Ravenna in Fannin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Mulberry Cemetery
Located approximately two miles south of the Red River, Mulberry was established in the early 1880s as a small farming community. One of the first settlers in Mulberry was Civil War Captain Thomas Lightfoot and his family from Alabama, who bought several thousand acres of land along the Red River. In 1883, Thomas Lightfoot donated land to the Mulberry Community to be used for a cemetery and a one-room school. Eventually, Mulberry School closed and half of its property was sold by D.B. Deupree in 1951 to the cemetery. Joe C. Denton paid for the land as a gift to the community.
The oldest part of the cemetery is located on the north end overlooking Mulberry Bottom. The first recorded burial on the property was that of two-year-old Allis May, in 1876. Other family burials date as far back as 1881. In the northwest corner of the original burial ground is the Mexican section shaded with trees. The first Mexican family to come to Mulberry was Ferman and Rossaria Portillo and their three children in 1902. Over the years the community experienced multiple natural disasters which took several lives. Some of these events include: The 1905 flooding of Mulberry Bottom, 1919 Mulberry Cyclone and the 1959 tornado which destroyed many of the tombstones and cemetery fence.
There are several war veterans buried in the cemetery including the only known Civil War veteran, B.F. Moseley. All veterans are honored by the main gate entrance flag pole, which is set in a concrete stand embedded with the Veterans of Foreign Wars emblem. A cross and monument stand on the midpoint between the original burial ground and the site of the old Mulberry School in memory of those lost and unmarked graves.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2016
Marker is property of the State of Texas
Erected 2016 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18610.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.
Location. 33° 43.691′ N, 96° 16.498′ W. Marker is in Ravenna, Texas, in Fannin County. Marker is on Farm to Market Road 274, 5 miles west of State Highway 78, on the right when traveling south. The main cemetery gate is facing south, behind Mulberry United Methodist Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5638 FM274, Ravenna TX 75476, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Site of the Smith Plantation (approx. 1.2 miles away); Union Cemetery (approx. 1.2 miles away); Joseph Sowell (approx. 5 miles away); Little Jordan Cemetery (approx. 10.1 miles away); Fort Warren (approx. 10.2 miles away); Ector Lodge No. 687, A. F. & A. M. (approx. 10.3 miles away); Savoy Methodist Church (approx. 10.4 miles away); Bethlehem Baptist Church (approx. 11.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ravenna.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2022, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. This page has been viewed 170 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 10, 2022, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.