Historic Cemetery

Heard Family Cemetery

FM1746, Woodville, Texas 75979
Location: Driving Directions:From US 190/FM 1746 intersection in Woodville, go 3.0 miles east on FM 1746. Turn left onto gated, private road. Follow the road north for 0.1 mile. At intersection, turn left and go 125 ft. west. From this point the cemetery is located approx. 50 ft. north of road. The cemetery is located at northwest corner of intersection of three old logging roads.The cemetery is highly endangered. It is not a map feature and is located on private property. It is not fenced and there are no cemetery signs. Only one marble marker remains. The inscription reads:James O. Son of Geo L. & Kisiah C. HeardBornFeb. 14, 1846DiedFeb. 22, 1879"Though lost to sightto memory dear"There appear to be two grave depressions, and possibly more. A local informant reports that there were at least five marked graves at one time. The informant also believe that this may be an African-American cemetery.

Source: RIP Fields Table

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.

gravesites