Lancaster Cemetery
Temple, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Thomas Lancaster (1813-1867), a farmer and rancher who came to Bell County in 1851, set aside a plot of land on the west side of Little Elm Creek for a community burial ground. Although some burials took place here before Lancaster's death in 1867, his is the oldest marked grave. There are a number of unmarked graves, as well as over 175 documented ones. A cemetery association, formed in 1977, maintains the historic graveyard. In addition to fencing the property, the organizations has improved roads on the site and erected a sign at the entrance. (1987)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Thomas Lancaster, a farmer and rancher who reached Bell County in 1851, set aside land beside Little Elm Creek as a community burial ground; his own 1867 grave is the oldest marked one among more than 175 documented burials. A cemetery association formed in 1977 to fence, improve and preserve the historic graveyard.
Why it matters
Community burial grounds like this anchor the memory of the pioneer families who settled central Texas in the decades around statehood and the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Thomas Lancaster
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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