Palo Duro Baptist Church

Palo Duro Baptist Church has its origins in Union School, which was built by settlers around 1893. Area residents held a non-denominational Sunday School in the facility. In 1901, Baptists living in the Palo Duro community, named for the creek that crosses northeastern Deaf Smith County, held a revival at the school. Shortly thereafter, on October 26, 1901, 12 charter members organized Palo Duro Baptist Church. The Rev. J.F. Killman served as pastor for the congregation, which at first met one weekend a month. In 1905, area pioneers John and Janette Womble offered property for a church building. The congregation completed a structure in 1906, which was paid for by community donations. Methodists also used the new facility. The congregation grew and declined through its early years, reflecting trends in the area’s population. The church was a charter member of the Amarillo Baptist Association, which formed in 1953. In 1954, Palo Duro Baptist Church participated in a televised service at the KGNC television studio in Amarillo. Palo Duro Baptist Church has a rich history of giving and outreach. In 1960, the congregation began a Spanish mission for Bracero farm workers; after the program ended, the congregation supported Spanish-speaking congregations in Hereford and Amarillo. The church has also aided shut-ins and the elderly through gift baskets, hosted orphans from the Buckner’s Baptist Children’s Home, awarded scholarships to students, worked with children with disabilities, participated in prison ministry, and organized local and foreign missions. Today, Palo Duro Baptist Church continues to be a beacon of light in the Texas panhandle and throughout the world. (2010)

Palo Duro Baptist Church is a historical marker in Dawn, Deaf Smith County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 15 historical markers documented in Deaf Smith County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 17 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 35.1174, -102.2024 near Dawn. The nearest cataloged historic site is Palo Duro Wildorado Cemetery (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Town of Dawn, Hereford Christian College, and The Thompson House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016428. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.