First Baptist Church of Edcouch
Edcouch, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Formed from a non-denominational Sunday School organized in 1920, the Los Indios Baptist Church was organized by the Rev. T. F. Kelly and the Rev. M. F. Drury on August 24, 1924. In 1925 the church moved to land adjoining the Adams Tract Gin and then to a site just south of the future Edcouch town site. The church was called Adams Tract Baptist Church until February 1927, when it moved into the newly platted town and became the First Baptist Church of Edcouch. In 1949 the members dedicated a new brick building. Through mission and community service, the First Baptist Church of Edcouch continues the traditions of its founders. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born from a non-denominational Sunday school in 1920, this Baptist congregation was formally organized in 1924 as the Los Indios Baptist Church and moved several times as the new farm country around Edcouch took shape. When the town was platted in 1927 the church relocated into it and took the name First Baptist Church of Edcouch, dedicating a brick building in 1949. Its history traces the settlement of a Rio Grande Valley farm town in the boom decades after the railroad arrived.
Why it matters
The church charts how faith communities took root alongside the land companies and railroads that populated the Valley in the early 20th century.
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Themes & tags
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