Barbour County's "Little Scotland"/Pea River Presbyterian Church

Barbour County’s “Little Scotland”

In the 1820’s before the Creek Indian Cession, Scot immigrants from Richmond County, North Carolina, settled this area of west Barbour County. Few other regions outside the motherland of Scotland have had a larger proportion of people bearing the names of the great Highland clans. Between 1823-1960 within a five mile radius of Pea River Church, Highlanders with the names of Baxter, Currie, McCall, McDonald, McEachern, McInnis, McKay, McKinnon, McLean, McLendon, McLeod, McNeal and McRae lived. The families, serving the Lord, earned for the area the name “Little Scotland.”

Pea River Presbyterian Church
(Continued from other side)

In 1823, immigrants from Richmond County, North Carolina, established the Pea River Presbyterian Church. Pea River was organized with fifteen members, eleven unnamed women and four men. The men were Gilbert McEachern, Daniel Currie, Alex McRae and Farquhuar McRae. Daniel Curie was chosen First Clerk of Session. Gilbert McEachern and Farquhuar McRae were chosen Ruling Elders. Pea River is the mother church to Clio, Louisville, and Union (Dale County) Presbyterian Churches.