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The
cornerstone of the new Methodist church will be laid
Monday, January 31st, A.D.1910, at 2 o'clock p.m.
This will be done with appropriate ceremony and the
Masonic fraternity will participate. In this
connection we deem it appropriate to reproduce an
article published in the Free Press of July 10,
1909. This article was a paper read by W. G.
Alexander in the presence of a large assemblage on July
5th preceding the occasion of breaking the dirt for the
new édifice, entitled:
FIRST METHODIST IN HASKELL
(by W. G. Alexander)
"Having been asked by our pastor to give to you
some of the past history of Methodism, not because I
could give it better, but because I was the only male
charter member of the church at this place.
Now here permit me to say something of this place before
the church was organized.
"I came to Haskell Feb. 1884., to make it my
home. At this time this county was not organized.
There were no preachers here and only four families
lived in this county. There were at this
place the families of W. R. Standifer and R. D. Wilfong
and southeast of Haskell, lived the family of Judge
Tucker who was elected the first county judge of Haskell
county. Then northeast 16 miles, lived
the Casner family, they at this time constituted the
inhabitants of Haskell county.
"During this year there were possibly a dozen
families came into this county with several men seeking
their fortunes. During the latter months of
this year, a Methodist preacher by the name of Woods,
preached the first sermon ever preached in Haskell
county. Then Bro. R. R. Rayinou who
was traveling for his health, preached here for a few
days. The results were no doubt for good for some
of the old timers today refer to some of his sermons
with much interest.
"Then in Nov. of 1884, our annual conference
attached Haskell county to Jones county as a mission
field; it was then in Abilene district, and sent a timid
young bashful preacher to this wild western country to
fight the battles of our Master with but few members of
the church to encourage him in his labors, and even
these few felt somewhat backsliden on the account of the
associations of the day. Most all the people were
here for the money and gave very little attention to a
religious life.
"One night in the latter part of Nov. or
first of Dec., 1884, about 8 o'clock, a man hallowed at
my front gate. (This was after supper.)
I went to the door and said "Get down and come in" not
knowing who it was. But the party asked if
Mr. Alexander lived there. "Yes, get down".
Then he said "I understand you are a Methodist family
and I am a Methodist preacher. I did
not wait longer but said to my wife "Did you hear that?
I have found us a Methodist preacher. Fire up the
stove, make ready a warm supper". So I went to him
and insisted he go in the house while I took care of his
horse, but no - he would go with me, anyway.
"He had made his way from the little town
of Anson, 30 miles south of Haskell, without any road
and, after dark, saw the lights and finally found my
house. This man was J. H. Wiseman,
the first pastor of Haskell county. He organized
the first Methodist church in a family residence in the
county of Haskell with six members, namely myself and
wife, S. S. Cummings and wife, Mrs. R. C. Lomax and Mr.
J. L. Deweese. Myself and wife are now the
only charter members remaining with the old church.
Our church was then a part of Anson mission. Brother
Wiseman remained from 1884 to 1888. J. Fred Cox
was our first P. E. and he stayed four years with us.
"In 1885 a school house was built near where the
South Ward building now stands. During Bro.
Wiseman's pastorate - '85, '86 and '87 - we had the
worst drouth West Texas ever had; many of our counties
were almost depopulated. In 1888 Haskell
Mission was formed and Bro. C. V. Bailey came as
our first resident pastor and made his home with myself
and Judge McConnell.
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