Criswell Cemetery
Otto, Falls County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Bearing the name of the community it once served, this site is part of ten acres deeded by Marcus Thomas Durham in 1886 for a school, church and cemetery. By that time it was already an established burial ground; the two oldest marked graves, both dating to 1873, are those of C. M. Criswell and Durham's father, Thomas Durham (1811-1873). In 1950 an association was formed that purchased the nearby school and church building and organized an annual homecoming to create a fund for maintaining the structure and the cemetery. The Criswell Cemetery remains a record of the history of this area of Falls County. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2001
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Criswell Cemetery grew from ten acres deeded by Marcus Thomas Durham in 1886 for a school, church, and burial ground, though graves already dated to 1873—among them Durham's own father. In 1950 a community association bought the nearby school and church and began an annual homecoming to fund upkeep of the grounds.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the memory of a small Falls County farming community and the church, school, and graveyard that held it together.
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Related people
- · Marcus Thomas Durham
- · Thomas Durham
Themes & tags
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