TUGALOO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CEMETERY (1870), Oconee County, SC A.K.A. Cross Roads Presbyterian Version 1.0, 6-Nov-2006, C197.TXT, C197 **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. **************************************************************** LOCATION: --------- Find the intersection of Highways 123 and 76, just west of Westminster. Drive 11.8 miles west on Highway 123. Just before the Georgia border, you will cone to County Road S37-68. Turn right on S37-68 and drive 0.8 miles. Turn right on County Road S37-143 and drive 0.1 miles. Church is located on the left side of the road. Prior visiting arrangements will need to be made with current owner Alexander "Rex" Ramsay, 419 Ramsay Farm Rd., Westminster, SC 29693. HISTORY: -------- The name "Tugaloo" probably comes from the Tugaloo River, the upper part of the Savannah River which forms the border between Stephens County in Georgia and Oconee County. According to an article published in "Names in South Carolina" in the Winter of 1975, the name is derived from that of an early Cherokee settlement called Dugiluyi, which was at the confluence of Toccoa Creek and the Tugaloo River. The Cherokee word may refer to the forks of a river, or to rough water, or water flowing over stones. There is a similar Chickasaw word which means "two." Much of the land in northern Georgia and western South Carolina was ceded by the Cherokees under the treaty of Hopewell in 1785. Tensions between the Cherokees and the settlers, however, continued for a number of years. By the 1850s, however, settlement had vastly increased, partly due to the convenient transportation of men and materials provided by the rivers. Tugaloo Church was founded as the Cross Roads Church by Mr. Patrick Prather between 1855 and 1856, at the junction of Jarrett's Bridge and Westminster Roads. The first pastor was W.P. Grady, and the first elder was Capt. W.A. Ramsay. Among the prominent families associated with the church were the Scotts, Prathers, Halls, Ramsays, Dicksons and Doyles. Like many of the early churches, the tiny congregation struggled. By October of 1859, the presbytery considered the prospects at Tugaloo to be "dull," although the congregation was "somewhat improved." The church was moved to a point near the Tugaloo River in Oconee County around 1870. Among the early pastors of the church were W.P. Grady, R.A. McWhorter, Dr. S.L. Morris (probably sometime around 1876-82, when he was serving the Walhalla church), R.M. Kirkpatrick (probably while serving Westminster and Retreat 1885-88), Newton Smith 1892-96 (pastor Westminster and Retreat, stated supply Tugaloo), William Taylor Matthews(probably while pastor at Westminster 1896-97) , Robert Lee Rogers (probably while pastor at Walhalla and Richland 1897-1905), Lee Harrell, Dr. J.J. Harrell, C.H. Ferran (perhaps while serving the church in Toccoa GA 1908-09), Morris Elmore Peabody (perhaps while serving Westminster and Retreat, 1909-12), Joseph Edward Wallace (perhaps while serving Westminster and Retreat, 1911-13), A.N. Littlejohn (1919-21, while also serving Retreat and Oakway, and pastor of Westminster), T.D. Cartledge (1923-25, while serving Westminster and Retreat), and J.S. Crowley, 1927-31 (while also supplying Retreat). A number of "sons of the church" became ministers or officers in other Presbyterian congregations. Rev. Warren Richard Hall became a minister in Milford, Texas; Dr. C.M. Walker was an elder and deacon in the Westminster Church; Dr. E. C. Doyle became an elder in the Seneca church; C.P. Walker and W.F. Hughes were deacons in the Walhalla church; and George Ramsay became a deacon in the church in Toccoa, Georgia. The cemetery was established in the 1890s. Although some sources indicate that the church has been inactive since the 1930s, it struggled on through the 1950s and 1960s. In 1956 the pastorate was vacant, and the church was being carefully surveyed by the Committee on Church Extension; in 1957 "periodic services" were being conducted at Tugaloo. That same year, the Walhalla church was asked by Presbytery to try to revive the work at Tugaloo, but this effort failed. The Tugaloo Church officially dissolved on October 1, 1968. The building, surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, sits on private land owned by Alexander (Rex) Ramsay, and has recently been restored. o----------o Cross Roads Church was built by Mr. Patrick Prather about 1856, at the junction of Jarrett's Bridge and Westminster roads. The pastor was W.P. Grady; elder, Captain W.A. Ramsay. Prominent families were the Scotts, Prathers, Halls, Ramsays, Dicksons and Doyles. About 1870, the church was moved to a point near Tugaloo River, in Oconee County and called Tugaloo Church. Among the pastors were: W.P. Grady, R.A. McWhorter, Dr. S.L. Morris, R.M. Kirkpatrick, Newton Smith, W.T. Matthews, R.L. Rogers, Mr. Lee Harrell, of Toccoa Church, Dr. J.J. Harrell, Mr. Ferren of Toccoa, M.A. Peabody, J.E. Wallace, A.N. Littlejohn, Rev. T.D. Cartledge, Mr. Siler of Toccoa Church and Mr. DuBose also preached there. Charter members were the Ramsays, Jarretts, Walkers, Hughes, Halls, Doyles, Jones, Wards. Also Aunt Caroline Ramsay, colored servant of the Ramsay family. The officers were: Elders, O.I. Walker, A.R. Jarrett, Devereaux Jarrett, G.J. Ramsay - the latter the only surviving elder. Dr. Jarrett is still living in Texas. G.J. Ramsay died March 24, 1926. Many sons of the mother church have served and are serving as officers in other churches. One minister, Rev. Warren Richard Hall, D.D. son of W.D. and Dora Hall, is now pastor in Milford, Texas. Dr. C.M. Walker, son of O.I. and Mary Walker, served the Westminster Church first as deacon, then as elder until his death in 1924. Dr. E.C. Doyle, son of Dr. O.M. and Mary Ramsay Doyle, is an elder in the Seneca Church. C.P. Walker, brother of Dr. Walker, is serving as deacon in the Walhalla Church. George Ramsay, son of Capt. A.H. and Zaidie Ramsay, is a deacon in the Toccoa, Georgia church. THE LITTLE WHITE CHURCH Bypassed in today's pattern of larger, more modern buildings, the historic Tugaloo Presbyterian Church nestles in a vale near Madison in Oconee County. The little church was built in Georgia's Old Habersham County, put together with pegs, hand-hewn boards, and loving care. In1856, it was moved to the South Carolina side, on the site of the present post office in Madison. Some years later it was traveling time again and it was relocated on the present Ramsay estate near the Tugaloo River. Here it still stands amid tall pines and comforting oaks, a silent symbol of the little white churches of those earlier years. Regular worship was continued until sometime in the 1930's and then monthly services were held for about 10 years. After this, the building slipped into disuse except for special services. Included is a homecoming each September when families of the founding fathers return to pay homage to a religious heritage. Lt. Col. William Thomas Ramsey owns this church and it is located on the newly paved S.C. 3743 which follows the oldest road in Oconee County. Col. Ramsey is now a deacon of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and his phone number is 647- 2797. Every third Sunday in September a reunion is held here with dinner on the ground. R.C. (Russ) Carter, II, a grandson of O.I. Walker, now lives at 205 Lovingood Avenue, Phone 638-2991 and he has served the Walhalla Presbyterian Church as a deacon two terms in the past. DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in April-2001 Nancy S. Griffith at ngriffit@mail.presby.edu in Apr-2001 DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in April-2001 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Nancy S. Griffith at ngriffit@mail.presby.edu in Apr-2001 LIBRARY REFERENCE: Nancy S. Griffith at ngriffit@mail.presby.edu in Apr-2001 Public Library in Walhalla SC LOCATION WRITE-UP: Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in April-2001 TRANSCRIPTION .. : Ann Rogers of Walhalla SC in 1980's TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: -------------------- a. = age at death b. = date of birth d. = date of death h. = husband p. = parents w. = wife BROWN, Joanna, b. 2-mar-1922, d. 19-feb-1923, p. joe & jennalu brown BROWN, Joseph, b. 5-oct-1893, d. 4-oct-1947, w. jennalu brown DAVIS, James Walter, b. abt-1919, d. 5-aug-1998, w. ida woods davis, p. robert & mary montieth davis GOLDSMITH, Charles H. (Jr), b. 27-jan-1914, d. 13-apr-1975, w. laura g. goldsmith GOLDSMITH, Charles H. (Sr), b. 28-aug-1887, d. 5-sep-1963 GOLDSMITH, George J., b. 25-oct-1918, d. 28-feb-1920, p. c.h. & laura g. goldsmith GOLDSMITH, Laura Grace Ramsay, b. 21-apr-1889, d. 29-oct-1918, h. c.h. goldsmith GOLDSMITH, Ramsey, b. 4-aug-1911, d. 4-apr-1913, p. c.h. & laura goldsmith GRANT, Garfield, 28-apr-1969, beside robert l. grant GRANT, Robert L., beside garfield grant HALL, W.D., b. 25-jun-1862, d. 12-dec-1921 JARRETT, Deanna, b. 7-jul-1938, d. 14-jul-1938, p. walter & maka jarrett JARRETT, Donald Devereaux, b. 24-dec-1935, d. 21-jan-1961 JARRETT, Infant Son, b. 13-jun-1967, d. 13-jun-1967, p. jimmy & doris jarrett JARRETT, Infant Son, b. 5-jul-1998, d. 5-jul-1998, p. walter & millie jarrett JARRETT, Maka Jones, b. 3-jul-1913, d. 1-mar-1986, p. james dendy & annabel ramsay jones, h. walter jarrett JARRETT, Michael Doyle, b. 28-nov-1940, d. 25-jun-1992 JONES, Annabel R., b. 1876, d. 1944 JONES, Bonnie Jean, b. 27-apr-1954, d. 3-may-1954, f. b.r. jones JONES, Charlie B., b. 31-dec-1877, d. 25-apr-1971, buried with pearl h. jones JONES, Claud Ramseur, b. 24-nov-1898, d. 22-mar-1968, w. velma l. jones JONES, James D., b. 1875, d. 1958, beside anna bell r. jones JONES, James Louis, b. 3-oct-1923, d. 8-feb-2000, w. maggie burch jones, p. claud r. & velma deerhart jones JONES, Joel J., b. 19-nov-1900, d. 16-mar-1975 JONES, Mag Burch, b. 25-may-1927 JONES, Ramsay D., b. 14-sep-1908, d. 30-dec-1979 JONES, S.A. (Jr), b. 10-mar-1875, d. 25-mar-1931, w. zella ferguson jones JONES, Sarah E., b. 23-feb-1937, d. 19-feb-1996 JONES, Velma L. Dearhart, b. 2-jan-1904, d. 23-jan-1948, h. claud jones JONES, Vera E., b. 5-mar-1904, d. 30-dec-1962 JONES, Zachary Wayne, b. 5-jun-1950 JONES, Zella Ferguson, b. 3-apr-1874, d. 6-may-1919, h. s.a. jones MESCHINE, Jennalu B., b. 8-jun-1903, d. 25-may-1983 MESCHINE, Maurice, b. 20-jul-1895, d. 28-oct-1977 McMILLIAN, Sam Farmer Ramsay, b. 1903, d. 2002, h. robert mcmillian jr PURYEAR, William C., b. 23-nov-1923, d. 6-may-1985 RAMSAY, George Julius (Jr), b. 1878, d. 1937 RAMSAY, George Julius (Sr), b. 12-jul-1849, d. 28-mar-1926, w. samantha ramsay RAMSAY, Mamie Lou E., b. 27-dec-1881, d. 12-sep-1970, h. george j. ramsay jr RAMSAY, Mary E., b. 4-aug-1854, d. 21-jun-1896, h. george j. ramsey sr RAMSAY, William Thomas (Sr), b. 30-sep-1905, d. 5-oct-1990, p. george j. & mamie lou edge ramsay, w. helen garty ramsay RAMSAY, William Thomas (Jr), b. 14-feb-1944, d. 5-may-1987, f. william t. ramsay sr STEPPLETON, James Larry, b. 26-jan-1944, d. 17-dec-1994 THOMAS, Britton Michelle, b. 28-may-1979, d. 19-mar-1996, h. steve thomas, f. sam ramsay WALKER, Mary Eliza, b. 24-jan-1844, d. 2-mar-1908, h. osmond irvin walker WALKER, Osmond Irwin, b. 13-jun-1838, d. 9-jun-1906, w. mary e. walker