Freestone County, Texas Cemeteries Claypool Cemetery ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background: The Claypools and Potters are one of the original pioneer families as evidenced by the land patents. In the 1855 scholastic census of Freestone County, the children of Daniel Potter and Stephen J. Claypool were listed. The cemetery is located in the Claypool Survey in the Stewards Mill area. This Claypool family cemetery was established during the early to mid 1850s. Most of the Potter family are buried nearby at Stewards Mill Cemetery. Remember that in 1850 that this land was considered Limestone County until Freestone County was formed. Written Sources: [Source - Linda Mullen] The 1936 “Statewide Inventory of Water Wells” states on the property of Walter Freeman was a well dug in “1830”(? date- possibly 1850) by the Claypools. Cemetery Description: The Claypool Cemetery is on the west side of the road to Stewards Mill. The cemetery is very small and only has a few graves. All the markers are rocks (primarily iron ore) and without writing. The parcel is very wooded. Amazingly given their age, graves are still outlined with large rectangular iron ore rocks. The grave sites do not all face the same direction with some running east and west; while others point north and south. Cemetery Location: The cemetery is little south of Claypool Hill (a famous spot to get stuck when the roads were dirt roads since it was composed of red clay) on private propery. The cemetery is near Cottonwood creek (a.k.a. Cedar creek on very old maps dating around 1850s). Directions: Drive north from Fairfield towards Stewards Mill on Hwy 75 and onto FM 2547. The cemetery is north of where county road 110 intersects FM 2547. GPS [source - Linda Mullen] : 31.787105, -96.191328 31 degrees 47' 06.4" North; 96 degrees 11' 28.8" West Land Owners: The cemetery is now located on property owned by Terry Skinner and Phil Whatley, with their fence line dividing the cemetery. The cemetery is across the road from where Billie Hugh Bonner lives on Claypool Hill. The cemetery was near where Curtis & Eloise Freeman use to live and the back west side of the property backs up to Christine Marsters. Later the land was owned by the Watson and Bradley families. Oldest Grave: Unknown since no writing, but likely is early to mid 1850s. Status: Inactive. No likely burials since 1880s. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ONLY IRON ORE MARKERS. NO WRITING. SO NO TRANSCRIPTION POSSIBLE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speculated Burials: [Source - The information comes from Linda Mullen's excellent research. Most of the best records are probate records. Any misunderstandings or mistakes are mine.] 1) John N. Claypool (born abt 1792 in NC.; marries Hannah in Warren Co., KY on 9 Nov 1811; recorded on 10 Oct 1850 in 1850 Precinct 2 Limestone Co., TX. at household 70; lives at Troy, TX.; Commissioner of Freestone Co., TX 1851-1852, 1854; died bef 1858) 2) Hannah Claypool (wife of John N.) (b 1797 in NC., widow living alone on 24 Jul 1860 in the 1860 census, dies abt 1861) 3) John Scott Claypool (son of John N. and Hannah) (married Ann E. Marley Jan. 20, 1856 in Freestone County, Texas; juror on 22 Feb 1856; died bef Jan. 25, 1858) 4) Unknown first wife of John Scott Claypool 5) Ann E. (Marley) Claypool (wife of John Scott Claypool) 6) Stephen J. Claypool (son of John N. and Hannah) (b 1817 in KY.; recorded on 10 Oct 1850 in 1850 Precinct 2 Limestone Co., TX. at household 67; Justice of the Peace in Freestone Co., TX. 1851-52; Freestone Co., TX. juror records found from 2 Feb 1852 to 23 Jul 1866; 1855 scholastic census in District 1; 24 Jul 1860 recorded in 1860 census as "L.J." at household 149/150; died bef 1867) 7) his wife Dice/Disa (wife of Stephen J. Claypool) (b 1814 in TN., d abt 1868) 8) Elizabeth B. Potter (first wife of Daniel Boone Potter) (b 1821 in Missouri; m abt 1838 to Daniel Boone Potter; 10 Oct 1850 recorded in 1850 Precinct 2 Limestone Co., TX. at household 65; d bef Jan 1855) 9) Rosanna (Moore) Potter (second wife of Daniel Boone Potter) (b ?; m 30 Jan 1855 in Freestone Co., TX to Daniel Potter; d bef Oct 1857) 10+) numerous other Claypool children are possibly buried at the cemetery: kids of John N. and Hannah Claypool: George R. (appears in 1850 Limestone Co. census but no record thereafter) kids of Stephen J. and Disa Claypool: Hanah M. Claypool (b 1841 in ARK., m1 James S. Odom on March 7, 1867 in F.C., m2 John T. Nordike on 16 Dec 1875 in F.C.) William C. Claypool (b 1845 in MO.) George W. Claypool (b 1848 in TX.) Daniel Boone Claypool (b 1854 in TX; buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery) kids of unknown parent that appear in Stephen J.'s household in 1860 Freestone Co. census: James Claypool (b 1843 d Clarksville, TN. 12/14/1861 with CSA 7th TX Inf, Co. G) Stephen Claypool (b 1844) Hannah E Claypool (b 1847) Lucinda Claypool (b 1852, m James Adams) Wm M Claypool (b 1855) Martha "Patsey" Claypool (b 1857) ========================================================