First United Methodist Church of Orange
Orange, Orange County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The first recorded Methodist activity in Orange was in 1859, when the Rev. Valerious C. Canon was sent here from the Woodville District. By 1871, Orange was on a circuit which included Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange counties. According to legend, one of the first circuit riders, the Rev. Daniel Morse, supplemented his preaching income by hunting alligators in nearby swamps and marshes and selling the hides. For that reason, this became known as the "Alligator Circuit." The first Methodist church was organized in 1873 with 44 charter members. The congregation erected a small frame church on College Street and shared their building with other denominations. A Sunday School was established in 1879. Initially classified as a mission, this fellowship became self-supporting in 1884. The Rev. W. H. Crawford served as the first full-time pastor. Fire destroyed the original church building in 1886. The Ladies Aid Society helped raise funds for a new frame church situated at the corner of Border and Henderson streets. Completed in 1892, it was moved to this location in 1912 and replaced by the present sanctuary in 1921. By 1978, this congregation had grown to over 1500 members.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Methodism reached Orange in 1859, and by 1871 the town lay on a sprawling circuit spanning three counties. One early circuit rider, the Rev. Daniel Morse, reputedly stretched his meager preaching income by hunting alligators in the surrounding swamps and selling the hides — earning the route its nickname, the "Alligator Circuit." The congregation organized in 1873, weathered a fire that destroyed its first building in 1886, and grew across a century into a church of more than 1,500 members.
Why it matters
The circuit-riding preacher, covering vast distances to reach scattered settlers, was a defining figure of frontier religion — and the colorful "Alligator Circuit" shows just how far ministers went to survive on the Texas coast.
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Related people
- · Valerious C. Canon
- · Daniel Morse
- · W. H. Crawford
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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