Grable Cemetery
Longview, Gregg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
M.H. Graybill acquired land here in 1888. He set aside a tract to be used as a burial ground for local African American sharecroppers and their families. In 1910, Graybill (the cemetery spelling changed over time) sold this tract of land to the people of the area's African American communities, many of whom were former slaves or descendants of slaves. Since that time, residents have maintained the burial ground, which is managed by a cemetery association. The earliest marked graves date to the early 1900s, and unique features include rows of white crosses denoting burial sites of former slaves. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1888 M.H. Graybill set aside part of his land as a burial ground for local African American sharecroppers and their families, and in 1910 sold the tract outright to the area's Black communities, many of them former slaves or their descendants. Residents have maintained the cemetery ever since through a cemetery association. Its earliest marked graves date to the early 1900s, and rows of white crosses mark the resting places of people once held in slavery.
Why it matters
Cemeteries like Grable preserve the dignity and memory of freedpeople and sharecroppers whose lives were rarely recorded elsewhere, making them irreplaceable records of African American history.
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Related people
- · M.H. Graybill
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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