The history of Mountain Home is deeply intwined in the local history of the broader community.
The following table represents the results of our research to date regarding when people connected to Mountain Home moved into the northern part of DeKalb County and where they journeyed from to get here.
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1820 | 1824 | Homan | (Frances married Zealous Roden), She was born in northern DeKalb in 1825 |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1830 | 1830 | White | John H White (born in Ireland) and his wife Clara Keith of South Carolina moved their family to TN and then to northern DeKalb County in 1830. Their son William H White married Margaret Jane White and their oldest daughter Mary Louisa married Colonel Gibson Keith. William H. had two sons to pastor Chestnut Grove: John Lowery and James Mason. James’ son Robert also served as pastor at Chestnut Grove. John and Clara’s youngest son, James Taylor White also fathered a pastor of Chestnut Grove, Lewis Wyatt. John & Clara had 3 grandsons, 1 great grandson, and 1 son in law (C.G. Keith) who served as pastor of Chestnut Grove. Collectively serving 31 years |
| 1830-1839 | York | William Enoch York Sr. – after 1831 before 1840 | |
| 1835 | Bray | William Carrol Bray (Father of John and Adaline ‘Rillie’) – between 1835 and 1839 | |
| 1836 | Ballard | Emily Mirah Lee Ballard – 1836 (Bledsoe County TN, DeKalb) {her nephews Walter and James moved here with her} She is the sister of Major Allen Lee/Lea who lived in the Valley [there is no record of her burial] Two of her children, Mirah Ann Ballard and Jane Ballard have lasting legacies at Mountain Home. Jane married Joseph Jasper Smith, son of Wade Hampton Smith, and Mirah Ann married William Newton “Nute” Johnson. Many from both of their families are buried at Mountain Home, and many of their descendants still work to care for Mountain Home. | |
| 1836 | Lea | Walter Lea (moved from TN with his aunt Emily Mirah Lee who married Jim Ballard). He married Sarah Barnes and after her death he married Margaret Wade who had been widowed. | |
| 1836-1839 | Gibson | Rev. Jacob Williamson Gibson Jr. (born 1 Nov 1799 in Barren County, KY, married Elizabeth Franklin in Sep 1818 in KY) moved to DeKalb County between 1836 and 1839. According to records at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, the 1st Pastor when the church was organized was J.W. Gibson. He died in June or July 1862, Elizabeth died in 1843. He is buried at Old Antioch Cemetery east of Rainsville. | |
| 1837 | Phillips | Abner Phillips and his family moved to the Head Springs community in 1837 | |
| 1837 | Roden | Zealous Roden – 1837 (married Frances Homan in 1837 and established their home in the community. Their 1st child was born in 1838 (SC, DeKalb) | |
| 1838 | Lewis | Emily Lewis Craze Lee family (grandfather/father/family moved to Alabama in the 1830’s, Jonathan and his wife Nancy Steele moved into the northern DeKalb area in 1838. (Her father Jonathan is buried at Head Springs, and he fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War) | |
| 1839 | Clark | Elizabeth Betsy Clark – 1831 (KY, TN, DeKalb) | |
| 1839 | Barns | Jehu “Hugh” Barnes – before 1831 (NC, TN, DeKalb) (fought in War of 1812) | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1840 | 1840 | Ellis | William D. Ellis (father of Raleigh Alexander Ellis, grandfather of Raymond Austin Ellis, Walter Verlon Ellis, Bertie Ellis and others) – after 1840 before 1843 |
| 1840 | McCurdy | Nathaniel Warren McCurdy, born in SC, moved to TN, and then to AL around 1835, they moved into the northern DeKalb area in 1840 (Nathaniel’s son Sgt Macklin Anderson McCurdy and his son William Brownly who was Mack Robert’s daddy (Alice Durham’s husband), then Robert Durham “Bobby” McCurdy who worked to care for Mountain Home until his death. His family continues to care for Mountain Home. | |
| 1841 | Wade | Jacob Wade and wife Mariah L. Dean and their children moved to Head Springs in 1841 (SC, GA, AL). Many of their family are buried at Mountain Home, and several of their descendants still work to care for Mountain Home. | |
| 1843 | Craze | James & Louisa Craze – 1843 or before (they lived in AL in 1843 when Daniel was born). They, both of their sons, and many of their descendants are buried at Mountain Home, and some of their decedent generations still work to care for Mountain Home. (Note – their family may have contributed the original land for the Chestnut Grove Graveyard, which we now call Mountain Home, we are still searching for the validating documents) | |
| 1847 | Troxtel | Jane C Troxtel – 1847 (TN, DeKalb) Jane is buried at Head Springs, but her daughter Margaret Troxtel Wade Lea is buried at Mountain Home as is many of her descendants from her marriages to John Thomas Wade and Walter J. Lea, Sr. | |
| 1847 | Cooper | John Cooper (Father of John Wesley Monroe Dolphus “Dolphy” Cooper) – 1847 | |
| 1848 | Keith | Marshal & Nancy Keith moved from Franklin TN to Northern DeKalb County between 1848-1849. Their son Colonel Gibson Keith was born in Valley Head in 1852 and was an early and long serving pastor of Chestnut Grove, serving 19 years between 1899 and 1922. Their daughter Margaret E. Keith married James Nelson Kerby who also pastored Chestnut Grove for 9 years. | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1850 | Slayton | Benjamin Franklin Slayton and his wife Jane “Jennie” Barnes were wed early in 1850 and set up their home in the community. Their first child was born here in 1851. Jennie is the daughter of Jehu Barnes and Elizabeth Betsy Clark, and sister of Sara Barnes who married Walter Lea. BF and Jennie’s daughter Mary Isabel married Elisha S Tatum in 1879. Their daughter Janie married James Daniel Hicks, brother of Queen Elizabeth Hicks Thompson. | |
| 1850-1859 | Smith | Wade Hampton Smith and wife Sarah Sabra “Sibby” Fryar moved their family from west Tennessee– after 1850 before 1860. Four of their children are buried at Mountain Home. Nealy Emaline Smith Bray (her daughter Corrillia Adeline ‘Rillie’ Bray married Newton Francis Prestwood in 1892 – several of that family are buried at Mountain Home. Dempsey Drury Smith and brother Joseph Jasper Smith and many of their families are at Mountain Home, and several of their decedent generations still work to care for Mountain Home. Whitson C Smith spent most of his life in Tennessee but moved to the community in the early 1890’s to be near family and friends as he had finally become disabled after his service to the Union during the Civil War – he is buried among family, friends, and fellow soldiers at Mountain Home. Their oldest son Alexander is buried at Head Springs, and the remaining children are in other states or unknown. | |
| 1850-1859 | Smith | Dempcy Drury & Margaret Ellen Smith moved to northern DeKalb from Tennessee between 1850 and 1860. John, Whitson, Charles, James, and Margaret were their children, and some buried at Mtn Home. – John & Mary Smith’s kids Velma, James Whitson, Lou, Rufus Robert, and Laura – some buried at Mtn Home and some of their decedents. | |
| 1850-1851 | Steele | Lewis & Catherine Steele moved to northern DeKalb between 1850-1851. Their son John R & wife Martha E Craze are at Mtn Home, and he was born in DeKalb Oct 17, 1851. | |
| 1851 | Gifford | William Gifford (Father of Joseph E, Thomas, James, and William) – 1851 | |
| 1851-1853 | Graves | Hiram Graves (Father of Joshua & William Henry; Grandfather of Joshuaway Jackson Graves; Great Grandfather of Olen Jackson Robert Graves) – 1851-1853 | |
| 1852-1854 | Kerby | Hawkins Judson Kerby & family (son of Rev. William Bailey Kerby (b1799), who married Martha Sylvania York both are buried at Mtn Home as are some of their children) moved to Head Spring in 1858. Hawkins is a brother to Hugh Hamilton Kerby. Hawkins and brother Hugh both moved to DeKalb County – northern range between 1852 and 1954. Hugh served as a pastor at Chestnut Grove for 10 years. Hugh’s oldest son James N. Kerby served for 9 years. Also, Hugh’s grandson William Bailey ‘W.B.’ (son of Rufus) served as pastor at Chestnut Grove multiple times, total of 22.33 years and was named Honorary Pastor. This family collectively served as Pastor for 36.33 years – by far the longest serving family. James Nelson Kerby married Margaret E. Keith, daughter of Marshal & Nancy Keith, and sister of Colonel Gibson Keith. | |
| 1854 | Crabtree | George Washington ‘Big George’ Crabtree and his wife Samirah J. “Myra” Suiter moved their family to the community in 1854 (Franklin TN, DeKalb) | |
| 1855 | Hicks | James Benton Hicks and family – 1855 (NC, GA, AL, DeKalb) | |
| 1855 | Wilks | Married to Hicks 1855 (VA, NC, GA, AL, DeKalb) | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1860 | 1860 | Crow | Thomas Jefferson ‘Jeff’ Crow & Nancy Jane Reid moved from Whitfield County GA to northern DeKalb late 1860. They and their daughter are buried at Mountain Home. (Note – they may have contributed the original land for the church at Chestnut Grove we are still searching for the validating documents) |
| 1860 | Blevins | Richard & Sarah Blevins moved to northern DeKalb County in 1860 just prior to the birth of their son Gaines Blevins in 1861. While they moved between GA & AL, their son Abner Denson Blevins Sr. was born in 1870, and is the father of A.D. “Dick” Blevins who was born in 1918 in Rising Fawn GA (and later married Winnie Jones and lived in the community) | |
| 1860 | Little | Jasper Ely Little family (Grandfather Francis Little and family moved from South Alabama to southern DeKalb around 1840, the move to northern DeKalb, specifically the Ider area took place around 1860. | |
| 1860 | Downer | Benjamin Franklin Downer (grandfather of Reuben Wallace Downer) – before 1860 | |
| 1861-1862 | Prestwood | Francis Marion & Lucy Ann ‘Millie’ Prestwood moved from south AL to northern DeKalb between 1861- March 1862. Their youngest son, Newton Francis Prestwood married Corrillia Adeline ‘Rillie’ Bray in 1892, and they and some of their children are buried at Mtn. Home. | |
| 1863 | Beaty | William Hiram Beaty and family (Father of Joseph Beaty) – 1863 | |
| 1860-1866 | Cordell | G W Cordell (Father of Lucinda J Cordell Lea) – after 1860 before 1867 | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1870 | 1870-1880 | Kirk | Jesse James Kirk family (parents Elijah Thomas & Mary Jane) moved to DeKalb from Randolph County between the 1870 & 1880 U.S. Census. (Most of the family subsequently moved to TX or further south) |
| 1872 | Gibson | Fountain Perry Gibson (Father of George H. Gibson) – 1872 | |
| 1874-1880 | Chambers | John Robert Chambers (Grandfather of John B. Chambers) – between 1874-1880 | |
| 1879 | Tatum | Elisha S Tatum – in 1879 when he married Mary Isabel Slayton (her family already lived in the community) | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1880 | 1880-1887 | Thomas | John M Thomas was born in GA. Married Josephine Stafford in 1861. She died in 1880, and sometime after that he and his minor children moved to northern DeKalb County. In June 1888 he married Amelia Jane ‘Mely’ Crabtree (daughter of George and Samirah). In 1889 their son William Nelson Thomas was born in in 1893 daughter Jessie Octavia. John M served in the Civil War – Co K 10th Tenn. Cav (Union Army) and is buried at Mtn Home. His wife moved to Louisiana. Their son William Nellson married Lucy Jane Troxtel in 1909 – she died in 1937 and he married Sibie J York Gann. All 3 are buried at Mtn Home, as are some of their children. |
| 1881-1899 | Stallings | William Jesse Stallings Sr – after 1880 before 1900 | |
| 1881-1899 | Stone | Susan Malinda Stone – after 1880 before 1900 | |
| 1881-1906 | Fowler | James William Fowler ‘Will’ (Husband of Emmer Smith) – after 1880 before 1906 | |
| 1881-1899 | Bray | Shadrach & Hannah Bray moved from TN to Central DeKalb in 1838. They moved to the northern part of the county between 1880-1900. Their son William Carrol Bray married Nealy Emaline Smith in January 1870 and they made their home in the community. They are parents to John Wiley Bray, Corrillia Adeline ‘Rillie’ Bray Prestwood, and others. | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1890 | 1890-1899 | Littlejohn | The Littlejohn family (Brownie Mae’s parents) moved to DeKalb from Georgia in the 1890’s |
| 1890-1899 | Thompson | William Alonzo Thompson and Mary moved their family from Georgia to DeKalb County between 1890 and 1899. They were parents to Thomas Willis Thompson born in 1873 who married Queen Elizabeth Hicks. They made their home in northern DeKalb County. Children of Thomas Willis & Queen: Charlie, John, Della, James, Mary Ida, Ora Allie, and Homer Willis. | |
| 1892 | Crane | Joseph Taylor Crane & Nancy Jane Rider (parents of James Charley Crane) – 1892 | |
| 1892 | Durham | James Andrew Durham and wife Cynthia J. Millican married Feb 1892 in Walker County GA and moved to northern DeKalb County. (Their kids; Lela, Buley, Nick, Erskin, Minnie, Stella, Rosa, Sallie were born in AL) | |
| 1895-1897 | Taylor | Alberto Davis ‘A D “Burt”’ Taylor and his wife Elizabeth Angeline Hull moved their family from Jefferson County AL to northern DeKalb County in the late 1890’s, after 1895 and before 1898. They are buried at Mtn. Home. | |
| 1896 | Haney | Hesekiah Haney (Father of Deward) before 1896 | |
| 1897-1899 | Jones | James Oliver “Ollie” Jones’ parent (Seaborn Gideon & Mary Jones) moved to Northern DeKalb between 1897-1899 (Children Tobey, Lester, Vester ‘Doc’, Winnie, Boyd, and Barney) | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1900 | 1900-1910 | Tuggle | Henry & Idora Tuggle move to Northern DeKalb between 1900 and 1910 |
| 1904-1908 | Parham | Robert Vester ‘Buster’ Parham’s dad Robert and mother Mary moved to DeKalb County between April 1904 and November 1908. Robert is Milford Parham and Flora Hagewood’s dad. | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1910 | 1915-1920 | Moss | Robert & Amanda ‘Mandy’ Moss moved their family to northern DeKalb between 1915 and 1920 |
| 1915-1917 | Turner | Thomas Newberry & Viola ‘Ola’ Turner moved their family from Cleburne County to northern DeKalb between 1915 and 1917 | |
| 1916 | Ott | Henry Clay Ott was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Jackson County AL before 1867 when his oldest son Jean J. Ott was born. Henry is father to Matthew Blaine Ott, Sr. (1892). MBO Sr. is father of MBO Jr. born in DeKalb County in 1916. He married Louise Thompson and they lived in the northern DeKalb area. Their son Arthur L. was born in 1957 What about MBO Sr or Jr. did you know that MB’s wife was Louise Thompson. She belonged to John and Mary Lou Thompson. John was Tommy’s grandpa Charlie’s brother. | |
| 1917 | Ivey | James Russell (Pumpkin) Ivey (moved from Marshall County) – 1917 | |
| 1918 | Ivey | James Russell Ivey & Brownie Mae moved into DeKalb County northern area in 1918 when they got married. Brownie grew up in mid/south DeKalb County and he in Etowah County. | |
| 1918-1920 | Tucker | Charles Columbus “Charlie” Tucker Sr. and his wife Gertrude moved their family from Georgia to northern DeKalb County between February 1918 and April 1920. They and many of their family are buried at Mtn. Home this is Gladys Tucker Smith…Thompson’s parents | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
| 1920 | 1920 | Blevins | Willie L Blevins (father of TJ Blevins) – 1920 |
| 1920-1921 | Frady | Gordon Webster Frady – after January 10, 1920, before February 2, 1921 | |
| 1921-1929 | Murdock | Charles Daniel & Pollie Murdock and their children moved from Haralson County, Georgia to the community of Graham, DeKalb, Alabama between the 1900 census and 1910. Charles John Wesley Murdock and his wife Mary Saleta ‘Seely’ Rains (she was born in DeKalb Co.) were married in DeKalb County in 1905. They lived in the Graham community until after the 1920 census. Before the 1930 census, they moved to Poplar Springs, DeKalb, Alabama – the Mountain Home community. Charlie was pastor at Chestnut Grove 1927-28 and 1932-39. | |
| Decade | Year(s) | Last Name | Details |
————————————-
It is our hope this list will grow over time as we continue our research.
The following table provides currently known details regarding the pastors of the church at Chestnut Grove from the time of founding in 1861 through the end of the 20th Century.
| Order | Name | Years Served |
| 1st | Jacob Williamson Gibson Jr. (died June 1862 while pastor) | 1 |
| 2nd | S. U. Hastings (Stephen M Hastings) | 4 |
| 3rd | Hugh Hamilton Kerby | 10 |
| 4th | James Joseph Harwood | 1 |
| 4th | William Wellington Carson | 4 |
| 5th | John Lowery White | 3 |
| 6th | W. L. Corley | 8 |
| 7th | Colonel Gibson ‘Tobe’ Keith [buried at Mountain Home] | 19 |
| 7th | George Washington Harwood (died January 1895 while pastor) | 6 |
| 8th | James Mason White | 1 |
| 8th | James Nelson Kerby | 9 |
| 9th | James “Jim” Allen Craze | 1 |
| 10th | Anderson Bell | 2 |
| 11th | William Colloskee ‘Clakie’ Bunnell | 3 |
| 12th | Joseph Eaton Beaty | 15 |
| 13th | William George Lewis Sartin | 2 |
| 14th | Lewis Wyatt White | 2 |
| 15th | Charles “Charlie” John Wesley Murdock | 8 |
| 16th | Luther Albert Hall (Assistant Pastor) | 1 |
| 17th | William Bailey Kerby | 22.33 |
| 18th | Henry Joseph “Jobe” Brown | 14 |
| 19th | Thomas Hezekiah Jenkins | 7 |
| 20th | Arley Lea | 1 |
| 21st | Robert Newman White | 6 |
| 22nd | Thomas Jesse “Jess” Workman | 2 |
| 23rd | Doyce Dee White, Assistant | 1 |
| 23rd | Doyce Dee White | 4 |
| 24th | Orbie (Bud) Laney | 0.67 |
| 25th | Howard Eugene Gothard Sr. [buried at Mountain Home] | 1 |
| 26th | Willard McCoy Craze [buried at Mountain Home] | 5 |
| 27th | David Barrentine | 0.08 |
| 28th | Clyde Willis Allen | 5.75 |
| 29th | Melvin E. Slatton | 8.0 |
| 30th | Ralph Heard | 6.0 |