Climax Church of Christ Bell - Climax, TX - Bells on Waymarking.com

Climax is a rural community of maybe forty or fifty people, but it probably won't be long before growth in Collin County changes that dramatically: Princeton had about 3500 people in 2000, while today, that's closer to 19,000.

The church does have a presence on Facebook, which, while not very busy, is actually very revealing. A photo of the bell has some accompanying text that indicates that, after a storm that destroyed the previous sanctuary, the bell was taken away and subsequently returned, restored in 2009. They also have a photo of a newspaper article from 1980 when the church held a homecoming. As the sign out front also indicates, the article mentions that the church was established in 1867 by members of the Shipman family, who had come here from Illinois. The settlement was dubbed "Illinois", but when it came time for a post office in 1895, the name was already in use, so "Climax" was the choice for a replacement. The article mentions that the congregation grew, and that this is the third sanctuary: The previous one was destroyed either by a tornado or heavy winds in 1955. Climax has seen its glory days, at one time boasting two gins, a grain elevator, a school, a church or two, a hotel, and a general store. Today, this church and the old store, just north of here but no longer in use, are what remains, and the Shipmans rest in peace in the historic Van Winkle Cemetery just south of here.

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