Long Cemetery
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Texas Rangers in the late 1830s camped on a hill west of present Cumby in a grove of black jack oak trees. Settlers established a community near them for protection and called the settlement Black Jack Grove. Later renamed Cumby, it grew into a trade center during the late 19th century. In the 1850s, James M. and Mary Long settled along Turkey Creek in a small community known as Crossroads, south of Black Jack Grove. Tradition holds they set aside land c. 1860 for the burial of a girl who died when her family passed through the area. By 1865, James had rewed, to Susan Luttrell, and the grave of Mary Long may be among those that are today unmarked. The first marked grave at Long Cemetery is that of John M. Webb (d. 1869). Other early marked graves include those of Civil War veterans and Woodmen of the World members, while several burials are indicated by small concrete markers that replaced original bois d'arc posts. An association meets annually at the burial ground, which was enlarged in the 1970s. The site now serves as a reminder of generations of area settlers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the late 1830s, Texas Rangers camped in a grove of blackjack oaks west of present-day Cumby, and settlers gathered nearby for protection at a place called Black Jack Grove. To the south, James M. and Mary Long settled along Turkey Creek in the 1850s, reportedly setting aside land around 1860 to bury a girl who died as her family passed through. The oldest marked grave belongs to John M. Webb (d. 1869), and among later burials rest Civil War veterans and Woodmen of the World members.
Why it matters
Long Cemetery preserves the memory of the frontier settlers who followed the Texas Rangers into this country and built lasting communities in its shelter.
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Related people
- · James M. Long
- · Mary Long
Themes & tags
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