Prairie Lea br/Caldwell County, Texas br/29 43.796' N 97 45.119' W br/br/Historical Marker: In 1853, five years after the organization of Caldwell County, a Methodist church was organized in the Prairie Lea community. Heads of the four charter families were George Francis and Pendleton Rector, veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto; early settler W.E. Happle, on whose land was established one of the first cemeteries in the area; and Dr. James Fentress, a veteran of the Indian battle of Plum Creek (1840) and the man for whom the nearby town of Fentress is named. Early worship services were held in the area's first schoolhouse from 1854 until 1871, the congregation met in the Prairie Lea Academy buildings. In 1871 area pioneer Thomas Mooney and his sons--William Daniel, Samuel Lafayette, and John Keener--deeded land at this site for the construction of a sanctuary. Trustees were George Francis, Joseph Francis, Wesley Francis, Pendleton Rector, Leroy McLeod, J.J. Smith, Albert C. Johnson, Joseph McCord, and William Happle. the present sanctuary is the second one built on this site. Pastors who have served the Prairie Lea Methodist Church include noted pioneer Methodist minister Andrew Jackson Potter and the Rev. M.A. Black, who led the dedication service for the current sanctuary, which was completed in 1884.