Historic Cemetery

Old Battle Axe Cemetery

a.k.a. Felps

Fred, Texas
Location: Driving Directions:Southwest of Spurger. From FM 1013, go south on CR 4530. Turn left at first road (<0.1 mile south of FM 1013) and go 4.0 miles south. At fork, stay to the left (east) and continue for another 1.3 miles. At intersection, turn right onto logging road and go 0.6 miles. Cemetery is on south side of road and is heavily overgrown. OrFrom Fred (FM 92), go 6.0 miles west on FM 1943 (or 10.6 miles east from Warren). Turn right (or left) at CR 4605 and go 0.8 mile north to intersection. Turn right at intersection (at Baker-Bell Cemetery Sign) and go 2.2 miles east on CR 4600. At intersection, turn right and go 0.2 mile. Turn left and go 0.4 mile. Turn left and go 0.4 mile. Turn left and go 0.4 mile. Turn left and go 0.5 mile. Turn left and go 0.2 mile. Cemetery is on south side of logging road. It is heavily overgrown and easy to miss. Only two grave markers and several grave depressions are evident.This cemetery is highly endangered. It is not a map feature and is located in a very remote are on private property. There are no signs posted indicating a cemetery, and in order to access the cemetery, one must travel approx. 6.0 miles on winding logging roads that may only be accessible by four wheel drive vehicle.The cemetery is partly enclosed with a dilapidated barbed wire fence. When this survey was conducted, loggers has recently marked the approximate cemetery boundaries with survey flagging. The cemetery is heavily overgrown. Only two grave markers were observed. They are homemade concrete headstones that have been painted white. Several grave depression were also observed. The two headstone inscriptions read:"Mother FelpsGone to Bee With Jesus""Mary Felps NolenWith Jesus"The headstones do not have dates.

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.