by Snyder E. Roberts
Rev. John Frost was licensed to preach in Washington County, Va in 1780, and performed many marriages there. After moving to Washington Co. TN, he erected the Frost Meeting House, and represented that Church in the organizational meeting of the Holston Baptist Association on the 4th Saturday in October, 1786, which was the first Baptist Association in present TN. He followed his brother, Thomas, Sr. to Anderson County and by 1797 the Frosts and others had erected the Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church (on present-day Edgemoor Road) which was the first associational Baptist Church in present Anderson County. Records are not extant of Rev. John performing any marriages in Anderson Co, but by 1810 he had moved to Cumberland Co., KY.
No doubt Rev. John served as a role-model for his younger nephew, Rev. Joshua Frost (son of Thomas Frost, Sr. by second marriage) who became a guiding force in early Anderson County history. Rev. Joshua performed innumerable marriages, organized more than 22 churches, was pastor of Zion Baptist Church for 40 years, served as pastor of many other churches, and helped to organize the Clinton Baptist Association in 1833 and served as its Moderator for the first 10 years. He died in Montgomery County, IL, in 1865 and his wife, Anna Chiles Frost (daughter of Roland Chiles) died in 1853 and is buried in a small cemetery beside Edgemoor Road across from the old Thomas Frost, Sr. homesite.
Many Frosts and in-laws served as "Messengers" from their respective churches to Associational Meetings, including: Rev. John, Thomas, Sr, Rev. Joshua, and Roland Chiles (son-in-law of Thomas, Sr.). Anderson Co. records are replete with Frost names and many church minutes and histories refer to Frosts.
A publication of the Hoskins Family History reveals that Micajah Frost was also a Baptist Preacher (Thomas’ son). One of the older Hoskins kept a log, or diary, in which he kept a record of services that he had attended in the area. He not only listed the Preacher, but gave his text—Chapter and Verse. Micajah Frost’s name appears several times as the Preacher with the title of his sermon.