Church Sunday

 

   

     The following article is from The Wrightsville Headlight, Wrightsville, Georgia, Thursday, May 8, 1958, the Centennial Edition.  It was written by a Committee of Oaky Grove Church.

Oaky Grove History Dates Way Back to 1820 and Wee Log Church

    "Oaky Grove Church, located in Johnson County 10 miles east of Wrightsville [and 8.7 miles northwest of Kite] just off Highway 319 was organized in August, 1818 under the name of "Gum Log" by Elders Benjamin Manning and Jordan Smith.  Charter members were Bros. Hardy Johnson, Lewis St. John, Samson Powell, James Johnson, Michael Lighter, Ely Yates, Isaac Norris, John Taylor, Joseph Brantley, Thomas Fennell, Abner Sandford, Allen White and Sisters Milly Johnson, Rebecca Swain, Catherine Yates, Charlotte Johnson, Dorcos Johnson, Patience Powell, Susannah Davis and Lucy St. John.

    Log Church Built

    In May, 1920, the church agreed to the report of the committee 'to build the new meeting house below the public road on the north side of the Ohoopee River. The house to be built of  "hewed logs" size 22 X 30 feet.'

    About this time the monthly meeting was changed from the first to the fourth Sunday in each month. Services are held on the second and fourth Sundays now [1958].

    The church was identified with the Hepzibah Association until 1929. Division over the mission question about 1830 led to the organization of 'The United Baptist Conference.' This name was changed to Canoochee Baptist Association the same year.

    Church Name Changed

    In 1831 the name Gum Log was changed to Oaky Grove. In 1847 the association was divided into two bodies, upper and lower Canoochee.  Oaky Grove allied with the upper Canoochee. 

    In July, 1847, Brother Lanier Powell tendered a deed to a certain parcel of land on which to build a new church house. It was accepted and a larger church was built.

    In the contention over the question of churches continuing to accept baptisms from the Missionary Baptist Churches, in 1866 Oaky Grove, Sardis, Providence, and Philadelphia withdrew from the association and according to best information, organized the Ohoopee Association in 1867.

    Oaky Grove continued with that body until 1885, during which time quite a number of churches were added to the Ohoopee Association, but on account of some disorders a dissatisfaction arose and Oaky Grove, Sardis, Providence, Reedy Springs, Swift Creek (now Oak Ridge) and Piney Grove organized the 'New Union Association.'

    Records show that an effort was being made from about 1872 to reunite Oaky Grove Church with the upper Canoochee Assn. In 1879 a committee appointed by upper Canoochee Assn. made investigations and reported Oaky Grove an orthodox and orderly church. Having been received into the upper Canoochee Assn. in 1895, she has remained there until now [1958].** 

  

    The present church building was built in 1903. The present membership numbers about 200 active and inactive members [1958]. *

    * Current membership numbers are unavailable.

    ** Oaky Grove Church is now an independent/local fellowship and is not associated with the Upper Canoochee Primitive Baptist Association.

    Oaky Grove Pastors

    Pastors serving this church during the years were Elders:

        Benjamin Manning, 1818

        Jordan Smith, 1823

        Isaac Norris, 1839

        David Lamb 1860

        William Norris, 1862

        Edward Riner, 1877

        Henry Meeks, 1885;

        Joel Anderson to Meeks, 1890

        Elders J. N. Smith with Henry Meeks, 1891

        Henry Meeks, 1892

        W. J. Brown to assist Elder Meeks, 1896

        Meeks and Brown, 1899

        Meeks, 1900

        Henry Meeks and Joseph Kersey, 1910

        W. A. Lamb, 1912

        T. E. Silkes, 1915

        W. A. Lamb, 1916

        W. B. Screws, 1924

        W. H. Crouse, 1932

        S. M. Claxton, 1937;

        A. L. Brannen, Jr., 1949

        Elder Eugene Price and the Present Pastor, Elder Maurice Riner [1958]

        

        [The current pastor is Dr. Tom Akins, 1997-now.]

    Preachers ordained were Isaac Norris, Joseph Brantley, William Norris, J. P. Steptoe."

    There are 164 members of my family, especially the Tapleys, buried at Oaky Grove Church.  I believe the reason is proximity.  Oaky Grove is on the same road on which my great-great-grandfather's (Samuel Page Jr, 1800-1860) land was located.  This land became Tapley land after my great-grandmother, Becky Page Tapley, 1844-1924 married my great-grandfather, Jim Tapley, 1847-1912 .  

    Here are are a few family tombstones located at Oaky Grove:

A Time Line for James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912)

        

 

Our connection:

Liz (that's me!)

↓↓↓

Gilbert Earl Tapley, 1928-2008 (my father)

↓↓↓

Lusion Keman Tapley, 1870-1935 (my grandfather)

↓↓ 

James Madison 'Jim' Tapley, 1847-1912 (my great-grandfather)

Time Line for the life of James Madison "Jim" Tapley:  

1847 Age 0	Birth	April 29 Emanuel County, Georgia, USA
1850 Age 2	Residence	Laurens County, Georgia, USA
1858 Age 11	Historical Event	Johnson County is formed from parts of Laurens and Emanuel County.
1860 Age 12	Residence	Johnson County, Georgia, USA
1861 Age 13	Historical Event	Civil War – Some 11,000 Georgians gave their lives in defense of their state – a state that suffered immense destruction.
1864-1865 Age 17-18	Military Service	March 15, 1864 – April 19, 1865 Private with Company F, 48th Regiment, Johnson County (GA) Battleground Guards.  Fought in the battles of Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, The Battle of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg (Battle of the Crater).  Surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865.  Walked back home to Georgia.
1864 Age 17	Death of Brother	July 30 Jim’s oldest brother, Francis “Frank”, died in the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia.  Frank was a 1st Corporal in the same company as Jim.
1866 Age 18	Marriage	February 18 Jim married Elizabeth Rebecca ‘Becky’ Page (1844-1924) in Johnson County, Georgia, USA.
1867 Age 19	Birth of 1st Child	Franklin Morgan “Frank” Tapley was born on April 7 in Johnson County.
1868 Age 20	Historical Event	The Fourteenth Amendment.  As one of the Reconstruction Amendments, the Fourteenth Amendment addressed the rights and protections that all citizens of the United States have. The amendment also limits actions of state and local officials in all states.
1868 Age 21	Birth of Child	A second boy, James “Jim”, was born July 17 in Johnson County.
1870 Age 22	Historical Event	The Fifteenth Amendment.  Prohibits the federal government and each state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s race, color, or previous condition of servitude.  It was the last of the Reconstruction Amendments.
1870 Age 22	Birth of Child	A third boy, Lusion Keman, was born on March 31.
1873 Age 25	Birth of Child	A Girl!  Elizabeth Virginia “Lizzie” was born on February 12th.
1874 Age 27	Birth of Child	Their second daughter, Magdaline, was born.
1875 Age 32	Historical Event	A New Civil Rights Act. During the response to civil rights violations to African Americans, the bill was passed giving African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations, public transportation, and to prohibit exclusion from jury duty. While many in the public opposed this law, the African Americans greatly favored it.
1875 Age 27	Birth of Child	A daughter, Tabitha “Bosch” was born on March 10.
1876 Age 28	Historical Event	The First World’s Fair in the U.S.  The first official World’s Fair was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. 37 countries provided venues for all to see.
1876 Age 29	Historical Event	The Battle of Little Bighorn. An armed conflict between the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry of the U.S. Army. The battle was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.
1876 Age 29	Birth of Child	George Washington Sentell “Tell” was born July 5th.
1878 Age 30	Birth of Child	On April 10, Bennett Olin “Ol” was born.
1880 Age 32	Birth of Child	A girl, Marry, was born February 10.
1881 Age 33	Birth of Child	Solomon was born on March 5.
1885 Age 37	Death of Child	Daughter, Marry, died on February 25, at age 5.
1886 Age 39	Birth of Child	Vianna Bell was born October 4th.
Abt 1886 Age 39-40	Death of Child	Daughter, Magdaline, passed away when she was about 12 years old.  Jim was out of town, selling timber at the time.  He did not find out until he returned and disembarked the train in Bartow.
1889 Age 42	Birth of last child	On August 5, Bascom Bishop Tapley was born in Johnson County.
Between 1880 and 1900	Death of Parents	Sometime between the 1880 and 1900 censuses, Jim’s parents, Georgia Washington Tapley (1814-) and Elizabeth Hicks (1824-) passed away.
1910 Age 62	Residence	Johnson County, Georgia, USA
1912 Age 65	Death	Jim passed away on November 5 in Johnson County, Georgia, USA. He was buried at Oaky Grove Primitive Baptist Church cemetery right down the road from where he had lived most of his life.

 Jim and Becky had a total of 12 children; 10 of which lived to adulthood.  Jim was a farmer and had enough land to split it between all of his children.  My father used to tell many stories about his aunts and uncles.  

Those Places Thursday: Johnson County, Georgia

 What can I say about Johnson County?  It is the cradle of my family.  It was home to my father and 3-4 generations before him.  It is my heritage.  It is where I come from.  It is where all the funny, sad, and poignant family stories start.  As a matter of fact, there really aren't many conversations about the Tapley family that do not include some mention of Johnson County, Georgia.

Johnson County was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858 from parts of Emanuel, Laurens and Washington counties. It was the 129th county formed in Georgia.  Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and unsuccessful U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.  The county seat is Wrightsville.  The county also has the towns of Kite and Adrian (which is actually partly in Johnson and partly in Emanuel County). 

 

County Courthouse, 1923

County Courthouse, 2010

My second great-grand uncle, James M. Tapley, was one of the founders of Johnson County, helped pick the location of the county seat, and was a representative in the Georgia Legislature when the county was first formed, 1859-1860.  Most of the family were farmers, but many of them took time out to serve the county.  My second great-grandfather, George Washington Tapley, was a Magistrate and Justice of the Peace.  Another second great-grandfather, George Schwalls, served as the county's coroner.  My grand uncle, Jim Tapley, was a deputy sheriff with the county.  Several members of the family served on juries.  My great-grand uncle, Francis Tapley, my great-grandfather Jim Tapley, and my great-grandfather, George Schwalls all represented the county as CSA soldiers in the Johnson County Battleground Guards, 48th Regiment. 

Most of my ancestors are buried in Johnson County.  My great-grandparents and many other family members are buried at Oaky Grove.  Other great-grandparents are buried at Minton's Chapel.  My Drake ancestors are buried at Popular Springs.  One set of grandparents and uncles are buried at Powell's Chapel.  My other grandparents and my father are buried at Gumlog.  Other various family members are buried at several different cemeteries throughout the county.  

I still have family members living in Johnson County.  My cousin, Bennett Wesley Tapley, Jr., who is my go-to person for Tapley family history, still lives there, and I try to visit him whenever I'm there. 

It is a relatively small county with a population of less than 10,000 people.  There is not much industry there - most folks are farmers - so the population has gone down due to the lack of jobs, I imagine. 

 

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	2,919		—
1870	2,964		1.5%
1880	4,800		61.9%
1890	6,129		27.7%
1900	11,409		86.1%
1910	12,897		13.0%
1920	13,546		5.0%
1930	12,681		−6.4%
1940	12,953		2.1%
1950	9,893		−23.6%
1960	8,048		−18.6%
1970	7,727		−4.0%
1980	8,660		12.1%
1990	8,329		−3.8%
2000	8,560		2.8%
2010	9,980		16.6%

However, if someone was looking for country, quiet, peaceful living, Johnson County, Georgia would be a good place to go!  Maybe that's why the population increased between 2000 and 2010!

I will continue to go back there... to visit my family and learn about my roots. 

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Longest Gravestone Line

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night!  Time for some Genealogy FUN.

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to: 

 1)  Determine what is your longest unbroken line of ancestral gravestones - how many generations can you go back in time?  Do you have photographs of them?

2)  Tell us and/or show us in a blog post of your own, or in a comment to this blog, or in a Facebook status or a Google+ stream post.

Here's mine:  

(1)  I really cannot go back very far in gravestones... but here's what I've got.

My father, Gilbert Earl Tapley (1928-2008) in Gumlog Church Cemetery (outside of Kite, Johnson County, Georgia):

 My grandfather, Lusion Keman Tapley (1870-1935) in Powell's Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):

 

My great-grandfather, James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912) in Oaky Grove Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):

 

 After this, they are unmarked graves in unknown locations.  

 Of my Drake ancestors, I have the following:

My father as shown above... then his mother:

My grandmother, Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley (1895-1970) in Powell's Chapel Church Cemetery:

 
 My great-grandfather, Rev. William John Drake (1857-1927) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery (outside of Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia):

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my 2nd great-grandfather, James William Drake, but I do have...

My 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Ann Brantley Drake (1837-1891) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery: 

My 3rd great-grandfather, Francis Bryant Drake (1806-1875) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery:

(2)  Done!