Texas Historical Marker #08748
First Christian Church. Organized in 1847 under leadership of lawyer Joseph A. Clark (founder and administrator of college now T.C.U.) and John F. Taylor, a farmer. Both Clark and Taylor were followers of Campbell - Scott movement for Christian unity. Though 16 charter members were of different faiths, they successfully united through "Articles of Faith" which expressed their basic beliefs. From its very beginning, the church has been of evangelistic nature. A Rev. Mr. Jordan (relinquishing affiliation with the Baptist church) became the first pastor, ministering not only to the newly-formed congregation but to other settlements near and far. In the early 1850s, Rev. Carroll Kendrick became pastor. He too believed in the need for evangelism and pressed Joseph Clark to work with him. Clark set forth strengthening congregations already formed, establishing new churches and expounding the gospel. Interrupted only by the Civil War, evangelistic work by the church continues to this day. The first church building, erected in 1859, was located on Poplar and Fannin streets; the second on Houston and Crawford in 1884; the third, built in 1905, is now used for an educational building. The present church was constructed in 1955. #8748
113 E. Crawford, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08749
First United Methodist Church of Elkhart. The First Methodist service held in this area was in 1840, when a group of citizens formed a small congregation that met in private homes. In 1878 a Methodist mission was established in Elkhart. The Rev. J. F. Henderson, a circuit riding minister, was in charge of this as well as seven other missions in his district. In its first fifteen years, the church was served by nine different clergymen. By November 1892, the congregation had grown such that plans were made to build a sanctuary. A white frame structure was erected, with a high steeple and bell tower on one corner. A Sunday School program began, and in 1907 the church created a youth ministry which continued over the years to form the Methodist Youth Fellowship. A missionary society was formed in 1915 by the women of the church. In late 1930, under the leadership of the Rev. J. L. Webb, a new church building program was begun. A one-story structure was completed in 1933, and a second story was added in 1939. A brick parsonage was built near the church in the 1950s, and by 1971 the need for a new sanctuary had arisen. The addition was made onto the northeast side of the old church, and was consecrated on September 14, 1974. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 #8749
?, Elkhart, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08750
First Methodist Church of Palestine. This church began with Methodist classes organized by John Wilson in 1840 and held in this area at the home of John Box. Louisiana Catherine "Aunt Bee" Small helped formally organize a Methodist church in Palestine soon after its selection as Anderson County Seat in 1846. By 1848 the Palestine community was included in the circuit of the Rev. Henderson D. Palmer. Palestine's first church structure was built by area Methodists in 1850 at present day 812 N. Mallard Street. Named "Bascom Chapel" after Bishop Henry B. Bascom, it served numerous congregations in the community for many years as Palestine's sole house of worship. In 1884 Palestine's Methodists erected a new sanctuary at the corner of Avenue A and N. Mallard Street and named it "Centenary." About 1900 a split in the congregation resulted in the formation of the First Methodist Church. Led by Dr. James Kilgore, First Methodist built a sanctuary here in 1910. The structure was remodeled in 1952 and in 1986 the adjoining "Carroll Building" was erected. Women's local and foreign missionary efforts have been a part of church activities since at least 1910. The congregation continues to support numerous youth programs and activities. #8750
422 S. Magnolia, Palestine, TX, United States
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #08751
First Presbyterian Church. Organized Nov. 3, 1849, with 18 charter members, by the great pioneer leaders, Revs. Daniel Baker and John May Becton, home missionaries. This Gothic building of handmade brick was erected in 1888; enlarged since by two additions. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1966 #8751
410 Avenue A, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08752
Fort Houston. A fort and stockade built about 1836 on the public square of the town of Houston (then in Houston County), as a protection against the Indians, by order of General Sam Houston, Commander-in-Chief of the Texan armies. The town was abandoned in 1846 for Palestine, the new seat of Anderson County, the fort about 1841. The site is now a part of the historic home of John H. Reagan, which is called Fort Houston. #8752
?, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08753
Fort Houston. (site one-fourth mile south) A stockade and blockhouse of the Republic of Texas. Built in 1835-1836 to protect settlers who founded Houston, a pioneer town, now in Anderson County. Friendly Indians would come to trade at the site, but wary settlers often slept inside the 25-foot-square blockhouse, built of heavy logs. Trappers bought supplies there and men from Houston formed one of the first Ranger units in Texas. The fort defended a large area of the frontier, 1836-1839, but it was abandoned about 1841. The site later became part of home of John H. Reagan, Texas Statesman. #8753
?, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08754
Fort Houston Cemetery. In 1835, Joseph Jordan and William S. McDonald donated about 500 acres of land in this area for the town of Houston, later known as Fort Houston. An early map of the townsite shows a section designated as a "public burying ground." The infant child of the Rev. Peter Fullinwider, an early Protestant minister in Anderson County, is said to have been the first to be interred here. The oldest marked grave, that of Dr. James Hunter, is dated 1840. The Fort Houston Cemetery is the only remaining physical evidence of the early frontier town, which was abandoned after Palestine was made Anderson County seat in 1846. Victims of diseases, Indian massacres, and other hardships that faced early Texas settlers are buried here. A special soldiers' plot, marked with a large boulder, contains the graves of soldiers of the Republic of Texas. Two veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto, John W. Carpenter and James Wilson, are buried in unmarked graves. The burial site of General Nathaniel Smith, a War of 1812 veteran, is also located in the soldiers' plot. The Fort Houston Cemetery remains in use as a public burial ground and as a reminder of the early history of the area. (1985) #8754
?, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08755
Frankston City Park. In 1900 the Texas & New Orleans Railroad built a line through this area and plotted a townsite here on land owned by Frankie Miller. The town was named for "Miss Frankie" who donated this site, known as the Town Square, for a city park. By 1908 a city park existed here, and a post office and many of the town's earliest businesses had opened around the park square. A gazebo, built about 1920, replaced a small bandstand and became the site of various local festivities and social events. The park square continues to serve as the town's social and business center. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 - 1995 #8755
?, Frankston, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08756
Frankston Railroad Depot. In 1900 the Texas & New Orleans Railroad, now part of the Southern Pacific line, platted the town of Frankston. The station was first called Frankport and the post office Ayres. Both were renamed Frankston in 1902 for Miss Frankie Miller, who gave land for a city park. In 1906 this frame depot was built. The railroad connected local farmers with distant markets and provided passenger service from 1903 to 1964. The depot was restored in 1976 as a museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977 #8756
?, Frankston, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08757
Site of Four Pines School. In 1911 school trustees D. Barry, C. F. Everett, and W. L. Pickle purchased one acre of land here to establish a school. An old tobacco barn at this site was converted for use as a schoolhouse. The school was named for four prominent pine trees near the school entrance. By 1918 the barn/school building had been razed and replaced with a 3-room frame schoolhouse. The school offered instruction in grades one through eight. Funds raised by students through the sale of farm animals and cotton grown on school grounds were used by trustees to purchase an adjacent lot in 1925. In 1946 Four Pines had four teachers and a student enrollment of 67. The Harmony and Pleasant Grove Consolidated School Districts merged with Four Pines in 1949, and three classrooms and a gymnasium/auditorium building were added to the school complex. Athletic teams wore the school's green and gold colors and were known as the "Pine Burrs." In 1937 the nearby Magnolia, Long Lake, and Tucker schools formed the Woodhouse School District. In 1959 Woodhouse merged with Four Pines to form the Tucker common School District which in 1976 was renamed Westwood. Westwood Elementary School is currently on the same site as the original Four Pines School. (1993) #8757
2305 Salt Works Rd., Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08758
Freeman Farm. William Franklin Freeman (1827 - 1892) and Elizabeth Ann Davis (1829 - 1856) were married in Alabama in 1846. After the birth of their first child in 1849 they came to Texas and settled two miles south of Kickapoo in Anderson County. They purchased land for a farm and in the 1850s built a homestead using hand-hewn lumber and bricks made at the site. The Freemans were successful farmers and owned more than 3,000 acres of land. The plantation was self-sustaining and was operated by the Freemans and the slaves they acquired. Tasks were completed in additional buildings located here including a blacksmith shop, an icehouse, cotton gin, syrup mill, smokehouse, and chicken house. They produced their own clothing and shoes using a spinning wheel, shoe forms and a cobbler's bench. Much of the furniture was produced locally including wardrobes, tables, chairs, pie safes and desks. The plantation served the Kickapoo area as a local post office. W. F. Freeman functioned as county commissioner in 1876, and as president of Kickapoo College in the 1880s. After his death, his second wife Bethena Oldham (1841 - 1904) managed the farm for many years. Their family continues to be active in civic affairs. (1993) #8758
?, Frankston, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08759
Grace Methodist Church. Methodist missionary efforts in this area date to the late 1830s. Circuit-riding ministers served Methodists in Palestine from the time of its founding as the Anderson County seat in 1848. In 1850 church members built a frame sanctuary and in November of that year the East Texas Conference was held in the new building, named Bascom Chapel in honor of an early Methodist bishop. The arrival of the railroad in 1872 resulted in a population boom for Palestine, and in 1884 a new church, named Centenary for the 100th anniversary of Methodism in the United States, was built. Three years later, the congregation divided to form the present First United Methodist Church and Grace United Methodist Church. Initially called Methvin Chapel in honor of the Rev. Alex Methvin, this congregation built Howard Avenue Methodist Church in 1898. After it burned in 1913, a new sanctuary was constructed at this site and named Grace Methodist Church. Long a supporter of local and foreign missionary efforts, Grace United Methodist Church continues to serve the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. (1995) #8759
209 W. Kolstad, Palestine, TX, United States
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #08760
Green Bay A.M.E. Church. This congregation traces its history to 1866, when a group of black workers at the Long Lake Cotton Plantation gathered together informally to organize a church. The following year the owners of the plantation designated a plot of land on which the workers built a sanctuary, known as Green Bay Church. In 1868 the congregation was formally recognized by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) denomination and was renamed Green Bay A.M.E. Church. It was the first church in the Long Lake area. In 1870 members of the church organized a day school for their children which became known as Green Bay School. When the church was moved to this site in 1887, school classes were held in the church building until a new school facility was erected in 1899. The church continued to grow in its new location. Missionary activities included the establishment of two new congregations in the Tucker vicinity: New Salem Church and Bailey Chapel. Construction of a new sanctuary at this site began in 1956 and was completed in 1959. Still an active congregation, Green Bay A.M.E. Church continues to serve the community with worship and outreach. (1989) #8760
?, Tucker, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08761
Green Bay High School. Green Bay High School traces its origin to October 11, 1889, when eleven black men of the community formed a board of trustees and organized a school for the area's black children. The first school facility was provided by Green Bay Methodist Church. New school buildings erected in the early 1900s also housed the Mt. Sinai Masonic Lodge. Many dedicated teachers served in the Green Bay School, and students from a large rural area attended the school from its creation until desegration of area school systems was achieved in 1966. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 #8761
?, Tucker, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08762
Home of Congressman and Mrs. Alexander W. Gregg. Honored national statesman from Palestine, Congressman A. W. Gregg (1855 - 1919) lived in this house at height of his career. Gregg, member of a distinguished southern family, graduated from University of Virginia School of Law; practiced in Palestine; was in State Senate, 1886-1888. Serving in U.S. Congress 1903-1919, he was instrumental in securing sea wall to protect Galveston from such devastation as that of 1900 hurricane. Congressman Gregg married (first) Mary Bridges and (second) Mary Brooks. Had four children. House was built 1886-1892. (1970) Incise on base: Marker donated by Col. Perry E. Taylor #8762
421 S. Magnolia St., Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08763
Harmony Baptist Church. The community of Harmony began in 1855, when several families from South Carolina and Mississippi settled here and established homes and family farms. Originally named Harmony Missionary Baptist Church, this congregation was established in 1891 under the leadership of the Rev. L. D. Funderburk and the Rev. A. H. Sowell. Beginning with nine charter members, the congregation conducted early worship services in a small building on the Jepthia D. Harris farm. The church building also housed the community school, and a Sunday School began in 1892. By 1917 the congregation had outgrown its small facility, and plans were made for the construction of a new church building at this site. As the congregation continued to grow over the years, additional facilities were added to the church complex, but the need for a larger sanctuary arose again in 1958. Completed in December 1958, the new building was dedicated on March 15, 1959. An indoor baptistry was built in 1976, ending a long tradition of conducting baptism services in nearby creeks, lakes, and ponds. (1991) Throughout its history, Harmony Baptist Church has served the community with a variety of programs. #8763
?, Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08764
Hodges-Darsey House. In the 1870s, after the International & Great Northern Railroad line reached Palestine, brothers A. B. and Dan Hodges moved here from Tennessee Colony settlement and became leading merchants. This house was built in 1895 by Dan Hodges for his wife Margaret Sue (Jackson) and their five children. A good example of Queen Anne style residences of the late Victorian era, the house was purchased in 1959 by William Gray Darsey, Jr., (who restored and preserved it) a leader in the area oil industry. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1973 #8764
517 E. Hodges St., Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08765
Hopewell Cemetery. Serving the rural area of north Anderson County and the community of Brushy Creek, this cemetery traces its history to the 1860s. The earliest documented burial in the graveyard is that of Zylpha Wylie, who died in 1862. There are at least 74 unmarked graves. A number of people were buried here in the 1870s, including many infants and children. Several generations of some pioneer Anderson County families are represented by the gravestones found in the Hopewell Cemetery. Also interred here are five Confederate veterans of the Civil War. The land on which the cemetery is located was officially designated as a burial ground in 1881, when John H. and Mary Young deeded the property to trustees of the Church of Christ at Hopewell. Totaling about six acres, the land was purchased for $15.00 by church trustees William Elkins, Chesley Murphey, and John L. Scarborough. Descendants of the area's pioneer settlers formed a cemetery association in 1953 to provide maintenance for the historic graveyard. A memorial service is held once a year. (1990) #8765
?, Brushy Creek, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08766
Col. G. R. Howard House. Built 1851 by Col. G. R. Howard, merchant and public official. Owned by family until sold to city, 1965, for a museum. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966 #8766
1011 N. Perry St., Palestine, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #08767
I & GN Hospital and Nurses' Quarters. Established in 1884, the International & Great Northern Railway Employees' Hospital Association built a complex of frame structures at this site adjacent to the railroad tracks. The hospital, which operated on monthly employee dues, provided service to all railroad employees along the I&GN lines. In 1920 the frame structures were razed and replaced with a new brick hospital building. In addition to patient rooms, the institution included a pharmacy, laboratories, medical clinic, and emergency room with ambulance service. An adjacent two-story nurses' quarters building was added to the site in 1925. Designed by prominent Houston architect Alfred C. Finn, both buildings exhibit elements of Georgian Revival style architecture. Prominent features of the hospital include its raised basement, central bay, and ornate Georgian portico. The nurses' quarters features an offset classical portico and hipped roof. The Missouri-Pacific Railroad took over the I&GN lines in the 1930s, and after that time the institution was known as the Missouri-Pacific Lines Hospital Association. The hospital continued to operate until 1970. The buildings stand as reminders of the railroad's impact on the City of Palestine. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990 #8767
919 S. Magnolia St., Palestine, TX, United States