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Monthalia United Methodist Church

1926 County Road 112
830-437-2273

HISTORY OF THE MONTHALIA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

(1886-1986)

In the presentation of the history of the Monthalia United Methodist Church, in order to achieve a better understanding of how the church came to be, we should first look into the background of the community and how it came into being. The community that the church has in the past years drawn its membership from is the tri-community known as the Cost-Bebe-Monthalia area.

Driving oxen or mule teams hitched to rumbling wagons, a few straggling settlers arrived in the late 1830's from Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, England, Germany and some of the New England States; determined to create out of the raw and rugged plains, a fruitful legacy for generations yet unborn. These were the hardy pioneers, sunbonneted women working quietly and competently beside their men. Progress was slow, but steady cooperation enabled the small band of inhabitants to plant crops on a few acres. To meet the demand for supplies, a pioneer businessman, J.B. Wells, built a general store in the general area known as Oso. Soon after, a saloon was put up nearby, but was closed some years later.

This small colony of homesteaders adopted Oso as their community name. Later upon request by the U.S. Post Office Department, the community name was changed. Three of the early settlers, Sam Hindman, William Muenzler, and B.L. Dikes, who had contributed much to civic and business affairs, submitted three names for the community. From these three names, the Post Office Department chose the name of Cost. Therefore in 1896, the Cost Post Office was established.

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