Louise Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Louise Methodist Church, out in Wharton County. Now, every good story starts with somebody putting down roots, and this one is no different. The town of Louise was founded in 1881, planted right along the route of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway.

The name Louise came from the daughter of railroad director D. E. Hungerford, and before long the little town was doing what railroad towns do best, becoming a shipping and marketing center for the whole surrounding area.

Ten years passed. The town found its footing. And then, in 1891, a man named Reverend John Ovall came riding in from Victoria.

He was a missionary, and he had a purpose. He called a meeting of the Methodists in the area, right there in Louise, to organize a church. Now that is the kind of meeting where you show up not knowing exactly what you're walkin' into, and you walk out with something that lasts a hundred years.

They named it Louise Methodist Church, and in 1893 the congregation built its first house of worship. But here's the thing about that building. It wasn't just a church.

It pulled double duty, maybe triple duty, serving as the public schoolhouse and as a community gathering place for a number of years. One building carrying all that weight. In 1940, the structure was moved to this very site, and since then it has gone through several remodeling projects to keep up with a growing congregation.

The church has never gone it alone, either. It has shared clergy with other churches on its circuit, in El Campo, Ganado, Cordele, Lolita, and Garwood, a whole web of communities tied together by shared faith and shared preachers making the rounds. And the families who answered Reverend Ovall's call back in 1891?

Their descendants are still counted among the membership today. Some stories don't end. They just keep going to church.

What the marker says

The town of Louise was founded in 1881 on the route of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway. Named for the daughter of railroad director D.E. Hungerford, it soon became a shipping and marketing center for this area. In 1891, ten years after the town was founded, The Rev. John Ovall, a missionary from Victoria, called a meeting of Methodists in the area to organize a church. Named Louise Methodist Church, the congregation built its first house of worship in 1893. The building also served as the public schoolhouse and as a community gathering place for a number of years. Moved to this site in 1940, the church structure has undergone several remodeling projects to accommodate the growing congregation. Throughout its history, the Louise Methodist Church has shared clergy with other churches in its circuit, including those in El Campo, Ganado, Cordele, Lolita, and Garwood. An important part of the history of the town of Louise, this church continues to serve the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. Descendants of the congregation's first families are still counted among the membership. (1991)