Dew Cemetery (1977)

The first families in this community migrated from Alabama i the 1850s. Originally known as Avant or Avant Prairie, the settlement became Sunshine after the Sunshine Methodist Church moved here from Harrison Chapel in 1870. In 1869 W. S. Compton, one of the early settlers, and D. A. Self, local merchant and dentist, donated land for this community cemetery. First burial was that of a young girl, Missouri A. E. Humphrey (1869-1871). Other early graves date from the yellow fever epidemic of 1873. The town was renamed in 1885 when Dew Post Office opened. The name "Drew" was requested to honor a local resident, but postal officials misread the application. A market center for cotton farmers of the area, Dew had a cotton gin and several stores. Rural delivery replaced the Dew Post Office in 1909. A land donation by Wiley Black in 1901 enlarged the graveyard, which lies adjacent to Dew Methodist Church where funeral services are held. About 1912-13 a cemetery association was organized. Descendants and community residents gather at annual Memorial Day observances to tend the 11 and 1/3 acre site. The 1000 graves here include many from the 1918-19 influenza epidemic.

Dew Cemetery is a historical marker in Dew, Freestone County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 57 historical markers documented in Freestone County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 139 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5945, -96.1400 near Dew. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dew Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Compton Family, Compton Cemetery, and Avant Prairie.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5161009871. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.