Woodville Magnolia Cemetery

In 1855 M. Priest deeded one acre of land, containing several graves, for use as a public burial ground. Another acre was donated by Jane Bean in 1859, and additional land was acquired later. Woodville Magnolia Cemetery contains the graves of numerous pioneer settlers and early community leaders. Handmade bricks outline some of the older graves not marked with headstones, such as the graves of five wives of George Van Vleck and several of his children. Van Vleck, who is buried in Houston's Glenwood Cemetery, served as the first district clerk of Tyler County for 16 years and as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas, A. F. & A. M., in 1862. Among the other pioneers buried here are Captain Charles Bullock (1825-1902), who raised a company of soldiers for the Confederate army, and the Rev. Acton Young (1823-1873), early Methodist minister in this region. Also located here is the gravesite of Nancy Shivers (d. 1890), a widow who brought her family to Texas before the Civil War. Allan Shivers, Governor of Texas from 1949 to 1957, is one of her descendants. Veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam Conflict are interred here.

Woodville Magnolia Cemetery is a historical marker in Woodville, Tyler County. It is one of 29 historical markers documented in Tyler County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 138 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.7836, -94.4220 near Woodville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Young, Rev. Acton (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Magnolia, Bethel Baptist Church, and Kirby, John Henry-and Education in Woodville.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5457011463. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.