Emmaus

New Emmaus, also known as Emmaus, is on Farm Road 856 three miles north of U.S. Highway 79 in northeastern Cherokee County. It began in the mid-1800s on a pioneer road from Griffin in Cherokee County to New Salem in Rusk County, a major route of travel at that time. On February 23, 1877, a church was organized and called the Emmaus Baptist Church of Christ. In 1881 Col. Thomas A. Cocke and his wife, Mary, deeded two acres of land to the deacons for a church and cemetery. By 1920 an interdenominational church was organized, and a church house was built on private property. Members of the Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches used the building on alternating weekends. The Baptist church was reorganized in 1929 and its members constructed a new building in 1952. They added the word New to the church title, and soon the community became known as New Emmaus.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.