Trees Cemetery
Duncanville, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Crawford Trees (1823-1889) came to Texas in 1845. He and fellow Illinois native Anna Kimmel (1831-1913) were married in 1846. Crawford went to California during the Gold Rush in 1849, returning to Texas two years later with enough money to purchase 5,458 acres of land. In 1855, he and Anna, eventually the parents of ten children, donated land for a community school and church. They established this cemetery when Anna's brother, Philip Kimmel, and a friend, William Stiles, were killed in a shooting on August 21, 1856. Primarily a family burial ground, the cemetery also contains the graves of a number of family friends. Maintained by a family association, the cemetery remains in use by Trees descendants. (2001)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Crawford Trees came to Texas in 1845 and, after striking enough wealth in the 1849 California Gold Rush, returned to buy more than 5,000 acres of Dallas County land. He and his wife Anna donated ground for a school and church, and in 1856 they founded this cemetery after Anna's brother and a friend were killed in a shooting. Chiefly a family burial ground, it remains in use by Trees descendants today.
Why it matters
The cemetery links the California Gold Rush to the settlement of North Texas, showing how frontier fortunes seeded the farms and communities of a growing state.
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Related people
- · Crawford Trees
- · Anna Kimmel Trees
Related events
- · California Gold Rush
Themes & tags
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