The Beginnings of Ninth Street Baptist Church
By Emma Jeanne Oglesby and Katie Marshall
1869 – 1985

Greetings and Salutations:

As past recorders of Ninth Street Baptist Church, I was asked to compile the history, which I have tried to do.  Our records were lost in the 1937 flood and we are unable to give you exact details of our beginnings.  Nevertheless, let us look into our origin as told to me by Sister Katie Marshall, a member of First Baptist Church of Covington.  She was one of our pioneer citizens who had the distinction of being a public school teacher.  Mr. C. E. Jones, founder of Jones and Simpson Funeral Home, honored her as being his first schoolteacher in the years during slavery.  This is what she said:
In the year 1865, there was only one Negro Baptist Church in the city of Covington and all who were of the Baptist faith worshipped there together.  It was called the ”Big Baptist.”  The only other church for Negroes was a Methodist Church and it was called “Big Ninth.”  After awhile the membership grew to where there were more members than space.  It was then that some felt a lager place was needed to accommodate the people.  They held services the homes of whoever would open their doors.  The exact location is not known, but in November 1869, they met with the Reverend. H. Haggard and they were organized into a body and it was named “Little Mission.”  With Rev. Haggard, they found a place on Main Street near Fourth Street.  Rev. Haggard remained with them seven years and taught them principles of the Baptist Faith and then he was called to another Church.  In 1876, Reverend Davis came on the scene and served them while they were at the Old Market House Hall on Seventh Street near Madison Avenue.  Rev Davis left and they were again without a pastor for a short time.  Then Reverend Jacob Price was called as pastor in 1886.  He was a very well informed minister and gave them much to help them to know more about our doctrine.  Rev. Price was called to another church, and left in 1890.  Reverend J. F. Drane was called to the pastorate in 1890 while they were worshipping in the Murray Hotel on Harvey Street.  Rev. Drane was not satisfied with that location and it was under his leadership that they were able to acquire the property on East Ninth Street.  It was a small frame building, which formerly housed the Saint James African Methodist Church.  By that time, they had been under the leadership of four pastors, had worshipped in many locations, and had grown from a poorly organized group, to a well-organized church with a desire to do great things for the Master.  Rev. Drane was called to another church and they were again without a leader.
 

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