Plainview in Hale County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Seth Ward College
Three Miles Northeast to Site of
After becoming a Methodist school, the institution changed its name to Seth Ward College in honor of Texas' first native Methodist bishop. The Rev. C.N.N. Ferguson served as president of the first board of trustees, who elected the Rev. J. Sam Barcus president of the college. Enrollment at that time totaled about 300 students.
On the 35-acre campus stood a four-story main building with 27 rooms and a large chapel. Two frame dormitories housed the students and teachers, and a small frame building accommodated the music classes. The school's motto, "Character First," expressed its intent to pursue a Christian educational program.
Presidents who followed Barcus were Dr. W.M. Pearce, The Rev. C.L. McDonald, and M.B. Johnson. The latter served until 1916, when the main building and girls' dormitory burned (the boys' dormitory had burned in 1914) and the college was forced to close.
Erected 1970 by Texas Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 5480.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical date for this entry is September 18, 1907.
Location. 34° 11.196′ N, 101° 42.854′ W. Marker is in Plainview, Texas, in Hale County. Marker is on West 7th Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 West 7th Street, Plainview TX 79072, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Blasingame Home (approx. 0.4 miles away); Quanah Parker Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Discovery Site of the Plainview Point (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Baptist Church of Plainview (approx. 0.6 miles away); Plainview Cemetery and Memorial Park (approx. 0.6 miles away); Dr. James Henry Wayland (approx. 0.6 miles away); Wayland Heritage Plaza (approx. 0.6 miles away); Edwin Lowden Lowe (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Plainview.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2015, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 785 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 4, 2015, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.