State Line Church, State of Louisiana, Parish of Claiborne. Abstracted from handwritten Church records in the possession of James Cortez WISE, Jr. of Colquitt, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, May 1999, by Dot WISE WIRTH. As is usual for records of this era, spelling and handwriting create difficulties and the same people may be listed in various ways during the years. It is to be hoped that I have chosen the correct spelling. The Constitution and membership list for the Church are on one loose ledger page. The bound pages start Saturday before the 2nd Sabbath in May 1862 and the next entry on the same page is July 1862, but the third entry on the same page is September 1868. It is said that the church was formed in December 1861 but held no conferences between July 1862 and September 1868, possibly due to the War Between the States. Church members received letters of dismissal by act of dissolution on August 13, 1880 or 1881 although the Church apparently became inactive somewhat earlier. Formed as the State Line Church, the name appears in conference minutes as Church of Christ at State Line in August 1869 and the Baptis Church at State Line in April 1875. The letters of dismissal name the church as the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ at State Line Church or the Missionary Baptist Church at State Line Church. The last letters of dismissal were written following a conference of the Baptist Church at Colquitt with a sermon by H. T. B. where R. BRAS?? was the moderator and J. F. WISE the church clerk. The church petitioned the Columbia Association for admission in 1868 and the Liberty Association in April 1875. Brother Hillery PHILLIPS was called as pastor in September 1868. He left sometime prior to August 1869 when Bro. J. T. H. GRIFFIN was named pastor. The next pastor called to the church was Henry T. BRITT in May 1871, brother G.G. WISE having given at least one sermon in the interim. The Rev. George SAWYERS offered the sermon in June 1872 and was called to be pastor in July 1874. J. B. WISE offered the sermon in October 1875 and was given a letter of recommendation by the church in conference to the Mississippi Clinton? (Christian?) College in 1878. Robert TOMLIN was called to be pastor in September 1876. In September 1878, Bro. G.G. WISE was called as pastor but could not serve. T. B. MONK preached in January 1878 and again in April 1879. "Constitution of State Line Church, State of Louisiana, Parish of Claiborne. We the undersigned do hereby convenant and agree to establish a Church at J. R. BISHOP's House to conform to all the requirement of the Scriptures to live … maintain Ordinances and to attend the Meetings Regularly unless Providentially hindered. Names of Members, Dec. ?." Founding members of the church were as follows: Steven CULPEPPER; Joseph WISE (also listed in minutes as Joseph WISE, Sr.); Joseph L. CULPEPPER; Carnelius LUDLUM; Mrs. Elisebeth HAYNES; Mrs. Martha C. WISE; Mrs. Rebecca LUDLUM; Mrs. Caroline WISE; Mrs. Dealia A.(H?) CULPEPPER; Joseph WISE (also listed as Joseph WISE Jnr., J.B. WISE and J.B. WISE, Jnr.); Mis Amarintha CULPEPPER. Although J. R. BISHOP is not listed, church minutes indicate that he was one of the founding members - perhaps it was to be understood by the fact that the church was formed in his house. Members who joined later were as follows: (August 1871) Redie PRICE; Mrs. Martha PRICE; Miss Josephine MILLICAN; C.W. C. OWENS; Mrs. E. J. OWENS; J. W. OWENS; Mrs. S. J. OWENS; Mrs. Eliza WISE; (August 1872) Leroy BISHOP, Jnr.; Malissa PEAVEY; (April 1872) James CLOWERS; Mrs. P. J. CLOWERS; (May 1868) Miss Martha A. PUCKETT; (August 1872) Mr. Isaac LEE; Mrs. Jane COLEMAN; Mrs. Mary L. MULLINS; Martha CULPEPPER; Eliza Jane BISHOP; Albert PUCKETT; (October 1874) J. N. WISE (Jasper N. WISE); John MILLS; Malissa LEE; Oatas MULLENS; William TEAGUE; Mrs. Elizabeth CULPEPPER; Miss Nancy CULPEPPER; Mrs. Fannie TEAGUE; Mrs. GARNER; (October 1875) A. H. HAYNES; Mary HUDSON; (no membership date is listed in the existing minutes for the following although at least one page of the minutes is missing) George MILLICAN; Manerva MILLICAN; Fannie GARNER; Sallie GARNER; Vinson GARNER; Mary GOODWIN; William CUBBAGE; Josaphine WISE; and Bell WISE. There were two cemeteries at State Line (aka Mineral Springs), Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Sec. 6 Twp 23 Range 5 about 2 miles southeast of LA Hwy. #61 at the Arkansas State line. According to "Cemetery Inscriptions of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Volume III" compiled by Elinor McCalman Seward and Wanda Volentine Head, published by J & W Enterprises, 2838 Jody Lane, Shreveport, Louisiana 71118, these were surveyed on February 16, 1985 with only a few graves located. In one cemetery identified as the State Line Baptist Cemetery, the only marker located was for John M. BROWN 1814-1898. In the other, which they called State Line Methodist Cemetery, they identified three markers. Only one of these was intact in May 1999 when the site was visited by Dot WISE WIRTH and Levelle HAYNES: a four-sided ceramic-coated metal spire with the word WISE on one side and the name of one of three children of Jasper Newton and Martha Caroline HAYNES WISE on each of the other sides: Leona Leoti WISE b. 26 MAY 1879 d. 5 JUL 1884; A. (Alexander) MILO WISE b. 10 MAR 1871 d. 18 OCT 1885; and P. (Philander) Hazellow WISE b. 14 NOV 1873 d. 30 APR 1886. Mattie (Martha Caroline) HAYNES WISE, wife of Jasper Newton WISE, is also buried here although no marker has been found. It is possible the fourth side of the above marker serves as her marker. A granite marker for Benjamin F. HAYNES b. 22 - 1817 (father of Martha Caroline) is broken but still at his gravesite about 20 feet north northwest of the WISE marker. The bottom portion of a marker showing the death date of Robert F. HAYNES (4 AUG 1878) along with some other marker fragments is piled with the B. F. HAYNES marker. Apparently the Robert F. HAYNES marker was complete in 1985 as his marker was said to read, Robert F. HAYNES b. 03 SEP 1871 d. 04 AUG 1878. Robert was the son of R. B. HAYNES. As Jasper N. and Mattie WISE were members of the State Line Church which is identified as Baptist and Benj. F. HAYNES was Methodist it seems as if the Baptist and Methodist chose to share a cemetery at State Line just as they did (and do) at Colquitt.