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 108 Sandy Ridge Road West 
 Monroe, North Carolina 28112 
 (704) 764-7065 
 
 A Brief History 
 of 
 
 Altan Presbyterian Church 
 and 
 
 The Allan Community 
 Of 
 
 Union County, North Carolina 
 
 By 
 
 Edwina W. Fubanks 
 6004 Wolfe Pond Road 
 Monroe North Carolina 281 12 
 704/764-3249 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofalOOeuba 
 
ALTAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Founded 1893 
 
 A Brief History 
 
 In celebration of our Centennial, a brief history has been compiled with a more complete 
 history to be printed. 
 
 It is important to look at the time leading up to the founding of our church. In his book 
 about Union County, published in 1937, George Winchester writes: "perhaps the greatest 
 change of all is to be found in the spirit of the people who have lived through the period 
 following the Civil War in that out of the travail of thirty-five years following the close of 
 the war they have ascended almost the depths of dispare to the pinnacle of hope and are 
 now rejoicing in their achievements and in the promise of the future." 
 
 All of the south had its resources depleted by the war. The Confederate army look 
 supplies as needed to sustain themselves. The Union Army took not only supplies, but 
 anything that was not nailed down. By the close of the war, the south had been laid waste 
 with many of the fine homes burned, churches destroyed, cattle, horses, mules and other 
 farm animals either destroyed or taken . It is reported that Sherman's men moved through 
 this area on their way home with a heard of cattle estimated to be over 5000 in number. 
 
 The close of the war saw our citizens without money since the currency in the south was 
 now without value. Possessions and supplies were gone and there were no resources with 
 which to begin to rebuild except the people themselves. 
 
 Adding to an already terrible situation, the crops failed in 1866. The drought lasted from 
 June until September. The people of this county were destitute. Quoting from a letter 
 dated 1867, written by John D. Stewart of the Board of Wardens of the Poor for Union 
 County: "We have about 2000 extremely indigent in this county and about 6000 others 
 who are not able to raise a crop. We are smitten with a famine and those who are able to 
 sustain themselves can do but little to aid their neighbors." This letter was written to Mrs. 
 Mary Mildred Sullivan of New York to acknowledge the financial assistance that she was 
 making to the citizens of this county. Mrs. Sullivan sent money to purchase corn and 
 wheat to supply meal and flour for those in need. 
 
 In another letter of thanks written to Mrs. Sullivan, it is interesting to note that the writer 
 is Colonel Samuel Walkup who had been the commanding officer of the Confederate 
 troops of Union County. 
 
 With this background, our church history begins to take shape in January 1886 when 
 Horatio Gates Ilolchkiss, his wife Elizabeth and daughter, Eva, moved to what is now the 
 Altan Community from Windsor, New York. 
 
They purchased a farm from Darling Belk because of a vein of gold bearing quartz found 
 there. The mine was immediately put into operation and buildings were constructed along 
 with a saw mill operation. 
 
 Hotchkiss named the mine "Altan" which means "place of gold." The name was painted in 
 large letters around the top of the smoke stack for the sawmill. Altan appears as the name 
 of the community on the county map of 1 896. 
 
 In 1888, Eva Hotchkiss was operating the Altan Academy. Quoting from a short history 
 written by "Miss Eva" concerning the school: "to give the children a chance at knowledge 
 and happiness, to teach them righteousness means 'right living,' and that Christianity is not 
 a dogma or ism, but just keeping step with the teachings of Christ, this was the aim, first, 
 last and all the lime of the Altan school." 
 
 "Miss Eva" writes that in her contact with the young people in the community, she came 
 to realize that many were intelligent, eager to learn and capable of going far if an 
 opportunity were given them. The few schools that were operating at that time were only 
 open for a few weeks in the year. "Miss Eva" quoted one of the teachers as saying: "I ain't 
 much on grammar but I can lick any sum in the 'rithmelic." 
 
 As a result, "Miss Eva" set about the task of starting a full time school. At first, she used 
 the mine office building. It was fitted with desks, seals and a blackboard. She was 
 prepared for fifteen or twenty students. But, soon there were so many that all that could 
 be done was to "fall over each other's feet." 
 
 A man from Monroe named John Bates, who had connections with interested, wealthy, 
 philanthropic people in New York assisted "Miss Eva" in securing funds for her new 
 school. In the fall of 1889, the new Altan Academy opened on what is now the Church 
 property. Land had been purchased and a large school building had been built with much 
 of the funds provided by "one of the New York ladies who had given liberally." 
 
 "Miss Eva" writes that hundreds of boys and girls availed themselves of the opportunities 
 offered by the school. By her own records, approximately 30 students were sent on to 
 college at no expense to their families. Nine of those students attended Maryville College 
 in Maryville, Tennessee. 
 
 Along with the school, a Sunday School was opened and later a Christian Endeavor 
 Society was formed. There was a weekly social evening, frequent entertainment, a 
 Christmas tree with gifts for each school member, military drills and athletic contests. 
 Every effort was made to benefit the children and to give them a broader outlook on life . 
 
 The Academy was operated by "Miss Eva" for thirteen years and at one time appears to 
 have had six teachers conducting classes which is most unusual for the time since most 
 schools were of the one-room variety. 
 
The financial support for this school was being provided by the Board of Home Missions 
 of the Northern Presbyterian Church. They provided funds for the teacher's salaries, 
 books, stationery and all necessary supplies including medical supplies. 
 
 Even among faithful "church people", old feelings sometimes die hard. The Southern 
 Presbyterian Church became concerned with the activity of the Northern Church in what 
 was considered to be Southern church territory. After much discussion, the Northern 
 Church withdrew from the area. This appears to have taken place in 1891 or 1892. 
 
 At a meeting of Mecklenburg Presbyterian held in Charlotte at the 2nd Presbyterian 
 Church on May 9, 1893, a petition signed by Miss Eva E. Hotchkiss and "sundry other 
 persons" asking for the organization of a Presbyterian Church at AJtan, North Carolina 
 was presented by Reverend William Black. 
 
 Mecklenburg Presbytery met in Shelby, North Carolina on September 1 1, 1893 and a 
 report was given that AJtan Church organized on July 19, 1893 with sixteen charter 
 members listed. 
 
 On August 20, 1893, George Walter Belk was elected Elder and Clerk of Session. He 
 was ordained and installed by Reverend H. M. Dixon. On this date, John McManus and 
 Mary E. Bruce, later married to Robert E. Lee Belk, joined AJtan Church. 
 
 December 24, 1894, Eva E. Hotchkiss and George Walter Belk were married. Their 
 daughter, Dorothea, was born March 3, 1896 and appears to be the first infant baptised at 
 AJtan Church. 
 
 The Session record of 1 897 shows that there were 34 members; but, only two were listed 
 as head of family in the records. The other members were women and students. In the 
 statistical report to Presbytery that year there is a question concerning the financial 
 support of the church. The answer is: "The people are very poor and give what they are 
 able." 
 
 From August 1897 until July 1903, there was no communion service held and from June 
 1899 until July 1903, there was no preaching service. The Sunday School and the 
 Christian Endeavor Society met every Sunday during this time except when weather 
 prevented travel. 
 
 "Miss Eva" writes that "finances compelled them (Eva and Walter) to leave in 1901. On 
 December 15, 1913, "Miss Eva" deeded the school property to the trustees of Altan 
 Presbyterian Church. At that time, Eva and Walter Belk were living in Colorado Springs, 
 Colorado. Around 1930, they returned to Altan and built the rock house across the road 
 front the church. 
 
Shortly before "Miss Eva" and Walter Belk returned to Allan, the church burned. The 
 fire occurred on December 22, 1929 at approximately 10:00 pm and the Monroe Enquirer 
 reported that the fire had a mysterious origin. 
 
 On January 3, 1930, the congregation conducted services at the "new" Altan School which 
 was located adjacent to the church property and was operated by Union County Board of 
 Education. The minutes of the congregational meeting show that the meeting started after 
 "Divine Worship." The question before the congregation was whether to rebuild the 
 church. The vote was, "At once." J. B. Yarborough, R. W. Elliott and Walter Crook 
 were selected as the building committee. 
 
 On January 26, 1930, the committee reported to the congregation and recommended that 
 a brick building to duplicate Wesley Chapel ME Church be constructed. The 
 congregation voted to proceed and to "let the contract as soon as expedient." 
 
 On Sunday, August 3 1, 1930, the congregation celebrated its first service of worship in 
 the new brick building. The bricks for the building were donated by Henry Belk of the 
 Belk Stores family. The Belk family support of the Presbyterian Churches in this area is 
 well documented. The nails were donated by H. F. "Doc" McCray, Sr., of the Wolfe Pond 
 community. The piano was bought by the Women of the Church with money from the 
 sale of eggs laid by their hens on Sunday. 
 
 The debt incurred in building was paid by the members working some farmland donated 
 for the purpose by Washington Belk. Cotton and cane were the crops raised. 
 
 There are three unusual elements to the story of the beginning of this church. First, we 
 have a "yankee" in the midst of a small, rural southern community where the impact of a 
 terrible war still weighed heavily on the people Yet, we see no evidence of there being a 
 problem of acceptance in the community. 
 
 Second, we find a woman taking the leading role in the development of a church at a time 
 when women were not even allowed to speak out in the congregations. AH of the minutes 
 of the session during the early years are in the handwriting of Eva Hotchkiss Belk. Her 
 husband, Walter, was Clerk of Session but we know that he was rarely here because his 
 employment carried his to West Virginia and Colorado during these years. It appears that 
 "Miss Eva" functioned as clerk in his absence and carried on the work of the church as 
 well as that of the school. 
 
 And last, it is the general nature of people to devote effort to things which will bring some 
 degree of financial reward. The development of Altan Academy which formed the 
 beginning of Altan Church clearly offered no financial return to "Miss Eva." In fact, all 
 evidence points to her putting her own money into the school and church. 
 
 Adversity, sacrifice and unselfish giving of money and talents formed this church. Every 
 individual has played an important role in the growth of the church as well as the 
 
community. Without God's guiding hand throughout the years, this congregation could 
 not exist to continue in the role of spreading the Gospel. 
 
 As time goes on, we continue to write new chapters of our church story. We are moving 
 into our second hundred years and we ask God to guide us that we may be true followers 
 as we continue on the journey started so long ago. We do not know what the future 
 holds, but, neither did those who came before us. The future is unlimited. Under God's 
 Grace, which is always full of hope, we set out to do His work. God be with us. Amen. 
 
 Prepared by Edwina W. Eubanks 
 
 Clerk of Session 
 
 Altan Presbyterian Church 
 
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