Cub Creek Primitive Baptist Church Minutes, 1805-1929

The Stewart County Archives has received a wonderful donation of the minute book of Cub Creek Primitive Baptist Church, spanning the years 1805-1929.
 
As the church was already in existence by 1805, it becomes the first organized church in Stewart County. (McKendree Church near Cumberland City organized in 1812, at a site where religious gatherings had been taking place for about 15 years. Crockett Creek Primitive Baptist Church organized in 1809, and Saline Creek Primitive Baptist Church in 1810).
 
The church was first located at the head of Cub Creek, in northeastern Stewart County, then moved a couple miles east to the head of Dicks Fork of North Cross Creek in the 1850s, and then in 1900 moved to its final location at Legate. It disbanded in 1948, as the creation of Fort Campbell had displaced the last remaining members.
 
The minute book has been in the loving care of the Foster family of Greenwood, Indiana, whose ancestor Frank P. Foster was the last church clerk before moving to LaFayette, Kentucky. An entry at the back of the book indicates that it was purchased in 1812 by member George Petty for $2.75.
 
Cub Creek Church joined the Red River Baptist Association in 1808, which divided in 1813 due to growth.  Cub Creek became part of the western division, called the Little River Association. When Little River split in 1833 due to the subject of mission work, Cub Creek remained Primitive, joining what was called the Original Little River Association, of which it was a member until the 1948 disbanding. Church membership stagnated after the 1833 split, however.
 
The minutes reflect typical church business and membership changes, but unfortunately few death dates of members. The exception to this is that the back inside cover includes the birth dates of longtime members Robert and Rebecca Dinkins, as well as their marriage date - a date not otherwise known.  Frank P. Foster, the last church clerk, was married to a granddaughter of the Dinkins. Many of the church members in later years were descendants of the Dinkins, including the Bagwell, Bibb and Free families.
 
A couple of early membership lists appear in the back of the book, revealing the names of people who might otherwise have remained unknown, particularly women and enslaved people.
 
The pastors of Cub Creek were Josiah Horn, Thomas Ross, Francis Moore, Charles B. Wilcox, Samuel Ross, E. T. Wadkins, E. T. Ridings, W. H. Dyer, J. L. B. Darnall and J. Nuck Darnall.
 
All 320 pages of minutes have been photographed and indexed by Archives volunteers.  The images and index are accessible on the Archives' Google Drive, at
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1y7zuS6Mw9SSCGOBh8jCRt5DTipCkQMue?usp=sharing
 
The names of about 400 people appear in the index, as well as the names of 27 churches with whom Cub Creek fellowshipped or corresponded.
 
The minute book is available for research during Archives' regular hours.