First Methodist Church of Wellington

Wellington was not the expected county seat. When Collingsworth County organized in 1890, Pearl City, two miles north, was favored, but land promoters from Childress County backed Wellington and persuaded the Rocking Chair Ranch's manager and foreman to urge their cowboys to vote for it. Voters were also offered five town lots each. Wellington won fifty-six to thirty-two, and the legislature validated the result even though the town lacked the two-thirds majority required for a seat more than five miles from the county's center. The first permanent building was a saloon moved from Pearl City.

What the plaque says

First Methodist Church of Wellington Organized in 1890 by the Rev. J.H. Linderman and a small group of charter members, this congregation was the only Methodist church in the county by 1984. The first worship services were held in a small wooden building which also served as the first county courthouse. The members met in a local schoolhouse from about 1891 until 1899, when their first sanctuary was completed at this site. That building was replaced in 1913 by a larger structure, and additional facilities were built over the years to accommodate the growing congregation. (1990)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Methodism in Collingsworth — steps away
• O'Neil Building — steps away
• Collingsworth County Hospital — 0.5 mi
• Collingsworth County — 2.7 mi