Near Amarillo in Potter County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
First Cemetery in Potter County
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 15, 2015
1. First Cemetery in Potter County Marker
On the old _X (LX), first ranch in Potter County, established in 1877 by W.H. Bates and D.T. Beals, Boston (Mass.) industrialists. The earliest burials occurred after the LX was sold, 1884, to American Pastoral Land and Cattle Company, a British syndicate.
First grave was dug for the LX bookkeeper's wife, Mrs. James Wyness, who died in Tascosa on June 15, 1887; six weeks later the newborn son who survived was laid at her side. The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Charley Mott died in 1888. Second adult buried here was P.O. ("Bunch") McCrary, killed 1890 when his horse fell on him while he was roping a yearling. In 1893 James Bailey, hauling grain from Amarillo, bogged in quicksand in the Canadian; in getting his wagon out, he suffered exposure that brought on a fatal case of pneumonia. A 1902 grave was for James Bell, found dead in a corral with a bridle in his hand.
When the syndicate was liquidated, this portion of the ranch was purchased by an early cattleman, R.B. Masterson. John Arnot, one of the original employees of the syndicate, and later a U.S. Government Cattle Brands Inspector, maintained the cemetery until
this page online
Erected 1967 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 1696.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location. 35° 28.575′ N, 101° 53.053′ W. Marker is near Amarillo, Texas, in Potter County. It is on U.S. 87 3.3 miles south of Gravel Pit Road, on the right when traveling south. Located a half mile north of the Canadian River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Amarillo TX 79108, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Texas Panhandle. It is also on the American Great Plains, specifically on the Southern Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. 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 Comancherνa, the Dust Bowl, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 15, 2015
2. View of marker looking south towards Canadian River.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Great Spanish Road / First Ranch in Potter County / First Store in Potter County (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Canadian River (about 400 feet away); The _X (LX) First Ranch in Potter County (approx. 1.7 miles away); The United States Topographical Engineers in the High Plains of Texas (approx. 1.7 miles away); First Gas Well in the Panhandle of Texas (approx. 7.7 miles away); McBride Ranch House (approx. 9.8 miles away); Masterson (approx. 11.6 miles away); a different marker also named The Canadian River (approx. 12.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Amarillo.
Also see . . . Find-A-Grave link to cemetery. (Submitted on September 20, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 15, 2015
3. Looking north on US Highway 87.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 15, 2015
4. Google Maps showing cemetery.
Worn trail from marker leads to rectangular cemetery surrounded by metal piping.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 3,006 times since then and 161 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 20, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
