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According to records and church-family history.Bethel Hill Baptist Church got it's beginning after the cemetery was first begun, which was sometime after the Civil War.The cemetery was a forerunner of the church by many years.
The first person buried in the cemetery is reportedly Porter A. Owenby, a Civil War Veteran. His stone is one issued by the Government, and it only contains his name and his position in service.There are no dates listed.
In the beginning this cemetery was known as Porter Hill Cemetery named after Porter Owenby and because it's located on a little hill.
The following names are found on the gravestones:
:Ashe,Bateman,Cochran,Cope,Cunningham,Day,Denny,Dills,Douthit,Goodson,Grant,Gregory,Hogue,
Horton,Huffman,Kilpatrick,Martin,Mashburn,Mason,McMahan,Mogan,Neal,Owenby, Passmore,Prueit,Queen,Roper,Selby,Stanley,Thompson,Waldroup, Wishon.
About forty headstones are rock with no inscriptions on them. Some of the older stones are difficult to read. By far, the names of Owenby out number any other family name.
The cemetery is spread out on a hillside overlooking the little Church.
The first building started out as a building for funerals in case of inclement weather. After many years, the people decided to renovate it into a church, and it began by having Sunday School classes as well as preaching,This was done with success so it was organized as a church.
On July 11 1954 the following members of the Briartown Baptist Church formed the Bethel Hill Baptist Church.Gladys Owenby, Elmer Owenby, J.D. Owenby, Jerry Owenby, Noel Grant, Carlene Grant, Gerald Grant, Kate Owenby Tramell, C. B. Owenby, Lillian Owenby, Max Wishon, Beulah Wishon, Carolyn Wishon, Jimmy Owenby, Truman Owenby , Glestie Owenby, Patsy Denny, Cora Denny, Connie Roper, Stella Roper, Janice Morgan, Joyce Morgan, Roberta Morgan, Pauline Dills, Myrtle Wishon, Jeanette Owenby, Lexie
Morgan , Jessie Bateman, Fred Morgan, Eloise Morgan, Wayne Owenby , Joan Owenby, Beuford Owenby, Pearly Owenby, Shirley Owenby, Pauline Smith, Carl Smith, Clyde Smith, Cliff Douthit, Nola Douthit, C.G. Douthit, Gerald Morgan.
Eventually the original building was replaced with a new building, built by community and church people. Some of the original Builders were:"Tump" Owenby,Fred Morgan, Walter Morgan, Curtis Passmore,and others. They used their scoops, horses, shovels, etc. to get the basement started. They hammered, measured,and sawed until the building was completed. The original pews and pulpit were built there.
As time moved on,pews and additional furnishings were added.Central air- conditioning and heat were added years later as were the bathrooms.In addition to the sanctuary, the building has two basement rooms and two rooms behind the pulpit area. The two bathrooms are at the front entrance, just inside the front porch.
False brick has been added to the outside walls. The floors have been carpeted more then once. The bell in the steeple still invites the community to the weekly services.
At the present time Rev.Eugene Taylor is pastor. The regular services held
weekly are:Sunday School at 10 a.m.;Sunday morning preaching services at 11; Sunday Evening services at 6; and Wednesday services at 7 p.m
The ministers this 1954-2002 period were:T.D."Bunn"Denny, Clint Grant, Carl Denny, J.C.Day, Hershel Mason, Ralph Postell, Larry Shope, Ben Mintz, Roy Lindsey, Terry Davenport, Stanley McConnell, Mac Morgan, Beuford Owenby, Eugene Taylor
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Aquone was once on a stage route from Asheville to Murphy. Mrs. Laura Stepp was in charge of a stage stop here for many years.
When the Indians were being rounded up for the Trail of Tears March, there was a detainment center, Camp Scott, near the mouth of Wine Spring Creek. This area is now covered with water by Nantahala Lake. This information was verified by Joe Stepp, whose father, Craig Stepp was very knowledgeable of local history.
Aquone had a church, a school, a post office and at least two stores and a cornmill. There was once a Campbelite Church at Aquone, which is a member of the christians known as, "The Diciples of Christ". I haven't been able to find when the first Baptist Church was established, but I have read that the Rev. Mark May was pastor of a Bapitist Church in the 1860's.
It is hard to imagine what Aquone was like before it was covered with water from Nantahala Lake in 1942. There were several farms; also a cemetery from which the remains were removed and transferred to the present Aquone Cemetery, and Little Choga Cemetery when the Nantahala dam was being built.
Nantahala Power & Light Co. built two churches in the area to replace Aquone Baptist Church. Nantahala #1 was on little Choga and Nantahala #2 was across Highway #1310 from the present Aquone Baptist Church.
Kyle was another community with a church, at least five stores, a post office, a school, and three cornmills. The school was located where the present Aquone Baptist Church now stands. The Kyle Baptist was near the present location of White Oake Flats Baptist Church.
Old Aquone
Kyle
By Arthur Howard Cross
Camp Branch had a Baptist Church, which was established in 1892. It is now known as Union Hill Baptist Church. There was also a school, and at various times, four stores, two corn mills and a cemetery.
CampBranch
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Nantahala is located in the mountains of western North Carolina.
There are several communities in Nantahala Township,including
CampBranch,Fairview, Beechertown and Rowlands Creek..
Bethel Hill
And
Hampton Branch
Briartown was a community with a church, which was established in 1863 near the present Briartown Baptist Church. (Bethel Hill Baptist Church was established in the late 1930's). The first Briartown Church building was built of logs and served as both a church and a school. My mother Allie Dalrymple Cross attended this school. (She was born in 1886). At one time there was also a school on the Winding Stairs Rd. approximately ½ mile above the intersection of Partridge Creek, known as the Owenby School, and the other on Otter Creek, known as Otter Creek School. At first this school was in two buildings, near the intersection of Otter Creek, Otter Mtn. and Vestal Cochran roads. The school was later moved up Otter Creek Rd, just across from the intersection of Otter Creek and Brairtown Church road. This was in the mid 1920's. There were finally three buildings. This became the first high school in the Nantahala area. This school was moved to the present location of Nantahala High School in 1951.
Briartown has three cemeterys: Briartown Church Cemetery, Bobbie Hill Cemetery and Bethel Hill Cemetery, which was once called the Owenby Cemetery.
Flats Post Office was on Otter Creek. The first Postmaster was Palmer (Uncle Parm) May. At one time there was a Duvall Post Office. It was located in the John Wikle Store building. John Wikle was the postmaster.
Over a period of time Briartown had at least 9 stores. They were owned by Milton Jeff May, Samuel Jefferson May, William (Uncle Bill) Jones, John Wikle, John Wishon, Frank Wilson, Harley May, George Douthit and Weaver Cochran; also Mose Duvall.
There were also 8 cornmills. They were owned by John Duvall, Mark Shields, John Wishon, Dave Owenby and William F. Cross. Later there were 3 more, owned by W. Frank Cross, Dill Grant and George Douthit.
The Shields cornmill was one of a kind. It was water driven, but the gear wheels were all made of wood. It made a terrible noise when it was operating, but it worked.
Briartown consisted of Otter Creek, Partridge Creek and several homes on the lower end of White Oak Creek. Fairview, Happy Top, as it was once known, had a church, which was established in 1909, a school, and at different times, at least three stores. One was owned by Joeph Bars Mason, Bry Lowery and a fellow Chambers who also had a "gasoline station." They also had a post office and two cornmills. These cornmills were owned by Ervine Grant and Leonard Mashburn.
Camp Branch had a Baptist Church, which was established in 1892. It is now known as Union Hill Baptist Church. There was also a school, and at various times, four stores, two corn mills and a cemetery.
Beechertown, which is now considered to be in the Topton community, had a school. It was located where the present Rowlands Creek Church now stands. Nantahala Power Plant, which is operated by water from Nantahala Lake, is located in this community; also Queens Creek Power Plant.
Rowland Creek
Sept.11/2001
In God We Trust
United We Stand
By Arthur Howard Cross
By Arthur Howard Cross
Notes on Briartown
"Now Covered by Nantahala Lake"
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