LAST Burial in Fairview Cemetery - Van Zandt County, TX
N 32° 36.202 W 096° 01.791
14S E 778746 N 3611211
A 1996 Texas Historical Marker for the Fairview Cemetery and School notes that the last burial in the cemetery occurred in 1945.
Waymark Code: WMZNEQ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/07/2018
Views: 0
The Handbook of Texas Online lists multiple communities in the state known as "Fairview", but this one is not among them. Given the paucity of burials in the cemetery, that's not much of a surprise, but it's interesting to note that, in 2018, there are signs out on FM 47 pointing not only towards the cemetery, but also to Fairview itself. It's just residences at this point. The cemetery is badly neglected, so one should be careful of critters, depressions, and flora that bites when visiting.
Both of the Martins are the final burials in the cemetery, with the last burial before them taking place in 1904. Their final resting places are protected by a modern fence, and they share a gray granite headstone, with the family name, "Martin", at the top. Their respective inscriptions are:
Robert M.
1873-1938
Dora N.
1883-1945
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The historical marker across the road provides some history:
R.H. Reeves donated one acre of land in 1875 to the Fairview community for church and school purposes. A one-room log schoolhouse was erected on the site, and part of the land was set aside for a cemetery. The oldest documented burial in the cemetery is that of Susanna Carter in 1876. Most of the graves were dug by family members and friends. In 1945 the last burial occurred at the Fairview Cemetery.
After the log school burned down, another wooden school building was constructed on the site. When the student population increased, another room was added, making the schoolhouse an L-shaped structure. Pupils and their teachers either walked to school or rode horses or mules. Many teachers boarded with local residents.
In the early 1920s, the two-room school was torn down, and the lumber was used in part to erect a larger three-room school. J.F. Liston donated land to the school in 1924 for a teacherage and playground.
The economy of the area was dependent on cotton farming. Cotton production declined in the 1930s-40s, and many families moved away. The school closed in 1945, but was used as a community center for many years until it was destroyed by fire in 1995.
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