{"id":456,"date":"2013-10-24T20:13:14","date_gmt":"2013-10-25T00:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/?page_id=456"},"modified":"2013-10-24T21:33:20","modified_gmt":"2013-10-25T01:33:20","slug":"bethpage-community","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/bethpage-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Bethpage Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bethpage: Its Roots Are Deeply Imbedded In Cabarrus County<\/strong>
\nby Randolph S. Hancock, Independent Staff Writer<\/em>
\nThe Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, September 18, 1955<\/em><\/p>\n

submitted by Bill Furr<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Wild pea vine was growing lush on Piedmont savannas. Easterly winds, week before, had told the great humped herd on the western plains the time had come for the annual trek to the eastern seaboard. The buffalo followed the winding path of their ancestors across the plains, through the Great Smokies and down the foothills of the Blue Ridge. They were cautious creatures. Centuries of traveling this route had taught them that danger often lurked behind the most unsuspecting hedge of bushes.<\/p>\n

There was first the Indian. Later there had come the white man. He had brought with him an instrument of sudden death. On the creek bank this spring stood a man with a long rifle. When the buffalo stopped to drink from the sparkling and refreshing waters, the rifle belched red. There was one less animal to follow the thundering herd in its mad dash toward the coast.<\/p>\n

Bethpage has come a long way since the 1790’s. The community’s roots are many. They have spread through Cabarrus County, the state and nation deeper and further than there’s any authentic record. Elder T. A. Flemming of the Bethpage Presbyterian Church admits as much in an historical sketch written in 1937.<\/p>\n

Said Mr. Flemming, \u201cIn the absence of records it is the province of history to gather and preserve authentic tradition and incident and thus; place conspicuously before the present and coming generations of Presbyterians the mellow light of ancestral example.\u201d White the light of ancestral example has mellowed, it hasn’t dimmed in Bethpage. It’s an outstanding community.<\/p>\n

Mr. Flemming concerned himself in his \u201csketch\u201d with the work of the Presbyterian Church in Bethpage. That’s important. It’s outstanding. But it is only one phase or just a dot on the canvas that is Bethpage.<\/p>\n

For two years running, Bethpage has been honored and recognized as Cabarrus County’s most \u201cOutstanding Community” by the County Council of Home Demonstration Clubs. That’s an honor few, if any, communities in North Carolina can boast. That wasn’t enough for Bethpage. It went on last year to take the honor of having the \u201cClub Woman of the Year\u201d named from the community. She is Mrs. Evelyn Brown, a second grade teacher in the Aycock school in Kannapolis. Mrs. Brown is also the retiring president of the community Home Club.<\/p>\n

Such honors have roots in solid footings. Bethpage had such a footing in the \u201cmellow light of an ancestral example. . .\u201d The first settlements within the bounds of Bethpage (it’s difficult to say just where the bounds begin and end) \u201cwhere made by Scotch-Irish emigrants from Pennsylvania and Delaware several anterior (sic) to the revolution,\u201d says Mr. Flemming in his sketch. There undoubtedly are many persons in Bethpage today who are descendants of those first settlers. But others have come. There are many German names prominent in the community.<\/p>\n

Mr. Flemming say’s \u201cthey (the first settlers) were rugged of character; almost all were soldiers in the revolutionary armies.\u201d Less the wonder then that they were \u201cjealous of their civil and religious liberties, stern and unyielding where principle was involved, intensely loyal to Presbyterianism with them the church was a power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethpage Presbyterian Church had its beginning in humble quarters. \u201cThe first church,\u201d said Mr. M N. Petrea, the oldest living elder of the church, \u201cwas a log church on Buffalo Creek.\u201d It was known as \u201cOld Bethpage\u201d and it was built about 1794. \u201cThat there was a place of preaching,\u201d says Mr. Flemming, \u201c. . . before there was a church organization is not matter of doubt.<\/p>\n

Mr. Flemming adds that \u201ctradition says that there was a preaching place on the East bank of Buffalo Creek, about two-and-a-half miles from the sight of Old Bethpage . . . there was a graveyard there now entirely obliterated. . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Flemming was not without levity. \u201cThe writer,\u201d said he, \u201chas heard an anecdote of that period. A tardy worshiper having arrived after service had concluded to enter by climbing over the wall and did so just as the preacher was reading his text from John: 1. \u201cHe that entereth not by the door into the sheep fold but climbeth some other way, the same is a thief and a robber!\u201d Just exactly what that \u201cclimber over the wall\u201d elected to do after hearing his \u201csins\u201d read aloud, Mr. Flemming failed to say. Suffice it to say, he was chagrined. Perhaps he jumped into nearby Buffalo Creek!<\/p>\n

Bethpage probably took its name from a community in Judea. In Hebrew the word loosely translated means \u201chouse or tent\u201d and since the church was the forerunner of the community, it was aptly named Bethpage.<\/p>\n

Following the log church on the creek, there was built \u201ca more imposing edifice\u201d where the Bethpage Methodist Church now stands. This site was sold to the Methodist and the present building was erected about 1840. However, these dates appear in the stone at the entrance to the church: 1794, 1840, 1933.<\/p>\n

Building is to be continued. The Rev. John A. Cannon Jr., pastor said present plans call for a $70,000 sanctuary to be built adjacent to the present building, west side. To carry on this work, Mr. Cannon said the congregation of the church had raised $12,000 since Jan. 16. Construction of the modern new building is scheduled to begin next summer.<\/p>\n

Energetic, personable Mr. Cannon, a man with a feeling for youth, has organized a softball team among the youth of the church, a Boy Scout troop (No. 105) and under his supervision there’s a year-round recreation program for young people in the basement of the church. While the ball team ended in seventh place in the circuit this year, Mr. Cannon is expecting bigger and better things come next season. It was a start and a good one. Bethpage softball enthusiasts can look forward to a top team next year.<\/p>\n

The church now has 294 members. In the Sunday School there are 200 enrolled. Last year Sunday School enrollment had dropped to 140.<\/p>\n

As in the beginning most activity revolves around the church. Mr. Cannon pointed out that T. P. Sims, an elder, is one of the most \u201caggressive members of the congregation. He takes care of the cemetery\u201d where rest many of the community’s first settlers.<\/p>\n

In sight of the church is the Community Center. That’s a place of general meeting for community functions. It’s a unifying force in Bethpage too.<\/p>\n

Dairy farming is the principal occupation of the people of Bethpage. There are two \u201cHonor Farms\u201d or \u201cGreen Farms\u201d in Bethpage. They are operated by Hugh Rumple and Ralph Williams. This honor came to Mr. Rumple and Mr. Williams for the outstanding pastures they provide for their dairy cattle. It’s an honor not easily come by.<\/p>\n

Bethpage has also felt the \u201cbuilding boom\u201d that has struck the country. Within the past 12 months a number of $12,000 to $15,000 modern homes have been built in the community. That’s Bethpage now. It came up from ten acres of land.<\/p>\n

May 19, 1795 Hugh McCrea started Bethpage on its way when he caused to be executed a deed for 10-acres of land on the shores of Buffalo Creek. The deed was executed in the names of George Gibson, John Parks, Archibald Woodsides and Mitchell Flemming. Since that time more land has been sold or deeded to the church. Persons selling or deeding land to the church have included Miss Sophia Overcash, 50 acres, for S100. Charles Rumple deeded a lesser number of acres to the church. Bethpage’s first pastor was the Rev. John Carrigan. The records show that Concord presbytery held its first meeting in the church Dec. 24, 1795.<\/p>\n

The wild peavine still grows in open spots in Piedmont. The war-whoop of the Indians \u2013 which Mr. Flemming touched on in his sketch \u2013 is no longer to be heard. But Buffalo Buffalo creek flows on \u2013 minus its namesake \u2026 minus the man with the rifle \u2013 and so does the community it nurtured.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bethpage: Its Roots Are Deeply Imbedded In Cabarrus County by Randolph S. Hancock, Independent Staff Writer The Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, September 18, 1955 submitted by Bill Furr Wild pea vine was growing lush on Piedmont savannas. Easterly winds, week … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-456","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/456\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncgenweb.us\/cabarrus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}