Say, Happy Father's Day to the Dad's on the list...<g>... Pope p. 80 Presbyterians The Scotch-Irish settlers in the Enoree and Little River sections of Newberry County established churches within a decade or so after their arrival. Little River Presbyterian Church was located in Laurens County just above the boundary line separating Laurens and Newberry. It served a congregation in both counties and in reality belongs to both. First organized in 1764 by the Reverend James Cresswell, its first elders were James Williams, who fell at King's Mountain, Angus Campbell, and James Burnside. Taking an interest in education, the members of this congregation were successful in incorporating the "Salem Society" on March 16, 1768, for the purpose of endowing and maintaining a school and seminary of learning between the Catawba and Savannah rivers at or near Little River Meetinghouse. Nothing further is known concerning this society. Howe states that Reverend Mr. Cresswell was a man of more than ordinary activity in his calling; he not only served Little River but also Duncan's creek, Fairforest, and Ninety Six. He lived near Indian Island ford. To Little River came the Reverend William Tennent and chief Justice William Drayton on their tour of the upcountry in 1775. And here they found an appreciative and receptive audience. The congregation was divided in its political views, and the church suffered from their division. In the Enoree section the people on Indian Creek organized a congregation by that name in 1768. A church was built and a number of ministers preached here in succession - the Reverend Messrs. Roe,Close, Duffield, and Campbell preached here until about 1773 when the Reverend Joseph Alexander began his ministry. James Templeton preached at Indian Creek in 1785, Robert Hall and Robert Mecklin in 1786, Thomas H. McCaule and Robert Hall in 1787, James Templeton in 1788, and James Wallis and Francis Cummins in 1789. And the Reverend Robert McClintock preached here from 1785 to 1788. McClintock was not affiliated with the Presbytery of Charleston. He had first come to South Carolina in 1772 but had returned to Ireland three years later and could to come back to South Carolina until 1785. On February 15, 1786, John Hewston, Sr., of the district of Ninety Six, County of Newberry, conveyed to the trustees or elders of the Presbyterian Congregation (Rev. Robert McClintock, pastor) of Newberry County one acre on which to build a house of worship and to have a burial place and free use of the spring. Closely associated with Indian Creek was the congregation of Grassy Spring, which began as a branch of the former. The settlers between the Enoree and the Tyger petitioned the South Carolina Presbytery on September 24, 1794, to be taken under its care and supplied a minister. In the early days of the church, the congregation consisted of these families - Otterson, Dugan, Crenshaw, Gordon, Johnson, Valentine, Buford, Caldwell and Hamilton. Major Samuel Otterson and Major Thomas Gordon were elders. Both Indian Creek and Grassy Spring have long since passed into oblivion, but Little River is still active two centuries after its founding. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com