Parker County Historical Markers

Texas Lakes Trail Region
Map of Parker County Historic Sites
Markers (click on a topic to jump to that section.)
Annetta Cemetery | Authon Cemetery | Cooper, Colonel Alfred G. | Fondren Cemetery | Fort Wolters | Hoggard-Reynolds Cemetery | Ikard, Bose | Knight, Jack Llewellyn | Lanham, Governor S.W.T. | Lemley Cemetery | Loving, Oliver | Nelson Cemetery | Old City Greenwood Cemetery | Parker County Courthouse | Parker County, C.S.A. | Parker, Isaac | Parker, Isaac | Porter Cemetery | Soldier Spring Park | Veal's Station | Weatherford | Woolfolk-McCall House
Uncommemorated and Unmapped Sites
Blackwell, Ben | Coldwell, Jack | Cresson | Millsap, Fuller | Littleton, Joe | Mary's Creek Raid (Tinnell & Lopp) | McKinney and Children, Mr. & Mrs. James | Slipdown Mountain | Mr. and Mrs. Ed Rippey | Weatherford | Weatherford to Salesville | Patrick's Creek Story | Mann Davis Tackett | Massacre of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Briscoe and Capture of Their Children | Indians Disturb Religious Services in the Terrapin Neck Community | Andy Chapman | John Brown | Alvin Clark | Indian Raid Near Old Gocian in Parker County | Bill Nix | Welch and Alexander Children | Tipton Seay | Joe Hemphill | Marion Lasater, Wess Sheek, and Others | Marcus L. Dalton, James Redfield and James McAster | George McKluskey | Hanna and Rose Moore | Lynn Boyd Cranfill | William Youngblood | Johnnie Leaper | M.Y. (Roe) Littlefield | Thomas Killen | Mrs. J. Brown | Martin Cathey and Johnnie (Jack) Hale | W.L. Light, Wife, Mary and Baby Dora | Bolen and James Savage | James Franklin | Indian Fight South of Millsap in 1868 | A.J. Gorman | Mrs. Lem Barton | William and Stewart Hamilton | Bolen and James Savage | Henry Maxwell | Indians Murder Andrew Berry and Boy and Leave Another for Dead | Buddy Williams | Indian Fight About Four Miles North of Lipan | Wm. Wilson and Anna Acres (Mount Nebo)

Annetta Cemetery

Marker Title: Annetta Cemetery
Address: 1283 O'Neal Ave. N
City: Aledo
Year Marker Erected: 1998
Marker Text: Community founder A.B. Fraser was a Confederate soldier who went into exile in Central America rather than declare allegiance to the Union. The Frasers named their daughter, who was born in Honduras, Anneta. The family returned to the U.S. in 1872, settling in Fort Worth, then moved a few miles west of the city in 1876. Fraser established a store and freight station near Weatherford and named the station for his daughter. When the Texas and Pacific Railroad built tracks through this area in 1880, it adapted the Fraser name, spelling it Annetta. Though it is likely that the site had already been used as a burial ground for several years before Edgar M. King was interred here in September 1882, his is the earliest tombstone on this site. King was the first of many of his family to be buried in Annetta Cemetery. Thirty-five infants' graves are dated between 1882 and 1910, a testament to the harsh conditions of pioneer life. Those interred here were civic and church leaders, educators, politicians, farmers, ranchers, merchants, and manufacturers. The Bell, Bledsoe, Chapman, Chew, Duncan, Nichols, Otto, and Winslow families are prominently represented, as are others who built the Annetta community. One burial is that of a veteran of the Civil War; other graves are those of veterans of several major United States and international wars and conflicts. More than 935 graves were counted in 1998. Fading railroad tracks and the Annetta Cemetery are all that remain to chronicle the passing of the pioneers of Annetta community. (1998)

Authon Cemetery

Marker Title: Authon Cemetery
Address: On Garner-Adell Rd, off US 180, about 20 mi. W of Weatherford.
City: Authon
Year Marker Erected: 1981
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take US 180 west about 10.5 miles, turn onto FM 113 about 5.5 miles, turn east onto Authon-Bethesda Road, (Old Authon Road), continue about 2 miles. Turn south onto Garner-Adell Road, about .25 mile to cemetery.
Marker Text: Named for the nearby Authon Community, located on the Fort Worth-Fort Belknap Military Road, this site first served as a cemetery for the family of Kentucky native Isom Cranfill (1831-1902). The earliest burial here was that of his 15-year-old son, Linn Boyd Cranfill (d. 1871), who was killed in an Indian attack near the family home (.75 mile south). The cemetery and adjoining land were later deeded to the Authon Church of Christ, who worshiped in a sanctuary at this site until the 1920s. Still in use, the public burial ground contains the graves of many pioneer area settlers. (1981)

Colonel Alfred G. Cooper

Marker Title: Colonel Alfred G. Cooper
Address: Spring Creek Cemetery, on FM 51, S of Weatherford
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take FM 51 about 8 miles south to Spring Creek Cemetery. Marker is in northwest corner of cemetery.
Marker Text: Seminole Florida War, 1836. Captain in Mexican War, 1846. Lt. Colonel Confederate Army, 1862. Born in Tennessee, June 22, 1817. Died February 28, 1883. (1936)

Fondren Cemetery

Marker Title: Fondren Cemetery
Address: Fondren Cemetery Lane of US 180, via FM 113 and Authon Rd.
City: Fondren
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take US 180 west about 11.5 miles, turn north on FM 113 about 5.6 miles north. Turn east onto Authon-Bethesda Road about 2 miles east and head south on Fondren Cemetery Lane, about .25 mile to cemetery on west side of road.
Marker Text: In 1854 William B. Fondren (1811-1863) and his wife Susannah (1816-1888) settled along nearby Dry Creek and the military road from Fort Worth to Fort Belknap. This family graveyard was established in the John W. Williams Survey, adjacent to Fondren's land. General Edward H. Tarrant, for whom Tarrant County was named, died at the Fondren home in 1858 and was buried here for a time. The first marked grave is that of Fondren's son-in-law William Youngblood whose headstone, like others in the cemetery, reads: "Killed by Indians, 1860". This pioneer burial ground served until 1937. (1979)

Fort Wolters

Marker Title: Fort Wolters
Address: Washington and Hood Roads
City: Mineral Wells
Year Marker Erected: 1999
Marker Text: Located in the counties of Palo Pinto and Parker, Fort Wolters' history dates back to the days of "Old" Camp Wolters, created in 1925 as a National Guard training area under the guidance of General Jacob F. Wolters. On October 13, 1940, the U.S. Army activated Camp Wolters as an infantry replacement center, with the support of Mineral Wells community leaders. Additional lands were bought or donated to the army by local residents to expand the camp to over 7,500 acres. In less than four months, more than 100 buildings were constructed. The original buildings of "Old" Camp Wolters were converted into a P.O.W. camp for German prisoners from North Africa. The prison camp was closed on August 15, 1946, as the last prisoners were returned to their homeland. At its peak, Camp Wolters was home to more than 30,000 soldiers per training cycle. Among the notable war heroes that passed through the camp were Lt. Jack Knight and Audie Murphy, (More Hollywood Heroes) both of whom were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. After World War II Fort Wolters was deactivated as an army training facility and reactivated in 1951 as Wolters Air Force Base. In 1956, it was designated Camp Wolters Army Base, and was used for helicopter flight training with more than 1,000 helicopters stationed at three different heliports. The base was expanded to cover nearly 722,000 acres of land for flight training purposes. In 1963 it was designated Fort Wolters. The fort also became the site of a Nike missile installation until it reverted once again to the National Guard after the Vietnam War. Fort Wolters was officially closed for military service on February 1, 1973. (1999)

Hoggard-Reynolds Cemetery

Marker Title: Hoggard-Reynolds Cemetery
City: Azle
Year Marker Erected: 2000
Marker Location: S. Stewart St., 1.1 mi. W of SH 199, Azle.
Marker Text: According to oral history, pioneer farmer and Confederate widow Sarah Hoggard gave a plot of her land for the burial of an African American child who died while traveling through the area with his family after the Civil War. Though there may be earlier graves, the first marked burial on this site if that of Francis Reynolds, who died in 1865. Sarah and James Hoggard's daughter Matilda married Benjamin Reynolds, whose father operated the first cotton gin and grist mill in the area, and his family name became as prominent among the graves as that of the Hoggards. In 1899 the "Hoggard Graveyard" was set aside in a deed to the Hoggard family land. Reynolds was formally added to the cemetery name in 1984 after a Reynold's descendant deeded additional land. The cemetery is a chronicle of area pioneers. (2000)

Bose Ikard

Marker Title: Bose Ikard
Address: Front Street, at Old City Greenwood Cemetery
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1990
Marker Location: Old City Greenwood Cemetery (west side), Front Street -Weatherford.
Marker Text: Born a slave in Mississippi, Bose Ikard came to Texas as a child with the family of his owner, Dr. Milton L. Ikard. He remained as an employee of Dr. Ikard following his emancipation, but in 1866 joined a cattle drive to Colorado led by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. Ikard became one of Goodnight's best cowboys and a trusted friend. Following his work in the cattle drives, Ikard settled in Weatherford. He and his wife Angeline were the parents of six children. When he died in 1929 at age 85, Goodnight had a granite marker erected at his grave. (1990)

Jack Llewellyn Knight

Marker Title: Jack Llewellyn Knight
Address: Holders Chapel Road, off US 180 W of Weatherford
City: Cool Community
Year Marker Erected: 1990
Marker Location: In the Holders Chapel Cemetery, from Weatherford take US 180 12 miles west, turn north onto Holders Chapel Road in the Cool Community, and continue about 1 mile to the cemetery.
Marker Text: Born on a farm near Garner (4 miles north) Jack L. Knight enlisted in the Texas National Guard in 1940. Mobilized for service during World War II, his unit was posted to Southeast Asia to help open the Burma Road between India and China. During one of the last battles in that region, Knight was killed while leading an attack on a Japanese position. Four months later, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the only one awarded for the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. In 1949 he was buried in this cemetery named for his great-grandfather. (1990)

Governor S.W.T. Lanham

Marker Title: Governor S.W.T. Lanham
Address: 604 S. Alamo St.
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Location: 604 S. Alamo Street, Weatherford.
Marker Text: A South Carolinian, Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham volunteered at age 15 and fought 1861-65 in the Civil War. In 1866 he married Sarah Beona Meng and moved to Texas. The Lanhams taught school, first in Bowie County, then in Weatherford. Admitted to the bar in 1869, Lanham in 1871 became district attorney for five counties, including Parker. Also in 1871 he began to built his home at this site, enlarging it later. His speeches in 1871 at the trial of Indian chiefs in the Warren Wagon Train Massacre brought him fame at age 25. Elected United States Congressman in 1882 for the 98-county "jumbo" district of West Texas, he served as a national lawmaker for 17 years. S.W.T. Lanham was the last Confederate veteran to be Governors of Texas, 1903-07. He led in reviving East Texas iron works, began fiscal balance practices in state government, and invoked social justice. Laws made in response to his policies covered vital tax reforms, child labor curbs, uniform textbooks, and the Terrell Election Law to enable voters to nominate officials by ballot rather than in conventions. Governor and Mrs. Lanham had eight children, including U.S. Congressman Fritz Lanham. The Ex-Governor died here at his home and is buried in Weatherford. (1978)

Lemley Cemetery

Marker Title: Lemley Cemetery
Address: Cold Springs Rd. off Old Authon Rd. via FM 920
City: Lemley
Year Marker Erected: 1992
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take FM 920 6.6 miles northwest, then 1 mile west on Old Authon Road, turn south onto Cold Springs Road, about 1 mile to cemetery.
Marker Text: The earliest marked grave in this cemetery, that of Elizabeth Moore, dates to 1857. She was buried on part of a 160-acre tract of land settled by the Thomas B. Martin family in 1853 and patented to Martin by the State of Texas six years later. The existence of the cemetery is reflected in the Parker County deed records as early as 1869, when Martin sold his property to John H. and Thomas J. Lemley. The Lemleys came to Texas from Illinois in the mid-1850s and eventually settled in Parker County. The cemetery on their property, which came to be named for them, was used over the years for members of the family, as well as for friends and nearby settlers. Tombstones mark the graves of landowners Thomas Martin and George Lemley, as well as others who lived and died in the area, many of whom were victims of the hardships of pioneer life on the Texas frontier. At least five veterans of the Civil War also are buried here. Many graves are marked only with native rocks. The historic Lemley Cemetery is thus an important reflection of the heritage of this part of Parker County. (1992)

Oliver Loving

Marker Title: Oliver Loving
Address: Front St. in Greenwood Cemetery
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1977
Marker Location: Greenwood Cemetery, Front Street, Weatherford.
Marker Text: Founder of three major cattle trails, Oliver Loving came from Kentucky to Texas in 1845 and to Parker County about 1855. During the Civil War (1861-65), he supplied beef to Confederate forces. With Charles Goodnight as partner on a drive to New Mexico, Loving scouted ahead of the cattle, was badly wounded by Indians, lay five days without food before his rescue, and died of gangrene on September 25, 1867. His dying wish was fulfilled when his son Joseph joined Goodnight to bring the body 600 miles by wagon for burial in this county. Recorded, 1977.

Nelson Cemetery

Marker Title: Nelson Cemetery
Address: Nelson Road, of FM 370 via Peden Rd.
City: Azle
Year Marker Erected: 1985
Marker Location: From Azle, take FM 730 north about 3.5 miles to Peden Road, take Peden Road .5 mile west; turn south on Cardinal Lane, then take next turn west on Nelson Road to cemetery.
Marker Text: Hugh Nelson (1821-1884), a native of Tennessee, donated the original two acres of this burial ground. The earliest dated stone marks the grave of his infant son Hugh, who died in 1864. Earlier burials were marked only with field-stones. A number of children's graves date from a dysentery epidemic in 1884. Known at one time as Walnut Creek Cemetery, this is the burial place of many area pioneers, including members of the Cruse, Helm, Nix, Osburn, Parker, and Peden families. Nelson Cemetery contains over 700 known graves. (1985)

Old City Greenwood Cemetery

Marker Title: Old City Greenwood Cemetery
Address: 400 Front Street
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1996
Marker Location: 400 Front Street, Weatherford.
Marker Text: This cemetery was formally established by the Weatherford town council in 1863 when lots were surveyed and the exact cemetery location was staked. Previous interments were made in the unmarked streets of the town. The mayor directed those remains be moved to the new cemetery. Historian H. Smythe noted in 1877 that the cemetery was a "sadly neglected spot," without a fence. By 1925 the civic league and cemetery association had been formed. The accomplishments of its women members were many. In addition to site beautification, the driveways were widened and graveled. A water well and windmill were installed, and a sexton was employed to secure the grounds. Cemetery care declined in the 1930's and later. Among the estimated 1,000 graves are Civil War medal of honor recipient Chester Bowen; trail drivers Oliver Loving and Boze Ikard; cattleman and founder of the Citizens National Bank J.R. couts; Governor of Texas (1902-06) S.W.T. Lanham and his son, congressman Fritz G. Lanham; veterans of many wars; and pioneers of early Texas history. Restoration of the cemetery began in the late 1980's. The site continues to serve the area. (1996)

Parker County Courthouse

Marker Title: Parker County Courthouse
Address: College St. & US 180, Courthouse Square
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: Courthouse Square, College Street at US 180, one on west side, one on east side, Weatherford.
Marker Text: Scene of many noted trials. Built 1884-86. Cost $55,555.55. Fourth courthouse in history of county, organized 1856. An oak on Fort Belknap Road was court site that year. In this building practiced S.W.T. Lanham, who was Governor of Texas 1902-1906. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965.

Parker County, C.S.A.

Marker Title: Parker County, C.S.A.
Address: College St. at Courthouse Square
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: Courthouse Square, east side, College Street, Weatherford.
Marker Text: Part of a colonial grant to S.M. Williams and Stephen F. Austin, father of Texas, but with no permanent settlers before 1850, this county was created in 1855 and named for Isaac Parker, its legislative sponsor. By 1860 it had 4,213 people and in 1861 its voters favored secession 535 to 61. Oliver Loving, a settler, was an official stock raiser, furnishing beef to the Confederacy in the Civil War. He and 18 other men organized a full-time patrol against the frequent, bloody Indian raids. Citizens of adjacent counties took refuge here. In 1864 three local men were charged with treason. One admitted inviting Federal General J.G. Blunt to come from the Cherokee nation and give Parker County protection from the Indians. General John R. Baylor, a local rancher, was an officer in the Arizona-New Mexico campaign to make the Confederacy an ocean-to-ocean nation, and after victories there became Governor of Arizona. He was in the Confederate Congress from 1863 to 1865. Parker County sent the Confederate army nine companies. Its Company E, 19th Texas Cavalry, served in Parsons' Brigade--which fought over 20 engagements in three years with considerable distinction. (1964)

Isaac Parker

Marker Title: Isaac Parker
Address: Ragle Rd. off FM 730, NE of Weatherford
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take FM 730 about 5 miles northeast, turn south onto Ragle Road, and continue 2 miles to intersection with White Settlement. Marker in yard across the street.
Marker Text: To the memory of Isaac Parker pioneer, soldier and law maker. Born April 7, 1793 in Elbert County, Georgia. Came to Texas in 1833. Served in Elisha Clapp's Company in 1836. Member of Congress of the Republic of Texas, 1839-1845, of the Constitutional Convention in 1845. State Senator. Died April 14, 1883 in Parker County. (1936)

Isaac Parker

Marker Title: Isaac Parker
Address: Ragle Rd. off FM 730, NE of Weatherford
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1986
Marker Location: In center of Turner Cemetery, from Weatherford, take FM 730 northeast about 5 miles, turn south on Ragle Road (at the Cedar Fork Church) and continue 1.4 miles to the cemetery, on the east side of the road through a cattle guard.
Marker Text: A native of Georgia, Isaac Parker came to Texas in 1833 as part of the pioneer family that built Fort Parker in Limestone County. He fought in the Texas Revolution and served in the Republic of Texas Congress, representing part of East Texas. He participated in the 1845 Statehood Convention and later represented Tarrant and Ellis Counties in the State Legislature. In the 1850s, Parker introduced the bill creating this county, which was named in his honor. Recorded, 1986

Porter Cemetery

Marker Title: Porter Cemetery
Address: US 180, 10 mi. W of Weatherford
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take US 180 about 10 miles west.
Marker Text: Robert Scott Porter (1795-1877), first Parker County Judge, dedicated this land near his cabin as a family cemetery in 1867 after the death of his 3-year-old granddaughter Syrene E. Newberry. Judge Porter's grandson Elbert T. Doss (1847-1869) and the judge's daughter Mary, her husband, W.G. Light, and child were killed by Indians and buried here. This site may contain about 50 burials, but only 28 are identified. The graves of Judge Porter and his wife Nancy Ann (Pearce) (1806-1901) are here. Their daughter Elizabeth Jane Doss Upton (1826-1908) was the last burial. Porter family descendants restored this cemetery in 1976. (1978)

Soldier Spring Park

Marker Title: Soldier Spring Park
Address: Thrush St. at Soldier Springs Park
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Location: Soldier Springs Park, Thrush Street, Weatherford.
Marker Text: Confederate soldiers are said to have camped here in the 1860s because of the inviting spring. In 1890, veterans used the site for their 25th reunion. During the next year, 55 acres were set aside as "Soldier Spring Park". Chautauqua programs (1910-28), circuses, town gatherings, other reunions, and the public hanging of a criminal (1908) occurred here before the park fell into disuse. The city dump, 1934-53, and then a caliche mine, the area reverted to park use in 1973. Civic groups joined to develop recreational facilities and restore natural beauty with native plantings. (1976)

Veal's Station

Marker Title: Veal's Station
Address: Veal's Station Rd off FM 51 E of Weatherford
City: Veal's Station
County: Parker
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: From Weatherford, take FM 51 about 13 miles, head east on Veal's Station Road, about 2 miles to markers.
Marker Text: Settled in 1852. Here was established in 1858 by William G. Veal (1831-1891), a leading spirit in all public improvements of the region, an outstanding school of Parker County which functioned more than a half-century. (1936)

The following is from the website Handbook of Texas Online:

VEAL'S STATION, TEXAS. Veal's Station is on a spur off Farm Road 51 twelve miles north of Weatherford in northeastern Parker County. The first white settlers arrived in the early 1850s. Among them was William G. Veal,qv who opened a general store a quarter mile from the site of the present town. Originally the location of the store was referred to as Creamland or Cream Hill. In 1857 Veal and fellow settlers John Lantz and G.W. Coleman constructed a large building that served as a Masonic meeting hall and a common school. A huge bronze bell above the building was used to warn settlers of imminent Indian attacks. Soon after the building was finished Veal moved his general store near the school, and gradually the place came to be known as Veal's Station. Postal service began in 1857. Despite its location on a stage line from Weatherford, the community developed slowly due to the continuing Indian threat. In 1868 postal service was discontinued. By the late 1870s the Indians had been driven out, and the town began to grow. Postal service was resumed in 1878. By the mid-1880s Veal's Station was a farming center. An estimated 100 residents were served by a school, three churches, and a general store. Area farmers processed their cotton at two gins. In the 1890s the common school, called Parsons College after its director, Sam W. Parsons, had an enrollment estimated at 500. The high enrollment was attributed to an energetic agent who promoted the school throughout West Texas and accepted anything of value as payment for tuition and board. When Parsons resigned in 1899, he received as his last year's salary 100 cow ponies, sixty of which he traded for a store at Veal's Station. After it was bypassed by the railroads the town ceased to grow, and gradually the number of businesses, students, and residents declined. In 1906 postal service was once again discontinued. In 1936 the state erected a historical marker at the site of the school building.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Joe Harper, The History of Education in Parker County, Texas (M.A. thesis, Southwest Texas State Teachers College, 1951). Gustavus Adolphus Holland, History of Parker County and the Double Log Cabin (Weatherford, Texas: Herald, 1931; rpt. 1937). Henry Smythe, Historical Sketch of Parker County and Weatherford (St. Louis: Lavat, 1877; rpt., Waco: Morrison, 1973). Weatherford Democrat, August 11, 1939.

David Minor

Weatherford

Marker Title: Weatherford
Address: US 180 on Courthouse grounds
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: West side of Courthouse, US 180 -Weatherford.
Marker Text: Founded 1856. Named for Jefferson Weatherford, State Senator and a Confederate Soldier. Frontier people found protection here from constant Indian threat during Civil War. Long the only town between Fort Worth and El Paso. Home of Chandor Gardens and Texas Railroad Museum. Nearby is double log cabin museum. (1964)

Woolfolk-McCall House

Marker Title: Woolfolk-McCall House
Address: 202 S. Waco
City: Weatherford
Year Marker Erected: 1974
Marker Location: 202 S. Waco, Weatherford.
Marker Text: One of the first brick homes in Weatherford, this structure was begun in late 1860s and occupied by Joseph A. Woolfolk (1836-1918), one of two attorneys who defended Indian Chiefs Satanta and Big Tree, charged in 1871 wagon train massacre. In 1879 it was purchased by lawyer George A. McCall (1849-1915) and greatly enlarged with stone and frame additions. After almost 100 years of ownership, the McCall family sold the house in 1972 to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wiley. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975


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