Some months prior to the great Chicago fire of 1871, Horatio G. Spafford- a successful Christian businessman- invested heavily in real estate on the shore of Lake Michigan. All his water front holdings were destroyed in the fire. To make matters worse, just prior to his financial loss, he experienced the death of his son. Desiring a rest for his wife and four daughters, he planned a trip to Europe. Because of unexpected last minute business he had to remain in Chicago and sent his family ahead. On November 22, 1873, the ship carrying his wife and four daughters sank after it was struck by another vessel. Haratio received the news by a cable message sent by his wife that read, “Saved alone.”
Randy Dunson: Historian at heart
Courtesy art
A sampling of Randy Dunson s hymn history, from his Facebook page.
Randy Dunson has always been a historian at heart, particularly interested in the history of the railroad. He s spent hundreds of hours researching thousands of historic railroad documents and was a primary source for the Train Town article that. For access to this article please sign in or subscribe.
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Cowpens First Baptist Church holds first service after devastating fire
It s often said that a church isn t a building, it s a people.
The members of Cowpens First Baptist Church proved this adage true Sunday when they gathered for worship, not even a full day after their church was destroyed in a fire Saturday afternoon. When I saw the fire, my first thought was heartbreak, and my second thought was, Where are we meeting Sunday? So we got to moving and people started pouring in and offering all kinds of support, said Interim Pastor Rev. Kermit Morris.
Firefighters from Cowpens, Converse, Drayton, Corinth, Macedonia, and Goucher White Plains arrived at Cowpens First Baptist, located at 108 W. Church St., at 2:36 p.m. the day of the blaze to see the church engulfed in flames and smoke billowing out of the building s second floor, visible from six miles away. The building was a complete loss.