| Marker Number |
4481 |
| Atlas Number |
5309004481 |
| Marker Title |
Saint Paul's Church of Gerald |
| Index Entry |
Saint Paul's Church of Gerald |
| Address |
|
| City |
Gerald |
| County |
McLennan |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
688964 |
| UTM Northing |
3499387 |
| Subject Codes |
Lutheran denomination; churches; German immigrants/immigration |
| Marker Year |
1979 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
From Leroy take Hwy 308 1 mi. S.W., church is off Hwy. 308. |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
18" x 28" |
| Marker Text |
German farmers began settling in this region in the late 1880s. For many years, they worshiped in the schoolhouse. Gerald post office was opened in 1888. The town had a blacksmith shop, general store, drugstore, and cotton gin by 1900. In that year 16 men organized St. Paul's Evangelical Congregation. Chris Schuetz provided two acres in 1903 for a church that stood on this site until 1937, when the present structure was built. As the International & Great Northern Railroad bypassed Gerald in 1901, a decline soon began. This church still serves a large rural area and marks the former townsite. |
