Early Chapel Cemetery
Lexington, Lee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Site bought by Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1850, although some burials had occurred here previously. Buried here are San Jacinto heroes Capt. Jas. Shaw (founder of Lexington) and Wm. Hawkins; Civil War veterans; Mrs. R. Y. King, wife of first Lee County judge. Contains special section for slaves. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Methodist Episcopal Church South bought this cemetery site in 1850, though some burials predate it. Among those resting here are San Jacinto veterans — including Lexington's founder, Capt. James Shaw, and William Hawkins — Civil War soldiers, an early county judge's wife, and, in a set-apart section, enslaved people.
Why it matters
It gathers Texas's revolutionary heroes, Civil War dead, and the enslaved in a single ground, laying bare the era's hierarchies.
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Related people
- · Capt. James Shaw
- · William Hawkins
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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