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The following article has been copied from an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in the Sunday May 15, 2005 issue.

Pickens Chapel community in White County had its roots in church and school

By: Michelle Wallace

            Two foundations of many communities are church and school, and its no different for the Pickens Chapel community in northwestern White County, right at the Cleburne County line.  Denoted as Pickens of the map but commonly known as Pickens Chapel, the community got its early start in the 1800s as a farming community, and school soon followed.

            The first school in the community was called Hughes school after the Hughes family that organized classes.  A congregation was also meeting for services in the school building for a time.  Around 1913, land was donated for a church building that was called Pickens Chapel after a family named Pickens, Billie Willingham, who has lived in the area since she was a young child, said.

            A “very small, little while wood building” was constructed for use by the churchgoers of the community, Willingham noted.  That building has since been torn down and the fellowship hall of today’s church occupied the spot of the original building.  When the church was started, it was nondenominational, Willingham explained.  The congregation later became affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, and the large building for worship that sits on Arkansas 310 bears the name Pickens Chapel Church of the Nazarene.

            There is a homecoming held every year in the community, with the event bearing special significance in 1999 when the new fellowship hall was completed.  The history of the church was compiled into a booklet form by Willingham and others.

            The community’s other early school was the Coal Hill school, which actually sat in Cleburne County.  The Hughes and Coal Hill schools merged to form Pickens Chapel school, and a two-room wood building was constructed on property now occupied by the Pickens Chapel Cemetery.

            “That’s where I went to school,” Willingham pointed out.  Classes were taught through eighth grade, and those whose families had access to transportation could finish school in Rose Bud or Searcy.  “If you went, you had to furnish your own transportation,” Willingham pointed out, adding that many children in the community did not complete their education because of that fact.

            Pickens Chapel school consolidated with Searcy schools in 1949 and the building was torn down to make way for the cemetery.  A country store in the community took care of the shopping needs of the residents years ago.  Located near the church, the store was mostly operated by Marle Cox and others in his family.  It went out of business sometime in the 1950s when automobiles made it easier to travel.  “Most everyone had cars and they went to Searcy,” Willingham pointed out.

            Before the advent of cars, though, the bus went through Pickens Chapel from Rose Bud to Searcy.  The May Bus Line picked passengers up on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at the Pickens Chapel store.

            Willingham recalls many trips to Searcy on the bus.  “We rode the bus to Searcy several times,” she said, drawing out the word “several” to indicate that she probably rode it many times.  “We’d go early in the morning and back at 1 o’clock,” she said of Wednesday trips.  “On Saturdays we’d go back” to catch a movie in town.

            Movies weren’t the only thing Willingham remembers about riding the bus.

            “I met my husband standing out there waiting for the bus,” she said with a laugh, pointing out that he’s still around 56 years later.  The last time she rode the bus was in 1947, a couple years before getting married.

            Years ago, farming was the main livelihood of Pickens Chapel residents.   Willingham’s great-grandparents came to Pickens Chapel from Van Buren in 1896 to raise cotton and corn, but there isn’t much of that grown anymore.  “This hill country is not good for tractors.”

            The school, store and bus are gone now but the community has gained residents over the years.  “There are a lot more people around here now than there were then,” Willingham said.  “So many new folks have come in.”  Many are seeking the slower, simpler life of a small community but within reasonable distance of larger cities like Searcy and Heber Springs.

Wallace, Michelle.  Pickens Chapel community in White County has its roots in church and school.  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Advertising Supplement.  May 15, 2005

history

History of the Church

The first settlers in the Pickens community met and worshipped in the Hughes schoolhouse just across Little Creek from the present-day church.  The nearest other church was at Letona, 2 ¼ miles away.  In 1894, a missionary came through and preached “Second Blessing Holiness” or, as it is now known, Entire Sanctification.

John Pickens received sanctification.  His brother, Robert Pickens, went over to John’s house with the intention of laughing him out of his experience.  After visiting awhile, all the others went to bed but Robert and John stayed up, still talking about Second Blessing Holiness.  John said, “Let’s pray.”  They got on their knees and in just a few minutes Robert prayed and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

They talked about building a church house, but Robert died at a young age of 37 years, eight months.  Later, John helped start and build the church. Ben Bevill was the carpenter.  George Quattlebaum donated the land for the church.  Mel Hughes donated the land for the parsonage and schoolhouse.

Ed Barton furnished 10 acres of land to grow cotton, the proceeds to be used to build the church.  The community helped prepare the ground, plant the seed and work the cotton.  Ten bales were harvested.  Howard Davis of Sidon and Ed West of Letona ginned it for free.

When the church was finally finished, the community members determined that the name of the church should be Pickens Chapel.  The name of the church carried over to the community as well.  The schoolhouse was built where Pickens Chapel Cemetery is now located.  The school was consolidated with Searcy schools in 1946.

In 1908 at Pilot Point, Texas, the Church of the Nazarene was formed.  Around 1917-1918, Pickens Chapel church joined the “New church of the Nazarene.”  The following people were charter members of the new church:

·                    Mr. and Mrs. John Pickens (Arbie)

·                    Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Pickens

·                    Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hughes (Melinda)

·                    Mr. and Mrs. Jim Z. Harrison (Evie)

·                    Mrs. Nannie Quattlebaum

·                    Mrs. Bertha Barton

·                    Mrs. Lute Hughes

·                    Miss Marie Brown

Although there is no record of J. E. Hughes being a charter member, he gave a large amount of money to help build the church.  He was Sunday School Superintendent for 30 years.

The Hughes School and Coal Hill School consolidated and the new schoolhouse was built across the road from the church sometime between 1916 and 1918.  The Coal Hill School was located off Pickens Mountain Road on the North Side of Porter Hudson’s driveway.

There was a big spring just up the hill, where children got water.  Roadwork has filled in the spring.  Tom Hughes’ family used the spring for many years.  The spring was still going strong in the 1950s.  Even now, in the winter it sometimes breaks through in the road.

letter

Voice From the Past: A letter from Floyd Warner

Rev. Paul Hazelton,

I am making plans to drive up from Ft. Worth to attend your August 14th Homecoming service.   I plan to bring my 16 year old granddaughter with me so she can know about where her great grandmother joined the Church of the Nazarene.  I am wondering if you would like for me to bring the Pickens Family Bible from the original settler in Arkansas.  This Bible is 135 years old and some of the people may want to see it.

Just to fill you in on a little history:  David F. Pickens and his wife, Martha,   came to Arkansas in the 1850's from Moscow, TN and settled north of Big Creek. They raised their family by farming in those hills.  My great grandfather was a strong church man and was a leader in the community.  He and his family lived true Christian lives and depended on the Lord to provide for their needs.  He would often invite the Sunday attendees at the local church home for lunch (Sunday dinner) and have 60 to 70 people.  My great grandmother would cook and bake all day on Saturday to have the crowd in after church. David F. Pickens and his wife, Martha, came to Arkansas in  the 1850's from Moscow, TN and settled  north of Big Creek.  They raised their family by farming in those hills.  My   great grandfather was a strong church man and was a leader in the community.  He and his family lived true Christian lives and depended on the Lord to provide for their needs.  He would often invite the Sunday attendees at the local church home for lunch (Sunday dinner) and have 60 to 70 people.  My great grandmother would cook and bake all day on Saturday to have the crowd in after church.  My mother was the oldest daughter of Calvin Pickens.  In 1912 a revival was held in the school house by one of the early Nazarene evangelist and the Church of the Nazarene was established.  The descendents of David F. Pickens made up the largest    number of charter members of Pickens Chapel, there by the name was established since there was not a town near by.  The Hughes family had several that joined the church at the same time, but more of the Pickens family became members.  The story that my mother told me was that John Pickens, older brother of Calvin, heard the message of entire sanctification preached in the revival and stated he had received the experience but did not know what to call it.  He immediately wanted to have the Church of the Nazarene established and others in the family experience the blessing in the revival and it was John Pickens that led the way.  Some of the people were Methodist and some were Cumberland Presbyterians. Pickens Chapel remains a strong country church because of the handful of people that came to know the wonderful work that God can do in the lives of those who will yield to Him. 

As time goes on, I am the only grandchild of Calvin Pickens that is still an active member of the Church of the Nazarene.  I serve on the Church Board of Fort Worth First Church of the Nazarene and I am the treasurer of the West Texas District Camp Arrowhead and serve on the Camp Board.  I was raised attending Little Rock First Church and served on the Board in the 1970's before moving to Tennessee and then to Texas.  My Nazarene roots are tied to Pickens Chapel.  I remember when I was 8 years old I was asked to the Homecoming service and to recite some scripture.  I remember to this day the scripture was found in Luke 2nd chapter.  These were verses I had learned in VBS that summer.  Through the years my mother and father would take me with them to visit relatives and attend Pickens Chapel.  A few years ago I was in attendance the day that the present church building was dedicated by a General Superintendent.  My wife and I placed the Song books in the new church as a       special contribution.  We wanted to do something special for the new building.  I would like to hear from you and if this history is of value to you.

Floyd Warner