First Baptist Church of Rochester

Rochester was founded in 1906 with the building of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway. A. B. Carothers, who donated the right-of-way and the townsite, named it for Rochester, New York. Schools, churches and stores followed, and the town incorporated in 1922. It had 400 people by 1915 and 611 by 1940. The county around it was then in a cotton boom: by 1930 more than 200,000 acres of Haskell County land was in cotton, and the county counted 16,669 residents. Rochester fell to 492 people by 1980 and 378 in 2000.

What the plaque says

Thirteen charter members organized the Mesquite Baptist Church in March 1899 in the community later known as Marcy. J. R. Wood and J. M. Speck were the first deacons, and interim pastor D. James was called as first minister in October 1900. Plans for a permanent home for the congregation were set in motion in June 1901. The first service in the new building was held in April 1903 when the church name was changed to Marcy Missionary Baptist Church. When the railroad came through Rochester in 1906, the Marcy congregation moved to be near it. The first service at Rochester was held in October 1906. The congregation thrived at its new location. A third sanctuary was dedicated in 1957. The church continues to serve the community with a variety of programs. (1998)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• First Christian Church — 7.6 mi
• Josselet Switch — 10 mi
• Sunset Consolidated Rural School District — 12 mi
• Haskell County — 13 mi