White's Chapel Church of Christ

by Fred McCaleb

This church was established in 1927 with the following charter members: Bob and Cordia Herren, Jerry and Siddy White, Oscar and Dell Dodd, Mr. and Mrs. Boss Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hollingsworth, Mr. and Mrs. White Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hollingsworth.

Some of the earlier ministers were Charlie A. Wheeler, Gus Nichols, A.D. Dias, Chester Estes, W.A. Black, Edsel Burleson, and V.P. Black.

This church is located about 2 miles south of The Bazemore community in NE Fayette County, Ala.

My grandfather James "Jim" Franklin and Rejina Catherine McCaleb lived about a quarter mile down the road from that church. Their children were H (my dad), Walker married Lula Roby, Mary married Lonnie Box, and Verla Married Louie Roby. In 1925, Frank White and his wife lived in a nice framed house, the first one on right south of the church. He was the son of Jerry and Sid White. I have been told that Jerry White was the principle influence in getting White's Chapel started, and the church was named for him. Frank White had gone off to WW1 and lost one of his lungs. He struggled for breath the rest of his life. Best I recollect he had a mail carrier job, therefore had more income than anyone else in the community. One of his daughters married Marshall Wyers. Marshall was a young man that came to Mt. Olive Church to preach on a Sunday or two when I was attending church there in the 1930s. Marshall's son James Wyers is presently (1995) preaching at the Winfield Church of Christ. He does a good job preaching. Much of the attendees are young people, which is rare in a modern church. I like to think the influence of Jerry White and Marshall Wyers is extending on through the years.

The second house on right of road south of White's Chapel was Walker and Lula Roby McCaleb's. Walker deeded a piece of land across the road from his house and toward the church for a community center and a church social building. Home coming dinners and church social events take place there. Walker had three children. They were Arlin, Ilene, and Clifton McCaleb. Clifton and Arlin were active in the church during its' history.

Down the road on the left past Walker McCaleb lived his parents James "Jim" and Rejina C. Hollingsworth McCaleb, Walker's parents and my grandparents. I never knew exactly how good their church attendance was, but assumed they were members at Berea or White's Chapel and maybe attended some events at both places. I stayed at their house one summer and attended a singing school conducted by Homer Colley. I think my brother Hubert and sister Clancy also attended. Needless to say, I failed to learn how to sing. That represented my total training in the musical world, and still no singing improvement.

Next house down the road on the left was the Bob and Cordia Herren house. They raised fifteen children ranging in age from the older ones that my dad played with to the younger ones that went to school at Clover Hill and were in my age group. They were Susan Emma that married John Russell Roby; Duncan Newbern that married Ada Rosena Sprinkle; Elijah Columbus "E.C." that married Myrtle Lee Erwin (my first school teacher. ) Columbus was ordained to preach when young, but later just gave talks at churches. He was mainly a school teacher. Louis Wiley that married Alma Irene Hiten (dau of Raymond Hiten, a school teacher.)Wiley became a C. of Christ preacher. ; Alma that married Walter A. Dodd; Marion Francis that married Lucille Berry; Sherman Theodore who married Lorene Brazil; Robert Howard that married Maggie Lee Hutchins; Velma Neeland that married John Frederick Wyers; C.S. that married ( 1) Dora Bopeep Hollingsworth, and John Sidney "Jigs" that married Evacille Davis. Four of the children died young. I went to school at Clover Hill one year with the last three, and my dad, H McCaleb went to school at the same place with three or four of the earlier Herrens. Some, or all, of these Herrens and families must have attended White's Chapel part of the time. The names of the ones they married may also have attended.

Down from Bob Herren was the Aute and Emma Hollingsworth Tucker Family. Further on over were Wheeler Tucker and the Robys.

The Oscar Dodd and Idella White Dodd lived across the road from White's Chapel during the 1930s. I recollect their daughter Inez and son Garvin "Dits" Dodd. They may have had more. Seems like one may have died of typhoid fever. Their well got infected with the typhoid germ.

Jerry White seems to have masterminded the founding of White's Chapel. Jerry and Siddie Tucker's family that lived were Frances Jane who married William Henry Clark; Idella who married William Oscar Dodd, and Andrew Franklin who married Emma E. Sparks as a second wife. Frank married Velma Johnson about 1915. Frank had to go off to WW1 and Velma died, I don't know if from childbirth or what. One source said Velma walked off and left Frank and died later. Velma was the daughter of T.S. "Ditch" Johnson and Mary Frances McCaleb, a sister of my grandpa Jim McCaleb. Ditch wasn't much good and was in Texas and my grandfather was taking care of Velma and some of the Johnson family when Velma married Frank White. So the McCalebs didn't lack much being kin to the Frank white Children.

Before White's Chapel the church was at Clover Hill, about a mile east of present location. Clover Hill may have needed repairs and was probably about worn out. Whether there was some sort of split that formed Tidwell's Chapel and White's Chapel I never knew as we were away in Miss. at that time.

Frank and Emma Sparks White's children were Frankie Lee White who married Marshall Wyers. Marshall was beginning to be a Church of Christ preacher when I was in my teens (1930s.) Their son James Wyers is the preacher at Winfield Church of Christ (1995.) Franks daughter Myrl Christine married Boss Beasley; son Thomas Loyd married Edith Sue Sherer,; Jerry Calvin married Jewell Brazil?; Juanita Inez maarried "Bill" Black; and there was a son named Eugene Rudolph White.

At the forks of the old gravel road at White's Chapel was a little store run by a Sprinkle, Moses I think. Some of the Sprinkles went to church there. Going north toward Bazemore and across New River was the Holly and Alma Woodard Tucker family. Then in Bazemore was the Howell families and the Tom and Molly McCaleb Hollingsworth family. Tom ran a store in Bazemore back then, and his son Ecter later operated the same store. Many of the Howells and Hollingsworths up there went to White's Chapel. This is about all I have picked up on this church. The cemetery there is full of graves of people I knew, or knew of, that have been put there during my lifetime. It's enough to make one want to cry.

Some of this info was furnished by James "Jim" Herren, son of C.S.,and some was from Herbert Newell's History of Fayette County. Some came from Fred McCaleb who did this write-up.

New River Vignette

By Myrtle Aldridge
Submitted by Fred McCaleb

On Sunday August 4 (year unknown) a series of meetings began at the New River Church of Christ. Curtis W. Posey is doing the preaching, and the public is cordially invited.
This must be at least seventy five times that an event sililar to this has taken place on this same spot. The original building was incorporated into the present one when a remodeling job took place a few years ago.
1886 has been given as the date of organization. Mr. John Tyler McCaleb owned a large farm near by. He gave the land and financed the building of the house except for $18 which was donated by Mr. Jim Wade. Mr. McCaleb was an elder from the time of the organization till his death August 13, 1918.
One of his young daughters was first to be buried in the church cemetery. She was Sarah H. McCaleb Reed. June 13, 1868 to Oct. 13, 1888. She left a small son, Luther, who was reared by his grandfather.
Another daughter, Medora S. Haley, 1866?-1890, also left a small son Wilburn who was also reared by his grandfather McCaleb.
Mr. McCaleb was twice married: first to Elizabeth Susan McDonald whose dates are 1847-1894. After her death he was married to Mattie Drucilla Lee whose dates are 1860 to 1940.
Mr. McCaleb was highly respected by all who knew him. A man once came to him to buy a turn of corn. Mr. McCaleb was busy and told the man to go to the crib and help himself. The man said, "But no one will be with me to check on my honesty." "Oh you are mistaken" replied Mr. McCaleb, "The Lord will be there."
Needless to say, the man could not have then been dishonest if he had had any inclination to do so.
Mr. McCaleb was also known for his generosity. Mr. Huse Haney tells me that during a big meeting he had seen as many as forty saddles on the fence at Mr. McCaleb's home.
Papa Aldridge told me that as a young man, he often visited in this home. On one such occasion, several pallets had to be made down. The next morning Aunt Silla said "Well where did Wilburn sleep last night?" To this her young stepson, Joe McCaleb, replied, "The last time I saw him he was standing in a corner with a quilt over his head, like a tent."
From 1899 till 1911, Mr. McCaleb served as postmaster of the New River Post Office.
Some ministers who have served this churchS: Jeremiah Randolph, whose dates are 1807 to 1894, his son Virgil, whose dates are 1847 to 1908,Green Haley, Joe Halbrooks, C.A. Wheeler, W.A. Tipton, Samuel B. Carson, Howell Taylor & others.
Uncle Joe Holbrooks lived at New River for a period of 16 years. He preached there, in adjoining communities and counties. At the time he was considered a very scholarly man, for he had attended Mars Hill Bible School near Florence.
Some of the older members of this church today are Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hollingsworth, Mrs. Lucy McCaleb and Mr. Oliver Davis and wife.
The morning I visited this cemetery, a gentle rustling of the leaves, bird calls, the flutter of butterflies wings in an ancient crepe myrtle, were the only sounds in this tranquil spot. I was reminded of a poem by Mrs. Ruth E. McCaleb as I stood by l
her grave, in which she described the land which her husband loved, the acres of fine corn through which the wind passed and "Came to rest, with a sigh, at his tomb."

Skimming Ridge School or Boxes Creek School

(On front row third from left is Fred McCaleb)
by Fred McCaleb

From the best info I could obtain from the old timers in the area of this old one teacher school, it was built about 1910-12. It was located on the road between Berea Church of Christ and New River Baptist Church in Northeast Fayette County, Al. It was not built as a church building. Some singings and church events may have been held there in the last years of its duration. Berea probably had a country one teacher school, so did New River Baptist (Killingsworth) church, Clover Hill, Gravel Hill, Philadelphia Church, Glen Allen and other communities around the Hubbartville area. Fayette County had many one teacher schools up to around 1930. The schools in the Hubbartville area were consolidatted into Hubbardville Junior High School which later became Hubbartville High School. Skimming Ridge School operated from about 1912-1927. Travis Hollingsworth came in possession of the school house at end and dismantled it by hand,piece by piece.
I wondered how this building came to have the name of Skimming Ridge. Skimmings were a byproduct of sorghum molasses making. They could be stored in a barrel, let ferment into alcohol, and then boiled off in a still to obtain whiskey. One of the local enterpreneurs saved some barrels of skimmings, dug holes in the ground for the barrels and camouflaged the location. Some local resident came along and fell into one of the barrels. Thereafter the area was known as Skimming Ridge. Boxes Creek School was named Skimming Ridge after the above event.
Some of the earlier students at this school were the Sherrill and Fanny Barnard Killingsworth children : Cecil, Grady, Barnard, Arla and Mae. The younger ones Barbera and Gladys didn't go there.
John and Catherine Hollingsworth Nichols' children Ruby and Jack attended.
Dan and Leona(Mayfield) Swindle's children Mae, Reuben and Talmadge attended.
Wallace and Susan Angeline Tucker Roby's Children Attended. They were Ras, Emma, Louie, Arthur, Mae and Ruth and Willidine. Louie married Verla McCaleb(sister of my dad H.) Ruth Married Arvil Moore. Willidine married a Webster & Mae an Eads.
Judge and Maud Killingsworth Hollingsworth's children Sherman and Shelby attended. I(Fred McCaleb) can recollect when Shelby got burned to death under a T Model Ford truck that had turned over on him one night. He struck a match to see how to get out and gas caught on fire.
Houston and Kate McCaleb Haney's children Avis, Pauline, Lucille and Wilma attended. Their younger children Jimmie Lou and Borden didn't go there. Huse was a famous Church of Christ Preacher.
Billy and Alabama Hocutt's kids Cecil and Sleetia attended.
Billy and Alabama Whitehead were students?
Floyd ,Minnie Tucker, Jerry and Evie attended. Parents were Dee & Mandy Tucker.
Pollard Wakefield's daughters Carrie and Essie were students, and Essie was later a teacher there.
Charlie and Mollie Malone Killingsworthh's children Claudie, Wilburn and Sam attended.
Bud and Sara Hollingsworth's children Maud, Artie, Travis, Pate, Ceburn, and Cleburn attended.
Dude and Georgia Hollingsworth's children Lillie and Luther and Georgia attended.
John R.Hollingsworth's Dodson grand daughter Mabelle and her brother Lawrence went there.
Jim and Velma McCollum's kids were Ila, Wiley, Frankie & J.C.
Frank and Jinnie Box's kids were Ola, Lola, and Zola.
Tom and Bessie McCollum's kids were Ida and Ada.
Sem and Silla Tucker's kids were Sherman, Boss, Pearl and Eurna. John Roby's kids Roy, Early and Cordie Bell attended.
Jim and Mandy Kelly Hollingsworth's children were Ned, Luke, Flonnie, Tom, Alfred, Andy, Bess and Dot.
Curley and Bessie Sprinkle's kids were Basil, Polly, Kate, Mildred and Lois.
Tim and Sleetie Beauchamp McCaleb's attendees were Roy, Houston, and Alton.
Andrew and Julie Dunnovant's child that attended was Marvin.?
Rass and Carrie Sprinkle's kids were Tine, Lou Eva, Bethie, and Fletcher.
The ones I recollect the best were the older children of Ecter and Ethel Hallmark Killingsworth. They were Ola, Eunice, Mildred and I believe also Vivian. We walked to school together, and had to pass over Boxes Creek on a one bannister footlog. Ola got dizzy and fell off the footlog one day. She barely missed falling into the water and drowning. Her face was injured and bleeding. We got help and she pulled through. The above were cousins.
The H and Eza Hallmark McCaleb's son Fred attended this school as his first introduction to the educational world. The teacher Alma Sherrer Kizzire made an example of me and her son Albert. Alma was one of my mother's best girl friends.
One of the pupils that went to this school made a lawyer. He was Jim McCollum. His son Hardy McCollum is mayor of Tuscaloosa, Al.now(1996.) You can never tell what a school or individual will produce or become.Jim's dad was Capt.Newman McCollum. Jim's brother Clay also attended.
Virgie and Minnine Hollingsworth and Felix (their brother and husband of Arla Killingsworth) were early students. Could that have been where Arla met Felix? Their oldest son Howard may have attended there a while. Parents were John T. and Orpha Perry Hollingsworth.
Some of the Joe Kellly children attended this school. They were Jess, Fannie, and Bill.
The teachers I could find out about were Jim and Pollard Wakefield, Pollard and Bet Wakefield's daughter Essie, Thomas Herren, Myrtle Ervin Herren(wife of Columbus), Alma Sherrer Kizzire (later Cannon,), Murry Duncan,Florence Ezell,Fred Johnson, Fannie Little, Kelly Little and Maybell Baker.
The board of education(a paddle or good switch from the woods) resided on the teacher's desk at that time. Obeying easy.
Some contributors for this write up were Ada McCollum Box, Ruth Roby Moore, Arla Killingsworth Hollingsworth and her family, Fred McCaleb and my cousin Eunice Killingsworth.
The classes of old Skimming Ridge School are thinning out now. Only a few of the most hardy that have survived the hardships and temptations of the years are around today. Arla Hollingsworth is about 95. The youngest would be around 70. The house is gone and its pupils are about gone. The bell that called the classes from playing town ball and "Antny Over" still survives on a post at a neighbors' of my Aunt Verla McCaleb Roby Sandlin. I have a VCR recording of the bell. Soon it will be only something to read about. Then the story will not be believed. I felt like I wanted to say something for posterity about my first school. I guess I learned something about reading, writing and arithmetic here and some respect for authority.
The Roby children walked through Sie McCollum's pasture to get to school. Sie's bull would try to run them out of his territory. Sie was a black boy from slave days. He had Bill Ervin make him a coffin many years before he died and kept it under his bed. He said his black (he called them Nigger) kids were too sorry to bury him. All the whites loved Sie. Sie showed my dad and I how he fit in his coffin one day in the 1930's when we stopped by to talk. Andrew McCaleb just about gave Sie the first track of land he acquired and told Sie never to let the white folks beat him out of it. I am not sure, but don't think his estate has been settled yet. There is a nice McCollum Cemetery there where many of his descendants are buried. So many of his descendants must have been better than he thought they would be.
None of Sie's kids had the privilege of attending Skimming Ridge.
Ada McCollum had to walk to school with Alton McCaleb. Alton was a big tease and aggrevated her very much.
I don't recall getting into any fights while attending Skimming Ridge. I was 6-years of age at the time. My cousin Ola Killingsworth was sort of a "mother hen" that looked after her younger sisters and me. I did have fights in other schools later, especially at Shannon, Ms.
School lunches were not packed in a paper bag at that time. One brought his or her lunch in a half gallon lard can. You might have a biscuit with some ham meat or country eggs in it. One might have some butter and syrup or jelly to put on the biscuit.
The pickings were not too good. They just depended on what home grown canned or dried food your mother had at home. Fried apple tarts with plenty of grease in the ingredients were a favorite. The apples were sliced, dried and bagged in the summertime. Later sandwiches from bought loafbread became popular, and the lunch was packed in a paper bag. Then that succombed to the school lunch program under the present socialism. Still the kids liked junk food instead of the good prepared food, and spent their allowance for junk food and dope. There was no allowance at Skimming Ridge, and face was lost if you got a whipping at school you got another one by your parents at home if they found out. Self esteem was earned by performance instead of teaching it.