Jasper, Jasper County
Adam Byerly immigrated to Texas from South Carolina in 1834. The next year, he received a Mexican land grant located on Sandy Creek in Jasper County. This area was frequently used as a meeting place for the Methodist Episcopal Church and was known as “Methodist Campground” or “Byerly Campground.” In 1843, Byerly sold ten acres to the church. A building was soon erected and a cemetery established by 1858. To the south of this cemetery was a cemetery for African American residents, known as “Campground Cemetery.” The date of the first burial is unknown due to the loss of records and early headstones but was most likely in the late 1800s. For many years, the cemetery was unfenced which allowed livestock to roam freely, damaging headstones and burial sites. The earliest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Tom Limbrick (1827-1908). In 1960, family members of those buried here formed a cemetery association to care for the burial ground and a fence was erected. Many former slaves, community leaders and veterans are buried in the cemetery. The African American Community Church one mile north of the cemetery, Armstrong C.M.E. Church, has close ties with the cemetery association and allows them to hold committee meetings at the church. For this reason, the cemetery is sometimes referred to as “Armstrong Campground Cemetery.” This historic site and cemetery are important reminders of early African American development in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the perseverance they inspire.