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The early community of Mangum, established at the juncture of two rail lines, held great promise as a commercial center. It once boasted a population of 500 and was the site of railroad section houses, a cotton gin, stores, a post office, a medical clinic and sawmills. Local wells that produced waters thought to have curative properties supported a mineral water company and a bathhouse operation. In 1900, residents established a school known as High Point. There, local Baptists gathered for worship services from 1901 to 1904. On September 6, 1904, the congregants formed Bethany Baptist Church with nine charter members. Work began soon after on a building northeast of town, and it was completed the following year. In 1909, members chose to move their sanctuary into Mangum, but the effects of spring rains turned the 1.5 mile journey into a 17-day ordeal. The members persevered, however, and soon began worshiping at this site as the Mangum Baptist Church, adding other facilities over the years. The community of Mangum started to decline in the 1920s with the removal of rail lines and shifts in population to other towns. Once again the church persevered, continuing to grow in service to a wide rural area of Eastland County. In the 1940s, the church replaced the old sanctuary with a new structure, and membership rose to more that 100 by the 1950s. Over the years, Mangum Baptist Church has aided in the establishment of local missions, actively participated in associational work and supported many Baptist benevolences. It now serves as an important early reminder of Mangum and of the pioneer work of Baptists in the area. (2005) |
