St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
Marshall, Harrison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Though it is unclear when this land was first used for burials, the oldest known graves date from 1872. At its creation the cemetery served Catholics in Harrison County and St. Joseph Parish, including Carthage, Jefferson, Waskom, Uncertain and Scottsville. Visiting priests served parishioners until the Rev. Thomas Loughery was sent by the Galveston Diocese in 1874. Land for the cemetery was sold to the Diocese by C.F. Chevaillier in 1878. Among those buried here are a number of workers who died while employed in Marshall's various railroad industries and whose families could not be located. White crosses placed by the Knights of Columbus mark many unknown graves. (1999)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The oldest known graves in this Catholic cemetery date to 1872, and the ground served parishes across Harrison County and beyond before the Diocese of Galveston formally acquired it in 1878. Visiting priests tended the scattered faithful until a resident pastor arrived in 1874. Among the buried are railroad workers who died in Marshall's rail industries with no family to claim them; Knights of Columbus crosses mark many of their unknown graves.
Why it matters
The cemetery reflects the Catholic and immigrant labor that built Texas's railroads, and the quiet dignity communities extended to workers who died far from home.
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Related people
- · Rev. Thomas Loughery
- · C. F. Chevaillier
Themes & tags
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