Texas Baptist Encampment Grounds

Duane's take

The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passin' it along. Now, if you ever wanted proof that Texans have always known how to gather, look no further than this stretch of Matagorda County coastline. In 1906, the Texas Baptist Convention looked out at this coastal area and said: this is the place.

Selected that very year as the site for a permanent encampment grounds, it was about to become something people would travel long distances to reach. And travel they did. Thousands of families, rolling in by wagon, by surrey, by buggy.

But primarily, they came by train. They weren't stopping for a weekend, either. Folks would spend weeks, or longer, out at these grounds.

Religious activities filled the days, sure, but so did fishing, swimming, and boat rides on the bay. The marker says the days passed pleasantly, and you get the sense that's an understatement. Now, the first camp meeting here opened on July third, 1906, and ran through July twelfth.

Opening day brought such a crowd that the gate keepers couldn't keep up with collecting the one dollar admission fees. So you know what they did? They grabbed buckets.

Just passed around buckets to catch the silver dollars coming in. Silver dollars. That detail right there tells you everything about the scale of what was happening.

Campers stayed in varied quarters on the grounds, cooked their meals out of doors, and gathered to hear some of the most outstanding Baptist ministers of the era. Among those who spoke were John L. Hill and George W.

Truett. Prominent leaders who shaped the meetings included J.F. Barnett, R.H.

Coleman, T.C. Gardner, and Bob Jolly. The first permanent auditorium was actually moved to this site from La Porte, where earlier encampments had been held.

That building eventually gave way to a memorial auditorium, erected in 1923. And then the coast reminded everyone who was really in charge. The hurricane of 1942 took its toll, and the present building was erected after that storm.

Three auditoriums, a bucket full of silver dollars, and thousands of families who made this place a destination season after season. That coastal ground earned every bit of what the Texas Baptist Convention saw in it back in 1906.

What the marker says

Selected in 1906 by the Texas Baptist convention as the site for a permanent encampment grounds, this coastal area was the scene of many inspirational camp meetings typical of Texas and the entire south in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In those days thousands of families would come by wagon, surrey, buggy, but primarily by train to spend weeks or longer at the grounds. Religious activities and the opportunity for relaxation and social life made the days pass pleasantly. The campers enjoyed fishing, swimming, and boat rides on the bay. On opening day of the first camp meeting here (held July 3-12, 1906) gate keepers had to use buckets to collect the $1 admission fees -- typically paid in silver dollars. Campers stayed in the varied quarters provided and cooked their meals out of doors. Over the years, many outstanding baptist ministers spoke at the meetings. Among these were John L. Hill and George W. Truett. Prominent leaders included J.F. Barnett, R.H. Coleman, T.C. Gardner, and Bob Jolly. The first permanent auditorium was moved from La Porte (site of earlier encampments). It was replaced by a memorial auditorium, 1923. The present building was erected after the hurricane of 1942. (1968)