Near Bascom in Smith County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Bascom Cemetery
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 7, 2026
1. Bascom Cemetery Marker
Bascom was settled in the mid-1840s and named for a Tennessee Methodist bishop by early settler Lazariah Smith. Burials took place just north of this site until 1857 when one acre west of the Tyler to Henderson Road (present-day FM 848) and two acres east of the road were set aside for cemetery purposes. Graves from the early site were reinterred in Bascom Cemetery. The first recorded burial was that of John Pinkerton in 1851. Included among the more than 2,000 interments are those of the area's earliest settlers and their descendants and at least one veteran of the War of 1812.
Erected 1994 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7703.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.
Location. 32° 17.805′ N, 95° 12.512′ W. Marker is near Bascom, Texas, in Smith County. It is on Farm to Market Road 848 0.1 miles north of Old Omen Road (County Road 262), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12565 FM 848, Tyler TX 75705, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. 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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bascom United Methodist Church (within shouting distance of this marker); James Calhoun Hill (approx. 1.9 miles away); Headache Springs, C.S.A. (approx. 3.4 miles away); Colonel Richard B. Hubbard / Governor R. B. Hubbard (approx. 4.6 miles away); First Baptist Church of Whitehouse (approx. 4.8 miles away); Thomas Glover Pollard, Sr. (approx. 5.1 miles away); Tyler Junior College (approx. 5.1 miles away); First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (approx. 5.4 miles away).
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Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 7, 2026
2. Bascom Cemetery and marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 8, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
