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Greenbeat Magazine looks at the stories in Barton Springs Interactive

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Olen Miles was baptized at Barton Springs in 1924. He went on to build and run a Baptist camp at Lake Travis. When interviewed at 87 years old, he was still building churches. Photo: Courtesy of Congress Avenue Baptist Church

Olen Miles (1906-1997) Photo: Marshall Frech

Mr. Miles:
"I was a sinner until I was sixteen; then I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. Reverend Morrison had about thirty-five of us in the water (of Barton Springs) that day. He'd say a prayer, then start baptizing, usually the youngest ones first. When it's your turn, they just dunk you under and pull you back up again. Then you go to the back of the line.

"All you need for a baptism is water, enough to get completely submerged in. Here in Texas, we'd often use the stock tanks out on the ranches.

"Nowadays most churches have prefabricated bapsters. They're made out of fiberglass, and they have a heater on them. I like the new ones, but Barton's was nice too. It was cold but it was very inspiring."

This story is made possible in part through support from
The National Environmental Education Training Foundation.

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