Murray Methodist Church
Graham, Young County, Texas
Marker Inscription
When early pioneer Thomas Price purchased land in the old Fish Creek community in 1874, he found an abandoned log cabin which, along with his neighbors, he repaired and designated for use as a church. Early settlers, regardless of denomination preferences, worshiped together in the cabin. The Fish Creek Methodist Society was organized in 1886, and a circuit riding minister from the Throckmorton District served the little church. When the membership outgrew the cabin, services were held in a nearby school from 1893 until it burned in 1897. A new school was built, and the church met there until 1907. The Fish Creek community became known as Murray when a new post office was established with that name. In 1907, the W. L. Chandler family donated land to the church, two miles west of the original log cabin site. The church, formerly known as the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Fish Creek, was called Chandler Chapel for a short time, then renamed Murray Methodist Church. A church building was erected, featuring many interior fixtures donated by members of the congregation. The church continues to be a vital part of the community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When pioneer Thomas Price bought land in the Fish Creek community in 1874, he and his neighbors repaired an abandoned log cabin and set it aside as a shared meeting house where settlers of every denomination worshiped together. The Fish Creek Methodist Society organized in 1886, served by a circuit-riding minister, and moved through cabin and schoolhouse before the W. L. Chandler family donated land in 1907. Renamed Murray Methodist Church, it has remained a vital part of the community.
Why it matters
It embodies the frontier pattern of pioneers sharing a single cabin church across faiths, the humble seed from which settled communities grew.
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Related people
- · Thomas Price
- · W. L. Chandler
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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