First United Methodist Church of Comanche
Comanche, Comanche County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The congregation has historic ties to the frontier town of Cora, the early seat of government for Comanche County. The Rev. J.W. Whipple, presiding elder, and local pastor the Rev. M.O. Coker, organized the church there in 1858. It relocated to Comanche soon after the government moved to the new town in 1859. Two years later, the county commissioners donated land for a congregational meeting site for the Methodists, as it did for other early churches in Comanche. The church later met in the Comanche College building but moved to new facilities at the current site in 1879. It added new buildings as membership grew steadily over the years. Begun in the frontier days of the region, the church had a number of colorful early pastors. One was the Rev. Hugh M. Childress, known as the “Bear Hunter Preacher,” who carried guns. Early church programs included Ladies’ Aid, later the Women’s Missionary Society, and the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor, which became the Epworth League. Over the years, a number of nearby churches merged with First Methodist Church, including White Point, Indian Creek and Proctor. The spiritual strength of the Comanche Church is reflected in the number of its members who followed callings into the ministry. First United Methodist Church of Comanche remains a vital institution in the city and county, long after its founding, providing leadership and outreach for the community it serves. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This Methodist congregation grew out of the frontier settlement of Cora, the first seat of Comanche County, where it was organized in 1858 and then followed the government to the new town of Comanche a year later. In the rough-hewn early days it drew colorful circuit-riding pastors, none more so than the Rev. Hugh M. Childress, the gun-toting "Bear Hunter Preacher." As membership grew, the church built new facilities in 1879 and absorbed smaller country congregations from White Point, Indian Creek, and Proctor.
Why it matters
The church traces the movement of a county seat and its people across the Texas frontier, showing how faith communities helped stitch scattered settlers into a lasting town.
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Related people
- · Rev. Hugh M. Childress
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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