The early history of the Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church at Grant carries us back to the year 1873, when Wiley Homer, one of the enterprising young men of the community, built an arbor in the timber, and held the first religious meetings among the colored people of that neighborhood.
Parson C. W. Stewart, of Doaksville, the next year held occasional services in the arbor, and in 1875 secured the erection of the first house of worship. It was built of saplings, and at the place previously occupied by the arbor. Wiley Homer continued to serve as leader of the regular Sabbath meetings, when the parson was not present.
In 1881 the Church was organized with the following persons as original members:
Wiley Homer, Laney Homer, his wife, Louisa Roebuck, Martha Folsom, Amy Walton, Adaline Shoals, Rhoda Larkins.
Wiley Homer was the only elder ordained at that time. A year or two later, Richard Roebuck, and in 1888 Richard D. Colbert and Wellington Bolden (died 1892) were ordained. Wiley Homer and Richard D. Colbert continued to serve as elders until they were ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry in 1895 and 1903, respectively.
The elders in 1913 are as follows:
William Goff, ordained 1892
Aaron Green, ordained 1894
Wiley Brown, ordained 1912
Walter McCulloch, ordained 1912
Others that served as elders were:
Nick Colbert, 1891 to 1894
Peter Nolan 1893 to 1896
Moses Folsom 1904 till death, 1912
The succession of pastors has been as follows:
Parson C. W. Stewart, Doaksville 1874 to 1890, 16 years
Thomas C. Ogburn, Goodland 1890 to 1892 2 years
Wiley Homer, Grant 1892 to 1912 20 years
Samuel J. Onque, Grant 1912 to date 1914
The comfortable and spacious chapel, now occupied by the congregation, was built in 1904 during the pastorate of Wiley Homer, the God-fearing cowboy, who 30 years before had built the arbor in the timber.
