Clairette Cemetery
Clairette, Erath County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Joseph and Elizabeth Salmon and their children moved to the Republic of Texas in 1839. They settled in this area in 1854. When their 15-year-old son, Albert, died in 1858, he was buried at his favorite campsite in a grove of oak trees on the family land. Albert's brother, Joseph Salmon, Jr., deeded the acre of land surrounding the grave site for use as a community cemetery in 1876. Additional land acquisitions over the years have increased the size of the cemetery. The diverse styles of gravestones found here serve as reflections of the area's pioneer heritage. (1991)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Joseph and Elizabeth Salmon came to the Republic of Texas in 1839 and settled this area in 1854. When their teenage son Albert died in 1858, he was buried at his favorite campsite in a grove of oaks on the family land, and in 1876 his brother deeded the surrounding acre as a community cemetery. Later additions enlarged the grounds, whose varied gravestones reflect the region's pioneer roots.
Why it matters
The cemetery's origin in a boy's beloved oak grove captures how deeply personal loss shaped the making of frontier communities, where family burial plots often grew into shared public ground.
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Related people
- · Joseph Salmon
- · Elizabeth Salmon
- · Albert Salmon
- · Joseph Salmon, Jr.
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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