McMinn Chapel Cemetery
Nevada, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This cemetery served settlers of what was known as the McMinn community. Both the community and cemetery are named for John W. and Evaline McMinn, who settled in this area in 1849. They donated land for the cemetery in 1894, although the oldest known burial dates to 1877; there are also a number of unmarked graves. Area residents also built a church and school at the site. The decline of the McMinn community started with the arrival of the railroad in Nevada, which encouraged settlers to relocate to the nearby town. Today, the cemetery stands as a reminder of the early community. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
John W. and Evaline McMinn settled this Collin County prairie in 1849, and the community that grew around them took their name. They gave land for a cemetery in 1894, though burials here reach back to 1877, and residents added a church and school to anchor the settlement. When the railroad reached nearby Nevada, families drifted toward the town, and today the graveyard is nearly all that remains of the McMinn community.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the memory of the small farming settlements that dotted North Texas before the railroads redrew the map and drained them of people.
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Related people
- · John W. McMinn
- · Evaline McMinn
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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