Historical Marker
Jay Bird-Union School, Church, and Cemetery
Historical marker location:
FM 2257 off SH 199 SE of Springtown, Springtown, Texas
( From Springtown take SH 199 southeast about 3.6 miles, go north on FM 2257 about .8 mile to cemetery -marker is next to metal canopy.)
Marker installed: 1986
This well-traveled route, known locally as Jay Bird Lane, dates from the early 1860s. In 1883 land-owners donated three acres to preserve the nearby Jay Bird camp meeting grounds. Residents soon built a frame building, officially serving the Union Grove School Community. The Jay Bird Freewill Baptist Church also met here, and a cemetery was established, with the earliest marked grave dating to 1884. The school closed in 1919 and the building was destroyed by a 1940's tornado. A 1945 structure was replaced in 1974 by the Cemetery Association, hosting a meeting each first Sunday in June.
Texas Sesquincentennial 1836-1986.