The Cass County Genealogical Society, 1974, Vol 1, No. 2.

NELSON PORTERFIELD BAPTIST MINISTER

From Jay Williams
Atlanta, Georgia

Jay William' Cass County ancestor was the Rev. Nelson Porterfield, born 1815, Madison Co., Ga.. He died 1906.

Pioneer minister who helped organize several churches in Cass County as well as four Baptist associations.

There are numerous descendants in the Cass County area of "Uncle Nelse" Porterfield. Before Nelse Porterfield moved to the Bright Star area of Miller County, Ark., and then to the Salem area west of Bloomburg, he was a minister in the Sweetwater Baptist Church, Cherokee County, Ga. (Now Paulding County) Williams' information he shares with us this week was taken fromt he book entitled, "The 140 Years of Sweetwater Baptist Church."

Nelson Porterfield was the minister of the church in 1851. In the minutes of Oct 1855, he was granted a dismission to move his membership, along with 12 other people. The next account we have of Nelson is discovered in the history of Cass County; the organizing of the Macedonia Baptist Church, Miller County, Ark., the Linden, Tx. Baptist Church, the Salem Baptist Church, the Courtland, and Queen City and etc. We do not know the names of the 12 members who removed thier membership, we have reason to believe possibly more of these people came with Nelse to Miller and Cass County, as names memtioned in the Sweetwater Baptist minutes book are the same as thos appearing on the 1850, 60 & 70 Miller and Cass County census records.

Charter members of the Church were: Cyrus and Rachel Dobs, Isaac and Martha Hughes, Livingston and J.E. Skinner, Simond and Mary Strickland, George and Nancy Harris, and Thomas W. and Sarah Garner. In 1833: James Majors (Minister); William Majors, Henry Haynes, Johnson Haynes, Barnibas Pair, Barnabas Adair (Could this be the same person?); 1834: Geo. Russell, H. Milford, A. Stark; 1837: J.C. Garner, D.B. Brazziale, Reubin McClung, Abner Starke, L.B. Hawkins, J.P. Clinton, Jas. Stewart, J. Humphrey, John Canady; 1837: Edward Haynes, William and Eliz. Hendrick. 1840 Robt. and Lavina McMinn; 1843: Wm. H. and Irene Brown, Derrell Brazell, mary Brazell, Susanah Baker, ; 1850: T.W. Burton (min.), 1851: Nelson Porterfield (min.); 1855: Tally Norton, Moses M. Baker, J. Peek (min); 1858: S. McClung, J.Riggs (min); 1859: Wm. Jones; 1860: H.A. Williams (min), J.J. Huiey; 1862: John F. Smith; 1862: Isaac Baker; 1863: jas. G. Denton (min); 1870: (A branch of the church was organized and built for the Negroes who had been attending the Sweetwater Church. the new arm of the church was named the Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church of Christ. Organizing deacons were J.C. Meadows, W.K. Hurt, J.M. Huey, J.L.F. Benson, W.H. Brown, Sr. & Jr.)

In 1833, eight of the original 12 Charter members were granted dismission for removal of their membership. The Dobb's, Shinner's Hughes and Strickland's apparently moved. The next account we have of the Dobbs appears in Cass County history in about 1840 when they purchased land. the Dobbs also are listed in the 1850 census of Cass County showing children born in Alabama as early as 1836. the Dobbs settled in the Cherokee community which evidently was named after the county from which they left, Cherokee County, Ga.