Rocksprings in Edwards County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rocksprings Cemetery
Photographed By Kayla Harper, November 28, 2019
1. Rocksprings Cemetery Marker
The town of Rocksprings traces its beginnings to 1889, when J.R. Sweeten dug the first water well in the area to serve new settlers. Three years later, in 1892, Sweeten donated two acres of land to be used as a community cemetery.
There were some burials at this site prior to its formal designation as a cemetery. Two children, Willie J. Blackwell and Ben Smith, were interred here in 1891. Many of the people buried in the Rocksprings Cemetery in the early years were travelers passing through the area. Among the more than one thousand graves are those of victims of a devastating tornado which struck the town on April 12, 1927.
Over the years, additional land acquisitions have increased the size of the cemetery. Iron fencing which once surrounded some grave sites was donated to scrap metal drives during World War II.
The Rocksprings Cemetery Association, which originated in 1897, was formally chartered by the state in 1967. Through such projects as surveys and landscaping, the Association continues to maintain the historic graveyard, which remains as a visible link to the community's past.
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Disasters • War, World II.
Location. 30° 1.423′ N, 100° 12.104′ W. Marker is in Rocksprings, Texas, in Edwards County. Marker is on US Route 377. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rocksprings TX 78880, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Rock Spring (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Carson Store (approx. 0.6 miles away); Gilmer Hotel (approx. 0.6 miles away); Edwards County Courthouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); Rocksprings Telephone Company (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Sesquicentennial Committee Erects This Marker (approx. 0.7 miles away); Edwards County (approx. 0.7 miles away); First Methodist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rocksprings.
Photographed By Kayla Harper, November 28, 2019
2. Rocksprings Cemetery Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 1, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2019, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 167 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 1, 2019, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
