This post was put together based on a history prepared by Doris Ollis (daughter of Leonard Winters) as well as assistance from Gail Caldwell and many other long-standing members in the area. We thank them for their efforts both on this history as well as the efforts to build such a strong foundation for the church in this area.
Records indicate that the restored gospel was first brought to the Northwestern Counties of North Carolina by Elder Jedediah M. Grant in 1838. Elder Grant later served as a counselor to President Brigham Young in the First Presidency and was the father of Heber J. Grant, seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On May 18, 1838, Elder Jedediah Grant wrote Elder Moses Martin from his location in Surry County:
“I have labored along most of the time since I left Kirtland. I have traveled from state to state proclaiming the word of God, and for the last six months I have been preaching the gospel in the counties of Stokes, Surry, Patrick, and Rockingham in this state… I have one very important request to make, which is, that you use your utmost endeavors to have some of the Elders come to this country without delay. Have this request made known to the church in Far West… Prospects are very good for building up the church… I am the only Elder I think that has ever visited this state… I have baptized four since I came to this country and the prospects are flattering…” – Andrew Jenson, compiler, “North Carolina As A Latter-Day Saint Missionary Field”
Over time, missionaries introduced the gospel to other parts of North Carolina, including what locals affectionately referred to as the Unifour Area (including Caldwell, Burke, Alexander, and Catawba counties). Southern States Mission records note the baptisms of E. Ann Parks, W. W. Parks, and Barbara Setzer of Burke County and R. M. Setzer of Caldwell County in 1879. The records also note the baptisms of Mary Ann Birch and D. R. A. Miller of Caldwell County in 1882, Mary C. Winters of Caldwell County in 1886, and Elisha F. Barnes of Alexander County in 1886. From 1879 – 1925, records note 119 baptisms in the unifour area, including 86 in Burke, 19 in Alexander, 9 in Caldwell, and 5 in Catawba Counties.
Many of the early saints moved to Kirtland, Ohio and later Jackson County Missouri. Some remained in North Carolina and sought to build up the Kingdom.
The first branch in the area appears to be in Burke County in 1885, but the branch was later closed. In 1949, President J. Robert Price, President of the Southern States Mission, organized home Sunday Schools in North Carolina, where approximately 5 families attended in Burke County – mostly the descendants of Mary C. Wilson. The descendants included Leonard and Margaret Winters, Clarence and Melba Winters, Ronald and Hazel Shook, and Emmitt Winters. The Home Sunday School was held on Carbon City Road in Morganton in the home of the Franch Hatch family.
On September 21, 1952, a Relief Society was organized with 5 members – Irene Dixon (President), Myrtle Dixon (1st Counselor), Lillian King (2nd Counselor), Shirley Propst, and Blanch Kerr.
In 1955, church leaders organized the Hickory-Morganton Branch. Leo B. Snow, a direct descendent of President Lorenzo Snow, was called as the Branch President and Maxie A. Dixon was a counselor. Initially, meetings were held in the Labor Union Building on the Carbon City Road west of Morganton. Later, the meeting location moved to the American Legion Building in Valdese and then to the Hickory Optimist Club Building. After President Snow’s release, Maxie A. Dixon served as Branch President until August 1959, when James A. Cooper was called as Branch President with Maxie A. Dixon and M. I. Ball serving as counselors.
As the branch grew, President Cooper started a building fund. The motto for the effort was placed on the bulletin board by Sister Pat Wood: “Work Will Win When Wishing Won’t.” Fundraising efforts included holding barbecue, spaghetti, and baked chicken dinners, bake sales, box suppers, square dances, auctions, etc. President Cooper summed up the effort: “Through it all, we worked long, we worked hard, and we worked well.”
Before completing fundraising efforts, the branch moved one more time to the Hickory Woman’s Club, a large white house in downtown Hickory. During the time at the Woman’s Club, the branch welcomed new convert families, including Arthur Price, Terry Hodge, Ruth Lawter, Lamar Eller, and Pat Wood. Several families moved in to the branch, including Milas Carpenter, Danny Clark, and Claude Cogdell.
Fundraising efforts were in full force as a three-acre tract of land was purchased on Highway 127 North. The land needed a lot of work. Rumor has it that Brother Matthew Ball sat at the building site daily and counted 1,500 loads of dirt and gravel. Brother Tedro Smithey would come over after completing his daily work for the Town of Longview and grade and dig the basement with heavy equipment that President Cooper had borrowed from Clement Brother’s Construction. After the building was under roof, 50 local priesthood holders put 49 squares of roof on the building in one day and Brother T. R. Chapman wired the entire first phase.
The Hickory building was completed on October 1, 1963, and dedicated on May 23, 1965 by Elder Frankin D. Richards, Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve.
On November 19, 1966, the branch started raising funds for the second phase of the building, buoyed by continued growth from new families – Edneys, Cobbs, Truax, Maltbas, Donald Brown, Eldon Caldwell, Cecil Oakes, Lamar Eller, Blaine Ollis, Kenneth Shook, Leonard and Joe Winters, and many more. On May 18, 1970, the second phase was completed and the Hickory-Morganton Branch Chapel Dedication was held under the direction of Elder Stirling W. Sill, Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Growth continued for the branch and, soon, the branch was split to create new church units. Branch President Will LeFevre shared that when he moved to Hickory in September 1971, the branch encompassed a 60-mile radius. Over the next six years, branches were created in Marion, Morganton, Lenoir, Lincolnton, as well as Taylorsville.
On February 6, 1972, the Marion Branch was formed with approximately 40 members. On May 12, 1972, Taylorsville (Alexander County) became a branch with approximately 40 members. Tom Fox and Milas Carpenter would serve as the first two branch presidents. By the close of 1972, the Hickory-Morganton Branch had 370 members with James A. Cooper serving as the District President. On February 17, 1974, the Morganton Branch was formed with approximately 150 members from Morganton, Valdese, and Lenoir with Harry Hart as Branch President and Lamar Eller as a counselor. Also in 1974, the Lincolnton Branch was formed with Clarence Winters and James Bean serving as the first two branch presidents before the branch was dissolved in 1979, and then reformed again in 1983.
And in 1975, the Lenoir Branch was formed with Claude Cogdell serving as the Branch President. The branch met in the Cogdell home for 5 weeks before moving to 326 Spruce Street in Lenoir.
On November 20, 1977, the Statesville Stake (the 892nd Stake in Zion) was formed and the Hickory District became part of the stake. Michael S. Bullock was called as the Stake President and the Statesville Stake included Statesville, Winston-Salem, Mount Airy, Hickory, Avery County, Lenoir, Marion, Morganton, North Wilkesboro, and Sparta units. At the creation of the Statesville Stake, the Hickory Branch was organized as a Ward with David A. Arndt serving as the first Bishop.
On November 25, 1979, the Statesville Stake was dissolved, and the Hickory Ward was made part of the Asheville Stake, which was organized by Elder L. Tom Perry.
And then on October 31, 1982, Elder Boyd K. Packer organized the Hickory, North Carolina Stake at P.E. Monroe Auditorium at Lenoir-Rhyne College. Gordon Thornton was called as Stake President with Raymond Larson and Gordon Jones serving as counselors.
