Smyrna and The Sacred Harp

The people of the Smyrna Baptist Church and the Oak Flat Community of Rusk County, Texas, have a long and full connection to singing from The Sacred Harp, going back to the time of the constitution of the church – and before (likely as long as people have lived in this area). When W. M. Cooper released his fourth edition of The Sacred Harp in 1907, the then pastor of Smyrna served on the revision committee. Elder John Franklin McLendon was the pastor of Smyrna from 1904 to 1910, and he served as moderator of the Mt. Zion Baptist Association from 1890 to 1917, longer than any other man. In 1890 McLendon was president/chairman of the East Texas Musical (Sacred Harp) Convention. McLendon came to Texas from Barbour County, Alabama (already an ordained minister) and might have personally known W. M. Cooper.

Near the end of Elder McLendon’s ministry at Smyrna, Benjamin Lewis Vaughn confided in his pastor of feeling a call to preach the gospel. He was later liberated by the church to preach on September 17, 1910. Just a few months previous to this (July 1910) he wrote a song titled A Golden Crown to Wear. This song was published in the eighth edition of The Sacred Harp by W. M. Cooper, probably circa 1915-16.

T. M. Kinsey

Trammel Trace Tribune, April 22, 2005, page 3

Thomas Marshall Kinsey was born 14 January 14, 1879 in Ellis County, Texas and died May 5, 1960 in Rusk County, Texas. He and his wife are buried at the Tatum Cemetery at Tatum in Rusk County. After some members of the church in the Harmony Hill Community moved to Tatum, beginning in 1915 T. M. Kinsey preached to them once a month in the Methodist Church facilities – until the Methodist Church asked other denominations using their facility to find another place or other places to meet. This initial group would later found the Baptist Church at Tatum in 1917.

He pastored the Baptist Church at Whitney circa 1907, and perhaps up until the time he moved to Rusk County. At the time of his death. T. M. Kinsey was a member of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in the Stewart Community.

Elder J. S. Milstead

In 1850, James Milstead, his wife Delilah/Dilla (and their two children Francis L., 3, and William E., 6 months) were living in the third division of Tippah County, Mississippi, where he was listed with the occupation of grocer. By 1860, they were living at Caledonia in Rusk County, Texas, with three additional children: N. E. Milstead (age 8), John N. Milstead (age 7), G. A. Milstead (age 4), and James M. Milstead (age 3).

His occupation is to me not readable in the online copy of the census. In 1870 his post office is Henderson (but they were not living in the town of Henderson). His occupation is minister of the gospel. They have 3 more children, Zealous A. (8), Amanda (6), and Delann (2, sp. ?). Francis is not listed, but she may have married. The child G. A. is evidently deceased. By 1880, the family had moved to Robertson County, where he is listed at Bald Prairie. They have added two more children, Susan E. (9) and Edwin S. (6). The child named Delann (sp. ?) has apparently died. James Sanford Milstead was born July 9, 1823 in Tennesee, and died January 10, 1900 in Texas. He and his wife are buried at the Thornton Cemetery at Thornton in Limestone County, Texas.

J. S. Milstead was in Texas at least by 1859. He performed a marriage in Texas that year, and he was a delegate from the Mt. Sinai Church at Caledonia to the Central Baptist Association. J. S. Millstead, Eli Millstead, and A. D. Stovall were the delegates, Wyatt S. Childress was the pastor, and there were 26 members. [Note: the surname is sometimes spelled Millstead in censuses and association minutes, but Milstead seems to be his preferred spelling.]

Central Association minutes, 1859, Page 9: “Elders J. L. Mills, J. D. Williams, J. T. Millstead and Brother R. J. Alexander and Thomas L. Stewart were appointed a special committee to set in proper shape, and lay before Mt. Zion Association, for her consideration, the apparent disorder existing in two of her constituent members, at her next session.” (This was Red Land and New Salem churches.) No 1860 minutes of the Central or Mt. Zion Association are available to indicate how this was concluded. I am assuming J. T. Millstead is supposed to be the same as J. S. Milstead. An “Elder Millsted” preached at the 1859 Central Association meeting.

Known pastoral work of Elder James Sanford Milstead

Mount Zion Baptist Association (formed 1857)

J. S. Milstead performed a marriage in Rusk County in 1859. “M. G.” beside his name, indicating he performed the marriage in the capacity of “Minister of the Gospel.” Later, by 1861 or 1862, “O. M. G.” is beside his name on a marriage record, indicating he was an “Ordained Minister of the Gospel.” He is not in the Mt. Zion ordained ministers’ lists in 1866, 1867, (no list in 1868), 1869, or 1870, but is listed as a pastor of two Mount Zion churches in 1869. Perhaps he was left off the list, but perhaps more likely he was a member of a church not in the Mount Zion Association (probably in Mount Bethel Association circa 1865-1870).

• 1869 Bethel, Mt. Zion
• 1872 Union (Nacogdoches County) He was a member of Union (His P. O. is Nacogdoches)
• 1873 Bethel, Union, Lynn Flat (P. O. is Nacogdoches)
• 1874 Bethel, Lynn Flat
• 1875 Lynn Flat, Pleasant Hill (Nacogdoches County) P. O.. address is Lynn Flat
• 1876 Pleasant Hill, Union Springs P.O. Lynn Flat

With M. Melton, J. S. Milstead served on the organizational presbytery for the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Bogg Community, Nacogdoches County, in November of 1874.

Mount Bethel Baptist Association (formed circa 1865)

In 1866, the Mount Zion Association received “Brother Milstead” as a corresponding messenger from the Mount Bethel Association. This was probably J. S. Milstead.

• 1870 Pastor of Columbia Church, Shelby County; his Post Office listed as Nacogdoches

Little Brazos Baptist Association (formed circa 1876)

• 1879 Pastor Bald Prairie, the church at Bald Prairie among those that joined by petitionary letter that year; Milstead also a messenger from this church. The church had 29 members, 17 of whom had been received during that year, by baptism (2) and letter (15). (P. O. address Bald Prairie)
• 1880 Bald Prairie (same address)
• 1881 Bald Prairie and Antioch in Robertson County
• 1882 Bald Prairie and Heard’s Prairie (Robertson County) P. O. Bald Prairie
• 1883 Salem in Limestone County (P. O. Thornton)
• 1884 Salem and Rocky (P. O. Thornton)
• 1885 Salem, Antioch, Prairie Point, Rocky (Antioch was at Thornton, and may have come to simply be called Thornton? The Clerk & Pastor of 1886 Thornton Church was same as 1885 Antioch Church, also same messengers)
• 1886 Salem, Thornton, Ebenezer (Post Office Thornton)
• 1887 Salem, Hope, Thornton (Hope has J. F. McSead as pastor, but there is no such minister in the OM List)
• 1888 Enon, Thornton
• 1889 Macedonia, Enon, Thornton
• 1890 Macedonia, Thornton
• 1891 Thornton
• 1892 Bald Prairie October 22-24, 1892
• 1893 Bald Prairie
• 1894 Ebenezer
• 1895 Ebenezer, Heard’s Prairie

Limestone County Association (formed 1892)

• 1892 Hornhill
• 1893 Hornhill, Kirk

J. S. Milstead seems not to have pastored after 1893, perhaps because of age and/or health. In 1900, J. S. Milstead not listed in obituaries report, but is listed in ordained ministers as deceased.

It appears that J. S. Milstead also had some interest in populist politics.

Galveston Daily News, Wednesday, August 5, 1896, p. 10

Miscellaneous notes.

The Baptist preacher Ambrose Dudley Stovall was his brother-in-law.

Association minutes did not always consistently provide lists of their ordained ministers.

Performed a marriage in Rusk County in August of 1859, for N. M. Mahan and Sarah Harris.

Performed marriage for Alexander Milstead and Nancy A. Whiteside in January 1861 (or possibly 1862).

A Brief Notice of John H. Rowland

John H. Rowland was the first moderator of the Mt. Zion Baptist Association when it was organized at Lawsonville in Rusk County in 1857. He came to Texas from Mississippi, first settling in Anderson County, then moving to Rusk County. In 1855 he married Agnes Wood of Rusk County, and they lived at Bellview/Pirtle for a time.

Z. N. Morrell, author of Flowers and Fruits From the Wilderness, knew him personally, and wrote the following about J. H. Rowland.

“Prominent among the names of ministers in this body appears the name of Elder John H. Rowland. With a piercing blue eye, angular features, and well-developed head, he gives evidence of a man of mark. Although he did not enjoy the advantages of early education, the superiority of his natural powers of intellect, brought to bear upon the word of God from the pulpit, causes his audience to forget the defects in his early mental culture. Possessed of a full and commanding voice, with clear and vigorous thought, he presses truth upon the minds of the people with great power.” (p. 330)

J. H. Rowland pastored at least these churches: Springfield in Limestone County; Lake Creek near Springfield in Limestone County; Fairfield in Freestone County; Judson at Cayuga in Anderson County; Zion in Anderson County; Mt. Zion at Lawsonville, Rusk County; Mt. Moriah at San Cosme in Rusk County; New Prospect in Rusk County; Jamestown (old Jamestown) in Smith County; Starrville in Smith County; Baptist Church at Tyler, Smith County; Baptist Church at Millville, Rusk County; Harmony at Bellview, Rusk County; Baptist Church at Overton, Rusk County; Baptist Church at Bremond, Robertson County.

In the History of the Waco Baptist Association, Rowland is mentioned in reference to the M. T. Martin affair, concerning his ordination, in a somewhat negative light. I cannot endorse the views of Martin, but I think Rowland, as with others who have disagreed with B. H. Carroll, may get a bad historical rap regarding his disagreement with Carroll. In saying “if Waco church did right, Martin should not be restored. If Waco did wrong, he should be restored, not re-ordained,” I believe Rowland correctly maintained scriptural integrity on the issue and how to handle it.

The Galveston Daily News, Monday, May 7, 1894, page 1

Obituaries, page 6

Little Brazos Baptist Association

October 27-29, 1894

John Isbell at Timpson

While this church is not in Rusk County, the information applies to former Rusk Countian John Birdwell Isbell (that he was in the BMA side of the Timpson Church split). It also suggests the Baptist Church at Timpson split in 1901 rather than 1902 (but there is probably more to learn about this).

Credentials Report, page 9

Shelby County Missionary Baptist Association

October 17-20, 1901

Miscellaneous little bits of history

• A Guide to African-American Baptist Association Resources
• About Campground Cemetery

There was a Sabine Valley University at Hemphill, Sabine County, chartered June 7, 1879. “During the time of its operation, the university was under the sponsorship of the Mt. Zion Baptist Association and the Bethlehem Baptist Association.” It is unknown when it closed, but before 1910, when the property was given to the Hemphill Common School District. Sabine County, the First One-Hundred and Fifty Years (1836-1986), Robert Cecil McDaniel, Hemphill, TX: 1987, pp. 197-198. See also History of Sabine Valley University at Texas State Historical Association online. 

Is this our Mt. Zion Association, mostly in Rusk and Panola Counties, or a different one? Seems a long distance out of place for our Mt. Zion Baptist Association.

Around 1915-1917, there was quite a controversy between the Gary Baptist Church and Elder H. M. Allen. And it spilled into other churches and associations as people took sides!

From Gary, Panola Watchman, July 25, 1917

• Panola County Baptist Founders, by Leila B. LaGrone
• Cedar Grove Baptist Church history
• M. L. Vaughn, Pioneer Minister at Liberty
• Fleet Calvin Roark, great-grandson of Isaac Reed (1776-1848)

Mt. Ararat Primitive Baptist Church

Henderson Primitive Baptist Church (formerly called Mt. Ararat)

• Other names: Mt. Ararat,[i] Mt. Homer, Chalk Hill
• Type: Primitive Baptist
• Language and/or ethnicity: Predominantly Anglo-American
• When organized: July 16, 1853
• Charter members: David Risinger, William Baker, James C. Durham, Isaac G. Parker, Martha Baker, Ann Durham, and Polly Parker
• First pastor: probably Thomas Brittain
• Other pastors: J. E. Hardie,[ii] John Anderson Hill, Jube Lee Davis; J. A. or J. H. Fields, 1917-1937 (or is this J. A. Hill); Ernest Sumner Morrisett, 1940-; John Clifton Richard Hawkins, 1956-1960; R. G. Rhodes, 1960-1961;[iii] John Wilton Dunn, 1963-1970; M. L. Harris, 1970-1971; J. H. Cayce, 1971-1983; Marvin Smith?, Jesse Alton Davis
• Current location: County Road 412D, Hickey Community
• Other locations: Hickory Flat, Henderson, Antioch (Pone), US Hwy 79 N
• Affiliation: Unaffiliated currently (past: Union, Little Hope, Fellowship)

The Mt. Ararat Primitive Baptist Church was constituted July 16, 1853 in the Hickory Flat community (probably at the Hickory Flat Schoolhouse),[iv] by Thomas Britton[v] and James Loden.[vi] The first members were David Risinger, William Baker, James C. Durham, Isaac G. Parker, Martha Baker, Ann Durham, and Poly/Polly Parker.

The church met at Hickory Flat community until their meeting was moved to Henderson. (The histories of Mt. Ararat and Siloam may intersect in Henderson.) From Henderson they moved to the Antioch/Pone Community, possibly using the Antioch School House as a meeting place. In 1917 they built and occupied a building on what is now County Road 401 South. In 1958, the church changed locations again, and this seems to have precipitated a split.

First Sunday in February 1958 (Feb 1), “By motion and second the church agreed ed (sic) to move the church to a more desirable and suitable location for the service of this church, this was carried by majority of votes...”

Mt. Ararat purchased land on US Hwy 79 North between Henderson and Carthage, and purchased the Cumberland Presbyterian Church building at Brachfield, moving the building to their new location.[vii] It appears the church moved to first meet in this building on the Carthage Highway May 4, 1958. On the conference of the meeting weekend of the first Sunday and Saturday night in September 1958 (Sept 6) the church dismissed the building committee as having fulfilled their duty. At this time, they also withdrew fellowship from five members. It seems that these five members and others continued for a time to act as the Mt. Ararat Church at the old location. Perhaps it is for this reason (and the possible confusion) that in 1960 the church meeting on US Highway 79 “...agreed to change the name of this church to Mt. Homer Primitive Baptist Church...”[viii]

Mt. Ararat Primitive Baptist Church and Chalk Hill Primitive Baptist Church consolidated in 1995, and the name was then changed to Henderson Primitive Baptist Church. The meeting location on US Highway 79 was kept. The church continued to meet on Carthage Highway until November 2017. The church once again moved, and the building was later sold.

The Henderson Primitive Baptist Church (old Mt. Ararat) is currently meeting on County Road 412D, which can probably be considered in the Hickey Community. The benches and pulpit used are from the building on US Hwy 79. The church meets the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. The current pastor Jesse A. Davis was ordained by the Chalk Hill Primitive Baptist Church in 1995.

Mount Ararat Primitive Baptist Church (No. 2)

After the split in the Mount Ararat Church circa 1958, both sides initially continued under the name Mt. Ararat, then the majority for a time – 1960-1968 – changed their name to Mount Homer. I have arbitrarily designated “No. 2” the side in the numerical minority.

A few documents have survived that show a Mt. Ararat Church (No. 2) operating “Eight (8) miles southwest of Henderson, Texas…” after the majority voted to move their meeting east of Henderson on US Hwy 79.

In January 1959, the five disfellowshipped members agreed “to continue for the faith as once delivered to the saints.” They did not endorse the action to move the Mt. Ararat church and declared themselves “to be the true Mt. Ararat primitive church in order…”

There are at least two public documentations of the church continuing to meet under the leadership of E. S. Morrisett. Henderson Daily News (Thursday, July 23, 1959, p. 10) carried an announcement of “Services scheduled at Old Mt. Arrat.” The description is the old location “about six miles southwest of Henderson on the old New Salem Road.” Services started at 10:30, with preaching at 11 by E. S. Morrisett, and “dinner on the grounds.”

A program of the “General Assembly of All States Bible Forum,” to be held June 23—June 26, 1960 documents the church’s existence at that time. The 13th Annual Session of the Assembly was to meet with the Mt. Ararat Primitive Baptist Church “Eight (8) miles southwest of Henderson, Texas.” The program suggests that E. S. Morrisett was the pastor of the Mt. Ararat Church. He may have been the only pastor of this division of Mt. Ararat. He moved to Lubbock circa 1961, and the church probably discontinued meeting by the mid-to-late 1960s. (In addition to these documents, a few people living can remember homecomings and Sacred Harp singings at this old location in the 1960s.)[ix] The building at 6591 County Road 401 South, built in 1917, is now a residence. (See picture. The part circled in red was the church building used by Mt. Ararat Church from 1917 until the 1960s.)

A Primitive Baptist Church at Antioch ostensibly mentioned in an obituary of Johnathan J. Peters (who is buried at Bethel Cemetery on CR 314 South) is simply the Mt. Ararat Church meeting at Antioch. The obituary of Peters says of him: “He professed religion shortly after he moved to Texas [1852, rlv] and joined the church of the Primitive faith and order at old Hickory Flat, following the church to Henderson, thence to Antioch, and lived a faithful member until his death.” (“Obituary,” Henderson Weekly Times, Thursday, June 14, 1900, p. 2) The movements of the Mt. Ararat Church – from Hickory Flat to Henderson to Antioch – fit the description in Peters’s obituary, and J. J. Peters was a deacon in the Mt. Ararat Church.

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[i] Additionally, there are a number of misspellings of Ararat – Arat, Arrat, Arrarrat, etc. In my lifetime I have generally heard locals pronounce the name as ˈeɪ ræt or ˈær ræt (two syllables) – rather than ˈær əˌræt (three syllables), as the spelling and a dictionary might suggest.
[ii] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13490855/j-e-hardie
[iii] Possibly Raymond Guy Rhodes: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/200295850/raymond-guy-rhodes
[iv] The presbytery was called “By the Brethren and sisters in the Nieghborhood of David Risinger’s to meet them at the School house in the Nieghborhood for the purpose of constituting them into a Church.” (p. 150, 1886-1917 minutes)
[v] The surname spelling on his tombstone is “Brittain”. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41329707/thomas-brittain
[vi] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32766664/james-m-loden
[vii] “Between 1945-50 the [Cumberland Presbytrian] church building [at Brachfield] was sold and moved to a location on the Henderson-Carthage Highway to become Mt. Ararat Primitive Baptist Church.” “Brachfield Community,” Mary Frank Deason Dunn, Remembering Rusk County, 1992, p. 50. The church minutes corrects the date to a little later than when Mrs. Dunn remembered. This article also mentions Mt. Ararat: “Pone-Compton,” Donald C. Whitehead, Remembering Rusk County, 1992
[viii] On November 10, 1968, “The motion was made and carried that we change the name of this church back to the original name of Mt. Ararat Church.” Minutes Book Aug. 18, 1917-June 28, 1981, p. 181
[ix] That the other (No. 1) church changed its name back to Mt. Ararat in 1968 at the least implies that the No. 2 was no longer in existence by that time.

Siloam Primitive Baptist Church, Henderson

Siloam Primitive Baptist Church

• Other names: Henderson Primitive
• When organized: July 4, 1883 (or 1882)
• Charter members: S. M. Carlton, Nancy Satterwhite Carlton, and six others
• First pastor: Possibly Charles Holcomb
• Location: Corner of East Main and North High, Henderson

A church that probably fits somewhere in the mix of the history of the Mt. Ararat Church is Siloam in Henderson. This church may have merged with Mt. Ararat. This is a guess based on the fact that Mt. Ararat moved to Henderson, and the S. M. Carlton is mentioned in the Mt. Ararat minutes.

“agrees to let Brother S. M. Carlton Sell one Meeting House in henderson together with the lot it stands on by his agreeing to pay to us the value of the frame of the older house and that J. E. Hardie and J. J. Peters is set apart by this conference to Make a deed to said property when Solde and Money paid to them” Saturday before the third Sunday in November 1887 (p. 6).

The February 1888 Mt. Ararat conference records sending a committee “to brother Carlton to make a contrack about some benches and lumber” (the rest is hard to read; p. 6). The next month meeting says the committee reported, but does not record what they reported. The church also “moved and second that we send a committee to locate a plase to build a church house.” In April 1888 the committee reported “finding a plase 9 miles South west off Henderson” (p. 7)

An article in the Henderson Daily News (May 7, 1940, p. 8) reprinted an article from the Rusk County News, 1882, which mentions that the church house was recently built on “East Street.” Dr. S. M. Carlton was instrumental in having it constructed. Another “looking back” article in the Henderson Daily News (January 30, 1940, p. 3) adds the editorial comment that this building was at a corner of North High and East Main. Without further information, it is simply unclear to me how these two Primitive Baptist churches in Henderson fit together. Perhaps further research into deed records will clarify the issue.

According to his biography, Dr. Snider Miles Carlton moved from Panola County to Henderson in February 1879. He wrote that he, his wife, and six others constituted a church called Siloam in Henderson, Texas on the 4th day of July 1883. Perhaps he got the year wrong, or the Henderson Times got the year wrong, or simply they built the building on East Main before they actually organized as a church. Dr. Carlton left Henderson sometime after the death of his wife in 1890. She is buried in the Old City Cemetery downtown. Carlton says he was baptized by Charles Holcomb July 1, 1883, and went into the constitution of Siloam Church July 4, 1883 (p. 378). He also describes Holcomb as the moderator of the Little Hope Association (“was and is now,” p. 4).