Peoria Cemetery - Peoria, TX
N 31° 58.562 W 097° 13.679
14R E 667432 N 3539151
While Peoria itself has seen its glory days, its beautiful cemetery is still active, with well over two thousand burials, dating back to the 1830s. Located on Hill County Rd 2421.
Waymark Code: WM14RW6
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/17/2021
Views: 1
A 1969 Texas Historical Marker provides a brief description:
Established in 1830s as this community developed. First plot was donated by J.R. DeArman; 4 generations of the William Thomas Hill family made later grants. A child fatally bitten by a rattlesnake was first to be buried here. Many rural residents and transients lie in unmarked graves.
Peoria itself dates back to the 1840s, making it one of the earliest settlements in Hill County, and it bears the name of Peoria, IL, given to it by one of the early settlers who hailed from there. The Baptist church and a Cumberland Presbyterian Church began life in 1855, followed by a post office the following year. At its peak, Peoria had 500 residents and was a small community with multiple businesses. After the railroad bypassed the town in 1890, decline set in, and today, there are anywhere from 50 to 100 residents here.