Historical Marker

Garland Cemetery

Historical marker location:
FM 44, Annona, Texas
( 2 mi. S of Annona)
Marker installed: 2005

Joseph and Martha Starks Wagley came to Red River County from Louisiana in 1833, settling in this area south of present-day Annona. The couple had eight children by the time of Martha's death in 1857, and Joseph later married widow Nancy Ann Coffee, with whom he had an additional two children. He served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and his son Starks died in the conflict. In 1866, Joseph Wagley sold 2,300 acres of land, including this family burial ground, to John C. and J.D. Garland, and moved to Callahan County. Several Wagley family members are known to be buried here, although only two of the graves are marked. The earliest death date on a tombstone, that of Ella McCallum, is 1874. The cemetery became known by the Garland name over the years, and family members deeded five acres to the Methodist church in 1914 for continued use as a graveyard. Today, Annona Methodist Church and members of the community maintain the historic site, which serves as a tie to generations of area settlers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005.