This burial ground has served residents of southern Erath County since the late 1800s. At that time, the community of Alexander, platted by the Texas Central Railroad Company, was thriving. The community had received a post office in 1876, when it . . . — — Map (db m146307) HM
Settlers from Ellijay, Georgia, and other southern U.S. communities founded Bluff Dale near the Paluxy River in the late 1860's. Bluff Springs (the earlier name) was an early school district in 1867. Capt. Wesley Newell Freeman was the first . . . — — Map (db m212158) HM
For at least 20 years vehicles had to ford the Paluxy River to reach Bluff Dale and points west. Wagon traffic increased after the Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railroad line reached the town in 1889. This iron bridge began to serve the public by spanning . . . — — Map (db m196809) HM
Alfred W. Denny (d. 1877) came to Texas in 1853, settling first in Clarksville, and then moving to Weatherford in 1860. During the Civil War (1861-65) Denny served in a Ranger unit stationed at Stephenville that guarded Texas' western frontier. In . . . — — Map (db m212157) HM
Artesian springs helped draw settlers to Eastern Erath County and the community of Bluff Springs (later Bluff Dale). In 1872, Rev. James Wesley and Martha (Middleton) White donated seven acres of land for a church, school and community burial ground . . . — — Map (db m28407) HM
Sam Houston Prim (1863-1946) arrived in Dublin in 1891 with $680 worth of bottling equipment, purchasing property at the southeast corner of Patrick and Elm Streets to house his bottling works. Prim bottled Dr Pepper, along with other products, . . . — — Map (db m72315) HM
In 1893, John G. Harris, a former railroad president, joined with three other businessmen to establish Dublin National Bank. The bank opened on the heels of the incorporation of the town of Dublin in 1889. Dublin experienced considerable growth . . . — — Map (db m72323) HM
The Pecan Cemetery traces its history to 1880. The oldest marked grave is that of Horace F. Adams (October 19-November 14, 1880), son of Isaac (1842-1931) and Mary (1855-1915) Adams, who are also buried in the historic graveyard. A memorial marker . . . — — Map (db m84179) HM
In 1884 J. W. McKenzie deeded 3.5 acres of land for church and cemetery purposes in the Purves Community. A portion of the donated land has been used as a burial ground since 1880. The Friendship Baptist Church disbanded in 1915 after serving the . . . — — Map (db m84289) HM
Stonemasons Joe E. Bishop, "Rocky" Davis, and "Old Frank" Hamilton built this 2-story native stone mill for William T. Miller (1846-1936) in 1882. Steam power was used to grind grain here until a crude oil engine was installed (1918). The grist . . . — — Map (db m242500) HM
The first Clairette schoolhouse was a one-room log structure built as early as 1871. This two-story building was constructed in 1912, one year after the creation of the Clairette Independent School District. It served until 1949, when the rural . . . — — Map (db m117789) HM
Founded in 1884 by Jacob C. Lingle, the town of Lingleville originally covered a ten-block area. A Post Office was established in 1885, and by 1892 the community boasted stores, blacksmith shops, a mill gin, and three churches. Although bypassed . . . — — Map (db m158012) HM
Built in 1913, this Tabernacle served as a permanent structure for summer religious revivals, and eliminated the need to rebuild or repair the brush covered arbors that had been used in earlier years. Local Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian . . . — — Map (db m158015) HM
This is the site of the first commercial coal produced in Texas by Texas & Pacific Coal Company, mined in 1888. This company was the forerunner of Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company, now one of the nation’s substantial independent producers of oil . . . — — Map (db m88627) HM
This area of Thurber developed after 1917, when the Texas and Pacific Coal Company expanded into the burgeoning oil industry following W.K. Gordon’s discovery of the Ranger oil field. Renamed in 1918, the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company brought . . . — — Map (db m113729) HM
The Texas and Pacific Coal Company built the first-class Hotel Knox about 1895. In addition to serving out-of-town guests, it was a social center in Thurber and home to many of the town’s white collar workers, including store clerks and staff of the . . . — — Map (db m98443) HM
In 1891, a 20-acre “little lake” was built south of the Thurber townsite to supply water to the community. It soon proved inadequate, however, and five years later a 150-acre “big lake” was constructed here about a mile . . . — — Map (db m98445) HM
Texas and Pacific Coal Company general manager W.K. Gordon, seeing potential in the shale mud found in Thurber, persuaded company president R.D. Hunter to build a brick plant here in 1897. Original machinery included three Ross-Keller brick presses . . . — — Map (db m113726) HM
Two hundred yards southeast of this site, at the base of the hill and at a depth of 65 feet, the first coal mine in this area was placed in operation by brothers William W. and Harvey E. Johnson. After Harvey’s death in 1888, and because of labor . . . — — Map (db m113727) HM
Most of Thurber’s immigrant population, representing eighteen nationalities, were Catholic. Missionary priests ministered to the town until 1892, then the coal company erected a Catholic church at the bottom of Graveyard Hill. Originally named St. . . . — — Map (db m113730) HM
Most important mine site in Texas for 30 years. Coal here, probably known to Indians, was “discovered” in 1886 by W.W. Johnson, who with his brother Harvey sold out to Texas & Pacific Coal Company in 1888. (T.&P. Coal Company provided . . . — — Map (db m88626) HM
Encompassing slightly more than nine acres, the Thurber Cemetery documents the multi-ethnic Thurber community. The graveyard was divided into three sections with separate entrances: Catholic, Protestant, and African American. There are more than . . . — — Map (db m98444) HM
The Whitehead Cemetery is a significant reminder of the African American community that occupied the Thurber townsite in the early 20th century. When the Texas and Pacific Coal and Oil Company relocated its offices to Fort Worth in 1933, several . . . — — Map (db m113725) HM
Tradition states that the first burial here was a young girl who died as her family traveled west in the 1870s. The earliest marked gravestone, for Amanda Counts, dates from 1880. In March 1883, Isaac Henderson deeded about three acres to the . . . — — Map (db m158018) HM
The community of Morgan Mill, named for early settler George Bryan Morgan, traces its history to the mid-19th century. A post office was established in 1877. Several community church congregations shared a brush arbor in the summers for revivals . . . — — Map (db m72324) HM
The community of Morgan Mill, named for early settler George Bryan Morgan, traces its history to the mid-19th century. A post office was established in 1877. Several community church congregations shared a brush arbor in the summers for revivals . . . — — Map (db m158021) HM
Erath County Dairy Judging Team K.R. Averhoff • Sara Trout
Randy Carpenter • Tiffany Wood
Coaches:
Kurt Averhoff • Randal Carpenter • Terry Trout
This team accomplished a feat that had never been done in the state of Texas
They . . . — — Map (db m186525) HM
Originally located in Selden and moved to Huckabay, the Blacksmith Shop was donated by Nat Wofford and restored by Lance Trinque in 1994. — — Map (db m186593) HM
Seeking to improve the town's dirt streets, the Stephenville City Council in 1929 authorized paving by the Thurber Construction Company. High-quality bricks from Thurber (26 mi. NW), popular with builders around the state, were laid over a macadam . . . — — Map (db m215178) HM
Built on Long Street in Stephenville by former slaves for Silas Buck, this cabin was moved to Paluxy for use as a poultry house. William Brod donated the cabin and it was removed to Stephenville in 1993. — — Map (db m186590) HM
This corn crib was built on a farm between Rock Church and Paluxy for John Meek. In the 1940s, W.D. "Dave" and Mattie Byram purchased the property, and their son James donated the corn crib to the museum in their memory. Legend is that the structure . . . — — Map (db m186586) HM
Merchant, rancher, and banker J. H. Cage bought this property in 1876 and moved his family into an existing house. After his death in 1912, his children had the house moved and in 1913 built this home for their mother, Janie. Designed by the Fort . . . — — Map (db m215175) HM
John Wesley and Susan Carmack built this cabin in the Corinth community for a family of ten.
G.K. Lewallen donated the building, and three of the children of the Rev. C.F. Carmack financed its reconstruction. — — Map (db m186589) HM
Families from Alabama settled in the Center Grove Community and in the 1890s erected a schoolhouse. This builing, donated by Mr. and Mrs. John B. Collier IV, was moved from the Diamond C Ranch. — — Map (db m186578) HM
In 1880, North Carolina native Dr. William Wallace McNeill and his wife, Elizabeth Ann (Bell), deeded land to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for a church, school and cemetery. The burial ground is the last remaining historic trace of the . . . — — Map (db m174942) HM
Built by Isaac Cowan to meet requirements of the Homestead Act, this cabin was donated by E.L. Rhoades, Jr. Erected on the banks of Richardson Creek, the cabin had a floor of stone. — — Map (db m186587) HM
Tennessee natives Dr. Martin Swan Crow (1833-1892) and his wife Mollie Jane (George) Crow (1843-1910) arrived in Stephenville in 1871. Dr. Crow operated a successful medical practice and drug store, and he invested heavily in real estate. Mrs. Crow . . . — — Map (db m186573) HM
The first floor of this limestone building, erected before 1892, housed the Erath County National Bank, with Dr. M.S. Crow as president. His wife Mollie Jane Crow suggested use of the top floor for cultural events. The opera house auditorium, which . . . — — Map (db m186564) HM
D. R. Thornton from Mississippi married Mary Anna, daughter of frontier fighter Peter Garland in Anderson County, Texas, in 1853. The Thorntons settled here in 1857 as cattleraisers, and helped make this frontier safe for less hardy citizens. Mrs. . . . — — Map (db m83867) HM
Dating from the early 1880s, downtown Stephenville consisted of wood frame and masonry one-part and two part commercial block buildings, oriented around the county courthouse. The Dawson Saloon building was constructed in the early to mid-1890s on a . . . — — Map (db m186528) HM
A Dog Trot Cabin consisted of two pens, one forming the living quarters and the other a kitchen. The pens were connected by a breezeway, known as a dog trot or dog run. — — Map (db m186584) HM
The Erath Arches were constructed in honor of soldier, surveyor, and legislator George B. Erath (1813-1891), for whom Erath County was named in 1856. The monument was one of many built around the state to celebrate the 1936 centennial of Texas . . . — — Map (db m117455) HM
Founded in 1854 and named for early settler and land donor John M. Stephen, the town of Stephenville became county seat when Erath County was created in 1856. The first county courthouse, a wood frame structure built in 1856, was destroyed by fire . . . — — Map (db m186526) HM
In memory of Major George B. Erath, CSA and the more than 600 Confederate Veterans of the War between the States, who rest beneath the rich soil of Erath County.
Ordinary men from across the South took up arms to fight an extraordinary war. . . . — — Map (db m186547) WM
Erath County Honors Its Veterans of
WW I WW II Korea
Vietnam Desert Storm and Other Military Actions
We Are Proud
of You
Duty Honor Country
Our Men and Women of the Army Navy Marine
Air Force Coast Guard
Merchant . . . — — Map (db m186548) WM
This congregation, organized in 1855 with ten charter members, traces its history to the founding of Stephenville. Early worship services were held in the masonic lodge building on the town square. A sanctuary erected in the 1890s was replaced by . . . — — Map (db m186523) HM
Built in 1889 to house the city's first bank, this is the earliest of three structures on the town square designed by prominent San Antonio architect J. Riely Gordon. It features elaborate stonework and large arches typical of Romanesque Revival . . . — — Map (db m186527) HM
Protector of the Texas frontier. Hero of San Jacinto. Major in the Confederate Army. Member of the Texas Congress and Legislature. Born in Vienna, Austria January 1, 1813. Died at Waco, Texas May 15, 1891. Erath County was named in his honor. . . . — — Map (db m117456) HM
John Tarleton was an orphan, who at an early age worked his way from New England to Knoxville, Tennessee. Employed in a dry goods store for over forty years, he invested in government land certificates, eventually securing patents to thousands of . . . — — Map (db m201929) HM
Living quarters for the Dog Trot cabin were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Billy Jones. The cabin was built by his grandfather in the Paluxy community in 1896. — — Map (db m186585) HM
This memorial is dedicated by the grateful citizens of Erath County to the memory of those who gave their lives that freedom and justice shall not perish from the earth.
World War I
1917 - 1918
World War II
1941 - 1945
World . . . — — Map (db m186554) WM
The McCormick-Deering steel-wheeled, kerosene-powered 15-30 tractor was a popular farm model between 1921 and 1934. Even after the 1930 model like you see here benefitted from an increase to 22-36 horsepower, International Harvester maintained the . . . — — Map (db m186581) HM
Founders of Oak Dale community began arriving in 1867. They included: John R. Pickard; George Lidia, who became Pickard's son-in-law; the Rev. James M. Johnson, a Methodist minister; and William Jasper Mefferd. These men and their families, . . . — — Map (db m83874) HM
Built in 1869, by J.D. Berry. Native limestone, Victorian architecture distinguished by steep roof, narrow windows, filigree gingerbread trim. Purchased 1965. Restored by public donation sponsored by Stephenville Study Club to house historical . . . — — Map (db m186594) HM
The Rev. John William Everds led his Presbyterian congregation in raising funds to erect this church, 1899-1900. It was designed by local builder and church leader William John Wilson. Fishscale shingling decorates the steeple of this Carpenter . . . — — Map (db m186576) HM
Local drug stores were an important and essential part of the economy and well-being of early Texas towns. This site at the corner of Washington and Belknap streets served as the location of a series of Stephenville drug stores from 1899 until 1994. . . . — — Map (db m186562) HM
The Masonic Lodge in Stephenville organized on July 23, 1860, with 24 masons assembling, including town founder John M. Stephen and four visitors from Gatesville Lodge No. 197. Members first met in a two-story log building facing Belknap Street, . . . — — Map (db m186524) HM
John Tarleton, benefactor of the Stephenville college operated a 10,000-acre ranch in Erath and Palo Pinto counties in the 1880s and 1890s. John and David Laird donated this building which served as headquarters, and it was moved to this site in . . . — — Map (db m186579) HM
For a time, the kitchen pen of the Dog Trot cabin was home for the Boy Scouts Troop 39. A fire damaged one wall. Dr. Robert Walker donated the remains to the museum, and a colonial fireplace was erected to replace the damaged wall. — — Map (db m186583) HM
