Marker Number: 12514
Marker Text:
Reflecting the earliest years of Anglo settlement in this part of north central Texas, the Swisher Cemetery began on land granted to H. H. Swisher for his service in the Texas War for Independence from Mexico. The oldest burial in the cemetery, that of Francis Long, dates to 1867. When H. H. Swisher's son, Capt. A. P. Swisher (1829-1920), inherited the property from his father, he formally donated some of his land for use as a cemetery by the families of the community then known as the French Settlement. Swisher's wife, Virginia, died in 1899 and was the first member of the family buried in the Swisher plot. After the railroad came through this area, the community's name was changed to Garza in 1881 and then to Lake Dallas in 1926 upon construction of the dam on the Elm Fork of the Trinity that created the lake by the same name. Swisher Cemetery's use over time has expanded to serve residents of many of the neighboring lake communities. The burial ground contains the graves of numerous veterans who served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Over the years, additional land was purchased for the cemetery, which contains more than 1,100 graves. For many years, Garza community residents took care of the cemetery. From 1948 until 1998, the Lake Dallas Birthday Club maintained the graveyard. The Swisher Cemetery Association currently cares for the historic burial ground. (2001)
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