Callisburg, Cooke County
Callisburg founder Samuel Callis, an area blacksmith, was a Methodist who is thought to have been an original member of the Callisburg congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. According to local oral history, this group was organized as early as the 1880s, with meetings held in the homes of charter members and in a local schoolhouse. According to church records, the congregation was officially organized in August 1896, with the Rev. R. F. Bryant as pastor. The first baptisms were recorded at that time and included members of the Criswell, Arnn, and Ayres families. Church records from the late 1890s show almost 60 members. On January 3, 1898, land on this site was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Ayres for $25. William Campbell, assisted by his eight-year-old son Lawrence, crafted the first church building. The sanctuary was remodeled in 1954, with hardwood floors added. In 1956, the Mt. Zion Methodist Church building was moved to this site from about seven miles northeast of Callisburg, near Dexter, and converted into a parsonage. Sunday School classrooms and a front foyer were added in that year. The Callisburg United Methodist Church celebrated 100 years in its sanctuary in 1998 with a year of historical programs. The thriving membership continues to be active in worship and service to the community. (1998)