Church: A Historical Night For Mt. Zion Church, 1974, Grant Parish, LA. Louisiana Source June 19, 1974 Winn Parish Enterprise Submitted to USGENWEB by Greggory E. Davies 120 Ted Price Lane Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** A HISTORICAL NIGHT FOR MT. ZION CHURCH Mt. Zion Church will host the entire late "Billy Shaw" family at its fourth Saturday night singing. Services begin at 7 o'clock on Saturday, June 22, 1974 at Mt. Zion Methodist Church. For all of us who grew up around here in the Mt. Zion area, this will be a treat. Some of those who are known to us are Mrs. Omera Wolff, Michigan, Floyd Shaw, Texas, Rev. Jack Shaw, Ruston, Vessca Shaw, Alexandria, Mrs. Ruby Barton, Mrs. Lena Lovell, and Grafton Shaw, Winnfield, and Wilburn Shaw, Montgomery. This is a little history of Grandfather John Fendly Shaw. He was a native of Alabama. He was born near Birmingham. When he was about 18 years old he went to Arkansas and stayed about six months and was told about how everyone could homestead land in Louisiana. He applied for what is believed to be 320 acres then went back home and he and grandma were married. Her maiden name was Martha Sims, native state was Georgia but moved to Arkansas. Louisiana was where they made their home. They were charter members of Mt. Zion Methodist Protestant Church, and were members until death. They were both devout and true Christians. He died in 1921. They were the parents of 14 children, five boys, nine girls. Three of whom died in infancy. They reared 11 of their 14 children to be grown. The old homestead was held together until grandma and grandpa passed on. Grandma died in October 1923 and grandpa in March 1921. I would like to add a little on the history of Mt. Zion Church. The first settlers came to Mt. Zion in 1840. Celestive LeFleur, uncle of Thomas Quinalty settled where the Quinalty place now stands and Colonel John Sapp settled where Irvin Shaw lives. Thomas McCracken lived where Edd McGinty lives and the famous plantation home of General Thomas A. Woodward was two miles of Mt. Zion where M. C. Davison now lives. In 1845 a band of immigrants from Alabama on their way to the Republic of Texas were so favorably impressed by the community and its people that they deceded to settle here. Among these were the McCains, Hicks, and Currys. Many of them became most valuable citizens. Leaders of this gallant band was the Rev. James Isaac Hicks, circuit rider and evangelist. He organized Mt. Zion Methodist Church in 1856. Mr. LeFleur donated one acre of land for the first church building. Mr. Watson gave four acres, making a total of five acres for the church and cemetery. And since that time T. T. Shumate and Thomas Quinalty gave additional land to the church and cemetery. Anthony Shaw and his son, John Shaw, cleared the land for the first church site, cut and hewed the logs of the first church building. They were the great grandfather and grandfather of the Sunday School Supt. Wilburn Shaw (note: the article I am copying from has "great grandfather and grandfather" marked out and "uncle" handwritten in). Mr. LaFleur donated the logs and flooring, George Horn donated the boards for the roofing. There were 16 members of the church. They were as follows: Rev. J. I. Hicks, Mrs. Mary Hicks, John Shaw, Mrs. Mary Starks, Mrs. Mary Wilson, Mrs. Martha Shaw, Mrs. Caroline McGee, Dave Shaw, Mrs. Mary Halloway, W. Y. Wilson, L. L. Shaw, Clem Wilson, Mrs. Janie Shaw, D. L. Shaw, Miss Laura Shaw, and A. Shaw. In the early days of the church the members gathered often and prayed together for divine guidance, health of their neighbors, rain and many blessings that only God could and did give them. They had faith and the church grew. During the dark days of the civil war came there and prayed for the safety and salvation of the boys in grey and many of a parent and sweetheart knelt secretly and alone at the sacred old altar, hewn from an old log, asking the safe return of their loved ones. Members of the Mt. Zion Church have served their country in four wars, and in our church yard sleep veterans of the war in Mexico, civil War, World War One and Two, and Spanish-American war. (Note: if my memory serves correctly, at least one veteran of the Indian wars is buried at Mt.Zion, and I believe it is a Shaw or Strickland). During the civil war Mt. Zion served as registration and induction center for the men of this section. Among those enlisted here and served with distinction on the fields of battle were: Major H. Van McCain, Captain John Sapp, Lieut. J. Prather, Felix Adams, and J. Matt McCain. Others were Nathan Gilcrease, Richard McLamore, D. J. Shumate, George Davison, John G. Mitchell, John and Charles Quinalty, John Shaw, Lawson and William Kimbrell. Many of these made the supreme sacrifice on the field of battle. Others returned home and are buried here. Dr. Bice and family, Rev. and Mrs. Hicks, Rev. and Mrs. I. R. Strickland, Mr. and Mrs. Henry McCain, and others of the founders sleep in the shadow of the church they built and left to posterity. Henry McCain and George Horn, grandfather of Paul Horn, planted the sycamore tree that now stands in front of the church. This was done a few years before their death and now grows as a living monument. Sponsored by the Mt. Zion Church, the Mt. Zion College build in 1891 was one of the leading institutions of higher learning of that day, offering a four year course in the arts, sciences, and music. Dr. I. M. P. Hickerson was the first president with Dr. John Paul, a graduate of Oxford University, England, on the faculty, T. H. Harris, former state Superintendent of Education of Louisiana, also attended and taught school here. Since the organization of the Mt. Zion Church there have been many wonderful and faithful workers here. From this church there have been many, eleven or more, who have gone out and served in the ministry.