Grayson County TXGenWeb

A 640 acre tract of land was purchased by P. L. Lankford in 1846. The land was bounded on the north by the Wm. Lankford survey, on the south and east by H. Coffee and Charles Smith land. For unknown reasons, the deal fell through and H. W. Ryburn, owner, reclaimed the property.

When P. L. Lankford's headright was lifted by H. W. Ryburn, the land was divided and sold in small lots of 60 to 100 acres each. Several of the lots were purchased by the Asa Messenger family.

A. E. Messenger, widow of Asa Messenger, donated a strip of the land along the north side of present-day Highway 120 for the Methodist Church, a school and a cemetery. This area is known, today, as Oak Ridge community. The Methodist Church was known as the Messenger Chapel and was dedicated on April 15, 1881.

The church building was remodeled several times. As of 2001, when the account of the Lankford Family was compiled, the building remained in the same location but was no longer used for church services.

source: History of the Lankford House & Lankford Family of Grayson County, Texas; compiled by M. C. Haggard 2001, pg 17.