First Baptist Church of Quitman was one of the earliest churches in Wood County. It was organized on Nov. 16, 1850, by pioneer settlers in a meeting moderated by a Cumberland Presbyterian, the Rev. Simon W. Weaver. Charter members included Ursula Benton; M. M. and Mary Bigham; James, Robert, Silas, Mary A. L., and Elizabeth Duncan; Joseph, Alexander, and Martha Greer; Peter, Frances, and Mary Rozell; James N. Stedman; and John and Augusta Williams. In its early days, worship services were held in homes and in the open air. In 1855, the Presbyterians and Masons erected a 2-story building with a belfry at College and Good streets. In 1865, the Masons bought that building and made it available to all faiths until it was razed in 1900. On the same lot, Baptists and Masons erected another 2-story frame edifice. Under capable pastors, the congregation grew. A 1929 building at Lane and College streets was replaced by the present plant in 1952. The bell used from 1855 to 1929 was preserved as a historical relic. Its pulpit was filled by notable guests, including the Rev. George W. Truett, the world-renowned minister of Dallas, and it was also the home church of James Stephen Hogg, the first native-born Governor of Texas.