Westside in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Grace Morse's Cemetery
The end of the Civil War and Emancipation signaled the demise of plantations like Pleasant Bend. Agur Morse died of typhoid fever late in the War, and his widow Grace sold off much of the plantation land as small farms, except for a homestead here with a sawmill operated by her sons Henry and George. She deeded one and one-third acres for the preservation of the existing family cemetery, and offered its use to neighbors.
Those buried here include:
• Nineteen members of the families of Agur T. Morse and his brother, Rev. John Kell Morse.
• At least seven Confederate veterans from this neighborhood.
• Rachel Davis Banks and at least three of her children. All were members of the Lovely Canada Baptist Church.
• James McFee, born in Delaware, and his wife, Cassandra Hough from Mississippi, who arrived in 1852, three sons and a grandson.
• Thaddeus Constantine Bell, the first male child born in Stephen F. Austin's colony. Bell was Superintendent of Texas Prisons after the War, and moved to a farm here in 1870. His father, Josiah Bell, was Alcalde at San Felipe in Austin's colony.
• Lovett A. Taft, Jr., the first husband of Agur Morse's daughter, Elizabeth (Morse) Taft Grant, and a first cousin of President William H. Taft.
• Mary Bragg, and husband Benjamin A. Bragg, who purchased the southern part of the cemetery from Grace Morse.
Captions
Thaddeus Bell
Photo courtesy of Brazoria County Historical Museum
Cassandra Hough McFee and James McFee
Photo courtesy of Matilda Reeder
Interpretive panels courtesy of Morse-Bragg Cemetery Association, and created by Drew Patterson Studios and Dan Worall
Erected by Morse-Bragg Cemetery Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.
Location. 29° 45.283′ N, 95° 27.618′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Westside. Marker is on South Wynden Drive, 0.2 miles east of South Post Oak Lane, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located in the small Morse-Bragg Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Houston TX 77056, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Emancipation and African-American Migration (here, next to this marker); The Pleasant Bend Plantation (a few steps from this marker); Morse-Bragg Cemetery (a few steps from this marker); Upper Buffalo Bayou in the Mid-1800s (a few steps from this marker); Emily Clay Family Scramble (approx. 1.4 miles away); Hamilton Shirts (approx. 1.9 miles away); First Baptist Church of Houston (approx. 1.9 miles away); Gov. John B. Connally, Jr. House (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 194 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 30, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.