Stockdale Cemetery

Before the Stockdale Cemetery was begun in the 1870s, most burials in the area took place in private, family graveyards. About 1873, however, a young man who was not related to any of the local settlers was thrown from his horse and killed. To provide a place for his burial, Dr. T. M. Batte gave one acre of land at this site, and the burial ground has been used by Stockdale citizens since that time. Additional acreage was purchased in 1881 and 1904, and in 1938 area resident Paul Ballard donated an acre of land for use by anyone who did not have a family plot and needed a place for burial. The earliest marked grave in the Stockdale Cemetery, that of Sallie A. Pope, is dated 1873. Many early settlers are buried here, including the town's founder, John R. King, and the first schoolteacher, Martin West. The cemetery also contains the graves of numerous war veterans and victims of a post-World War I flu epidemic. The women of Stockdale formed an organization in the early 1900s to care for the gravesites, and in 1965 the Stockdale Cemetery Association was formally organized. In use for more than 100 years, the Stockdale Cemetery continues to serve the residents of the Stockdale area.

Stockdale Cemetery is a historical marker in Stockdale, Wilson County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 46 historical markers documented in Wilson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 101 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.2322, -97.9664 near Stockdale. The nearest cataloged historic site is Baker, John Reagen (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Stockdale City Cemetery, Stockdale, Governor F.S., Town named for, and King-Lorenz House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5493005124. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.