Historic Cemetery

Abston Cemetery

a.k.a. Old Bellow Cemetery

Texas
Location: In Nevada. Off US 78, just N of the intersection of US 78 and FM 6, about one mile north of Lavon. 8.5 miles south of Farmersville, Texas on Hwy 78 at Lavon, Texas. The cemetery is on the west side of the road at Mallard Park.

Source: THC records; Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries Inc.; Tombstone Transciption Project; usgennet

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.