Near Gustine in Comanche County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Evergreen Cemetery
The community of Evergreen began to take shape in the late 1860s. A small strip of land was donated for a community cemetery in 1885 when Mrs. W.F. Hampton was the first recorded person to be interred on this site. A post office was established in 1888 with Samuel Gustine as Postmaster, and the town name was officially changed to Gustine. The community grew steadily.
Those interred here include prominent members of early Evergreen and surrounding communities such as the Boyd family, landowners, farmers and schoolteachers who operated a cotton gin and blacksmith shop. The Bolton family farmed, hauled freight and mail and operated a barber shop for generations. The Couch and Johnston families hailed from Georgia and Mississippi and were farmers and landowners. The Pettit family of Alabama were bankers, farmers and cattlemen.
A road between the Comanche and Gentry Mill communities opened in 1895; Gustine businesses moved to be closer to the main path, but the cemetery remained 3/4 mile to the north. A land donation in 1897 and a purchase of additional acreage in 1918 allowed the cemetery to expand to meet the road.
In 1999 there were about 630 burials on 3.284 acres in Evergreen cemetery. These burials included two Confederate Army veterans as well as veterans of World War I and World War II. Though all that remained of the Old Evergreen community was hand-dug well on private property south of the cemetery, the burial ground continued to serve the nearby communities of Pettit, Gustine and Energy.
Erected 1999 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12521.)
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 1885.
Location. 31° 51.042′ N, 98° 23.479′ W. Marker is near Gustine, Texas, in Comanche County. Marker is on County Highway 360, 0.3 miles north of 36th Division Memorial Highway (State Highway 36), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gustine TX 76455, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Gustine (approx. 0.9 miles away); Cora (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lamkin (approx. 7.8 miles away); Hasse Community (approx. 8.7 miles away); Newburg Cemetery (approx. 9.4 miles away); South Leon Baptist Church (approx. 9.4 miles away); Site of Old Gill Farm (approx. 10˝ miles away); Andrew Miller (approx. 10.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gustine.
Also see . . . Gustine Texas. The first settlement, which was called Old Evergreen, was about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the present site. (Submitted on December 9, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 9, 2020, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.