Rev. James Baskin was the first settler in Hickory Level, Carroll County, Georgia on February 1828. He bought the lot of land, then cleared. He went into the woods, cut the timber, hewed the logs, built a house and began a long and prosperous career. The land was almost level, sufficiently rolling for necessary drainage. The growth was almost entirely hickory trees, and indication of the richness of the soil. Uncle Jimmie, as he was affectionately called, named the place Hickory Level. He donated a beautiful plot of land for a church,school house and grounds, and a large cemetery. The Methodist churchwas organized in the summer of 1828. Some of the charter members were Rev. James Baskin, and David Stripling, Wright Majors, James Upton,and some others with their wives. They were all young men them honest,sturdy pioneers. Rev. James Baskin, for the benefit of himself and neighbors, procured a post office and named it Hickory Level. Rev.James Baskin was the first post master, and the office was there until it was no longer needed because of the R.F.D. Rev. James Baskin, by industry, brawn and brain, soon became prosperous and accumulated enough to render him comfortable in his old age. His hospitality was almost unbound. He never turned away a beggar empty handed and the weary traveler always found rest and refreshment under his roof, and it was afterward said by them that they always felt secure in the house of such a Godly man. Uncle Jimmie added to his prossecions as he accumulated the means, until he possessed a large plantation of that valubale land around Hickory Level. His las few years were spent at his beautiful home in comparitive ease and comfort, with a conscieousness of having discharged his duty to God, his neighboors,his family, his county and himself. In march 1888, at the age of 88 years, he fell asleep and his santified spirit was wafted away to the bosom of his father and his God. These are scores of decendants of Rev. James Baskin, children, grandchildren and great-grand children living. Not one of them who has ever brought reproach upon the name of their noble ancestor, or disgrace upon himself. Many of them live on, and own all the lands which once belonged to him.