Wilson Spring Cemetery
Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located on land originally granted to George Washington Glasscock, the Wilson Spring Cemetery was established by the family of John S. Wilson, who purchased the land in 1854. His brother, Robert W. Wilson, acquired the land in 1857, and a community which built up in the area of a nearby spring became known as Wilson Spring. John S. Wilson was the first to be buried on the family farm in 1874. The land was formally deeded as a public cemetery in 1899 and serves as the burial place for the Wilson Family and their neighbors. (1988)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On land first granted to Georgetown founder George Washington Glasscock, the Wilson family bought acreage near a spring in the 1850s, and the little community that grew up there took the name Wilson Spring. John S. Wilson, buried on the family farm in 1874, was the first laid to rest here; the ground was formally deeded as a public cemetery in 1899. It remains the resting place of the Wilson family and their rural neighbors.
Why it matters
Family burial grounds that grew into public cemeteries trace the quiet arc of frontier settlement โ from a single farmstead to a lasting rural community.
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Related people
- ยท John S. Wilson
- ยท George Washington Glasscock
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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