Long Creek Cemetery
Sunnyvale, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Capt. A. Webb, veteran of the Black Hawk War in Illinois, established a homestead near here as part of the Mercer Colony in the mid-19th century. He was joined later by father-in-law and War of 1812 veteran Benjamin Crownover and his family. In 1855, Crownover's daughter Leona Caldwell was the first laid to rest in this field beneath a pecan tree. Capt. Webb later deeded a tract of land to area residents as the site of a school, church and public burial ground. His donation and that of W.H. Caldwell formed the center of Long Creek community. The Long Creek Cemetery is a link to generations of area families. Burials include many military veterans, ministers, teachers and members of the Masons, Eastern Star and Woodmen of the World organizations. Stones and landscaping at the cemetery represent a broad spectrum of funereal practices from the 19th century to the present, and today, an association formed in 1910 maintains the burial ground. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Long Creek Cemetery grew out of the mid-19th-century Mercer Colony settlement, where Black Hawk War veteran Capt. A. Webb established a homestead and was joined by his father-in-law, War of 1812 veteran Benjamin Crownover. The first burial came in 1855, when Crownover's daughter Leona Caldwell was laid to rest beneath a pecan tree; Webb later deeded land for a school, church, and public burial ground that became the heart of the Long Creek community. Generations of area families, ministers, teachers, and members of fraternal orders lie here, and an association formed in 1910 still tends the grounds.
Why it matters
The cemetery is a living record of how faith, education, and burial ground anchored a pioneer Texas community and bound its families together across the generations.
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Related people
- · Capt. A. Webb
- · Benjamin Crownover
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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