The Texas Historical Subject Marker program was created in 1962 to commemorate events, institutions, individuals, and sites that have local historical significance. Most topics must date back 50 years, and historical significance must be established through a narrative history that is submitted with the marker application. A topic is considered to have historical significance if it has had an influence, effect, or impact on the course of history or cultural development.
The Limestone County Historical Commission participates in the historical marker program by helping individuals/groups complete the marker application. It reviews and approves all marker applications before they are sent to the Texas Historical Commission. Members of the CHC also conduct annual surveys of markers in the county to make sure each one is in its proper location and in good condition. Markers in need are cleaned and repainted.
Marker Title, Location & Year |
Marker Text |
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Abram Anglin
Faulkenberry Cemetery Groesbeck, Texas
1962
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Born December 28, 1817. An early Ranger in the Texas War for Independence. Member, Captain Seale's Company 1835-36 that was organized "agreeable to order from the Council of Texas." Died September 6, 1875.
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Albert R. Mace
Mexia Cemetery Mexia, Texas
1968
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(April 30, 1872 - Oct. 18, 1938) A peace officer 45 years, Mace joined Texas Rangers at age 21. He became deputy sheriff in Lampasas County in 1903; later served 12 years as sheriff. He was president of the Texas Sheriffs Association, 1920; chief of police in oil boom towns of Mexia and Borger (1821-1930) and in Corpus Christi (1933-1934). Was Captain of Ranger Co. "D" (1931-1933) when the east Texas oil fields were under martial law. He died in service. Recorded--1968
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Alfonso Steele
Mexia Cemetery Mexia, Texas
1962
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He was severely wounded in the Battle of San Jacinto and its last survivor. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Allan Jefferson Rogers
Lost Prairie Cemetery
1964
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Sergeant, Co. K, Bass' Regt., 20th Texas Cav. Served in Ark., Ind. Ter., La., Texas. Born in Ala. Came to Texas in 1856.
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Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
105 Parker Street Coolidge, Texas
2019 |
Following the Civil War, Many emancipated African Americans in Texas joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In Limestone County, churches organized at Comanche Crossing, Sandy, Rocky Crossing, and Springfield. Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church began in Coolidge in 1915, named for Richard Allen (1760-1831), founder and first bishop of the A.M.E. Denomination. J.W. Wilson, A. Davies, H.L. Lonzo, M.T. Tatum, J.H. Lynn, B.J. Anderson, J.J. Jones, and J. Whitaker were the first trustees. After meeting in members' homes, the congregation erected a sanctuary on Parker Street in 1918. For more than a century, the congregation has served the spiritual, social, and educational needs of the community.
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Armour Cemetery
Armour Cemetery
2008
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Established in 1878, this burial ground served the former community of Armour. The cemetery is located on property deeded by community founder, James Armour (d. 1896). For school, church and burial purposes. James Armour was born in 1825 in Jackson County, Georgia, and was a landowner, community and church leader, and Civil War veteran. Armour married Narita Jane Kennedy (d. 1902) in 1849; the couple had ten children. In 1882, James Armour laid out the community of Sandy Creek, which later bore his name. By 1884, the settlement, one of the earliest in Northern Limestone County, had two churches, a school district and two gristmills. The Armour Community quickly declined after 1903, when the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad established a new town, Coolidge, along tracks set one mile north of here. Businesses and other establishments, including the Sandy Creek Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church of Coolidge), moved to the new community.
The oldest marked graves here are for Annie Lou Hooper and her husband, James E. Hooper, who both died in 1878. Also interred are community leaders, area pioneers and veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. Cemetery features include vertical stones, curbing and fraternal monuments.
The cemetery is divided into four sections; Old Armour, New Armour, the Norwegian Cemetery and the Catholic Cemetery which is known locally as the Mexican Cemetery. The Coolidge Cemetery Association maintains the first three sections, while descendants care for the Catholic Cemetery. Today, Armour Cemetery is the last remaining vestige of the historic Armour Community, and continues to serve descendants of this area's early pioneers. |
Azariah G. Moore
Lost Prairie Cemetery
1962
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A soldier and ranger in the Texas War for Independence; member of Captain Billingsley's Mina Volunteers, 1836. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Bassett House
3 mi. NW of Kosse on LCR 666
2015
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What is known as Bassett Farms encompasses nearly 2,500 acres of land in Limestone and Falls Counties. The 1875 Bassett House and surrounding Bassett Home Place Tract represent the core of the property, retained in family hands for over one hundred years. Henry Caleb Bassett (1817-1888) was born in New Haven, Connecticut and worked in a cotton factory, as a carpenter's apprentice and in the building and contractinf trades before starting a career in banking. In 1866, Bassett moved to Texas, settling in Grimes County. In February 1871, he purchased land along the Little Brazos River northwest of Kosse, the future site of the Bassett House, along with land closer to the Kosse townsite.
In 1874, Bassett married Hattie Ford Pope (1851-1936) and lived in a one-story wood-frame house on the property. In preparation for their first child who was born in 1875, the couple constructed a two-story red-brown brick house, one of Limestone County's first. Symmetrical and rectangular in plan, the house's brick masonry exterior walls are unusual for Texas farmhouses of the mid-1870s and were likely built with local bricks from the Kosse area. A one-story gable-roof addition to the main house and numerous outbuildings are also on the property.
A variety of agricultural functions took place on the farm and ranch, including livestock, corn, cotton, and peach trees, and the family continued to acquire additional acreage that was used for cultivation or rented to farm tenants. The Bassett House and Home Place provide an enduring example of rural large-scale Texas farming and ranching in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2015
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Bend Cemetery
2019
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Established 1886 Historic Texas Cemetery – 2018
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Big Hill Cemetery
9 mi. W of Groesbeck on FM 2489
2006
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Big Hill Cemetery Established 1888 Historic Texas Cemetery - 2006
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Billington Cemetery
Billington Cemetery LCR 114
1997 |
Tennessee native E. J. Billington settled in this area with his family in 1854. In 1890 he sold one-half acre of land to John Ellison and Gus Haney on which a church and cemetery were established. The first recorded burial was that of John Sanders in 1890. Named for Billington, the nearby town was once a thriving community with a school, post office, and several stores. In 1900 additional land was purchased from the Billington estate for the cemetery, which contains 115 marked graves and 12-15 unmarked graves. The Billington Cemetery continues to serve the area. (1997)
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Booker T. Washington Park
9 mi. W of Mexia
1968
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Set aside by deed in 1898 as a permanent site for celebrating June 19th-- the anniversary of the 1865 emancipation of slaves in Texas. It was 2.5 miles south of this site that slaves of this area first heard their freedom announced. Limestone County in the 1860's-- era of initial celebrations here--had many able Negro leaders. It sent to the Texas constitutional convention of 1866 one of its Negro citizens, Ralph Long. From among people who lived in this locality at the time of emancipation came Negro legislators Giles Cotton, Dave Medlock and Sheppard Mullins. Even before land was dedicated for the park here, this was site of annual celebration on June 19th. For many years the honorable Ralph Long was the featured orator, speaking at times from bed of a wagon parked in the shade. As many as 20,000 often gathered for the occasion. On July 7, 1912, the 19th of June Organization was chartered, to administer the park and perpetuate regional history. The Negro people of Texas have shown outstanding initiative in fields of civic leadership, education, culture and business. In 1860 they numbered 187,921; in 1960 there were 1,187,125 Negros in the State. (1968) |
Brown Family Cemetery
1.5 mi. N of Kosse on SH 14
1993
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The Brown Family Cemetery traces its origin to the settlement of North Carolina native Ervin Brown (1801-1875) and his wife Matilda (1807-1871) in Washington County, Texas, in 1846. Ervin and Matilda moved their family to a 1600-acre farm in Limestone County near the community of Eutaw in 1857. Ervin was a charter member of the Eutaw Masonic Lodge in 1859. Ervin and Matilda are both buried in this cemetery. Their son, Thomas Jefferson (T. J.), served as a Confederate captain in the Civil War and later as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1911 to 1915. The earliest documented burial here was that of Mary Ann Brown, who died on April 26, 1865. She was the wife of Ervin's son James Petty (J. P.) Brown. A captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, J. P. was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1879. J. P. and Mary's son Gibson A. Brown became a prominent figure in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1896 he successfully argued for legislation to protect property owners affected by the U.S. Supreme Court decision marking the South Fork of the Red River the official boundary between the two states. Neither T. J. Brown nor Gibson Brown are buried here, however. The cemetery remains in use by Brown descendants. 1993 |
Charles Q. Haley
Kosse Cemetery Kosse, Texas
1962
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A volunteer soldier in the Texas War for Independence, 1835-36. Erected by State of Texas, 1962
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Chinese Labor on the Houston & Texas Central Railway
102 N. Narcissus St. Kosse, Texas
2020 |
By 1861, the Houston & Texas Central Railway (HT&C) extended from Houston to Millican, a distance of 81 miles, but construction was halted during the Civil War. After the war, extension of this important transportation and commerce corridor continued.
On behalf of the railroad, General John G. Walker arranged with San Francisco-based labor contractor Chew-Ah-Heung late in 1869 to employ several hundred Chinese laborers to expedite construction of the HT&C. These experienced workers, most from Southern China's Guangdong Province, had just completed the Central Pacific Railroad. The group traveled this first transcontinental rail line from Sacramento to St. Louis in December 1869, then tode the steamboat Mississippi through New Orleans to Galveston. Finally, they were taken on the H&TC Railroad to its then-terminus at Calvert. The workers began clearing and grading the right-of-way from Bremond to Steele's Creek (near present-day Groesbeck), working at least as far as Thornton. Kosse was near the midway point of this 20-mile section. The 1870 U.S. census enumerated ten Chinese laborers boarding together in Limestone County, all men ages 19 to 36. Newspaper accounts reported celebrations of the Chinese New Year in January in Bremond.
Historians have noted the significane of this importation of Chinese lalabor as perhaps the earliest example in both Texas and the South. Some promoters intended it as an experiment to test Post-Civil War political and economic ideas about contracting with Chinese laborers to displace African American labor. The initial group stayed only a few months, though some individuals moved to the area permanently after the rail work was done. Their initial experiences and imprint on the land laid the foundation for later generations of Asian Americans in Texas.
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Civilian Conservation Corp at Fort Parker State Park
Fort Parker State Park
1997
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In August 1935, construction of a state park began here on the former town site of Springfield under the direction of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The group assigned to build Fort Parker State Park was Company 3807(C), an African American CCC Camp. From 1935 to 1942, the park company constructed park buildings, roads and facilities, erected a dam across the Navasota River, and reconstructed old Fort Parker. Located nearby, old Fort Parker was rebuilt in preparation for a Texas Centennial observance in 1936, and was the first of the CCC projects completed. The dam that created Lake Fort Parker was concluded by 1938 and required breaking and hauling rock for cement, digging out the dam footings, spillway, and wing walks, and pouring cement for the dam. Creating the park facilities included clearing and building five miles of roads, constructing an activity center / bath house, drinking fountains, and cement picnic tables. Former Texas Governor Pat Neff dedicated Fort Parker State Park in May 1941, and declared it open to the public. Company 3807(C) was transferred out of the area in 1942 after completing several complex tasks over a span of almost seven years. (1997) |
Cobb Cemetery
Cobb Cemetery LCR 778
2000
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Brinkley Davis and his family, including his daughter Mary Ellen, moved to this area from Indiana in 1833. Brinkley Davis received a land grant of about 4500 acres from the Mexican government in 1835, and the surrounding area became known as Davis Prairie. A native of Alabama, Pinckney Cobb came to Texas in the early 1840s. He married Mary Ellen Davis in 1845, and they eventually had nine children. This cemetery was established on Cobb family land in the 1850s. Brinkley Davis died in 1852 and his is the earliest marked grave. William Neri, the second child of Pinckney and Mary Ellen Cobb, died at the age of six in 1855. Pinckney Cobb died at age 45 and was interred here in 1866, seven months before his youngest son was born. Another Cobb son, George Levi, was 20 when he died and was buried here in 1872. County Judge l. B. Cobb donated a parcel of land joining the west side of the cemetery in 1887. Many early settlers of the surrounding communities are interred here. The site was cared for by family and community members until the area population decreased during World War II and it became necessary to pay for cemetery maintenance. Other burials of interest include that of Nathaniel G. Hudson, who came to Texas in 1836, joined the Santa Fe expedition in 1841 and was held prisoner in Mexico from 1841 to 1843. Nathaniel P. Hudson, a veteran of the Spanish American War, also is interred here, as are seven Confederate veterans. At the dawn of the 21st century, 964 graves (227 unidentified) graced the cemetery grounds. Many early graves are those of infants and small children, testaments to the harsh conditions of pioneer life. (2000) |
Cox Cemetery
Cox Cemetery FM 3371
2002
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Cox Cemetery Arkansas native Obediah Cox and his wife Angeline (Glover) settled in the Ferguson Prairie (Old Union) community in 1864, following his service in the Civil War. After Angeline's death, Cox wed her sister, Eliza, and they bought several tracts of land in the area, including property at this site, where Angeline was buried. Hers is the first marked burial, dating to February 1870, but family records, as well as unidentified graves, indicate the possibility of earlier interments. Grave markers indicate that military veterans, including some from the Civil War, and members of the Masonic lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star, are among those buried here. In addition to Cox, early area family names associated with the cemetery include Hastings, Herod, White, Wright, Henderson, Glover, Yarbrough, Hunter, Brown, Lewis, Roberts and Unfried. The graveyard today is maintained by a community cemetery association. Since the 1880s, area residents have held an annual memorial, which gives descendants and relatives opportunities to reunite and to celebrate families, friends, neighbors and the area's rich history. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2002 |
Dr. Josiah T. Sloan
2020
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Josiah Tyree Sloan was born in 1840 in Arkansas and served as a rifleman in the Civil War. After the war, he studied medicine at the University of Nashville and became a physician. Following the Cumberland Presbyterian influence, he moved to Tehuacana in 1885 with his wife and two children. Dr. Sloan established a family homestead including farmland, a crib barn, and a two-story dwelling that also housed his medical practice. He would often make house calls to his patients using his horse and buggy filled with medical equipment. In 1905, Dr. Sloan died of complications from influenza. He left an indelible mark in his community by providing invaluable medical services as a pioneer physician. |
Early Mexia Home
621 N. Red River Mexia, Texas
1969
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Built in 1883 by J. A. Arvin, a talented local photographer, this Victorian cottage features gingerbread trim. Until 1887 it was a Presbyterian manse. W. C. Day, next purchaser, added first landscaping in Mexia. L. E. Camp, later owner, entertained famed orator William Jennings Bryan in the home in 1896. J. P. Yeldell bought house, 1912, and here helped plan annual Confederate reunions. Home has been in family four generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark--1969
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Eaton Cemetery
Eaton Cemetery 2 mi. E of Thornton
1990
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The Richard Eaton family came to Texas in 1833 as members of the Robertson Colony. They moved to this area about 1845 and established a home and farm. The family farm, is that of Richard's first wife, Mary, who died about 1848. Also interred here are Richard Eaton and his second wife, Charity, as well as other members of their family and neighbors. There are both marked and unmarked graves in the Eaton Cemetery, the final resting place of many Texas pioneers. 1990
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Ebenezer Baptist Church & Cemetery
7 mi. east of Kosse
1986
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The Ebenezer Baptist Church was organized in 1865 to serve the Head's Prairie and Headsville communities. Delegates to the Trinity Baptist Association meeting that year were J. R. Bullard, William Samuel Clark, and Thomas Seale Head, with the Rev. J. W. Kinnard as pastor. Membership grew from 41 in 1865 to 210 in 1897, but by 1958 membership had declined so that the congregation disbanded. The adjacent cemetery has served residents in this part of Limestone County since at least 1876, when both B. F. Brooks and Charley Owen were buried there. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986 |
Eutaw
1 mi. E of Kosse on SH 7
1973
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Settled in 1840s. On Franklin-Springfield, Waco-Marlin stage routes. Post office 1856 with Nathan Gilbert postmaster. Eutaw Lodge No. 233, A.F. & A.M., was chartered 1859. Among early settlers were Henry Fox, Allen McDaniel, Charles C., Frank, and Wesley McKinley, and T. A. Polk. Town had churches, school, stores, blacksmith shop, wagon yard. The "Eutaw Blues" (Co. K., 12th Tex. Cav., C.S.A.) fought in Civil War, 1860s. Officers: Capt. A. F. Moss, 1st Lt.; A. H. McDaniel, 2nd Lt.; J. P. Brown. Bypassed in 1870 by Houston & Texas Central Railroad, town died. Salem Baptist Church marks site. (1973) |
Faulkenberry Cemetery
Faulkenberry Cemetery Groesbeck, Texas
2003
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David Faulkenberry, believed to have been born in South Carolina circa 1795, wed Nancy Douthit in 1814 in Tennessee. The couple had seven children. The family was part of Daniel Parker's Pilgrim Church, an Illinois congregation that came to Texas in 1833. The Faulkenberrys and others from the church, including Elisha Anglin, moved to present-day Limestone County in 1835. They built cabins and Fort Parker for protection against Native Americans. David and his oldest son, Evan, were killed in an attack in 1837 near Fort Houston. Nancy later wed Elisha Anglin and established this cemetery. Her descendants formally deeded it as a graveyard in 1874, and the city annexed the cemetery and its additions in 1979. The first marked burial, dating to 1854, is that of a child. Among the gravesites are those of two state representatives, five sheriffs, an early Texas Ranger, many veterans from military action dating back to the Texas Revolution, and John C. Clariman, a longtime caretaker of the cemetery. Today, the cemetery is a link to Limestone County's 19th-century settlers and their descendants. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003 |
Ferguson Cemetery
Ferguson Cemetery LCR 740
2004
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Joseph and Hannah (Penrod) Ferguson moved to this area in the 1830s, years before the formation of Limestone County following Texas statehood. Their property, known as Ferguson Prairie, stretched from sough of the early Box Church community to beyond, and including, present-day Oletha. Records indicate the Fergusons were founding members of the Oletha community, established in the 1870s. Other early residents included J.S. and W.S. McKenzie, John Sadler, Charles Roberts and W.W. Barnett. Local tradition holds the first burial at what became the community cemetery was for a young girl whose family was in the area for a protracted camp revival when she died. The first marked grave is that of Hannah (Penrod) Ferguson (d. 1866). Joseph, who died in 1875, is buried beside her. Notable burials include the one of John Sadler (d. 1885), who fought in the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. The original Ferguson Cemetery site was formally deeded to the community in 1932. In 1997, descendants of those interred here formed an association to maintain the burial ground, an important link to the community's early history. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004 |
First Baptist Church of Groesbeck
306 E. Ellis Street Groesbeck, Texas
1972
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When Groesbeck was founded in 1871, on Houston & Texas Central Railroad, Old Springfield (5 mi. NW) was bypassed. Some Baptists from the church founded there in 1846 moved here. Visited by William Carey Crane, J. B. Link, Z. N. Morrell and other great preachers, they organized this church in 1876. Growth mounted during events such as 10-day revivals held in 1880s by evangelist W. E. Penn. Early member L. L. Foster became a Texas Railroad Commissioner and president of Texas A. & M. Old Springfield Bell was used with 1914, 1950, and 1967 buildings. 1972
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First Baptist Church of Mexia
Corner of Bonham and Carthage Streets
1972
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Organized Jan. 14, 1872, by the Rev. W. Henry Parks. Some charter members came from Springfield Church (founded 1846), as that town was bypassed by Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1871 and absorbed by Mexia. After meeting at first in a lodge hall, congregation built a church in 1873. Four buildings have been erected on this site. Thirty-two pastors have served this church. The congregation has helped found two other churches. It also has sent out missionaries Mildred Cox Mein (Brazil, 1934-71) and John E. Mills (Africa, 1947- ). 1972
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First Methodist Church of Groesbeck
203 W. State Street Groesbeck, Texas
1991
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The Rev. Mordecai Yell conducted the first Methodist worship services in Groesbeck in 1871, the year this congregation was founded. Early worship services were held in a community building on N. Waco Street until the first sanctuary was completed on Trinity Street in 1879. The congregation became a full station with a full-time pastor in 1893, and moved to this site in 1903. Throughout its history, the First Methodist Church has supported foreign and domestic missionary endeavors as well as local community activities. (1991)
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First Presbyterian Church of Mexia
209 W. Carthage
1977
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Cumberland Presbyterians began this church in Old Springfield (12 mi. SW) early in 1917. After Houston & Texas Central Railroad started the town of Mexia later in 1871, the congregation moved here. It erected a meetinghouse in 1878, and this prairie Gothic edifice in 1898. A Presbyterian church in the U.S.A. (Northern) congregation joined the Cumberlands in 1905. Southern Presbyterians of Mexia (organized in 1876) came into the merger in 1942. Elements from the southern church, such as some windows and the bell, now are in the remodeled 1898 edifice. 1977
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Focke Gin
Structure & marker destroyed by fire
1962
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Fort Parker
Old Fort Parker Park Road 35
1965
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Built 1834 for protection from Indians. Named for leaders who bought first Predestinarian Baptist church body to Texas: Elder Daniel Parker; his father, Elder John; brothers Jas. W., Benjamin, Silas, John. Also here were Kellogg, Frost, Nixon, Duty and Plummer families on May 18, 1836, raiding Comanches killed Benjamin, John and Silas Parker, Samuel and Robert Frost and others; captured Elizabeth Kellogg, Rachel Plummer and son James, and Sila's children, John and Cynthia Ann in captivity, Cynthia Ann married Chief Peta Nacona; her son, Quanah, was last Comanche Chief. With her baby, Prairie Flower, in 1860 she was captured by Texas Rangers. She, the baby and Quanah are buried at Fort Sill. |
Fort Parker Memorial Park
Fort Parker Memorial Park FM 1245
1963
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Site of the grave of victims of the massacre at Fort Parker by Comanche and Kiowa Indians on May 19, 1836, in which Cynthia Ann Parker and others were captured.
The trunk of the oak tree under which they were buried still stands, and the grave is marked by a granite slab. (The tree no longer exists.)
Also site of state monument to the pioneers erected in 1922 and the graves of other old settlers and verterans of the Texas War for Independence.
Limestone County Historical Society 1963 |
Groesbeck Independent School District
1202 E. Ellis Street Groesbeck, Texas
2006
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Developers established the town of Groesbeck in February 1871, and Groesbeck College opened two months later on Trinity Street. Education for African American children dates from 1881, when trustees bought an acre of land adjacent to the Lone Star Cemetery (2 mi. S) for school and church purposes. In 1886, Limestone County acquired the former Groesbeck College property to establish the town's first public free school. On May 24, 1890, citizens voted 43 to 24 in favor of incorporating the town for school purposes. Two days later, County Judge L.B. Cobb approved formation of the Groesbeck Independent School District. By 1892, the district erected two new buildings, one for white students and one for African American students. Over the years the district established new campuses throughout the city. A large two-story frame school built in 1896 burned in 1910, prompting construction of the first brick school. Starting with Frost Creek in 1926 and ending with Thornton in 1965, several rural schools consolidated with Groesbeck, vastly increasing the attendance area. Integration began in 1966 and was complete by 1969. Today, Groesbeck Independent School District is a large school system covering hundreds of square miles and including the incorporated cities of Groesbeck, Kosse and Thornton. Groesbeck fielded its first football team in 1900. School traditions include selection of the Goat as the school mascot in about 1925, introduction of the TAOG yearbook in 1937, adoption of the high school colors as red and white in 1939, and the founding and first homecoming of the Groesbeck Ex-Students Association in 1952. (2006) |
Groesbeck Lodge No. 354, A.F. & A.M.
308 W. Navasota Street Groesbeck, Texas
1976
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The Grand Masonic Lodge of Texas chartered this Lodge June 14, 1872. It was set to labor on July 10, with J. J. Lewis as the first worshipful master. Lodge membership has included such distinguished Texans as L. L. Foster (1851-1901), a member and house speaker of the Legislature, 1880-86, and president of Texas A.& M. College (now university), 1898-1901; also W. A. Keeling (1873-1945), Texas attorney general, 1922-25, and U.S. district judge, 1942-45. This Lodge celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 14, 1972. (1976)
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Gunter Cemetery
5.4 mi. W of Kosse on LCR 662
2000
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William Williams "Billie" Gunter (1861-1940) came to Limestone County with his parents and half brothers after the Civil War. He and his wife Laura Eudemia Williams (1868-1937) had thirteen children. The first burial on this site took place when their infant son, Evan Gunter, died in 1893. This is the final resting place of several generations of the Gunter family, including Billie and Laura and eight of their children. The Gunter families were active in the religious, business and civic life of the area. Also interred in the family graveyard are Jim B. Rankin and his wife, "Grandmother" Rankin, who worked for the Gunter family for 25 years. The Gunter Cemetery serves as a chronicle of the pioneers of Limestone County. (2000) |
Henry-Martin-Dorsett House
1962
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(RTHL Medallion - No Text)
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Home County of Lafayette Lumpkin Foster
Limestone County Courthouse
1966
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A state representative, 1885-1886; speaker of the house, 1885-1886. President of Texas A. & M., 1898-1901. Appointed by Gov. James S. Hogg to newly-formed commission, created to regulate shipping rates and practices. In his term, 1891-1895, transportation of petroleum became important to Texas railways. Oil and gas regulation, a major responsibility, began in 1917 with jurisdiction over pipelines. The Legislature made the commission responsible in 1919 for oil and gas conservation. Proration began in the 1920s. Complete regulation in east Texas, and use of martial law to enforce commission rules. Commission policies were acclaimed when in World War II Texas was able to supply the allies with great stores of oil necessary for victory. The commission's goal is to prevent waste and protect oil and gas reserves by orderly regulation of exploration, production and transportation. Such men as Commissioner Foster set high ethical standards that still prevail, causing the commission to merit the confidence of the people and of the petroleum industry. |
James Alfred Head
Ebenezer Cemetery LCR 714
2014
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James A. Head was a state legislator and Texas Ranger. He was born in 1797 in Georgia or Alabama and moved to Texas in 1835. He enlisted at San Felipe de Austin in Silas M. Parker's Ranging Company, an early Texas Rangers corp. He served as a Ranger until his discharge in 1836. Head began farming in Navasota County (now Brazos County). He was elected Justince of the Peace of Navasota County in 1841, and was later that year elected to the House of Representatives of the Sixth Congress of the Republic of Texas. From 1848-51 he served as Chief Justice of Brazos County. By 1852 Head lived in Roberson County, where he died in 1872. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Seale), had 12 children. |
John Karner
Mexia City Cemetery
1962
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Came to Texas 1835, served in Texas War of Independence at San Jacinto. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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John Sadler
Ferguson Cemetery
1962
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Born May 24, 1811 came to Texas 1833. Served as a volunteer in the Texas War for Independence, in Captain William Ware's Company at San Jacinto. Died April 18, 1885. His wife Bashie Lindley Sadler born March 5, 1811, died October 17, 1885. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Joseph E. Johnston Reunion Grounds
Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site
1965
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Established 1889, in era when Texas looked to Civil War veterans for state leadership. One of numerous parks on river banks or other favored sites that drew large, popular annual encampments. Statesmen came to make speeches. There were orations by old soldiers; memorial programs, reviews, concerts. In 1892 the camp purchased this 70-acre tract; sold lots to shareholders; named streets for Lee, Jackson, other heroes. During week of full moon each August, members came to encampments; set up housekeeping in tents, shacks or brush arbors; entertained, feasting on fried chicken, barbecue, Brunswick stew, sweet potato pie, watermelons. Special trains were run for years from Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston. In peak years 5,000 people assembled here. Until 1940, the dawn and dusk salutes shot by Old Valverde, Civil War cannon, were heard far into neighboring counties. Besides giving honors to Confederate veterans, the encampments were occasions for family reunions. After the Mexia oil boom began in 1920, Col. A. E. Humphreys, a leader in petroleum development, built club facilities and promoted use of the park. The reunion grounds still are dedicated to the memory of the late Confederate veterans. (1965) This marker was relocated here to the actual site of the Confederate Reunion Grounds by the Limestone County Historical Commission, 2003. |
Joseph Penn Lynch
Springfield Cemetery Fort Parker State Park
1962
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Born in Kentucky, 1810, a private and captain in the Army of the Republic of Texas, served in the San Jacinto Campaign 1836, died in Springfield, Texas 1860. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Joseph W. Stubenrauch
2.5 mi. west of Mexia on SH 171
1970
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Agricultural genius, born in Ruelzheim, Rhenish Bavaria, of a family of horticulturists. Educated in Germany. Migrated to New York in 1871 and to Texas 1876. In Limestone County (surrounding this marker site) lay 100 acres of open prairie land which he purchased. He discovered that fruit varieties then being grown here were unsuited to the climate. By cross pollination, budding and grafting, he developed some 100 new varieties of peaches. More than 20 which were propagated for commercial purposes included "Anna", "Barbara", "Carman", "Frank", "Fredericka", "Katie", "Liberty", "Lizzie", "Miss Lola" and "Tena". In 1882, his younger brother Jacob also came and settled nearby. Both men were outstanding citizens. Joseph W. Stubenrauch shared his findings through his writings for "Farm and Ranch", "Rural New Yorker" and "Holland's Magazine". He practiced and advocated terracing, crop rotation and diversification, soil testing, fertilization and irrigation. Many of his ideas of conservation farming and agricultural education were incorporated into U.S. Government programs. He was nationally recognized for his contributions to American agriculture. (1970) |
Kimik Kiln
8.3 mi. east of Kosse on SH 7
2007
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Limestone County historically supported numerous pottery producing kilns. This industry succeeded near area outcroppings of kaolin, or potter's clay, within the Wilcox geologic formation. Alberry Johnson began the first county pottery in 1859 near Dooley Creek. Like most other regional potteries, Johnson's kiln was of the groundhog variety, a subterranean design with a doorway leading to a long underground passage lined with brick or rock. At the end of the corridor, a chimney rose out of the round, drawing heat from a firebox outside the door which baked pottery within the passageway. William Curtis Knox later moved Johnson's operation and established the town of Pottersville (8 mi. NE). The pottery was one of the largest in Texas, remaining active until 1912; today, Pottershop Cemetery markes the site. Several other kilns in the area provided work and income to supplement residents' farming efforts. Near this site, German immigrant Lee Kimik built a kiln active in the 1870s and 1880s. Records indicated that the business remained in fulltime operation eight months of the year. The kiln, similar to other groundhog examples, had longer and deeper sidewalls, possibly indicating European design influences. Unlike other area potters who marketed their work collectively, Kimik sold his wares directly to the community of Headsville (1.5 mi. S). He also marked his pottery, a rare feature among his Texas peers. In 1984, archeologists documented the Kimik Kiln site (41LT98), reviving the story of Lee Kimik through archival research and archeological investigation. The historic site has made significant contributions to understanding the industry and artistry of 19th-century Texas. (2007) Marker is property of the state of Texas |
King-Williams Cemetery
8 mi. E of Kosse on SH 7
2006
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Bardin King (1819-1891) and Elizabeth Susan Salter (1822-1879) married in Lowndes County, Alabama in 1842. The following year, they traveled west by wagon with their young son William and Susan's parents and siblings, settling in Louisiana. Bardin was successful growing cotton, but in the late 1850s the extended family moved to Texas, settling first in Navarro and Washington counties before arriving in Limestone County in 1870. The Kings bought 189 acres here from John and Lucinda Wilson, and the family raised cotton and grains, and were active in the Headsville community. Bardin King was a lay minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church (1 mi. S), and sons John, Cullen and Moses also served later in the same capacity, while youngest son Finley became an ordained Baptist minister. Bardin was a charter member of the local Masonic lodge and active in the Patrons of Husbandry, or Grange. Susan King died in March 1879 and the family buried her here on the farm. The surrounding land became a dedicated cemetery in 1881, when Bardin divided his holdings among his nine living children and set aside one acre for a graveyard. Daughter Susan Leuticia married Robert Holden Williams, and they and their children later continued cotton and corn farming on the family land. Ten members of the King and Williams families were buried in what became known as King Williams Memorial Cemetery and then King-Williams Cemetery. Robert H. Williams died in 1944 and was the last to be buried in the graveyard, which features historic limestone headstones shaded by pine and cedar trees. Family tradition holds an African American freedman named Speight is also buried here in an unmarked grave. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2006 Marker is property of the state of Texas |
Kirk
FM 339
1997
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Settlement began in this area in the 1870s-1880s. A community here, originally called Elm Grove, became known as Kirk when a post office established in 1887 was named for local merchant Jepitha N. Kirk. The first postmaster was William Hume McKnight. In 1884 G. W. and M. J. Swafford donated land for a school and cemetery. William M. and Annie J. Jacobs sold adjoining land in 1887 for the graveyard, a school, and for churches in Kirk. At its peak, Kirk was a thriving community of several hundred people and included homes, businesses, churches, and a post office. It also contained cotton gins, fraternal organizations and a telephone exchange. A two-story school containing six classrooms was built in 1911 at this site. In 1927 the community, led by school board president W.C. Curry and school principals Vernon Evans and J. B. Brown, Jr., built a large gymnasium/community hall (known locally as the Community House) just north of the school. Kirk's decline began with the great depression of the 1930s. In 1942 the last class graduated from Kirk High School, and the Kirk School consolidated with schools in Mart in 1952. Only a few homes and the cemetery remain in the area. (1997) |
Kosse Tabernacle
200 W. Adams Kosse, Texas
2011
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After Evangelist Abe Mulkey led a 1912 revival at Kosse Methodist Church, city officials decided to build a tabernacle to accommodate Kosse’s growing religious needs. The frame building, completed that year for $2,000, featured a gable-on-hip roof, banks of paired windows, wooden stage, choir platform and pulpit, and a dirt floor. Originally designed for church functions, it quickly became a community gathering place. Events ranged from dances and singings to fraternal organization meetings and community dinners. In the 1930s, Kosse students attended classes here after the schoolhouse burned. It has also been a polling place and a refuge for hurricane evacuees. The tabernacle has been central to community events in Kosse. |
L. P. Smith House
101 S. Kaufman Street Mexia, Texas
1967
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Built 1876 by Mexia merchant and banker Lewis Philip Smith and his second wife, Mattie J. Beeson Smith. Home site cost $400 in gold in 1868. House has cedar shingle roof, cedar post foundations; 12-light windows; old fashioned weatherboard siding; 6-inch board floors. Square nails used in structure. Smith, a Mason and Methodist, was a leader in the town; died at 39, in 1886. Six generations of the family have lived here. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967
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Leonard Williams
Pitts Cemetery
1956
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Served in the Army of Texas; participated in the storming of Bexar; a trader and interpreter among Indian tribes. Erected by the State of Texas 1956
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Limestone County
1936
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Limestone County. Formed from Robertson County. Created April 11, 1846. Organized August 18, 1846. Named for the rock formation in the region. County seat Springfield, 1846, Groesbeck since 1874. |
Limestone County Courthouse
Limestone County Courhouse
1998
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Limestone County was established in 1846. Springfield served as the first county seat, but geographic boundary changes and the burning of the Springfield Courthouse led to the designation of Groesbeck as the county seat in December 1873. Three more official courthouses served the county before the early 1920s. The county employed the midwest engineering company of Amarillo to draw up plans for a new structure in 1923. The William Rice Construction Company, also of Amarillo, received a contract for $300,000 to erect this structure. Rice had been the contractor for both the Lipscomb and Lynn County courthouses. A fine example of a classical revival building with beaux arts influences, the 1924 Limestone County Courthouse is a variation on the most common themes of early 20th century courthouses. Then-modern construction methods, such as reinforced concrete structural systems covered in brick and terra cotta, were employed. The elevations -- classical columns flanking the windows, upper floors adorned with balustrades and elaborate cornucopia moldings -- indicate that the edifice is intended to be viewed from all sides. The Limestone County Courthouse functions as the heart of Limestone County and it continues to be used for daily county governmental business. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998 |
Lost Prairie Baptist Church and Cemetery
Lost Prairie
1967
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Established by volunteers in 1846; sponsoring group formed about 1900. According to legend, a man lost in the surrounding woods named the site when he stumbled onto the prairie. The graves of many early settlers include Azariah G. Moore, a soldier in the Texas War for Independence. First officials of the cemetery association were Jeff Rambo, chairman, and Beulah Holloway, secretary. Successors include Dan Dove, Jake Hudson, W. C.Jackson, Bill Kennedy, I. M. Kennedy, Joe Lansford, Cliff Sims and J. B. Sims. Others helping in preservation of site were R. L. Dossey, J. A. Easterling, W. K. Hardison, W. L. Henderson, A. B. Sims, E. E. Sims, J. J. Sims, J. L. Sims, and R. A. Sims. Others have served as caretakers since the grounds were opened; among them George Henry, J. N. Henry and Bill Sims. Baptist church was situated here about 1850. Present building is fourth structure to serve as a church. First pastor was Rev. William Clark. Founding members included the Beavers, Browns, Easterlings, Gregorys, Henrys, Kennedys, Lansfords, Mortons, Rambos, Sanctifiers, Cutthroats, Sims, Summers, Thompson and Waylands. One early church member, A. J. Rogers, was named a deacon after returning from the Civil War. Landowners donated the original eight-acre site. 1967 |
Martin House
1962
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Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (Medallion Only)
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McKenzie Cemetery
McKenzie Cemetery LCR 742
1995
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The area surrounding this graveyard was known as McKenzie Prairie, named for Joseph S. McKenzie and his family who settled her in 1853. The oldest grave here is that of Elizabeth Etemon and her infant daughter, who died while traveling through the area in 1865. The McKenzies set aside land for the burial. It was marked with sandstone carved by Elizabeth's husband, who then left and continued his journey. Gradually the one-acre plot became a community burial ground, the final resting place for the McKenzie family, their neighbors, and their descendants. 1995
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Mexia Oil Boom
South side of Mexia on SH 14
1967
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One of great free-wheeling oil booms of America before proration was enforced. Population in Mexia increased from 4,000 to 50,000 within days after oil discovery in 1920 at Rogers No. 1 Well, located 1.6 miles west of this marker, just off FM Road 1633 Earlier (in 1912), Blake Smith and other Mexia men had brought in a gas field. Believing oil also could be found here, they interested a veteran operator flamboyant wildcatter A. E. Humphreys-- who struck oil at 3,105 feet. By May 1912 gushers were flowing. Humphreys had 2,000 men; did a $4,000,000 business. His fortune later was estimated at $37,000,000. The boom was on. Other companies were formed. A second renowned wildcatter, J. K. Hughes, shared the leadership in developing the field to capacity. Millionaires, merchants, celebrities, operators and workers swarmed to Mexia for a share in the "Black Gold." Many undesirables came also, and one day were ousted by the thousands by Texas Rangers. In 1920-1921 first boom year, $5,000,000 went into construction; tanks for over 30 million barrels of oil were built; but even so storage area was inadequate for output. A park and clubhouse developed near this site by Col. Humphreys-- mementos of boom-- are still in use. 1967 |
Miss Roger's Music Room
Original Location: 609 N.Bonham Street Mexia, Texas
Current Location: House-Old Fort Parker Marker-Mexia Cemtery
1965
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Built opposite public school, for Laura T. Rogers, who (1880-1920) taught piano and choral music from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 6 days a week, 8 months in year. Had 4 pianos used all day; 8 pupils often played in union. Auditorium, with overflow seating in yard, staged recitals and dramas. A church organist-choir director 35 years, Miss Rogers kindled cultural interests in pupils of two generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965
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Old Moss Home (razed)
near Kosse
1965
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Mt. Calm Cemetery
2 mi. S of Mt. Calm on LCR 102
1984 |
Settlers began arriving in this part of Limestone County in the 1850s. Soon Mount Calm community developed with a Masonic Lodge, stores, post office, school, and churches. James Samuel Kimmel, a pioneer settler, donated land for this cemetery, and the first marked grave is dated 1870. In 1881, when the Texas & St. Louis Railway bypassed the village, residents moved north to the railroad line and began New Mount Calm in Hill County. The cemetery, which has been enlarged and is still in use, is all that remains of the earlier settlement. 1984 |
Mrs. Martha Rogers
Lost Prairie Cemetery FM 3371
1978
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(about 1795 to about 1865) According to family tradition, Martha Rogers was the daugther of United States Army General James Wilkinson (1757-1825) and his wife Ann Biddle of Philadelphia. When she married Benjamin Rogers (b. 1781) in Perry County, Ala., in 1809, Martha was disinherited. She and her husband had ten children. As a widow she moved to TX in 1847 with sons Allen Jefferson, M.C. ("Lum"), and James Rogers. A true Southwestern pioneer, she lived in Lost Prairie community. Recorded - 1978
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Mrs. Mary E. Reeves
Lost Prairie Cemetery FM 3371
1978
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(October 28, 1828 - January 7, 1917) Born in Georgia, a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ben Hawkins, Mary Ellephan Hawkins was married in 1847 in Alabama to William Jay Reeves. The couple and their young children moved to Texas about 1855. While her husband served in Company F, 15th Texas Cavalry, Sweet Regiment during the Civil War, Mary E. Reeves cared for the family at home. Descendants include physicians, lawyers, bankers, and citizens in many other walks of life. Recorded - 1978
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Mt. Antioch Cemetery
Mt. Antioch Cemetery FM 339
1985
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In 1854, Ezekiel J. Billington came to this area of Texas from Kentucky with his wife, Kitty Ann, and their three children. Billington organized a Baptist church the following year and named it Mt. Antioch. The six charter members of the Mt. Antioch Baptist Church were Ezekiel and Kitty Ann Billington, Nancy Billington, Houghton Hughes, Medina Hughes, and M. J. Billington. The nearby spring was a favorite camping spot for travelers in the area. As early as 1846, this site was used for the burial of those who died while passing through, and the graves of these persons remain unmarked. The first marked grave in what became the Mt. Antioch Cemetery was that of George Kimmel (d. 1860), the infant son of early settler James Kimmel. Between 1860 and 1875 the community that developed around the Mt. Antioch Baptist Church and cemetery grew and prospered. About 1874, however, members of the church began moving to the town of Mt. Calm (2 mi. N), where they organized a new congregation. The cemetery continues to be used and maintained by the local residents and descendants of the early settlers. A good example of a pioneer graveyard, Mt. Antioch Cemetery stands as a reminder of the early heritage of this part of Limestone County. 1985 |
Munger Community
4.5 mi. N of Coolidge on SH 171
2013
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In 1854, Ten Labors of Land (1770 acres) were surveyed in Limestone County for Jonathan Scott. In 1872, Henry Martin Munger moved his family from Rutersville (Fayette Co.) To Mexia. There he opened a lumberyard, planing mill, flour mill, grist mill and cotton gin. In 1876, Munger began to buy up and fence the entire Scott survey for a major cotton farm. Two of his sons, Robert and Stephen, expanded the family cotton operations. Robert, who patented several cotton processing machines and tools, moved to Dallas in 1885 to open his own manufacturing plant. The Munger Improved Cotton Machine & Manufacturing Co., later the Continental Gin Co., became the largest manufacturer of cotton-processing equipment in the U.S. Robert also developed the Munger place residential development in Dallas starting in 1905. Stephen joined Robert in Dallas in 1888. He became company president, director of City National Bank and trustee of Southern Methodist University. The Munger farm stayed in the family until 1920, and the family owned 22 gins in Limestone and Freestone counties. In 1903, the Munger family deeded right-of-way to the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad (T&BV, nicknamed the “Boll Weevil”), linking the community to other rail markets. By the late 1920s, the Munger community boasted a ten-grade school, Welcome Baptist Church, Munger Methodist Episcopal Church, and a cotton gin, depot, post office, general store, blacksmith, polling place and boy scout troop. The population declined in the 1930s as cotton prices dropped and improved roads opened. The school and rail line closed in 1942, and the two churches closed by 1948. Former residents held community reunions for several years, but today few historic reminders remain from this once-thriving rural settlement. |
Oakes Cemetery
LCR 836
2004
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This cemetery began with the burials of Mary C. Justice (d. 1861) and Roland Pair (d. 1865). It is located on land later owned by John Collins Oakes and his wife Winnie (Radford), who migrated here from Perry County, Alabama in the years following the Civil War with their family and prospered as landowners and farmers. John Oakes died in 1876, and in 1891, Winnie formally set aside the graveyard. Since then, Oakes family descendants and others in the community have helped maintain the site, expanding it in 1950 and relocating the former Sanders Creek Church chapel from Fairoaks community to be used for funerals, meetings and other gatherings, including an annual memorial service. A non-profit corporation now provides support for the cemetery's care. Graves include those of the Bond, Justice, Little, Martin, Morton, Oakes, Reed, Turner and other longtime community families. Early funereal customs are evidenced by the use of curbed plots and the presence of obelisks and other vertical tombstones. The hopes, faith and family ties of those interred here are reflected in the inscriptions. Still in use, Oakes Cemetery serves as an important reminder of the area's pioneer heritage. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004 |
Odds Community
FM 147
2009
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The Odds Community, a dispersed agricultural settlement, was founded upon the arrival of the David Barron family circa 1854. Additional settlers soon arrived in the area, including the John Wilford Erskine family, r.a. McAllister and the William Criswell family. Although the settlement was originally known as “Buffalo Mott,” the name was changed to Odds upon the request of the post office department when a post office was established in 1899. It is unclear how the name “Odds” was chosen, although there are several theories explaining its origin. Frank R. Adair was appointed as Odds’ first postmaster, but mail service to the community ran only until 1906, when the post office was closed and mail was routed to Thornton. the first cotton gin in Odds was constructed circa 1899, but it burned soon after and was replaced. The gin served as the economic center of the community and the surrounding area, stretching into both limestone and falls counties. The Locust Grove school district was formed in 1899 to serve the children of Odds and the surrounding area and operated for over fifty years, until it was consolidated with the Groesbeck Independent School District in 1949. The Odds Methodist Church (c. 1903) and theLocust Grove Baptist Church (c. 1912) both served the community of Odds. For several years the churches maintained separate buildings and part time pastors, but a declining population led to a joint Sunday school, held in the Methodist Church building. This formal union lasted for several years and was a point of pride for the residents of odds. Today, the community of Odds remains as a scattered group of homes, and as a reminder of the pioneer settlers of the area. |
Old Potter's Shop
12 mi. E of Thornton on FM 1246
1967
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The fine, white clay mined near here was used at this shop from the 1840s to 1912 to make pitchers, jars, crocks, churns, flower pots, and ornamental urns, which were used locally and shopped out of county. In the 1870s the shop, built by Alberry Johnson, was a major industry in Pottersville (later Oletha) Wm. C. Knox later bought the plant and hired J. L. Stone as the chief artisan. John Fowler then became owner and was joined by is son E. J. Fowler about 1900. Men dug Kaolin clay from pits and hauled it to the plant, where mules provided labor to grind the clay to powder and it was fashioned into ceramics. Historically, Kaolin-- still mined today from the deposits nearby-- has been used to make fine porcelain and china. It ranks with gas, oil, and stone as a major commercial resource in Limestone County. During the 19th century, vast natural resources throughout the state were creating new enterprises. Cattle and cotton headed the list of products, which also included lumber, iron ore, stone, and salt, as well as finished articles such as cloth, iron kettles, soap, flour, brick, and matches. These businesses, although crude and not of the "luxury" type, initiated the industrial growth of Texas. 1967 |
Old Sandy Creek Cemetery
LCR 191
2004
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Following Emancipation in 1865, many former Limestone County slaves established their own homes. Those settling in this area included Sawney Henry and Davey Medlock, founders of Sandy M.E. Church and Sandy community. This site served as the early burial ground for the agricultural settlement, also known as Oak Grove. By 1900, the Sandy Creek Graveyard, Church and School Land Association maintained the site. Most of the graves here are those of former slaves, with the last known burial made in 1943. By that time, residents had established a newer burial ground. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004 |
Old Springfield
SH 14 between Mexia & Groesbeck
1966
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Named for the large spring on townsite donated Jan. 6, 1838, by Moses Herrin, who gave 4 lots to any person agreeing to settle in the town. 12 families later in 1838 were forced out by Indian hostility. Post office was established in 1846. When Limestone County was created April 11, 1846, Springfield-- its only town of any size-- became county seat. First courthouse was built 1848 near Navasota River; new 2-story brick courthouse in 1856 on the hill. Home of Springfield District of Methodist Church from which stemmed the Northwest Texas Conference. Also had active Baptist and Disciples of Christ churches. Springfield College was established, but closed during the Civil War. The Navasota Stock Raisers Association was organized here. When Houston & Texas Central Railroad was built some miles to the East in 1870, population dwindled. In 1873 there were 2 great fires in the town-- one burning the courthouse. Surviving buildings were moved away. Groesbeck became the county seat. The old cemetery and Springfield Lake, both in Fort Parker State Park, retain the historic name of the once important town. Lake Springfield provides recreation, irrigation and municipal water. 1966 |
Old Springfield Cemetery
Fort Parker State Park
1969
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Established as a 10-acre community burial ground in town plat dedicated Jan. 6, 1838, by Moses Herrin. Earliest graves probably never had stone markers because of primitive frontier living conditions. It is recorded that 12 families were driven out of Springfield late in 1838 by Indian hostilities; the town's growth was halted materially until 1846. Oldest tombstone is for an infant who died Oct. 3, 1849. Another early marker is for a native of New York State "Slain in 1854 violence for his gold". This burial ground was open to use by surrounding areas, and many strangers found a final resting place here alongside veterans of the Texas War for Independence, the Mexican War and other conflicts. Since Springfield was county seat of Limestone County (1846-1878), home of Springfield College (closed in the 1860's) and a center for church and business affairs, it attracted persons of distinction. Some of them were buried here. Although the town lost its means of growth after it was bypassed by Houston & Texas Central Railroad in 1870 and then suffered a devastating fire in 1873, families of old residents often have returned to bury their dead in their established lots, beside pioneer forefathers. 1969 |
Old Union Community
1980
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Originally known as Ferguson Prairie, this settlement grew up around the property of Joseph and Hannah Ferguson who settled here about 1847. Listed on early maps it was named Ivanhoe, the community name changed following the establishment of a Union Church in 1877. The first sanctuary, a one-room structure, was also used as a community center and schoolhouse. The present building was completed in 1913. Classes were conducted here until 1935; the church continues to meet at this site. Annual homecoming memorial services are held each June. 1980 |
Origin of the Texas State Teachers Association
209 Carthage Street Mexia, Texas
1980
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The first statewide teacher association in Texas had its beginnings in two regional teachers organizations. The North Texas Education Association was begun in Dallas in 1877. Teachers in central Texas met in Austin in 1879, formed the Austin Teachers Association, and made plans to meet the next year with the north Texas group to create a statewide organization. At a three-day meeting beginning June 29, 1880, about 40 Texas educators met at this site (former Cumberland Presbyterian Church) and organized the Texas State Teachers Association. The Rev. Dr. J. R. Malone was elected president and Governor O. M. Roberts served as guest speaker. The new organization took as its purpose the advancement of public education. One resolution passed at the first meeting supported the organization of the University of Texas, which at the mandate of the Legislature actually opened for classes in 1883. All professional teachers in the state were invited to join and by 1979 the membership had grown to over 100,000. TSTA has helped improve the the quality of education by raising teacher standards and by influencing passage of major education legislation. 1980 |
Personville
FM 39
1963
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Behind this marker is town site of Personville, begun in 1854 by Benjamin D. Person, Sr. 1855 postmaster was Wm. Person. Grayson Masonic Lodge 265, chartered 1861, demised 1889. Nelleva cut-off, built in 1906 was abandoned 1933. J. D. Hudson was first teacher in district school, 1908. By 1915 had blacksmith shop, lumber yard, bank, hotel, 12 mercantiles, two drugstores, three doctors. Dr. G. H. Stephens was outstanding. Fire razed town, October 1916. Rebuilt, it soon faded away. Post office was abolished 1952. |
Personville Cemetery
2002
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Personville Cemetery Established ca. 1861 Historic Texas Cemetery - 2002 |
Plummer Cemetery
LCR 454
1991
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Luther Thomas Martin (L.T.M.) Plummer and his wife Rachel (Parker) arrived in what is now Limestone County in 1834. They received a Mexican land grant for 3,321 acres in this area the next year. In 1836, Rachel, her son James, and her cousin Cynthia Ann Parker were kidnapped by Comanches. After Rachel was returned in 1838, she and L. T. M. had another son, Wilson, in January 1839, but Rachel died in February and the infant in March. Upon Wilson's death, L. T. M. set aside one acre of land for a family cemetery. Since then, over 100 Plummer descendants have been buried here. 1991 |
Prairie Grove Cemetery
2678 FM 1953 Mexia, Texas
2020
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Prairie Grove Cemetery Established 1859 Historic Texas Cemetery - 2020 |
Prairie Hill Baptist Church
FM 339 Prairie Hill, Texas
1985
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This congregation was organized on October 18, 1885, with 12 charter members from the Mount Antioch Baptist Church. Assisting with the organization and ordination of deacons was Ezekiel Jackson Billington (1826-1896), who had been ordained as a minister by the Mount Antioch Church. Billington helped organize a number of churches in the area, including those at Froza, Horn Hill, Hubbard, and Mount Calm. His daughter Madora and her husband, J. R. Leathers, donated land at first site for a church building and cemetery. The first sanctuary was completed in 1890. George L. Jennings (1830-1911), who had served in the Confederate army during the Civil War, was called to be the first pastor of the Prairie Hill congregation. He had preached in Mississippi before coming to Texas in 1873. Early members of the fellowship were primarily cotton and corn farmers from the surrounding area. Preaching services were held Sunday mornings and evenings. A Sunday School program and Bible classes were begun later. Over the years, the Prairie Hill Baptist Church has become an important part of the religious heritage of Limestone County. |
Prairie Hill Cemetery
FM 339 Prairie Hill, Texas
1994
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Prairie Hill Baptist Church members built a sanctuary here in 1890 on 3 acres donated by J. R. and Medora Leathers. A portion of the acreage near the sanctuary was set aside in 1894 to established this community cemetery. The first recorded burial was that of Eula Jane Howard on June 29, 1894. The Prairie Hill Cemetery Association, established in 1958 and chartered in 1975, maintains the cemetery which has been enlarged over the years. Interred here are area pioneer settlers and their descendants, and veterans of conflicts ranging from the Civil War to Vietnam. 1994
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Robert M. Love
Tehuacana Cemetery Tehuacana, Texas
1967
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One of armed men who helped seat 14th State Legislature in 1873 when incumbent Gov. E. J. Davis contested Richard Coke's election. A member of the Confederate army, he fought throughout the Civil War in Ross' brigade. Became Limestone County deputy sheriff, 1872; elected sheriff, 1884. President, Texas Sheriff's Association for 5 years. Also served as U. S. Marshall. Elected state comptroller and served 1901 to 1903. Recorded, 1967
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Sanders Walker
Springfield Cemetery Fort Parker State Park
1962
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A veteran of the Texas War for Independence, 1835-1836. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Sansom-Wedgeman Cemetery
LCR 480
1985
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Located on a tributary of the Navasota River known as Running Branch, this cemetery has been in use since the days of Reconstruction in Texas. Soon after the end of the Civil War, a group of settlers, including Dr. J. L. Sansom, P. K. Mckenzie, and Allen Goodwin, came to this area from Mississippi and built a church and school. The community came to be called Mount Joy. Dr. Sansom donated two acres of his land for this cemetery about 1870. By 1877, Sansom had sold part of his acreage to H. Wageman (later spelled Wedgman). Land for a right-of-way and cemetery parking was deeded from Wageman's land in 1929. The oldest marked graves in the cemetery are dated 1873. Dr. Sansom is buried here, as is J. W. Seale, who served as postmaster of the nearby settlement of Seale. Tombstones bear the names of many other area pioneers and several Confederate veterans. The number of infants buried here during the latter years of the nineteenth century reflects the hardship of pioneer life. Although most of the early settlements are gone, the Sansom/Wedgman Cemetery remains in use and is cared for by descendants of the pioneers. 1985 |
Seth H. Bates
Fort Parker Memorial Park FM 1245
1962
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Born May 26, 1811. An early Ranger in the Texas war for Independence. Member Captain Seale's Company, 1835-1836, that was organized "agreeable to order from the Council of Texas." Died August 17, 1886. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Shiloh Baptist Church
5 miles south of Mexia on FM 39 at CR 439
2001
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On October 21, 1881, 15 residents of several neighboring communities in this part of Limestone County met to organize a Baptist church. The Rev. G. L. Jennings served as first pastor. For 14 years, the congregation met for worship in the Shiloh schoolhouse and participated in a Union Sunday School with the local Methodist church. In January 1896, the members of Shiloh Baptist Church worshiped for the first time in their own sanctuary. The congregation completed a new building in 1927 to replace the original. For more than 100 years, Shiloh Baptist Church has shared in the religious and cultural heritage of this rural area. (2001) |
Sion Roberts
Roberts Cemetery
1962
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Served in the Texas War for Independence; Veteran of San Jacinto. Erected by the State of Texas, 1962
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Site of Dunbar High School
603 W. Main Mexia, Texas
2005 |
Public education efforts for African American students in Mexia began in 1883 with a school on Herman Street. After fire destroyed it, trustees selected this site for a two-story brick schoolhouse built in 1915. T.K. Price was principal at the time. The school was named for Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906), a noted African American author and poet from Ohio. The schoolhouse had ten large classrooms and an auditorium. In 1948, it was razed and replaced with a large one-story school that served until integration in 1968. Later used for other classes, the structure was eventually demolished, but the site remains an important reminder of early education in Mexia. (2005) |
Site of Oletha Common School
LCR 746
2003
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Site of Oletha Common School Settlers at the turn of the 20th century educated their children in small schools within walking distance of their homes. Limestone County schools in this area were Union, established in 1895; Independence, 1897; Mount Joy, 1911; and Barnett Prairie and Center Point, both part of the Center Point Common School District, 1911. As local populations grew, rural school districts began to combine resources. In 1934, Independence and Center Point consolidated to form Oletha Common School District No. 45. Mount Joy joined them later that year and Union consolidated with them the following year. Dr. R.W. and Cora Jones donated a site at this location for the construction of a five-room schoolhouse. The school, which also housed an auditorium, served as a gathering place for community activities, fund raisers and meetings before burning in 1936. At that time, the district built a second school with five classrooms, a gymnasium, stage, office and library. Community members later supplied cafeteria lunches and trucks were converted into school buses. The blue and gold Oletha Owls participated in district sports and activities. The school provided education for grades one through eleven. In 1948, the upper grades transferred to Thornton High School, and the Oletha School began offering classes for fewer grades until 1962, when all of the Oletha district consolidated with Groesbeck Independent School District. The building was slowly dismantled, but memories remain of the former school and community center. Many former students value their Oletha School education and today are contributors to their community. (2003) |
St. John's A. M. E. Church
308 W. Milam Street Mexia, Texas
1999
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This church traces its history to the 1870s, when African Methodist Episcopal Church services were held for Mexia's African American population. The church reportedly was used as a schoolhouse during Reconstruction. The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church of Mexia was formally organized about 1903. Between 1908 and 1915 it was renamed St. John's A. M. E. for Johnnie Lynn, a church member who became a pastor. Other notable members included church trustee Dr. S. M. Pollock, a Limestone County native who began a dental practice in Mexia in 1921. He served two terms as Mexia City Commissioner. The congregation thrived throughout the twentieth century. In 1994 a fellowship hall was erected. St. John's members continue in the traditions of their founders and predecessors. (2000) |
St. Paul College
2022
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Tehuacana
Westminster Campus Westminster Road Tehuacana, Texas
1967
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Located at one of highest points (altitude 661 ft.) between Dallas and Houston. First noted in history by Philip Nolan's trading expedition, 1797. Home in early days of Tehuacana Indians, a Wichita tribe, who engaged in farming and peaceful pursuits until they were destroyed in early 1830s by Cherokees. Town is on Mexican land grant obtained 1835 by John Boyd, member First Congress Republic of Texas. In 1847 Boyd became first postmaster, and in 1849 nominated Tehuacana for capital of State of Texas. However, Austin won in election held in 1850. Tehuacana Academy, a Presbyterian school locally organized and supported, operated ten years. It was organized and supported, operated ten years. It was closed during Civil War, but furnished incentive (with help of Boyd) for founding in 1869 of Trinity University. Boyd's gift of 1,520 acres of land for college use includes present campus, where Trinity (now in San Antonio) operated until 1902. School plant was deeded to Methodist Protestant Church, which relocated here Westminster College, one of first junior colleges (1916) in Texas. The Congregational Methodist Church bought the property in 1953 and now operates Westminster College and Bible Institute on the historic campus. |
Tehuacana Cemetery
Tehuacana Cemetery LCR 226 Tehuacana, Texas
2001
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This historic graveyard reflects the heritage of Tehuacana, an early Texas town founded in the 1840s by John Boyd (1796-1873). Elected from Sabine County to the First and Second Congresses of the Republic of Texas, Boyd moved to this part of the state and established the town's first post office in his mercantile store in 1847. His offer of land and money convinced the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to begin Trinity University here in 1869. Although no deed record exists for the cemetery, the earliest documented burial is that of Boyd's granddaughter, Roxana B. Campbell, who died in 1850 at the age of four months. Hers is one of many tombstones marking the burials of infants and children during the 19th century, bearing witness to the harshness of life on the developing Texas frontier. Others buried here include William E. Beeson (1822-1882), first president of Trinity University; James Lisbon Lawlis (1856-1902), founder and first president of Westminster College, which moved to Tehuacana after Trinity University relocated in 1902; Robert Marshall Love (1847-1903), who grew up in Tehuacana and was serving as Texas State Comptroller at the time of his death; Minnie Schuster Reck (1874-1950), who boarded college students in her home (those former students erected a memorial in her honor at the community center); and town founder John Boyd. The Tehuacana Cemetery Association maintains the burial ground, which, at the turn of the 21st century, contained more than 800 marked burials and a number of unmarked graves. (2001) |
Thornton Schools
E. 8th Street, between N. Marshall and N. Tyler Streets
2004
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Thornton was established in 1871 by the Texas Central Railroad and had a post office by 1873. By 1880, the town had approximately 200 residents and three churches, as well as several businesses and a Masonic lodge. Early schools included the Thornton Male and Female Institute, founded in 1877 by physician and teacher Edward Coke Chambers. The Institute, known also as Thornton College, included a wood-frame classroom building, student housing and Chambers' home. The school received its charter in 1881 and in 1884 merged with the school of Henry P. Davis. In 1889, Chambers sold the Institute to Davis, who continued to operate the school until 1891, when he sold it to the newly formed Thornton Independent School District. In 1903, a storm destroyed the school building, and in 1920, the second school building burned. The third schoolhouse, built of brick, was completed in 1921. During the 1930s and 1940s, several rural districts consolidated with Thornton, including all or part of Mill Creek, Prairie View, Pleasant Grove, Davis Prairie, Beulah and Eutaw Springs common school districts. In the early 1960s, with a declining student population, Thornton began to close its schools. African American students, who had for many years attended a Rosenwald School on Ellis Street, began traveling to Groesbeck for classes, as did the high school students from the White campus. In 1965, Thornton consolidated completely with the Groesbeck Independent School District, stipulating in the transfer that the main school building and grounds at this site be deeded to the city for use as a community center. (2004) |
Tidwell (Steele Creek) Cemetery and Community
LCR 648
2001
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Settlement in this area along Steele Creek began in the 1850s. Known by several names over the years - including Steele Creek, Tidwell, Shady Grove and Pleasant Grove - the community centered around a Methodist church named for the Rev. David J. Tidwell (1802-1883) who settled here with his family in 1853. A post office was established in 1856 with David Tidwell as postmaster, and soon the settlement included two general stores, the church, homes and a school. Although burials in the community cemetery probably began earlier, the oldest documented grave here is that of Nancy Hogan, wife of J. M. Hogan, who died in February 1858. The cemetery includes about 175 marked graves, and an unknown number of unmarked ones. Inscriptions on the gravestones provide a testament to the sometimes harsh living conditions in frontier Texas and document a large number of infant and child deaths, as well as apparent epidemics that took the lives of several members of individual families. Located on land formerly owned by the Chisum family, the four-acre graveyard was deeded to the citizens living along Steele Creek by Mary Chisum, widow of J. R Chisum, in 1886. Initially known as Steele Creek Cemetery, it eventually took on the Tidwell name. Records indicate that burials ceased to occur here in the 1930s, and the site was largely abandoned until members of an association of Tidwell community descendants was formed in the 1980s to assume maintenance of the site. (2001) |
Town Named for Gen. Jose Antonio Mexia
N side of Mexia City Hall Mexia, Texas
1967
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Military officer and promoter of Texas colonization. Served as secretary of Mexican legation to United States, 1829-1831. Led victorious Mexia Expedition to expel centralists in Matamoros, 1832. Mexican senator, 1833-1834; he first supported president Santa Anna, but fought him when he became a dictator. Fled to Texas, 1834. Attacked Tampico in 1835. Took Tampico, Jan. 1839, but was shot on order of Santa Anna after defeat near Puebla May 3. Son and daughter settled on family land, Limestone County, about 1870. They donated site for town of Mexia in 1871. 1967
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Trinity University
1936
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Established by the Brazos Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Opened its doors as a co-educational institution September 23, 1869. Chartered August 13, 1870, included schools of law and theology. Removed in 1902 to Waxahachie.
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United Methodist Church of Coolidge
Corner of Jester & 3rd St. Coolidge, Texas
1974
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A pioneer church, organized in the Armour community, about two miles to the west, on April 10, 1973, when this area was still thinly-settled. Charter members were John and Caroline Askew, A. J. Moore, Leona Waddell, and George Walker. The original one room frame church building with a spire and belfry was erected in 1874. After the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad bypassed Armour, the congregation in 1904 moved its building to Coolidge. Under the leadership of the Rev. J. B. Curry and Hull Askew, a son of charter members, the present edifice was built in 1922. 1974
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Vinson Cemetery
4 mi. SE of Thornton
1974
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Wiley and Phebe Vinson and their children came to Texas from Alabama in 1851. Settling in Limestone County in 1859, the family farmed and operate a gristmill and tanning yard. When Vinson bought additional land in 1870, he set aside one-half acre for this cemetery. He died in 1871, and was the first to be buried here. Other graves include those of his wife, Phebe, who died in 1873, and relatives who lived nearby. Vinson Cemetery was restored in 1962 by members of the Fox Family Association, descendants of Wiley Vinson, who maintain it today. 1974 |
Washington High School
701 S. Ellis Street Groesbeck, Texas
2020
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The first known school for Groesbeck's African American community was established about two miles southeast of the town in 1882 when land was deeded to the county to be used as a school. When the school district formed in 1890, a new school was built. A building constructed on S. Leon Street in 1900 in an area known as "The Flat" was used until the early 1920s. In 1922, Groesbeck ISD constructed a brick school building with five classrooms. Located on North Grayson Street, the Blackshear School was funded through the Rosenwald Foundation as well as a school bond passed by residents and donations from the community.
In 1932, Nelson Washington (1887-1972) became principal of the Blackshear School, and under his leadership the school expanded its courses, faculty, campus, and enrollment. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the school district began to improve conditions at the school, but in 1955, they decided to build a new school. The school was named in honor of Principal Nelson Washington and was dedicated in 1957. The school building included nine classrooms, science lab, vocational shop, and more. Long-time teacher and coach, Elwood Enge (1914-1992), became principal in 1959. In 1965, a new four-wing addition was completed along with a gymnasium that was partially funded by the school booster club. Following integration of the school district in 1969, Washington High School was used as a junior high until 1989, when it became Enge-Washingotn Intermediate School. A new intermediate school was completed in 2011, and much of the 1950s school was demolished in 2018. The school is remembered as a vital part of the African American community in Groesbeck, both eduacationally and socially. |
William Rees
Westminster Campus Tehuacana Road Tehuacana, Texas
1967
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Born in Castletown, Marshfield Parish, England, of Welsh parents. In youth spent several years as an apprentice stonemason in Liverpool, England. Came to America in 1870, and to Tehuacana in 1872. In 1873 William Rees was given the contract for the construction of the wings of this stone building. At that time, Trinity University (under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church) was short of funds. Because he had a love for the cause of higher education and a love for Trinity, Rees, a skilled craftsman, did much of the stonecutting-- a chore usually left to laborers. Always interested in education, he was a member of the local board of education and in his turn its president. He was a staunch supporter of Trinity University, and later of Westminster college. Dr. Beeson, first president of Trinity, performed the ceremony when on Jan. 3, 1875, Rees married Georgia Ann Sanders. They had six children. The life of Rees proved the truth of the proverb: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." He was honest and humble, and had a keen appreciation for the finer things of life. He is buried in the Tehuacana Cemetery. 1967 |
Zada Jane Sanders Kelly
Fort Parker Memorial Park FM 1245
1969
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Daughter of local pioneer, Mr. and Mrs. J. Cull Sanders, and graduate of Kidd-Key College. Married C. D. Kelly in 1910. A Groesback clubwoman; served as treasurer, Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, when state headquarters were being built in Austin. Recognized nationally, she was awarded a certificate of honor in 1964 by the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Member of Limestone County Historical Survey Committee. Recorded 1969
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Church of Christ
Groesbeck, TX
November 5, 2024
6:00 p.m.
Click on the link below to go to the Cindy Walker Foundation's gofundme account to make a donation to help save the Mexia home of the legendary songwrtiter Cindy Walker.