Bienville-Natchitoches-Red River County Louisiana Archives History .....Old Saline Community And Church 1884 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Pauline S. Mobley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00028.html#0006760 July 22, 2010, 12:52 pm Old Saline Community and Church The Old Saline Church was organized under the big oak tree still standing in front of Joe King's property, Raburn property now. The Old Saline School was built the same year, and some of its early teachers were; Will McCain, Mrs. W.J. Jackson, Liza Hearman, Ruby Enloe, Willie King, B.B. Mathews, D. Teer and a Mr. Corley. The school was abolished in 1924-1926 in 1924-1926 and consolidated with Saline High. In 1894 the first post office was established and located at what is known as the Will Britt home built by William Mobley in the 1840's. The post office was later moved to the Jimmy Rowe water mill near the old Ann Thomas place. Mr. Lawrence Readhimer was the mail carrier; others later were Ross Dobson, George Mobley, Joe Windsor and Ben Riddle. The Old Saline Church building was completed at the end of the Civil War. It is made of hand-planed virgin pine timber, and was built by the people of the community. The same building has been in continuous use since 1965. It is now renovated and brought up to date by new installations and additions. The community is large and still growing. Men and women drive long distances to work in order to live in the country around Old Saline. Oldest record book of Old Saline Church lists the first 61 members. The Church was constituted Sept. 7,1844. Paster was George Washington Baines. These members were the following: Christoper Koonce, Robert Byas, William Prothro, J.C. Brown, Sr., Absolom Wolloms, William Mobley, John Wolloms, Issac Rushing, Jesse Mobley, Philip Koonce, Joseph Murphy, Robinson Murphy, Madison Mobley, Madison Elliot, Joseph Wolloms, Solman Mabry, John Snead, Prothro, James A. Sloan, Guy Ross, John Riddlehover, Joshua Prothro, Morgan Prothro, James Prothro, John Courtney, G.W. Brown, Phillip Brown, David Malone, L.R. Head, Solomon Prothro, L.E. Prothro, Allen Morris. Timon Prothro, Patsy Koonce, Ann Prothro, Eliza Wolloms, Mary A. Brown, Elizabeth Rushing, Lucinda Elliott, Martha Mobley, Elizabeth Murphy, Hannah Murphy, Caroline Riddlehover, Susan Brown, Harth A. Koonce, Mary Ross, Adah Riddlehover, Sarah Ann Mobley, Elizabeth Prothro, Martha S. Baughman, Nancy Courtney, Lenora Brown (Koonce), Martha Brown, Ann Johnson, Rebecca Murphy, Sarah Prothro, Elizabeth Koonce, Sophronia Head, Nancy Hassen, Evelina Prothro. Lenora Brown Jr. Old Saline has been largely a farming community. The early settlers homesteaded land in this area in the early 1830's. There was only one store located in the area, so much of the shopping was sone in Brown, Ashland, and Coushatta. by Gladis Britt Mobley Britt House A antebellum house built by William Mobley renovated in 1950-1960. A new wing was added on the south. The two-story structure of hand -planed pine lumber interior remains much the same... with closets and bathrooms added. William Mobley homesteaded three 40-acre sections in Old Saline community in 1838. The deed was registered in Natchitoches Paish December ll, 1850. A patent with the seal of President Buchanan was issued on June 1, 1860. The J.H. Britt descendants have lived in the house since 1901. Mill Creek Methodist Church The earliest history of the church is not very clear because there were few records kept, and those not very accurately. It is said that the first church, a log structure, was built about half a mile east of the present structure, near the mill pond from which Mill Creek flows. It is written in the old register that in 1880, Rev. R. M. Crowson organized the church with charter members as follows; J.H. Allen, Elizabeth Allen, Eli Haris, Mollie A. Corbitt Harris, George T. Roberson, J.T. Wafer, J.A. Enloe, F.W. Enloe, and Mrs. Stewart. Mr. Crowson was pastor until 1882 when he was replaced by J.W. Maxfield. In 1878 twelve men of the community felt that a cemetery was needed and chose a place a mile west of Saline. Mr. Sheen a merchant in Bienville, donated the property 3 acres to the conference. The deed was filed Nov., 1890. A memorial service is still held on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May at the cemetery. After some years the membership had fallen away, and the stongest supporters were living several miles north of Saline at Burk Place (or Prothro). In 1912 the building dismantled and moved to its new site. Aaron A. Driggers had charge of this operation. Mr. Drigger, Mr. J.C. Watts, Sr., and S.W.B. Colvin, were the mainstays of the church at this time. Of these, three Driggers were killed by a tornado, Mr. Harris died, and Mr. Watts moved; gradually the congreation became so small that church services were discontinued in 1944. About 1950 the few members left and a few Methodists who had moved to Saline began working to get the church back near the Mill Creek Cemetery at Saline. They received permission from the District Board of Location and Building of the Methodist Church; the main workers were Joe Wafer and Issac Harris, plus Tom C. Rogers and L.T. Frey, who had Methodist wives. The old building had become so dilapidated, that the building which was brought down and set up on the Mill Creek site was the two-room school building that had been donated by the school board to the Methodist conference. On May 3, 1953, Mill Creek Methodist Church was reactivated under the guidance of Dr. George Wm. Pomerroy and Rev. L. Pierce Moreland retired minister who served until a pastor, Rev. K.K. Carithers was appointed. He served Mill Creek, Bienville, Castor, and Strange Churches. Mr. Willie More Dison, a master carpenter and a member of the church, supervised a tremendous job of recommeded repair on the building which was completed in the summer of 1972. The building was dedicated on October 22, 1972. Members who signed the reactivated church register were: C. Cornelius Dison, Mrs. Berta Harper Dison, Willie M. Dison, Lillie Mae Driggers Dison, Langdon T. Frey, Jr., Eloise Adams Frey, Myrtle Thomas Parks, Vera Malcomb Thomas,Roxie Lindsey Mitchell, Issac Corbitt Harris, Cliffie Watts Harris Mollie Driggers, Marshall F. Driggers, Essie Sprawls White, Wm. Odey White, Mary Jane Moncrief Driggers, Frank Riddle, Fannie M. Riddle, and Allie Nichols Walker. 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