Salem United Methodist Church, Cedar Bluff, Ala./title>

Salem United Methodist Church is located Township 9 South Range 11 East very near the Alabama-Georgia State line. It is north of the Coosa River. McCoy Ferry and Perkins Ferry were near the church. The lands were occupied by the Cherokee Indians in the early 19th Century. The home of Chief Scraper was in the vicinity, and Scraper Mountain was named for him. Later the peak in Scraper Mountain was called Bogan Peak, because Mr. George Washington Bogan had an extensive vineyard on the mountain. In 1836 it was decreed that the Indians would be moved to Indian Territory, west of the Mississippi River, but some friendly Indians begged to stay, and offered a gift of one-half bushel of gold to be allowed to remain. The cabin of Chief Scraper, near Lawrence Station was pointed out to Visitors in 1926. Tradition has it that DeSoto crossed the Coosa at McCoy Ferry, as he made his way from Rome, Ga. to Maubila. Note l.

Points of interest in the vicinity of Salem United Methodist Church in 1984 include the monument erected in memory of the capture by General N.B. Forrest of the Union Army commanded by Col. Streight. This monument is by the side of the Highway 9, about three miles northwest of Old Hickory Grove School. The school and church Fair Haven were at the Farill farm later, owned by the old Dr. Farril and the young Dr. J. Paul Farill. The young Dr. Farill was born 18 March 1860 in Floyd County, Ga., and was brought to Cherokee County when he was 10 years of age. He attended the Dr. Samuel Lafayette Russell School at Gaylesville, and went to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he was graduated. His father sent him to the new A. and M. School at Auburn in 1878, and then in 1881 he was graduated from the Atlanta Medical College, and set up practice at Farill with his father. He married Miss Alice Bell in 1883. She was the daughter of Rev. L.R. Bell, Methodist Minister.

It will be readily recognized that the name "Farill" was not applied to the Salem Church community until after l870. Up until that time it went by several other names. Some references were to "Perkins Ferry". During the War Between the States, Mr. R. M. J. Perkins sent General Forrest provisions as far as Rome, Ga. on his wagons. His home had been formerly the McGhee home. Perkins' daughter, Mrs. R.H. Hames, lived in the house until her death. The old Anderson House stood for many years, and was a focal point. It was built before the War, and was still standing in 1926. Mrs. William Hall was murdered here. Note 1. It was owned in 1926 by the E. R. Davis estate.

Sherman passed through this area, after camping for several months at Gaylesville. Sherman's men burned everything they found. There were a goodly number of slave-holders in this area, who had been there for over 25 years. Those who "entered" lands were:

Josiah Weakley 1843
Charles Raley 1843
Joseph L. Peeples 1845
John McCoy 1847
John P. Ramsey 1847
John B. Waid 1851
S.M. Waid 1851
Nicholas and Mary McGhee 1851

John B. Hardman entered lands as soon as the opportunity afforded. He was born 13 June 1811 in Georgia, and died 8 Dec. 1899. He married Louisa A. Johnson, born 12 January 1810, in Virginia; died 13 September 1882. Both are buried in Hardman Cemetery near Salem United Methodist Church.

The Medlock Family settled near Salem. The old members are buried in the Cemetery, with marked graves. Note 2.

The Waters Family settled early as did the Raynes Family. Victoria Raines married Henry Sanford Waters. Some of the land near Salem was granted to the soldiers of the 1836 Indian Remova1 Wars, among them were: Nelson Salmon; J. R. Rains; John Bishop; and Grief Roe.

footnote 1: On 9 April 1874, Wm. Hall was sentenced to life for the murder in 1865.
footnote 2: For more information on MEDLOCK, reader may write me. [the original author]
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Abernathy, J.P.
Adams, G.M.
Adams, J. L.
Bennett, J. F.
Bishop, R. D.
Bouchillon, H. J.
Bain, W. J.
Bain, Fred
Beard, John T.
Blythe, S. E.
Blalock, Berry (col.)
Beers, Walter
Chandler, J. W.
Chandler, E. J.
Duncan, J. W.
Fleming, G. L.
Fleming, O. A.

Farrill, J. P.
Gilmer, C. T.
Hall, A. Z.
Hall, A. L.
Hardin, W. F.
Hanks, J. T.
Hanks, Wm. C.
Hanks, L. D.
Hanks, G. O.
Hammett, W. W.
Jackson, C. F.
Lawrence, Gib (col.)
Lockridge, R. E.
Lindsey, J. C.
McCoy, J .M.
McCoy, J. A.
McCoy, W. H.

Newberry, W. O.
Ozment, J. T.
Poole, A. B.
Preskitt, D. O.
Quarles, W. R.
Roe, K. P.
Roe, G. W.
Roe, Paul
Russom, W. A.
Stone, L. B.
Smith, W. J.
Underwood, T. H.
Watters, H. S.
Wood, R. L.
Wells, M. L.
West, F. A.
Watson, Horace
Watson, J. T.

In the list of registered voters, is Senator Lucius Bennett Stone. He was born 15 October 1835, at Homer, Courtland County, N. Y., son of Jacob Thompson and Mary (Bennett) Stone. His mother was the daughter of Asa and Chloe (Grow) Bennett. Mr. Stone came to Georgia at age 20 for his health. On 23 January 1861, he enlisted in Jackson's Battery, Georgia State Troops, and marched to the coast. In April he enlisted in the 2nd Georgia Battalion of Infantry, going with his command to Norfolk, Va. Soon he was assigned to the Georgia Infantry (49th) C.S.A. as drill master. Later he was appointed Ordnance Sgt.

In 1876 he came to Cherokee County. He engaged in merchandising, mining and farming. He was elected State Senator in 1900. On 3 December 1874, he married at Cave Spring, Ga., Martha Shorter Wright, known as "Miss Pattie". She was the daughter of Moses Rochester and Elizabeth (Harper) Wright. Pattie Wright Stone was educated at home and later attended the Female Seminary at Cave Spring. She wrote the interesting "A Tale of a Hundred Years", and other stories. Note 1.

Footnote l. Pattie Wright Stone wrote articles for The Coosa River News, Centre, Ala. 45

SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (cont.)
We have already mentioned the two Doctors Farrill. Dr. John Washington Farill was practicing in Floyd County, Ga. in 1860, when his son, destined to become a medical doctor also, was born. The son was named John Paul Farill. The elderly Dr. Farill was born in 1835 and died in 1913. He took the "county board" in 1887 and became a member of the Cherokee County Medical Society. He was a "non-graduate" of a medical school, but was a successful practitioner.

Dr. John Paul Farill was born 18 March 1860 in Floyd County, and was brought to Alabama in 1870 by his parents. He attended Dr. Samuel Lafayette Russell's school at Gaylesville, and in 1877 graduated from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In 1878 he attended the A. and M. at Auburn, and in 1881 was graduated from Atlanta Medical College. He married, first, in 1883, Miss Alice Bell, the accomplished daughter of Rev. L.R. Bell. Note1. His first wife died in 1885, and he was married, second, in 1891, to Miss Belle Bogan. There were no children by either marriage. The Dr. Farill home was bought by the A.H. Davis[es], and in 1984, Mrs. Alfred Henry Davis lives there. Mrs. Davis is 91 years of age and the oldest member of the Salem United Methodist Church. Dr. J.P. Farill died 23 October 1918.

There were both slave-holders and non-slave-holders in the Coosa River area. Among the slave-holders were: McClelands; Perkins; Andersons; Lawrence; and Wright. The 1870 Census of Precinct 18 (later established) has many black families, by name McCleland, Perkins, Lawrence, and Wright, who had taken the name of the slave owner, upon being freed. The non-slave-holders included Blakemores, Waldrops, and Ganns. Alexander Gann (1805-1870) married Dorotha McGhee, daughter of William McGhee. Family members are buried at Providence.

footnote l: Rev. L. R. Bell was born in 1834, and died at Warrior, AL in 1889, at age 55. He entered the ministry in 1858, and served the North Alabama Conference.

footnote 2: Mrs. Belle Bogan Farill was a granddaughter of Shadrick and Ann (Fee) Bogan, early settlers of Cedar Bluff. H.S. Bogan, Memphis, TN has written a history of THE BOGAN FAMILY. 46

"About four years ago, our pastor and other members updated our Roll, and were dismayed at the decline of our enrollment. As you know, progress has its price, the price being, that in the last 25 or30 years a lot of the country people moved to urban areas and our enrollment has drastically dropped. Now the city people are moving back to the rural areas but continue to attend the larger churches in the towns and cities.

"In updating our membership, I was interested in learning of some of the people who have belonged to Salem Church. Our congregation has a complete roll. Incidentally today we buried our oldest living member of Salem Church, Mrs. T.C. Early. She was 91 years old. That leaves my Mother, who is also 91, as the oldest living member. Mrs. Early was four months older than my Mother.

"About the most sentimental part of Salem in my mind is that my father, A. H. Davis, sawed the lumber that this church was built out of. When you were here and made the picture of the exterior, I wish you could have seen inside our church. I think it is one of the most beautiful country churches I have seen. People tell me that we sure can sing in our church, but the answer to that is the very high ceiling we have. Singing sounds wonderful inside. I have been in the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, and I know now why singing sounds so good.

"Our total membership at Salem is only about 50, and not all of these attend regularly, but we have some very devout members, and the Bible tells us that the Lord will be with us even if we are few in numbers.

"If I can be of any help to you, please let me know. I appreciate your interest in our little church.

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CHAPTER V, SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

from Vol 2 chapter 5 "The History of Methodism in Cherokee County, Alabama 1830-1980 "(typewritten booklet) by Mrs. Frank Ross [Margaret] Stewart, Sr.