Berry Cemetery
Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1850, Samuel and Elizabeth Berry brought their family and slaves here from Limestone Co., Alabama. Samuel's plantation covered hundreds of acres and included a cotton gin and gristmill. Berry Cemetery began in 1863 when Samuel's grandson and namesake died. He and his twin sister Elizabeth, who died in 1869, were buried on the crest of a hill on the Berry plantation. A low red rock wall encloses the family plot, with an adjoining section set aside for Samuel's slaves. The land later became a community burial ground for families of the Moffett area. Gravestone materials include granite, limestone, marble and petrified wood. The Berry Cemetery Association Trust formed in 1977 to maintain this pioneer graveyard. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1850 Samuel and Elizabeth Berry brought their family and enslaved workers from Alabama to a plantation of hundreds of acres, complete with a cotton gin and gristmill. The cemetery began in 1863 with the burial of Samuel's young grandson on a hilltop, its family plot ringed by a low red rock wall with an adjoining section set aside for the enslaved. The land later became a community graveyard, its stones cut from granite, marble, and even petrified wood.
Why it matters
The separate burial ground for enslaved people makes visible the human foundations of the cotton economy that shaped antebellum East Texas.
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Related people
- · Samuel Berry
- · Elizabeth Berry
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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