Near West in McLennan County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Bold Springs Cemetery

Photographed by James Hulse, March 5, 2023

1. Bold Springs Cemetery Marker

Inscription. Isaac Butler "Doc" Cauble (1820-1904) built a cabin in 1850 near one of several flowing springs that was home to generations of Native Americans. Cauble's young son, James, was a friend to a Comanche boy who died and was buried on the hill now holding this cemetery. Other early settlers included the families of Carey Boulds, Jacob Closner, Walter Bennett, William Hurlock, and Thomas West. The spring and surrounding community was known as "Bould Springs" or "Bennett Springs." The Bould Springs post office opened in Boulds' cabin, which served as a community gathering place and a place for stagecoaches to stop and change horses. County commissioners established roads through Bold Springs linking Waco to Hillsboro, from here to a lumber mill on Aquilla Creek and also to a family grain mill on the Brazos River. Bold Springs Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1858, was the first church in northeastern McClennan County. The population numbered 311 in the 1860 census, making Bold Springs the second largest town in the county. In 1881, settlement shifted to the new town of West, established on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.

The oldest known grave marks Mary W. Baze (Jul. 28, 1828 - Jun. 19, 1861). The general landscape is traditional, with graves oriented east-west and the oldest graves in the center sections. Here are pioneers of Bold Springs, members of fraternal organizations, and early business and civic leaders of West. Veterans of conflicts from the Civil War to present are among the more than 2,400 interred. Grave markers are of granite, marble, metal, limestone and sandstone. Vegetation includes oak trees, crepe myrtles, irises and bluebonnets. The Bold Springs Cemetery Association formed in 1892 and continues to care for this historic reminder of the once thriving Bold Springs community. Historic

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Texas Cemetery - 2011

Erected 2011 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17406.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Railroads & Streetcars • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical date for this entry is June 19, 1850.

Location. 31° 46.774′ N, 97° 7.898′ W. Marker is near West, Texas, in McLennan County. It is on 4 Corners Road 0.3 miles north of Tokio Road (Farm to Market Road 1858), on the left when traveling north. The marker is located on the left side of the entrance to the Bold Springs Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 4 Corners Road, West TX 76691, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

It is also in the American South.

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.

The entrance to the Bold Springs Cemetery and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 5, 2023

2. The entrance to the Bold Springs Cemetery and Marker

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Church of the Assumption (approx. 2.4 miles away); St. Mary's School (approx. 2½ miles away); St. Mary's Cemetery (approx. 2.6 miles away); First Presbyterian Church of West (approx. 2.7 miles away); West (approx. 2.7 miles away); Groppe Building (approx. 2.8 miles away); Best Theatre Building (approx. 2.9 miles away); First Baptist Church of West (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Crash at Crush (was approx. 2.8 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

The view of the Bold Springs Cemetery and Marker from across the street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 5, 2023

3. The view of the Bold Springs Cemetery and Marker from across the street

Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,105 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 7, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.