided by an anonymous donor.

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ABC Wednesday: E is for Evant First Baptist Church

Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church was the third church organized near Langford Cove/Evant. Rev. Noah Turner Byars organized this church on 12 April, 1877, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Washington Griggs  who lived in Hamilton County about six miles northeast of the present town of Evant. In addition to Bro. Noah Turner Byars and Mr. and Mrs. Griggs, other adults present were Mr. and Mrs. Dave W. White and Mr. and Mrs. Donahue.  In 1848 Byars was the first missionary appointed by the Texas Baptist Convention.

The Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church participated in the organization of the Hamilton County Baptist Association on 4 July, 1877, at the Cottonwood Springs School.  Noah Turner Byars was an itinerant preacher who traveled from one settlement to another holding “protracted meetings” and organizing churches. As the congregation outgrew the Griggs’ log cabin home and a brush arbor, and then a church building were erected about three or four miles west of the Griggs’ home. The first pastor was likely Presley O’Keefe, who also taught school in Langford Cove.

In 1885 Sweet Home Baptist Church built the first church building in the town of Evant. Being paid for by subscription, the church was dedicated by Dr. R. C. Buckner on the second Sunday in May, 1892. Since services were held only once a month, the Baptist congregation shared their building with the Methodist congregation.

In 1913 the name of Sweet Home Baptist Church was changed to Evant Baptist Church.

llen Boone DeHart pastored this church from September 20, 1931, through August, 1935. Some of those who became members during his ministry were: Mrs. Josh Massingill, Mr. Charlie Massingill, Mrs. Monroe Smith, Miss Vollie Perkins, Mr. William McDonald, Miss Bernice Kinsey, Miss Jessie Massingill, Mildred DeHart, Doris Jean Sawyer, Iona Frasure, Van Dean Winters, Charles Curtis Longmire, Lawrence Lane, Mr. Putman Sawyer, Robert Norman Hamilton, Troy Massingill, Mrs. Mary Penson, Miss Fay Massingill, Mr. Charlie Huell, Mr. Happy Stewart, Mrs. Joe Griffis, and Mrs. John Henry.

P. W. Springfield was the first full-time pastor in 1943. His salary was ninety dollars a month plus rent and utilities. During his ministry an educational annex and baptistry were added. A second annex was added in 1948.

In 1955 a new brick building was built with 7760 square feet. The first service in the new sanctuary which seated 300, was held on 2 October, 1955, when Billy Butts was pastor.

Early pastors of Sweet Home Baptist Church were:

• Presley O’Keefe–1878-1879
• D. I. Haralson–1881-1886, 1886
• D. W. White–1887, 1890–1897
• G. W. Herrington–1888
• J. C. Combs–1889
• W. N. White, 1898
• Pinkney Hawkins, 1899

Early church clerks were:

• W. B. Wright–1881
• J. W. Brooks–1882–1883
• S. C. Smith–1884, 1886
• S. E. Smith–1885
• J. R. Carter–1887–1891
• P. H. Young, 1892–1894
• James White, 1895
• J. R. White, 1896–1897
• R. S. Griggs, 1898
• A. T. Stamp, 1899

Early messengers to the association were:

• 1878–D. W. White, J. W. Howard, and W. N. White
• 1879–D. W. White, J. W. Howard, and J. P. Murphree
• 1881–D. W. White, and J. P. Murphy; Elder D. W. White and W. B. Wright
• 1883–W. B. Wright and D. E. Eliott
• 1884–D. W. White, W. B. Wright, and George Griggs
• 1885–D. N. White and W. B. Wright
• 1886–D. W. White
• 1887–Elder D. W. White, A. J. Culpepper, and J. W. Maness
• 1888 and 1889–D. W. White
• 1890– D. W. White, S. E. Smith, A. J. Culpepper
• 1891–D. W. White, T. W. Kirkland, J. R. Carter
• 1892–D. W. White, P. H. Young
• 1893–D. W. White, W. N. White, P. H. Young, J. R. White
• 1895–D. W. White, W. N. White, Dr. R. L. Howell, P. H. Young
• 1896–D. W. White, W. N. White, J. T. White, P. H. Young
• 1897–Rev.’s D. W. White, W. N. White, W. M. Howell, Brethren G. H. Singleton, P. H. Howell
• 1898–Rev. W. N. White, Brethren P. H. Young, J. A. Sheffield, R. S. Griggs, G. H. Singleton
• 1899–A. T. Stamp, P. H. Young, E. B. White, and Rev. W. N. White.

More About Evant:

• COVE
• LANGFORD COVE
• EVANT CHURCHES
  • EVANT CHURCH OF CHRIST
  • First Baptist Church
    
  • EVANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
  • SARDIS PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
• EVANT LODGES
• EVANT POST OFFICE
• EVANT SCHOOLS
• EVANT REGISTERED VOTERS in 1937
• MURPHREE CEMETERY
• LANGFORD CEMETERY
• EVANT SCHOOL YARD CEMETERY

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ABC Wednesday: Carlton Baptist Church

Circa 2003 by Rev. David Keith

On Saturday before the fourth Sunday in March, 1878, Carlton Baptist Church was organized. T. M. Byers was the moderator and J. M. Evans was church clerk. The first pastor was Rev. R. M. Cumbie and the first deacons were Dewey Pierce, J. A. Rowland, Martin Jones, and Joe Hicks. J. A. Rowland was the first Sunday School superintendent.

Charter members were F. M. and Mary Carlton, R. M. and Mollie Cumbie, W. J. and Nancy Hicks, J. M. and S. J. Evans, J. R. and Martha J. Nix, J. P. Nix, C. A. Miller, James Nix, Callie Center, William Miller, Bettie Smith, James S. Carlton, Cynthia Pierce, Drewry Pierce, Nancy Pierce, Napoleon Pierce, Penelope McCarty, and James S. McCarty.

R. M. Cumbie was born 1 January, 1849, in Barber County, AL.  Converted at the age of 20, he was baptized by D. B. Burt into the Damascus Church.  He came to Texas in 1870 and was licensed by Concord Church of Henderson County.  Cumbie was ordained by Carlton Baptist Church on the third Sunday of November, 1881.

Carlton Baptist Church was admitted to the Comanche Baptist Association prior to 2 September, 1881, when Carlton hosted the Comanche Baptist Annual meeting.

No rain fell in Hamilton County from January, 1886, until August 31, 1887; hence severe drought conditions prevailed.  The Saturday morning session of the Comanche Association  in September, 1887 adjourned to the river bank for a baptismal service.  Sixteen of those baptized were from Carlton.

On 3 December, 1885, R. M. Cumbie, Drewry Pierce, H. L. Lynch, J. E. Stringer, J. H. Everett, and J. T. Cumbie, Trustees of Carlton Baptist Church purchased for ten dollars from W. C. Murphree and wife, D. A. Murphree, a tract of land on which to build a church house.

The first church was a one room structure. Carlton Baptist Church was admitted into the Hamilton County Baptist Association on 14 August, 1891.

Interior of the worship center taken around 1997.

Early pastors were:

• J. H. Vinson, 1891–1895
• J. H. Cunningham, 1896–1897
• J. T. Beam, 1898–1899
• T. P. Speakman, 1901

Early church clerks were:

• J. C. Finley, 1891-1900
• W. McKenzie–1901

Early messengers to the annual association meeting were:

• 1891–W. Graham, F. M. Richburg
• 1892–W. Graham, J. W. Porter, F. M. Richburg, James Wilson McKenzie
• 1893–J. H. Vinson, A. Boatwright, F. M. Richburg
• 1894–J. N. Adams, J. W. Richburg
• 1895–Warren Graham, James Wilson McKenzie, J. N. Adams, B. G. Richbourg, J. H. Vinson, J. W. Porter, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson
• 1896–F. M. Richbourg, J. C. Finley, Warren Graham, J. W. Porter, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson
• 1897–A. L. Fisher, James Wilson McKenzie, A. G. Bingham, Rev. Warren Graham
• 1898–James Wilson McKenzie, R. Adams, V. B. Mitchell, J. M. Adams, Sisters Lou Mitchell and Orelia McKenzie
• 1899–Revs. Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson, J. T. Beam, Warren Graham, and Brethren J. M. Adams, James Wilson McKenzie, F. M. Richbourg, W. S. Fisher
• 1900–James Wilson McKenzie, Rev. Warren Graham, J. A. Rowland, Sister Orelia McKenzie
• 1901–J. T. Gibson, James Wilson McKenzie, J. A. Rowland, J. W. Richbourg, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson, M. L. Gibson

A new church building was completed in September, 1917 by J. L. Thompson. This was the last building Mr Thompson built before his death. The first couple married in the new church were Rev. Clarence Allen Morton and Miss Hallie Adams. The baptistry was added in 1945. On 25 October, 1953, an educational building was dedicated. The parsonage was remodeled in 1977.

More About Carlton:

• CARLTON SCHOOL
• CARLTON POST OFFICE
• CARLTON NEWSPAPERS
• CARLTON TELEPHONE OFFICE
• 1937 CARLTON REGISTERED VOTERS
• CARLTON CEMETERY
• CARLTON METHODIST CHURCH
  

See more ABC Wednesday.

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My World Tuesday: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church began in 1868 in the home of Mrs. E. D. Bell. Among the first itinerant Episcopal Clergymen who came to Hamilton was Bishop Gregg in 1873. In 1874 The Right Reverend Alexander C. Garrett of the Missionary District of North Texas scheduled regular visits to Hamilton several times each year. Services were later held in the Presbyterian Church–the first church in Hamilton to build a church building.

In 1888 a Ladies Guild was formed. The first project of the guild was to raise money to build a church. Major C. W. Cotton gave the land on which the church was built in 1891 using the Carpenter Gothic style of architecture. E. R. Williams, John L. Spurlin, and S. D. Felt comprised the building committee. By 1896 the finishing touches on the building were completed and Bishop Garrett came from Dallas. St. Mary’s is the oldest church to remain on its original location in Hamilton. Rev. Father Ronald Baker, Vicar, rebuilt and installed an antique Estey pipe organ and presented the organ as a gift to the church at his ordination service about 1985. to consecrate the building. In 1950 an Austin stone Parish House with an auditorium, kitchenette, Sunday School rooms, and pastor’s study was added at the east end of the original church building.

Ernest Robert Williams was Sunday School superintendent for more than twenty years. Mrs. S. D. Felt was organist and choir director for twenty-seven years. Mrs. J. T. James was president of the Ladies Guild for twenty-four years. Some other members have been Cecil B. James, Dr. Charles C. Baker, Jr., M. Brents Witty, Mrs. Katherine (Baker) Witty, Mrs. Nora Katherine (Henderson) Teague, Robert Miller, Malcolm G. James, John C. Latham, Calvin Thomas, and Mrs. Flora Emma (Briggs) Blitz — ECW

More About St. Mary’s Episcopal Church:

• History of St. Mary’s Protestant Episcopal Church from Hamilton County News, June 1934

Be sure to visit the That’s My World! blog.

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