The family of Thomas and Frances Maria Drake Flewellen came to Texas from Georgia and Arkansas in the 1850s. In 1859 Thomas Flewellen purchased 1,426 acres of rich farmland on which he established his home and a large farm. When Frances Maria died in 1861 she was buried near the family home, the first burial in what became the Flewellen-Thweatt cemetery. Three of the Flewellens' nine surviving children married members of the Thweatt family. The Flewellens and the Thweatts engaged in farming activities, using slave labor until after the Civil War. Many of the Flewellen slaves and their descendants are buried in the nearby Fluellen/Flewellen cemetery. The Flewellen-Thweatt cemetery is a reminder of the hardships faced in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as 20 of the burials are for children and women under 40 years of age. Others buried here include Thomas Flewellen (d. 1889) and other members of his extended family. In 1919 Thomas and Frances Maria's daughter, Mary Margaret Flewellen Hill, deeded this property as a cemetery for the lineal descendants of Thomas Flewellen, and it continues in use for that purpose. As the resting place for members of two prominent pioneer families, who were joined through marriage and are representative of Smith County's plantation culture, the Flewellen-Thweatt cemetery is a physical reminder of this part of Smith County's history. (2001)
Flewellen-Thweatt Cemetery
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Flewellen-Thweatt Cemetery is a historical marker in Lindale vicinity, Smith County, dedicated in 2001. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Smith County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 272 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.5872, -95.4911 near Lindale vicinity. The nearest cataloged historic site is Vial-Fragoso Trail (historical marker), about 0.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Camp of the Army of the Republic of Texas, Carmel Cemetery, and Site of Flora.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5423012508. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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