Church Records: Ebenezer Holiness Campgrounds, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by: Gaytha Thompson, 540 May Drive, Madison Tn 37115 LaFamTree@aol.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** EBENEZER HOLINESS CAMPGROUNDS No history of Grant Parish & Winn Parish would be complete without mentioning the Ebenezer Holiness Campgrounds near Montgomery. The Campgrounds was organized by a group of Montgomery church leaders and headed by the late J Man McCain, a noted legislator and Civil War veteran. They selected a beautiful hillside covered with trees and with four springs in the vicinity. These springs contained a medicinal mineral of high curative value. The area for years was a health resort as well as a religious camp meeting area. A large tabernacle was built as well as a hotel and several rooming houses and for a quarter of a century this was one of the largest religious campgrounds in the south. The Ebenezer Church was located just north of Montgomery in Northern Grant Parish and in South Winn Parish. The land for the church and campground was donated by J. M. McCain, James T. Megison, J. W. Horn and R. F. Harrison. The campground and church has long since gone, but one of the springs is still there today. The land is grown over, but the spring can still be found and still flows freely today. My father in law Arles Thompson, who was the grandson of John W. Horn, kept the spring cleaned out and in the concrete curbing the name John W. Horn can still be seen. John signed his name in the wet cement when the curbing was put in. Following is the deed of land given for use of the Ebenezer Church and campground. STATE OF LOUISIANA PARISH OF GRANT, KNOW ALL MEN by these presents that we, James W. Megison, John W. Horn & J. M. McCain of Grant and Winn Parishes, do by these presents from a moral and religious inclination to do good and wishing to place ourselves upon record as adding in an audible, charitable & religious undertaking, do by these presents voluntarily donate and bequeath to the Grant & Winn Parish Camp Meeting Association represented by a board of Trustees or their successors in office, and their President, R. F. Harrison here present accepting in his capacity for the trustees the following lands lying and being situated in Grant and Winn Parish, but more minutely described as follows, to wit: Commencing at a corner designated on a pine tree about one Hundred & fifty yards more of less, in a westerly direction from Ebenezer church, Thence in a southerly direction a distance of 200 yards, more or less, to south East corner, marked and designated upon a chinquepin tree, Thence in a Southerly direction a distance of thirty five yards, more or less, to an Iron tree, Thence in a South Easterly direction a distance of Three Hundred and five yards, more or less, to the South East corner designated & marked upon an ask (sic) tree, and said lines run as designated & located by hacks, & this the southern line running a distance of about twenty five yards south of the Bluff Springs, Thence in a northern direction a distance of (225) Two Hundred and Twenty Five yards, more or less, to the North East corner, designated & marked upon Two Double Sweet Gum Trees, Thence in a westerly direction Two Hundred and Forty yards, more or less, and after crossing the Montgomery & Saline road, running parallel with J. M. McCain's fence and a distance of five or six feet south of said fence to starting point located upon a pine tree, all of said lines are located as run by hacks, and situated in Sec 4 & 5 Grant Parish and Sec 32 & 33 Winn Parish, all in Tw9 & 9 NR 5 West, Containing Fourteen acres more or less. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD same to Grant & Winn Parish association forever, represented by the present board of Trustees & their successors in office, against any & all incumbrancas (sic) of whatsoever nature. It is especially agreed upon and understood that this land is to be used by all religious denominations to be contracted by this board of Trustees representing and composed of different denominations, and it is designed and to be designated as a preparatory place for the salvation of souls for Heave, and not specially for any particular church, but to be used by all who desire, and all improvements erected upon said property shall be used in a manner as designated in this act as above set forth, the association is represented by R. F. Harrison their duly elected President of board of Trustees who accept this deed of transfer for the present board & their successors in office. 18th June A.D. 1896 ATTEST: signed J. W. Jennings A. C. Teddlie signed J. M. McCain (his) James T. Megison (mark) J. W. Horn R. F. Harrison STATE OF LOUISIANA Montgomery, Grant Parish, La. July 20th 1896 Personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned authority, J. M Jennings, one of the attesting witnesses to the above land donation, who after being by me duly sworn, deposes and says that he saw all of the above parties sign this deed of conveyance, that he saw his co witness sign same, and that he now recognizes his own signature as being genuine. signed J. M. Jennings Sworn to and subscribed before me on day and date above written. Signed C. McGinty, Notary Public. Filed and recorded on this 22nd day of July A.D. 1896 R. C. Jones Clk 4th Jud D.C. & Ex Officio Recorder STATE OF LOUISIANA PARISH OF WINN I hereby certify, that the above and foregoing is a true copy of the original act, as same appears of record on pages 103 & 104 in Book "E" conveyance Records of Winn Parish, Louisiana. Witness my hand and seal officially on this the 2nd day of July A.D. 1921 C. McGinty (signed) Clerk & Ex Officio Recorder