Hedley in Donley County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rowe Cemetery
Photographed by Allen Lowrey, June 20, 2020
1. Rowe Cemetery Marker
Historically significant for its associations with rancher Alfred Rowe and the now-extinct community of Rowe, this burial ground is a reflection of early area farming and ranching efforts and the harshness of pioneer life as permanent settlement came to the Panhandle.
With help from cattleman Charles Goodnight, Englishman Alfred Rowe (1853-1912) established the RO ranch on Skillet Creek in 1880, and within ten years had amassed 100,000 acres of land and more than 10,000 head of cattle. His encouragement and support aided the development of Rowe, named in his honor, as a commercial center on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway line.
Kentucky native Isaac Smith, in whose home the Rowe post office was established in 1892, set aside part of his land for use as a community cemetery in 1898, after the death of four children in the Beedy family. Originally located in the family garden, the children's graves were moved to the Rowe cemetery upon its establishment. Even after the community of Rowe moved one mile southeast in 1907, to become the town of Hedley, this cemetery continued to serve as the primary burial ground for area
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Isaac Smith's grandson, W. I. Rains, provided additional acreage for the Rowe cemetery during the 20th century, and by 1999 there were more than 1,500 marked graves here. A veterans memorial placed in 1990 and the graves of 32 victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918-19 lend additional significance to the Rowe cemetery.
Erected 2001 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12485.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 34° 53.176′ N, 100° 40.351′ W. Marker is in Hedley, Texas, in Donley County. It is on FM 1932, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hedley TX 79237, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Texas Panhandle. It is also on the American Great Plains and specifically on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds
Photographed by Allen Lowrey, June 20, 2020
2. Rowe Cemetery Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Old Mobeetie Trail (approx. 12.4 miles away); George Marece Berry (approx. 12.6 miles away); Shoe Bar Ranch Headquarters (approx. 12.8 miles away); Hall County (approx. 13½ miles away); First Presbyterian Church of Memphis (approx. 13.6 miles away); Old Fairview Cemetery (approx. 13.6 miles away); Hall County Courthouse (approx. 13.6 miles away); a different marker also named Hall County (approx. 13.9 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2020, by Allen Lowrey of Amarillo, Texas. This page has been viewed 394 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2020, by Allen Lowrey of Amarillo, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
