Panola Co Historical & Genealogical

Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (1838)

Mt. Olivet Methodist Church (1838)

8.2.05...We are on the way to the world wide web; our friends in Florida at OurChurch are making possible one of the finest quality sites. On this page will be the History of the Mt. Olivet Methodist Church located beside Highway 315 between Highway 6 and Water Valley. Information will be available very soon. ...Editors of The Panola Story, Panola County, Mississippi......Any visitor may use the Guestbook for posting inquiries and providing additional information on the stories we print. Remember, the Guestbook ! before you leave the site. Does the Porch and Cane Bottom Chair remind you of home?

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Partial History as presented by Mr. Bill Sissell on the occasion of the Pan Gens June Picnic Meeting On-Site at
Mt. Olivet Methodist Church.....

Mount Olivet (United Methodist Church and Community,
too)

“On the roads to Water Valley the stagecoach road
went in front of Lovejoy Church in the Eureka Community.
It was a sharp decline into ‘The Valley’. Enid Lake was
not in the path in those days prior to 1952.

However, the slow decline was by Mount Olivet and the
people like the topography..a pleasant road to ‘The
Valley’.” The foregoing is ‘popular history’ Now, Take
the trip with Mr. Sissell for the authentic history of
Mount Olivet..........

A History Of Mt. Olivet and Surrounding Area
By W. P. Sissell

Good evening to all of you and welcome to Mount Olivet United Methodist Church of the Panola Charge, of the Mississippi Conference.

First I want to give some credits. I want to thank Nannette for doing the decorations—I want to let her tell you about the decorations---------
Now I have a special surprise for you—I like to tell folks about my grandsons and one of them agreed to come and sing a special song for you folks this evening. Now you must realize that this young man is a high school senior and is at about the age I was when I served that great flag there to my right. I’ve promised him and his group that they may leave after their number is finished: First his mother, Nancy Sissell Bridges who was our pianist here many years ago, his father Gil Bridges, his accompanist _Miss Holly Hays and now Gil and Nancy’s son and Nannette’s and my grandson Bowen Bridges.
Give name of song -- God Bless The USA How about that folks—I thought that you would appreciate that.

Most of the material that I use this evening will come directly from “Mount Olivet United Methodist Church” and Cemetery a History 1838-2002 by, Sam Vick Jr., Bonnie Norwood Taylor Thornton, William Parks Sissell & Ronald Eugene Taylor Don’t forget Sam Vick at Mount Olivet School. Mr. Vick’s daughter Willola Vick Sullivant, who lives in the Vick house has joined us tonight. Don’t forget Chief Hotophia. Show arrow heads. Yankee camp on Bynum Ridge. First let me introduce myself. I grew up about ten miles from here in Otuckalofa Creek bottom. A part of our farm was where Otuckalofa Creek joined Yocona River. When we lost that farm to Enid Reservoir my folks bought, first a small farm at Taylor, MS and than a large one at Crowder. Nannette and I moved to that Crowder farm when we first got out of college. One afternoon, on the way to Taylor from Crowder, I stopped at Audley Goodnight’s store. I had known Mr. Goodnight for several years through Nannette’s father. There was an elderly black man there at the store. Mr. Goodnight asked me if I would be willing to take Uncle “L” Fondern to Oxford. I consented with Nannette’s approval. As we started toward Oxford, Uncle “L” proceeded to find out who we were. After Nannette answered several of his questions about her family, he came out with, “Why sho, Ise knowd dem Shipps all my life.” Now he began on me. When Nannette told him that our first Mississippi farm was at the Prophet Bridge Boat Ramp, he replied, “Sho nuff, yawls dem Yankees dat moved in down on the Rivah.”

Let’s date the area some. I know from work done on the Shipp family cemetery history that Dr. Felix Grundy Shipp with his family contingent including his father Josiah Shipp IV showed up where the town of Water Valley now stands in 1833. They stopped and built huts after clearing the cane brakes along what is called Town Creek. They had come from Jackson, MS for the first Chickasaw Indian land sales.

In 1834 Josiah Shipp IV bought the first section of land sold in the Chickasaw Nation lands, Pontotoc Land Sales. The land in this area was a part of those land sales. I know that the Charlie Byars lands very close to us here was purchased in those sales. From other histories I know that there were already white people here in the area. Mr. Matthew’s lands probably date to that same time.....................

Editors: As you can only imagine, the story continues from here. We are a small historical society in Panola County. The research and costs of printing such stories can be defrayed by sending you a full story of this history. Please forward just $4 to help defray these understandable expenses to: Pan Gens, c/o Mrs. Betty Jo Randolph, 7020 Highway 35 South, Batesville, MS 38606 . Include your postal mail address, we will send you the full article.

And, be watching for updates to our stories which will be printed on this site.

(( If you have a story to add to the Mt. Olivet history, please let us know by listing your last name and address on our Guestbook before you leave the site. ((Mt. Olivet Story to soon appear on this page on this site)).