Tehuacana Cemetery
Pearsall, Frio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Original 1.86 acre site given by James E. and Amanda R. Bandy. First burial was in 1875. Community acquired adjoining 3.6 acres in 1880 for a log church and a day, writing, and music school; added 6.2 acres in 1881 for a frame parsonage and church called Wilson Chapel and Salem Sunday School. Tehuacana Church moved to Medina County in 1900. Buried here are early pioneers: victims of 1882-1884 smallpox epidemics; twelve Confederate veterans; Levi Wilson, one of three original church trustees. 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Deeded from the land of James and Amanda Bandy, Tehuacana Cemetery received its first burial in 1875, and the surrounding community soon added acreage for a log church, a school, and a frame parsonage. The graveyard holds the region's early pioneers, including victims of the smallpox epidemics that swept through in 1882–1884 and a dozen Confederate veterans. When the church relocated to Medina County in 1900, the cemetery endured as a record of frontier settlement.
Why it matters
Rural burial grounds like this one preserve the everyday history of Texas frontier communities—their faith, their schooling, and the epidemics they weathered—that written records often overlook.
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Related people
- · James E. Bandy
- · Amanda R. Bandy
- · Levi Wilson
Related events
- · 1882-1884 smallpox epidemics
Themes & tags
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