Log Church of Morgan County Alabama

Prepared by Fred McCaleb Nov. 1995

Morgan County seems to be the area where the Christian and the Church of Christ
first got started in Alabama. In the Nick Morris diary, compiled between 1890
and 1930 in NE Fayette County, he says that Sallie A.W. Morris obeyed the
gospel year 1837 at the old Hickory Log Church in Morgan County and was
baptized by Carwell Kendrick of that county. Sallie A.W. was the daughter of
Nick and Mary Haackworth, and she was born March 14th, 1824. She was married to
Philemon Anderson Morris of NE Fayette county Ala. Nick Morris, the diary
writer, was their son, and he was named after his grandfather Nickodemus
Hackworth.
Nick Hackworth was one of the very early Church of Christ preachers in North
Ala. He had been an influential member in the Primitive Baptist Church. The
Primitive Baptists disowned him after he came to believe like the Church of
Christ and threw him out.
Nick and Mary Hackworth had another daughter named Mary Ann. She was born Feb.
22, 1819 and died Oct. 8, 1901 in Texas. Mary Ann was Married to John McCaleb.
John was the oldest son of Hugh and Elizabeth Holbrook McCaleb, and they came
out of Stokes County N.C. between 1820 and 1830 to Fayette County, Al. John
McCaleb was also an early preacher in North Ala. and in Fayette county, Al. His
name is on many Church of Christ marriage licenses in the Fayette Court House.
He preached in the mid 1800s to the congregation at Berea and surrounding
churches in the area. In his older age he went to Texas and he and wife Mary
Ann Hackworth died there. I never found out if Nick Hackworth influenced John
to become a preacher. I think there was some kind of training school in North
Ala. operated by Larrimore. John McCaleb is mentioned in the book "Larrimore
and his Boys." I have a photocopied copy of that book.
Back to Morgan County and the old Log Church. This church wasn't the very first
place for a Church of Christ preacher to preach in Morgan County. The following
is from the "History of Morgan County" by John Knox. B.F. Hall is said to have
delivered the first sermon preached by a member of his group in Alabama, at
Moulton, in 1826.

In Morgan County, the Cedar Plains Church, about five miles west of Falkville is
rated in the Watson history as probably the oldest Christian church in the
sttate with continuous service. Early records are said to have been destroyed
when the home of W.P.Wallace burned. "but it is known that in the fall of 1837,
William H. Hackworth, Thomas Wallace, Polly Hackworth, Ann Raley, and Sallie A.
Hackworth made their confessions and were immersed." A cedar log building was
erected there in 1849, or 1850,and early preachers were T.J. Randolph, J.M.
Haley, and Tolbert Fanning. For many years this log building was used as a
school, which attracted pupils from Lawrence and cullman counties. The famous
T.B. Larrimore preached here in 1884 about the time the first frame building
was erected. This building was later renovated, but was destroyed by a tornado
in 1955. The present building replaced it. My ancester Hugh McClaeb and his
family must have lived somewhere in the vicinity of the old Log Church.
Elisha Randolph is listed among the first of the Church of Christ preachers in
Morgan County, and he preached at Somerville
in 1830. His descendants, Lorenzo Dow, Jeremiah, Simeon, and Virgil were early
preachers in Fayette County at Berea.

Christian Messenger Vol. 4, P 286

Bro. Elisha Randolph of Somerville, Ala. writes oct. 18, 1830. The prospects of
religion are brightening a little among us. Four were baptized last evening,
and some more are expected today. We have great opposition by the reputed
orthodox, but we think their opposition will be of little avail, for the truth
will avail. I send you 14 new subscribers.
Subscriptions for Vol 9, 1835 p216 Flint Mills, J. Randolph,Walker Court House
E. Randolph for Wm. Billingsly,Jeptha Billingsly. 75 cts per subscription.

1840 Mooreville, Al.
Dear Bro. Scott, The truth has taken a strong hold in this section; being last
Aug. convinced of the faith, I wrote to the Brethren of Tuscumbia to send over
a person to immerse me. Bro. Kendrick came. He has for some time to teach us
here the Gospel. To God be the glory. J.S. Hendley