Texas Historical Marker #13226
County Line Cemetery. Early settlers to this area included: Eli Henderson McCoy, who came from North Carolina in 1859 and later served in the Confederate Army; Jeremiah Brisco Ormes, who arrived from Mississippi in the 1850s; and Jessie Pierce, who came from Georgia around 1870. These men and their families established what became known as the Crossroads community near the Harrison-Upshur county line. Early residents founded the County Line Baptist Church, affiliated with the Soda Lake Association. They also established the County Line Cemetery on land donated by Dr. T.B. and Buena Vista (Craver) Burford. Although the original deed was lost, Burford descendants formally deeded the land to the church and cemetery again in 1959. The number of unmarked graves indicated some may predate the earliest marked one, that of Eli Henderson McCoy (d. 1863). Other tombstones also reflect military service, as well as memberships in fraternal organizations. Unique graves include two early stone cairns. Maintained by descendants of those buried here, County Line Cemetery is an important link to generations of area residents and the stories of their lives. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004 #13226
FM 450, FM 726, Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #16844
Simmons Hill Baptist Church. This church traces its origins to the 1850s at a site near the Upshur County line, which gave the church its first name of County Line Baptist Church. Minutes from an 1869 meeting of the Soda Lake Association show that Pastor W. W. Lee was leading 58 members. The church joined the Liberty Baptist Association in 1902. About 1915, the church began meeting in the Simmons School House. After the school consolidated with Harleton in 1939, William Hartwell Simmons, in 1941, deeded the property to the B. M. A. Baptist church of Simmons community. The congregation remodeled the schoolhouse and changed names to Simmons Hill Baptist Church in 1944. The church, which built a new sanctuary in 1996, continues to serve as a beacon of light in the area. #16844
4213 CR 4503, Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #10172
Harleton. Although settlement in this area between the forks of Big and Little Cypress creeks began in the 1830s, notable growth did not occur until the arrival of a railroad here in 1891. The railroad was a vital part of a venture financed by John H. Inman, organized by Edwin J. Fry, and executed by brothers Robert H. and James W. Harle, to exploit the area's virgin forests. Organized as the Hope Lumber Company, they constructed a depot and large commissary, installed a band sawmill, and extended a tram road into the Eagle Creek area. The nearby village of Grady was unable to compete against the Harles' well-stocked store and dance hall and soon faded. Its post office, renamed Harleton after the Harle brothers, was relocated to the Harle store. Harleton's economy boomed as timber production led to increased farm activity, and local merchants such as D. C. Webb and Son, Dreyfus-Little Mercantile Co., J. P. Craver and Son, and R. W. Taylor General Merchandise increased stocks to meet a growing demand for wares. By the late 1890s, however, Hope Lumber Company had processed the area's available timber and closed its mill. The railroad later joined with the Marshall & East Texas Railroad. Harleton continued, supported by agriculture and other timber operations in the area. #10172
?, Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #10214
Smyrna Cemetery. Pioneer physician John Chadd received a land grant in 1845 made by Texas Governor J. Pinckney Henderson. Dr. Chadd donated land to the community in 1846 to be used for a church, school, and cemetery and chose the community's biblical name of Smyrna. This cemetery dates to 1850 when John Glover was buried in an unmarked grave. The earliest headstone is that of Susana Kirkpatrick in 1859. Dr. Chadd deeded two acres of land in 1874 to the Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church. The cemetery has been closely associated with the church through the years. Tombstones mark the graves of Dr. Chadd and his wife Emily Jane Taylor, and other early settlers who lived and died in the area. Among the more than 675 graves are those of veterans of conflicts from the Civil War to the Vietnam War. The Smyrna Cemetery Association was established as a non-profit organization in 1954 by the people of the Smyrna community. Additional land was donated to the cemetery in 1962 and in 1974. Annual meetings have been held at the cemetery since 1946. The site continues to serve Smyrna and many surrounding communities. (1997) #10214
?, Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #11976
Smyrna United Methodist Church. Dr. John Chadd and his family arrived in Harrison County from Indiana in 1846. With several other men from the community, Dr. Chadd founded the Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Chadd home served as the meeting place for the congregation; services, held once every three weeks, were led by Methodist circuit riders. In 1858 Dr. Chadd and another founder, William Knox, deeded 2 acres to the E. J. Glover Masonic Lodge No. 178 for the use of the church. A two-story log building was shared by the Masons, the church, and the local school. The structure and its replacement were destroyed by fire. In 1874 Chadd deeded land adjoining the church property and a new building was erected in that year. By 1887 the congregation numbered 80. The school was moved to land donated by Chadd in 1902. The church building was destroyed by a cyclone in 1905. Two years later, Chadd again deeded land to the church, and the Methodist Conference gave $100 for a new edifice. George Oscar McIntosh, the contractor for the new structure, became a church member. In 1953 McIntosh was the head carpenter for construction of the fifth church building. Renamed Smyrna United Methodist Church in 1968, the congregation counted 56 members in 1997. The church continues to be a center of Smyrna community and religious life. (1998) #11976
FM 450, Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #10173
Harleton Methodist Church. Methodist services were held in the homes of area settlers as early as the 1840s. In 1901 the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was deeded land in Harleton where they built a sanctuary. Membership expanded and in 1914 Trustee R. W. Taylor supervised the building of a new brick sanctuary at this site. The congregation has historically shared its church building with other local organizations. The congregation became Harleton United Methodist Church in 1970. The church continues to sponsor various outreach programs and provide spiritual guidance for the community. #10173
FM 450 at York St., Harleton, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #10151
Site of Davidson Homestead. On this land, purchased by Isaiah Davidson (1814-1900), one of the first frame houses in this section of the state was built in 1867. Davidson, of Scottish descent, moved to Texas from Georgia with his wife, Mary Little, and children Elias, Frank, Lizzie, and Houston. His oldest son, John, who was a Confederate soldier, acquired land adjoining. Two other sons, Whitfield and Henry, died in the Civil War. This site soon became a mecca for members of the Davidson clan as they moved to Texas. The land was also on an old wagon road over which crops were hauled from "Blackland Country" (around Dallas) to Port of Jefferson. Family property, which totals 3,200 acres (five sections), is today owned by descendant T. Whitfield Davidson. #10151
?, Harleton, TX, United States