Enloe United Methodist Church
Historical marker location:According to Methodist Association records, this congregation, led by the Rev. W. P. Reed, first assembled as a full station in the early 1870s in the community that became Unitia. The new church changed locations several times in its early years, moving to a site known as Thomas Chapel in 1873 and then to the nearby community of Liberty in 1881. The congregation returned to Unitia in 1884 but later relocated to the fledgling town of Enloe in 1896. The Texas Midland Railroad arrived in town the following year.
Enloe's population grew from 100 to 273 in 1904 and was 400 by 1914. The town boasted two banks, a telegraph office, a restaurant, two general stores, a pharmacy, a seed store, two cotton gins and a bakery. The Clem Lumber Company was headquartered here and cotton shipping was the major industry. The house of worship erected by the Methodists burned on Easter Sunday 1919 and a new structure was erected later that year. The congregation was a vital part of the community. By the 1930s the membership was about 150 people with six Sunday School classes. A parsonage was erected in 1954 and an educational building was added in 1955.
The Enloe United Methodist Church continued to meet in the 1919 structure at the close of the 20th century. The church and congregation remain in service with a variety of programs including the Lord's Acre Festival, originated in the 1950s, and other worship and community service activities. (1999)
As one of the most visible programs of the Texas Historical Commission (THC), historical markers commemorate diverse topics in Texas history, including: the history and architecture of houses, commercial and public buildings, religious congregations, and military sites; events that changed the course of local and state history; and individuals who have made lasting contributions to the state, community organizations, and businesses.
In the late 19th century, Texas became known for its cattle drives, in which cowboys would move herds of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas and other northern states. The cattle drives were dangerous and difficult work, but they played a key role in the development of the American cattle industry.