Baker County Georgia Archives - History - Milford Baptist Church ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** submitted by: Donna Eldridge MILFORD BAPTIST CHURCH Milford Baptist Church was constituted in the year 1843 by Peter Eldridge and Garrison Cobb. The first house was of logs and was situated just back of the present structure almost on the banks of Notchaway Creek. Several of the majestic Red Oaks that helped to shade and beautify the grounds of the first building are still standing at their post of duty today. There is no record of Milford Church belonging to any Association of Churches until 1854, twenty years later, when she joined the Bethel with 181 members from the thriving town of Milford with its cotton mill, hotels and other industries. Rev. Bartlett Simms and W. B. Mason were the first messengers to the Bethel Association and they incidentally were the first two pastors of Milford Church that there is any record of, although Peter Eldridge no doubt was the first pastor in 1834 as his name appears as one of the presbyters. Milford only stayed in the Bethel Association two years at that time, withdrawing in 1857 to help form the Bowen Association and it stayed out of the Bethel for twenty two years, rejoining in 1879 with W. L. Curry as pastor. A list of the pastors is given below with the years that they served Milford Baptist Church: B. Sims from 1854 to 1856; W. B. Mason rom 1856 to 1858; W. L. Curry from 1879 to 1885; R. B. Taylor from 1885 to 1887; J. W. Martin from 1887 to 1889; W. L. Curry from 1889 to 1891; F. L. Wimberly from 1891 to 1893; R. A. Morgan from 1893 to 1898; R. C. Poole from 1898 to 1903; J. P. Sauls from 1903 to 1906; L. L. Lyon 1906 to 1900; J. W. Martin from 1909 to 1911; J. E. Dykes from 1911 to 1914; W. O. Crumbley from 1914, to 1916; J. P. Sauls from 1916 to 1924; H. J. Edwards from 1924 to 1930; P. M. Sayer from 1930 to 1932; Hugh Dozier in 1932. The clerks serving Milford Baptist Church have been as follows: S. L. Foster in 1854; L. P. Jordan from 1855 to 1858; L. F. Whitlock from 1879 to 1885; W. W. Rooks from 1885 to 1887; J. M. Rooks from 1887 to 1892; B. F. Bailey from 1892 to 1897; J. J. Warren from 1897 to 1901; J. W. Johnston from 1901 to 1919 J. H. Hand from 1919 to 1929; W. O. Lunsford from 1929 to present date. The cotton mill is gone, although the old dam site is still to be seen across the creek. The hotels are no longer there but some of the old dwellings made from the best lumber are reminders of better days for Milford, and above all, Milford Baptist still stands as a witness for God and right after ninety eight years of struggling for existence and it is hoped that it will continue in His name many years hence. Source: "History of Bethel Association" - Alexander Lee Miller, Gammage Print Shop, 1934, Americus, Georgia - pages 208-209