Submitted by: Sandra Vossler
great, great, great granddaughter of William Caves

The following is a short history of the Caves Springs Baptist Church and Caves Springs Cemetery.

It was written by Eva Caves Earp 16 Oct. 1938, in the "Record of The Caves Family Reunions". I am leaving out the genealogy part and starting up with the information on the Church and Cemetery.

"...William and Elizabeth Cave moved from Louisiana to Texas in 1869. They bought land and settled in what was then known as Davis county (afterward changed to Cass county.)

They lived on that place until 1879, then sold out. Bought land again in the woods and settled another home where Mr. Jess Ayers now lives. He was then getting old and couldn't work the farm, so bargained to sell it to a Mrs. Mercer, but reserved 10 acres of land (on which the Caves Springs Church now stands) intending to build him a home on it. Said he wanted to be buried on it, but he took sick and died the 24th of October, 1881, at nearly seventy year.

His wife attended the funeral, walked back home and went to bed. Said she had nothing more to live for, so eight days later (on Nov. 2nd) her precious body was laid to rest by the side of his, where she said she wanted to be buried. Their bodies occupy the first two graves made in the Caves Springs cemetery.  So as the dear old father had planned, the place sold as he had bargained and divided it up among the heirs.  This plot of ground was given to the Baptists of the community for the purpose of building a church, and preparing a burial ground in memory of William Cave. It too quite a struggle to build the church, but the good people of the community all put their shoulders to the wheel and finally did complete a small house of which we are all so proud. This was in 1886. But in October of 1893 this building burned down, so we struggled along again and built another church in 1894.

Then in 1920 this building was razed and a nice new building was erected.

The struggle was long and the hardships many, but with God's care, out efforts have been a great blessing to many souls and the glory of it has reached the throne of heaven and extends into eternity.

Rev. J. M. Caves, son of William and Elizabeth Caves, came from Canadian, Oklahoma, to preach the dedication sermon for the new building in April, 1921..."

The Caves Springs cemetery is located 4 miles S.W. of Linden, S. of Hi way 155. The famous Black Composer, Scott Joplin was living with his parents, the Giles Joplin, next to the William Caves Family, according to the 1870 Cass County Census.

Oldest Known Grave: William Caves 1812-1881.