Thomaston Cemetery

Thomaston Cemetery. . , Thomaston was established as De Witt County's first railroad town in 1872, with much of the land for the townsite donated by John P. and Mary M. Lockhart Wright. Land for this cemetery was given in 1886 by John P. Wright, and his widow (second wife, Margaret Rankin Calliham Wright) donated an additional lot in 1917 to adjoin the cemetery on the north. , There are approximately 283 graves located in the cemetery. Early graves were marked with wooden boards, which were replaced by concrete blocks about 1946. The earliest marked grave is that of an infant, George E. McDonald (October 1, 1870 - March 8, 1871). Also buried here are John P. Wright (October 29, 1829 - June 12, 1897), his first wife, Mary Melvina Lockhart Wright (Sept. 21, 1841 - Feb. 16, 1875), and his second wife, Margaret Rankin Calliham Wright (Feb. 5, 1847 - Feb. 15, 1921). Headstones in the cemetery also mark the graves of veterans of the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. , The Thomaston Cemetery Association was formed in the 1930s, and is responsible for maintenance of the cemetery. The original fence was replaced in the 1940s with a chain-link fence. The cemetery serves as a reminder of early Thomaston history.