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Landmark Baptist Church Whitesboro, Texas  The
Mt. Zion #1 Landmark Baptist Church was located in the northwest
section of the Rock Creek Community. It was organized on August
30, 1872 with church services held the first Sunday of each month.
The first pastor was Rev. W. C. Wees of Burns City and W. H. Capshaw of Dexter was the first stated clerk. Charter members were the R. L. Butts family, the W. H. Capshaw family and the Walter Barnes family. The church records were lost so the records begin with the first Sunday in July 1882. At this time the church services were held in a log school house at Rock Creek. The church used the school house for approximately twenty years. Records indicate there was a active membership of 74 in 1897. In September 1901, land for the Mt. Zion cemetery and 1.7 acres for a church building were given by Mr. Joe Jefferies. On Saturday, September 21, 1901, during a special conference, Walter Barnes, J. G. Chapman and W. F. Little were elected as a building and solicitating committee. Plans were made for a box building 22 feet by 10 feet for a place of worship on the new property. With the completion of the building in early 1902, the church membership moved from the school house to the new building located on the northwest side of the Rock Creek Community. The church was also referred to as the "Prairie Church". In 1930, the congregation voted to build a new frame building and the old one was torn down. After World War II with a population decrease in the area plus the construction of Denison Dam and Lake Texoma, the church needed to relocate. The last service was the first Sunday in May 1953 when the congregation voted to disband and relocate. Since many of the members had moved about 25 miles south into the Whitesboro area, property was purchased in Whitesboro, Texas on East South Street and the building was moved to the new location. The church was reorganized as the Whitesboro Missionary Baptist Church with its first service held in September 1953. Some of the ministers to serve this church were: W. C. Wess; J. Y. Ballard, C. A. Smith, W. A. Souther, Mr. Gray, J. Dewitt, Joe Thetford, Martin Short, J. T. Moore, H. M. Cagle, J. K. P. Williams, Mr. Fielder, Mr. Mangus, William Clem "Bill" Nall, Jim Patterson, Gordon Shaffer. The last pastor to serve at the Rock Creek locations was Rev. J. E. King, who pastored there for approximately twelve years.  source: Churches & Communities of Northwest Grayson County by Grayson County Frontier Village, pgs 15 & 16 Churches Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |