Garland Cemetery
Annona, Red River County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Joseph and Martha Starks Wagley came to Red River County from Louisiana in 1833, settling in this area south of present-day Annona. The couple had eight children by the time of Martha's death in 1857, and Joseph later married widow Nancy Ann Coffee, with whom he had an additional two children. He served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and his son Starks died in the conflict. In 1866, Joseph Wagley sold 2,300 acres of land, including this family burial ground, to John C. and J.D. Garland, and moved to Callahan County. Several Wagley family members are known to be buried here, although only two of the graves are marked. The earliest death date on a tombstone, that of Ella McCallum, is 1874. The cemetery became known by the Garland name over the years, and family members deeded five acres to the Methodist church in 1914 for continued use as a graveyard. Today, Annona Methodist Church and members of the community maintain the historic site, which serves as a tie to generations of area settlers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Joseph and Martha Wagley came from Louisiana to Red River County in 1833, part of the wave of settlers moving into the young Republic of Texas's borderlands. Their family burial ground took shape here before the Civil War, in which Joseph served the Confederacy and lost a son. After Joseph sold the land to the Garland family in 1866 the cemetery took on their name, and by 1914 it passed to the Methodist church, which with the Annona community still tends it today.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the layered story of Texas settlement — migration, the Civil War's toll, and the church-centered communities that carried memory forward for generations.
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Related people
- · Joseph Wagley
- · Martha Starks Wagley
- · John C. Garland
Related events
- · Civil War
Themes & tags
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