San Saba County Historical Commission

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Spring Creek Cemetery

Footnotes:

 

 

1.         The old Spring Creek Cemetery is among the oldest in the county and it remained in use as a burial ground through 1943.  The oldest extant gravestone is that of Willis M. Tucker.  W. M. Tucker was born August 4, 1832, and died August 24, 1880.  It is probable that there were earlier burials here, but if so no records remain.  The last burial was that of Elizabeth “Bettie” (Rogers) Smith, the wife of James Harrison Smith.  They were the original owners of the property where the cemetery is located.

 

The cemetery is situated at the northwest boundary of one hundred and sixty acres of a tract of land known as survey 441, originally granted to Adolph Fox.  James Harrison Smith and his wife, Elizabeth “Bettie” Rogers Smith, acquired this land a short time after their move to Texas from Perry County, Alabama, in 1870.

 

The Smith family sold the tract, or a portion of the tract, which was being used as a burial ground, to R. C. Shell.  In 1904, R. C. Shell deeded 1.5 acres (including the old Spring Creek graveyard) to the County of San Saba.  “The west one acre to be (continued in use) used as a graveyard or public cemetery, and the east part or the remainder to be used as the site for a public school building.”  [See Exhibit. Deed – R. C. Shell to W. A. Smith, county Judge]

 

 

2.         James Harrison Smith (No. 26 in Listing) and Elizabeth “Bettie” Rogers Smith (No. 25 in Listing) were married September 18, 1870, in Perry County, Alabama.  Shortly after they were married they moved to Texas in an ox wagon.  The trip took nine weeks and they stayed two years in Kaufman County, Texas, before moving to San Saba.  They bought land on the west side of the Colorado River across from Rattler in Mills County.  (This probably included land in survey 440, original grant to Carl Agram, and land in Survey 441, original grant to Adolph Fox.)

 

James and Bettie had eight children:

 

(1)               David Thomas – born July 3, 1871, in Alabama and died December 5, 1948, in San Saba, Texas.

(2)               William James – born January 13, 1873, in Mississippi and died July29, 1932, in San Saba, Texas.

(3)               Walter Henry – born July26, 1875, and died August 30, 1876.

(4)               Rebecca Elizabeth – born February 25, 1879, in San Saba, Texas, and died December 6, 1950, in Brady, Texas.

(5)               Charles Omer – born May 22, 1882, and died January 17, 1897.

(6)               Adison – born March 2, 1885, and died August 11, 1896.

(7)               Mary Catherine “Katie” – born January 23, 1890, and died in 1903.

(8)               Ruby Harrison – born August 28, 1892, in San Saba, and died September 12, 1971.

 

3.         Willis M. Tucker (No. 20 in Listing.) The 1880 census lists him as head of household #76 living in the Spring Creek community next to the farm of William Mills, head of household #75 and four households away from the farm of the James Harrison Smith family.  W. M. Tucker was at one time owner of land in survey #440 (original grant to Carl Agram.) This land was previously owned by James H. Smith.  The Tuckers may have been related to the James H. Smith family.  W. M. Tucker died August 24, 1880, and is the oldest extant grave marker in the Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

4.         William P. Mills (No. 8 in Listing) is listed in 1880 census as being born in 1830 (?) and living the Spring Creek community.  He died in 1881, and is one of the early burials in the Spring Creek (cemetery.)

 

5.         John Thomason (No. 3 in Listing) and Mary Thomason (No. 4 in Listing.) These are two very old gravestones and inscriptions are weathered and not discernable. The 1900 census data lists James Thomason as born in 1846, and wife Mary as being born in 1859, having been married 22 years.  The marriage records for San Saba County from 1856, in the County Clerk’s office in the San Saba County Courthouse, lists marriage of: J. W. Thomason to Mary Taylor on May 24, 1878.

 

6.         Charles Omer Smith  (No. 27 in Listing) – son of James Harrison Smith and Bettie Smith, was born May 22, 1882, in San Saba County, Texas.  He died January 17, 1897, and is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery

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7.         Adison Smith (No. 28 in Listing) - son of James H. and Bettie Smith, was born March 2, 1885, in San Saba County.  He died August 11, 1896, and is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

8.         “Katie” Smith (No. 29 in Listing) – Mary Catherine Smith, daughter of J. H. Smith and Bettie Smith, was born January 23, 1890, in San Saba County, and died at the age of 13.  She is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

9.         Mary E. Pike (No. 31 in Listing) – The 1880 federal census for Spring Creek community lists Mary Pike as the 29 year-old wife of the 38 year old farmer, James Pike.  No information is available as to the maiden name of Mary Pike.

 

10.       S. Whitley (No. 36 in Listing) – the 1880 census lists Sabastian Whitley as a 30 year old farm laborer living between household #70 David Smith and household # 72 James Harrison Smith.

 

11.       Marker (No. 37 in Listing) this marker is located in the northeast corner of the 1.5 acres in the area where the old school building once stood.  There may be several other grave markers in this location, but that cannot be determined until a large amount of mesquite, bee brush, and prickly pear is removed.

 

12.       Burials in un-marked or un-identified graves:

 

·                     Madison D. Smith, the son of David Harrison Smith and Elizabeth Davis, was born March 1, 1844.  He never married.  He died in San Saba County March 10, 1881, and from family records is known to be buried in the Old Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

·                     Mattie J. Smith was born May 5, 1846.  She died March 30, 1881, in San Saba County and is buried in the Spring Creek Cemetery, and was the daughter of David H. Smith, Jr. and Elizabeth Davis.

 

·                     Martha Jane Smith, the daughter of David H. Smith, Jr. and his second wife, Martha Ann Rebekah Davis, was born June 25, 1856, and died in San Saba County in 1895.  She is known to be buried in Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

·                     Walter Henry Smith, the son of James Harrison Smith and Bettie Smith, was born July 26, 1875, and died in San Saba County August 30, 1876.  He is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

·                     Elizabeth Kimmon Shelton was born September 25, 1846, and died September 4, 1910.  Old cemetery records indicate that she is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery.

 

·                     Willis Johnson.  The book, The Texas Rangers and the San Saba Mob, lists him as killed on the Colorado River as told by the “San Saba County News” of October 23, 1896.  Old cemetery records list his date of death as October 23, 1896.  He is buried in Old Spring Creek Cemetery.