Near McKinney in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Stiff Chapel Cemetery
(One-half mile south)
Photographed by Kayla Harper, July 29, 2023
1. Stiff Chapel Cemetery Marker
Jesse Stiff (1796-1871) came to Texas from Virginia in 1835 and settled on several thousand acres of land in this area. His brother, Louis, arrived in 1849, and a community known as Stiff Chapel developed around their homesteads. In 1847, Jesse's son, James, died while serving as a Texas Ranger. He was buried near his father's house on land that later was deeded as the Stiff Chapel Cemetery. Most of the graves in the two-acre family burial ground date from the 1800s. The last burial in the Stiff Chapel Cemetery, that of Minnie Swaim, took place in 1935.
Erected 1984 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 6206.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1835.
Location. 33° 15.591′ N, 96° 31.45′ W. Marker is near McKinney, Texas, in Collin County. It is on Highway 412 east of Highway 409, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: McKinney TX 75071, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Altoga Cemetery (approx. 2.4 miles away); First Baptist Church of Melissa (approx. 2.9 miles away); Stony Point Church and Cemetery (approx.
this page online
Photographed by Jesse Nelsen, December 14, 2020
2. Stiff Chapel Cemetery Marker
Photographed by Kayla Harper, July 29, 2023
3. Stiff Chapel Cemetery Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. This page has been viewed 719 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 29, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. 2. submitted on January 16, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. 3. submitted on July 29, 2023, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
