Campbell Cemetery
Paris, Lamar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
CAMPBELL CEMETERY ESTABLISHED 1843 HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY โ 2012
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Campbell Cemetery dates to 1843, when Texas was still an independent republic and Anglo settlement of the region was just taking hold. Though the marker records little beyond its founding and its Historic Texas Cemetery designation, the burial ground stands as one of the area's oldest, holding the earliest generations of local settlers.
Why it matters
A cemetery reaching back to the Republic of Texas is a rare physical link to the very first wave of settlement in the region.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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