San Saba County Historical Commission

Sutton Cemetery

Location:
This old cemetery is located in western San Saba County in the Sloan community on property owned by Frank Churchill family. The cemetery is on land along the San Saba River about five miles up stream from the old Duncan or Barnett Crossing.

GPS: Latitude: 31.1940o N      Longitude 98.8802o W

Directions:
From the west city limit of the city of San Saba:


• Go west 2.2 miles on U. S. 190 to the intersection with FM 2732.
• Turn left onto FM 2732. (Sloan Road)
• Go southwest 5.3 miles to Frank Churchill property on right (Name on sign) at gate.
• Turn right onto Churchill property with permission. (Gate is locked.)
• Turn right at gate and follow dim pasture road about 75 yards to cemetery which is located under two very large mesquite trees.


Condition:
This plot was established as a burial ground by the Dr. Thomas A. Sloan family in 1856. The cemetery is located on a sloping hillside overlooking the nearby San Saba River. The cemetery is a 14 ft. by 14 ft. plot enclosed by a two foot high rock fence. The rock fence was constructed of large blocks of native sandstone, most of which has been displaced and toppled into the enclosure.

This site was abandoned as a family burial ground after Dr. Thomas A. Sloan and Mrs. Sloan were buried there. The original grave markers were later removed and placed in the Sloan plot in the Sloan Cemetery which was established in 1883.


Inventory:
There are only two graves at this location:

• SLOAN, Nancy Hester. Born in March 1815. She died October 2, 1856.

• SLOAN, Dr. Thomas Alan. Born August 28, 1801. He died May 26, 1857.

Note: The original grave markers for Dr. and Mrs. Sloan have been moved from this burial site. The tomb stones have been placed in the Sloan Cemetery.

Dr. Thomas A. Sloan’s grave marker is listed as Number 10 in Row 5 that runs through the large Sloan family plot.

Nancy Hester Sloan’s grave marker is listed as Number 11 in Row 5 in the Sloan plot.

                                       
Footnotes:

1. Thomas Alan Sloan was born August 28, 1801 in South Carolina to William Patrick Sloan and Elizabeth Caldwell. Both his parents were born in Ireland. In 1829 Dr. T. A. Sloan married Nancy Gillis Hester, and they lived in Tennessee and Mississippi before moving to San Saba County and settling in the Rock Shoals community. Both Dr. and Mrs. Sloan died shortly after moving to San Saba. They were buried near their home in the now abandoned Sutton Cemetery.

2. Children born to Thomas Alan Sloan and Nancy Gillis Hester were: (1) William Patrick; (2) John Elias; (3) James Daniel; (4) Joseph Caldwell; (5) Thomas Alan II; (6) Archibald Overton; (7) Elizabeth Jane; (8) Nathan Rice; (9) Mary Margaret and (10) Calvin Newton.

For more information on the Sloan family see pages 294-295, San Saba County History Vol. I 1856-1983.


Submitted by: Stan Burnham
Phone: 325-372-3123
Date: February 2011