Freestone County, Texas Cemeteries Edwards/Troy/Pine Bluff Cemetery ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGS Map: Yard Quadrangle Submitted by: Eric Bonner Wood Status: Extemely old cemetery for the county. Abandoned about 1856. Coordinates: 31 degrees - 47 minutes - 30.71 seconds N; 95 degrees - 59 minutes - 22.16 seconds W Coordinates 2: 31.792225, -95.990812 Background: This cemetery is said by different sources to be for the ghost town of Troy. A Feb. 4, 1858 land map of Freestone County by Joseph Martin clearly shows Troy north of the Trinity River's bend. The parcel is Beteman [sic, Bateman] and Adams, surrounded by Eddy Sparks land. Location: Situated on private property near the Trinity River. East-NE of Fairfield on Hugh Bonner land, near Trinity River. The cemetery is overgrown with timber. Warning - there are old unmarked and uncovered wells and cisterns that one could easily stumple down in the area. Directions #1: Proceed out FM 2570 to junction with county road that connects to FM 1364, Turn left at this junction and go .4 mile to double gate; enter through right gate entrance and travel .6 miles to where road joins pipe line right-of-way for 1.1 miles then turn right along a jeep road for .4 mile to cemetery. Directions #2: Go past I. G. C. plant toward Cook's Lake, come to locked gate with sign "Wildlife Preserve". Turn right and from there on, someone will have to take you to the cemetery. Oldest Marked Grave: Mar 17, 1853 William Adams ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [tall square-shaped tombstone with "shoulders"] "[masonic symbol in octogon] Wm. L. Adams Died March 17, 1853 aged 38 yrs 10 mo. & 3 d" Adams, William L[ewis] 05/04/1815-03/17/1853 [See 130/130 in 1850 Limestone Co. census; *A50* p6,25; *S50* 62; *FCT51* 1-2; *FCT52* 3,330; *FCT53* 8,439; she *FCT54* 13-14; she *FCT55* 8; she in *FC60* 28/28; *FC70* 261/263; *FC80* 56] [was Troy's first postmaster, serving from Nov. 4, 1850 to Dec. 8, 1852.] [Original petitioner of the Pine Bluff Masonic Lodge #85.] [his wife (Letitia Ann Goodman) and daughter are buried at Fairfield Cemetery] [his widow takes over in tax assessments in 1854 and continues for many years. She eventually dies in 1880. The widow was a large land owner.] ----------------------------------------------------------- [average-sized traditional oval top tombstone with "shoulders"] "In remembrance of B. F. Edwards Departed This Life April 16, 1855 Age 52" Edwards, B[enjamin] F[ranklin "Waco"] 1803-04/16/1855 [Vol II, Edwards Cemetery list this grave as I did. Vol II, Troy Cemetery lists this as "Edwards, B. F. and wife ?-4/16/1855"] [See #108 in 1850 Limestone County census. See H of FC, Vol I, #289. Brother of Haden Edwards. Benjamin and Haden were leaders of the Fredonian Rebellion at Nacogdoches in 1826. See 108/108 in 1850 Limestone Co. census; *A50* p6,30; *S50* 68; *FCT51* 62-64 as B.J.; not in 1852 or 1853 FC jury, *FCT52* 82 as B.F.; not in 1853 or 1854 tax; *FCT55* 188 as B.F.; *FCT56* 221 shows deceased paid by W. L.; *FC57* shows W.L.; she and W. L. in *FC60* 353/360. Ben's death notice: Texas State Gazette; published in Austin, Texas; May 12, 1855 edition; Page: 292: We learn from the Leon Pioneer that Waco Edwards, an old Texan, a citizen of Freestone county, was killed a short time since by a young man, by the named of Horn. It seems that Edwards had made some remarks derogatory to the honesty of Horn, which coming to his ears, he rode up to Edward's home, called him out and asked him if he said so and so, on Edwards answering in the affirmative he shot him down in his tracks with a double barreled shot gun. This is rumor - we do not vouch or its correctness. Report says that Horn has been arrested."] ----------------------------------------------------------- [small oval top tombstone with "shoulders"] ["W. C. EDWARDS Was born January the 23, 1853 died January the 12, A.D. 1855" ] Edwards, W. C. 01/22/1853-01/12/1855 [assumed to be the son of James M. "Jim" Edwards & Emily (Ross) Edwards. Jim was the son of B.F. ] ========================================================= UNMARKED GRAVES (According to research): [Source: Sylvia Childs in p. 316 Freestone County History Bk., Vol I: Nancy (Sellers) Child ??/??/1824 - 12/25/1867 (w/o Edward Washington Childs ) Frances Child 06/11/1850-12/15/1867 (d/o Edward and Nancy) (twin of Jane) Jane Child 06/11/1850-12/15/1867 (d/o Edward and Nancy) (twin of Frances) The family came to Freestone County, Texas in 1865 settling in Sandtown, a small community near Cooks Ferry on the Trinity River. His wife, Nancy, and twin daughters died December 25, 1867, of malaria fever. They are buried in a cemetery near Sandtown. The family again moved to the Antioch Community, and here he resided until his death at the age of 86. ========================================================= POSSIBLE UNMARKED GRAVES: [Possible grave:] George Washington Adams ?-? [Source: descendants of the Adams family] [Possible graves: Leonidas F. Wilson (died 1852) (member of the Pine Bluff Masonic Lodge #85).] [Possible grave:] Micajah Bateman (the co-owner of the parcel that held Troy) ?-abt Dec 1850 [He appears in the 1850 census at 132/132 done Oct. 14th, 1850. Problem is another Micajah Bateman also born GA arrives and lives in Bowling, Leon Co., TX in 1860 and is buried across the county line at Salem cemetery in Freestone community in Freestone Co., TX along with some of his kids.]