The Rev. J.M. Binkley
Sherman, Grayson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(February 26, 1833 – January 13, 1916) Jacob Monroe Binkley came to Texas from Tennessee in 1852. Before being licensed to preach in 1855 he was an effective orator for the cause of temperance. In 1859 he organized and was first pastor of the church later known as First United Methodist Church of Sherman. From 1865 until is death, the Rev. Mr. Binkley was a Methodist Presiding Elder, retaining his Sherman residence. A strong supporter of education, he was Board Chairman at Southwestern University and Kidd – Key College.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jacob Monroe Binkley left Tennessee for Texas in 1852 and, licensed to preach in 1855, became a fixture of North Texas Methodism during the turbulent Civil War and Reconstruction decades. In 1859 he founded the Sherman congregation that grew into First United Methodist Church, then served for a half-century as a Presiding Elder while keeping his home in Sherman. A committed temperance advocate, he also championed higher learning as board chairman at Southwestern University and Kidd-Key College.
Why it matters
His life traces how frontier churches and colleges became the civic backbone of settling Texas towns, binding faith, reform, and education into community life.
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Related people
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