I.O.O.F. Cemetery
Caddo Mills vicinity, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal service organization with chapters in communities around the world. Caddo Mills Lodge No. 416, I.O.O.F., was organized for members in nearby Caddo Mills, a railroad stop on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad. Burials already existed on this property in 1902, when J. S. Stidham, C. J. Howard and R. B. McAdams, trustees of Caddo Mills Lodge no. 416, purchased 4.55 acres of land for use as a cemetery. The oldest known burial is that of Nancy Gary, who died in 1893. Additional purchases over the years enlarged the graveyard, which now contains more than 2,000 burials. In 1925, the lodge turned over the care of the cemetery to the Caddo Mills Cemetery Association, although the I.O.O.F. name was retained. Their first memorial and homecoming service took place in 1937. In 1979, the Dugan-Clark Cemetery, located across Highway 6, became part of the I.O.O.F. Cemetery. Serving the communities of Caddo Mills and Josephine and the surrounding area, this burial ground is a chronicle of the history of the people who settled and worked here. Tombstones denote the service of military veterans from the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The I.O.O.F. Cemetery also continues as a reminder of the contributions of Caddo Mills Lodge No. 416, which merged with a neighboring lodge in 1925. (2001)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This burial ground grew out of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, whose Caddo Mills lodge bought land for a cemetery in 1902 near a stop on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad. The oldest known grave dates to 1893, and the cemetery now holds more than 2,000 burials. Its headstones mark veterans of every American conflict from the Civil War through Vietnam, alongside the farmers and townspeople of Caddo Mills and Josephine.
Why it matters
It shows how fraternal orders like the Odd Fellows anchored community life in railroad-era Texas, providing burial care and civic continuity across generations.
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Related people
- · Nancy Gary
Themes & tags
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