Location: Menard’s Chapel Cemetery — Recorded: POLK01, POLK03—Parsons; R. Peebles: “SE area of co.,on a dirt road that forks to the N about 1.2 miles from Hwy 146.” THC Marker: "Michel B. Menard, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and his brother, Pierre J., settled here in 1833. According to local tradition, sometime prior to 1854 the Mt. Gileard Baptist Church built a small sanctuary here in Menard Chapel, a farm and ranch community which developed along Menard Creek. After Civil War ended, Mrs. E. O. Rhoden donated 2 acres for church and school. … for many decades served as a House of Worship as well as a schoolhouse for the Menard Chapel School. Early teacher, A. A. Duff, also served as pastor. …The cemetery was established with the burial of Rutha Nicholas in 1876. church and cemetery acreage was set aside in a deed …by Eli & Unity Rhoden in 1902. … The cemetery is maintained with Perpetual Care Funds by the Menard Chapel Cemetery Committee. …. (1993)” Polk Co Tx Cem/website: no descript. Many, many graves. Index, earliest 1876.” L. Moore: “Hwy 146 S, go 10.2 miles, Hwy 943, L 1.2 miles, L for 2.9 miles.” THC Marker, 1993US Veteranss of WWI and WWII. CSAGPS and NOTES PENDING.
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.