Moffat
Temple vicinity, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1857 by New York native Dr. Chauncy W. Moffet and his wife, Amelia, the town of Moffat came to be known by a misspelling of their name. A Union loyalist during the Civil War, Dr. Moffet was impressed into Confederate service, but later also served the Union. He disappeared mysteriously after returning to the Moffat community in 1868. The town was platted that year by D.F. and Calista Wiswell. Moffat soon had 3 churches, a school, a post office, stores, and small industries. The Moffat Cemetery, begun before the Civil War, is still in use. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1857 by New York physician Dr. Chauncy W. Moffet and his wife Amelia, the town took its name from a misspelling of theirs. A Union loyalist in a Confederate state, Dr. Moffet was pressed into Confederate service, later aided the Union, and vanished mysteriously after returning home in 1868. The town was platted that year and grew to hold three churches, a school, a post office, stores, and small industries.
Why it matters
Moffat's story captures the divided loyalties and personal danger of Unionists in Civil War Texas, set against the ordinary founding of a Central Texas farm town.
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Related people
- · Chauncy W. Moffet
- · Amelia Moffet
- · D.F. Wiswell
- · Calista Wiswell
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Moffat Cemetery
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Moffat Cemetery began as a family and Masonic burial ground, its oldest marked grave that of Mary Marshall, who died in 1861. Land set aside from a farm sale in 1869 grew through gifts to the Leon Masonic Lodge and, from 1921, to a dedicated cemetery association. Among those resting here is pioneer Isaac Thomas Bean, who came to Texas with his family in 1823, and the grounds hold both upright stones and distinctive stone cairns.
K.M. Jones Family Cemetery
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This Bell County family burial ground took its name when Keeton McLemore Jones was laid to rest here in 1890. A farmer and stage stop operator, Jones had fought in the Texas War for Independence, guarding the baggage camp opposite Harrisburg during the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto before moving his large family to the Howard community in 1865. His wife Laura Ann and a granddaughter rest beside him, making the plot a compact monument to one pioneering Texas clan.