Anna in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Lair Cemetery

Photographed by James Hulse, September 3, 2026

1. Lair Cemetery Marker

Inscription.
In the 1850s, North Texas attracted settlers from border states like Kentucky with the promise of inexpensive land for farming and stock raising. One such man was Dr. William Dixon Lair (1814-1887), a pioneer physician, former Kentucky state legislator, and devout Baptist lay preacher and regional leader in the denomination. In 1857, he briefly settled in Grayson County. After the death of his second wife in 1858, he and his eight children moved to Collin County. In 1860, he married his third wife, Sallie Jane McWhorter (1836-1909), and he established a farm in the area that would become Anna. Dr. Lair traveled by horseback to see patients in northern Collin County, southern Grayson County and western Fannin County. He was also a senator in the Texas Legislature, first in 1863 and again from 1879-1883.

In 1863, Dr. Lair purchased land in two adjoining surveys from his new wife’s distant cousin, J.C. Portman, who had purchased it from Christopher Riffe, Portman’s brother-in-law, in 1859. Although no graves are mentioned on the deeds, a small graveyard started in 1855 with the death of a young child, John C. Riffe. By

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the time Dr. Lair purchased the property, there were four graves, including his daughter who had died a few months earlier. Burials of members of the Lair and Riffe families and their descendants continued with 26 having been buried by 1910. Today, there are 29 known graves, including four known veterans’ graves: three Confederate soldiers and one Union soldier. The last person to be buried in Lair Cemetery was William Brown (1906-1968). Some monuments and gravestones have suffered damage in recent years, but restoration work has been undertaken. Today, Lair Cemetery serves as a reminder of early settlers and the lives and history they witnessed. Historic Texas Cemetery

Erected 2021 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 23603.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 33° 20.463′ N, 96° 34.136′ W. Marker is in Anna, Texas, in Collin County. It is on S Ferguson Pkwy (County Road 367) 0.1 miles south of W White Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:

Photographed by James Hulse, September 3, 2026

2. Lair Cemetery Marker

The view of the entrance to the cemetery from the street.

1114 Co Rd 367, Anna TX 75409, 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Public Education in Anna (approx. 1.2 miles away); First Christian Church of Anna (approx. 1.3 miles away); Anna Depot (approx. 1.3 miles away); Coffman Cemetery (approx. 1.3 miles away); Anna Train Depot (approx. 1.3 miles away); A. Sherley & Bro. Hardware Store (approx. 1.3 miles away); Corner Post of Uncle Charlie Wysong's Blacksmith Shop (approx. 2.1 miles away); Highland Cemetery (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anna.

More about this marker. The marker’s dedication date is October 26, 2024

Lair Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 3, 2026

3. Lair Cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 4, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.