Emmaus
New Summerfield, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The small rural community of Emmaus was settled in the 1860s. By the 1870s the Emmaus Baptist Church was organized. School classes were held in the church building until 1881, when Dr. J. M. Brittain donated two acres of land for a public school. At its height, the community consisted of farms, two general stores, two churches, a school, and a cotton gin. One of the few physical reminders of the settlement, the Emmaus Cemetery dates to 1886. The area became known as New Emmaus in 1953 with the construction of the New Emmaus Baptist Church.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The rural community of Emmaus took shape in the 1860s, with a Baptist church organized by the 1870s and a public school established after Dr. J. M. Brittain donated land in 1881. At its peak it held farms, two general stores, two churches, a school, and a cotton gin. Its cemetery, dating to 1886, is among the few physical traces left of the settlement.
Why it matters
Emmaus is a portrait of the countless small farming hamlets that rose across post-Civil War East Texas, most now remembered only by a church and a cemetery.
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Themes & tags
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