Cheatham Memorial United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Cheatham Memorial United Methodist Church, out in Van Zandt County. Pull over if you can, because this one's got some layers to it. It starts, as so many good Texas stories do, with a man on horseback.

Back in the late 1870s, a Methodist circuit rider out of Canton was making his rounds, leading services wherever folks would gather. That kind of ministry was the seed. From those humble, traveling services, a congregation took root.

The land for the first sanctuary came by deed in 1879, and the one who did the deeding was none other than the Texas and Pacific Railroad. That first building went up about a block to the west of where the marker stands today. Now, in the early going, the congregation shared its church buildings with the public school, which tells you something about the practical, pull-together spirit of the community.

Then came 1923, and here's where the story catches its breath. A new chapel was under construction right at this very site, and it collapsed. That's a hard word.

Collapsed. But these folks did not walk away from it. They rebuilt.

Fast forward to 1953, when the congregation completed new facilities, and with that milestone came a new name. Ned Cheatham had given a gift to the church, and he gave it in memory of his wife, Dale, whose maiden name was Slaughter. In recognition of that gift, the congregation became Cheatham Memorial United Methodist Church.

And one more thing the marker makes sure to mention. A church fundraising program called the Edgewood Plan, noted enough to be called out by name, was started right here, by the Reverend C. W.

Lokey. A circuit rider, a railroad deed, a chapel that fell and rose again, and a name carried forward in love. That's this church.

What the marker says

This church grew from services led by a Canton Methodist circuit rider in the late 1870s. The first sanctuary (1 blk. W) was built on land deeded in 1879 by the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Early church buildings were shared with the public school. In 1923 a chapel under construction at this site collapsed, but was rebuilt. With completion of new facilities in 1953, the congregational name was changed, recognizing a gift from Ned Cheatham in memory of his wife Dale (Slaughter). A noted church fund raising program, the "Edgewood Plan", was started here by the Rev. C. W. Lokey. (1981)