The following is an excerpt from the book, Sketches of Our Mountain Pioneers, edited by J. W. West. This account of the Whetstone Church was written by J. T. Boyd.
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The Whetstone church was organized before the year 1810 according to the old church book. James Storms was the first minister of this church. He preached for this congregation the second Lord’s day in each month according to the records. The congregation was first organized on Poplar Creek and later moved to the Lawson Bend across the Cumberland river from where it is now, and then to the present location.
I am confident from the tradition handed down that “Raccoon” John Smith was the organizer of this church while a Baptist preacher as he came across from Cumberland Gap then down the Cumberland river and then down Popular Creek where it was first organized, while the record book does not give the names of the officers, nor does it give any proceedings or minutes of its meetings.*
(A record apparently missing, shows that the party name Baptist was dropped for the name Christian prior to 1820. It is therefore one of the oldest churches in Kentucky to enter into the movement for the New Testament teaching and practice.
The picture which appears in connection with this history shows the great crowd in 1909 on the Centennial when J. W. Masters was the chief speaker. J. W. West preached on their 120th anniversary.)
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* Tradition handed down by older members indicates that “Raccoon” John Smith preached on Poplar Creek to this Congregation on a trip from Tennessee. (J. W. West.)