McMinn County, Tennessee
Dublin Core
Title
McMinn County, Tennessee
Subject
Appalachica; African Americans; Church
Description
Athens, Calhoun, Etowah Niota and Riceville are the respective cities that make up McMinn County and they all have a rich Black history. This collection is particularly made up of ephemera, photographs and newspaper clippings relating to Black life and worship in Calhoun. Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church is a focal point of worship for Black community members in Calhoun, TN. The community resident experts we collaborated with provided an array of materials but recognized that some key figures were not represented. Special mention of husband and wife Lue Fancy Kimpson, born in Flatrock/Griffin, GA, and Albert Simpson, born in Summit, TN who purchased the land where Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church is currently located. Other remarkable members of the community are longtime church clerk Nora Viola Cook Wood Triplet, Sunday School teacher Alberta Johnson Cansler, and former head deacon Alfred McClarey along with his wife Eva Douglas and mother Louisa Douglas. The church is important to the community. Another community pillar is the ability of residents to maintain generational landownership. Notably, Gussie Farmer, who would allow Calhoun newcomers to rent or buy land in order to get settled. Trim Adair was another prominent land owner that comes to resident experts' minds when thinking about the history of McMinn County and Calhoun.
Creator
Black in Appalachia
Source
Linda Beard, Passtor Reganold Ferguson, Mary Brown Massengill and LaToya Wear
Publisher
Black in Appalachia
Date
1980-2025
Contributor
Willliam Isom II and Alona Norwood
Rights
Items can be used for private reflection and research, and not for commercial purposes
Coverage
United States--Tennessee-- McMinn County
Collection Items
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church Anniversary Booklets
A series of booklets to commerate the anniversary of church service for the Reverend and Mrs. George H. Williams.
William Anthony Brown and Lizzie Mae Matthews Brown Portrait
A black-and-white portrait of husband and wife, William Anthony Brown and Lizzie Mae Matthews Brown. They are the parents of Mary Brown Massengill.
Brown and Kimpson Families Group Photograph
A black-and-white group photograph of young people attending the Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church Vaction Bible Study. Photographed Left to Right: Front- Helen Kimpson, Lorrane Brown, Linda Kimpson, Charles Brown, Paul Brown, Howard Brown and…
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church Collage
A collage of several historic photographs of Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church building.
Irene McMahan Obituary
Obituary printed in a newspaper for Irene McMahan. She is the maternal Great Grandmother of LaToya Ware.
Glenn H. Johnson Obituary
Obituary printed in a newspaper for Glenn H. Johnson who died on Novemeber 11, 1977. He was the Great Grandfather of LaToya Ware.
Robert Louis Brown Funeral Program
Funeral program from Robert Louis Brown. Born December 22, 1935 and died on Novemeber 20, 2005.
Lizzie Mae Brown Funeral Program
Obitiary for Lizzie Mae Brown. she was the church mother at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. She was Mary Brown Massengill's mother and the paternal grandmother of LaToya Ware.
Q'Schara "Shyra" Brown Newspaper Clipping
A newspaper clippig highlighting the basketball achievements of the Cleveland Lady Raiders. Pictured is O'Schara "Shyra" Brown a memeber of the McMinn County community. She was born June 01, 1992 and died September 10, 2021. She is the daughter of…
Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church Old Timers Day Photograph
A color photograph of Pastor Wiliams speaking to a crowd of poeple at the Old Timers Day event outside the Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church.