Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
At the close of the Civil War, local African Americans, newly freed from slavery, formed the Mt. Pleasant Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rev. M.F. Jamison served as the first pastor for the group, which was part of the East Texas Annual Conference. Members built a brush arbor and peace camp in this area and were led by the Rev. Frank Rabb, Major Sanders and Parson Choice in the early years. They formally organized as a congregation in 1871. As more settlers moved into the area over the next two decades, the need arose for a community cemetery. In April 1891, trustees for the church purchased two acres at this site, adjacent to the sanctuary, from J.C. and S.S. Barnett. The earliest marked grave in the burial ground is that of a seven-year-old boy who died in July 1890. There are also several unmarked graves, believed to date to the early 1870s.
Today, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery continues to be linked to the church, although it has moved. A church committee maintains the burial ground, the final resting place for generations of area pioneers and families, including military veterans, Freemasons and community leaders.
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Erected 2004 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13856.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1891.
Location. 32° 25.378′ N, 94° 55.081′ W. Marker is near Kilgore, Texas, in Gregg County. Marker is on Mt. Pleasant Road, 0.1 miles south of State Route 135, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Mt Pleasant Road, Kilgore TX 75662, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Liberty City (approx. 2˝ miles away); Kilgore Colored and C. B. Dansby Schools (approx. 3 miles away); Kilgore High School (approx. 3.4 miles away); Lou Della Crim Home (approx. 3.4 miles away); The Kilgore I&GN-Missouri Pacific Railroad Station (approx. 3˝ miles away); World's Richest Acre (approx. 3˝ miles away); Drilling Completed, 1940 (approx. 3˝ miles away); Before 1937 Drilling Began (approx. 3˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kilgore.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2019. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 180 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 7, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
