Ebenezer

The Ebenezer Settlement in Walker County, Texas, refers to a historical rural community centered around the Ebenezer Baptist Church and its associated cemetery, located approximately 8 miles west of Huntsville along State Highway 30 (near the intersection with FM 2550). Established in the mid-19th century, it originated as a pioneer settlement along a stagecoach road connecting Huntsville to Austin.Historical Background.  The community traces its roots to 1854, when Jonathan A. and Sarah McGary donated land for both the Ebenezer Baptist Church and cemetery. The church was organized that year by Rev. J. W. D. Creath (then pastor of the Huntsville Baptist Church) and Rev. Richard Pace, a prominent pioneer Baptist preacher in the region. Rev. Pace served as the first pastor until his death in 1858 and had migrated to the area from Alabama with his family. The original church building was a simple structure that served the local congregation until 1880, when the church relocated to the nearby West Sandy community. There, services were initially held in the sanctuary of Farris Chapel Methodist Church before a dedicated building was constructed in the 1890s. The congregation moved again in 1916 to its current site. The Ebenezer Cemetery, organized alongside the church in 1854, remains at the original site and continues to be used today. It holds historical significance as a burial ground for early settlers, including citizens of the Republic of Texas and veterans of conflicts from the Civil War onward. The earliest marked grave is that of Annie Bussey Pace (Rev. Pace's wife), dating to around 1858. The cemetery is maintained by the Ebenezer Memorial Association, which was incorporated in 1986.

Community and Legacy:
Throughout its history, the Ebenezer Baptist Church played a central role in the development of the local community, serving as a hub for religious, social, and educational activities in this rural area of Walker County. It was instrumental in ordaining ministers, such as Civil War chaplain J. S. McGraw and Baptist missionary J. R. Walker (son of early church leader J. N. Walker). The congregation eventually disbanded at the original location but reorganized in West Sandy, reflecting the shifting demographics of the area. The site embodies the pioneer spirit of mid-19th-century Texas settlers, many of whom were migrants from the southern U.S. seeking land and opportunity in the newly formed state.Texas Historical Commission markers commemorate both the church (erected 1983) and cemetery (erected likely around the same period), highlighting their roles in local history. Today, the area remains rural, with the cemetery serving as the primary preserved remnant of the original settlement. No major modern developments or population centers bear the name, but it is documented in genealogical and historical records for Walker County

Anthony McGary Sr. was born in 1815 and migrated to Texas with his younger brother, Daniel Hugh McGary. Both brothers fought in the Texas Revolution and were present at the Battle of San Jacinto. In 1854, Jonathan and his wife Sarah donated land for the establishment of Ebenezer Baptist Church and its associated cemetery in Walker County, Texas, near Huntsville. He died on November 3, 1862, in Walker County, Texas, at the age of 47, and is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery.

Sarah McGary was the wife of Jonathan A. McGary. Together, they conveyed land in 1854 to Ebenezer Baptist Church for use as a church and cemetery site along a stagecoach road from Huntsville to Austin. No further details on her birth, death, or background are available from the sources.

Rev. J. W. D. Creath (Joseph Warner Dossey Creath) was born in 1809 and died in 1881. He arrived in Texas in 1846 and was a prominent pioneer Baptist preacher who organized numerous churches across the state. Representing the Southern Baptist Convention, he organized Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1854 on the land donated by Jonathan and Sarah McGary. He remained connected to the Baptist church throughout his life and is noted for his missionary work.

Rev. Richard E. Pace was born around 1785 and died in 1858. He was a pioneer Baptist leader and preacher who migrated to Texas from Alabama with his family. He served as the first pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was organized in 1854. Pace is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery.

Annie Bussey Pace was the wife of Rev. Richard Pace and migrated with him and their family from Alabama to Texas. Her grave is the earliest marked burial in Ebenezer Cemetery, dating to around 1855 (though some sources suggest a possible connection to an Amy Bussey Pace who died in 1846, potentially indicating a name variation or reinterment).

Rev. J. R. Walker was the son of J. N. Walker, an early church leader who donated land in 1880 for a new sanctuary for Ebenezer Baptist Church. In 1927, under J. R. Walker's leadership, the congregation relocated to its current site (about 2 miles southwest of the previous location). He played an instrumental role in the church's development and its ongoing support for local and foreign missionary activities.