WILKINSON COUNTY GA SALEM METHODIST CHURCH HISTORY File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Gervaise W. Perdue" I am enclosing parts of an article published in a Wilkinson County newspaper 16 July 1989. I will copy spelling as it is written. The land for the church was given by WILLIAM WYNN (1790-1870). I have attended the Salem Methodist annual reunions and had a lovely time with very many of my WYNN relatives. Gervaise Wynn Perdue THE OL WILKINSON WAYFAIRER BY: B. Anonymous "This Ol boy had an out of the usual thang happen to him. He had two invites to homecomins, both of them churchs...I settled fer Salem church in Lord's District. I guess that I seeled on Salem because it has been somewhat overlooked by past historians of Wilkinson County... The Wayfairer has come up with a few facts bout that old church at Salem that he'd like to tell y'all bout. In order to tell this story I gotta go back to the foundin date of the county of Wilkinson. Not only did each settle bring with him his family an property, he also brought his religious affiliations. The first five years 1805 to 1810 had within it little time or opportunity fer a family to worship in an organized manner. That ain't ta say that they didn't practice their religion durin this point in time. There was always a feller in the area that was a lay preacher or pulpit called preacher. He'd git together with a group of folks from there bouts when they could and hold meetins in private dwellins, or where ever... Methodist and Baptist's had circuit riding preachers that showed up now and then. In light of the fact that the lions share of the first settlers was Baptist's, theyed maned an built the first churchs in the county, The first abein MOUNT NEBO in 1808 to be follered soon after by BIG SANDY an RAMAH. Methodist's settled fer camp meetins, lay preachers and circuit riders till the year 1818. In 1816 the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church formed the Ocmulgee circuit. This circuit included Wilkinson, Twiggs an parts of Jones an Pulaski county's. In the year 1818, the first Methodist Church was onstituted in Wilkinson County. It was named SALEM METHODIST CHURCH by its founders. Them founders bein by name: WILLIAM WYNN and his wife MISS SUSAN HANSON, MRS. SOLOMON THOMPSON, a widow. She later in 1820 married AARON DAVIS. AARON DAVIS and his wife, REBECCA THOMPSON, HENRY DAVIS an his wife, NANCY POTTS, HENRY KITTLES whose wife is not known by the Wayfairer. There may well have been other first members, but this is the best of my recallin. Rev LORENZO DOW was the Methodist leader in the area. First appoint preachers to Salem were REV. CHARLES DICKERSON, who was assisted by REV. JAMES DUNWOODY. As the aforementioned families increased in size an others moved into the Salem community the rolls of Salem grew. The new families were that of DAVID COLSON who married MISS CYNTHIA POTTS, JAMES E. DUNCAN whose wife was LUCINDA WYNN, JOHN THIGPEN, who had moved here from Washington County, GA and his wife ANN MIMS, JEFFERSON COMBES an his wife SARAH. This church as did others in the county growed by leaps an bounds. In 1863 WILLIAM W. WYNN II give a deed of clear title to the board of trustees of Salem Methodist church on the land which the church now stands. The board at that time was WILLIAM WILLIAMS, ENOCH T. MILLER an JOHN THIGPEN. To the best of my knowledge three meeting houses have stood on that land. I checked my recall with Mr. J. Holland, who has lived his whole life within a stone's throw of the church. He said that there was one that was torn down in 1915 to make way fer a new church. It was replaced by one that looks a lot like the one that still stands at POPLAR SPRING METHODIST CHURCH today. Mr. Holland also recalls the Salem school house that stood on the church lot. The second church burned in 1940 an was replaced by the buildin which stands today. Bein off the beaten path as it is and most of the families havin moved from the community, Salem Methodist Church is in semi retirement. Services are held there once a month an on special occasions such as Home Coming on the second Sunday of July each year. This once a year home coming was started back in the late 1800's. Now let me tell y'all about my visit there at Salem Sunday last. The church was full up to bursting with descendants of the forementioned founders. I'll try to recall a few. There was CAROLINE WYNN SMALLEY, MRS. EVA COMBS HARRISON RINKS and her son ROY HARRISON, JR, an his wife the former SUSAN CARR. MRS. RINKS also her her granddaughter with her MISS CRISTY FOSKEY, who is the daughter of HELEN DOUGLAS HARRISON an JOHNNY FOSKEY, MR. PAUL THOMPSON, JR. of Sandersville, Washington County an his wife the former MISS BETTY MARLENE KITCHENS showed up with a whole passel of their young'uns and grands. MR. EDWIN EVERETT of Irwinton was there with his two daughters LEIGH an LINDA. MISS MILDRED CARTER of McIntyre was there as well as AURELLA DIXON HADARITA an her husband WILLIAM. Besides all those folks there was a HEAP OF THOMPSON AN WYNN kith and kin. Let me git outa here now but not for I tell ya what a fine afternoon I spent with them good folks at Salem Home Comin. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. 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