Grounds Cemetery
Houston County, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
George (1803-1860) and Catherine (Rice) Grounds (1810-1880) settled in this area about 1829. Their arrival coincided with that of Catherine's brother, Joseph R. Rice, Sr., who settled his family about 5 miles southwest of this site in 1828. This cemetery was established in 1860 with the burial of George Grounds. By 1883 the graveyard had been legally set aside. It contains mostly Grounds family members and is representative of historic family cemeteries in East Texas. George Grounds' original red sandstone grave marker was replaced with a granite headstone in 1993.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
George and Catherine Grounds settled this part of East Texas around 1829, near the earlier arrival of Catherine's brother Joseph R. Rice. The cemetery was established in 1860 with George's burial and legally set aside by 1883, and it holds mostly Grounds family members. George's original red sandstone marker was replaced with granite in 1993, but the graveyard remains a representative example of the historic family burying grounds of the region.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the footprint of one of East Texas's earliest Anglo-American pioneer families, part of the wave that settled the region in the years around Texas independence.
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Related people
- · George Grounds
- · Catherine Grounds
- · Joseph R. Rice
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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