Courtney Cemetery
Navasota, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located on land which is adjacent to the 1873 subdivision of Courtney known as McAlpine Town, this cemetery was established by developer Dugald McAlpine (1795-1876). The oldest documented grave in the cemetery is that of W. S. Draper (1828-1873). There are some unmarked graves which may date from an earlier period. Those interred here include community leaders, descendants of early settlers, and veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea. A cemetery association, formed in 1971, cares for the historic graveyard.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Laid out beside the 1873 townsite of McAlpine Town, this cemetery was established by developer Dugald McAlpine, a Scottish-born settler who helped shape the young community of Courtney. Its oldest documented grave dates to 1873, though older unmarked burials likely predate it. Among those resting here are community founders, descendants of early settlers, and veterans reaching from the Civil War through the Korean War.
Why it matters
Rural burial grounds like this one preserve the layered memory of a settlement's founders and its citizen-soldiers, offering a ground-level record of who built and defended small-town America.
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Related people
- · Dugald McAlpine
- · W. S. Draper
Themes & tags
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