Location: Salem Cemetery, Dime Box. Tx (area)SEE Lee Co, Tx Cems, vol 1-2 (1991): “FM 141 N from Giddings for 11.4 miles, right on CR 123 for 1.9 miles, right on CR 127 for 0.6 mile, turn into Perry Pipe Line Polant. Gate to Cem is on back side. Known as Old Salem, once a community with school, church, Masonic lodge and court building. …”--Tombstone. Recorded, SE area, LEE04, LEE05—Parsons THC site visit MB 9/29/03: No buiidings or foundations showing town that was once there. Now adjacent Anadarkco Pipeline compressor station, Stranger Unit. Reportedly new landowner of surrounding area wishes to keep gates locked, no access to cem; several pastures. Cem. fenced, livestock not entering but barbed wire fencing shows signs of livestock weakening in shady areas near fence. Cem densely overgrown with Mesquite bushes. Markers fallen, sunken graves, markers not visible. One family plot with chain link fencing appears to be seasonally maintained. Continual reverberating noise from compressor nearby compressor station. Highly endangered site.Martha BerrymanHistorian-AnthropologistTHC History Programs Division.
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.