Elkhart

History

Elkhart's early history includes Daniel Parker's Pilgrim Predestinarian Baptist Church, formed in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1833, because the government of Mexico would not allow the Baptist church's organization within their borders. Daniel and his father, John Parker, led their congregation to Texas, settling in Austin's Colony in 1834. While John Parker's group settled and established Fort Parker (Limestone County), Daniel's group settled first in the territory that became Grimes County and later moved to the area around Fort Houston (Anderson County). Daniel Parker spent his time traveling and preaching in the homes of his scattered congregation. In 1836, the threats of General Santa Anna's troops in April 1836 and the attack of Fort Parker in May 1836 sent the remnant of John Parker's group to seek protection near Fort Houston. The Pilgrim Church resumed meetings in February 1837, and resolved in 1839 to build a church house, selecting 2.5 acres "on the north side of the bluff of the Harrison Fork of Bayou Blue near Daniel Parker's house". They constructed a log house and cleared a burial ground, where Daniel Parker was buried in 1844. The church, now called Old Pilgrim Church, which has been replaced several times since the first log house, was the center of the community called Parker's Settlement, or just Pilgrim. About the same time Parker's followers were getting established, the first Methodist sermon was given by Rev. William Stevenson, whose members built their church about 1840, one mile west of Pilgrim Baptist Church. The community was granted a post office in March 1850, named Elkheart (later changed to Elkhart), which was located 4 miles south of Elkhart's current location and named for a Native who had helped the early settlers. As the Houston…

Geography

Elkhart is located in southern Anderson County. U.S. Route 287 passes through the town, leading north to Palestine, the county seat, south to Grapeland, and south to Crockett, the seat of Houston County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  399
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  392
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  323
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  317
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  313
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  306
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  277
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  259

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2026-06-04
  7 km NE of Marquez, Texas
• M 3.4 — 2026-06-04
  8 km ENE of Marquez, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2026-05-18
  5 km NNW of Huntington, Texas
• M 3.5 — 2025-03-29
  13 km NNE of Wells, Texas
• M 3.1 — 2021-12-29
  12 km W of Nacogdoches, Texas