Wimberly Cemetery
Shelbyville, Shelby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This cemetery originally served the early community of Paul’s store. William A. Paul opened a store near here after the Civil War. A previous community was named Terrapin Neck. The cemetery was established upon the death of Clarinda (Jones) Wimberly, who was buried at the site in 1870. Her husband, Watford Wimberly buried her on their homestead; after Watford’s 1886 death and burial at the site, his son sold the property in 1891, reserving one acre as a community cemetery. The parker and strickland families each sold additional property to the cemetery and the site now encompasses 5.7 acres. A committee organized in 1973 to oversee the cemetery, which serves as a record of the area’s early settlers.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This cemetery grew from the East Texas community of Paul's Store, opened after the Civil War near an earlier settlement called Terrapin Neck. It began in 1870 when Watford Wimberly buried his wife Clarinda on the family homestead; after his own death in 1886, a son reserved an acre as a community cemetery, and neighboring families later expanded it. A committee has overseen the grounds since 1973, preserving a record of the area's earliest settlers.
Why it matters
Wimberly Cemetery marks the transition of a private homestead grave into a shared community burial ground, a common thread in how rural East Texas settlements took root after the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Watford Wimberly
- · Clarinda Jones Wimberly
- · William A. Paul
Themes & tags
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