EARLY CROOKED CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH RECORDS
EARLY CROOKED CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH RECORDS

Kinfolks
by Evelyn Flood

This story was originally published in my "Kinfolks Column" in
the Newton County, Arkansas Times on 25 December 1997 and wanted
to add more information to the article.

In 1996,Fran Flood Emmerich sent me information that John Flood
belonged to the Crooked Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Carroll
County, Arkansas(later Newton County)in the 1830s.

Found out that the Ouachita Baptist University at Arkadelphia,
Arkansas and Arkansas History Commission at Little Rock,
had microfilm and some hand-written records on old Arkansas churches.
Hoped to find birth or death records on the Floods\Fluds in the early
churches in the Newton County, Arkansas area. To find any written record
mentioning John Flood's name would be a miracle.

Seems the Baptist Home Mission Society of New York City sent out
missionaries. Elder George Washington Baines was one of these
missionaries. He had been ordained into the Gospel Ministry
by the Grant Creek Baptist Church of Tuscaloose County, Alabama in
1836.Two years later Baines and wife Melissa, along with his
brother Joseph B.Baines went to Carroll County,Arkansas to do
missionary work.

Readers might be interested in the fact that George Washington Baines
eventually left Carroll County,Arkansas to continue his ministry in
the state of Louisiana and then on to Texas. He also served as editor
of the Texas Baptist during 1855. He was the grandfather of
President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Crooked Creek Baptist Church, near what is now Harrison, Arkansas,
was organized July 3, 1834. It was first a regular Baptist Church but
was later taken over by the "Hard Shells."

In 1900 it was reorganized as Union Missionary Baptist Church by
M. L. Voyles.

In 1946 it had about 50 members; a house valued at $1,500; paid its
pastor $230 a year and in 1944 gave $188.75 to missions.
Crooked Creek Church belonged to Buffalo Association for years.
That association was Hardshell and located near mid-North Arkansas.

Apparently the original members of Crooked Creek Church of Carroll
County,Arkansas,under their initial constitution, Saturday, July 3.1834
were as follows:
Richard R Alexander, Hiram Blevins, John Churchman,
David Daniel, S.B.Deaton, Tipton Denton, Caloway Dobbs,
William Freeman, A.M.Hill, Stephen Marshall,William Martin;
David Nichols (who was a "Hardshell" Baptist preacher);
Mathew Shipman, Edmon Shirley, Enoch C Simmons,
David Smith, Thomas Snelson, Samuel Ward, Samuel Wheat,
Martha Brumbelow, Frances Churchman, Lavina Cole,
Sarah Daniel, Chrystina Deaton, Eliza Denton, Kisiah Dobbs,
Martha Freeman, Sarah Freeman, Julia Hill, Nancy Keith,
Sinah Keith, Martha Mamms, Polly Martin,Kiziah Nichols,
Drusilla Perriman,Charlotte Shipman, Synthia Shirley,
Sarah Simmons, Sarah Smith, Synthia Snelson, Elizabeth Tabor,
Jane Thurman, and Polly Vaughn.

In 1834 this church was meeting for worship in the home
of Samuel Davis on Big Creek. Then in March 1835 the meeting
place was changed to the home of Joel King on Crooked Creek
(Joel King married Nancy Cheatham in Alabama).

By August 1837 a committee was chosen by the
Crooked Creek Church to select a site for a permanent church
building that would be located on a rocky slope north of the
Beller's Spring (known later as Milum Spring or Massacre Spring
--where the Fancher Party camped during 1857 at Beller's Stand,
waiting for their journey to California and the ill-fated Mt.
Meadows Massacre). That site today is some two and one-half
miles south of Harrison on Highway 7.

In July 1838 Elder George Washington Baines conducted a revival
meeting on Big Creek. "Brother Flood and Brother Davis were
converted and baptized at the revival on the fourth Sabbath in July
1838. Elder Baines extended the right hand of fellowship to
Brother Flood and Brother Davis who were received."

Saturday before the third Sabbath in August 1838 , after divine
service, the Church proceeded to business. Brother Baines
"invited visiting members to seats with us and opened a door for
the reception of members" and received the following:

John Warner by experience and William and Martha Daniel by
letters.

The members listed above were constituted on July 3, 1834,
abstract of faith by Brother Samuel Bristow but believe some
became members in 1838 because of Samuel Davis and J L Flood's
baptisms and the fact that George Washington Baines accepted
the call of the church in 1838.

Some wives joined before husbands and vice versa.
These men were listed separately:

George W Baines,
Samuel Bristow, John Brumbelow, William Daniel,Bencil(Benjamin?),
Davis, Samuel Davis, J L Flood, Beal Gaither, Levi Gillmore,
Asher Harden, Leonard Huff,John B Keith, Stephen Keith, W B Keith,
John H Marshall, Alvin Parker, Guinn Porter, and John Warner.
(The handwriting is hard to read.)

Most of these men can be found on the 1840 Carroll County,
Arkansas census.

Guinn Porter's son Pendleton Porter and family were on the
1850 Newton County,Arkansas census. Pendleton was the census
taker in 1850.Pendleton and family went to Texas and several
members of his family were killed by Indians.Hope to have a
story on this before too long.

Women's names appearing as members were: Melissa Ann Baines,
Mary Baines, Hannah Bristow, Lavina Bristow, Melinda Cardin,
Avis Cheatham, Lucy Cheatham, Margarette Cheatham, Martha Daniel,
Martha Davis, Rebecca Flood, Polly Gaither, Sarah Gillmore,
Rhoda Harden, Mary Keith, Rebecca Keith, Elizabeth Marshall,
Elizabeth Parker, Rachel(Daugherty)Porter, Elizabeth Rush(Russ?).
Have since found the maiden names of several of the wives and have
included them when known.

Am pretty sure that John Flood Sr.(Flud) was alive in July 1838 and
know he was on the 1837 Carroll County, Arkansas tax list (or was
this his son John L Flood?).Do not think John L Flood was married by
1837.

Alvin Parker was a leader of one wagon train to California
ca 1857. Samuel Bristow was mentioned in James Carl Hefley's
Book "Way Back When" as a member of Pigeon Creek Baptist
Church in Spencer County, Indiana as knowing Abraham Lincoln.
This, indeed, is a small, small world. If one looks hard enough,
an ancestor leaves a paper trail of some sort.

Evelyn Flood
Rkinfolks@yahoo.com
E-mail Me:
Rkinfolks@yahoo.com

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