Dixon Creek Missionary Baptist Church
"Dinner on the grounds" at Dixon's Creek Baptist Church, Trousdale Co., Tn. (near Dixon Springs) in
about 1923. The view is of the rear of the church house looking northwest and overlooking Dixon's
Creek and the old Esther Meredith Ballou plantation of the 1790's.
The brick structure is composed of 10-12 inch load bearing walls with no studs. Slaves laid these bricks
in about 1860. Original photograph by Calvin Gregory.
Note:
To be more accurate regarding the time of the split of Dixon’s Creek Missionary Baptist Church, I went
back to the “Twentieth Century Baptists” by H. C. Vanderpool and W. T. Russell, 1962. Here it states
that the court action was signed and the case closed in June 1922. The split occurred in 1920 regarding
the support missions through the Southern Baptist Convention. Also, after the court action, the Dixon's
Creek Missionary Baptist Church at Cato was formed by excluded menbers from the original church
congregation. The present red brick building is the same one that was constructed in about 1860 with
additions in the last twenty-five years.Calvin Gregory was called as pastor at that time and continued as
pastor through the lawsuit and for at least two years after that. In the two years immediately following the
court action, Cal baptized 92 converts into the church. So the picture may have have been made after the
court action in perhaps 1923.
DIXON'S CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH BAPTIZING -Abt.1923
This baptismal service of Dixon's Creek Missionary Baptist Church was held shortly after the church disagreement
on missions, resulting split and lawsuit. During the two years after the court action, 92 converts were baptized into
the church. Calvin Gregory, pastor of the church and standing at the right of the baptismal candidates, is the only
known individual. The church is located in Trousdale County, near the Cato Community.
The Old Bridge
The bridge in the background of the baptizing scene spanned Dixon'Creek at its junction with the Young Branch Road
about 1/4 mile from Dixon Springs. The old bridge was replaced by a concrete bridge in the 1960-70 timeframe.
Dixon's Creek Road
Cato