Commemorated on 4 plaques
Texas Historical Marker #07887
The Old Methodist Churchyard. In Jan. 1839, the Rev. Isaac Strickland organized a Methodist Church whose members soon built a log meetinghouse on this site donated by founders of the town of Montgomery. The churchyard came into use for burials during the 1840s. When Pastor G. W. Rabb was dying in 1851, he requested burial beneath the altar of the frame church then being built to replace the log cabin. His grave and a monument commemorating pioneer circuit riders now (1976) mark the original Methodist Church site. The church and the nearby parsonage, which is said to have been the first Methodist parsonage built in Texas, were relocated in 1908. A tabernacle later erected beside the cemetery has also been demolished. A stone in this cemetery commemorates a soldier of the American Revolution who helped settle this county and died here. Churchyard burials included veterans of the War of 1812, the Texas War for Independence, Mexican War, and Civil War, as well as many other pioneers, state and county officials, merchants, ministers, and physicians. In some of the unmarked graves are travelers who died here among strangers. Although a new cemetery opened in 1868, this one was also used until no space remained. #7887
315 Pond St., Montgomery, TX, United States where they established a church
Texas Historical Marker #08463
Martha's Chapel. Robinson's settlement became a stronghold for Methodist activity in Southeast Texas in the early 1830s. By 1839 a campground, church, and school were established here on land given by William and Elizabeth Robinson to The Rev. Littleton Fowler, Superintendent of Methodism in the Republic of Texas. Early clergy who visited and served here included Isaac Strickland, Jesse Hord, Joseph P. Sneed, and Bishop Thomas A. Morris. The Fourth Texas Methodist Conference met here in 1843, with Bishop James O. Andrew presiding. The church and the area became known as Martha's Chapel in 1854 after Martha Palmer, wife of a church trustee, died and was buried behind the church building. During the pastorate of The Rev. James G. Johnson (1812-1887), it was also referred to as Johnson's Chapel. At his death, Johnson bequeathed funds to complete the construction of the third and last place of worship at this site. It was dedicated on October 18, 1887, by Bishop W. W. Duncan. Although the congregation disbanded in the 1930s, ending a century of Methodism in this area, the Martha's Chapel Cemetery remains as a reminder of the area's pioneer heritage. #8463
?, Huntsville, TX, United States where they visited
Texas Historical Marker #09548
Columbia United Methodist Church. This congregation traces its history to early Methodist missionary activity during Texas' years as a Republic. In 1839 the Rev. Isaac L. G. Strickland was assigned to the Brazoria circuit and organized a Methodist church in Columbia (now West Columbia), an early capital of the Republic. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, the town of Columbia lost much of its population to Marion (now East Columbia), and eventually the Methodist church began meeting there. The congregation built its first sanctuary in Marion, where the Columbia circuit preacher held services twice a month. About 1913, another Methodist congregation began meeting in West Columbia. In a few years, this church had grown to require a full-time pastor, while the East Columbia fellowship still was served by a circuit preacher. By 1928, the two congregations merged and have continued to meet in West Columbia since then. With its ties to the beginnings of Methodism in Texas, Columbia United Methodist Church stands as a significant reminder of Brazoria County history. (1984) #9548
106. E. Jackson, West Columbia, TX, United States where they established a church
Texas Historical Marker #14615
Montgomery United Methodist Church, Site of. Isaac L.G. Strickland established a Methodist congregation in Montgomery in 1838, under the direction of Elder Littleton Fowler of the Mississippi Methodist Conference. The church was one of the first in the Republic of Texas; Strickland was assigned all the territory between the Brazos and Trinity rivers, making his headquarters in Montgomery. Four early circuit riders are buried in the adjacent Old Montgomery Cemetery, site of the first sanctuary. Montgomery United Methodist Church built two more sanctuaries here in 1852 and 1908 before moving to a new location in 2002.(2008) #14615
309 Pond Street, Montgomery, TX, United States where they established a church