Church History

 

During 1904, the little town of Oneonta -- two square miles -- was the county seat of Blount County and located in Murphree's Valley and began to have growing pains.  Within its town limits were small Presbyterian and Methodist churches.  The L & N Railroad (known as the Birmingham Mineral Division-East) served Oneonta and vicinity and had begun its development toward Gadsden and Anniston.  More families began to move into the valley and the population of the county began to rise.  More buildings for churches, to be more centrally located as to the population, became the demand.  Murphree's Valley had grown and extended itself from Walnut Grove on the north to Village Springs on the south.  The demand came to Oneonta, the county seat and centrally located. A group of Baptists met, solved the problem, brought the church to the people and, according to the records, on the last Sunday in September 1904, or September 25, a group of 17 Baptists met and organized the First Baptist Church of Oneonta, Alabama, as per the follow:

 

ONEONTA, ALABAMA.  4th Sunday, September 1904. At a meeting called together at the Baptist church for the purpose of organizing membership into a church of the Missionary Baptist Faith and Order, Brother S. O. Y. Ray, a Baptist minister of Birmingham, Alabama, and Dr. W. M. Cole, a Baptist minister of Blountsville, Alabama, were present. Bro. W. M. Cole acted as Moderator; O. A. Steele, Clerk.  The following brethren and sisters were received by letter into the full membership of the church:

 

Dr. F. G. Donehoo
Mrs. F. G. Donehoo
Mrs. Delia Smith
Ms. Emma Smith
Mr. W. J. Harris

Mrs. W. J. Harris
Mrs. James Barrier
Mrs. J. H. Lowry
Mr. J. R. Wooten
Mrs. Annie Wooten
Mrs. Lucy T. Wooten
Mrs. Albert Spencer
Mr. F. J. Duke
Mrs. F. J. Duke
Mr. O. A. Steele
Mrs. O. A. Steele
Mr. G. W. Darden
 

G. W. Darden was elected spokesman. Articles of Faith read by Bro. S.O.Y. Ray and adopted as read. Prayer by Bro. S. O. Y. Ray. After prayer, Church was declared organized. Conference was left open for further arrangements and the election of church officers or other business.

 

O. A. Steele, Clerk

 

"Minutes, Oct. 2, 1904.  A church conference was called and assembled. Elected, F. G. Donehoo, Moderator; J. R. Wooten, Clerk. The name of the church shall be nown as FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ONEONTA.  J. R. Wooten, O. A. Steele, and W. J. Harris were appointed by the Moderator to arrange for a preacher or see what could be done."

 

"Minutes, Oct. 9, 1904. Church conference was called by Dr. F. G. Donehoo, Moderator. Report of committee to secure preacher: On motion and vote, Rev. W. C. Branham was called as pastor for the First Baptist Church of Oneonta. According to the records, on April 1, 1905, the church raised by public subscription to the sum of $1530 for the following items: $175 to Emery C. Hall, attorney-at-law for one church building lot; $1200 to W. J. Brock for building and labor; one church organ $60.  The newly formed Ladies Aid Society (April 1, 1905) paid $45 on the building debt.

 

 

 

PHOTOS: TOP - BUILDING IN 1904, MIDDLE - BUILDING IN 1928,
BOTTOM - CURRENT BUILDING IN 2010