Warrior Creek Baptist Church
HISTORY & CEMETERY
Around 1790, Edward Garrett II of this community invited elder Joshua Palmer of the Upper Duncan Creek Church (now Langston) to hold services in his home, inviting those living nearby to attend. This continued after the death of Edward Garrett in 1794 and his wife, Ann West Owsley, gave the first acre of land for a church building in 1806. 1806 is the date used to indicate the beginning of Warrior Creek Church (then known as Warrior Creek Chapel) although, at that time, services had been held for more than 15 years.
The church was officially recognized as such in 1810, with about 115 members. The membership later grew to approximately 350 people, with about 100 of those being African Americans prior to the Civil War.
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In 1874, a 7 3/4 tract of land was purchased from William Garrett, a son of Edward Garrett II, for the sum of $33.75. Most of the present cemetery and the present church building stand on that land, although other small tracts of land have since been added.
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Over the years, the church continued to flourish. April of 1887 brought the first appeal for special emphasis on behalf of Foreign Missions. In May of 1888, permission was sought to bring an organ into the meeting house. A 100th anniversary celebration was held in 1910. Newspaper reports of the event indicate that there were more than 1,000 people in attendance.
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There have been at least four buildings used over the span of Warrior Creek's lifetime: (1) a log cabin utilized as a church and school, located near the grave of Edward Garrett II (with one of the cornerstones still in place), (2) a brick structure, located about 3/4 way down in the cemetery, (3) the large frame structure built in the early 1870's (and torn down in 1952 when the present building was occupied), and (4) the large current building. Begun in 1950, the original part of our existing building was constructed by the men of the church, except for the laying of the brick. The building was dedicated on May 4, 1952. Since then, many additions and conveniences have been added.
There are approximately 850 persons buried in our cemetery, dating back to at least 1794, with many being in unmarked graves. The small cemetery located behind the large cemetery, contrary to wide belief, is not an "older" cemetery, and the reason for its being there is not fully known.
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Although many church records are missing or nonexistent, the listing taken from all church records gives the names of about 2,600 people who have been members of this church during its history.
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As Warrior Creek has now passed its 200th anniversary, it is our earnest prayer that we will continue to let the same spirit ​that founded and nurtured our church work in the life of our church today and in the future. It is our hope that the church continues to serve God and this community with the same dedication as did our forefathers.
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