(from the book, Origin of First Baptist Church of Oliver Springs 1846-1980, by Snyder E. Roberts)

The Church of Christ at Sulphur Springs had an arm in the Wheat area that later became the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church. This arm was first known as Robertson Schoolhouse which was a log building located a few yards east of the present George Jones Memorial Baptist Church. The Sulphur Springs Church minutes show the following developments. The Sulphur Springs Church met at Robertson Schoolhouse on the third Saturday of September 1852, and held a protracted meeting of some ten or twelve days. Preachers Alfred Agey, Elijah Walker, and William R. Jackson were in attendance. As a result of these meetings, 36 members were received into the Church by experience, letters and enrollment.

On June 1853, the arm of the Sulphur Springs Church at Robertson School House met and received 8 new members by letter, including the Reverend Samuel Hendrickson. In August of 1853, three more members were received by the arm.

At it’s July meeting in 1854, the Sulphur Springs Church received a petition from the Robertson Schoolhouse arm, praying to be stricken off and constituted a church of the United Baptist Church of Christ which petition was received and said prayer granted. The following names were stricken off to constitute into said church (Mt. Zion):

• Alexander Smith
• Margaret Smith
• Mary M. Robertson
• George G. Smith
• Sarah Smith
• Charles M. Smith
• Mary Smith
• Margarette Ann Smith
• Elizabeth Y. Smith
• Malinda J. Ward
• John Dawn
• Catherine Ballew
• Jacob Ballew
• Samuel Hendrickson
• Benjamin L. Hendrickson
• Julina Smith
• Mary Ann Smith
• Arizona Smith
• Sarah J. McKinney
• Missouri Right [Wright?]
• Nancy Right
• Joshua Christenberry
• Mary Christenberry
• Lucinda [Boyd] Grubb (descendant: Wanda Albers)
• Susan Hendrickson
• Samuel J. Hendrickson

The Mt. Zion Baptist Church minutes for May 1901 show “we move that the name of our Church be changed from Mt. Zion to the George Jones Memorial Baptist Church.” A report was made by a building committee; the building was later dedicated. The Moderator was Rev. Ben Peters, and the Clerk was J. R. Arnold.

The George Jones Memorial Baptist Church building is still standing, and annual homecoming services are held there in October of each year. (pub. 1980)