Warthan Cemetery

George Washington Warthan came to Texas from Tuscaloosa, Alabama with brothers Thomas I. And Robert J. in 1852. G.W. wed Amanda Johnson, and the couple settled in the Red River Valley in 1855. In 1861, he mustered into Company E of the 32nd Texas Cavalry and during his service saw action in more than 30 Civil War battles. Captured in 1864 and held as a prisoner of war until 1865, he returned to Texas at the age of 29, and through grants and land purchases he expanded his Red River County landholdings. Warthan's acquisitions included land in this area, north of the farming community of Garland. It included a cemetery used by area residents, with graves believed to predate the Republic of Texas. In 1881, he set aside what he dubbed Warthan Cemetery and encouraged his family to preserve the site. By the late 1960s, early grave indicators, including bois d' arc markers and loose stones, had disappeared. The cemetery land was formally deeded in 1951 and later enlarged. The earliest marked grave dates to 1881, and today the cemetery remains as a tie to generations of Warthans and other area residents. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005.