Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Pioneer Cemetery
Photographed by Brian Anderson, August 30, 2019
1. Pioneer Cemetery Marker
Used from 1870s to 1914. Settlers buried here include: Mr. and Mrs. Diedrick Dutchover, immigrants from Belgium and Spain; their surname, coined by a recruiter in the Mexican War, is borne by many descendants.
Dolores, who on her wedding eve lighted a signal fire for her fiance, later found scalped by Indians; she became mentally ill and (until her death 30 years later) burned fires on mountain near town for her lost lover.
Two young Frier brothers, who were shot by a Ranger posse as horse thieves and were buried in only boothill grave in county.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Erected 1967 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 10483.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 30° 35.042′ N, 103° 53.327′ W. Marker is in Fort Davis, Texas, in Jeff Davis County. It is on Musquiz Drive (State Highway 118) 0.2 miles east of Jeff Davis Highway No. 3 (State Highway 17). There is a wheelchair accessible
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Texas’ Trans-Pecos & Big Bend Region. It is also in the American Southwest. 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, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Smith-Carlton Adobe House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Jeff Davis County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Memorial Square (approx. 0.4 miles away); Jeff Davis County Library (approx. 0.4 miles away); Union Mercantile (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hotel Limpia (approx. half a mile away); Jeff Davis County Jail (approx. half a mile away); Hometown Heroes (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Davis.
More about this marker. Texas is home to many ghost towns with ghost
Photographed by Brian Anderson, August 30, 2019
2. Pioneer Cemetery Marker
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, October 24, 2012
3. Pioneer Cemetery Marker
Photographed by Zacharias Beau T, April 17, 2011
4. Pioneer Cemetery Historical Marker
A backdrop of scorched earth accompanied the marker's stories last spring.
Photographed by Zacharias Beau T, April 17, 2011
5. Pioneer Cemetery
The April 9th Rock House firestorm toasted the old ground. More than half of the grave markers, made of nineteenth century weathered cottonwood, were destroyed.
Photographed by Zacharias Beau T, July 10, 2010
6. Pioneer Cemetery
Grave site of the only Confederate veteran in the cemetery, New York born Private Joseph Granger. Like the majority of men from the north that fought for the South, Granger fought for the homestead of his Lone Star wife. His New York brother Major General Gordon Granger commanded the Union forces taking Galveston and the coastal department of Texas, June 1865.
This photo was 6 months before the fire. Always clear site debris! (Marker stone was since restored).
Photographed by Richard Denney
7. Pioneer Cemetery Marker
Panorama of Pioneer Cemetery with Dolores Mountain in the background, likely the same Dolores referenced on the marker. Visible are many of the metal crosses replacing the wooden ones lost in the Rock House Fire of 2011 in Fort Davis.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 31, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2012, by Zacharias Beau T of Alpine, Texas. This page has been viewed 2,745 times since then and 179 times this year. Last updated on July 31, 2021, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 19, 2019, by Brian Anderson of New Albany, Ohio. 3. submitted on November 16, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 3, 2012, by Zacharias Beau T of Alpine, Texas. 7. submitted on October 28, 2020, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
