Cahill
United Methodist Church is named for Aquilla
Cahill. He and his family came to Texas in 1859.
His family included the children of his first
marriage to Lucinda Teague and his second wife,
Nancy Lott Hudson and her children. Several
siblings of his first wife, Lucinda, and their
children accompanied him and his family to Texas.
In
1884 the people of the community organized a
Sunday school at the Myers School House. The
School superintendent was James G. Hudson, son
of Nancy Hudson Cahill; E.T. Cahill, son of
Aquilla, was Secretary; Joe Metze, Treasurer,
and Professor Moore, Song Leader. In 1886, Money
was donated to purchase an organ.(1)
The
Myers Sunday School became Cahill Chapel in
1893 when 5 acres was deeded to the Mansfield
Circuit, Northwest Texas Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South. Aquilla Cahill had told
his children that he wanted to have a church
and cemetery at this location. Unfortunately
he died in 1888 before this was accomplished.
His daughter, Sarah Cahill Chandler Snodgrass
deeded the property in memory of her father
and because he wanted a church and cemetery
at this location. In 1926, Mrs. F.T. (Naomi)
Cahill and Mrs. Eunice Hudson deeded the Cahill
Family Cemetery, located about ½ mile East of
this location, to the Cahill United Methodist
Church.(2)
The
membership records of Cahill Chapel from 1894
to about 1910 indicate that 150 to 300+ people
called this church their place of worship. Some
early Sunday School Superintendents were E.T.
Cahill, J.G. Hudson, W.D. Pollard, Buck Boyd,
P.D. Gilreath and E.G. Maberry. Over the years
this church has been part of many circuits and
two church charges. Cahill United Methodist
is presently a Single Charge Church.
The
original buildings for Cahill Chapel was a bare
wood floor frame building approximately 30 by
50 feet, heated by a cast-iron stove and lighted
by kerosene lamps. Myers School became Cahill
School in 1909 and was moved to South of the
Church. A Delco Electric lighting system and
water system was shared with the school.
In
the 1920’s the Church Building was remodeled
by lowering the roof and ceiling and wallboard
was added. The entrance was changed from the
center of the building to the Southwest corner.
In 1938 rural electricity came and the school
and church were made electric. Butane was installed
for heating around 1948. In 1950 Cahill
School
was closed and the building housing and Delco
System were moved to the Church and converted
into Sunday school rooms and later into restrooms.
In the early 60’s a 26 x 32 annex was added
for a kitchen, Sunday school rooms and meeting
room(3).
This building was removed in September 2003,
to make way for our new 40 x 80 foot building,
which is almost complete.
(1)
From
a letter from Lela Cahill Steel (daughter of
E.T. Cahill) to Bob Grimes, Min. at Cahill,
dated September 16, 1955
(2) Johnson
County deed records
(3) Johnson
County history - 1985
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