Savannah Cemetery
Jefferson, Marion County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This site began as the family burial ground for Sofia Smith Whatley and her descendants. A South Carolina native, Whatley moved from Alabama with her son, Miles Jefferson, shortly after her husband, Martin, died in 1875. She came to this area to join another son, James Darling, and his family. A third son, Francis Marion, later bought land in Marion County as well. The burial ground began on the land of James Whatley, who also deeded property to the county for a public school. The oldest marked grave is that of a Poe family infant who died in 1884. For many years, the burial ground was known as the Whatley Cemetery, although over time it took on the name Savannah, after the second wife of Miles Whatley. An area church also bears her name. Over the years, the burial ground became a community cemetery, although Whatley family members remain active in maintaining the site, which is a link to their heritage and to local history. Among the area residents buried here are veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. An association oversees cemetery operations. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This burial ground began as the family plot of Sofia Smith Whatley, a South Carolina native who moved from Alabama to Marion County after her husband died in 1875 to join sons already settled here. Established on the land of her son James—who also deeded property for a public school—it holds a Poe family infant's 1884 grave as its oldest. Once called the Whatley Cemetery, it took the name Savannah after the second wife of Miles Whatley and gradually became a community cemetery, with Civil War veterans among those laid to rest.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the layered heritage of a pioneer family and the East Texas community that grew up around it after the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Sofia Smith Whatley
- · James Whatley
- · Miles Whatley
Themes & tags
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