Harris Chapel Cemetery
Hughes Springs, Cass County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This area of Cass County was settled in the 1850s. The rural community became known as Harris Chapel after John T. Harris and his family came to the area in 1853 and purchased land on which a Methodist log church and cemetery were located. The church building was also used as a schoolhouse for area children. The first log church was replaced by a larger wooden structure near the cemetery in 1859. The Rev. Solomon O'Dell preached the first sermon in the new church. Although there are many unmarked graves in the Harris Chapel Cemetery, some of which may date from an earlier period, the oldest legible tombstone marks the grave of Zelpha E. conley (1839-1859). In 1868 M. g. Harris, son of John T. Harris, deeded the church and cemetery property to the community. Harris family graves are enclosed by a wrought iron fence. The second church was destroyed by a tornado in 1949 and was replaced by a brick structure in 1953. In addition to the graves of many early pioneers, those interred here include veterans of the Mexican War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea. The historic Harris Chapel Cemetery serves as a reminder of early rural life in Cass County.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Settlers reached this corner of Cass County in the 1850s, and the community took its name after John T. Harris arrived in 1853 on land that already held a Methodist log church and burial ground. The church doubled as a schoolhouse, was rebuilt larger in 1859, and the cemetery grew alongside it, its oldest legible stone dating to 1859. Rebuilt again after a 1949 tornado, the church endures beside graves that include veterans from the Mexican War through Korea.
Why it matters
The cemetery is a layered record of rural East Texas life, where a single churchyard gathered pioneers and the veterans of a full century of American wars.
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Related people
- · John T. Harris
- · Rev. Solomon O'Dell
Themes & tags
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