KERR COUNTY, TX. - CEMETERIES Old Camp Verde, The Fort =============================================================================== USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Shirley Webb =============================================================================== OLD CAMP VERDE - THE FORT Located near the Camp Verde Store, Kerr County, Texas. From Kerrville take SH 16 south to SH 173, turn left and continue to the Camp Verde corners, turn right on FM 480 which runs along the north side of the Verde Creek. Continue past the Camp Verde Cemetery on your left and you will soon see, on your right, a cattle guard with large native stone pillars on each side. This is now private property but the monument is just inside the gate and can be read from outside. >From "Cemeteries of Kerr County, Texas, 1859-1976" published by Kerrville Genealogical Society in 1980. Field notes were done by Arlene and Fred Tolman who copied the stones in the cemetery and provided that data to the Kerrville Genealogical Society for publication. *************** The only known graves on the Camp Verde property are those of Capt. J.A.BONNELL and his wife. These are enclosed in an iron fence with rocks mounded up on them. ************ Camp Verde was established as a frontier post by the United States Army 8 July 1855. It was headquarters in 1856 for 40 camels sent by secretary of war Jefferson Davis to be used in a system of overland communication with the west which proved impracticable. It was surrendered to the Confederate government in 1861, re-occupied in 1865 by the U.S. Army and abandoned 1 April 1869. A monument was erected by the Sons of Texas in 1936. Bennett's history of Kerr County 1856-1956 and Clara Watkins "Kerr County, Texas 1856-1976" both give the following account: "John A. BONNELL, an Ohian, bought 640 acres, including Camp Verde buildings in 1874. His son, William H. BONNELL, later added some 20,000 acres; part of the land was sold in 1892, but W.H.BONNELL and family occupied the building of stone which he rebuilt as an exact replica of the original officers' quarters." In the "Kerrville Mountain Sun" of 2 Apr 1910 there is an account of the burning of Camp Verde on the 26 of March 1910. Owners were Captain and Judge W.H. BONNELL and wife. A Thomas BLAIR from Hamilton, Ohio, was burned to death in this fire. Ben LACKY was then the ranch foreman and burned his boots before he escaped from the fire. In 1975 the property was owned by Richard NOWLIN. Copyright (c) 2000 Kerrville Genealogical Society, Inc.