Cemeteries

In 1968, Cleo Cannaday Gossett of Dallas, showed this cemetery to B.F. Hicks. She said it originally was the Mahaffey family place, then a Squire family owned it. Mrs. Gossett retired to Mt. Vernon and died in 1990's. In 2004, the property belongs to Jack and Jeanne Prewitt. The only marked gravesite is that of Issac H. Mahaffey, born Jan. 8, 1817 and died March 25, 1878.

This cemetery is in the Macon Community. Located in the southeastern edge of the county, the cemetery contains around 200 graves. Burials probably started in the late 1880's. The first marked grave is that of Sue Swayze who was born Sept. 3, 1829 and died March 8, 1890.

The community had a post office from 1891 until 1906. Richard W. Hurdle was appointed postmaster on March 26, 1891. Eleven postmasters served until the office was discontinued on March 31, 1906 with mail ordered sent to Winfield.

Well-kept cemetery located at the site of an old camp-meeting ground near the Purley community. The cemetery contains around 300 graves. The oldest marked grave is that of L.M. Tittle who was born in 1835 and died in 1870.

Contact: Wayne Morris, Rt. 2, box 434, Mt. Vernon, Tx 588-2570

A small cemetery of the Kaye family located south of Mt. Vernon. No tombstones or markers of any kind are left at the site of this cemetery.

This small family cemetery is located near the old Flora Bluff community about six miles east of Mt. Vernon. William Hughes who was born in North Carolina in 1790 and died in 1854 is buried in this cemetery as is his wife Eleanor Dykes Hughes. Several of the Hughes children and possibly members of other related families are buried in this cemetery. William Hughes is possibly the only veteran of the War of 1812 buried in Franklin County. He served in Pugh�s Company of the North Carolina Militia from Bertie County, N.C. during 1813 and 1814. From North Carolina, Hughes moved into Tennessee where he married and then on into Texas between 1838-1840.

Surrounding community supported a school at Baldwin's Bluff; high bluff above Ripley Creek about _ mile north of the cemetery; school there had 27 students in 1907-08.

A very poorly kept cemetery in the Hopewell community. It contains perhaps 500 graves, but is in such poor condition that it is dangerous to hazard a guess. Slaves were buried in the back part of this cemetery and a Negro section is reserved today. This is one of perhaps five cemeteries in Franklin County where tombstones dating to the 1850's still stand - though no one is acting at Hopewell to preserve these ancient markers. The earliest marked grave is that of Samuel Suggs who died July 26, 1856. Emma Stokes and Ida Joyce were both buried in this cemetery in 1857.

School had 108 students enrolled for 1907-08 school year; and separate colored school had 26 students.

The community had a post office operated under the name of Langston after postmaster Samuel W. Langston appointed 1885; the office was discontinued January 13, 1887, with mail ordered sent to Mt. Vernon. A second post office was opened on December 24, 1897, with William A. Lottman was postmaster. Styles M. Taylor was appointed postmaster on June 18, 1898, and served until the office was discontinued on November 30, 1906, and mail ordered sent to Mt. Vernon.

Cemetery of around 250 graves in the Hagansport community. Burials probably started in the 1880's. The people of the community had probably used the Pierces Chapel Cemetery previous to the starting of the Hagansport Cemetery. The earliest marked grave is that of Laura Terry who was born June 13, 1870 and died March 28, 1887.

School had 63 students enrolled in 1907-08 school year.

First called Hagan's Port for an early settler who operated a ferry across the Sulphur River; the original townsite is marked by the cemetery. This is a low water crossing and was no doubt used by Indians for the last 2,000 years given the large number of Indian artifacts found on the site and on display in the local historical museum. In the 1930's the highway was rerouted with Texas State Highway 37 constructed about 3/4th miles to the west, running north south with a bridge across the Sulphur and the community followed to the intersection of State Highway 37 and Farm Road 71.

The community's first postmaster was James L. Clampitt appointed November 10, 1857. The office was discontinued on July 15, 1929.

Large old cemetery in what once was the center of the Gray Rock community. There are at least 350 graves. This cemetery is located about one mile west of Winfield on the south side of Interstate Highway 30. The earliest burial is that of Lula Smith, daughter of J.C. and M.J., who was born Nov. 9, 1871 and died Feb. 15, 1872.

School had 83 students enrolled in 1907-08. Separate colored school had 27 students.

Grayrock is at the intersection of the Cherokee Trace (actually a much earlier Caddo Indian highway serving as a trade route for the Caddo Confederacy from the southern reaches of the confederace near Nacogdoches to the northern areas near Tulsa, Oklahoma) and the Choctaw Trail (an east-west trade route serving the areas at the edge of the plains near Arlington, Texas). The earliest of settlements would have been in this area. A post office was established on November 10, 1848 and was discontinued in 1906 with mail ordered shipped to Winfield. The railroad bypassed Grayrock and went on a northern route through Winfield about 1887 signaling the end of Grayrock; today only the cemetery remains to mark this once large and thriving community. The 1850 and 1860 census show substantial population at Grayrock.

Contact: Robert Sterling Long

A lost cemetery located on top of a hill about one-half mile north of the old Newsom�s Meat Packing Plant. The only tombstone is to the memory of Richard Graham who was born Sept. 3, 1807 and died March 4, 1854. This cemetery is on land belonging to F.J. Joyce. A fence protected the small cemetery until if fell from decay sometime in the 1950's. Since the fence has fallen, cattle have destroyed most of the traces of the 20 or more graves. The graves were covered with rows upon rows of bricks.

This is a lost cemetery of the Goode family. The site of the cemetery was the site former Franklin County Judge Neal Duvall selected for his homesite about three miles southeast of Hagansport. There were never any tombstones in this small family cemetery and it was probably abandoned by 1900.

This well-kept cemetery of about 250 graves is located on the south side of Cypress Creek beside the Good Hope Baptist Church. This cemetery was probably founded around 1910 with the establishment of the Good Hope Church.

Two deeds in file show title of 1.5 acres into this cemetery.

Cemetery of some 300 graves located in area of the Glade Springs community behind the Glade Springs Baptist Church. The cemetery is fenced and in excellent condition. Burials may have started in the late 1860's. The earliest marked grave is that on Dan Dupree - born in 1870 and died in April 1880.

School had 111 students in academic year 1907-08. School for colored students had 32 students in same year. No marked black gravesites.

Contact: Mrs. Seanne Saxon, Rt. 2, Box 383, Mt. Vernon, Tx 75457. 903-588-2356

There is an 1861 deed to the church for 2.5 acres; and an 1883 deed to the school for 2.5 acres. Today about 5 acres remains at the site of the church and adjacent cemetery; does not seem to be separate deed for the cemetery.

The Fuquay family cemetery contains approximately 100 graves and is still used today by members of the Fuquay family. The cemetery is located northeast of Hopewell and is in excellent condition. The earliest marked grave is that of Andrew Fuquay who died Oct. 13, 1876.

A large well-kept cemetery of some 400 graves. The cemetery was behind the old Friendship Church which was torn down in 1967. The church and cemetery were once the center of the Friendship Community. The cemetery was quite possibly started by a Garmack family who lost two small sons within three days in February 1876. These Garmack children, Charles and Joseph, have the oldest dated tombstones in the cemetery.

Early Gregg Family buried here.
Civil War veterans.
School had 78 students in 1907-08.
Church here/ community was Presbyterian.

(also known as Wilkins Family Cemetery)

A chain link fence encloses this lost family cemetery on the east side of the south rest area on Interstate Highway 30 about three miles west of Mt. Vernon. Ancestors of Spence Wilkins buried in this cemetery; old family in Mt. Vernon (see Walk Through Mt. Vernon history book)

Well-kept cemetery located in the north-western corner of Franklin County. Contains around 300 graves. Burials probably started in the late 1870's. One of the earliest marked graves is that of Wilson B. Westerman who was born in 1851 and died Dec. 3, 1881.

Fairview school had 17 students in 1907-08.

Contact person: Mark Hare

This is an abandoned cemetery about one mile northwest of Hagansport on land belonging to Mr. Monroe Elliott. At one time the cemetery covered a half acre, but today only three wooden stakes mark gravesites. There have been no burials in this cemetery since the 19th century. Members of the Pike, Duty, Elliott, and Clampitt families are buried in this cemetery.

Monroe Elliott has died; land passed to two daughters.

The largest and only remaining Negro cemetery in Franklin County is located behind the Denton Baptist Church about two miles south of Mt. Vernon�s business district, but within the city limits of Mt. Vernon. There are probably slightly over 200 graves in this large cemetery. Only one tombstone was found which dated in the years before 1900 and that was the tombstone of A.D. Blackburn who died July 17, 1890.

Contact person: Bennie Marshall Dunlap.

Large well-kept cemetery of at least 500 graves. Located beside the Cypress Baptist Church in the southern end of the county. Cemetery was probably started in the early 1850's. The earliest marked gravesite is that of Mary G. Sparks who was born Feb. 4, 1818 and died May 15, 1856.

Cypress school had 69 students on the roll in the 1907-08 school year.

Contact: Mr. Lindsay Hill
11 Red Bud Lane
Quitman, Tx 75783