Reverend John Wesley Kenney

Texas Methodist itinerant ministers Martin Ruter and Robert Alexander have both been well recognized in early historic Texas annuals. Yet, reverend John Wesley Kenney, who came several years earlier in 1833 with his family, has been somewhat overlooked even though the little Austin County town of Kenney carries his name.

The last two ‘Sandbar’ columns have told about Rev. Kenney’s son, Martin and sister-in-law Lydia McHenry, an early pre-Republic of Texas teacher. This ‘Sandbar’ is centered on rev. Kenney himself.

The son of Irish immigrants, he was born in Pennsylvania July 17, 1799, two years after his parents immigrated. Before his birth, his mother had been converted to Methodism by John Wesley, thus the name of her son. The family moved to Ohio when Kenney was 16. Another three years Kenney himself had a calling for the ministry and by the age of 20 was admitted to the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was ordained and assigned to the Kentucky Conference.

Kenney married Maria McHenry in 1824. She was the daughter of rev. Barnabas McHenry, a pioneer of Kentucky Methodism. By 1827, the Kenneys were at Rock Island, Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi River. During the ensuing Black Hawk War, Kenney served the militia. When their home was destroyed during the War, they moved to Texas.

By December 1833 the Kenneys arrived on the west bank of the Brazos River where he built what is considered the first cabin at what later became Washington-on-the Brazos.

The Handbook of Texas states Kenney preached his first Texas sermon at Jackson Creek in March 1834 and held the first of its kind “camp” meetings at Caney Creek that fall. Overtime, he extended his gospel up the Brazos to Gay Hill and down the river as far as Brazoria, as well as west to Gonzales along the Guadalupe River.

As the Texas revolution gained speed, Kenney stepped aside from his ministry to serve in the Texas army beginning September 1835. He took a two-week furlough April 21, 1836, to aid his family in the Runaway Scrape to miss the Battle of San Jacinto.

The family returned to find all destroyed or pilfered.

Soon, Kenney acquired a ‘headright league’ in Austin’s colony about 25 miles southwest of Washington-on-the-Brazos and served as a surveyor of the colony as well as his ministry.

In 1837, Methodist missionaries Martin Ruter, Robert Alexander, and Littleton Fowler were all sent to Texas. They used Kenney’s home as a base for their initial activities. With missionaries now serving the region, Kenney limited his preaching to weekends and twice-yearly camp meetings.

The Kenneys had two sons and a daughter for a family. The town of Kenney, located northwest of Bellville, was named after Kenney. The town still thrives and is a country music weekend spot.

Kenney died Jan. 9, 1865, near the end of the Civil War that he “opposed, favoring the gradual emancipation and colonization of slaves.” He and his wife and other family members are buried in the nearby Old Travis Cemetery.

Written by Betty Dunn, Two Rivers Heritage Foundation. Visit www.tworiversheritagefoundation.org for more information or to become a member.