Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church
Logan, Panola County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Chartered in 1880 with eight members, this congregation was organized by Elders William H. Gresham and J. R. Alexander. A Confederate veteran, Gresham (d. 1900) served as pastor until 1897. Members of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church met about one mile southwest of this site until they moved here in 1910. The second floor of the 1910 church building served as a meeting place for the Woodmen of the World Lodge. This church has had a strong influence in the eastern part of Panola County and is important to the area's religious heritage. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1880 with just eight members, this East Texas congregation was organized by Elders William H. Gresham and J. R. Alexander, with Gresham—a Confederate veteran—serving as its pastor until 1897. After years of meeting nearby, the members moved to this site in 1910, building a sanctuary whose second floor doubled as a Woodmen of the World lodge hall. For generations it has been a pillar of religious and community life in eastern Panola County.
Why it matters
Rural churches like Mount Pleasant were the social backbone of post-Civil War Texas, binding scattered farm families into lasting communities.
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Related people
- · William H. Gresham
- · J. R. Alexander
Themes & tags
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