Wharton Cemetery
Wharton, Wharton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Wharton County was established in 1846, and the county seat, Wharton, was laid out on the Mexican land grant of "Old 300" colonist William Kincheloe. In 1866, county commissioners appointed James Whitten to find a suitable location for a cemetery. The site chosen was just a few blocks from the courthouse square and was already used as a graveyard. The oldest marked burial is that of Barbara Betts (d. 1843). Official plats of the cemetery in 1912 and 1928 show the burial sites of many of Wharton's earliest families, city founders and important figures, such as Amanda Armstrong Watts (d. 1924), first public schoolteacher in Wharton in 1880 and city postmistress in 1881. More than 140 veterans are buried here, including those who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korean War and Vietnam Conflict. The Wharton Cemetery exhibits detail in planning and development. Features include obelisks, brick cairns, decorated fencing, curbed plots and a large number of vertical stones. A 1931 marker indicates the city had a cemetery committee as early as 1906. A committee still maintains the burial ground, preserving the history of Wharton for future generations. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2002
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When Wharton County was organized in 1846, its seat was laid out on the Mexican land grant of 'Old 300' colonist William Kincheloe, and in 1866 the commissioners formalized a cemetery already in use just blocks from the courthouse. Its oldest marked grave dates to 1843, and among those buried here is Amanda Armstrong Watts, Wharton's first public schoolteacher and its postmistress in 1881. More than 140 veterans of conflicts from the Civil War through Vietnam rest amid the obelisks, cairns, and decorated ironwork that make the grounds a study in cemetery design.
Why it matters
Wharton Cemetery holds the founders of one of Stephen F. Austin's original colony counties and generations of the citizens — teachers, soldiers, and pioneers — who built the community.
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Related people
- · William Kincheloe
- · James Whitten
- · Amanda Armstrong Watts
- · Barbara Betts
Themes & tags
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