Smith Springs Cemetery
Stephenville, Erath County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground, established by 1907, served the rural Smith Springs Community. Most of the interred were related to Swiss-born Frederick Hook (d. 1920), a stonemason who helped build the Erath County Courthouse, and his wife, Emily (d. 1922). Milton Brown (d. 1936), a noted singer and songwriter who was one of the founders of western swing music, is interred here, as are community leaders and veterans of conflicts dating to the Civil War. Cemetery features include Woodmen of the World monuments, curbing and grave slabs. Today, the Smith Springs Cemetery Association continues to care for the burial ground, which is the last remnant of the Smith Springs Community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Established by 1907, this cemetery served the now-vanished Smith Springs community and holds many kin of Swiss-born stonemason Frederick Hook, who helped build the Erath County Courthouse. Among its graves is Milton Brown, remembered as one of the founders of Western swing—the dance music that fused string-band and jazz traditions in 1930s Texas. Woodmen of the World monuments, curbing, and grave slabs mark the pioneer-era plots, tended today by a cemetery association.
Why it matters
It is the last trace of a lost farming community—and the resting place of a musician who helped invent one of Texas's signature contributions to American popular music.
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Related people
- · Milton Brown
- · Frederick Hook
- · Emily Hook
Themes & tags
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