Hooks Cemetery
Kountze, Hardin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
North Carolina native William Hooks (1818-1894) lived in Florida and Georgia before moving to Texas in 1849. He settled here on his survey in 1852. Soon after, he set aside land at this site for a burial ground. It was originally used for family members and for residents of the adjacent area known as Pigeon Roost Prairie. William Hooks took a personal interest in the cemetery; he built coffins, dug graves, and maintained the grounds. After his death, it was administrated by his two youngest sons, Bud (d.1933) and Ben (d.1949).
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
North Carolina native William Hooks made his way through Florida and Georgia before moving to Texas in 1849 and settling on his survey in 1852. Soon after, he set aside land for a burial ground serving his family and the neighbors of Pigeon Roost Prairie. Hooks took a personal hand in the cemetery — building coffins, digging graves, and maintaining the grounds — and after his death his two youngest sons carried on the care.
Why it matters
It preserves the intimate, hands-on way a single pioneer family founded and tended a community burial ground on the mid-19th-century Texas frontier.
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Related people
- · William Hooks
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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