Midway Church of Christ
Midway, Madison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Midway Church of Christ Although records to establish the exact founding date of this church are scarce, it is believed the Midway Church of Christ was organized about 1854. Traveling preachers served the congregation until Joseph Addison Clark (1815-1901) arrived as first minister in 1855. Many of the church's early members were influential in the development of Midway and Madison County. The church has worshiped at this site throughout its history, although the building has been enlarged and remodeled over the years to accommodate the congregation's needs. Originating before the Civil War, the Midway Church of Christ has long played a role in the cultural history of Madison County. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Though its exact founding is lost to sparse records, the Midway Church of Christ is thought to have organized around 1854, with traveling preachers serving it until Joseph Addison Clark became its first settled minister in 1855. Many of its early members helped build up Midway and Madison County. The congregation has worshiped on this same site ever since, enlarging its meeting house over the years while its roots reach back before the Civil War.
Why it matters
Predating the Civil War, this pioneer congregation reflects the Restoration Movement's spread across the antebellum Texas frontier and the role of churches in founding new communities.
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Related people
- · Joseph Addison Clark
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
James and Calpernia Mitchell
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James and Calpernia Mitchell left Virginia for Texas in 1833 and settled on a Mexican land grant during the years when Texas was passing from Mexican province to independent republic to statehood. James helped locate the seat of Montgomery County in 1837 and became one of Walker County's first commissioners in 1846, while the family's house and inn on the Old San Antonio Road offered rest to travelers and served for a decade as the area post office. The couple lie in a family cemetery near this spot.
Daniel Larrison
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A Pennsylvania-born fur trapper who had served under Zachary Taylor in the War of 1812, Daniel Larrison became one of the earliest Anglo settlers of what is now Madison County, receiving a Mexican land grant in 1833. He and his wife Sarah settled around 1828 near the junction of the La Bahia Trail and El Camino Real—a natural waystation for travelers—and raised twelve children while hunting, trapping, and farming corn and cotton. Larrison Creek still carries the family name.
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