Hickman Family Cemetery

Location: TxDoT map, local history source, MB verified Cannon Pritchard 3-06-05 PCHSLocked gate 3-15-05, Hickman Loop, Polk Co website May 2005:This cemetery is back in the woods, on top of a small hill, between Moscow and Camden off of the old Moscow to Hortense Road. In the 1860’s through the early 1900’s, there was a timber related tram railroad terminal-sawmill related settlement located near it. The Asa Hickman family owned the land that the cemetery is on, living there and farming the land. There is little sign of the old Hickman home-place except for an occasional red chimney brick that turns up and the mimosa’s and crepe myrtle bushes that still bloom around it. The earliest known grave belongs to Asa’s first wife, Sarah Ann McKim Hickman. The land the cemetery is on is now owned by a timber company. The cemetery itself is fenced and is maintained by some of the Hickman descendent’s to keep it from getting lost. There is a well defined dirt road up to the cemetery that is semi-maintained by the timber company and it is very nearly impassable in wet weather. Since there are several deer-stands within view of the cemetery, it is not recommended to visit there during deer season. DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 59 north to FM 62 at Moscow, turn right (east) go about 1.5 miles to McSpadden Road, turn right, go about 1 mile to Beard’s Crossing, (the first road to the left) turn left, go about 3.7 miles to a dirt road on the left, marked with a wooden sign pointing to the left that says “Hickman Cemetery.” Beard’s Crossing is not a county road and it is rough and beat-out most of the time. Beard’s Crossing dead-ends 3 miles further into FM 942. Locked gate 3-15-05—update 8-05-05 per N Marsh. USGS shows continuous road off Beard’s Crossing but no access from there. Bridge out for twenty years. THC visit MB 8-05-05 w/ B Evins, N. Marsh, A. Marsh, Mrs. Hickman. NE of FM 942 and FM 2500 off Beard’s Crossing, near Hickman’s Creek. From FM 942 NE on FM 2500 for 6.8 miles, left on unmarked CR ____, a sandy road to intersection with Sheldon Rd and Beard’s Crossing, then 0.7 mi. into clear-cut timber area, continue over first hill at old homesite, no house, overgrown but visible Catalpa, Crape Myrtle, Redbud trees and shrubs and continue to second hill around curve to higher hilltop. About 5-year new growth Pine surround side, cleared buffer and parking area. Fenced formal site, considerable diversity of markers. Evidence of having been a scraped earth cemetery, white sand, verified by Mrs. Hickman. Grass is still kept to a minimum and all graves have stylized small formal grave moundings. There are many vertical head and foot fieldstones. Other older formal markers have recent decorative windchimes, and two have pieces of formal china at headstone. Marker shrub of Red Bud and Crape Myrtle, and one stump. Fence recently repaired, Cedar posts and gate made from the large Cedar marker tree that was blown down. Elder family member made simple entrance gate by hand from heartwood of Cedar. Site would have been approx ___ ft. __ of old homeplace. Reportedly area was populous during sawmill era, with many homes and some stores. Evidence of recent visitation and maintenance. GPS PENDINGModerate to high risk endangerment, site has sign on road, is well-maintained, may be in continued use, but remote, in commercial timberland logging area, small buffer zone, not on map.