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BRANTLEY COUNTY HISTORICAL AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY Post Office Box 1096, Nahunta, Georgia 31553 |
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HIGH BLUFF PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH |
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| ........folklore, fact, fiction; Mrs Martha Mizell Puckett records in her book "Snow White Sands" the existenance of church..."there was a settlement on the south banks of the Satilla River that appears to be many years older than the Waynesville Settlement. It was called High Bluff. They had a church and a cemetery (Initially Located East of Raybon in Brantley County.) Why did it move to Big Creek? |
The story is about a settlement of early pioneers on a high bluff of the Satilla
River goes deeper than a review about a religious organization.
Over the years this story has fascinated local residents and aroused a
curiosity about a group of people who initially settled near Raybon, and then
mysteriously relocated to a new site on Big Creek, approximately 23 miles away.
Nothing has been uncovered which identifies the actual arrival of the
Raybon High Bluff settlement. In
“Snow White Sands,” Martha Mizell Puckett records,
“there was a settlement on the south banks of the Satilla River that
appeared tobe many years older than the Waynesville settlement.
It was called High Bluff.
They had a church and a cemetery. . .”
Judge Folks Huxford’s notes revealed that the Raybon High Bluff Church
was initially constituted on June 30, 1819, with the Piedmont Baptist
Association. The settlement could
have occurred prior to the establishment of the church.
They seemed to have come up the river in boats and some may have been
members of Little Satilla Church (location unknown).
The Presbytery of the Raybon High Bluff Church was Fleming Bates and
Isham peacock. Others included,
William and Elizabeth Dryden, Aidey Osteen, John and Phoebe Roberts, Martha
Hill, James Weare, Nancy Dryden, Sabra Taler, and some with family names of
Dowling, Griffin, Roberson, Crews and Thrift.
Acceptance into the Primitive Baptist Church is contingent upon a
confession of faith, an experience with the Lord, and baptism, therefore the
Raybon High Bluff church added membership on a meeting to meeting basis.
According to Judge Huxford’s notes, on May 11, 1822, the church relocated
to Big Creek, near Schlatterville, for the convenience of some members.
It is believed that an epidemic of Cholera was the reason for the move.
On June 1, 1822, the members met at Big Creek and agreed to name the
church Big Creek. Since the
Piedmont Association had no covenant with a church named “Big Creek,” the
initial name of High Bluff Church was restored, although it was 23 miles farther
west of the original location.
According to records, the name of Big Creek was changed to High Bluff in
1878-1880. On December 7, 1822, the Big Creek Church considered the
disadvantage of the members still living at Raybon High Bluff and agreed to set
up a mission church there. On July
5, 1823, the members of Raybon High Bluff Church expressed a desire to become a
constituted church and appointed William Dowling and David Bryant to write to
Big Creek for letters of dismissal. Letters were granted on July 12, 1823 to: Shadrack and Keziah
Jacobs, James and Hannah Douglas; John, Jacob, and Savilla Rhoden, Mary Rhoden,
William and Rebecca Dowling, Samuel Dryden, Elizabeth Kelly, Susannah Crews,
Mary Kelly, and Nancy Melton.
It is not known when the Raybon High Bluff Church was discontinued, but
there is still evidence of a cemetery with three graves and an indication of two
or three more graves. The High
Bluff/Big Creek Church joined the Alabaha Association in 1842 and became a
Crawfordite during the division of 1875.
Ministers ordained by High Bluff include Elders Lester Griffin, Lester
McDonald, Elton R. Dowling, and Frank T. Lee.
John Roberts and wife Phoebe were charter members of High Bluff.
They were dismissed by letter 12-23-1823, to help constitute Kettle Creek
Baptist Church. James Jones Sr. was
ordained as a minister of High Bluff.
Elder Jones and his wife, Nancy were dismissed by letter in order to establish
the Little Buffalo Primitive Baptist Church in Hickox.
The High Bluff Church is still active and is the largest church of the
Alabaha Primitive Baptist Association.
The Altmans, Lees, Griffins, Stricklands, Thomas, and Dowlings are some
of the families that were members of the church.
The large cemetery beside the church is the burial site of many of
Brantley County’s prominent families.
One of the most noted buried at High Bluff is, Mrs. Lydia Stone, “Queen of the
Okefenokee.”
Submitted to the Brantley County Historical Society by Jason R. Deal, 4120 Long Branch Road, Bristol, Ga., 31518, and Mrs. Ann Lawson, Rt. 2, Box 117, Nahunta, Ga., 31553. Sources: Minutes of Alabaha Association, “Snow White Sands,” Judge Folks Huxford’s notes, Janet Griffin Woods, Elder Frank T. Lee, Georgia L. Jones, David I. Lee.