Goshen Cemetery
Eustace, Henderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The community of Goshen was established after the Civil War. Named for the Biblical "land of milk and honey," the town of Goshen served the rural farms and communities as a marketing center. It was also a rest stop for trail drivers herding cattle on the Chisholm Trail from East Texas. Goshen existed through the latter part of the 19th century when the railroad was built through this area. Merchants moved their businesses to nearby Eustace, a settlement on the new rail line. Goshen Cemetery remains as the last physical reminder of the once-thriving trading center. According to local legend, the cemetery was founded when a nomadic cowboy became sick and died while working on a nearby ranch. A large grave and stone fence mark the burial place of the cowboy. Although many graves are unmarked, the first documented burial is that of Benjamin G. Hooker in 1869. Among the more than 450 marked graves are burials for several infants and children, pioneer settlers and their descendants, and veterans of America's various wars. The cemetery is managed by the Goshen Cemetery Association and continues to serve the area. (1996)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Established after the Civil War and named for the Biblical "land of milk and honey," Goshen served nearby farms as a marketing center and offered a rest stop to trail drivers moving cattle from East Texas. When the railroad bypassed it, merchants moved to Eustace on the new line, and the town faded. Local legend says the cemetery began with a wandering cowboy who sickened and died on a nearby ranch; the first documented burial, Benjamin G. Hooker, dates to 1869.
Why it matters
Goshen Cemetery is the last trace of a vanished trail-era trading town, marking how the coming of the railroad could make or unmake a Texas community.
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Related people
- · Benjamin G. Hooker
Related events
- · Chisholm Trail cattle drives
Themes & tags
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