St. John's Catholic Church. This area was settled in the early 1900s by a number of farm families from South Texas. Catholic services were first conducted by priests from Abilene in the homes of Albert J. Kuss, Sr. (1863-1945) and other settlers. The Church of Francis Xavier was built in 1908 on land donated by Robert Herm (1874-1927) in the new town of Hermleigh. In 1936 the name of the church was changed when funds were given to the congregation with the stipulation that its name be St. John's. Included in the new Diocese of Lubbock in 1983, St. John's is the oldest parish in the Diocese. (1988) #5041