Location: SB-C037 Mason Cemetery NOT AKA Mason-Deas-Smith Cem.USGS point3193-321 Mason Cemetery, AA.Recorded: SABI01—Parsons, Kim. 1988. References to Texas Cemeteries; Sabine Co Hist Soc, Rootsweb: “From the courthouse in Hemphill take Hwy 83 East 1 block to Hwy 87. Go North or Left 7 miles to Milam. Continue North on Hwy 87 for 5.4 miles. Turn East or Right on FM 276. Go 1.3 miles to Liberty Springs Road (by Liberty Springs Methodist Church) and turn South or Right. At 0.5 miles take the dirt road to the Right and the cemetery is directly in front of you, about 0.1 mile. 50 graves, few with stone marker. First 1854 Last 1997. Cem. Index.”THC site visit MB 6/29/04: Isla, Tx area. S off SH 87 on Telephone Rd., aka Liberty Springs Road, about 0.5 mile. Access lane, locked cable, walk in about 500 ft. to fenced formal site. Diversity of formal markers over time, including obelisks. Some fieldstones. Sea shell marker. No marker trees but stumps of prior Cedar markers. Some marker Rose shrubs. San Augustine grass. Some floral and decorative grave materials. Approx 0.50 acre. GPS 31.30.35.99356N –93.49.48.71480W. Quad 3193-321.Medium risk, remote site, but locked cable access road, fenced site, on map, maintained, still in use. 3193-321 Local history notes. USGS, no name, east of Isla.
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.