Church History A little band of Primitive Baptists who were members of Concord Primitive Baptist Church, near Jasper, in Hamilton County, Florida, and who had been for some time an arm of Concord Church, met on the 7th day of November, 1839, at a place called Mamie's Branch and agreed to call Elders Elias Knight and John Tucker to meet them on the 17th of January, 1840, and act as a Presbytery to constitute them into a church. On the 17th day of January, 1840, the said Elders Elias Knight and John Tucker being present, acted as a Presbytery. Members whose names appear here, having produced letters of dismission from Concord Church, were constituted into a church. LIST OF MEMBERS: William Hair, James M. Keen, Job Manning, Joseph Tillis, Milly Tillis, Harriet Ellis, Clary Davis, Seely Davis. The Covenant, the Decorum, and the Articles of Faith were unanimously adopted and signed. The Church was named Salem. The church is located close to a branch which was known at that time as Mamie's Branch, about nine and one half miles Northwest from Lake City, Florida. Three acres of land were deeded to the church to build a church house on by Brother Job Manning, one of the church members. On June 22nd, 1894, three more acres of land was purchased from J. B. Everett and wife for the church. In 1856, or early 1857, the church house was burned, destroying most of the church records up to that time. We know of many prominent Baptists who were received into the church during that period of time. The regular records start in April 1857, and continue to the present time. In 1875 the Suwannee River Primitive Baptist Association was held at Salem Church. The Association divided at that time over some points of doctrine which were advocated by Dr. I. S. Coon, and which were not in accord with our original Articles of Faith. Salem Church, in that and all other emergencies since then, upheld and stayed with the original Articles of Faith and Rules of Decorum. A good many members of Salem Church lettered out, and helped to constitute Crawford Lake, Zion's Hope and Pilgrim's Rest churches. The church has had many seasons of prosperity and adversity; has lived through all of it and though by the mercies of, and we hope, the leadership of an all-wise God is still going good and strong.