Sunday, August 24, 2008

Seven Springs Provided Name For Community

Continuing with the history of how some of our communities got their names, from The Crittenden Press, Sept. 1931 we learn of some of the names in the southern part of our county.

The Seven Springs Church, according to J. A. Guess, clerk of that church, was so named because when it was first built it stood close to several large springs, which with the exception of one have since disappeared. The first Seven Springs Church was on Axley Creek about two and a half miles from the church that is used today.

On a high bank near Axle Creek were seven springs in a row some few feet apart. This was once a popular picnic spot. High water from the Cumberland River deposited enough sediment to entirely cover these springs which later again came to the surface as one large spring about 100 yards down the creek.

In the early days the seven springs were surrounded on all sides by a thick woodland and cane breaks, the natural habitat of wild turkeys, squirrels and wildcats.

In 1886 Rev. Jim Benton, a Methodist minister, held a revival in a brush arbor at Seven Springs. In 1894 Thuse Jeffords built another brush arbor where Rev.Job Hollaway, of Lyon County, preached regularly until cold weather. That winter a little log church was built and Rev. Hollaway was holding the meeting. In August 1895, the Ohio River Association sent Rev. J. A. Lockhart to organize a Baptist Church in the community.

The charter members were Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Greenlea, Plenie Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Jeffords, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sparkman, Willie Hill, Lee Travis, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Jeffords.
When the Emmaus Baptist Church, not so many miles away was organized its members selected that name from the Bible.

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