Cooper's Chapel Church and Cemetery
Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The pioneer families of William Cooper and William Ellis moved from Tennessee and settled here sometime during the 1850s. The burials of W. A. Cooper, Lizzie Dixon, and a Mrs. Harvey in 1886 are the earliest burials recorded here. By 1895 William Cooper had donated two acres, including the early grave sites, for church and graveyard purposes. Although local tradition indicates that this sanctuary was built by members of the Cooper's Chapel Church of Christ in 1892 the earliest record of its existence is contained in a deed recorded in 1913. It is a modest example of a rural frame church sanctuary featuring a hipped roof and double-door primary entrance. The site of numerous social activities, particularly during the 1930s depression period, the building served as a place of worship until 1980; it was transferred to Cooper's Chapel Cemetery trustees in 1981. A springtime event known as "Decoration Day" began early in the community's history and continues today as an annual event often attended by over 200 people. Among those buried here are Mrs. Harvey's son, William, a prominent local citizen, many of this area's pioneer settlers and their descendants, and veterans of wars ranging from the Civil War to the Vietnam conflict. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1993 Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1993
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Cooper and Ellis families came from Tennessee and settled this Titus County land in the 1850s. William Cooper deeded two acres around the earliest graves for a church and cemetery, and a modest frame sanctuary — hipped roof, double-door entry — served the Cooper's Chapel Church of Christ from the 1890s until 1980. A springtime "Decoration Day" begun early in the community's life still draws hundreds each year, honoring pioneers and veterans of wars from the Civil War to Vietnam.
Why it matters
The chapel and its Decoration Day show how a rural community kept its founding memory alive across more than a century through a single enduring gathering place and ritual.
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Related people
- · William Cooper
- · William Ellis
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Titus County
Mt. Pleasant, TX
Titus County was carved from Red River and Bowie counties and organized in 1846, the same year Texas joined the Union. It was named for Andrew J. Titus, a pioneer of northwest Texas, a soldier in the Mexican War, and a member of the state legislature. Mount Pleasant became the county seat.
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The Nevill family came from Tennessee to Titus County in 1838, laying out a family burial ground on their headright survey, where the earliest grave dates to 1854. Among those resting here is James "Sam" Rowland, a Nevill son-in-law and one of the few men officially hanged in the county. Deeded to a Baptist church in 1906, the cemetery grew to more than 1,100 graves and became home to an annual decoration day begun in 1913.