Hope, Texas, Lavaca County German Community. (original) (raw)
Hope United Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2006
History in a Pecan Shell
The community came into being prior to the Texas Revolution and took it�s name from the trading post. The population peaked just prior to the Civil War and although figures aren�t available, it is said that out of one hundred Confederate Volunteers from Hope, only seven made it home at the end of the war.
Most residents were German immigrants and church services and schooling were conducted in that language. A post office was opened in 1857, closing in 1906, the first community school was built that same time. It�s not known what effect the Great Depression had on Hope, but after WWII the population had decreased to just 50.
In the mid 1980s the community still had two churches and two stores, although the population had shrunk to only ten residents. Many members of the congregations of the two churches lived in Yoakum.
The few remaining residents of Hope collected the money to buy the closed school � which was restored as a community center. The present population has been used since 1990.
United Methodist Church of Hope historical marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2006
Historical Marker: on CR 414 to CR 413A
The United Methodist Church of Hope
German pioneers founded this church before 1845. It met in a log hut on Scarborough's Branch, had 23 members in 1850s, used German language in worship, and was in German missions circuit. Christoph and Christina Hornburg gave a 2-acre site on Clark's Creek in 1855, and the second log meeting house was erected. The present church was built in 1889 on newly-purchased site in hope. By 1890, the membership reached about 100. The Sunday School was organized in 1892, and remains active. Up to 1894 this was the only church in hope community.
1976
Historical Marker: 1228 CR 413 (c. 12 miles SE of Yoakum on SH 111 to CR 413)
Hope Baptist Church
Hope Baptist Church Originally called Shiloh Baptist Church, this congregation was constituted in 1885 with eight charter members, who first met in the Riggs Schoolhouse. The exact location of the schoolhouse is unknown, except that it was in Lavaca County. The original members were: M. L. and M. Newsom, Daniel and Moneroy Fitch, J. L. and A. A. Moore, Adie Riggs and R. A. Anderson. They held worship services once a month, and baptisms took place in Clark's Creek.
Church minutes record the formation of a building committee in 1896. The first worship service in the new sanctuary occurred in December 1896. Over the years, the congregation enlarged their space with additional facilities as they grew. A new building eventually replaced the 1896 structure.
In 1920, the members of Shiloh Baptist Church agreed to change their name to Hope Baptist Church to reflect the name of the community in which they worshipped. Seven years later the congregation hosted the annual meeting of the Guadalupe Baptist Association.
Throughout its history, Hope Baptist Church has focused on outreach to the community and has been involved in both local and worldwide mission activities. It continues to uphold the ideals and traditions of the founders in its worship and Sunday school programs.
(2001)
Hope, Texas 1962 USGS map
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy Gregory Phillips
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