Old Fairview Cemetery
Memphis, Hall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Memphis’ oldest burial ground is the final resting place for many pioneer families and prominent community members. J.C. Montgomery, “Father of Memphis,” is buried in the oldest section. The cemetery started a few months before Memphis was selected as hall county seat, and was carved from the northeast corner of the town plat. The earliest marked grave is that of Ben F. Taylor, who died in March 1890. Among several notable graves is that of W. A. Johnson, who was editor of the Hall County Herald, state senator and Lt. Governor of Texas. The Fairview Cemetery Association, formed in 1993, cares for Old Fairview Cemetery as well as adjoining burial grounds. Designated Historic Texas Cemetery in 2012.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Memphis's oldest burial ground was carved from the corner of the town plat just months before the community was chosen as the seat of Hall County, out on the Texas Panhandle plains. J.C. Montgomery, remembered as the "Father of Memphis," rests in its oldest section, and the earliest marked grave belongs to Ben F. Taylor, who died in 1890. Among the notable dead is W.A. Johnson—newspaper editor, state senator, and lieutenant governor of Texas—whose grave reflects the town's early prominence.
Why it matters
The cemetery holds the founders and leaders who built a Panhandle county seat from open range, preserving the memory of the pioneer generation that settled far West Texas.
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Related people
- · J.C. Montgomery
- · Ben F. Taylor
- · W.A. Johnson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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