UPSON COUNTY, GA - BIOS Rev. Henry Hooten Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/upson.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm HOOTEN, Rev. Henry Rev. Henry Hooten early in life was a Methodist and a leader in that denomination. He later united with the Baptist and assisted in establishing several Baptist churches in present day Middle Georgia. Among the several churches he assisted in constituting was the Stone Creek Baptist Church in formerly Wilkinson County now Twiggs on September 3rd, 1808. This church in turn aided in the constitution of several other Baptist churches including the Macon First Baptist Church in 1826. Rev. Hooten was one of the founding fathers of the 0cmulgee Baptist Association in 1810, the fifth Baptist Association formed in Georgia, which years later went anti-missionary or primitive. JONES COUNTY Henry Hooten between 1808 and 1810 founded Hooten's Meeting House. His good friend, Edmund J. TALBOT served this congregation as well. Since 1812, this congregation has met, in the same location, as Elam Baptist Church Likewise, Rev. Hooten was present at the organizational meeting of the Ebenezer Baptist Association in 1814, the sixth Baptist Association formed in Georgia. Working together with Rev. Hooten was a neighbor and fellow minister of the gospel, Reverend Edmund Talbot. Rev. Talbot, like Rev. Hooten, was decided in advance of the majority of the ministers of his day. He believed in missions, temperance, education and kindred benevolent institutions. Indeed, Rev. Talbot was what is known today as a Missionary Baptist. Rev. Talbot was one of twelve prominent Georgia Baptists selected to promote the establishment of a "Baptist College of Georgia' before the Georgia Legislature. The original Elam (Elim) Baptist Church was of simple log construction located on land deeded the Church on July 8th, 1812 by Rev. Henry Hooten and recorded in Deed Book E, page 219, Clerk's Office, Superior Court, Jones County, Georgia. Upon this original tract of 3 3/4 acres is located the present sanctuary. A prior sanctuary of modest frame construction replaced the original log meeting-house and remained in continuous use until the present building was occupied in 1893. He moved into Alabama where he established more churches. He died in Orion, Pike County, Ala. UPSON County Purchased large tracts of land in Land District 16 LL120 including the post office. The name of the Post Office was changed to Hootenville, due to the fact that Jones County had a post office called Blountsville. Rev. Hooten was pastor in Uposon County from 1826-1840. 1840 Dec 3 Edwin Collier to Henry Hooten lot in 1st Dist Another source is the Hooten Book in the Atlanta Archives. I have been unable to get a copy due to the inability of the library to loan or copy. It is my understanding that this book includes the history of the Reverend's church activities in Georgia. OBIT A death notice in Southwestern Baptist, Ala mentions dates Rev. Hooten had churches in Jones, Washington and Upton counties. His father was Williiam Hooten, owner of a few plantations in Bertie and Martin counties, North Carolina. Do not know his mother's name, one informant volunteered Sara, but no verification. Henry was born Sept. 2, 1765 in Bertie County, one of four boys and three sisters.This obtained from DAR document of his service in the Revolutionary War from N. Carolina. There are no dates given for his service, merely confirmed that he was a Soldier. Apparently his father Willliam and brother William, Jr. were also in the army. He married Elizabeth Boulton July 24, 1784 in Bertie County. Shortly after his father died 1794 , Henry and family emigrated to Georgia, thus the book "They Crossed The Savannah" ( Hooten book). In a Jones Co., Ga. History, there is a mention that Henry had been a Methodist, but when he arrived in Georgia he was a full-fledged BAPTIST Preacher and established several churches in that part of Georgia. As mentioned, he died in Orion, Pike Co., Ala., Jan. 15, 1852. According to an obituary, he had been in ill health about fifteen years and had moved from Macon, Ala to Orion, Ala. James B. was Henry Hooten's only surviving child of eight at the time of his (Henry's) death. James and family then removed to Texas where I have lost him, so far.