The information was sent to me by Mr. C.G. "Soupy" Campbell of Brown Summit, NC. I thank him very much!! Here is his data:
{NOTE" This church was not listed in the WPA surveys. So, I am not including this material in that portion on churches. However, since this is an important piece on an early church and it's preachers/history, I did want it posted.}
Historical Notes Concerning Hickory Mountain United Methodist Church
Pastor Charles S. Hubbard, 1983
{I believe this document was written by Pastor Hubbard}
Although Methodism was first introduced in North
Carolina in the eastern part of the state, Frances Asbury visited Chatham
as early as 1780. He entered from the east in a light one horse carriage
with Frances Poythress as guide. He crossed, or rather forded, North East
Creek, Haw and Rockey River in fear of his life, and reported he had never
seen such rocky and desolate country. He crossed Deep river on a flat boat
and wrote the ferry man cursed him becasue he did not have a shilling to
pay. Before 1798 he visited Chatham two more times on horseback.
In 1798, Bishop Asbury again rode toward Chatham
from the northeast and entered the country on what was then known as the
cumberland Road, a simple cart--track that meandered from Fayetteville
toward Guilford Courthouse and Salem. On this trip the Bishop made the
important statement for us that he rode thirty miles to reach the new meeting
house on Hickory Mountain. It was called Hickory Mountain Chapel. He obviously
expected, for he writes that he stopped there and preached and then dined
with this friend, Thomas Reeves (The details of this visit are recorded
in Asbury's Journal and is also mentioned in Methodism in North Carolina,
Vol. 1, pg. 215, - W.L. Grisson)
I find no deed in evidence of Hickory Mountain Chapel
in the Chatham County Courthouse, so I must infer that the chapel was probably
a log building, either constructed or used on the personal property of
one of the members for the purpose of Methodist Worship.
Until now the process of this research I find no
record of the person, Thomas Reeves.
owever his name would be recorded in those early records only in transfer
of real property.
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--INSERT--
NOTE: New information received from Bebe Fox.
She says "since Thomas Henry RIVES lived in Hickory
Mt. township I believe that it must be he. (The Thomas Reeves)
Thomas Henry RIVES, had lived in current
Warren Co. on Nutbush Creek bef. removing to Chatham. His son, Edwards
Rives, m. Lt. Col. William Alston's dau., Mary Ann. Alston was b.
in Halifax Co., NC, son of Joseph John and Elizabeth Chancey. He
was 1/2 brother to "Chatham Jack". Wm was still "of Halifax" well
into the Rev. War, as proven by Chatham deeds, but did remove to, live,
and die in Chatham.
Father-in-law of Wm Alston was Samuel Yeargain
of the Roanoke River, current Warren Co., NC. Yeargain's chapel was
the first Methodist chapel in the south and probably in all of America.
Asbury also wrote of preaching there and staying with the Yeargains for
a week when he was so ill that he thought
that he was dying. That is even more reason
to believe that Thomas Reeves was indeed Thomas Henry Rives. There
is a new genealogical book out which contains a number of later Rives descendants
who spell their surname Reeves."
My observation- This seems to be the solution
to the puzzle.
This is a prime example. of why, we must always,
consider the sound of a name, not just the current spelling.
There is a Latin phrase "Idem Sonans" that my
genealogy Instructor always used. "If it sounds the same, it IS the same
!!"
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(CONTINUE WITH ORIGINAL TEXT)
However, I note there are several black Reeves families now residing
in Chatham County, and one is a Thomas Reeves. Most slaves took surnames
of their masters when freed.
In the year 1800, Bishop Asbury again visited Chatham
County. He entered from Wake County and crossed the Haw River on the Redfield
Ferry. An earlier source claims the bishop erred in his Journal, and crossed
the Haw on the old Redfield ford (But Chatham County 1771-1971, page
151 reports that in February 1778, a permit was given for a ferry over
Haw River near the Redfield Ford). I emphasize this tiny point to witness
that Bishop Asbury was not careless in his Journal.
Crossing the Haw, the Bishop records that he rode
14 miles to the Reeves homes, and then on to Hickory Mountain Chapel. Here
he ordained as deacon a William "Masters". Again I find no "Masters" in
the Chatham County deed books in this time frame. But, according to Randolph
county records, many families of "McMasters" lived there in 1800 and it
is quite probable that "William Masters" is really William McMasters who
sold a piece of property on Deep River in Randolph County in 1834.
And by this time, the McMasters clan did have a representation in Chatham
( I have in evidence a portion of a deed attached, dated 1832). Maybe the
Bishop did make a slight error in his report on McMasters descendent.
After this fifth visit to Chatham County, Bishop
Asbury headed north on the Cumberland Road and never again returned to
this area.
By the year 1800, Hickory Mountain chapel was part
of the Haw River Circuit (The early ministers of this Circuit are recorded
in the Historical Archives at the Methodist Building in Raleigh, N.C.)
We, living in the year 1983, must realize that Chatham
County in 1800 and many years later, was thinly populated. The roads were
paths or cart-tracks, incapable of handling even a 4 wheel wagon. The people
were self sufficient. They grew corn, what, pigs, cattle and made liquor.
They could ot expand for they had no way to get crops to market. Hogs and
cattle had to be driven many miles on foot. There were o towns. Pittsboro
was struggling to begin, and what is now siler City, was Love's Creek with
the Siler Farm nearby. The regional roads, or tracks were built on the
ridges. The farms were in the lowlands. You could ride through Chatham
and see hardly a soul.
In 1800, Frances Poythress, who was one of the first
Circuit preachers in North Carolina, was appointed presiding elder on a
district embracing the following charges or circuits, which extended from
Asheville to Cape Hatteras, and from Wilmington to the Virginia line. They
were Morganton, Swannanoa, Yadkin, Salisbury, Haw River, Guilford, Franklin,
Caswell, Tar River, Newbern, Graham, Wilmington, Contentea
{I believe this is also written Contentnea, from the Quaker records}
Pamlico, Roanoke, Mattamuskeet and Banks. On this District there was a
membership of 4429 whites and 1253 blacks- Methodism in North Carolina,
- Grisson, Vol. 1, pp 214-215.
In 1801, James Douthet was appointed presiding elder
of the Salisbury District. The District embraces the following circuits:
Caswell, Guilford, Yadkin, Morganton, Swannanoa, Salisbury, Haw River and
Franklin. He located in 1803.
Again, in the year 1983, we modern Methodists must
realize the hardships of the ministers of that older time. They travelled
on horseback circuits much larger than our present districts. They had
no home - so could not marry. There were friendly houses, called preacher
houses, where they could wash their clothes and rest. After a few years,
they were forced by stress of health to locate for a while and rest. If
they married, they had to locate After locating a few years some would
start all over again.
In 1803? (the date is presently fuzzy) at the quarterly
meeting on the Caswell Circuit, Jonathan Jackson, presiding elder of the
Newbern District, was present as a visitor and made this report: "At Hickory
Mountain on the Haw River Circuit, we had the greatest time that had ever
been, there. The power of the Lord came down on Saturday like a mighty
rushing wind, and appeared to rest on the congregation during the meeting"
- Methodism in North Carolina, Grisson, Vol. 1, pp.
319-320.
Now we come to one of the famous pioneer preachers
of Methodism, Thomas Mann. On April 21, 1805, Thomas Mann was presiding
elder of the Salisbury District, when he wrote in his diary: "We rode to
Hickory Mountain. I preached from Matthew 10:7, ant there was a move and
a shout, and I exhorted. Brother Robert Wilkerson exhorted and the move
died away. We administered the sacrament. My mind and body hurt, though.
We had a great shout and joined three black people in society. We rode
to Thomas Reeves, and Brother Wilkerson walked out in the evening and talked
about old times, and all the pains of preaching, the pains of stopping,
travelling, etc."
In 1812 and 1813, Thomas Mann was preacher on the
Haw River District, and preached at Hickory Mountain on several occasions,
and visited with William Perry, Gideon Goodwin, and Benjamin Harris. There
was a two day meeting in June 1813. Thomas Crutchfield exhorted. The folks
must have gotten stirred up. He reported: "We had a shout and a dance -
it was too wicked for me".
At this time I leave my manuscript and present in
evidence two deeds, the first dated July 19, 1832 and the second, dated
July 24, 1856. I will conclude the historical notes at this time with a
review of these instruments.
the 1832 deed transferred 4 acres of land to the trustees Hickory Mountain
Church from Joseph John
Alston. The price was one dollar; and the deed was attested by Phillip
K. Alston, the seller's (or donor's) half-brother, who built and lived
in the "House on the Horseshoe" now a state monument. Joseph John
Alston was known as "Chatham Jack" and was the owner of 40.000 acres
of land, practically all the land between the present Pittsboro and Siler
City. The trustees listed on this deed were listed as Edward Perry, Thomas
Crutchfield, Lewis Lutterloh, Turpee Perry, Henry Rogers, William Perry,
John Cole and Joseph John Alston. It was stipulated that a house of worship
would be built on this land, which was at the junction of the Cumberland
or Fayetteville road and the Raleigh or Stage Coach Road, from Raleigh
to Salisbury. There is no record that his land reverted, which it would,
if no church building had been constructed.
Twenty four years later, a second deed transferred
3 acres of land to the trustees of Hickory Mountain Church from Robert
P. Alston. The testators were Joseph Johnson and John George. The trustees
listed in 1856 were: Innis A. Alston, Oliver McMath, I.E. Nettles, George
Rogers, William Fike, R. N. Green, B.E. Brown, Obadiah Henderson and Samuel
B. Perry.
There were Methodist preachers in the immediate
area since 1779. Before 1797 the circuit was called New Hope. After, Haw
River.
1797 William Early
1798 Joseph Purnell
1800 Robert Wilkerson, Jesse Coe
1801 John West
1802 William Allgood
1803 Louis Taylor
1804 Josiah Phillips
1805 Samuel Garrard
1806 John Weaver, Hezekiah McClelland
1807 William Blair, Jack Arrington
1808 B. Hovendale, Thomas Y. Cook
1809 John French, Thomas Burge
1810 James M. Arthur, Jesse Broom
1811 John Moore, Jesse Branch
1812 Thomas Mann, Peter Wyatt
1812 Thomas Mann
1832-33 Issac Haynes
1855-56 P.W. Archer