Historical Markers of Texas

11850 Alameda Cemetery 8 mi. NW of Desdemona on FM 2214; 1 mi. N on FM 571; 1.2 mi. W. on CR 483 The earliest Anglo settlers in this area were drawn together by the harsh life they found in Texas. William Mansker, who came to Texas with his family ...

18214 Bankhead Highway through Eastland County Eastland County Westbound safety rest area, east of Ranger Early 20th century development of the automobile led to major road system improvements throughout the United States. Senator John H. Bankhead of ... 11851 Bullock Cemetery 3 mi. N of Ranger on FM 717 (Caddo Road) When baby Georgia A. Barnes was interred on William Nolen's land in 1878, there was a one-room schoolhouse on this site. A three-year-old girl was ... 11852 Burkett House 1301 S. Mulberry St. Joe Burkett, who with his brother and father discovered and cultivated the original Burkett pecan tree in 1900, was a school teacher, county official, ...

676 Camp Salmon, C.S.A. Eastland County Courthouse grounds, southwest corner Guarding the frontier during the Civil War, this camp was located 17 mi. west, 6 mi. north. Established as part of a chain of posts a day's horseback ... 17695 Carbon City Jail Carbon During a jailbreak, Carbon’s 1905 jail was destroyed, resulting in the need for a more substantial calaboose. Built in 1921, this unadorned square ... 12542 Carbon Methodist Church Building Avenue D and Anthracite St. Organized in 1890 by I. N. Reeves, the Carbon Methodist Church met in the section house of the Texas Central Railroad and a mercantile store until ... 17549 Christ Lutheran Cemetery from Cisco, travel south on US Highway 183 for four miles. At County Road 181, turn west, travel 1.1 miles, then turn south, or left, onto County Road 169 and proceed for 0.6 miles. The cemetery is located on the east, or left, side of the road. CHRIST LUTHERAN CEMETERY ESTABLISHED 1904 HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2012 16523 Cisco College 101 College Heights O.C. Britton opened Cisco’s first college in 1909, with a campus established on 212 acres of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad survey. The school ... 1040 Connellee-Majestic Theatre 108 N. Lamar Built in 1920 by C.U. Connellee, the "Father of Eastland", this theatre hosted numerous road shows, musical performances, and plays, and was a noted ...

12541 Desdemona Cemetery Desdemona Garden of Memories, 1 mile south of Desdemona The town of Desdemona was a well established frontier community by the 1870s; a post office opened there in 1877. J. S. and Rosa Jones deeded one ... 1212 Desdemona First Baptist Church northeast corner of CR 504 and CR 505 This church was organized by nine charter members in 1872. Religious observances began with brush arbor meetings organized in the summer of 1872 ... 17088 Dothan Cemetery 6 miles west on CR 126 off FM 2945 THE TEXAS AND PACIFIC RAILWAY BUILT THE DELMAR DEPOT NEAR HERE IN 1880 BEFORE RAIL ACTIVITY SHIFTED TO RED GAP (LATER CISCO). A NEW COMMUNITY NAMED ...

13711 Early Banking in Eastland 114 S. Seaman Street The evolution of Eastland banks reflects local economic conditions and global influences. Soon after the Texas and Pacific Railway reached town in ... 1351 Early Settlers of Eastland County At public library First known Eastland area inhabitant was Frank Sanchez (d. 1867), who grazed herds here in the 1850s. The United States in 1853 established Army ... 1370 Eastland SE corner of courthouse lawn, Commerce Street County seat, Eastland County. Named for William M. Eastland--Texas War for Independence hero who was in Mier Expedition against Mexico, and was executed ... 1371 Eastland County From Eastland go about 6/10 on U.S. 80 Formed from Young and Bexar Territories; Created February 1, 1858; Organized December 2, 1873; Named in honor of Captain William Mosby Eastland 1806-1843; ... 16983 Eastland County Courthouse Eastland County Courthouse grounds, southeast corner, facing SH 6 (S. Seaman Street) The Texas Legislature created Eastland County in 1858, but sparse settlement delayed organization until 1873, when Merriman (8 mi. NE) became the ... 1462 Ellison Family Graveyard From Gorman take FM FM 8 east about 3.5 miles, on north side of highway The first settler in this part of Eastland County, James Madison Ellison (1840-1923) built a cabin near Ellison Springs in 1858. He married Eliza ... 1463 Ellison Springs From Gorman take FM 8 about 3.5 miles, on north side of highway. Used for centuries by Indians inhabiting the region. Named for James Madison Ellison (1840-1923), a native of Alabama, who was the first settler ...

1606 First Baptist Church in Carbon 210 E. Cannel St. Organized under a brush arbor soon after the founding of the town of Carbon, this congregation traces its history to 1885. The Rev. W.B. Cobb served ... 1621 First Baptist Church of Cisco 200 W. 9th The Rev. C.G. Stephens, founder of Red Gap Community (1 mi. W), joined the Rev. W.B. Cobb in 1878 to organize the Red Gap Baptist Church. Forerunner ... 13618 First Christian Church 215 S Lamar First Christian Church organized in Eastland in 1878 under the Rev. Cyrus Scarborough. There were a number of important Eastland leaders, including ... 1782 First National Bank 708 Avenue D Scene of daring Santa Claus Bank Robbery, Dec. 23, 1927. During Christmas festivities, costumed Santa and three fellow bandits looted bank of $12,200 ... 1804 First Oil Well Drilled in Eastland County Main Street at Loop 254, across tracks from train station The J.H. McCleskey No. 1 Discovery Well of the Ranger Pool was drilled by Warren Wagner under the supervision of W.K. Gordon of the Texas Pacific ... 1831 First Presbyterian Church of Cisco 500 W. 6th St. When the town of Cisco was platted in May 1881, land at the corner of Eighth Street and Avenue G was set aside for use by a Presbyterian congregation. ... 1883 First United Methodist Church of Cisco Avenue H and West 8th The Rev. Lamb Trimble, a Methodist circuit rider, organized this church at Red Gap (two miles west) in 1880. The four charter members met in the ... 1887 First United Methodist Church of Eastland 215 S. Mulberry Methodist worship services were held in Eastland County as early as 1865. Soon after the town of Eastland was laid out in 1875, Methodists began ... 1893 First United Methodist Church of Rising Star South Anderson at West College First United Methodist Church of Rising Star Rising Star was only a sparsely settled community when schoolteacher James Irby organized this congregation ... 1960 Fort Blair, C.S.A. SH 16 at south city limits, east side of SH 16 south of FM 8 A few miles to the southwest. Largest far western "family fort" used throughout Civil War. Started by C.C. Blair, 1857 settler. 1861-1865 occupants ...

2377 Hargus Farm North access road to IH-20, just west of SH 69 interchange, 2 miles east of Eastland. North Carolina native Larry Hargus (1810-87) and his wife Mary (Corder) (1824-1910) came to Eastland County in 1879. In 1881 they bought the original ...

14523 Liberty Cemetery Cisco Originally known as Liberty Hill, the small but thriving community that once stood near this site included a school, two churches, a general store, ... 3120 Long Branch Baptist Church From Rising Star, take U.S. 183 about 9 miles to CR 294; take CR 294 east about 2.6 miles. Continue on CR 400 east about 1 mile to church. Just south of Long Branch Cemetery. Formally organized on July 16, 1885, the Long Branch Baptist Church held its first worship services in an old schoolhouse on land donated by R.B. ...

15544 Mangum Baptist Church Mangum community, CR 194, N side, 1.2 mi. W of SH 6 The early community of Mangum, established at the juncture of two rail lines, held great promise as a commercial center. It once boasted a population ... 11853 Merriman Baptist Church 4 miles south of Ranger on FM 2461 (1 mile south of IH-20) Local Baptists met in private homes for many years between the nomination of Merriman as the county seat in 1874 and the organization of the Merriman ... 3347 Merriman Cemetery From Ranger take FM 2461, 1 mile south of 1-20 to cemetery. According to local tradition this site was established as a community graveyard about 1873, the year Eastland County was organized and one year prior ...

2974 Near Sites of Kokomo School From Gorman take FM 2689 6.3 miles to Kokomo Community. Marker is at community center near cemetery. First building erected in this once-thriving community was a one-room log schoolhouse, 1886. Only furnishings were a stove and split-log benches. ...

17003 Oakwood Cemetery 200 Front Street OAKWOOD CEMETERY DOLPHIN WILLIAM BINT (1845-1883) CAME TO THE UNITED STATES FROM ENGLAND IN 1876 AND SETTLED IN EASTLAND COUNTY IN THE RED GAP COMMUNITY. ... 3430 Old Mobley Hotel 104 E. 4th First hotel owned by Conrad Hilton, who proceeded to become "The World's Foremost Innkeeper". Built in 1916, who sold out (1919) during Cisco's great ... 3810 Old Shinoak Springs From Gorman take FM 8 about 1 mile west to dirt road leading to Frank Gray Park. Follow dirt road about 1 mile. Marker is located near picnic pavilion in park. Named for dwarf oaks. Before fencing began in 1880's, springs attracted cattle, horses, deer. Settlers hauled water for home and stock use. Town ...

3981 Penn House Off FM 2945 on private property This Cumberland-plan vernacular farmhouse was built in 1898-1899 by Velzie W. Penn (1876-1954) with the help of his brothers and neighbors. Penn ... 13426 Pioneer Cemetery 5.1 mi. E of Cross Plains on SH 36 Tradition holds that Captain A.M. Curry suggested the name for the Pioneer community, established in 1883. Bill Smith became its first postmaster ... 4049 Pleasant Hill Baptist Church From Carbon take FM 2526 west about 6.3 miles to church. Eight charter members met in the Old Pleasant Hill Schoolhouse in 1892 and organized the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. The congregation joined the ... 4110 Prairie Oil and Gas Company Housing 1201 S. Seaman The Eastland County oil boom, 1917-1922, prompted construction of many of Eastland's substantial public and residential structures. Prairie Oil and ...

13715 Ranger Municipal Airport 1402 Oddie Street The Texas Department of Transportation's Aviation Division lists this field as the third oldest operating in the state. The earlies documentation ... 23819 Ranger National Guard Armory and the Barrow Gang marker pending marker pending 3792 Ranger Post Office Medallion is inside Greer's Western Store --- 17550 Redeemer Lutheran Cemetery From Cisco, travel south on U.S. Highway 183 for 4 miles. At County Road 181, turn west and travel 1.1 miles, then turn north, or right, onto County Road 169 and proceed for 0.9 miles. The cemetery is located on the east, or right, side of the road. REDEEMER LUTHERAN CEMETERY ESTABLISHED 1894 HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2012 4274 Rising Star City Park, Highway 36 at west side of town First settlers--families of Andrew Agnew, Isaac Agnew, Fletcher Fields, David McKinley, Allis Smith and W. W. Smith--arrived in a wagon train from ... 4287 Roaring Ranger At Roaring Ranger Oil Boom Museum (former train station), Main Street at Loop 254, Ranger. Boom of high excitement and strategic importance. When oil demand was high during World War I, Texas Pacific Coal Company general manager W.K. Gordon, ... 17551 Romney Lutheran Cemetery from Rising Star, travel north on U.S. Highway 183 for 7 miles. Turn east onto County Road 286, and the cemetery is located 0.3 miles on the north, or left, side of the road. ROMNEY LUTHERAN CEMETERY ESTABLISHED 1901 HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2012

17629 Scranton Cemetery CR 147 at FR 1864 SETTLED IN THE 1870s, THE SCRANTON COMMUNITY GREW TO INCLUDE A POST OFFICE, STORES, A COTTON GIN, BLACKSMITH, SCHOOL AND ACADEMY. IN OCT. 1896, JOSEPH ... 13302 Site of Blackwell Hospital 445 W Roberts St Much of Eastland County's medical history can be traced to the work of two brothers, George and Edward Blackwell. George (1882-1955) attended Baylor ... 4817 Site of J.H. McCleskey No. 1, Discovery Well of the Ranger Oil Boom 1313 S. Commerce Street The Texas and Pacific Coal Company struck oil at 1,000 feet about 10 miles east of Ranger in 1915. This event raised the hopes of area ranchers, ... 4616 Site of Scranton Academy 12 miles southwest of Cisco on FM 1864 A private, coeducational school organized in 1903 to augment Scranton Public School (opened 1887). Scranton, a small farming-ranching community, ... 5143 Stubblefield Building Lamar and Main on the courthouse square ----

23817 Texas Eleventh Court of Appeals Eastland County Courthouse Under an 1891 legislative act, Texas created a Court of Appeals system. These courts are part of the Judicial Branch of the Texas government and ... 1038 The Connellee House 515 S. Lamar Home of Charles U. Connellee (1851-1930), who opened much of West Texas to settlement. Coming as a surveyor from Kentucky in 1874, he platted town ... 2908 The Kean Home 309 W. 6th St. Construction on this home began soon after the destructive Cisco tornado of 1893. Originally built for George and Carrie Langston, it was purchased ...

24308 Young School marker pending marker pending