-Chapter IV- TOWNS, COMMUNITIES, AND MILITIA DISTRICTS (1880-1980)
Fairy, Hall's Chapel, and Fancy Hill
In the southwestern corner of Cisco District, near the line with McDonald's District, three communities have existed. The oldest seems to have been Hall's Chapel, located on the old George Hall farm near Fairy Valley Baptist Church. Founded in the 1840's. Hall's Chapel was noted for its school and its "Union Church." As early as 1846 or 1847 Rev. Hiram Douglass. a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, began preaching to a group of settlers at Hall's Chapel School-house. From then until 1853 this loosely organized body called themselves the Mount Cumberland Church. According to a deed from the Hall family. Hall's Chapel was to be used for educational purposes during the week and religious gatherings on weekends, but no single church or denomination was to have sole control of the services. Rev. S.H, Henry was a teacher and preacher here in the early 1850's.
However, when members of the group sought to formally organize a Cumberland Presbyterian church, the Hall's Chapel group divided. Those who wanted to form the church formed the Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian congregation and in 1853 moved to the present site of that church. Others remained at Hall's Chapel as the Mount Cumberland Church until about 1861, possibly ceasing worship due to the War Between the States and its hardships.
Following the war, the school reopened and occasionally services were held at Hall's. The school enjoyed many years of success with the following among the teachers. W.L. Henry (1881). A.J. Mann (1884). M.P. Bates (1891), J.B. Smith (1892), W.M. Lowery (1894-97), and Lula Gladden (1899-1900). The school was operating in 1880, but the teacher's name is not known, as was true in 1890 when Summerhour's pupils were sent there. In 1891, 29 pupils were enrolled at Hall's Chapel and after the turn of the century Harris Richards was a teacher.
About 1913 the old Hall's Chapel school closed and a new school at Fairy opened. In the early 1920's this new school burned and by the late 1920's another building had been constructed across the road from the old Hall's school. This Hall's Chapel school operated until 1954 when several schools were consolidated with Eton. Teachers during this era of Hall's Chapel's long history included Rossie McNeely, Mattie Harris, Bertie Parks, Ethel Douthitt, Ella O'Neal (1928-29), Etta Hampton (1928-29), George Ross (1930-33), Mrs. A.L. Rymer (1933-34), Icy O'Neal Plemons (1933-37), Mildred Baxter Petty (1938-39). Grapell Bracket! (194244). and Marie Apgar (1948-52). Dave Baxter, John Green, Albert Rymer, Bert Green, and George Hall were some of the people who served as trustees of the Hall's Chapel School. Today, the only reminder of the Hall's Chapel community is the name of the road connecting Highways 411 and 225 which passes the sites of the former schools.
Another old community near Hall's Chapel was Fancy Hill, located near Sumach Creek on what is now Highway 411. A post office was established there in 1850 with Michael E. Murphy as postmaster. Succeeding postmasters were John Cain (1854-58), James F. Haley (1858-60) and Franklin Summerhour (1860-66). The post office closed in 1866 as did several stations following the Civil War.
A post office named Petty existed in the area from 1900-06 with Elijah Petty and James Looney as postmasters. As post offices opened and closed frequently in those days it was common for the same people, living in the same house, to have a variety of addresses over the years as evidenced by these envelopes from the Hall family:
After the building of the L&N Railroad, some of the attention usually given to Hall's Chapel and Fancy Hill focused instead on a new community named Fairy. At Fairy, the "short dog" train stopped and Rufus Harris built a store. The post office had already been established in 1897 with W.D. Petty the first postmaster. John Petty (1905-07). George Howell (1907-17), and Susie Cookerly (1917-18) were successive postmasters. The Fairy office combined with Crandall in 1918. The railroad was vitally important to Fairy, particularly for local shipping and transportation. Several serious train wrecks occurred in this area.
When the old Hall's Chapel School closed around 1913 or 1914, Fairy school was established on land provided by H.A. McCamy (Land Lot 201,10th District. 3rd Section) just north of Hall's Chapel Road. Among the teachers at Fairy were Frankie Anderson, Walter Harper, Minnie Rickett. Nellie Rickett (1916-17), H.L. Smith and Ed Slaughter in 1917-18, and J.H. Woods (1918-19). Unfortunately. the Fairy school burned and the educational facility for this ward was moved back to Hall's Chapel.
The Fairy name lives on in the Fairy Valley Baptist Church which was founded in 193S- The congregation first assembled, appropriately enough, in the Hall's Chapel School. Mr. W.B. Rucker gave the land for the church and the first pastor was S.A. Crumley. Charter members included Rev. & Mrs. Crumley, Mr, & Mrs. W.B. Rucker, Ben Rucker, Cage Plemons, Edward Dunn, Joe Gladden, Mr. & Mrs. N.K. Hooker. Beulah Hooker, Samuel Hooker, Homer Elrod, Mrs. W.P. Rymer. Mrs. Houston Childers. Mrs. CM. Arrowood, Raymond Arrowood, Kendall Arrowood, Eula Patterson Pritchett. Arlie Patterson Mantooth, W.P. Rymer. Arvil Pritchett, Paul Elrod, and Ruth Dunn Dalton. Trustees on a 1940 deed include C.M. Arrowood, Charles Raicliff. and Oscar Hooker.
By 1972 Fairy Valley had 208 members. Pastors since the founding have been Ed Payne, Kirby Park. Arnold Adams, J.C. Hotlifield. Dalton Hughes. John Vineyard. Milas Winkler, J.D. Cox. Ed Morgan. Edward Ballew, Dallas Johnson, J.A. Burger, Winfrey Crider, Reggie Mantooth, Fletcher Goswick, and Fred Coker. (Information from the History of the North Georgia Baptist Association.)
The Fairy Valley Cemetery is one of the prettiest in the county and includes what was once a cemetery for the Hall and McCamy families. Thomas Hall (1795-1865), the patriarch of the Hall clan, is buried there and. according to family members, some slaves were buried there in unmarked graves.
In 1934 District No, 1506's name was changed from Doogan to Alaculsey and District No, 1011 became Cisco rather than Alaculsey. In 1959 the two were combined to form present-day Cisco District. The justices of the peace for the area have included Houston O'Neal (1885-89). C.C. Howell (1886-98) Sam Hie-don (1900-05 & 1907-40). J.B. Higdon (1920-21), T.E. Turvey (1924-28) and Floyd Crumley. Elections are held in the old Cisco School.
Murray County Heritage