Original Downtown in Plano in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Welcome to Old City Cemetery
Photographed by James Hulse, January 7, 2025
1. Welcome to Old City Cemetery Marker
In 1841, W. S. Peters was granted contracts for North Central Texas and founded the Peters Colony. Settlers arriving from the east agreed to conditions, such as building a cabin, fencing at least 5 acres, and staying for at least three years. Sometimes known as the Pioneer Cemetery, this large burial ground was designated for use in 1848. The cemetery was associated with the earliest Methodist Church in Plano, where worshippers gathered until 1894, Five Peters Colonists, some of the original Plano pioneers, are buried in this cemetery Robert H. Brown, Joseph Klepper, Fountain J. Vance, William Beverly and his son Rev. John Beverly.
Joseph Klepper established the Old City Cemetery. He was born in Tennessee in 1804. One of the original Peters Colonists, he came to the Plano area in the 1840's. Joseph Klepper married Naricy Beverly in Granger County, Tennessee in 1829. There are six members of the Klepper family buried in Old City Cemetery. Besides Joseph and Nancy, there are Andrew, Daniel Boone, Isaac (son of Joseph Klepper) and Isaac's wife Rachel.
Old City Cemetery has a unique African American history. Over the years, the original Peters Colony neighborhood, for which the cemetery was built, evolved into an African American community. Thus, the Old City Cemetery became one of the first integrated cemeteries
this page online
Captions
(Photo #1) "The Peters Colony of Texas"-written by Seymour V. Connor, first published in 1959
(Photo #2) Map of Plano with Klepper, Beverly and Beck surveyed sections
Erected by The Plano Conservancy.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1841.
Location. 33° 0.908′ N, 96° 42.172′ W. Marker is in Plano, Texas, in Collin County. It is in Original Downtown. It is on H Avenue west of 12th Street. The marker is located at the northeast corner of the Plano Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1203 H Avenue, Plano TX 75074, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Plano Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Old City Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); The Restoration of Old City Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Tracks of Our Past and Future (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); L.A. Davis Cemetery (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named L.A. Davis Cemetery (about 600 feet away);
Photographed by James Hulse, January 7, 2025
2. The view of the Old City Cemetery and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 220 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 13, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
