DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Picture this: it's the second Sunday of January, 1881, and The Rev. O.F.
Rogers — a Presbyterian minister and school teacher who'd made his way up from Mississippi — stands up to preach the first sermon ever heard in Colorado City. Now, where does he preach it? In a saloon.
Because in a tent town, friends, a saloon is the only large place you're gonna find. They covered the bar with wagon sheets, the reverend delivered his sermon, and afterward they passed the collection for the minister. That is a congregation making do.
But they weren't just making do — they were building something. By May, a formal church was organized, eleven charter members strong. They were meeting in a dug-out by then, floored with corn sacks, boxes standing in for seats.
W.J. Miller was installed as elder, and the church was placed under the control of the Texas Central Presbytery. A few weeks on, a tent went up to accommodate church services, Sunday school, and public school all under one canvas roof.
P.O. Coleman — a prominent doctor and educator — and J.E. Riordan, a banker, were named elders.
Later still, the congregation moved into the newly built schoolhouse. They kept climbing. The first permanent church building rose at the corner of Locust and Second Streets and was dedicated May 3, 1891.
The first trustees were Dr. P.C. Coleman, W.J.
Miller, William Kennedy, C.A. Arbuthnot, and John Carlisle. From a covered-up saloon bar to a dedicated building on a named street corner — that's the arc of forty years of stubborn faith.
The present church building was completed August 30, 1925, when The Rev. W.M. Elliott was pastor.
And the story didn't stop there — in 1957, under The Rev. Earl Clary, an education unit was added. From wagon sheets over a bar to a church with an education wing.
That's not just a congregation. That's a town growin' up around its own conscience.
What the marker says
On the second Sunday of January, 1881, The Rev. O.F. Rogers, a Presbyterian minister and school teacher from Mississippi, preached the first sermon ever heard in Colorado (City). The congregation met in a saloon, only large place in the tent town. The bar was covered with wagon sheets and after the sermon, a collection was taken for the minister. A dug-out, floored with corn sacks and equipped with boxes for seats, housed the first formal church, organized in May with 11 charter members. W.J. Miller was installed as elder and the church was placed under control of the Texas Central Presbytery. In a few weeks, a tent was erected to accommodate church services, Sunday school and public school. P.O. Coleman, prominent doctor and educator, and J.E. Riordan, banker, were then named elders. Later, church members worshipped in the newly built school house. The first permanent church building, located at Locust and Second Streets, was dedicated May 3, 1891. The first trustees were Dr. P.C. Coleman, W.J. Miller, William Kennedy, C.A. Arbuthnot and John Carlisle. The present church building was completed August 30, 1925, when The Rev. W.M. Elliott was Pastor. An education unit was added, 1957, under The Rev. Earl Clary, Pastor. (1969)