Brad Cemetery
Palo Pinto, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Marker Inscription
According to local tradition, a young girl died as her family traveled past Thomas Lindsey's land in the 1870s. A short time later, Lindsey buried his sister near the girl's grave. The earliest marked grave is that of Tump Mapes (June-October 1877). The Lindsey Cemetery was deeded to William and Ada Graves in 1911, shortly after the site became known as Ioni Cemetery. In 1929 the land was conveyed to trustees Cozby, Fitzgerald, and Slemmons; it became known as Brad Cemetery in the 1940s. The cemetery association was incorporated in 1973. With more than 400 graves, the cemetery continues to serve the people of the area. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Local tradition traces this cemetery to the 1870s, when a young girl died as her family passed through Thomas Lindsey's land and was buried on the spot, soon joined by Lindsey's own sister. The earliest marked grave, that of infant Tump Mapes, dates to 1877, and the ground passed through several owners and names—Lindsey, Ioni, and finally Brad—before a cemetery association incorporated in 1973. With more than 400 graves, it still serves the surrounding rural community.
Why it matters
The cemetery's tangle of names and traditions captures how frontier North Texas burial grounds grew organically from chance roadside graves into enduring community institutions.
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Related people
- · Thomas Lindsey
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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