HAMILTON BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (HBA)
HAMILTON COUNTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (HBCA)
Constituted: 07/04/1877
Approximately one hundred churches have
been a part of Hamilton Baptist Association (HBA) originally named Hamilton
County (TX) Baptist Association (HCBA) since its founding on 4 July,
1877.
The title page of the 1878 minutes of Hamilton
County Baptist Association which met September 7, 1878, with the Pleasant
Valley Baptist Church bears the title "Minutes of the
SECOND Annual Session of the Hamilton County Baptist Association."
Minutes of the first session of the Hamilton Baptist Association in
October, 1877, have been lost--if they were published.
The first report in Minutes of Annual
Associations meetings about the establishment of Hamilton County Baptist
Association occurred in 1898 in the Sunday School report given at the
Annual Session held at Mt. Olive Baptist
Church at Pearl.
"Your committee on Sunday Schools
begs leave to make the following report:
Since the organization of the Hamilton County Association
at Cottonwood
Springs near the town of Evant on July 4, 1877, we have watched with
interest the progress of the Sunday School work. Much has been done in the
past, but a vast deal needs yet to be done to establish Sunday Schools
where there are none, and to make more effective those now in existence.
... ..."
Respectfully submitted,
J. C. Rodgers
J. C. Rodgers
of Hico was clerk of HCBA in 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1903.
Cottonwood Springs
which is the more frequently identified site of the organizational meeting
for Hamilton County Baptist Association was located on the east
side of the Lampasas River and west of the current
Fairview
Baptist Church. It was near where Hwy. 84 crosses the Lampasas
River.
Dr. Donavon Duncan Tidwell,
historian of Hamilton County Baptists, recorded the founding date
as July 4, 1877.
"There was some discussion of forming an
association in Hamilton County in the fall of 1876 but since Brother
Noah Turner Byars was the only ordained Baptist minister residing in the
county at that time it was thought best to postpone the matter until the
following summer. Accordingly on July 4, 1877, representatives from either
seven or nine churches (accounts vary) met at Cottonwood Springs a
mile and a half from Evant, and organized the
Hamilton County
Baptist Association. Rev. Noah Turner Byars
presided over the convention
as president and Rev. D. I. Haralson served as secretary. Brother
Byars stated that since the devil did so much work on the Fourth of
July that he thought it would be well to do some work for the Lord that
day!
REV. NOAH
TURNER BYARS
"Minutes of the organization convention
and the first annual session are not available but the following churches apparently
were represented at the Cottonwood Spring convention:
Bennett
Creek (now Center City in Mills County)
Coryell
Cottage Hill
Friendship
New Providence
Pleasant Valley
and
Sweet Home
(now FBC, Evant).
"Three churches
of the Leon River Association were also represented but did not
enter into the formation of Hamilton County Association as letters
of dismission were granted them on August 12, 1877, from the Leon River
Association. These three churches, Hamilton,
Leon and Plum Creek,
affiliated with the Hamilton
County association when it met with the Plum Creek Church in
its first annual session beginning on Friday, October 12, 1877..."
According to the Dr. Tidwell's History of Baptist in Erath County
[TX] the first
ordained Baptist minister to live in Hamilton County was Isaac Reed, who
came to Hamilton County in 1860. In 1861 Reed was involved in the
organization of Mt. Zion Baptist Church at the
Honey Creek Trading Post--Old Hico. Rev. A. D. Maroney and L. D. Stringer of the Leon River
Baptist Association assisted in the organization and ordained Reed who
became the first pastor of Mount Zion. Isaac Reed participated in Indian
fights, had limited education, was a fluent speaker, and a good preacher.
Churches which apparently petitioned for membership at the
first annual session in 1877 included:
Hamilton
Jonesboro
Leon
Plum Creek
Seven new churches were added in 1878
Hills
Dale (organized by Joseph Alexander
Land)
Little Cow
House (organized by D. W. White)
Mt. Pisgah
(organized by Joseph Alexander Land)
New
Hope (organized by Joseph Alexander
Land)
Oak
Grove (organized by D. I. Haralson)
Pilgrim’s
Rest (organized by D. I. Haralson)
Shiloh
(organized by Joseph Alexander Land)
REV. JOSEPH ALEXANDER LAND
Dr. Tidwell,
native of Hamilton County, pastored churches in Hamilton County
during his early years before he became a Bible professor at Howard
Payne College in Brownwood, TX.
According to all accounts the first
annual session was in the Fall of 1877.
"Texas Baptist History, The
Journal of The Texas Baptist Historical Society, Vol. V, 1985,
recorded the date of the founding of Hamilton County Baptist
Association as 4 July, 1877, being the fifty-sixth Baptist Association
formed in the state of Texas. (P. 99)
Stephen Anderson Rains was elected
missionary for the Hamilton County Baptist Association in 1898.
CHURCHES WHICH HAVE BEEN PART OF THE
HAMILTON COUNTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION/
HAMILTON BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
(from all of the minutes of Associational
Meetings--except 1877 and 1880.)
Agee
Address: Agee, Hamilton
County
Organized: 07/01/1900
Admitted to HCBA: 0816/1900
Acquired Property: 06/15/1901
Dissolved: July, 1992
Bee House
Address: Bee House, Coryell County
Organized: 1885
Changed name to Mt. Olive Baptist Church: 1891
Bennett Creek
Charter member of HCBA
Organized: Before July, 1877
Address: Center City, Hamilton County
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Letter of Dismissal: 09/07/1889 to Mills County Baptist Association
(Bennett Creek Church was in Hamilton County until Mills
County was organized in 1887.)
Bethel
Address: Pottsville, Hamilton County
(on the prairie between Pottsville and Indian
Gap)
Organized: Before August, 1904
Admitted to HCBA: 08/17/1904
Letter of Dismissal: 08/15/1906
Bethlehem
Address: Hamilton County--near Spurlin
Organized: Before 08/1906
Admitted to HCBA: 08/15/1906
Disappeared: abt. 1914
(May have changed name to Spurlin Baptist
Church)
Blue Ridge
Address: Hamilton, TX
Organized: 7/10/1880
Admitted to HCBA: 1880
Acquired Property: 01/20/1891
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Carlton
Address: Carlton, TX
Organized: 1878
Acquired Property: 12/03/1885
Admitted to Comanche Baptist Association: Before 1891
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1891
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Center Valley
Address: Hamilton County
(Between Hamilton and Pottsville)
Organized: Before September, 1890
Admitted to HCBA: 09/12/1890
Dissolved: about 1943
Coryell
Charter member of HCBA
Address: Jones Mill, Coryell County
Organized: Before July, 1877
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Disappeared: about 1882
Cottage Hill
Charter member of HCBA
Address: Shive, Hamilton County
Organized: Before July, 1877
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Dissolved: Before 1939
County Line
Address: Hico
Organized: Before August, 1912
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1912
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1913
Disappeared: Before 1919
Energy
Address: Energy, Comanche County
Organized: 1902
(Energy may have been admitted to HCBA as Willowdale.)
Letter of Dismissal: 08/31/1921
Evant, First Baptist
Charter Member of HCBA
Address: Evant, Coryell County
Organized: 04/12/1877 as Sweet Home
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Evergreen
Address: Rt. 4, Hamilton
Organized: Before August, 1906
Admitted to HCBA: 08/15/1906
Withdrew: 1943
Currently is an independent Baptist church.
Fairview
Address: Evant, Hamilton County
Organized: 1922
Admitted to HCBA: 08/12/1897
Admitted to HCBA: 08/27/1924
Admitted to HCBA: 08/29/1928
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Fairy
Address: Fairy, TX
Organized: 4/15/1883 as Mt. Pleasant
Admitted to HCBA: 09/07/1888
Later named Martin's Gap Baptist Church
Acquired Property: 02/23/1897
Acquired Property: 05/04/1891
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Falls Creek
Address: Hico
Organized: Before August, 1900
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1900
Dismissed: 08/14/1907 to Bosque Association
Friendship
Charter member of HCBA
Address: Jonesboro/Lancing
Organized: Before 4 July, 1877
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Acquired Property: 09/21/1883
Excluded: 08/17/1895, for Heresy
Friendship continued as an independent church
Freeman
Address: Hamilton
Organized: Before August, 1911
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1911
Disappeared: After 1917
Gentrys Mill
Address: Gentrys Mill, Hamilton County
Organized: 1894
Admitted to HCBA: 08/1894
Ceased to participate in HCBA: Before 1921
Re-organized: 1952
Admitted to HCBA: 09/14/1958
Consolidated: 12/08/1958 with Littleville Baptist Church
Grayville
Address: Hico, Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1899
Admitted to HCBA: 08/18/1899
Disappeared: Before 1907
Grove
Address: Hico, Hamilton County
Organized: Before July, 1879
Admitted to HCBA: 07/25/1879
Consolidated: 1891 with New Hope-1 and became Leon
Baptist Church-2
Hamilton, Calvary
Address: Hamilton, TX
Opened as Mission of FBC Hamilton: 1952
Closed by FBC: Fall, 1954
Re-opened as a mission: Before Oct., 1958
Organized as a church: 09/20/1959
Admitted to HCBA: 10/05/1959
Acquired Property: 06/25/1960
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Hamilton, First
Address: Hamilton, TX
Organized: 1873
Admitted to Leon River Baptist Association: 1874
Dismissed by Leon River Association: 08/10/1877
Admitted to HCBA: 10/12/1877
Acquired Property: 08/24/1888
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
"A History of
First Baptist Church, Hamilton, TX,
1873 - 1998"
Hamilton, Littleville
Address: Hamilton, TX
Organized: 09/11/1941
Admitted to HCBA: 08/20/1942
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Harmony
Address: Pidcoke, Coryell County
Organized: 1885
Admitted to HCBA: September, 1885
Disappeared: about 1896
Hico, First
Address: Hico, TX
Organized: 11/26/1881
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 8/18/1882
Dismissed by Bosque River Baptist Association: 10/21/1887
Admitted to HCBA: 09/07/1888
Formerly named Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Hillsdale/ Hills Dale
Address: Izora/Towson Mill, Lampasas Co.
Organized: Before 1878
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Dismissed by Letter: 08/19/1893
Hinesdale
Address: Evant
Organized: Before September, 1889
Admitted to HCBA: 09/06/1889
Dissolved: 1891
Honey Creek
Address: Carlton, Hamilton County
Organized: 1867
Disbanded: Before 1871
Re-organized: 04/15/1871
Admitted to Bosque River Association: 1871
Dismissed by Bosque River Association: 08/17/1886
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1887
Acquired Property: 10/18/1901
Admitted to HCBA: 08/25/1920
Dissolution: 1940
Honey Grove
Address: Rt. 2, Hico
Organized: Before 1916
Disappeared: after 1921
Hurst Ranch
Address: Star, Mills County
Organized: Before 1901
Disappeared: Before 1906
Indian Creek
Address: Fairy, Hamilton County
Organized: 07/26/1881
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 08/19/1881
(Bosque River Baptist Association was dissolved 10/21/1887)
Admitted to HBCA: 08/18/ 1892
Dissolved: 1894
Indian Gap
Address: Indian Gap, Hamilton County
Organized: 1882
Admitted to HCBA: 09/07/1883
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Jonesboro
Address: Jonesboro, Coryell County
Organized: 1876
Admitted to HCBA: 09/17/1883
Excluded for heresy: 8/17/1895
Status: ACTIVE now in Coryell Baptist
Association
Lanham
Address: Lanham, Hamilton County
Organized: 1894
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1900
Disappeared: 1901
Apparently changed name to Agee Baptist Church
Lamkin
Address: Lamkin, Comanche County
Organized: Before 1886
Admitted to HCBA: 09/10/1886
Admitted to HCBA: 09/12/1890
Dismissed by letter: 08/19/1898
Re-organized: Before 1926
Disappeared: Before 1929
Leon - (1)
Address: Snowville, Hamilton, TX (east of Hamilton)
Organized: Spring, 1873
Admitted to Leon River Valley Association: 09/20/1873
Dismissed from Leon River Valley Association: 08/10/1877
Admitted to HCBA: 10/12/1877
Disappeared: 1883
Leon - (2)
Address: Near Carlton
Organized: 05/05/1891
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1891
Disappeared: Before 1897
Leon - (3)
Address: Hamilton County--near the
Gann Cemetery
(Near the later location of Providence Baptist
Church)
Organized: Before August, 1907
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1907
Disappeared: 1914
Liberty - (1)
Address: Center City, Hamilton County
Organized: before 1881
Dismissed to Mills County Baptist Association: 09/07/1889
(The land
on which this church was located became part of Mills County when
Mills County was
established in 1887.)
Liberty - (2)
Address: Hico/Iredell
Organized: Before September, 1887
Dismissed by Bosque River Baptist Association: 10/21/1887
Admitted to HCBA: 09/06/1889
Dismissed to Meridian Association: 08/14/1902
Liberty -
(3)
Address: Ohio, Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1906
Admitted to HCBA: 08/15/1906
Disappeared: after 1908
Liberty Hill
Address: Star, Mills County
Organized: Before August, 1899
Admitted to HCBA: 08/18/1899
Disappeared: before 1901
Little Cow House
Address: Hamilton
(At the Cow House Creek south of Hamilton)
Organized: Before September, 1878
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Disappeared: Before 1883
Lookout
Address: Between Pottsville and Caradan
Organized: Before August, 1908
Admitted to HCBA: 08/12/1908
Disappeared: 1912
Lund Valley
Address: Hamilton
(Between Hamilton and Pottsville)
Organized: Before September, 1953
Admitted to HCBA: 9/10/1953
Disbanded: about 1975
Macedonia
Address: Hico, Hamilton County
Organized: 08/07/1871
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 1871
Admitted to HCBA: Sept., 1885
Changed name to Pleasant Hill Baptist Church: 1890
McGirk
Address: McGirk, Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1939
Admitted to HCBA: 08/22/1939
Disappeared: after 1939
(May have used the name North Lampasas
Baptist Church after 1939)
Mt. Olive
Address: Pearl, Coryell County
Organized as Bee House Baptist Church
in 1885
Changed name to Mt. Olive in 1891
Admitted to HCBA: August, 1891
Disappeared: about 1910
Mt. Pisgah
Address: Pottsville, Hamilton County
Organized: Before 1874
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 08/14/1874
Dismissed by Bosque River Baptist Association: 08/13/1875
Admitted to Comanche Baptist Association: 10/01/1875
Dismissed by Comanche Baptist Association: 08/30/1878
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Disappeared: about 1884
Mt. Pleasant
Address: Fairy, Hamilton County
Organized: 04/15/1883
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 08/17/1883
Changed name to Martin's Gap: before 1887
Mt. Zion
Charter Member of Bosque River Baptist
Association
Address: Old Hico, (Honey Creek Trading
Post) Hamilton County
Organized: Summer, 1861
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 11/10/1869
Dismissed by Bosque River Baptist Association: 10/21/1887
Admitted to HCBA: 9/9/1888
Ended: 1891 Dissolved
(The town of Hico moved to the railroad tracks and
in 1883 and Old Hico was abandoned.)
Became First Baptist Church, Hico
New Hope - (1)
Address: Hamilton (north of Hamilton)
Organized: Before September, 1878
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Consolidated with Grove and became Leon Baptist
Church: 1891
New Hope - (2)
Address: Jonesboro
Organized: Before August, 1900
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1900
Disappeared: about 1901
New Hope - (3)
Address: Between Hamilton and
Evant
Organized: Before 1908
Disappeared: after 1911
New Providence
Charter Member of HCBA
Address: Cove, Evant/Star
Mountain, Hamilton
County
Organized: Before July, 1877
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Excluded from HCBA: 08/20/1893 for un-Christian conduct and heresy.
North Lampasas
Address: McGirk, Hamilton County
Organized: Before 1917
Disappeared: After 1924
Re-Organized: 1939
Disappeared: After 1946
(May have used the name McGirk Baptist
Church intermittently from 1919 until 1939)
Oak Grove
Address: McGirk, Hamilton County
Organized: Before September, 1878
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Admitted to Comanche Baptist Association: 09/03/1880
Disappeared: about 1884
Ohio
Address: Ohio, Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1917
Admitted to HCBA: 08/29/1917
Dissolved: about 1971
Olin
Address: Hamilton, TX
Organized: 1878 as Kings Chapel
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1891
Acquired Property: 08/12/1899
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Formerly named Dry Fork, Pleasant
Hill, and Macedonia
Ondee
Address: Hamilton County
Ondee was a stagecoach stop on the north bank of the Leon
River, east of
the current Olin
Admitted to HCBA: 08/18/1898
Disappeared: 1905
Pecan
Address: Hamilton
Organized: Before August, 1913
Admitted to HCBA: 8/14/1913
Disappeared: after 1914
Pilgrim’s Rest - (1)
Address: Center City, Hamilton County
Organized: Before September, 1878
Admitted to HCBA: 9/9/1878
Dissolution: about 1883
Pilgrim’s Rest - (2)
Address: Hico
Organized: Before August, 1911
Admitted to HCBA: 08/17/1911
Disappeared: after 1917
Pleasant Grove
Address: Hamilton
Organized: Before August, 1921
Admitted to HCBA: 8/31/1921
Disbanded: about 1944
Pleasant Hill
Address: Fairy
Organized: 1878 as Kings Chapel, changed name to
Dry Fork. Macedonia
also changed name to Pleasant Hill
Admitted to HCBA: 08/14/1891
Changed name to Olin Baptist Church: 1901
Pleasant Valley
Charter Member of HCBA
Address: Busyton/Jonesboro,
Hamilton County
Organized: 09/10/1876
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Plum Creek
Address: Purmela, Coryell County
Began: Before August, 1875
Admitted to Leon River Baptist Association: 08/09/1875
Dismissed from Leon River Association: 08/10/1877
Admitted to HCBA: 10/12/1877
Dissolved: 1891
Pottsville
Address: Pottsville, TX
Organized: 07/07/1879 as Cow House
Cow House was admitted to HCBA on 07/25/1879
Pottsville was admitted to HCBA: 08/25/1920
Cow House was admitted to HCBA: 08/02/1945
Status: ACTIVE in HBA.
Prairie Springs
Address: Hamilton County - near Hico
Organized: 10/14/1882
Admitted to Bosque River Baptist Association: 08/17/1883
Acquired Property: 08/17/1895
Disappeared: after 1895
Providence
Address: Hamilton, TX
Organized: August, 1916
Admitted to HCBA: 08/22/1917
Status: ACTIVE in HBA
Rock House
Address: Hamilton County
Organized: Before 08/1901
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1901
Disbanded: after 1908
Re-organized: 1938
Admitted to HCBA: 08/22/1939
Disbanded: After 1965
Salem
Address: Cove (Evant), Coryell Co.
Organized: Before 09/1881
Admitted to HCBA: 09/10/1881
Disappeared: Before 1901
Sardis
Address: Gatesville/Simpsonville, Coryell County
Organized: Before 09/1882
Admitted to HCBA: 09/08/1882
Became Simpsonville Baptist Church about 1885
School Creek
Address: Grundyville, Lampasas County
Organized: 1879
Admitted to HCBA: 09/06/1889
Dismissed by letter: 08/1891
Active as School Creek Baptist Church, Lampasas County, TX,
in Lampasas Baptist Association.
Shiloh
Address: Townsend Mill /Adamsville
Organized: 1875
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1878
Dismissed: 8/17/1910 at their request;
Active as Adamsville Baptist Church, Lampasas Baptist Association
Shive
Address: Shive, Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1938
Admitted to HCBA: 08/24/1938
Disbanded: after 1942
Siloam
Address: Hazeldelle/Gentrys
Mill, Comanche County
Organized: before 1879
Disappeared: abt. 1899
(Probably was the church called Silome in 1879)
Simpsonville
Address: Levita, Coryell County
Organized: <1882
Disappeared: abt. 1896
(Organized first as Sardis Missionary
Baptist Church at Simpsonville, Coryell County, TX. Sardis
Missionary Baptist Church changed its name to Simpsonville in 1885.)
Sims Creek
Address: Lometa/Atherton /Townsend’s Mill, Lampasas County
Organized: Before 09/1887
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1887
Disappeared: about1896
Spurlin
Address: Hamilton County --between Hamilton and
Carlton, West of Olin
Organized: Before 08/1914
Admitted to HCBA: 08/12/1914
Disappeared: After 1928, Town was abandoned.
(Spurlin Baptist Church may have been organized as Bethlehem
Baptist Church.)
Star
Address: Star
Listed as a member church in 1907
Disappeared after 1907
Stringtown
Address: King, Coryell County
Organized: 1875
Admitted to HCBA: 09/07/1883
Dismissed by letter: 8/19/1892 at her request.
Currently is King Baptist Church is active in Coryell Baptist Association
Sunshine
Address: Carlton, Hamilton County
Began: about 1896
Admitted to HCBA: 8/13/1896
Admitted to HCBA: 8/14/1913
Disappeared: After 1913
Sweet Home
Charter Member of HCBA
Address: Cove, (Evant) Coryell County
Organized: 04/12/1877
Admitted to HCBA: 07/04/1877
Changed name to Evant Baptist Church: 1914
Sycamore
Address: Busyton/Lanham, Hamilton
County
Organized: Before September, 1883
Admitted to HCBA: 09/07/1883
Excluded for heresy: 18/17/1895
Sylvan
Address: Hamilton County
Organized: Before July, 1879
Admitted to HCBA: 07/25/1879
Disappeared: Before 1881
Union
Address: Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1894
Admitted to HCBA: 08/1894
Disappeared: about 1901
Union Grove
Address: Hamilton County
Organized: Before August, 1894
Admitted to HCBA: 08/1894
Disappeared: before 1906
Unity
Address: Hico, Bosque County
Organized: Before September, 1954
Admitted to HCBA: 09/09/1954
Disbanded: 1958
Warren’s Creek
Address: Rt. 3., Hamilton, Hamilton
County
Organized: 1876
Admitted to HCBA: 07/25/1879
Admitted to HCBA: 08/11/1909
Admitted to HCBA: 09/08/1950
Excluded: 9/4/1952,
Admitted to HCBA: 09/06/1956
Disbanded: 06/23/1996
Willowdale
Address: Energy, Comanche County
Organized: Before August, 1901
Admitted to HCBA: 08/16/1901
Disappeared: about 1902
May have continued as Energy Baptist Church
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