Kelsey Mormon Colony

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Kelsey Mormon Colony, right there in Upshur County. Now, every good story needs a beginning, and this one starts with two brothers and a piece of East Texas timberland. John and Jim Edgar, Mormon brothers, bought a large tract of timber land here in 1898.

That's the seed. And once a seed like that gets planted in good Texas soil, well, things tend to grow. By the end of 1901, a Sunday School had been organized, and a church right along with it.

Two years later, in November of 1902, church officials came out and laid out a proper townsite. They even got a post office going, housed right inside the J. S.

Ault store. Picture that: you pick up your mail, maybe linger a spell, and the whole community hums around you. For a time, one single room served as both school and church.

One room holding all of it, the lessons and the worship, the young ones and the elders, all under the same roof. That arrangement held until 1909, when the first dedicated church building finally went up, just a tenth of a mile to the west. But here's the part that really tells you what kind of place Kelsey was.

This little colony, this community that started with two brothers and a timber tract, became the Kelsey Branch, sponsor of Latter Day Saints churches across the whole region. Enoch. Dallas.

Gilmer. Tyler. Longview.

Pittsburg. Texarkana. Hooks.

And Marshall. Nine congregations carrying something that began right here. And in 1958, the Kelsey Branch joined together with the churches at Enoch and Gilmer.

Two brothers bought some land. That's how it starts. Nine communities, that's how it grew.

What the marker says

Received church endorsement after Mormon brothers John and Jim Edgar bought a large tract of timber land here in 1898. By end of 1901, Sunday School and church were organized. In Nov. 1902, townsite was laid out by church officials. Post office was located in J. S. Ault store. One-room building served as school and church until 1909, when first church was built (1/10 mi. W). Kelsey Branch was sponsor of Latter Day Saints churches in Enoch, Dallas, Gilmer, Tyler, Longview, Pittsburg, Texarkana, Hooks and Marshall; joined with Enoch, Gilmer churches, in 1958.