South Leon Baptist Church
Newburg, Comanche County, Texas
Marker Inscription
First Baptist church formed in Comanche County. Organized by the Rev. Richard Howard and 8 charter members, under a brush arbor built here, 1857. Early services were held in a log schoolhouse (300 ft. W). Later, combination church-school was built near cemetery. In 1906 the present building was erected. Church was dissolved, 1859, due to Indian troubles; reorganized in 1872 with James Cunningham and F. H. Neely as deacons. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1964
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Under a brush arbor in 1857, the Rev. Richard Howard and eight charter members organized the first Baptist church in Comanche County, meeting first in a log schoolhouse. Frontier danger forced the congregation to dissolve in 1859 amid Indian troubles, but it reorganized in 1872 and finally built its lasting home in 1906.
Why it matters
The church's stop-and-start history is a plain record of how precarious frontier settlement was, when Indian conflict could scatter a whole community for years.
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Related people
- · Richard Howard
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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