West Mountain Cemetery
Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Part of a Republic of Texas land grant formerly occupied by Caddo and Cherokee Indians, this cemetery was established in the mid-1850s by plantation owner Alpha Phillips. The first grave, that of his father, William, is marked with a stone cairn. The family cemetery came to be used by neighbors, West Mountain community residents, and transients. A volunteer association was begun in the 1920s to maintain the grounds, and its members have added acreage to the graveyard over the years. Originally known as Old Phillips Cemetery, it has been called West Mountain Cemetery since 1933.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On land once occupied by the Caddo and Cherokee and later part of a Republic of Texas grant, plantation owner Alpha Phillips established this burial ground in the mid-1850s. The first grave, his father William's, is marked by a stone cairn, and the family plot soon served neighbors and travelers alike. A volunteer association took up its care in the 1920s, and it has borne the name West Mountain Cemetery since 1933.
Why it matters
The cemetery layers Native homeland, Republic-era land grants, and plantation settlement into a single site, tracing the successive peoples who shaped East Texas.
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Related people
- · Alpha Phillips
- · William Phillips
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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