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

Grove Hill

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026

1. Grove Hill Marker

Inscription. The earliest settler in this area was George W. Smith, a native of Georgia, who moved here in 1844. By the early 1850s, a community had developed and a post office was established under the name Oak Hill. The first church, a Baptist congregation, was organized in 1855 at the home of pioneer settler Joseph Ring. During the Civil War several residents formed a Confederate militia unit known as the Oak Hill Home Guard.

The first church building, completed in 1869, was also used for Masonic Lodge meetings and school classes. In 1878 William Thomas Clark, F.K. Taylor, and T.C. Cobb, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, purchased four acres at this site for a community schoolhouse, sanctuary, and cemetery.

The earliest marked grave in the community burial ground is that of William B.A. Thomas (d. 1862). Other graves include those of pioneer settlers and at least one former slave, Jack Sudderth (1799-1898).

The settlement of Grove Hill began to decline in the early 1880s after the nearby railroad town of Leonard (3.5 mi. SW) was established. The Masonic Lodge moved there soon after and the school merged with the

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Leonard District in 1942.

Erected 1981 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 8894.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.

Location. 33° 25.932′ N, 96° 13.193′ W. Marker is near Leonard, Texas, in Fannin County. It is on Farm To Market Road 1553 0.7 miles north of County Road 4800, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Grove Hill Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5433 Farm to Market Road 1553, Leonard TX 75452, 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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Valley Creek (approx. 2 miles away); Savage

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 2, 2026

2. Grove Hill Marker

Marker is in Grove Hill Cemetery.

(approx. 2.3 miles away); First Baptist Church of Bailey (approx. 3 miles away); Ashley Lodge No. 681, A. F. & A. M. (approx. 3.1 miles away); First Presbyterian Church of Leonard (approx. 3.7 miles away); First United Methodist Church of Leonard (approx. 3.8 miles away); Dr. William Chamberlayne Jones (approx. 3.9 miles away); John Cadwallader Neale (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leonard.

Also see . . . Grove Hill, Texas: History and Community Overview. Grove Hill, also known as Oak Hill, is on Farm Road 1553 twelve miles south of Bonham and four miles northeast of Leonard in southwestern Fannin County. Grove Hill is reportedly the oldest settlement in that part of the county. (Tom Hymer and Elizabeth Clark Routh, in Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Association, Sept. 1, 1995) (Submitted on August 1, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 1, 2026, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.