"The Matagorda United Methodist Church lays claim to a history beginning in the late 1820s and 1830s. Henry Stevenson of the Mississippi Conference preached in Texas in those early years, “… along the whole Western boundary of the settlements, and all the way to the Colorado River.” About the same time Rev. H. S. Thrall, author of A History of Methodism in Texas, preached as a circuit rider in Matagorda.
On December 18, 1837 Dr. Ruter suggested, the Mississippi Conference form three circuits in Texas—Matagorda being named as an appointment in the Houston Circuit. The circuit was unsupplied, however, except as Dr. Ruter himself or another circuit rider touched it. It is supposed that Dr. Ruter did preach in Matagorda as he states in his records of January 9, 1838, that he had been near the mouth of the Colorado River.
Texas remained attached to the Mississippi Conference and on December 5, 1838, the conference met with Bishop Morris presiding. Appointments were made for the “Texas Mission District,” of which Matagorda was a part. Able Stevens was appointed to head the Houston-Galveston District.
On January 1, 1839, Jesse Hord recorded that he started for Matagorda from Bay Prairie, “pulling through black mud, a pouring down rain and a howling norther.”
On January 6, 1839, he wrote, “I attended the Episcopal service at 11 o’clock am. At 3 pm I preached. We had much interest. I also preached at early candle light with much liberty. I opened the doors of the church, and four came forward. This was the beginning of the first Methodist class in Matagorda.”
Jesse Hord continued to return to Matagorda as time permitted. He had 20 appointments “embracing a circuit of about 500 miles, over flat and muddy country.” At times he had to cross the swollen San Bernard River “dry shod, by riding upon my knees in the seat of my saddle.”
It was difficult to complete the circuit as he noted January 23-24 “These two days I rested… Am quite worn and weary, even to sickness, and my poor horse is more worn than I, for he has carried me about four thousand miles with but little intermission or rest. I thank God for a good horse.”
In the year 1839 we find that Hord had organized four societies, the first in their respective localities—namely, Matagorda, Richmond, Bay Prairie (now Bay City), and in the De Moss Settlement.
In December of 1839, the Mississippi Conference organized the Ruterville District of Texas; Matagorda was one of the seven churches in the district. Rev. R. Alexander was the presiding elder, and the Rev. Robert H. Hill was appointed pastor to Matagorda.
On December 25, 1840, the Texas Conference of the Methodist Church was organized in Baltimore, Maryland. The pastor appointed to the Methodist Church was D. N. V. Sullivan.
It is not known when the first Methodist church building was erected. A Methodist church building was listed as one of the public buildings in Matagorda in a letter written on November 11, 1851, by County Treasurer J. H. Selkirk to Texas Land Commissioner J. de Cordova. This building was destroyed by the great hurricane of 1854, which leveled almost every building in town. Quoting from A History of Early Methodism in Texas: “…it is supposed that the roof of the building was blown out to sea as it was never found.”
In 1853, the Galveston District Annual Report shows the membership of Matagorda consisted of “20 whites and 13 colored.” By 1858 it had grown to “50 whites and 32 colored.”
There were few records for the next few decades. An article in the Matagorda Gazette in 1858 shows that attempts were made to raise money to rebuild the church. If it was rebuilt, it was destroyed again, because services were held in the courthouse in 1869, and later in the schoolhouse.
In 1891 the parsonage was erected with money borrowed from Fred S. Robbins. In 1892 members decided they must have a proper Church after being accidentally locked out of their meeting place, the school house, on a cold rainy Thanksgiving Day.
Long leaf yellow pine and cypress were brought in from Galveston and the present Church was completed in 1893. Robbins again loaned the money, and Charles Baker was the building. The trustees were Conrad Franz, Waldo Thompson, John Matthews, W. E. Moore, and F. S. Robbins. There being no stock law at this time in Matagorda, a fence was needed to protect the Church lawn.
A Sunday School was soon formed by the Ladies Aid Society and in 1927 Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and study were built. The hurricane of 1924 did extensive damage to the church and the parsonage. In 1957 another room and a large kitchen were added, the men of the church doing the work. The appearance of the building was changed in 1965 by the addition of a large entrance porch.
In 1942, another hurricane and flood damaged, but did not completely destroy, the Church. After observing the damages, Dr. Landrum, the District Superintendent, asked the membership if they wanted to repair, rebuild and continue the Church. Mrs. Carroll Ryman, a longtime member, immediately replied, “Certainly, there will always be a Methodist Church in Matagorda.”
The earliest local records, salvaged from many hurricanes, are dated 1887, and they list the following members:
Dr. and Mrs. F. Rugeley (1887)
Capt. Henry and Catherine Cookenboo (1887)
Baltes A. and Jennie Ryman (1887)
Mrs. Minnie Bedford (1891)
Charlie Williams (1891)
William C. and Helen Elizabeth "Lizzie" Berg (1892)
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Baxter (1892)
Bessie Baker (1892)
as well as James B. Watkins, Mary L. Watkins, Mary Duke, Linnie M. Phillips, J. Edward Savage, Phillip Yeamans, Bettie Mahavier, and Charles Eidlebach.
Today, through careful improvements, repair, and maintenance the Church is ready. As a Church we are ready to ring the original bell, with people filling the original cypress pews to hear God’s original message of love and forgiveness preached from the original pulpit. The next 150 years are to be the best years yet as God continues to bless this church with a new mission."
Source:
Matagorda United Methodist Church website