Texas Historical Marker #11420
Holly Springs Cemetery. In 1860, Robert K. Gibbs donated three acres of land near this site for the establishment of Holly Springs Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Three years later, during the height of the Civil War, W. E. and Comelia J. Roberts deeded approximately three additional acres to create this community burial ground. The site has been enlarged over the years through later land acquisitions. The first person interred here was Susan M. Hanks (d.1863), wife of Hansford Hanks. Two tombstones, those of James W. Gray (d.1850) and Sarah C. Gray (d.1856), bear earlier death dates, but the grave sites were among those reinterred from the Ephriam Gray Graveyard in 1968. The Pioneer Gray Cemetery was originally located 2.5 miles northwest of Martin's Mill. The Holly Springs Cemetery has served residents of Martin's Mill (1.7 miles southwest) and surrounding rural communities for over a century. Individuals interred here include pioneer area settlers, church and community leaders, and military veterans. Still used, the historic cemetery serves as a reminder of the area's rich heritage. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986 #11420
?, Martin's Mill, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12269
Tidmore Cemetery. Pioneer L. H. Hobbs arrived in this area in about 1850 and was instrumental in the establishment of the community. He owned 320 acres of land, including this site. Hobbs allowed the King family to bury their two-year-old daughter here, marking the first known use of the burial ground. The oldest documented grave is that of Robert A. Youngblood (d. 1863). Levin Collins purchased this 320 acres in 1865. The following year his son-in-law, John Tidmore, died from lingering maladies incurred during the Civil War. John Tidmore's widow, Martha Elizabeth (daughter of Levin Collins) and her four children moved in with her parents and siblings, and in 1872 she bought the eastern half of her parents' land, including the cemetery. She died later that year, and was interred here with her family; the graveyard became known by the Tidmore family name. The three surviving Tidmore children and their spouses later lived on adjoining lands near the cemetery. George W. Tidmore and his children operated a cotton gin. Various Tidmore family members became well-known members of the community, and were buried here in turn. L. H. Hobbs and his descendants continued to be prominent in the community, as well. Hobbs school and Hobbs Missionary Baptist Church, both located about two miles north of the cemetery, were examples of their influence. The land on this site eventually was deeded as a cemetery. In 1933 a Hobbs descendant sold three more acres for one dollar to the Tidmore Cemetery Association. There are twelve veterans of the army of the Confederacy interred here, and many veterans of World War I and World War II. The cemetery continues to serve descendants of pioneer families and other community members. (2000) Incise on base: William K. Tidmore, Researcher #12269
?, Martin's Mill, TX, United States