Mary, It is always nice to hear from you. You always have something good to offer. The location is just right for the Betheas. I suspected that was where they were. I think my early McLeods may have been not too far from there. I keep remembering the cute story about how the boys all fled to the swamp to hide from the Yankees, and their Uncle Daniel McLeod slipped in l to join them. He had to have been fairly close to the Dillon/Marion line to have joined them. He spent his last years in the home of his nephew, James David Bethea. His sister, Mary Catherine and her husband may have worshipped at the Dothan Methodist church. Do you know where that is? Can you offer any information on whether there are any early records of the Minturn Methodist church available for the public to look at? Bedtime.. Actually, past bedtime. Last note on the subject. There were two sets of Mcleods. Joanne

Joanne, You asked about Minturn and Dothan Methodist churches. Here is what I found in "The History of Dillon County" by Durward T. Stokes: Beulah Originated as Ivey's Methodist Church, located one mile south of Clio, Marlboro County. In 1885, the church divided, Ivey's moving into the town of Clio and the new congregation, named Beulah, moving east on the road to Little Rock, now SC Hwy no. 9, about one-half mile west of the old Marion County line. George McPherson Boyd was the first pastor of the church, which continued to function at its Marlboro County site until 1922. On November 8, Elizabeth S. Stackhouse donated one-half acre of land near Minturn to P. L. Bethea, M. F. Edwards, and J. L. Stanton, Sr., trustees for the Methodist Church, South. In 1924, Beulah moved into a brick building on this site. However, as changes in population and other factors caused the membership to dwindle, the church was discontinued in 1936 and its members transferred to St. Paul's at Little Rock. J. H. Justus was the last pastor of this church, whose membership was 165 at the turn of the century." My father built the brick church at Minturn and I remember when it was going up. The schoolhouse was next door and Papa would go home for lunch before our noon recess and bring something hot back for my lunch. That was a treat that I missed after the church was finished. Although we were Presbyterian and I attended Reedy Creek on Sunday mornings, I went quiet often to the Methodist church as their services were in the afternoon. Dothan "Organized in 1786 under the leadership of Robert McKenzie and others, the church was first known as Bethea's Meeting House. It was located on the road between Harlleesville and Mar's Bluff, opposite the dwelling of John C. Bethea. It was also Known as Bethea Camp Ground, for camp meetings were held on the premises until at least 1809. About 1830, the congregation removed to a new log building at the present location. At this site the church continued to be active for a century, but in 1927 membership had shrunk to a number insufficient for proper maintenance. The remaining members of the congregation transferred their membership to Methodist churches in Dillon and Dothan today is only used for the annual reunions of the Bethea family." Mr. Stokes' book was published in 1978 and I don't know if the Bethea's still have their reunions there of not but I think they do because it seems I heard something about my husband's cousin, Mary Alice, attending one a few years ago. She was the wife of Preston Hardy who was a Bethea descendent and is buried there. Mr. P. L. Bethea that I told you about was of the same family as the Betheas who lived in the Dothan area. You also asked about records from the church at Minturn. I just don't have an answer for that. Mary Harper ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joanne Harley" <harleyclan@coastalnet.com> To: <SCMARION-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 11:58 PM Subject: [SCMARION-L] Re: Early Churches > Mary, > It is always nice to hear from you. You always have something good to > offer. The location is just right for the Betheas. I suspected that was > where they were. I think my early McLeods may have been not too far from > there. I keep remembering the cute story about how the boys all fled to the > swamp to hide from the Yankees, and their Uncle Daniel McLeod slipped in l > to join them. He had to have been fairly close to the Dillon/Marion line to > have joined them. He spent his last years in the home of his nephew, James > David Bethea. His sister, Mary Catherine and her husband may have > worshipped at the Dothan Methodist church. Do you know where that is? > > Can you offer any information on whether there are any early records of the > Minturn Methodist church available for the public to look at? > > Bedtime.. Actually, past bedtime. Last note on the subject. There were > two sets of Mcleods. > > Joanne > > > > > > ==== SCMARION Mailing List ==== > SCGenWeb Main Page > Links to counties and Special Projects > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3837/ > >