San Saba County Historical Commission

Deer Creek Cemetery

Location:
This old cemetery is located in far southwest San Saba County near the Mason County line. It is on land donated by John (Jack) Latham and his brother-in-law, William Lawrence Hayes.

GPS:
Latitude 30. 9849o N    Longitude 99.0744o W


Directions:
From the town of Cherokee:
• Off of state highway 16 turn west onto FM 501.
• Go west 15.7 miles on FM 501 to the intersection with CR 373.
• Continue west 6.1 miles on CR 373 to the intersection with CR 364.
• Turn right onto CR 364 and go north 1.8 miles to Deer Creek Cemetery sign on the right at a cattle guard.
The cemetery has been and continues to be well maintained. The cemetery is an area of about one-half acre, enclosed by a rock fence 4.5 feet high. The main entrance, a twelve feet wide gate, is near mid-point in the south fence line. There is another four foot wide walk-thru gate at mid-point in the west fence line.

The old church-school building, constructed of native stone in 1878, is located near the southwest corner of the cemetery. The building was named “Couch’s Chapel” in memory of Isabella Moffit Couch, the mother of Elizabeth Couch Latham and Margaret Ann Couch Hayes. The building served as a school for three generations of descendants of Isabella Couch. (For more on the Deer Creek Community see “San Saba County History, Vol. I, pp. 441-442

.
• Turn right onto pasture road. Go 0.1 mile to the cemetery at road’s dead end.


From Pontotoc:
• On state highway 71 go west 7.4 miles to intersection with CR 364 at a sign to Deer Creek Cemetery.
• Turn right onto CR 364 and go 3.9 miles to Deer Creek Cemetery sign at a cattle guard.


Condition:
The Deer Creek Cemetery is one of the oldest in San Saba County still in use as a burial ground in 2009. The oldest extant gravestone with a readable year date inscription is that of William P. Hayes who died November 16, 1881. However, it is probable that the first burial in this cemetery was that of the infant son of William L. Hayes and Margaret Ann Couch who was born and died in 1878.