Happy Cemetery
Happy, Swisher County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Happy Cemetery Association, organized on March 18, 1912. Purchased five acres of land for two adjacent cemeteries (one specifically for Catholics) from local businessman James F. White. The oldest recorded grave is that of William T. King (1871-1913). The association built a small frame house which was used as a gathering place for annual decoration day activities from1915 to 1985 when it was razed to make more room for plots. Numerous local pioneers and veterans are buried here, including both Confederate and Union Civil War veterans. (1991)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Happy Cemetery Association formed in March 1912 and bought five acres from local businessman James F. White, setting aside adjoining grounds—one section reserved for Catholics. The oldest recorded grave is that of William T. King, and for decades a small frame house on the grounds hosted annual Decoration Day gatherings until it was razed in 1985 to make room for more plots. Among those laid to rest here are numerous pioneers and veterans, including both Confederate and Union men who had once faced each other in the Civil War.
Why it matters
A burial ground holding both Union and Confederate veterans captures how the settlement of the Texas Panhandle drew together Americans from a nation only recently at war with itself.
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Related people
- · James F. White
- · William T. King
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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