Historical Marker

Harris Creek Cemetery

Historical marker location:
Waco, Texas
( From McGregor go about 7 mi E. On US 84, take Harris Creek, Rd 1 mile S. to Church Rd.)
Marker installed: 1985

The Haley, Crain, Caufield, and Jones Families were the first to arrive in this area in the 1850s. They established the community of Harris Creek, which takes its name from the nearby water source. This cemetery marks the burial place of those early settlers and others who have lived in the community since its founding.

The earliest marked grave in the Harris Creek Cemetery is that of Hattie Timmons, who died in 1865 at the age of eighteen. She was the niece of Joel and Sarah Crain, who settled here on land granted to Joel for his services in the Battle of San Jacinto (1836). Joel (d. 1887) and Sarah (d. 1902) are buried here, as is their daughter Patience, whose grave, dated 1869, is the second oldest in the cemetery.

In 1872, Aquilla and Delilah "Dillie" Jones formally set aside 1.5 acres of their land for the burial ground. Part of that acreage was also to be used for a church and schoolhouse. Both of the land donors are buried here in marked graves.

The graves are maintained by the Harris Creek Cemetery Association. The burial ground is a good reflection of the history of the Harris Creek community and of this part of McLennan County.