New Summerfield in Cherokee County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
McDonald Cemetery
| | Historic Texas Cemetery | |
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 6, 2020
1. McDonald Cemetery Marker
Located on the original homestead of William and Clarissa Johnson and their family, this community cemetery began in the 1850s. Although there may have been earlier interments (possibly including Wiliam Johnson), the earliest documented burials, those of two young daughters of Dr. and Mrs. J. C. Privett, took place in 1856. Dr. Privett died in 1857 and was buried next to his daughters.
After Clarissa Johnson married Thomas McDonald in 1858, her homestead became known as the McDonald farm. By 1870 the small graveyard on Clarissa's farm had become a community burial ground known as McDonald Cemetery, although it was not formally designated as such in deed records until 1930.
Among those buried in the McDonald Cemetery are members of the Johnson and McDonald families. There are over 550 documented burials, as well as a number of unmarked graves. The original one acre plot of land set aside for the graveyard was enlarged in later years by additional land acquisitions.
For well over a century, the McDonald Cemetery has served as a reminder of Cherokee County's Pioneer Heritage. It remains as one of the
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Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6866.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 31° 58.283′ N, 95° 5.633′ W. Marker is in New Summerfield, Texas, in Cherokee County. It is on State Highway 110, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New Summerfield TX 75780, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, 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 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: New Summerfield Methodist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Ponta (approx. 5.2 miles away); Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church South Cemetery
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 6, 2020
2. McDonald Cemetery Marker
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 6, 2020
3. McDonald Cemetery and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 793 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 1, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
