INDIAN GAP BAPTIST CHURCH
Across
the Fence
By
Arvord Abernethy
Several
of us spent an enjoyable evening recently at the
Indian
Gap
Baptist
Church
. The churches of the county had met there for an evening of fellowship
and worship.
The day
had been cloudy to keep the temperature down, and there was a light
breeze blowing to make it an ideal day. When the Marvin Winninghams and
I drove up, there was a long table set up under those large oak trees in
the yard and it was covered with delicious food waiting for us.
We were
a little early, so had time to visit some. I noticed that the rock fence
along the front was of huge stones that showed sign of having been
dressed, so I asked Raymond Seider about them. He said that the stone
that was used for the trim, the corners, etc. on the Hamilton County
Courthouse came from that mountain that is right behind Indian Gap. The
stone is soft enough that it can be sawed, so the good pieces were used
in the courthouse and the rejects are what they used in the church
fence. Those square stones make a mighty good place to sit and eat a
picnic dinner.
There is
another connection between the courthouse and Indian Gap. If you will
look up over the southwest entrance to the courthouse, you will see the
large carving of an Indian head. Charley Swindle was telling me that the
original one was broken during construction and was discarded. Some of
the Indian Gappers thought that an Indian head would be a good emblem
for them to have on their school. Charley and some others came into
Hamilton
in an old Model T truck, picked up the head, cemented it back together
and placed it over the entrance of the
Indian
Gap
School
.
That was
fifty years ago and that old Indian still stands at the front of the
school with a lonely look on his face as he looks toward the gap in the
mountain hoping to see some of his ancestors come through. Just before
dark when the breezes are right, he can imagine that he can hear his
people doing their ceremonial dances on those large flat rocks there in
the Gap.
The old
Indian no longer gets to see and hear the laughter of school children as
they play. The once active school building of two story brick, now looks
out over the countryside through empty window sockets. There is some
fine farming country around Indian Gap where they still raise big crops
but not big families. Charley Swindle said that he was the 16th
of a family of 17 children, so you see why they had such a large school
at one time.
The
well-kept
Indian
Gap
Cemetery
is right beside the church yard, so having a few minutes before the
program at the church, I strolled through that
Silent
City
of the Dead. I saw the resting place of several that I had known, but
may I mention just the names of two, Mr. and Mrs. Will J. Harris. We
sometimes think of their tragic deaths in 1957, but I like to think of
them as school teachers, church workers and he as the Hamilton County
Judge.
One of
the first schools that Mr. Harris taught was at Washboard. Remind me to
tell you sometime how it got its name. Charley said he was going to
school there then and that 19 of the pupils were nephews and nieces of
Mr. Harris, and that he was one of them. So many called him “Uncle
Will” that the other pupils took it up and called him that until his
death.
Will
married Miss Ura Neighbours, the daughter of another pioneer family. I
still have a letter of appreciation that she wrote me, and in it is
radiated the warmth and friendliness that marked her personality.
I once
saw the picture of the State Champion Relay Team that Indian Gap
produced in 1915. That tall, gangling boy in the picture holding the
shot-put ball was Will Harris. He set a record for high jump also that
year.
As one
looks through the large brick entrances on each side of the cemetery,
across the well kept grounds, your eyes follow up the side of the
mountain to the twenty foot tall granite marker on top that marks the
family plot of the Hawley Gerrells.
Paved
roads, fast transportation have killed Indian Gap, but there will always
be that tall granite marker atop the mountain to remind people of that
once very active and prosperous community.
ACROSS
THE FENCE
INDIAN GAP BAPTIST CHURCH