Mound Prairie Cemetery
Palestine, Anderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The earliest marked graves in this cemetery date to the late 1850s, although settlement of the Mound Prairie community occurred much earlier. Mound Prairie, once the home of a Baptist college known as Mound Prairie Institute, declined during the latter part of the 19th century. This cemetery is one of the few physical reminders of the town. Many of the early settlers and their descendants are buried here, as are several Confederate veterans. Some of the graves are marked with rock cairns or hand-hewn stones. (1985)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The earliest marked graves here date to the late 1850s, though the Mound Prairie community—home to a Baptist college known as Mound Prairie Institute—was settled considerably earlier. As the town declined late in the nineteenth century, this cemetery became one of its few surviving reminders. Many pioneer settlers and their descendants lie here alongside several Confederate veterans, some beneath rock cairns or hand-hewn stones.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the memory of an early Texas college town and the pioneer and Civil War generations who built and defended it before it faded from the map.
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Themes & tags
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