Old Alton Cemetery
Denton, Denton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
With burials dating to 1852, this graveyard is associated with some of the earliest settlement in Denton County. In that year, Rebecca Daugherty, daughter of one of the pioneer families, died and was buried on family property. Over time, burials of neighbors and relatives continued on the site, and in 1909 the land was donated and dedicated as a private cemetery. Alton was the county seat of Denton County from 1851 until 1856. Located on Hickory Creek, the community flourished with stores, a hotel, post office, school and other businesses. Nearby is the Hickory Creek Baptist Church, organized in the Alton community in 1855. When the county seat was moved to Denton in 1856, Alton began to decline, but many families continued to bury their dead in this cemetery. The graveyard contains more than 600 burials, including 20 graves that are unmarked and 55 burials that are marked only with rocks or sandstone. Pioneers, veterans and others with ties to the old Alton community rest here. The Old Alton Memorial Cemetery Association cares for the graves and gathers annually in the spring for Decoration Day. As the area becomes more urban, the Old Alton Cemetery stands as a reminder of the region's rural past. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Burials here date to 1852, when pioneer daughter Rebecca Daugherty was laid to rest on family land. As neighbors and kin were buried alongside her, the site became a private cemetery in 1909. Nearby Alton served as Denton County's seat until 1856; once the seat moved to Denton the town faded, but families kept burying their dead here — more than 600 graves in all.
Why it matters
It is the enduring trace of Alton, a vanished county-seat community swallowed by an urbanizing landscape.
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Related people
- · Rebecca Daugherty
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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