The Possum Walk, or Bath, Community of Walker County
by Ola Osburn Stanfill
Excerpt from
HUNTSVILLE AND WALKER COUNTY, TEXAS, A BICENTENNIAL HISTORY
One of the interesting communities of Walker County is that of Possum Walk, which later came to be called Bath, located about eight miles west of Interstate 45 on the Possum Walk Road, Farm Road 1374. This area is the home of the Union Hill Baptist Church and the Bath Cemetery.
The region was settled in the early years of Walker County’s history. It is located between the East Sandy and the West Sandy Creeks and near Robinson Creek and Jordan Creek, which is headed by Elkins Lake. The San Jacinto River is also nearby.
Numerous trails run through the still heavily wooded landscape, and these traditionally have been called by different names assigned by the people who used them for travel.
Just how the community came to be known as Possum Walk is not known, but some residents of the area believe that the well-known missionary preacher, Rev. Robert E. Day, had a part in choosing the name since he never failed to mention in his sermons that he was from Possum Walk. He often told of a service he held in the Union Hill Church during a warm season of the year, when front and back doors of the church stood open. During his sermon, an opossum entered the front door of the building, ambled slowly down the center aisle, and exited through the rear door without a break in pace
The Union Church was built on a three-acre tract of land given to the people of the community for religious purposes by Mr. W. L. Holloway on September 18, 1872. In his deed, Mr. Holloway stated his desire to show “the respect and regard which I have and entertain for the cause of Religion and to make manifest my feelings in a substantial manner.” He then outlined the metes and bounds of the acreage included in the gift to his neighbors in the community. The trustees of the Union Church named in the deed were Martin Palmer, Jackson Wells Jr., and Frank Arnold.
A building used both for church and school was already located on the property, and the children of the area usually walked two or three miles to reach it. When Rev. Robert E. Day later held a revival under an arbor near this building, he decided the community needed a new church, and a collection was made for that purpose. In tearing down the old building, it was found that the frame and foundation were in good condition and that it was necessary only to seal the building on the inside and place new siding on the outside. The building originally faced north with double doors at the front entrance and a single door at the rear. During the renovation of the building, the double doors were moved to the south side to form a new entrance, and the single door was placed on the north side. Since the church entrance now faces south, many people believed the building was turned on its foundation to face the new direction. For this work, Mr. Jim Cotton was the carpenter, and Mr. George Pegoda was the roofer. Trees still standing near the church show visible scars of the wagon tongues which once surrounded them during church services.
Though the deed for the property is in the name of the “Union Church”, the Evergreen Baptist Association designated it the “Union Hill Church,” and this is the name which appears over the double doors.
Among the ministers who filled the pulpit in the early days of the Union Hill Church were Revs. Elisha Day, C. W. Mathews, G. M. Daniel, and Robert E. Day, who conducted revivals and funerals frequently.
Regular church services were discontinued at the Union Hill Church some five or six years ago, but it is still used occasionally for funerals. An annual community reunion and business meeting are held at the adjoining Bath Cemetery on the third Sunday in May, and the church building is used for the noon meal on those occasions when the weather does not permit eating outdoors.
Church baptisms were held at the San Jacinto River and at Stubblefield Lake, named for a family which lived across the river. When Mr. Stubblefield died, his survivors found the waters too high to cross, and he was buried near the lake which bears his name, instead of in Bath Cemetery, as was intended originally.
A center of activity in the Possum Walk Community was an area on the Possum Walk Road about five hundred yards from the church were Mr. George Pegoda owned and operated a cotton gin, sawmill, and gristmill, assisted by Mr. Charlie Bell. The site of the old mill area is still marked by a large mound were sawdust and other byproducts of the mills were once piled. Mr. Pegoda was a man of varied talents. He made furniture, and even built his own coffin.
Virtually all the families which have lived in Bath in bygone years are now buried in the Bath Cemetery. Their descendants realizing their duty to respect those who are buried in Bath Cemetery, make regular donations to keep the cemetery clean.
Texas Historical markers here give additional information:
Union Hill Church
In 1872, W.L. Holloway donated a tract of land to the Bath community. A small building on the land served as school and sanctuary for area residents, who established Union Hill Church that same year. The congregation's first trustees were Martin Palmer, Jr., Jackson Wells, Jr. and Frank Arnold. Significant pastors were the Rev. Elisha Day and his son, the Rev. Robert E. Day. During one of Robert Day's sermons, a possum reportedly walked into the sanctuary, giving the community its locally known name of Possum Walk. Pastors from several denominations have served the church, which remains active, and the building, renovated over the years, continues to serve the community as a place for meetings and worship.
Bath Cemetery
Bath Cemetery, near Union Hill Church, was established in the 1870s. The earliest recorded burial is that of William Arnold (d. 1877). The burial ground has served the Bath community, locally called Possum Walk since that time, and area residents and descendants of settlers continue to maintain the property. Bath Cemetery is shaded by trees planted more than 100 years ago, and the community's history can be found in the cemetery's markers inscribed with the names of teachers, veterans, ministers, postmasters, and other early Bath residents.