Scott's Chapel Cemetery
Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This cemetery served the former community of Scott's Chapel, named for the Scott family, who came here in 1852. James Williams Scott, a signer of the Goliad Declaration of Independence, migrated from Alabama in 1831 with wife Martha "Patsey" Bruce and family before eventually settling this area. Their son Palestine Gilliad Scott donated land for a school and church, while another son, John Coleman Burris Scott, gave property for cemetery use in 1860. The earliest burial, for Fannie E. Griffin, dates to 1859. Another notable burial is of Samuel McFall, a survivor of the Black Bean Episode of the 1842-43 Mier Expedition. The burial ground contains obelisks, Woodmen of the World markers, false crypts and interior fencing. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This burial ground served the vanished community of Scott's Chapel, tied to the family of James Williams Scott, a signer of the Goliad Declaration of Independence who came to Texas in 1831. His sons gave land for a school, church, and, in 1860, this cemetery. Among those resting here is Samuel McFall, a survivor of the deadly Black Bean Episode of the 1842–43 Mier Expedition.
Why it matters
The graves gather together the founding generation of Anglo Texas—independence signers and Mier Expedition survivors—whose sacrifices and settlement shaped the young Republic and state.
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Related people
- · James Williams Scott
- · Samuel McFall
Related events
- · Goliad Declaration of Independence
- · Mier Expedition
- · Black Bean Episode
Themes & tags
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