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Historical
Marker :
Atoka Cemetery
Settlement of this
area began in the 1850s with the establishment of Camp
Colorado, a United States cavalry outpost. At the outbreak of
the Civil War the camp was occupied by Texas State Troops and Texas
Ranger units. The existence of the camp spurred permanent settlement
in the area, and many families moved here from the southern United
States after the Civil War. The settlers established farms and ranches,
and the Atoka community included a general store operated by D.A.
Parker and S.N. Edenborough, a combination church/school building,
and a cotton gin built by D.A. Parker.
This cemetery was established in 1880 on land deeded by C.E. Bush.
Among the early pioneers buried here are the Rev. Hugh Martin Childress,
Sr., a former Texas Ranger and Republic of Texas soldier; his son,
Elisha Childress, who served as the first Coleman
County sheriff; veterans of the Civil War; and several workers
killed in an explosion that occurred during the construction of a
Santa Fe Railroad bridge across Jim Ned Creek in 1910. The cemetery,
which is maintained by an association of descendants of those buried
here, is one of the few physical reminders of the Atoka community
and its pioneer settlers.
(1996) |
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Atoka Cemetery
and Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, February 2010 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
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