United Methodist Church
Kress, Swisher County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized 1906 at Wright (4 miles NE), the church was relocated in 1907 when the Santa Fe Railway bypassed Wright, founding Kress. With their own hands, members built the first section of this sanctuary (1908), sharing its use with other faiths. The bell on the lawn originally hung in a steeple, and rang for special events as well as worship. The church structure -- remodeled, greatly enlarged, and enhanced by memorial windows -- now forms a local landmark. Lay leaders and four ministers have come from this congregation. (1977)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This congregation organized in 1906 at Wright, but when the Santa Fe Railway bypassed that town in 1907 and founded Kress instead, the church picked up and moved to the new rail town. Members built the first section of the sanctuary with their own hands in 1908 and shared it with other faiths. The old steeple bell now sits on the lawn, and memorial windows and additions have made the enlarged building a local landmark.
Why it matters
The church's move traces how railroad routing literally relocated communities across the West Texas plains in the early 1900s.
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Themes & tags
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