History of Church
Located on: County Rd 92 off State 208
This history contributed by Marie J. McGlaun.
Originally presented by Hon. C.W. Fox (1941) and attorney who is now buried in the cemetery across the road.
History tells us that by treaty the Indians were moved from the west side of Flint River in about the year 1822; there being one old Indian who declined to go with his tribe, and lived the remainder of his life just east of Union Church near the little creek, that is now called Thames Creek, which was named after the old Indian.
The last wolf that was known in this section was killed about one hundred yards north of the present church building, by Mr. Jerry C. McCants; this wolf would make raids on the sheep of the settlers. Mr. McCants located his trail, and waylaid him on a bright moonlit night and shot the wolf with his rifle.
The first person that was buried at the cemetery was the child of the family who came through that section during the winter when a spell of very severe cold weather, and they stopped or camped near where the present church was located and used a small building that was either there as a Primitive Baptist Churc or as a School building. The family used the building as a shelter from the cold and one of their hcildren died there and was buried out in the pine grove where the cemetery is now located. This family became destitute, and the man of the family was given employment by Uncle Jerry C. McCants with whom he lived and worked for some years.
The first building in which the Methodist of this community worshipped was located about one mile north (on the west side of the road) of where the present Church now stands. (Some 200-300 yrds south of the Wire Road). This church was used from about 1848 until the Civil War when services were discontinued, the building torn down and moved away leaving the old blocks and sills that lay there for many years.
The Primitive Baptists worshipped in a building about 100 yards east of where the present Church now stands, and service at this church was discontinued at the outbreak of the Civil War, leaving the people of this community without any place to worship during the years of the war. That after the Civil War Rev. James R. Hays, a local Methodist preacher, preached for the people of the community once a month in this building formerly used by the Primitive Baptist. He was a great preacher and the people of the community heard him gladly, and organized a Methodist Church, that became one of the Churches of the Butler Charge about the year 1866. This building was used as a church until the spring of 1883 when the present Church was completed, dedicated and has since been used as the Church. The Old Church being used as a school building until 1896, when it was burned.
A publication on the Hays family states that Robert P. Hays deeded the land in 1840 for the church, first called Hays Camp Meeting Grounds. And that Jerry C. McCants gave to the trustees of the Church a deed to sufficient lands for burial purposes on which the cemetery is now located. It is probably that the deeds to this property were made before Taylor County was organized and may be located in Talbot County. We do find the record of a deed from Robert P. Hays to the following Trustees, J.J. McCants, John T. Monk, J.G. McCants, K.B. McCants, and A.B. Peed to seven acres of land for Camp Ground purposes, and in this deed the maker, Robert P. hays, provides that this deed is not to interfere with the right or title to the property for church purposes.
There were 14 or 15 structures or tents used by the people who tented there during the camp meeting. The average tent was a building of about 30 feet wide to about 50-60 ft long, weather boarded up with substantial lumber, covered with boards. The front of the tent had a shed of some 10-12 ft wide over the front, a hall ran down through the center of the tent some ten feed wide. Beginning at the front of the tent, there was a room on each side of the hall some 20 ft long in which there was a bed where the men and boys slept, and on the other side of the hall a similar room where the women and girls slept. At the end of these rooms there were smaller rooms, where the husband and wife and smaller children of the tent holders used. Farther on there were pantries where the provisions were stored. Then there was a table that sat across the tent beyond theses rooms of some 20-30 more ft long. Beyond that table was the room for the cook stove and cooking department. These tents had dirt floors, that were covered with wheat straw when in use. From each tent a walk was cleared away leading from the tent to the tabernacle, and this walk was covered with wheat straw.
A few days before the meeting would begin, the people of the community gathered and cleaned off the grounds between the tents and teh tabernalce as well as around each side of the tabernacle out some distance. The grounds were lighted with lightwood fires on a stand some 3-4 ft high, that was planked over and dirt piled on those planks sufficient ot prevent the fire from burning the planks. Thees stands were located around the tabernacle and between the tents and the tabernacles so the grounds were well lighted. Old Uncle Prince Harris, a negro, prepared these stands, hauled in the lightwood, and attended to the lighting of the grounds from the beginning of the camp meetings in 1874 until the close in 1896. Uncle Prince Harris was faithful to his duties and received a lot of joy in giving his time and service at Camp Meetings.
The Old Church building was furnished with bedding and used by the preachers as their tent, and known as the preachers' tent.
The tent holders moved into their tents on Friday before the 1st Sunday in September, and teh first preaching service was held on Friday night, and then on Saturday morning at an agreed hour a horn was blown giving the people notice that it was time to prepare breakfast. At this time some member from each tent went to the preachers' tent and invited one or more preachers to breakfast. Prayer service was held in front of each tent. This was done each morning.
There was a preaching service held at 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock and 3 o'clock pm and a night service each day. The last service was held on Tuesday night, and the tenters moved away on Wednesday morning following.
Out east of the tabernacle about 200 more yards was a lot that some of the men would look after during the camp meeting, and would take the horses and mules of the visitors who came in, feed and water them, and take care of them for which the stock owners paid a small fee. This was the only thing that a visitor attending the camp meeting paid for. There were no lunch stands, no cigar and cigarette stands on the grounds. All the visitors were welcome to any tent that he or they might select where he or they could eat or sleep without costs.
Although the floors of the tents, the Tabernacle and the walks from the tents to the Tabernacle were covered with wheat straw, there was never a fire during the life of the Camp Meeting.
These camp meetings were a great blessing, and the power of the Holy Ghost came upon those who attended.
Worship Program included:
Hymns: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name; Standing on the Promises; I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go.
The singing was done by the Butler and Union Church choirs with special song by Mr. Hugh Mercer and music by Mrs. L.R. Adams and Oscar Adams.
Dinner was served at the church followed by an afternoon service.
This service included hymns: How Firm a Foundation, God be With You. The Welcome Address was by F.C. Jarrell, Jr. and the Hon. C.W. Foy prsented the "History of Union Campground Church". A poem "Country Church" by Miss Frances Windham and "Lines to a Little Church" by Harold Jarrell were also read.
The following preachers have served Union Church (Campground):
1866 Rev. G.C. CLARK 1867-1868 Rev. G.L.W. ANTHONY 1869-1870 Rev. B.F. WILLIAMS 1871-1872 Rev. J.R. LITTLEJOHN 1873 Rev. W.M.D. BOND 1874-1875 Rev. E.J. RENTZ 1876 Rev. W.F. ROBINSON 1877-1878 Rev. GEORGE S. JOHNSON 1879-1880 Rev. R.L. WIGGINS 1881 Rev. R.E. EVANS 1882 Rev. J.B.K. SMITH 1883 Rev. J.D. MAULDEN 1884 Rev. T.K. LEONARD 1885-1886 Rev. C.D. ADAMS 1887 Rev. T.R. McMICHAEL 1888 Rev. J.C. GRINER 1889 Rev. J.M. BOLAND 1890 Rev. W.M. WATTS 1891 Rev. W.W. TIDWELL 1892-1893 Rev. J.T. MIMS 1894-1995 Rev. M.A. PHILLIPS 1896-1897 Rev. J.S. FUNDERBURK 1898-1900 Rev. J.T. AINSWORTH 1901 Rev. R.M. WESLEY 1902 Rev. JOHN SEALS 1903 Rev. G.W. CHILDRES 1904-1905 Rev. J.S. LEWIS 1906-1907 Rev. BAZEMORE 1908 Rev. PAUL KENDELL 1909 Rev. R.M. BOOTH 1910 Rev. S.W. BROWN 1911-1912 Rev. EARL ANDERSON 1913-1916 Rev. JOHN STANFORD 1917 Rev. A.J. McGILL 1918 Rev. L.A. HARRELL 1919-1923 Rev. W.E. HIGHTOWER 1924-1926 Rev. C.L. WALL.
Source: History of The Butler Herald, 1977 printed on100th birthday of The Butler Herald.
Thanks to Judy Hice for typing the list of clergy!
Cemetery
Listing of burials in Hays Campground - Union Methodist Church may be found at:
Hays Campground
This is one of several remaining "covered graves" in Taylor County--New Hope Cemetery(Little Vine)- Reynolds; Mt. Nebo Cemetery(Bloodworth) - Charing. At one time these were also at Horeb-Shiloh Cemetery-Daviston.
These were wooden framed buildings with shingled roofs made of cedar--used because of the long lasting quality of cedar.
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