SPRINGER COMMUNITY AND CHURCH
RETURN TO CHURCHES




This history is more complete than most because I devoted several months to make a scale model of the old school/church building and compiled a complete history.   Your church may have the same space provided someone turns in a typewritten copy (CD preferred for lengthy articles).  Many of the older churches also serve as community centers and that information is also welcomed.  These may be mailed to Harold Sublett, 1792 Summertown Hwy. Hohenwald or send by email: hsublett@hifo.net              



On July 22, 1846 a land grant was awarded by the state of Tennessee to John & Ann  McDougal….containing 3840 acres.  The land abstract was corrected in 1848 to show that Robert A. Hill was half owner of the property from the beginning.  On October 2, 1882 this 3840 acre tract was sold to Byron M. & Eliza Smith and on October 15, 1883 the property was transferred to Eliza Smith as sole owner and executor by means of a will by Byron M. Smith, husband.

Sept. 18, 1896 the land was sold to the Swiss Pioneer Union, a land development and speculation company, for $51,265.00  ($13.35 per acre) but was deeded back to Eliza Smith due to a default of payment by the Swiss Pioneer Union.

From an old deed:  1919 "…to Eliza S. Smith, (Byron M. Smith) hereinafter called the vendor, has bargained and sold and does  hereby convey unto Dr. G. N. Springer, of Hohenwald, Tennessee hereinafter called the purchaser, the following described real estate…."  Dr. Springer had purchased the property in 1919 and this entry…

Dec. 26, 1928 "….we, G. N. Springer and wife, Mina Springer transfer to the school board of Lewis County,….." ...1 acre of land  bounded as follows, on South E. by Highway No. 20; East by the land of Hinson and Humphreys Bros. And N.W. by line in G. N. Springer tract….."  "In event this school is discontinued for a length of 2 years the house and one acre of land as described above reverts back to former tract."

At this point Dr. Springer and Wife are donating one acre of land for the use of the Lewis County public schools with a  provision that if the school is discontinued for a length of 2 years, the house and land would revert back to Dr. Springer.  Two days later on Dec. 28, 1928 Dr. Springer sold the farm containing 160 acres to C. M. Warren and wife for $4300.00.  "….There is included and excluded in the above tract of land, a certain small tract, one acre deeded to the Lewis County School Board of Education upon which now stands the Springer School Building….In the same deed of the Lewis county School Board, there are certain conditions in which if the building is ever discontinued to be used as a school building, the said one acre reverts back to the said G. N. Springer and the said G. N. Springer and wife hereby transfer all equity they might have in said one acre should it not be used for school purposes."

March 1, 1930 an easement was given for the construction of power poles and lines by the Tennessee Electric Power Company to the Springer community, school and eventually the Church.  The large track that once contained 3840 acres had been cut down in size and on Dec. 23, 1940 T. S. Turnbow purchased 11 acres from this tract of land for $700 and  & on August  22, 1946 W. B. Sublett purchased 113 acres for a cost of $6250.  The School/church property is from this tract.  W.B. and Georgia Sublett later gave one acre for the construction of a preacher's home.  November 18, 1935 C. M. Warren and wife purchased the Springer School Property from the Lewis County School system.

Sometime between Dec. 26, 1928 and May 2, 1936 The Church began meeting in the Springer School building.  Freda White  recalls meeting as a church in different homes in the community so the church was meeting "as a church" probably before the School building was constructed.

May 2, 1936 the Springer School property was purchased for the Springer Church of Christ for a sum of $175.00.  A down  payment of $50 cash and two payments of $62.50 Jan. 1937 and Jan. 1938 at 6% interest.  The trustees responsible were C. B Staggs, J. W. Floied and Will Workman.  Coming up with these sums was not easy and the members engaged in efforts consistent with the times.  Evelyn Talley Peery told me that her mother, Marie Talley, who was also treasurer, and Mrs. Ida Carroll went around the neighborhood collecting donated chickens.  They sold them to Tom and Mary Jane Duncan's produce for the benefit of the church.  Mrs. Talley remembered that the weekly contribution was 75 to 80 cents.

The new block building was constructed in 52-53 by Dol and Ramond Willis and the preachers home was built in 78-79.  The  cemetery was used first in 1962 so it would have been designated a cemetery not long before that.  The first marked burial was John W. Hayes in 1962.  On October 4, 1951 an additional 2.7 acres was purchased from Jane McKelvey Harwell and Robert E. Harwell for $50 and an exchange of real estate.

"…..It is expressly agreed and understood and made a part of this consideration of this conveyance that the property herein conveyed cannot be sold by the Springer Church of Christ except that the proceeds be used for the purchase of real estate or buildings for other Churches of Christ, or to make improvements of other Church premises who have the same belief as The Springer Church of Christ."

Special remembrances

Freda White attended Springer school in 28 or 29.  Her teacher was Sarah Petway.  She remembers her grandparents, the Stockards meeting with others for church in different homes prior to having use of the school for worship.  She recalls that  Mark Love from Lawrence co. came to Springer to preach occasionally and that Mr. & Mrs. Stockard were possibly some of the first Christians to meet as the Church of Christ.

Our family (Sublett) moved to Lewis County in 1946 and started attending Springer as soon as we arrived.  We moved here from Al. where we traveled several miles in a mule pulled and later tractor pulled wagon.  Living only a few hundred feet from Church was a real blessing.  We almost always walked to Church even though we had a Studebaker pickup by that time.

The Springer Church family was very close with most families visiting each other frequently and sharing whatever we had or didn't have.  The Winfred White family had a bunch of boys and girls and when I was invited to go home with them after Church we usually went for a drive somewhere in the county, which was a fun thing to do.  We visited with the Romines, McCartneys, Winfred Whites, Elvin Staggs family and had an Easter egg hunt at the Barhams put on by Leroy and Melvis Staggs.  

Dinners on the ground meant spreading a feast on the long table stretched between some trees.  During meetings the young folk sat up front and sometimes went to sleep.  There was neither sound system nor air conditioning and a really good  preacher would bring crowds that would stand or sit outside the windows.  Of course the funeral home fans kept the still hot  air stirred with some relief.

From the July 18, 1929 Lewis County Herald:  "Brother (Mark) Love will begin a meeting at Springer school house Monday  night, July 9.  Just at night, every one invited."

Andy Hinson, son of Elihu and Bonnie Hinson recalls that their family began attending Springer around 1933-34.  They lived at a place where the Trace crosses Little Swan creek.  The family walked four miles through Meriwether Lewis Park, which was only 5 acres in size, to Springer and walked to Garret to school.  The path they followed was called Beldin Hill.  

Brother Eugene Durham gave me these next bits of information:  The men selected to serve as elders in 1968 were the first official elders for Springer (Richard Dorning, Elvin Duncan, Edison Floied, Albert Kelley, Bill Sublett) and the following year deacons ( Guy Hinson, William Overbey, Finis Spears, Leroy Staggs, Harold Sublett, Clyde Williams, Ed Williams) were selected.  The baptistery was built in 1968 by W. B. Brackeen and the first to be baptized was Jimmy Whittenburg.  Hot water had to be carried in tubs from the Sublett's and McCartneys to make the ice-cold water bearable.

Gene and Hilda Durham came to Springer for the year 1962, quite unintentionally.  Gene was invited to speak the first Sunday and stayed the whole year. The Durhams were supposed to come back in 1964, but the Hohenwald Church had hired Gene as their associate and youth minister in 1963 and for an extended stay.  The Springer Church had a rule of rotating their preacher every year so it would be another year or so before Gene came back to Springer.  They made it back the second time around for the years 1967 and 1968.  It was during this stay that elders and deacons were appointed:  (This account by Gene Durham July 2, 2005)

Marjorie Barham Graves Writes:
Alf Tatum moved our family to the Hurst place on Summertown Hwy Sept 1945.  Our family consisted of our parents Bob and Edna Bell Barham, Melvis and Marjorie.  Our father was a farmer and carpenter.  He enjoyed working with his horse and fishing.  Mother was a homemaker, loved her flowers and garden.  They always canned and froze way too much food, but it was there if we needed it.  Melvis and I entered school in Hohenwald and attended Springer Ridge Church of Christ with our
parents.

I remember attending services in the old wooden building with the big oil stove that every one sat as close to in the winter as they could to keep warm.  In the summer time we would set as close to the double doors or windows as we could to stay cool.   I also remember Mr. Frank Floied setting on the front row and next to the isle.  He would move anyone who would set in his spot.  Everyone knew that seat belonged to Mr. Floied.