Louise, Wharton County
The town of Louise was founded in 1881 on the route of the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway. Named for the daughter of railroad director D.E. Hungerford, it soon became a shipping and marketing center for this area. In 1891, ten years after the town was founded, The Rev. John Ovall, a missionary from Victoria, called a meeting of Methodists in the area to organize a church. Named Louise Methodist Church, the congregation built its first house of worship in 1893. The building also served as the public schoolhouse and as a community gathering place for a number of years. Moved to this site in 1940, the church structure has undergone several remodeling projects to accommodate the growing congregation. Throughout its history, the Louise Methodist Church has shared clergy with other churches in its circuit, including those in El Campo, Ganado, Cordele, Lolita, and Garwood. An important part of the history of the town of Louise, this church continues to serve the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. Descendants of the congregation's first families are still counted among the membership. (1991)