Vigo Park Methodist Church
Historical marker location:The Indiana-Texas Land Company planted a town at this site in 1906, naming it for adjoining counties in western Indiana. It was to be a shipping point on a new railroad line. C. R. Gardner and J. C. Stitt of Terre Haute, Indiana, built a 2-story hotel and store for the firm, and then decided to settle here. Other settlers soon arrived to join them.
Methodist minister G. R. Fort crossed Tule Canyon and drove 22 miles to welcome the settlers. In June, 1907, he held a revival in a tent and organized this church. Charter members included the Crawley, Derr, Doughty, Gardner, Hay, Hedges, Hunt, Hyatt, Montgomery, Merrill, Pietzscht, Webster, and Welker families.
Gardner, John Welker, and the minister visited the neighboring ranches and secured donations of money and labor to erect a church building. Trustees W. B. Doughty, Joe Hastings, and Jim Montgomery bought two lots at this site and hauled building materials from Tulia, while volunteers helped Gardner and Stitt with the construction. The church was the town's second building. For many years it was the only church in a 20-mile radius. It helped sustain Vigo Park when the railroad failed to materialize, and is still important in the life of the community. (1976)
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.
The cattle industry played a significant role in the development of Texas, with cowboys driving cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas during the late 1800s and early 1900s.