MIDWAY
METHODIST CHURCH, Polk Co, Texas
A Polk County Enterprise article on Sunday, April 15, 1984 entitled "1901 Midway church is modernized but still the original features a picture of Jim & Matt McKee, two of the founders. The following extracts from the article:
Nestled in a quiet
peaceful forest, the Midway Church building has many characteristics of
"The Church in the Wildwood" and it, along with the Midway Cemetery is
still the main landmark of the Midway community...located in the Midway
community which is about 20 miles east of Livingston and about 14 miles west of
Woodville on Highway 190.
Earlier names of the community were Morgansville and Woods Creek and
during the 1850s was a stagecoach and mail station between Woodville and
Livingston. The name of the
community was changed to Woods Creek in 1888 when a school was established.
The original school was located up near the Claude Adams' place and was
used a a church also...In 1891 or 1892 the residents planned to build a new
school and decided to place the building midway between two farming communities:
Pinkney and Woods Creek; hence the name Midway.
To measure the distance between the two locations a rope was put around a
wagon wheel and the revolutions were counted and the building erected halfway.
This location was near the South Spring.
Some of the early settlers were: ANDREW
ADDISON McKEE, J.A.S. Turner, William H. Hubert, Jesse Bartee, W.A. Adams
Sr, W.A. Adams Jr, Albert J. Harrison, William Henry Harrison, Mark Hubert, JOHN
FRANCIS McKEE and the Dickens, Smith, Gibson, Treadway, Matthews, Holder and
Waltrep families.
In 1900 residents of the Midway community met for the purpose of organizing a church...arrangements were made to hold services in the school building until a church building could be erected...(three acres from estate of Belle Holder Turner, wife of W.A. Adams Sr deeded to the church 8/5/1901)...Upon this parcel of land the Midway Church building was constructed by citizens of the community (including Sam McKee, Bud McKee and James Madison McKee) James McKee carried steer behind a wagon to Warren to sell for lumber for the new church. The foundation was made from hewed timber 12 in by 12 inches and placed on cypress blocks cut from the woods, the floor joists were made from pine logs and the walls were made from 1x12 boxing plank...The wooden benches seats 2x12 and backs 1x16 were hand made by the men in the community from purchased lumber...Rev. E.C. Mock was the first pastor...At the time of Rev Lagrone's ministry (4th pastor)...a young man, ANDREW McKEE accepted the call to the ministry. At this particular service just about the entire memberhip rededicated their lives to Christ....The siding of the church building consisting first of rough lumber was later covered with shiplap and painted. Now it is covered with vinyl siding. A steeple has also been added..the present membership is 28.".