Elder Tully Choice

Tully Choice was Georgia-born and educated (Mercer Institute). He was born February 22, 1834 in Hancock County, Georgia, and died 18 May 18, 1897 at age 63 in Gregg County, Texas. By 1860, the Tully Choice family had moved to Rusk County, Texas, where they are found in the 1860 census (post office, New Danville). They probably came around 1856-57. This was probably in area that later became part of Gregg County

Choice was an ordained Baptist minister. He organized and pastored several churches in East Texas, laboring mainly in the churches of the Cherokee Baptist Association. I did not finish a short article I intended to write about him, so instead (for now) offer these links of Elder Tully Choice in the newspapers (unfortunately, you will need access to Newspapers.com to read them). I will hope to finish the article and post it at some point.

• 1878 Speaks at 4th of July celebration in Longview: https://www.newspapers.com/image/210294466/
• 1878 Democratic convention https://www.newspapers.com/image/23824828/
• 1878/1892 A murder on his farm https://www.newspapers.com/image/320130576/
• 1883 Board of ETBC https://www.newspapers.com/image/21063123/
• 1884 Wife dies https://www.newspapers.com/image/588936029/
• 1884 Minister’s conference https://www.newspapers.com/image/99504422/
• 1884 East Texas Baptist Convention corresponding secretary https://www.newspapers.com/image/21308911/
• 1885 Baptist Church organized at Kilgore https://www.newspapers.com/image/588936986/
• 1885 Providential open door https://www.newspapers.com/image/76477717/
• 1886 Nominated for VP BGCT https://www.newspapers.com/image/76516902/
• 1886 Vice-President of BGCT https://www.newspapers.com/image/68285647/
• 1887 Baptist Convention https://www.newspapers.com/image/168435840/
• 1891 Injured in boiler explosion https://www.newspapers.com/image/30158134/
• 1891 Delegate to the Southern Baptist Convention https://www.newspapers.com/image/1000540323/
• 1894 East Texas Baptist Institute cornerstone https://www.newspapers.com/image/71159343/

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.