HISTORY

History of Church Area

Year, 1750, settlement of the upper country began. There were many buffaloes: so many that 3 or 4 men with dogs could kill 10 - 20 in one day. Wild turkeys were plentiful and deer so numerous that a rifleman with a little powder and shot, could kill 4-5 in one day. A common hunter in one season could kill as many bears as would make 2-3 thousand weight of Bear Bacon. The waters abounded with beavers, otters, panthers and wildcats. There was a profusion of native grasses and canes.

From: S.C. Heritage Series 4

Ramsey's History of S.C. 1808

It is reported that the early settlers of this Cleveland section migrated across the mountain, they were of Irish and Scottish descent. Mr. James McJunkin traded the Indians a pony and some chickens for a section of this country which is now known as Cleveland. According to the old land grants of Mr. Jeremiah Cleveland, (Mr. J. H. Cleveland's grandfather) the government grants were made to the McJunkins, Evans, McCombs, Crowdan, Burnette, Daltons, Bares, Hart, and others.

From: M. L. Jarrard's Book

"The Mountaineer of Cleveland S.C." 1966 Page 132

A Brief History of Cleveland First Baptist Church

In John Asplund's annual register of the Baptist denomination in North America 1790 - 1791, reports Middle Fork Saluda as being constituted in 1773, three years before the Declaration of Independence. The site of the first church building has never been found. Middle Fork of Saluda was the third largest church with 107 members. The minutes of the Bethel Association in 1791 listed John Chastain as Pastor.

TIMELINE

1700s

1750

1773

1775

1783

1791

1793

1794

1796

1797

1799

Settlement of the upper country begins

Middle River Church is constituted

Revolutionary War Begins

Revolutionary War Ends

Rev. John Chastain serves as pastor (1791 - 1796)

Church enters the Bethel Association

Named Changed to Middle Saluda (1791 - 1792)

Named Changed to Middle Branch of Saluda River (1793 - 1794)

Named Changed back to Middle Saluda (1794 - 1795)

Named Changed to Middle Fork Saluda (1796 - 1842)

Rev. Solomon Murphy begins service as pastor (1797 - 1798)

Rev. Issac Lemons begins service as pastor (1799 - 1800)

1800s

1803

1806

1813

1817

1821

1825

1832

1836

1837

1842

1843

1846

1850

1861

1864

1865

1872

1875

1878

1880

1882

1883

1890

1891

1894

1896

1898

Dismissed from the Bethel Association to help start the Saluda Association

Rev. David Adams begins service as pastor (1806 - 1811)

Rev. Issac Lemons begins service as pastor (1813 - 1817)

Rev. Sion (Zion) Blythe begins service as pastor (1817 - 1820)

Rev. Jeremiah Taylor begins service as pastor (1821 - 1824)

Rev. Robert Jordan begins service as pastor (1825 - 1830)

Rev. William King begins service as pastor (1832 - 1834)

Rev. Jeremiah Compton Begins service as pastor (1836)

Rev. Robert Jordan begins service as pastor (1837 - 1841)

Rev. T.L. (Tyre) Roper begins service as pastor (1842 - 1843)

Rev. David Blythe begins service as pastor (1843 - 1847)

Name Changed back to Middle River (1843 - 1845)

Name Changed back to Middle Fork Saluda (1846 - 1861)

Rev. S. Powell begins service as pastor (1849)

No Pastor records found until 1861

Rev. C.M. Phillips begins service as pastor (1861 - 1863)

Named Changed to Saluda (1861 - 1864)

Civil War Begins

Rev. E. Allison begins service as pastor (1864)

Name Changed back to Middle River (1864 - 1962)

Civil War Ends

Rev. M.E. Smith begins service as pastor (1865 - 1870)

Rev. W.S. Anderson begins service as pastor (1872)

Rev. E.P. Stone begins service as pastor (1875)

Rev. J. Dill begins service as pastor (1878)

Rev. W.S. Anderson begins service as pastor (1880)

Rev. R.T. Jones begins service as pastor (1882 - 1883)

Rev. J.T. Singleton begins service as pastor (1883 - 1886)

Rev. J.A. Christopher begins service as pastor (1890)

Rev. W.B. Johnson begins service as pastor (1891)

Rev. R.M. Springfield begins service as pastor (1894)

Rev. J.T. Singleton begins service as pastor (1896)

Rev. G.E. Runion begins service as pastor (1898 - 1900)

1849

1900s

1902

1909

1910

1912

1916

1922

1927

1930

1932

1945

1946

1947

1948

1951

1952

1953

1956

1959

1960

1962

1963

1966

1967

1972

1974

1979

1980

1981

1982

1984

1990

1994

1998

1999

Rev. E.J. Mullinax begins service as pastor (1902, 1906 - 1907)

Rev. G.E. Runion begins service as pastor (1909)

Rev. H.A. Taylor begins service as pastor (1910 - 1911)

Rev. R.M. Springfield begins service as pastor (1912 - 1915)

Rev. E.J. Mullinax begins service as pastor (1916, 1920 - 1921)

Rev. W.P. Brookshire begins service as pastor (1922)

Rev. B.F. Couch begins service as pastor (1927 - 1929)

Rev. Joe Foster begins service as pastor (1930 - 1931)

Rev. George Greer begins service as pastor (1932 - 1937)

Rev. John Turner begins service as pastor (1939 - 1944)

Rev. Marvin C. Hembree begins service as pastor (1945)

Church Purchased first Bus.

Mr. Robert Young was the first driver.

Rev. J.E. Taylor begins service as pastor (1946 - 1947)

Home Mission Field

Rev. W.S. Billingsley begins service as pastor (1947 - 1951)

Mission Trip to Haiti

Present Sanctuary was dedicated in May

Rev. Marlowe Durham begins service as pastor (1952 - 1955)

Church began tradition of giving out Christmas fruit bags

Rev. Fitzhugh Sanders begins service as pastor (1956 - 1958)

Rev. Dean Weaver begins service as pastor (1959 - 1961)

Church office is built

Rev. Landrum Reese begins service as pastor (1962 - 1965)

Named Changed to Cleveland First Baptist (1963 - Present)

Rev. Donald Click begins service as pastor (1966)

Rev. E. Claude Neely begins service as pastor (1967 - 1973)

Rev. E. Claude Neely becomes first pastor to travel to the Holy Land

Mrs. Sophia Sandy becomes oldest known member to be baptized

Rev. Jesse Stewart begins service as pastor (1974 - 1979)

Church began tape ministry

Rev. Johnny Enloe begins service as pastor (1980)

Rev. Lester C. Rich begins service as pastor (1981)

Rev. Carl Pointer begins service as pastor (1982 - 1988)

Prayer Tower erected at the top of the cemetery

Rev. Ralph Lee Jr. begins service as pastor (1990 - 1992)

Rev. Guy Longshore begins service as pastor (1994 - 1998)

Mission Trip to West Virginia

Rev. Dan Newton begins service as pastor (1999)

Rev. John D. Peeples begins service as pastor (1999 - 2005)

1914

World War I Begins

1918

World War I Ends

1939

World War 2 Starts

World War 2 Ends

2000s

2006

2009

2011

2012

2023

2001

2000

2nd Mission Trip to North Dakota

2nd Mission Trip to Haiti

Mission Trip to Wooton, Kentucky

2nd Mission Trip to Wooton, Kentucky

Mission Trip to Cleveland, Ohio

2nd Mission Trip to Cleveland, Ohio

1st Annual Hymn Sing

2nd Mission Trip to Rainelle, West Virginia

Mike Nix and Gilbert Whitman honored as Deacon Emeritus

Billy Ledford honored as Deacon Emeritus

Mission Trip to Romania

2002

Mission Trip to North Dakota

Mission Trip to Trinidad

Mission Trip to Columbia, South America

Mission Trip to Romani

Rev. W. Harold Parris begins service as pastor (2006 - Present)

Mission Trip to Argentina with Three Rivers Baptist Association

Construction of Gym/Recreation Center

Dedication of Gym/Recreation Center

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2022

Homecoming Celebration for Unofficial 250th Anniversary