Prairie Grove
Diboll vicinity, Angelina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The community of Prairie Grove began in 1845 and became a place for early settlers to gather. A cemetery began in 1849 when the young daughter of John M. and Caroline Stovall died. In the 1880s a school/church building was erected near the cemetery, and became the heart of the community. The church became the Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church in 1921, and a new schoolhouse was built that served the area until 1948 when the school was disbanded. The church and cemetery continue to serve the area after more than a century. (1996)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Prairie Grove took shape in 1845 as a gathering place for East Texas settlers, its cemetery beginning in 1849 with the burial of a young Stovall daughter. A combined school and church built in the 1880s became the community's heart, evolving into the Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church by 1921. Though the school closed in 1948, the church and cemetery have served the area for well over a century.
Why it matters
It shows how the schoolhouse-church served as the enduring anchor of rural Texas communities that otherwise left few traces.
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Related people
- · John M. Stovall
- · Caroline Stovall
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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