Directions: From the southeast corner of the
courthouse square in Hamilton (intersection of Hwy. 36 and Bell Street)
proceed east (toward Gatesville) 3 blocks. Turn right (south) on
Reagan Street which will also be FM 932 & FM 1241. After 5
blocks FM 932/1241 turns left on Standefer Street for one block and
right on S. Dempster Street. Four block later FM932/1241 turns left
(east) and leaves Hamilton. Almost a mile out of Hamilton FM 932
turns left to Aleman and FM1241 continues straight. Stay on FM1241
about 3.5 miles. Watch for a church-shaped sign (across the road
from a tall faded-pink water tower) pointing to Blue Ridge Baptist Church.
Two gravel roads join FM1241 at this point. The west portion of the Blue
Ridge Cemetery will be on the left side of the road. Take the gravel road
on the left and proceed east to the end of the road.
The Blue Ridge Baptist Church was organized 10 July, 1880, as
the Blue Ridge Missionary Baptist Church of Christ and my
great-grandparents, James Lemuel Grisham, Sr. and his wife Margaret
Amanda Jones Grisham were among the charter members. When Margaret
Amanda Jones Grisham died 18 November, 1936, she was the last
remaining charter member. Other charter members were William Robert
Richey, Sarah Ann Wright Richey, and likely W. S. Stephens.
Apparently Blue Ridge was admitted to the Hamilton
County Baptist Association in 1880 (one of only two years for which
associational minutes are not available.) This church has the last
remaining tabernacle (which was built in 1912) in Hamilton
County. On 24 January, 1891, a lot was purchased from John Hannah
Brown for the sum of ten dollars. (Hamilton County Deed Records,
Book 6, Page 172.) On 30 April, 1892, James
William Massie was given a
contract to build a church building by the building committee which was
composed of John Hannah Brown, Christopher Columbus Powell, James
Marion Allen, L. P. Foster, and E. A. Willis. Massie would be
paid $100 on 1 November, 1892, and fifty dollars in work. He was to
construct a 44 ft by 26 ft building within three months. In 1923 the
church was remodeled with a south wing added so that the building was
"T-shaped." A Delco power plant was added at this time to
provide lighting. Electricity was added in 1939. A Sunday School room was
added on the east side in 1976. In 1988 the Texas Baptist Men built
a fellowship hall with a kitchen, bathrooms, and water.
{James W. Massie served as sheriff of Hamilton County
from 1886-1890. A group of Hamilton County citizens attended a mass
meeting at Blue Ridge to select Massie as their candidate in opposition to
the "River Bunch," the "Gentry Gang" and other
assorted mobs and gangs which had heretofore controlled the events of
Hamilton County. On Saturday nights Massie put guards on all roads
leading into Hamilton to disarm all men and boys. Until this time
the county sheriff had little control over maintaning civil law.)
My father, Robert Verne
Crain, was a deacon and treasurer in
this church for many years. My mother, Clara Elsie Fergusson
Crain, taught
the ladies Sunday School and was Church Clerk for many years. I was church
pianist during my years of high school.
DEED FROM JOHN HANNAH BROWN TO
BLUE RIDGE BAPTIST CHURCH
1907 HCBA Minutes
1908 HCBA
Minutes
1909 HCBA
Minutes
1910 HCBA
Minutes
1911 HCBA
Minutes