Pine Crest Cemetery
Atlanta, Cass County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located on the highest elevation of Atlanta, the first two acres of this site were formally deed to the city for cemetery use by Preston Rose Scott in 1887. The earliest marked grave, that of Esthre Fitts, dated August 7, 1878, indicates its earlier use as a burial ground. The oldest grave in a segregated area once separated by a fence, now removed, is that of R.A. Williams (d. 1880). A four-acre gift by the H.G. Goree Estate in 1934, and a land acquisition in 1984, have allowed for the growth of this cemetery where the descendants of those who developed the Atlanta area continue to honor their veterans and loved ones. Historic Texas cemetery-2001
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On the highest ground in Atlanta, Texas, this cemetery was formally deeded to the city by Preston Rose Scott in 1887, though its earliest marked grave dates to 1878. A section once separated by a fence — now removed — held African American burials, the oldest that of R.A. Williams, who died in 1880. Later gifts of land let the graveyard grow into the place where descendants of the town's founders still honor their veterans and kin.
Why it matters
The cemetery's once-fenced burial ground is a quiet but plain record of Jim Crow segregation reaching even into the resting places of the dead.
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Related people
- · Preston Rose Scott
- · R.A. Williams
- · Esther Fitts
Themes & tags
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