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 Crawford's Tornado Graveyard - Cedar Hill, TX Posted by:  QuesterMark
N 32° 35.850 W 096° 57.010
14S E 692368 N 3608521
This graveyard is a City of Cedar Hill Historic Property. It can be reached from Pioneer Trail by taking a dirt track north to another dirt track that heads west. There's no parking nearby. A city park is close, but there's a railroad track between.
Waymark Code: WMEBC1
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/01/2012
Views: 10
The text reads,
Crawford's Tornado Graveyard
North Cedar Hill Road at Pioneer Trail
On Tuesday, April 29, 1856, the burgeoning settlement of Cedar Hill was struck by a violent tornado that claimed at least nine lives, damaged property, killed livestock and reportedly left only two structures standing. With a resolute pioneer spirit still evident today, survivors went about the daunting task of restoring order to their shattered community.
Among the survivors was Robert Crawford, teacher and pastor of Cedar Mountain Church, believed to be the first congregation in the area. Mr. Crawford owned land adjacent to the church site which was destroyed by the tornado and donated four acres to church trustees to be designated a free and indiscriminate public graveyard.
Nine victims of the tornado were buried on Robert Crawford's land northeast of where the church had stood. They included John C. Hart, his wife and child, John Berry, his wife and child, John Dickson, Martha Lamar Allen and an unnamed Negro woman.
As the land was deeded a free and public graveyard in 1856, it is possible that others were buried there although no evidence or record of burials after the tornado are known to exist. Application for designation as an Historic Texas Cemetery, prepared by Cedar Hill resident Wanda Stanton Pitt, was granted by the Texas Historical Commission in 2006.
There is an Historic Texas Cemetery (Texas Historical) Marker on the site as well - WMEAZP.
Group that erected the marker: City of Cedar Hill
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
700 N. Cedar Hill Road
at Pioneer Trail
Cedar Hill, TX United States
75104
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.
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