HomeMy WebLinkAboutMillican Baptist Church 121503THIS IS A COPY OF THE HISTORY OF MILLICAN GIVEN BY MRS. CHAPMAN
AT THE DEDICATION SERVICE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOMS
MILLICAN BAPTIST CHURCH - -OUR HERITAGE - -MRS. WINNIE CHAPMAN
Time changes everything, so we are told. Our Church history will surely
show how it has changed out little town and our Baptist Church. This afternoon
in trying to relive our past and to tie in our present, it is almost necessary
for me to go into the rich historical background of which this area is so
wonderfully blessed. The History of Millican reaches back into the days of the
Republic. Robert Millican came into this territory in 1821 with Stephen F.
Austin. Millican was colonized in 1837. This was the same year that the First
Missionary Baptist Church was organized at Washington on the Brazos in a
blacksmith shop. The organization consisted of five men and three women.
At this time Millican was part of Washington County, and it is very
probable that many of our renown preachers and laymen were in our midst and gave
spiritual assistance to the people in this area. For our Baptist Church History
gives us mention of meetings in Anderson and Washington, and our geography shows
us that this area of which we are a part was a direct line for travel in those
days for there was a place to ford the Navasota and Brazos Rivers. Most of the
travel was carried out by horse and buggy and horseback, and sometimes by
walking from community to community.
In 1841 the people in this area asked for and they were granted a partition
from Washington County, and we were then in the new County of Navasota.
Forty -five families made up this entire population. Among them were Baptists,
Methodists, Episcopals, Christians, and Catholic denominations. The best count
that can be found is that there wer eleven Baptist families in this group. This
area was bounded by springs and rivers, we know them as Sulphur Springs, Sobe
Steele Springs, Peach Creek, South Branch, Oak Grove and Millican. People met in
each others homes in the winter and under trees and arbos in the summer to read
and study the words of comfort and Faith that only the Bible can give. In 1853
Millican made an effort to establish a Baptist Missionary Church, and some of
the members from other communities came into the church, but the distances,
weather, and lack of money to help support the cause soon caused the church to
disband about the latter part of 1857.
In 1848 the Houston and Texas Central Railroad was approved, and the
building of the road started at Galveston and reached Millican in the year of
1860. Then circumstances not forseen overtook the growth of this area. Due to
the Civil War, extreme drough, and lack of materials the Railroad stopped at
Millican for several years and many businesses sprang up here, among them Sanger
Brothers and Padget Brothers. People came to live here until Millican had over
six thousand population (this is from hearing my grandfather and General
Stoddard visit). Millican had a bank and a newspaper, Methodist, Episcopal,
Presbyterian, and Catholic church organizations. Good times seemed to be in
store for this area, but at the end of the war, the railroad began to move on
toward the Northern part of the state. This might not have been to much
disadvantage, but between 1866 and 1868 Cholera and Yellow Fever took their toll.
Many families fled the area, but most of the old settlers who had Their All, in
land, and memories here remained. Among some of the ones staying were H. E.
Smith, Ben Harrington, The McGregors, Sims, Peverlies, Morgans, Lee Mills,
Dawsons and my Grand Dad Henry Burrows. During these years pastors went from
Place to place holding services. Their pay was mostly in the form of produce
from the fields and barnyards. I have been told by one of our own members of
now, Mr. Ben Price, that his father had told him of W. E. Penn traveling from
Anderson to Independence and stopping and holding services. We seem to have lost
most of our history of the church activities around the early nineteen hundreds.
But we do know that services were held in the church and that there was a Sunday
School, for Mrs. Vada Simpson remembers of going to the Baptist Sunday School
with the H. E. Smith children. We also get a record of the Church wedding of
Miss Clara Harrington and Mr. Charlie Hampling in the late 1890's. When we, J.
W. Burrows family moved from Cathorn to Millican in 1907, there was not an
organized Baptist Sunday School, and I, Winnie E. Burrows, attended the
Methodist Sunday School. We had church services at the Baptist Church at least
once a month if we could get some one to come hold services and could get enough
money to pay their actual expenses. Then we always had a Protracted Meeting each
summer. The old church building was used when we did have services, and there
were many large Oak trees around the grounds the church stood on an people came
in buggies and wagons and spent the day at church. I can remember coming in from
the country to spend the day at church. My first remembrance of our old church
is very dear to me. It was a long, tall wooden structure painted white. There
were two doors at the front and one in the back and many tall windows on either
side of the building. There were three rows of pews which were homemade, an
organ and the building had a steeple and a bell which was used to call people to
worship.
Some of the preachers I have been able to recall or obtain the names of
are: Brother Waits, who drove from Bryan to Millican to hold services traveling
in a buggy. This was around 1904 and 1905. Bro. Fugua who came from near
Anderson, my Grandfather Henry Burrows, Bro. Pipkin from Bryan, Bro. Hale from
Waco, Bro. Brown and family from College Station, Brothers Kendrix and Kiser who
were passing through. Then we had a kinsman from the Colonizer of Millican, Bro.
L. R. Millican, later known as the War Horse of the West, Bro. Bob Miller, a
former chaplain in World War I, Bro. Bracewell, whom everyone liked very much
came from his home in Madisonville three different times to be a shepherd to the
flock at Millican.
In 1916 a group of Baptists met and organized a Baptist S.S. We met in the
afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Among those who worked so hard to make this Sunday School
grow were: Mrs. Travis Hughes, J. W. Burrows, Mrs. Betty Sawyer, Mrs. Viola
Jackson, Carl Sealy family, Mrs. Alma Williams and others, I am sure who worked
just as faithfully.
From 1919 through 1929 our church with help from friends grew. The old
building was torn down and the present Auditorium and two wings were built. A
piano replaced the organ. The present seats were bought in 1929. The people of
the community gave barbecues to help meet the payments on the additions to the
church structure. We began to hold regular once a month services with Bros.
Pipkin, Rochelle, Windsor, Bracewell filling the pulpit. In 1933, Bro.
Carrington filled the pulpit. Bro. Hooter came to us in 1936 and Millican Sunday
School was standardized. We grew in members and finances and started to have
church every other week and Sunday School every Sunday. The pastors recalled at
this time were: Bro. Stringer, Bro. Stirickland, Bro. Leo. Garrett, Bro. Hoke
Smith (at present a missionary in Columbia). Then we became more conscious of
the need of full time church services and Carl Shrader and Glen Brown brought the
message each Sunday. When Bro. Brown resigned the church had several people come
to preach as they felt the need of asking God to lead them in their selection of
a leader. No one who stops to think can deny that the Lord in His Wisdom sent to
us our present pastor Rev. J. P. Law. Our church was stagnant and self
satisfied. The usual ones were at church, the usual amount of money was
collected. Bro. Law was not satisfied to stay Status Quo. He has given of his
time far and beyond that which is normally expected of a pastor. He has actually
performed manual labor as well as more than tithed to help us reach our goal
that we are here to dedicate today: A Baptistry, Sunday School Rooms, Restrooms,
Pastor's study, and a general overhaul of the building.
We are glad to say we now hold two services each Sunday, Midweek prayer
service, and a B. T. U. training union. We now have a membership of 96 persons,
about 60 of this number active. To the present membership goes the much deserved
credit for our present physical structure. To our forefathers and fathers we are
most grateful for their staunchness of Faith, for it was their lot to pioneer
and they had many adversities that we their children do not even know how to
cope with. TO OUR FUTURE May God in his Own Time and Way help us of today keep
the banner high and to send to us just the people that we need to have in our
midst that will hold the banner high and carry on the work that we are trying to
do, when we the present come to the end of the Way, and we shall leave to others
our unfinished work, in the Millican Baptist Church.
The Millican Baptist Church at the present time, at Homecoming Services now
has an able and willing pastor, Bro. Barnett. He and his fine family will
accomplish only as much as you, the membership, and people of Millican, are
willing that he accomplish. This is not a time for "dilly- dallying" in religion
or as Christians here in Millican or anywhere else in the world.
LET CHRISTIANS RISE
By Sybil Leonard Armes, Fort Worth
Copied from Baptist Standard
These are not days for superficial living: The hour is dark - too dark for little
deeds. Let us be done with little acts of giving and little labors bound by
little creeds.
Nations grope; cries of despair are lifting; Multitudes are reaching up for
light. While days of grace through careless hands are sifting, A world in chaos
staggers in the night!
Stir up, 0 Lord, as by a mighty shaking, We who are prone to parry and to plod.
When storms of doom across earth are breaking,
Let Christians rise to do they will, 0 God!
(This was prepared while Bro. Barnett was pastor -- November 1963 -1964)
AT THE DEDICATION SERVICE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOiil;s, .
MILLICAN BAPTIST CIiURCH• -- -OUR HERITAGE—MRS. WINNIE CHAPMA N
Time, changes everything, so we are told. Our Church history L.L
surely show how it has changed our little town and our Bapti,lk
Church. This afternoon in trying to relive our past and to tie il
our present, it is al.Lnost necessary for me to go into the rit:,lh
historical background of which this area is so wonderfully b]ossc.
The History of Millican reaches back into the days of the Republic
Robert Millican came into this territory in 1821 with Stpphen F.
Austin. Millican was colonized in 1837._ This was in the same year
that the First Missionary Baptist Church was or_ganiesd'at Washing-
ton on the Brazos in a black smith shop. The organization consist-
ed of five men and three women.
At this time Millican was part of Washington County, and it is very
probable that many of our renown preachers and laymen were in our
midst and gave spiritual assistance to the people in this area.
For our Baptist Church History gives us mention of meetings in
Anderson and Washington, and our geography shows us that this area
of which we are a part is a direct line for travel in those days
for there was a place to ford the Navasota and Brazos Rivers. Most
of the travel was carried out by horse and buggy end horse back,
and sometimes by walking from community to community.
In 1841 the people in this area asked for and they we$e granted a
partition front Washington County, and we were then in the new
County of Navasota. Forty five families made up this entire pop-
ulation. Among t) were Baptists, Methodists, Episcopals,
and Catholic denominations.. The best count that can be
found is that there were eleven Baptist families in this group.
This area was bounded by springs and rivers, we know then as •
Sulphur Springs, Sobe Steele Springs, Peach Creek, South Branch,
Oak Grove and Millican. People met in each others homes in the
winter and under trees and arbors in the summer to read and study %}
the words of comfort and Faith that only the Bible can give.
In 1953 Millican made an effort to establish a Baptist Missionary
Church, and some of the merbers from other communities came into
the church, but the distances, weather, and lack of money to help
support the cause soon caused the church to disband about the
latter part of 1857. was
In 1848 the Houston and Texas Central Railroad /approved, and the
building of the road started at Galveston and roachod Millican in
the year of 1860. Then circumstances not forscen overtook the
growth of this area. Due to the Uivil War, extreme drouth, and lack
of materials the Railroad stopped at Millican for several years
and many businesses sprang up here, among them Sanger Brothers and
Padget Brothers, People came to live here until Millican had over
six thousand population(this is fron hearing my grandfather and
General Stoddard visit). Millican had a bank and a newspaper, •
there was a • P.iissionary Baptist Church, and a non - missionary one,
a Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Catholic church organi-
zations. Good tines seemed to be in store for this area, but at
the end of the war, the railroad began to move on toward the
Northern part of the state. This night not have been to much dis-
advantae:e but between 1866 and 1868 Cholera and Yellow Fever took
their toll. Many fLun.ilios flod the arca. But nest of the old
settlers who had Their All, in land and memories here remained.
Amend sone of•the ones staying were N. E. Smith, Bon Harrington,
The McGregors, Sims, Fevorlies, Morgans, Leo Mills, Dawsons and
my Graol faa Nang tdynt.KIT. Mt' NA -tiVen yeck G,(r it vd s Iv ,A•1.
from t» eee to .pJ aee l..c•1 ::::.ry servi eS x .et.r pky i/as A4tt.1y li :—
form of produce lcou the fields and berg yards. - 2_ ne.ve tee-e tam. .:
one of our own mereb of nor, Mc, Ben 13r1.ce that 1 :i`at'.e.7' •ha , tit .
him of V. E. Fenn traveling from Anderson to InGepauder.re j td 374
and holding services. We seem to have lost most cf okr^I4 ory
of the church activities around the early nireen 1r ndreds,- $►J'' We
do know that services were held in the church and tihat there waA e
Sunday School, for Mrs. Vada Siripsc \ r4meribere of goirtd to ' .et
# 4 , Baptist Sunday School with the H. E. Smith children. Wu also get°
record of the Chiirch wedding of Misr Clara Harrington and ]1r.
Charlie Henpling in the late 1890ts. When we, J. W. Burrows family
moved from Cathorn to•r!Iillican in 1907, there was not an organized
Batist Sunday School, and I, Glinnic E. Burrows, attended the
Methodist Sunday School, We had church services at the Baptistchurch
at least once a month if we could get some one to come hold services
and could set engugh money to pay their actual expenses. Then we
always had a Protracted Meeting each summer. The old church building
was used when we did have services, €end there were many large Oak
trees around the grounds the church stood on and people carne in
buggies and wagons and spent the day at church. I can remember
coming in from. the country to spend the dayat church. My first •
remembrance of our old church is very dear to me. It was a long, tall
wooden structure painted white. There were two doors at the front
and one in the back. Many tall windows on either side of•the
ing. There were three rows of peers, which were home made, an organ
and the building had a steeple and a bell, which was used to call
people to worship.
Some of the preachers I have been able to recall or obtain thenames
of are; Brother Waits, who drove from Bryan to Millican tohold
Services traveling in a buggy. This was around 1904 & 1905/ Bro.
Fugua who carne from near Anderson, My Grandfather Henry Burrows,
Bro. Pipkin from Bryan, Bro. Hale from Waco, Bro Brown and family
from College Station, Brothers Kdndrix and Kiser who wore passing
through. Then we has a kinsman from the Colonizer of Millican, Bro.
L. R. Millican, later known as the War Horse of the West • Brp., Bob '
Miller, a former cha?plain in World War 1., Bro., Bracewell wilorn
M
everyone liked Very much cane from his hone in Madisonville throe
different times to be a shepherd to the flock at Millican.
In 1916 a group of Baptist mot and organized a Baptist S. S. We net
in the afternoon at 2:66 P. M. Among those who worked so hard to
make this Sunday School grow were; Mrs.. Travis Hushes, J: W, Burrows,
Mrs. Betty Sawyer, Mrs. Viola Jackson, Call Sealy family, Mrs. Alma
Williams and others I an sure who worked just as faithfully.
Erom 1919 through 1929 our church with help from. friends grew. The
old buildi_n`; was torn down and the present Auditorium and two Wrings
were built. A piano replaced the organ.The present seats were bought
in 1929. The peo:2le of the community gave barbecues to help meet the
payments on the additions to the church structure. We began to hold
regular once a month services with Bros. Pipkin, Rochelle, Windsor,
Bracewell filling the pulpit. In 1333 Bro Carrington fi:l.led the
pulpit. Bro. Hooter came to us in 1936 and Minion. Sunday School
was standardized. We grow in members and finances and started to
have church every other week and Sunday School every Sunday. The
pastors recalled at this tine were: Bro. Stringer, Strickland, Bro.
Leo. Garrett, Bro. Hoke T3nith( At present a missionary in Coluubio).
Then we became more conscious of the need of full time church service
and Carl Shrader and Glen Brown brought the message each Sunday.
When Bro. Brown resigned_ the church had several people cone to
preach as they felt the need of asking God to lead them in their
selection of a leader.
No one who E t9ps to 4 40115 , 040, deny thaf the :Lora i i H1r:...t4istirik
Sent to us our press$+• isto r Rev J. P. L w . d'V ' 0110r4A,
stagnant and eo _f satiLiic d, The usual onea were at ei - 4 - 1/. , th'.
usual
amcr_Int of money was collected° Bro, Law s not satisfied
to stay Status RL5, He hao given of his time far and beyond that
which is normally expected §.t: a pastor, he has actually performed
manual labor as well as more than tithed to help us reach our
goal, that we are he re to ledi.oate today; A Baptistry, Sunday
School Rooms Rost rooms, Pdatoes study, and a general overhaul
of thelbillding,
,glad to day rre now hold two aervicos eddh Sunday, Midweek se and a B.T. U. training union We nova have a
membership of 96 persons, about.,6O of this number act ,v0
To the present memberehip goOS the much deserved orodit er our
present physical structure. TO our forefathers and rathere we
are meet grateful for their staunchness a faith, °for it Pas
lot to pioneer and they had m�tny,adverSities that we their
Children do not oven know how to cope with.40.OUR FUTURE Ma'
11.0d in his Own. Time and Way help us of today keep the banner
high and to send to us just the lieopltv tthat we need to have in
our midst that will hold the banner high :and Oarry the work
that we are trying; to do, when *a the' present acme to the and of
the..lc1gy, and we shall leave to otherO our unfinishoct work, in the
Ii].lican Baptist Church.
The Millioan Baptist Church at the present time, "ht Homecoming
Servioea now hots an able and vii lling , pastor, Bro. Barnett He
and hie find family will adf ish only ae muoh ad ; o ; ;..the
membership, and people of Mapi Map are
accomplish, This is not a title fOr "dilly - dallying "'in religion
. or as christians here in Milligan or anywhere else in the world,
LET OHR24TXANS RISE
by Sybil Leonard Armes, Port Worth
copied from Baptist Standnrd
Thoao are not days for superfioial living; The hour is dark- too
dark for little deeds. tot utl.be done with little acts of
giving And' little labors boubd' b► little arse �.
Nations grope cries of deapatr "'are '.lifting; Multitudes are
reaching up tr light While d ` 0 - bt erase through careless hands
Ore; sifting, A world. in chao,� AP$Sti M iii the : ,ghtt , ,
Stir tie r 0 Ford, as by a mighty Shaking; ,f Wp who l &re prone to
Wa ry and to plod.
n. storks of
doom across earth are broakitigt
• Let Christians rieo to do thy ,ila y 00.0d1
•