Latexo Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Latexo Baptist Church. Now settle in, because this is a story about a community that kept reinventing itself, and a congregation that refused to be left behind. Way back in the mid-19th century, out in what folks called Oldham, Protestant settlers were already gathering for worship.

The place later went by the name Stark Switch, but the faith was there from the start, quiet and steady as a creek in dry season. Then came July 19, 1900. Twenty-seven charter members stood together and organized the Stark Switch Baptist Church of Christ.

Twenty-seven. Not a crowd, not a multitude, just enough people who meant it. Now, here's where things get interesting.

Early in the 1900s, the Louisiana Texas Orchard Company rolled into the area and became the community's major employer. That company cast a long shadow, long enough to rename the whole community in its honor. The place became Latexo, and in 1905, the Baptist church followed suit, taking the name Latexo Baptist Church.

That same year, the congregation moved right into the local schoolhouse. Practical people, these Texans. Then in 1912 they went ahead and purchased that building from the county outright.

Made it theirs. But here's the thing about roads and time. After 1930, the community started drifting east, following a new main highway the way people always follow what's moving.

For a while the church stayed put, but a congregation with roots that deep doesn't just watch its people walk away. In 1945, Latexo Baptist Church followed. Picked up and moved to meet its members where they were.

In the new location, the church built new facilities, kept growing, kept serving. And in the year 2000, they were celebrating a full century of service, still carrying the traditions of those original twenty-seven souls who showed up on a July morning and decided to begin something.

What the marker says

The community of Stark Switch, originally known as Oldham, was the home of Protestant worship for early settlers from the mid-19th century. Stark Switch Baptist Church of Christ was organized on July 19, 1900, with 27 charter members. The Louisiana Texas Orchard Company became the community's major employer in the early 1900s. The community name changed to Latexo in the company's honor, and the Baptist church name changed to Latexo Baptist Church in 1905. The congregation moved into the local schoolhouse in 1905 and purchased the building from the county in 1912. After 1930 the community gradually moved east with the new main highway, and Latexo Baptist Church followed in 1945. The church thrived in its new location, building new facilities to meet the needs of its members and programs. Celebrating a century of service in the year 2000, the church continues in the traditions of its founders. (2000)