Photo courtesy of Western Carolina University Southern Appalachian Digital Collections
Baptism at Fires Creek
Gideon Thomas Laney (1889-1976), also known as Gid, was the prominent photographer for the Brasstown and Sweetwater areas of Clay County, North Carolina in the first part of the 20th century. Trained as a portrait photographer and motivated by the need for flexible work after the death of his wife Martha Creech Ison in 1929 left him a single parent, Gideon borrowed his sister’s bellows camera and began to photograph the people and events of his community. He sent his film off to be developed by Weaver Studio in Copperhill, Tennessee and later by Crisp’s Studio in Murphy, North Carolina. From the negatives, he made 6 cent postcard prints using his in-home darkroom. Gideon Laney’s step son Eugene Ison on stump.
Even though the photo is damaged, it jumped out at me as I was looking through the Southern Appalachian Digital Collections.
I can’t believe how many people attended the baptism! At least a hundred if not more, because of course the camera shot isn’t capturing everyone.
I’m puzzled about the last line of the description saying Laney’s stepson is on the stump. At first I thought it might be the boy sitting in the middle of the creek. But then I noticed a man on a stump on the top of the photo towards the right side.
If you go to this page and click on the photo it enlarges to where you can see the photo better. You can zoom in and out by using your mouse or your fingers if you’re on a phone.
I adore the hats, the overalls, the dresses, the bare feet, and the shoed feet. Interesting the baptizer is wearing overalls but the man assisting is in his full suit—including his jacket.
I wonder if the folks are sitting down along a road bank or some sort of bridge?
The area where the photo was taken is a good example of places that are called one thing by locals and another by visitors or people who move into an area.
Fires Creek is just up the road from Brasstown on the way to Hayesville, but closer to Brasstown.
Many local folks say Fires’s Creek. I’m one of those folks.
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Thanks for sharing this post Miss Tipper,
I love studying old photos like this one too. I’m amazed at the crowd of people at the baptism, which back in the day that was very common.
We’ve had several baptisms since we started our church in 2006, some in the ponds, creeks & streams here in our area. We have had dinner on the banks of the pond before to with a large crowd. We haven’t had one in a while, it’s about time for another.
I commented earlier, but it went away so I commented again. Thanks
Tipper, and all – there is a North Carolina Gazatteer at
https://www.ncpedia.org/gazetteer
that may explain where place names come from. It does have a note that in 1851 when the county was formed the name appeared as “Fiars”. A typo maybe or a misreading of hand writing?
Having fallen into Deep Creek once in late Summer, I can only imagine how cold a creek baptism must have been in non-Summer months. My dunking led to a sharp drop in body temperature and a headache that lasted a week or more.
Good to hear that both the Wilson and Pressley gardens are planted, as so is the Graddick’s if I’m not mistaken. I hope all will be exceptionally free of pests and yield abundantly.
Blessings to all, especially Miss Cindy.
Thank you so much Miss Tipper for sharing this old photo & for shedding some light on the history and what all is going on in this photo.
I’ve always loved a good ole fashioned baptism in the creek, River or pond, since we started our church in 2006 we have had several similar to this one in the photo in the local creeks & ponds in our area. On a couple occasions we had dinner on the grounds/ creek bank with a large crowd of people believe it or not.
We haven’t had one in a while, but it’s about time for another one.
I’m with you on being amazed at how many people were in attendance at the baptism in the photo.
Great post, because I love history and studying old photos.
Precious preservation of old ways! I remember how cold those mountain spring-fed creeks were. Cold enough to keep the milk fresh in the spring house.
I love the old photo! I can’t believe how many folks were there. Amazing to me is the man in the full suit. I wonder if the children behind them were waiting for their turn. Wonderful to see that many people witness that special event!!
Loving this photo, and I attended some of the baptisms in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It was a big, crowded event. Not a good place to take small children, as I do remember how easy it was to act up with no pews to keep one contained. I got so bad flitting around, Dad had to leave with me. Nothing that spectacular ever again I don’t think. Humble, Godfearing people out in the beautiful mountain streams displaying their dedication to the Lord. You never cease to amaze me, Tipper, by showing so much that is pure Appalachia, and you keep coming up with ideas. You have made me believe that we are a very interesting and diverse people. Love the name of Fire’s Creek.
I love seeing pictures and reading stories of baptisms. I’m reminded of all the wonderful souls that gave their hearts to Jesus, and showed others they wanted to be obedient to God the best they could according to His words in the Holy Bible. Most of these sweet souls have gone on to heaven by now. One day all of us that are true followers of Jesus will have the honor of meeting them along with our loved ones that knew Jesus as their Savior. Oh what a glorious reunion that will be to meet our Savior face to face, see loved ones again and meet new souls we have only heard about or seen in pictures. Oh what a glorious day that will be!!!
There was a creek down the road from my grandparents’ home, and Mama said baptisms were held there.
Thank you for this article. I remember a baptism at Deep Creek Baptist Church just like this. In fact, the last time I was there, the steps to the baptism area of the creek were still there.
Precious picture of a creek or river baptism!! I know my parents and some of their brothers and sisters were baptized in Jim’s Creek in Itawamba County, MS. I love that creek! I saw my cousin baptized in Lake Michigan and I was baptized in a baptismal pool in the First Baptist Church I joined in Illinois. I attended a baptism near Messiah University in PA. The Yellow Breeches Creek runs right by it and meanders back and forth all around the area. One of the large evangelical churches had a huge baptizing with about three ministers out in the creek. My husband and I were in attendance to see our neighbor’s daughter give her testimony and be baptized in that creek about 10 years ago. It was an awesome day!!
My parents told me about dinner on the ground down south, but I always remember seeing old weather-worn home-made tables run in a line in among the trees. This area bordered the old pioneer cemetery and Kennedy chapel named after my three times great-grandfather.
Keeping Miss Cindy and you all in my prayers.
I love that old times photo myself! It’s a real keeper! Ain’t it funny getting baptized in FIRE’S Creek water to keep you from the eternal burning FIRES of hell???? I tell you GOD is at work! TALK ABOUT FIRE INSURANCE so precious you wear your Sunday best! Oh the irony and yet GOD puts man in his humble place every single day. The humbling will come and it’s on its way once again. With GOD time has no meaning or bounds… wait for it and remember when you hear “THE HAMMER” on tv it all is coming down… I don’t even know what that means, but Holy Spirit told me.
I think Mr. Laney’s idea of secondary uses of his pictures is still a good one. I wonder what modern methods could do with those historic pictures. On a related note, a local artist asked permission from our church to take pictures at one of our creek baptizings and she made prints. I was baptized in Indian Creek on March 22 many years ago now. I had no idea then but the pastor who baptized me became my father-in-law about eight years later.
Most churches today use the baptistery, but some people still prefer the creek, lake or someone’s private pool. Does it matter where? No it certainly does not!
As a young adult I was baptized in the creek, but in 2014 was fortunate to be baptized by my son in the Jordan River. What a great experience that was!
These photographs bring back so many memories, but my greatest memory is on a n old Kodak movie camera of my Dad being baptized, in his later years, in the creek hearing my mother shouting from the creek bank✝️
Have a wonderful day. See you Saturday!
It would be great if you could find this spot on the Creek today
God bless you friends of Appalachia, God bless Tipper and her family in Jesus name, Hallelujah for baptism!
I have a river baptism photo taken in 1957 in the creek right in front of our former mountain home in the Virginia Blue Ridge. It’s a similar scene–a backwards full immersion in front of a large crowd, and a formally dressed participant standing in waist deep water.
Fires’s Creek (vs Fire’s or fires) would actually be grammatically correct if it was named after the Fires surname (as opposed the name Fire or to blazing fires).
I am from Florida and lived near the Atlantic Ocean. as a teen I remember being at the beach and watching group baptisms right in the ocean. Everyone on their Sunday best. It looked to me like the entire church was there.
Daytona Beach First Baptist still baptizes in the ocean. They did it Easter morning. I didn’t make it, but I heard the water was c-o-l-d!
Growing up there were always baptizing in creeks or rivers. I was baptized on a cold Easter Sunday. There were many baptized at that one. We’d had a revival in January of that year where there were many people saved and that’s when we had the baptizing. And talking about post card prints, I have many of those in my old family pictures. At just 6 cents a piece, that’s probably why I have so many of them. I like them because you can get an approximate date of them by looking at the little square stamp boxes on their back top right hand corner. About five years ago I did a post about dating old photos on my blog. here is the link to it: janetsmart.blogspot.com/2018/06/dating-old-photos.html
Thanks Tipper, i love studying old photographs. When I was young we had baptisms in a local pond. Today people complain if the heater is not working in the baptismal inside the church.
I love the hats too. makes you wonder about the person being baptized. whole new life ahead of them. Sweet picture!
Memories, memories…what would we do without memories. It is sad to think of the families of today do not have that to draw on. I have only been to one ‘creek’ baptism and I was blown over by those attending. Of course that was an oddity and would be in this day and age for sure. Most have in-house, so to speak, now. A lot of people have no idea what ‘dinner on the dirt’ or dinner on the ‘wire fence’ is. Most call it 5th Sunday or something to that effect. The old ways are still near and dear to me and I hope they always will be. I was so excited to hear about Miss Cindy yesterday and pray for her comfort as well as you guys dealing with the situation at hand. Of course we wanna hear about Granny’s potato peeling venture. God Bless and stay well.
What an awesome picture!!! There a few Baptism pictures in the family treasures – they were quite the event in earlier times.
Upper left corner – What is the man holding or doing? His hands look to be on a handle of some sort.
There’s a Fines Creek near Waynesville in Haywood County as well.
I doubt this was a baptism of just one person but probably several. I remember the old wooden
church on Flat Creek (Flat Creek Baptist) which had a decent sized creek running in front of it,
but whether baptisms were performed in a deeper area of the creek or in the French Broad, I don’t
know. Many of my ancestors are buried at Flat Creek.
I remember my Granddaddy Kirby taking me and showing me the small creek our country church used for baptism. I am not surprised by the large crowd, back then and even in the earlier years of my life, religion and church was a lot more important to people than it is now. I know this is nothing when compared to today’s mega churches, but I have a church bulletin from the mid 60’s that tells of the attendance the week before -140 Sunday morning service, 105 Sunday night (training union) and 85 Wednesday night (prayer meeting). Remember this was at a country church. Now we do good to have 50 on Sunday morning. Some of you will recognize this as a Southern Baptist Church, it was founded in 1815. The people wore the best clothes they had, the men would often wear their best pair of overalls or work pants on Wednesday night. I was a drug baby, any time the church was having a service, I was drug to it, my parents and the parents of many others of my generation would be there. I was never asked if I wanted to go even up to the time I married and left home – if the church was having service 7 days a week we would be there such as during the week of revival. When I now look back, I am grateful for my parents and the other older members that did the same with their families. I remember reading a story about a church in the Bakersville area of NC having a baptism at a creek during the late winter or early spring, it was their custom to put the person under 3 times, one man after being being put under 2 times in the cold water broke loose from the preachers and ran. He said he had had all the religion he could stand for that day!
Randy, I enjoyed reading your post today. Growing up, we never asked either if we were going to church and looking back, I am so thankful for the way I was raised. I wonder if back in those days, they had their regular places they sat as we say about us Baptist, lol. Also, I have heard about the custom of dunking a person under water 3 times back in the olden days. I was told it was 3 times for the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit). Don’t know if that is right but that is what I had heard many years ago. Can’t blame the poor man for running, that creek water sure is cold!!
I love creek baptisms!
Do you think all the children on the right side are next? or that it is indeed this solo person?
Brenda-I’m just not sure 🙂 But I sure like wondering about it 🙂
Many years ago, the small Baptist churches here on the Plateau used a mountain creek for baptisms. I remember attending one as a boy.