Palestine, Anderson County
(about one mile north) Led by the Rev. A.J. Hurdle, the Northeast Texas Christian Missionary Convention of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was formed in Daingerfield in 1900. Established to serve black members of the denomination, its primary purpose was the creation of a college. The Christian College Building Association was formed by a group of women within the organization, and by 1904 enough funds had been raised to purchase forty-nine acres of land near Palestine, Texas. Contractor J.L. Randolph was hired in 1910, and on May 26, 1911, the cornerstone was laid for the main college structure. Opening with seven students in January 1912, the Northeast Texas Christian Theological and Industrial College consisted of several large frame buildings and had a faculty of four. D.T. Cleaver served as the first president and was succeeded by I.Q. Hurdle. In addition to their classroom studies, the students farmed the college lands and raised livestock. After the main college building was destroyed by fire about 1920, the school closed. The remaining buildings were later razed, leaving no visible reminders of the institution that once provided an education to students from several states. (1989)