| Marker Text |
Beginning in 1851, family members of Joel and Rachel Hudgins used this site as a burial ground. Property including the site was granted to Alexander Jackson in 1824 and inherited by his daughter Mary. Upon her death in 1836, it transferred to her husband, James McKenzie, who wed Rachel Ann Northington three years later. He died in 1845, leaving Rachel with three children. She gained ownership of the Jackson land as well as McKenzie's other property, all part of what became Wharton County in 1846. The next year, Rachel wed Joel Hudgins, a widower with one child. The couple had nine more children, but only six of the thirteen survived to adulthood. Joel served as a civic leader and established the Hudginsville School near his home in this vicinity. After his death and burial in Chappell Hill, Texas in 1873, Rachel and her sons increased the family's holdings. She died in 1903. In 1977, grandson Edgar Hudgins, along with his sons, purchased the land from relatives. His grave, dating to 1986, was the first here since that of his grandmother more than 80 years earlier. Today, his heirs continue to care for the burial ground. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003 |
