Riverside Cemetery (2008)

This municipal burial ground dates back to the early days of settlement in Wichita Falls. The area was sparsely settled before tracks of the Fort Worth aand Denver City Railroad reached here in September 182. Citizens received a state charter for the Wichita Falls Cemetery Association in April 1885. The following ear, R.E. Montgomery, trustee of the Panhandle Townsite Company, sold a plat of land for two dollars in the city's Bellevue Addition to be used as a cemetery. Joseph Kemp was president of the cemetery association, who sold the property to the city of Wichita Falls in 1892 for one dollar. The name Riverside indicating the graveyard's location near the Wichita River, became the official name around this time. African American citizens organized the "Riverside Colored Burial Association," and in 190 the city sold the association a half-acre on Riverside's northwest corner. Hundreds of burials took place in that section, although today few grave markers remain. Improvement to Riverside over the years included a chapel, iron fencing and gates, landscaping and street paving. Significant individuals buried here include Minnie Mae Kemp Adickes (1874-1931), the city's first female realtor, and also a contractor for hundreds of homes; James V. Allred (1899-1959), Attorney General and Governor of Texas and federal judge; Joseph H. Barwise (1829-1927), pioneer settler, county judge and community leader known as "The Father of Wichita Falls"; Frank Kell (1859-1941), businessman, banker and entrepreneur; Joseph Kemp (1861-1930), developer of area railroads, oil fields and irrigation; and many other important citizens. The cemetery features prominent statuary, mausoleums, and carved monuments. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2007

Riverside Cemetery is a historical marker in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 75 historical markers documented in Wichita County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 94 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.9072, -98.5067 near Wichita Falls. The nearest cataloged historic site is Riverside Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Burnside, Samuel Hiatt Dr., Mary Margaret Grice Burnside, Hamilton, William Benjamin, House, and Wichita County Water Improvement District No. 2.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014238. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.