Listed in Arkansas Register of Historic Places on 03/06/02

SUMMARY

Fellowship Cemetery located near Calhoun in Columbia County, Arkansas, is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion A far its local significance as the final resting place of some of Columbia County's earliest settlers. It is believed to be the site of the first Primitive Baptist Church in Columbia County.

It also meets the eligibility requirements of Criteria Consideration D: Cemeteries because it dates to the community of Calhoun's original settlement and has attained significance from its association with the community's development.

ELABORATION

The Fellowship Cemetery is tangible evidence representing the early Primitive Baptist settlers' efforts in Columbia County to establish a way of life based directly on the Bible: without embellishments. And, although the Primitive Baptists in Columbia Church were not able to maintain the church until today, their efforts are historically significant as a group with specialized beliefs who contributed to early life in the county.

In 1832, a formal separation between conservative and liberal Baptists occurred. In a document written at Black Rock, Maryland, an explanation of why the conservative sect was withdrawing from the liberal doctrines and practices of other Baptist groups was drafted. The conservatives took the name "Primitive" meaning 'back to an original' or 'simpler.' The document was widely distributed and advocated returning to the strict adherence to the Bible and refusing to go beyond the word of God. Anything that was not found in the New Testament would not be acknowledged. For example, they rejected the idea of large religious organizations choosing faith in God instead of contriving ways to help Him accomplish His purposes. Accordingly, they opposed church organizations such as Tract and Bible Societies or Missions that placed worldly power and influence in the hands of a few. They believed that allowing those few to dictate was dangerous; and, the Bible did not mention large centralized groups like this. They also rejected Sunday Schools for children saying no such school was mentioned in the Bible. The Primitive Baptists did not acknowledge a person who had been formally educated in a theological college as a Minister because his doctrine would have been "agreed upon by men." Primitive Baptists held the doctrine of predestination and they believed each church should govern itself giving no association authority over the local church. There are other differences, but these are examples of major lines of division. Baptist anti-missionism was very successful in Tennessee and Alabama; states from which this cemetery's occupants came.

In Arkansas in the early 1840s, settlement in what would become southeastern Columbia County centered around Calhoun; named for the southern statesman John C. Calhoun. The Fellowship Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Calhoun. At that time, Camden, Arkansas, was a major banking and shipping town on the Ouachita River. For goods that were to go south, the road from Camden to the river port at Shreveport, Louisiana, ran through Calhoun. Calhoun had hoped to become the county seat when Columbia County was created, but Magnolia, just west of Calhoun, was designated county seat and road traffic shifted from Calhoun to Magnolia.

The Fosters, Dees and McDonald families moved to Calhoun, Arkansas, in the late 1840s. This group of settlers was of the Primitive Baptist faith, and they brought their religious beliefs with them. John Foster was their appointed Elder and he, his wife, and one of their sons, were buried in the Fellowship Cemetery.

Late in 1852, Columbia County was created out of Lafayette, Union, Ouachita, and Hempstead Counties. In 1854, one of the Primitive Baptist members, Charles H. Dees, gave the church two acres of his land on which to build their church and cemetery. This grant founded the only known Primitive Baptist Church in Columbia County. We are not sure when it was disbanded, but we believe it existed more than fifty years.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE SETTLERS
The Fosters were one of the earliest families to arrive in the Calhoun area; arriving before Columbia County was formed. John Foster was a landowner and farmer but also head of the Primitive Baptist Church. Along with him, his son, Thomas J. Foster, owned land which he farmed and followed his father in ministry to the church. A second son, William B. Foster, was a physician in the community. A wrought iron fence surrounds the Fosters' graves. The Champion Iron Fence Company of Kenton, Ohio, cast the fence, in the late 1880s or 1890s.

William A. Newton, his wife and two young children, also rest in Fellowship Cemetery. William, born in 1829, came from Alabama. In Columbia County, Arkansas, he owned land that he farmed and was a carpenter. When the Civil War threatened Arkansas, William enlisted in Company A, Grienstead Regiment, Arkansas Troops. He fought in the Mansfield and Pea Ridge battles and was wounded at Pea Ridge.

After the war, William returned to his wife and children and continued his life in Calhoun, Columbia County, until his death in 1908. The inscription on his headstone reads, "He died as he lived, a Christian.” William and Sarah (Dees) Newton had ten (10) children, all born in Columbia County. Sarah came to southwestern Arkansas with her parents and siblings in the late 1840s; before Columbia County was established. She remained there until her death, in 1915. Two of her young children, Martha and Thomas, died in Columbia County and are buried in the Fellowship Cemetery. Their parents, William and Sarah, are buried on each side of their children.

Martha Susan (McDonald) McGowen and two of her children, William and Frances Edith, are interred in Fellowship Cemetery. Martha was born in Alabama in 1836. She married John Watkins McGowen in 1852 in Alabama and came to Ouachita County, Arkansas, that same year. In 1853, she and her husband moved to Columbia County and established a home three miles northeast of Calhoun where she lived the rest of her life. She and her husband had five children before he went to fight in the Civil War. He died at the end of the war in 1864. Martha remained in her home in Calhoun, raising her children alone. She was active in the community, and at the age 92, was awarded the title "Queen of Pioneers" during a celebration in Calhoun in 1928. Martha had a wonderful reputation for 'remedies' and was often consulted when neighbors and friends had health problems. She died one month shy of her 96th birthday in 1932. Her headstone says, "She was the sunshine of our home." Two of her children, William McGowen and Frances Edith McGowen, are buried beside her in the cemetery. William died in 1924, and his headstone says, "An honest man's the noblest work of God." Frances died in 1935, and was the last person buried in the Fellowship Cemetery. Her stone reads. "She sacrificed self for others."

William C. McDonald and his wife, Elizabeth Jane McCarter, are Martha Susan's parents. They too are buried in this cemetery. William C. McDonald was born in 1811 and died in 1866. His headstone is made of cement and is very hard to read. His wife's son's is not readable.

William Gunn McDonald was a son of William C. and Elizabeth McDonald, and brother to Martha Susan (McDonald) McGowen. William was born in 1845 in Alabama and died in 1885.

Research provided no history of Robert McDonald except his birth date in 1843 and death in 1886.

Moses and Sarah Y. Martin are buried in Fellowship Cemetery. We know almost nothing about them except that they were farmers. Moses was born in 1795 in South Carolina. He died in 1860. Sarah was born in 1800 and died in 1858.

William J. Threadgill was a blacksmith. He moved to Columbia County from DeSoto County, Mississippi. His wife was Martha Hildreth and she rests beside William in the cemetery. William died in 1871. His headstone says, "He is sweetly sleeping." Martha also died in 1871. Her stone says, "She is at rest with Jesus."

John V. Threadgill is also buried in the cemetery having died in 1885. He was William J. Theadgill's brother. John's headstone says, "Sleep in Jesus."

Samuel Wyrick was born in 1807 in South Carolina. He was a farmer and came to Calhoun, Columbia County, with his wife Elizabeth Slauter. Elizabeth died in 1852, before the Fellowship Church and Cemetery were established and is buried in another cemetery. Samuel had a second wife, Mary Ann Nelson, who outlived him by 31 years and is not buried here. However, Samuel died in 1892 and is buried in the cemetery.

The Fellowship Cemetery is locally significant as the final resting place of some of Columbia County's earliest families and the only remaining site associated with the early Primitive Baptists in the county.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Newspapers:
The Banner News, Magnolia, Arkansas, Thursday, April 28, 1932. Kept at the Magnolia Public Library, Magnolia, Arkansas.

Kenton Illustrated, published by E.L. Millar, editor and proprietor of the Kenton Republican.

Kenton Times, Kenton, Ohio, dated Saturday, June 6, 1998.

Books:
Blue, Herbert T.O. Centennial History of Hardin County, Ohio. 1933, pages 80-82.

Cemeteries in Columbia County. Located in the Public Library in Magnolia, Arkansas.

Killgore, Nettie Hicks. History of Columbia County, Arkansas. (Magnolia Printing Co., Magnolia, Arkansas). 1947.

Kohler. Minnie Ichler. A Twentieth Century History of Hardin County, Ohio - Volume I. (Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago), 1910.

Record of Deeds. Located at the Columbia County Courthouse, Magnolia, Arkansas. Book B, pages 57-58.

Southwest Arkansas Genealogical Society. Biographical Family Histories of Southwest, Arkansas - Volume I. 1986.

CENSUS RECORDS
1850 Arkansas Federal Census.
1860 Arkansas Federal Census.
1870 Arkansas Federal Census

MAPS:
General Highway Map, Columbia County, Arkansas. 1975. Prepared by Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, Division of Planning and Research. P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203. 200- 14. Based on USC & GS Special Publication #59.

Historical Map Society, Columbia County, Arkansas Map, 2921 Ave. E. East, Arlington, Texas 76011.

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Map: Calhoun Quadrangle, Columbia County, Arkansas. Map #TAR0121, scale :024,7.5 minute series.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Historical Marker in Calhoun, Arkansas.

Fellowship Cemetery on County Road 34, north of Calhoun, Arkansas.

Primitive Baptists' internet site: http://www.pb.org/

Church description from interview, September 10, 2001, with Margaret Baker of Calhoun, Arkansas, and her letter dated August 16, 2001.