by Karen Kay Esberger

In 1871, John Stokes McCulloch received a land grant (abstract 737) of 160 acres here near the old Chisholm Trail. His brother James Coffee McCulloch owned land slightly to the northwest. Generals Ben and Henry C. McCulloch were their brothers, too.

John was married to Frances M. Peoples. They had two documented children, Alexander and Frances Rush who married Montgomery H. VanLear. Frances Peoples was first married to John G. Williams, and four Williams children were known to survive her.

According to prior inventories, there were nine graves in this cemetery. Now, all the tombstones are broken, and five names are visible on the pieces. They are John (1799-1877) and Frances McCulloch (1800-1877), their daughter “Rush” (1841-1873), her son J.W. VanLear (1863-1887), and L. J. (1834-1893), wife of B. F. Williams This means that known burials occurred 1873-1893. Prior inventories had noted that “Little Joe” Williams was buried here.

The cemetery has no fence now, but pieces of a nice cast iron fence are scattered around among the pieces of beautiful marble tombstones. Cattle graze freely there. The area is said to flood.

References:
unidentified newspaper on Ellis County TXGenWeb
ECGS, v. 1
Texas General Land Office (GLO) http://gisweb.glo.texas.gov/glomap/index.html Accessed 5 Dec 2012