HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Isaac Low Cemetery

Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas

Marker Inscription

A veteran of the War of 1812, Isaac Low (1781-1853) migrated to this area from Tennessee in 1828. During the Texas Revolution he operated a nearby ferry across the Sabine River to aid settlers fleeing from the advancing Mexican army. He later served as a commissioner for Sabine County. His son Jesse Low (1812-1848), whose grave is the earliest marked at this site, donated the land for use as a cemetery. Also buried here are Reddick Pitt Sibley, a captain during the Civil War, and Eli Low, whose 1883 murder resulted in a three-year feud in the surrounding area.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

A veteran of the War of 1812, Tennessee migrant Isaac Low reached this corner of Sabine County in 1828 and, during the Texas Revolution, ran a ferry across the Sabine River to help settlers flee the advancing Mexican army. He later served as a county commissioner, and his son Jesse donated the land for this cemetery, where the earliest marked grave lies. Others buried here include a Civil War captain and a man whose 1883 murder touched off a three-year local feud.

Why it matters

Isaac Low's life spans the War of 1812, Texas independence, and frontier settlement, and his family cemetery preserves the memory of the borderland community he helped found.

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Related people

  • Β· Isaac Low
  • Β· Jesse Low
  • Β· Reddick Pitt Sibley

Related events

  • Β· Texas Revolution

Themes & tags

War of 1812Westward ExpansionFrontier HistoryMemorial

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