Fossil Methodist Church Cemetery, Tarrant Co, TX Submitted to USGenWeb Project 1/11/99 by Gerald A.Gieger ***************************************************************** 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. ***************************************************************** Fossil Methodist Church Cemetery was located in the Mary Johnson Survey #858 of Tarrant County Texas. The one acre tract was on the West side of Sylvania Street, just north of its intersection with Kimbo Road. At one time, Tarrant County owned the surrounding land and operated a Tuberculosis Sanatorium and a Home for the indigent aged which was commonly called the Poor Farm, or County Farm. The County acquired the cemetery land sometime after the Fossil Methodist Church was disbanded, about 1898. According to Cemeteries of Northeast Tarrant County Texas by Evelyn DAarcy Cushman (1981), there were between 20 to 30 graves. Among them were Axline, Baker, Barry, Campbell, Cantrell, Hearne, McLain, Parchman, and Yauger interments. Many of the headstones were broken, stolen, or otherwise deteriorated. Articles in The Fort Worth Star Telegram of 20 and 22 May 1968 detail that the land was sold by the County in the 1950's to American Manufacturing Company, who subsequently granted a pipeline right of way easement to Permian Corporation of Midland, Texas. The newspaper reported that 39 graves were discovered in the summer of 1967, and that the Permian Corp had removed the bodies, contrary to State Law. Burying grounds as preserved under Texas Law as perpetual, and require a Court Order before disturbing them. No order was obtained but the remains were relocated to Plot 55A of the Eventide section in the nearby Mt. Olivet Cemetery which is corporately owned. The Tarrant County Commissioner's Court disavowed any liability albeit they asserted that it was a paupers graveyard and that American manufacturing Co. Was aware of the Cemetery when they purchased the property. Indeed the County may have used it to bury some indigents, however all of the burials were not those of Paupers who ordinarily would not have headstones. Ultimately Tarrant County authorized replacement of all markers which were still readable and the old markers were buried in the south end of the 30 space plot. Records of Mt. Olivet Cemetery document the reburial of only 21 bodies. Query of the records of The Conference of the United Methodist Church for this extinct cemetery was unfruitful. Markers replaced were: Name Born Died Inscription Axline, W.A.C. 8 September 1821 [3 March 1880] Born in Virginia Barnett, J. Bryan 31 May 1899 6 May 1900 Kuntz, Mary 30 March 1875 2 July 1892 Martin, Almeda E. 24 October 1850 June 1885 Perkins, Celia 1828 1901 Perkins, Linton 3 Jan 1824 11 Dec 1891 Information in brackets included for clarity. Not on Marker.