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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
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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
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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1. When there was no electric lights on Nantahala, and you had to get your school homework by kerosene lamps.
2. Lee Duvall taught most of the kids how to swim and was also the community undertaker.
3.On a quiet afternoon if the air was traveling right you could hear the train whistle and choo-choo sound as it pulled up the Topton Mountain.
4. If you can remember when Aunt Tine Rowland,Aunt Lizzie Batemam and Aunt Hat Wright were the oldest citizens in the community.
5. When we had Decoration Day there truly was dinner on the ground and the singing and preaching lasted until late afternoon.
6. When Charlie Evans always refered him-self as"Evans from the rock".
7. If you can remember when all the boys (including myself) wanted to go fishing on the Nantahala Dam as that was where Luther and Eunice Jacobs lived along with their seven pretty girls.
8. When Carl Moses was principal of Otter Creek and Miss Lolita Dean was Principal at the Kyle School.
9. When all roads and driveways on Nantahala were gravel and the prisoners worked the roads.
10. When cokes and candy bars were a nickel and everyone was upset when cokes went to six cents.
11. When most men worked at Jess Crouser's saw mill and shortly afterward Neil Kitchens put one up in Aquone.
12. When Arthur Woods sold snake bite medicine and was never caught.
13. When Vick Denny ran a community Taxi service and got good buisness as most of the vehicles in the community were log trucks.
14. When you went to school smelling like a cow but it was OK as most everyone else did too.
15. When there was no such thing as ISS in school because you received a board across the back side if you got in trouble.
16. If you can remember Eckle Rowlands floating store.
17. If you can remember when Myrtle Hall and Jim Neal had the only telephones because they were Forest Service phones and if you had to use a phone you had to go to the Power House and talk on one outside the gate,also there was a phone at Luther Jacobs' on the Dam.
18. You might be an Old Timer if remember when the only roads that connected us to the outside world was the Winding Stairs or the Wayah Rd and it took all day to go to town and back.
YOU MIGHT BE AN OLD TIMER FROM NANTAHALA ( # 2 )
IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN....
..
SAM WATERS HAD SEVERAL LOGGING CAMPS AND WORKED AS MANY AS 65 MEN AT ONE TIME .
FLOYD DEWEESE RODE THE CHILDREN AROUND ON HIS HORSE.
UNCLE PAT SOLESBEE STAYED DOWN ON THE ROAD A LOT TO INQUIRE OF THE PASSING NEIGHBORS WHERE THEY WERE GOING.
WILLIAM DEWESE LIVED ON GOLD PIT AND WAS SEEN CARRYING A SACK OF CORN QUITE OFTEN TO UNCLE LUTHER ROWLANDS CORN MILL
CLEVE HEMBREE WOULD BE SEEN WALKING TOWARD BURNINGTOWN GAP ON HIS WAY TO FRANKLIN TO BUY HIS MONTHLY SUPPLIES
.
CLAUDE PENDERGRASS WAS THE KYLE BARBER AND CHARGED 10 CENTS FOR A HAIRCUT.
FRANK SHIELDS, GRADEY COPE AND RAY SHIELDS WERE THE STATES ROAD CREW WITH CLINT MAY SUPERVISING THEM.
WARREN AND LIL WATERS DROVE A WILLIS JEEP AND LOADED ALL THE CHILDREN THEY COULD GET INTO IT AND TOOK THEM TO THE MOVIES AT ANDREWS ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
JIM NEAL WAS THE LOCAL FIRE WARDEN AND WARREN OWENBY STAYED ON THE WESSER BALD TOWER TO WATCH FOR FIRES
.
HOLLICE CLARK AND FAMILY LIVED IN THE OLD HALL HOUSE WHERE THE BRYANT’S LIVED LATER AND YOU COULD SEE ALL THE CLARK CHILDREN WALKING TOWARD THE OLD KYLE SCHOOL.
SAM PASSMORE AND DOROTHY RAN THE LAKES INN CAMP GROUND AND UNCLE CHARLIE EVANS WAS USUALLY CLOSE BY
ALL THE LOCAL SCHOOL TEACHERS STAYED AT MYRTLE HALLS WHITE OAK LODGE.
ESTER SEAY TAUGHT SEVERAL OF THE LOCAL STUDENTS TO PLAY THE PIANO ALTO SHE COULDN’T PLAY
THE NANTAHALA BALL TEAM PLAYED AT THE OLD WOODEN GYM AT OTTER CREEK SCHOOL AND THEY HAD TO THROW ALL LOW PASSES AS ANY THING ABOVE FIFTEEN FEET WOULD HIT THE RAFTERS AND IF THE BALL WENT OUT THE DOOR IT TOOK SOME TIME TO FIND IT.
HARRY THOMAS WAS THE COUNTY SHERIFF AND WE SAW HIM ABOUT EVERY SIX MONTHS.
PREACHER PRINCES SNAKE HANDLING SERVICE WAS ONE OF OUR MAIN ATTRATIONS.
MARVIN WILSON WAS KNOWN AS THE BEST TROUT FISHERMAN IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY.
HAMP AND MAYBERL OWENBY RAN THE STORE AT THE BOTTOM OF ROWLAND HILL AND IT WAS A LOCAL HANGOUT FOR THE TEENS AND MANY OF US DRUNK OUR FIRST MOUNTAIN DEW THERE(SODA).
JIM NEAL HAD A PAIR OF WORK STEERS AND EVERYONE ENJOYED WATCHING THEM WORK.
IF YOU WANTED GASOLINE YOU HAD TO GO WEAVER CHOCRANS STORE AND PUMP IT UP INTO THE GLASS MEASUREING CONTAINER AND GIVE HIM ONE OF YOUR RATIONING STAMPS.
By Doyce Waters
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EMail; jim_faye@nantahalanc.com
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1956
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