FOUR-MILE & TWELVE-MILE BAPTIST CHURCH, CAMPBELL CO, KENTUCKY
Two early Baptist churches in Campbell County
were served by pioneer preacher Brother Bethuel Riggs. In 1799, he served Four-Mile
Baptist Church located near today's town of Camp Springs. A record book held by the First
12-Mile Baptist Church revealed...
The Baptist Church constituted at Brother Bethuel Riggs on 4-Mile Road on this 28th of December 1799 to be called 4-Mile Baptist.[1]
In 1817, John Stevens was minister of Four-Mile Church; the following year, he served at First 12-Mile Church organized on September 18, 1818. The original church and cemetery were located on an island in 12-Mile Creek. Most of the Island Cemetery's grave markers have been washed away in flooding of the Ohio River. A second cemetery was located on a hilltop behind the church. This hilltop cemetery was in use until 1927; its oldest marker was dated 1827.[2]
It well may be our early Herbert and Spaulding ancestors were buried in the two cemeteries since both families belonged to each church. Both Josiah Herbert and Aaron Spaulding became members at Four-Mile; but Aaron Spaulding and his family later moved to Twelve-Mile near today's town of California, Kentucky. The church at Four-Mile no longer exists; First Twelve-Mile can be visited and is designated a "Ky. State Historic Site."
The present 12-Mile Church is located on Twelve Mile-Oneonta Road, California, Kentucky, on the site of a structure built in 1836. Membership lists of 4-Mile Church date from 1814 to 1820; while 12-Mile Church date from 1825 to 1933. The two church membership lists gives insight into our extended family's residence and dates of church attendance [3]:
HERBERT, JOSIAH Sr.: Rev. War soldier; Member of 4-Mile 1814-1820
Herbert, Margaret: w/o Josiah Herbert Sr; Member of 4-Mile 1814-1820
Herbert, Josiah Jr.: s/o Josiah Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1844
Herbert, John Jr.: s/o John Herbert Sr.; Member of 4-Mile 1844
Herbert, John: s/o Thomas Herbert; Member of 12-Mile 1848
Herbert, Charles: Member of 4-Mile Church 1844
Herbert, Esther [Nelson]: Member of 4-Mile 1844; 12-Mile 1845-1857
Herbert, Elizabeth [Marquise]: w/o Charles; Member of 4-Mile 1814-1820
Herbert, Elizabeth [Laurence]: w/o John Herbert, Member of 4-Mile 1814-20
Herbert, Elizabeth [Jenkins]: w/o Josiah Jr., Member of 4-Mile 1814-1820
Herbert, Elizabeth: w/o Thomas Herbert, Member of 4-Mile 1844
SPOLDON [sic], AARON Sr., Member 4-Mile 1814-1844; 12-Mile 1844-1857
Spoldon, Hannah, s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1814-44; 12-Mile 1844-57
Spoldon, Wm. D., s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1812-44; 12-Mile 1844-?
Spoldon, Hannah, w/o Wm. D., Member of 4-Mile 1844; 12-Mile 1848-?
Spoldon, Aaron Jr., s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4Mile 1844; 12-Mile 1848-1857
Spoldon, Dozier, s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1844
Spoldon, Edward, s/o Wm. D., Member of 4-Mile 1844
Spoldon, James, s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1814-1820, 12-Mile 1834-59
Spoldon, John, s/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1844, 12-Mile 1844-57
Spoldon, Nancy [Forester], d/o Aaron Sr., Member of 4-Mile 1844
Spoldon, Mary, w/o Dozier, d. 18 July 1844, Member of 4-Mile 1844
Spoldon, Mariah, w/o Edward, Member of 12-Mile 1834-1848
Footnotes & Bibliography:
1. Houston, Jean Young, "Four and Twelve-Mile Baptists Church Records, 1799-1859," Nat'l Gen. Soc. Quarterly, March 1973, Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 40-46; ftnote: p. 40.
2. Ibid., p. 40.
3. Ibid., pp. 43-44 [Herbert] & 45 [Spoldon].