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Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Pilot Knob Community Micajah Davis lived with his
family live near Moss Spring in a two-story cabin near Fort Warren.
Land records show that he was granted 1280 acres on June 11,
1839. The story is that Rev. Sumner Bacon was riding down an old wagon road near Moss Springs. Micajah Davis invited him to his cabin. During his time there, Rev. Bacon was asked to preach for Mr. Davis's family and neighbors, amounting to about twenty people. From this chance meeting grew the beginning of Pilot Knobs Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Meetings continued to be held in the Davis cabin or a neighbor's home. When warmer weather arrived, the congregation chose a spot located about one mile southeast of the Davis cabin on the branch of Iron Ore Creek for a meeting place. A campground was carved out on the south side of the creek. A cemetery was established on the north side of the same creek. It is unknown why the church, cemetery, campground and community was named Pilot Knob's. It was customary for men, at that time, to call small hills knobs. Camp Meetings at that time lasted from three days to a week. Usually there would be, at least, two preachers and preaching was done day and night. The trustees of Pilot Knob Cumberland Presbyterian Church purchased the ten-acre piece of land on which they had been holding churchs, picnics, and meetings on July 21, 1848. The land was part of the Patrick C. Martin Survey which was owned by Alonzo Larkin. The deed states the name of the property being bought was "the Pilot Knob Camp Ground." The deed was signed by M. C. Davis, Robert Bean and William Johnson, trustees. Witnesses were James H. Mars and Aaron Hill. One of the terms of the sale read "for the use and benefit of the Pilot Knob Cumberland Presbyterian Church and their successors, as well as for a school house and campground forever." The deed was recorded January 29, 1849. Pilot Knob Presbyterian Church grew over the next ten years. The decline in membership began when another Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized in Sherman, Texas. The building(s) on the property disintegrated. Some of the old tombstones which surrounded the church remained with many ravaged with time and are buried, stolen or broken. source: Micajah C. Davis (1786 - 1860), Pilot Knob Community Churches Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any links inoperable, please send me a message. |