Texas Historical Marker #01012
Community of Sidney. Began about 1870 when William Yarborough and J. A. Wright, early settlers, located on Jimmie's Creek. As a community developed, the settlers built a log schoolhouse near a spring, in 1877. W. D. Cox was the first teacher. The Methodist church was also founded in 1877 and a few years later the Baptist church and Church of Christ were started. All denominations took turns using the log schoolhouse for worship. In 1883 Tom Davis opened a store and soon J. C. Stapp bought an interest in it. In 1886 Stapp became the first Postmaster, naming the post office after his young son Sidney. Holstein dairy cattle, basis of a major industry, were brought here in the 1880s. Between 1890 and 1910 Sidney had several doctors' offices, drug stores, gins, a general store, barber shop, lodge hall, and telephone exchange. Reorganized in 1902, the school became an accredited high school. Around the turn of the century, the town shared in the national attention focused on nearby Round Mountain--first field laboratory of the remarkable Dr. Robert T. Hill (1858-1941), world-famous geologist. His studies vastly increased knowledge of the geology of North America and Texas, and after his death, he had his ashes scattered atop the mountain. (1969) #1012
?, Sidney, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03977
Pendergrass Cemetery. Pioneer farmer and rancher William Pendergrass (1818-98) and his wife, Emaline (1819-1907), moved from Tennessee to Smith County, Texas, in 1849. They first came to Comanche County in 1859, then settled here permanently after a brief return to Smith County (1866-73). Some of the Pendergrasses' nine children also settled in this area. A leader in this frontier community, Pendergrass helped to establish several churches and a school, as well as this cemetery. The first interment here was in 1883, when Pendergrass offered a plot of his land for the burial of a stranger whose body was found nearby. Soon afterward, he moved graves of two of his grandchildren, Hilliard Pendergrass and Pearly Cook, to this site from a tract of land he had sold. In 1888 he deeded the one-acre cemetery to the community. Emaline Pendergrass donated another acre shortly after her husband's death in 1898. The 525 graves now (1975) here include those of Pendergrass, his wife, and many of their descendants. The Pendergrass Cemetery Association, formed as the result of a community beautification drive, fenced the site and erected gates in 1959. The well-maintained cemetery is still used for burials. (1975) #3977
?, Sidney, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #01100
Cox Cemetery. William Driscol Cox (1839-97) and his wife Amanda (Shugart) moved with their family from Tennessee to Texas in 1872. Cox taught in Robertson County, then (1876) bought and moved to a 300-acre ranch at this site. He taught the first school in Sidney and served 1882-84 as Sheriff of Comanche County. This cemetery was opened at the death of infant Mary Jane Cox (1875-76), sixth child of the family. Amanda (Mrs. W. D.) Cox was buried here in 1882. In 1886, Cox donated the 1-acre family burial ground to the Methodist Mission in nearby Bibb, as a public cemetery. In 1895 he sold most of his land to a nephew, James Sampson Cox (1866-1941), who later was one of the area's largest landowners. Although Bibb Mission closed in 1908, this facility continued in public use. In 1934, J. S. Cox bought and added three-fourths of an acre to the original ground. Under leadership of O. S. Cox (1895-1966), a grand-nephew of W. D. Cox, the fence and arched gate were installed in 1959. Reunion associations of the Hurt and Steele Families, connected by marriages to the Coxes, have helped maintain the cemetery. The Cox Cemetery Association was organized in 1968 with L. D. Cox, grandson of J. S. Cox, as the first president. (1977) #1100
?, Sidney, TX, United States