Near Jefferson in Marion County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Savannah Cemetery

Historic Texas Cemetery

Photographed by James Hulse, November 7, 2020

1. Savannah Cemetery Marker

Inscription.

This site began as the family burial ground for Sofia Smith Whatley and her descendants. A South Carolina native, Whatley moved from Alabama with her son, Miles Jefferson, shortly after her husband, Martin, died in 1875. She came to this area to join another son, James Darling, and his family. A third son, Francis Marion, later bought land in Marion County as well.

The burial ground began on the land of James Whatley, who also deeded property to the county for a public school. The oldest marked grave is that of a Poe family infant who died in 1884. For many years, the burial ground was known as the Whatley Cemetery, although over time it took on the name Savannah, after the second wife of Miles Whatley. An area church also bears her name.

Over the years, the burial ground became a community cemetery, although Whatley family members remain active in maintaining the site, which is a link to their heritage and to local history. Among the area residents buried here are veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. An association oversees cemetery operations.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005

Erected 2005 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14771.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.

Location. 32° 51.061′ N, 94° 11.373′ W. Marker is near Jefferson, Texas, in Marion County. It can be reached from Lewis Chapel Road 0.6 miles west of State Highway 43. The marker is located down thecCemetery's dirt road about a 1/4 mile north from the main entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 749 Lewis Chapel Road, Jefferson TX 75657, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

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specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Potter's Point (approx. 8 miles away); Jefferson (approx. 10 miles away); Dr. M.D.K. Taylor (approx. 10.1 miles away); Richard Waterhouse (approx. 10.9 miles away); John M. Vines (approx. 10.9 miles away); 1897 Howe Truss Train Trestle (approx. 11.1 miles away); Jefferson Turn Basin (approx. 11.1 miles away); Torrans-Clopton-Spellings House (approx. 11.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jefferson.

Regarding Savannah Cemetery. The cemetery is also known as the Whatley Cemetery.

Also see . . . Jefferson Texas. Wikipedia (Submitted on November 24, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Savannah Cemetery and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 7, 2020

2. Savannah Cemetery and Marker

Savannah Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 7, 2020

3. Savannah Cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 628 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 24, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.