Meeks - Maynard Cabin

Elgin, TX

Georgia-born Jourdan Smith came to Texas in 1836 to fight in its war for independence, earning land from the young Republic for his service. A carpenter and professional builder, he settled in the Young's Prairie community, served as justice of the peace, and passed down land his descendants still hold today.

Webberville, TX

Joseph J. Manor came to Texas from Tennessee at twenty and settled at Webberville, where he built a store and cotton gin and gathered land along the Colorado River. He and his wife Caroline lie here among other early pioneers, in a burial ground that honors veterans of nearly every American conflict from the War of 1812 through Vietnam. A descendants' association formed in 1982 now cares for the site.

Manor, TX

This cemetery lies on land settled in 1833 by Gordon C. Jennings and his family, who came from Missouri as part of Stephen F. Austin's "Little Colony." Gordon became the oldest defender to die at the Alamo in 1836, while his young daughter Catherine earned lasting local fame for riding to warn neighbors as the Mexican army advanced during the Runaway Scrape. Catherine later married Sylvester Lockwood, and their descendants still tend the graves of these Texas pioneers.

Webberville, TX

This Colorado River community grew from a land grant received in 1827 by John F. Webber, who settled here with his African American wife and children at a time when such a family faced deep hostility in the region. A post office opened for 'Webber's Prairie' in 1846, and by 1853 the town had taken the name Webberville. Built on cotton farming, it grew to include grist and cotton mills, stores, schools, churches, and a ferry crossing that operated into the 1920s.