Lipscomb Union Church

Lipscomb won the county seat in 1887 after a heated contest with two rival townsites, Dominion and Timms City, and the Gilbert Hotel was moved over from Dominion for John N. Theisen to run. Frank Biggers organized the town company, which sold land at three dollars an acre; John Howlett kept a general store and H. G. Thayer a saddle and harness shop. Liquor flowed at the Alamo Saloon until 1908, when the county voted dry, the year the Union Church was organized. The town later had two newspapers, the Panhandle Interstate and the Lipscomb County Limelight.

What the plaque says

Lipscomb Union Church has served the residents of this community since the early 1900s. J.W. Arthur established the town of Lipscomb in 1886, and by the next year it was the county seat. Lipscomb soon boasted several stores, a post office and a newspaper. In 1908, residents organized Lipscomb Union Church to fulfill the community's spiritual needs. The Rev. George A. McKee served as its first pastor. Early in its history, the congregation of the non-denominational church met in a one-room wooden building erected by area residents. A 1917 tornado damaged the building and shook it partly off of its foundation. But members worked quickly to repair the damage. Over the years, members have continued to commit time, energy and funds to make repairs, additions and improvements to the worship facilities, and to take on other responsibilities in aiding the church and community. Members have actively served Lipscomb through various auxiliaries, including Ladies Aid, formed by women of the church, and the Crusaders, a youth group. They have also been active in supporting international relief work and have worked with nearby rural churches. Although the number of residents living in Lipscomb remained low throughout the 20th century, the church continued to meet regularly. Today, Lipscomb Union Church remains a vital institution in the community, enriching lives and serving as a spiritual beacon for the town and county. (2007)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Canadian River Wagon Bridge — 22 mi
  The longest pin-connected bridge in Texas, 3,255 feet of Parker trusses across the Canadian River at Canadian, built for wagons in 1916 and reopened as a footpath in 2000.
• Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area — 22 mi
  Five thousand acres of sand sage and cottonwood bottomland along the Canadian River east of Canadian, bought by the state in 1950 for wildlife research and open to walkers with a permit.
• River Valley Pioneer Museum — 23 mi
  The Hemphill County museum in Canadian, a Santa Fe division town of 1887 on the river breaks that held one of the first commercial rodeos in Texas and voted itself dry in 1903.
• The Citadelle Art Museum — 23 mi
  A 1910 Baptist church saved from demolition in 1977, made into a family home filled with art, and given to Canadian in 2009 as one of the Panhandle's few art museums.

More markers nearby

• Lipscomb School — steps away
• Higgins — 16 mi
• Will Rogers — 16 mi
• Follett United Methodist Church — 16 mi