First Baptist Church of Nixon

The town the church moved to grew fast. Its post office opened in 1906 as Nixonville, shortened to Nixon in 1908, and by midyear 1906 it already had a gin, a bank, a doctor, a store and a lumberyard. Nixon incorporated in 1912, and by 1914 it counted 1,300 people, three cotton gins, an independent school district and a weekly paper, the Nixon News. Electricity came in 1916. The population dipped in the 1920s and then grew to 1,835 by 1940. Rail service ended about 1970, and poultry processing became a leading industry in the 1980s.

What the plaque says

First Baptist Church of Nixon The town of Rancho existed about one mile north of here for many years prior to the establishment of Nixon in 1906 on the new San Antonio and Gulf Railroad line. This church was organized in 1869 as a mission of the San Antonio Baptist Association by the Rev. T. Christmas and the Rev. J.F. Hines. The congregation built a small sanctuary in Rancho and remained there until 1907 when they moved to the new town of Nixon and changed their name to Nixon Baptist Church. A Sunday School and Ladies Aid Society were organized and 37 members joined the church in 1909 as a result of a successful revival service. In 1921 Nixon Baptist joined the Gambrell Baptist Association. The congregation began a long-term association with the Alto Frio encampment near Leakey, Texas, when they erected a building there in 1928. In conjunction with the building of a new sanctuary here in 1955, the congregation changed its name to First Baptist Church of Nixon. The congregation has since established a scholarship fund for local high school graduates pursuing Baptist stidues, sponsored youth activities and programs, helped establish area mission churches, and contributed to the educational, moral, and cultural development of the community. (1994)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Rancho — 1.7 mi
• Albuquerque — 5.9 mi
• Smiley United Methodist Church — 7.4 mi
• Old Smiley Lake and Townsite — 7.5 mi