F.M. Dougherty - Fairview Cemetery - Gainesville, TX
N 33° 37.842 W 097° 07.519
14S E 673880 N 3722785
The obelisk at the grave of F.M. Dougherty, in Fairview Cemetery, is the tallest obelisk in the cemetery, visible from anywhere in the surrounding area.
Waymark Code: WMHAWA
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2013
Views: 4
In his book, "Heroes, Scoundrels, and Angels," author Ron Melugin suggests that this fifty-foot-tall obelisk may have been the Washington Monument representation in the Columbian Exposition at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. F.M. Dougherty's son, William, purchased this monument at some point in the late 1800s and placed it here. Professor Melugin did the research for all the Texas Historical Markers at Fairview, and the one at Dougherty's grave says:
(February 13, 1826 - December 27, 1895)
Alabama native Francis Marion Dougherty came to Texas in the 1840s, moving to Gainesville in 1858. Following service in the Civil War, where he saw action in the Red River Campaign of western Louisiana, he returned to Cooke County and worked as a merchant. Elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1879 and again in 1881, he worked on a number of important issues, including fence law, county boundaries, agriculture and railroad development. He was also a Gainesville banker and businessman, leading the board of trade, which helped develop the county fair.
Recorded – 2003
Date Created/Placed: Late 1800s
Address: 710 Fair Avenue, Gainesville, TX 76240
Height: 50 feet
Illuminated: no
Website: [Web Link]
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