Pleasant Valley Cemetery
Buffalo Springs vicinity, Clay County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The community of Pleasant Valley was begun following the Civil War. A one-room schoolhouse was built for the residents of the area and also served as a place of worship. This cemetery, located near the school site, was established in 1883 on land donated by pioneer settler Jim Draer. The earliest documented burial is that of Lydia Bowman (1873-1883). Many early settlers are interred in the cemetery, as are veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea. A cemetery association maintains the historic graveyard. (1988)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The community of Pleasant Valley grew up in the years after the Civil War, its one-room schoolhouse doubling as a church for scattered Clay County settlers. This cemetery was established in 1883 on land donated by pioneer Jim Draer, near the school site, though its earliest burial dates to 1873. Among the graves are veterans of conflicts spanning the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea, tended today by a cemetery association.
Why it matters
A single rural burial ground holding veterans from four different wars captures how generations of one small community answered the nation's call across nearly a century.
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Related people
- · Jim Draer
- · Lydia Bowman
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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