PLACES

Montague County Cemetery Master Inventory

Montague County contains 121 documented named cemeteries — one of the densest per-capita cemetery landscapes in North Texas, a direct consequence of the county’s dispersed pioneer settlement pattern. Settlers arriving in the decade after county formation in 1857 planted family burial grounds wherever they homesteaded: along creek bottoms, beside churches, on farmstead corners, and at crossroads communities that no longer exist as recognized places. Many of those cemeteries are still there.

The inventory below is compiled from the Montague County Cemetery Preservation Committee (MCCPC), the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, Find A Grave, Genealogy Trails, and the BillionGraves database. Where multiple names exist for a single burial ground, all documented names are listed. Where data is absent — establishment dates, burial counts, status — the gap is noted rather than papered over.

Thirteen cemeteries have full research dossiers (deepdives) and are linked individually. The remaining entries represent the complete documented scope of the county’s burial landscape.

How to Use This Inventory

Each entry includes the primary name (with alternates noted), the nearest documented location, establishment date where confirmed, burial count where documented, and a brief notes summary. Entries with active spoke pages are linked. Entries marked unknown in status have no confirmed current maintenance or oversight on record.

For burial research, consult the MCCPC cemetery board, Find A Grave — Montague County, and the THC Atlas Cemetery Search.

Sources

MCCPC — Montague County Cemetery Preservation Committee
THC Atlas — Texas Historical Commission Atlas
Find A Grave — Montague County, Texas
Genealogy Trails — Montague County Cemeteries
BillionGraves — Supplementary burial records
Texas Gravestones Project — Montague County

121 named cemeteries documented

20 with full research dossiers

8 confirmed active

2 preserved

111 status unknown / unconfirmed

Era distribution

Cattle, Cotton & Oil (1880–1940) 3
Frontier (1848–1880) 12
Pre-Anglo / Frontier 2

Named community cemetery near Stoneburg; no establishment date or burial count on record.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Also documented as Antioch aka Gladys Cemetery; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Also called Hedgepeth aka Hudspeth; multi-name designation near Montague, details unconfirmed.

Located approximately 10 miles east of Sunset; no establishment date or burial count on record.

Proximal to Ringgold Cemetery; associated with the ghost town of Belcherville near Ringgold.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Proximal to Ringgold Cemetery; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed as a municipal cemetery for Bowie in early records; relationship to Elmwood Cemetery not fully resolved.

Also documented as Boyles Cemetery; located near Forestburg, no burial count confirmed.

Also called Briar Creek Cemetery; a THC Historical Marker (HTC) for Briar Creek Cemetery is recorded in Bowie-area records.

Located in the Bowie area; recorded in BillionGraves database (cemetery #104522). Possible alternate name for Brush Cemetery (THC bowie-12); relationship unresolved pending field survey.

Listed in MCCPC records with a distinctive frontier-era road name; location and details unknown.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Bishop E.J. Dunne purchased three acres in 1900; first burial Giroloma Vitali, 1901. HTC designation issued 9/9/2016. Gravestones document Italian, German, Polish, and Hispanic families.

Burials: 150+ burials; more than 250 marked and unmarked graves recorded per THC marker inscription (2016).

One of three principal cemeteries in the Saint Jo municipal area; Find A Grave #3520. Three names (Center Point, Fairview, Bonita) have been applied to what research indicates is a single burial ground.

Burials: 581 documented Find A Grave memorials (89% photographed). Center Point and Fairview are confirmed as the same cemetery; Bonita affiliation unconfirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Multi-name designation; listed in MCCPC records with location and details unknown.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Historically segregated African-American burial ground south of Bowie; relationship to Elmwood Cemetery unconfirmed. Historic designation implied by research sources.

Multi-name designation; listed in MCCPC records with location and details unknown.

County pauper cemetery associated with the Montague County Poor Farm; a THC subject marker for the Poor Farm is recorded in the Montague-area inventory.

Located approximately 4.1 miles from Smyrna Cemetery in the Sunset area; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Also called Dye Mound Cemetery; associated with the Dye Mound Church and School documented in THC records near Saint Jo. THC marker (saint-jo-area-02) covers the composite site: church, cemetery, and school.

Located near Nocona; no establishment date or burial count on record.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Location variable along FM 1806–1816 corridor near Saint Jo; associated with the historic Head of Elm campsite documented in multiple THC markers. May be the same physical burial ground as Saint Jo Head of Elm Cemetery (THC saint-jo-area-04); relationship unresolved pending field survey.

Founded 1880 by land donation from James W. Stallings; first burial Willie B. Nelson, June 10, 1880. CCC native-stone wall built 1935–37; Tarter Cemetery graves relocated here 1981. Contains Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans. Find A Grave #3429.

Burials: Approximately 8,021 Find A Grave memorials; actual burial count exceeds documented memorials.

Multi-name designation; listed in MCCPC records with location and details unknown.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Associated with New Harp Church; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Located in the Fruitland community area; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Located near Huddleston Cemetery; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Distinctive frontier-era name recorded in MCCPC archives; location unknown.

Located near Nocona; no establishment date or burial count on record.

Located on private residential property; no public access details confirmed.

Multi-name designation; listed in MCCPC records with location and details unknown.

Located near Forestburg; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Located along the FM 1806–1816 farm road corridor; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located on private residential property; no public access details confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Also documented as Duxbury Cemetery; located near Nocona, no burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located near Stoneburg; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Frontier-era name suggesting settlement-conflict context; listed in MCCPC records with location unknown.

Located between Forestburg and Sunset along FM 1749; distinct from Scrougy/Prospect Cemetery on the same road corridor.

Community cemetery at FM 677 / 527 Illinois Bend Rd; earliest marked burial Nancy Smith, 1873. Land deeded by John and Sarah Elliot (1.953 acres) in 1880. THC marker erected 2013 documents 1863 raid victims and Valley Branch School log cabin (1877). Find A Grave #1962378.

Located on Hampton Ranch property; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Multi-name designation; listed in MCCPC records with location and details unknown.

Located along the FM 1749 farm road; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Also documented as Liberty Chapel Cemetery; church-affiliated burial ground between Illinois Bend and Spanish Fort areas.

Located in the Sunset area; separate from the Sunset community cemetery, no burial count confirmed.

Located along FM 1758; an HTC designation record (THC 7337000105) for Lindale Cemetery is recorded in Bowie-area THC records.

Located near Saint Jo; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Located along US Highway 82; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Also designated Southward Magee; located along FM 1655, no burial count confirmed.

Located along FM 677; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Founded after an unnamed McGrady farm employee was killed by Indians; Allen R. and Elizabeth Cox McGrady both died in September 1899. Located on CR 401 off FM 3206. THC marker erected 1991. McGrady family homesteaded 160 acres on Clear Creek from 1859.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Adjacent to Molsbee Chapel Church; founded as a family graveyard in 1888 when Orville Molsbee died. Deeded as community burial ground in 1942. Confirmed WWI burial site and Confederate soldiers per THC Atlas #5337012232.

First burial Elizabeth Lankford Gibbons, 1862; land donated by James M. Gibbons. Located at Hall St / Grand St. Contains Confederate veterans and early Texas Rangers. Find A Grave #426299. THC marker erected 1985.

Burials: Approximately 60 legible 1800s tombstones; total burial count not fully documented.

Appears to be the same burial ground as Catholic / St. Williams (entry #16 in source research); listed separately in some source records. HTC designation 9/9/2016.

Burials: 150+ burials per research; same HTC designation as Catholic / St. Williams entry (THC 7337002405).

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located on FM 677 in Saint Jo; also called Saint Jo City Cemetery and Mt Park Cemetery. Find A Grave #5451. One of the largest documented cemeteries in the county by memorial count.

Burials: 2,218 documented Find A Grave memorials (92% photographed). Also called Mt Park Cemetery.

Separate burial ground from Illinois Bend Memorial Cemetery; located in the Illinois Bend area with no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Pre-1857 origins; active to present. Located on US 82. HTC designation confirmed. One of the largest and most completely documented cemeteries in Montague County.

Burials: 5,987+ documented burials. Originally designated IS Memorial Park Cemetery; divided by Airport Road.

Catholic community burial ground near Nocona; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Older cemetery predating Elmwood; associated with the original Bowie townsite, now partially superseded.

First burial an unnamed infant, 1862. Includes a Mr. Jones killed by Indians in 1863 and former Confederate soldiers. Purchased and deeded to Montague County by Levi Perryman (1839–1921) in 1883. THC marker erected 1983. Located on FM 455.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located on FM 1749; distinct from Pleasant Valley (same road corridor) and Pleasant Ridge (Fruitland area). A full research dossier exists for this cemetery.

Located along FM 1749; distinct from Pleasant Hill and Pleasant Ridge. No burial count confirmed.

Located in the Fruitland area; distinct from Pleasant Hill (FM 1749) and Pleasant Valley (FM 1749). No burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located near Nocona; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Associated with the Queen's Peak town site — the pre-Bowie frontier settlement — now unincorporated. No burial count confirmed.

Chisholm Trail era burial ground; associated with the frontier Red River crossing settlement and the dual THC marker at the site (1963/1971).

Community cemetery for the railroad town of Ringgold; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Listed as a municipal cemetery designation for Saint Jo; may overlap with Mountain Park / Saint Jo City cemetery entry.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located on FM 1749; distinct from Huddleston Cemetery (Forestburg–Sunset border). Prospect is a documented local name variant. A full research dossier exists for this cemetery.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Located approximately 4.1 miles from Denver Cemetery in the Sunset area; no burial count confirmed.

Earliest documented burial D. Wood, 1848 — predating Texas statehood. Situated at the Taovaya-Wichita village site, scene of the 1759 Spanish-Taovaya Battle. Located on FM 103. Find A Grave #3647. Archaeological significance acknowledged in research.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Colonial-era name recorded in MCCPC archives; location unknown. Name reflects pre-modern terminology from the frontier period.

Documented variant of the Spanish Fort cemetery; archaeological significance tied to the Taovaya-Wichita village site and the 1759 battle. Located near FM 103 in the Nocona area.

Located along US Highway 82 near Saint Jo. Find A Grave #678. Full research dossier exists for this cemetery.

Burials: 678 documented Find A Grave memorials (91% photographed). HTC designation confirmed per research.

Community cemetery for the Stoneburg area; no establishment date or burial count confirmed.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Community cemetery for the Sunset municipality; a full research dossier exists for this cemetery.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Separate burial ground from Illinois Bend Memorial Cemetery and Murrell Cemetery; located in the Illinois Bend area. Distinct designations confirmed in research.

Listed in MCCPC records; location and founding details unknown.

Montague County Cemetery Master Inventory

How to Use This Inventory

Sources

Cemetery inventory