Little River Baptist Church and Cemetery

Maysfield's schools show how a rural district was counted in 1903. The Handbook of Texas lists two one-teacher schools for seventy-four White students and two one-teacher schools for eighty-eight Black students, so Black pupils outnumbered White ones in the district. Maysfield stayed the focus of a common school district until the late 1960s or early 1970s, then joined the Cameron schools. The Handbook does not say which families sent children where, or name the churches that held class. The congregation at Little River was already fifty-four years old when the counts were taken.

What the plaque says

Little River Baptist Church and Cemetery Organized in 1849 with eight members. Met in local homes for worship. First building was a small log cabin. Church grew as settlers entered area. In 1855 70 members joined congregation following a three-day revival. Church was center of social life here, as throughout rural Texas. Important members sat in front, in "Amen Pews." Had separate sides for men, women. Present building was finished in 1873 by church together with Masonic Lodge. Cemetery started in early days. The structure was enlarged to present size in 1909. (1970)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Milam County Courthouse and Jail — 9.2 mi
  Cameron's 1892 Renaissance Revival courthouse and the 1895 St. Louis-built jail beside it, now the county museum, are listed together on the National Register.
• Calvert — 12 mi
  A railroad cotton town of 1868 on State Highway 6 that claimed the largest cotton gin in the world and elected Black men to county and state office during Reconstruction.

More markers nearby

• Maysfield United Methodist Church — 3.8 mi
• First Presbyterian Church of Maysfield — 3.9 mi
• John Hobson — 5.6 mi
• Saint Michael's Catholic Church — 8.7 mi