Harris Creek Cemetery
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Haley, Crain, Caufield, and Jones Families were the first to arrive in this area in the 1850s. They established the community of Harris Creek, which takes its name from the nearby water source. This cemetery marks the burial place of those early settlers and others who have lived in the community since its founding. The earliest marked grave in the Harris Creek Cemetery is that of Hattie Timmons, who died in 1865 at the age of eighteen. She was the niece of Joel and Sarah Crain, who settled here on land granted to Joel for his services in the Battle of San Jacinto (1836). Joel (d. 1887) and Sarah (d. 1902) are buried here, as is their daughter Patience, whose grave, dated 1869, is the second oldest in the cemetery. In 1872, Aquilla and Delilah "Dillie" Jones formally set aside 1.5 acres of their land for the burial ground. Part of that acreage was also to be used for a church and schoolhouse. Both of the land donors are buried here in marked graves. The graves are maintained by the Harris Creek Cemetery Association. The burial ground is a good reflection of the history of the Harris Creek community and of this part of McLennan County.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the 1850s the Haley, Crain, Caufield, and Jones families settled along Harris Creek in McLennan County, founding a community that took the stream's name. The burial ground began with the 1865 grave of young Hattie Timmons and grew on land the Jones family formally set aside in 1872, part of it reserved for a church and school. Among those resting here is Joel Crain, who received the surrounding land as a grant for his service at the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto.
Why it matters
The cemetery ties an ordinary Texas farming community directly back to the Republic of Texas and the veterans whose land grants first drew settlers to the region.
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Related people
- · Joel Crain
- · Sarah Crain
- · Hattie Timmons
- · Aquilla Jones
- · Delilah Jones
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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