Rose Hill Cemetery
Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of the oldest cemeteries in Texarkana. Founded as "City Cemetery" in 1874, shortly after the town was established in December, 1873. Here lie the remains of some of the city's first citizens-- plantation owners, the livery stable owner, country doctors, lawyers, the cabinet maker, and 2 known members of the Texas legislature. About 70 Confederate soldiers and 3 known Union soldiers are also interred here. Other burials include victims of the 1882 Paragon Saloon disaster, which occurred when a storm caused a nearby building to collapse, thus starting a fire. In 1889 the Rose Hill Cemetery Association was formed to beautify and maintain the tract. A very impressive monument marks the grave of Otis Henry, a young World War I soldier. The grave of Captain Francis Marion Henry, one of the city fathers and a great-great-grandson of American Patriot Patrick Henry, is marked by a Texas historical marker. The center-drive lots are reserved for designated soldiers and veterans of World Wars I and II from Bowie County, Texas and Miller County, Arkansas. Many of the older graves are placed in cement "cradles", a surviving custom of earlier times, as is the secluded atmosphere of this heart-of-town plot. (1969)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded as City Cemetery in 1874, just months after Texarkana was established, Rose Hill holds the town's first citizens—doctors, lawyers, tradespeople, and legislators—alongside some seventy Confederate and three Union soldiers. Later burials include victims of the 1882 Paragon Saloon disaster and soldiers of both World Wars, with many older graves resting in concrete 'cradles' typical of the era.
Why it matters
The cemetery is a layered record of a border-straddling railroad town, its people spanning from Civil War veterans to 20th-century soldiers of two counties in two states.
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Related people
- · Francis Marion Henry
- · Otis Henry
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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