DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the First United Methodist Church of Clarendon, out in Donley County. Now, every town's got an origin story, but Clarendon's got one that sets it apart from most of the towns that grew up on the Texas frontier. It didn't start with a railroad depot or a cattle baron's ambition.
It started with a preacher and a vision. The Reverend Lewis H. Carhart was a Methodist minister, and when he founded Clarendon, he had something specific in mind — a religious and educational center, right out there on the open range.
The town was established in 1878, near the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, sitting six miles north of where it stands today. Six miles north. Which means the Clarendon you'd find on a map now isn't quite the Clarendon that Reverend Carhart planted in the earth.
But we'll get to that. The cowboys in the surrounding country, they took one long look at this settlement and noticed something conspicuous by its absence. No saloons.
Not a one. So they gave it a nickname that stuck like a branding iron — Saint's Roost. You can almost hear the wry grin in it.
The cowboys weren't exactly mocking, but they weren't exactly not mocking either. Now, the very first building erected in Saint's Roost did double duty, serving as both church and school. That was the whole idea, wasn't it — religion and education sharing the same roof from day one.
And there was a Northern Methodist Church operating in the community until around the turn of the century. But here's where the story shifts. In 1887, the railroad arrived.
And when the railroad arrives, towns tend to follow it. Clarendon picked itself up and moved six miles south to its present site. That's just how the frontier worked — you followed the iron rails or you got left behind.
With the move came a circuit rider named Reverend James T. Hosmer, conducting Methodist services in private homes, keeping the faith alive while the town found its footing. Then in 1888, Reverend Isaac L.
Mills and fifteen charter members came together and formally organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Fifteen people. That's your foundation.
By 1890, that fellowship had grown enough to erect a frame church building, set right on the southeast corner of Kearney and Fourth Street. Something permanent. Something with walls and a roof that said we are staying.
And they grew. In 1898, Clarendon Methodist College was founded — forerunner of what would become Clarendon Junior College — and membership in the church increased significantly. Education and faith, still walking side by side, just like Reverend Carhart had dreamed back in 1878.
The frame building couldn't hold them anymore. So in 1910, during the pastorate of Reverend O. P.
Kiker, they built the large classical revival structure that stands there today. Grand enough to match the congregation's ambitions. The original roof held on until 1950, when it was finally replaced.
From a preacher's vision on the banks of Carroll Creek, to a frame church on a corner lot, to a classical revival landmark — Saint's Roost grew up. And it never did open a saloon.
What the marker says
When the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart, a Methodist minister, founded Clarendon, he envisioned it as a religious and educational center. The town was established in 1878 near the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, six miles north of its present location. Local cowboys nicknamed the settlement "Saint's Roost" because it had no saloons. The first building erected was a combination church and school. Until the turn-of-the-century, there was a Northern Methodist Church in the community. When the railroad arrived in 1887, Clarendon moved to its present site. The Rev. James T. Hosmer, a circuit rider, conducted Methodist services in private homes. In 1888 the Rev. Isaac L. Mills and 15 charter members organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1890 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southeast corner of Kearney and 4th Street. Membership increased significantly after the founding in 1898 of Clarendon Methodist College, forerunner of Clarendon Junior College. To accommodate the growing congregation, this large classical revival structure was built in 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. O. P. Kiker. The original roof was replaced in 1950. (1978)