Near Bascom in Smith County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Bascom United Methodist Church

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 7, 2026

1. Bascom United Methodist Church Marker

Inscription.
Founded in 1857, Bascom United Methodist Church is one of the oldest churches in Smith County. It has been and continues to be an integral part of the community's heritage. Since the beginning, the church has been sustained by the self-giving spirit of its members. The community of Bascom was the site of a spring at the intersection of native american trails, and anglos settled the area around 1846 when a gristmill was built. The community is named after Bishop Henry Bidleman Bascom (1796-1850), a Tennessee preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The name was first recorded in 1856 when a post office was established.

Bascom United Methodist Church was a circuit church until 1951, holding services twice a month. After serving in the Civil War, Reverend Caleb Harris Smith (1824-1915) traveled in a wagon with his team to preach at churches across the county for 20 years. Rev. Smith was one of the first pastors here. Church members raised money for construction projects and built several sanctuaries and other church buildings over the years.

In one of the earlier construction projects, church

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member Dr. Benjamin Bell (1855-1935) had to leave the site to deliver a baby. He also handcrafted a pulpit that remains in the sanctuary today along with two altar pieces. The church's bell that hangs in the steeple was gifted in 1953 by a member of the Cotton Belt Railroad board of directors, H.D. Shufort. It was once a part of locomotive #775, one of the last steam- driven locomotives to run through Smith County. In its traditions and its ongoing community involvement, Bascom United Methodist Church continues to encourage and assist its neighbors and community.

Erected 2019 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 22610.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 32° 17.818′ N, 95° 12.497′ W. Marker is near Bascom, Texas, in Smith County. It is on Farm to Market Road 848 0.1 miles Old Omen Road (County Road 262), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12565 FM 848, Tyler TX 75705, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this

Bascom United Methodist Church and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 7, 2026

2. Bascom United Methodist Church and marker

marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bascom Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); James Calhoun Hill (approx. 1.9 miles away); Headache Springs, C.S.A. (approx. 3.4 miles away); Colonel Richard B. Hubbard / Governor R. B. Hubbard (approx. 4.6 miles away); First Baptist Church of Whitehouse (approx. 4.9 miles away); Thomas Glover Pollard, Sr. (approx. 5.1 miles away); Tyler Junior College (approx. 5.1 miles away); First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (approx. 5.4 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 8, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.