BEAR CREEK CEMETERY - NEVADA
CR544
Latitude 33.056N Longitude 96.406W
CR544
Latitude 33.056N Longitude 96.406W
Martha T. Harless gave 3 acres of land in Vol 46, p 263, and Maston Crowford Robinson (Robertson) gave 1 ½ acres in Vol W, p 354, for the use of the Bear Creek Methodist Episcopal Church South, which was just north of the cemetery on the south bank of George Creek. The church was started around 1873 and disbanded in 1902. Most of the congregation moved to Nevada Methodist Church.
The cemetery covers at least a couple of acres of land. It appears that there are between 100 and 200 graves. Most of the graves are for the late 1800's. The families are buried in groups instead of rows. The Harless family plot is north of the single gate near the road. The cemetery has a lot of empty space. It is fenced. An unmaintained road runs the length of the cemetery.
The Collin County Museum has a partial list of people buried here that calls this the Harris Cemetery. Margaret J. Harless married W. P. Harris. She died young. I do not know if that is where the Harris name came from. On some county maps this is referred to as the Haggart Cemetery. Again I do not know where the name came from. There are no Haggarts listed as buried here.
The cemetery shows considerable vandalism and/or lack of attention over an extended period of time. At times it is so overgrown that it cannot be seen from the road a few feet away. Many of the stones are down. The Nevada Fire Department has been involved in some cleanup in the past. It is evident that some cutting and burning has taken place inside the cemetery. Piles of cut trees are on top of stones. A Mormon Church group cleaned part of the cemetery in 1995. [A Boy Scout made cleaning the cemetery his Eagle project in 2000.]
The Collin County Sheriff's Department recently recovered a stone that had been stolen from the cemetery. It is being stored at the Collin County Museum in McKinney for the time being. At present Bear Creek has no cemetery association. [A cemetery association was formed in 2000.]
Cemeteries of Collin County, Texas, Joy Gough
The cemetery covers at least a couple of acres of land. It appears that there are between 100 and 200 graves. Most of the graves are for the late 1800's. The families are buried in groups instead of rows. The Harless family plot is north of the single gate near the road. The cemetery has a lot of empty space. It is fenced. An unmaintained road runs the length of the cemetery.
The Collin County Museum has a partial list of people buried here that calls this the Harris Cemetery. Margaret J. Harless married W. P. Harris. She died young. I do not know if that is where the Harris name came from. On some county maps this is referred to as the Haggart Cemetery. Again I do not know where the name came from. There are no Haggarts listed as buried here.
The cemetery shows considerable vandalism and/or lack of attention over an extended period of time. At times it is so overgrown that it cannot be seen from the road a few feet away. Many of the stones are down. The Nevada Fire Department has been involved in some cleanup in the past. It is evident that some cutting and burning has taken place inside the cemetery. Piles of cut trees are on top of stones. A Mormon Church group cleaned part of the cemetery in 1995. [A Boy Scout made cleaning the cemetery his Eagle project in 2000.]
The Collin County Sheriff's Department recently recovered a stone that had been stolen from the cemetery. It is being stored at the Collin County Museum in McKinney for the time being. At present Bear Creek has no cemetery association. [A cemetery association was formed in 2000.]
Cemeteries of Collin County, Texas, Joy Gough
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BEAR CREEK CEMETERY
In the middle to late 19th century, settlers in this area established the community of Empire. Residents organized the Bear Creek Methodist Episcopal Church north of this site, which became the community’s burial ground. H. C. Harless and M. C. Robinson donated the first few acres for creation of the cemetery. Here, W. P. Harris buried his wife, Margaret J. (Harless), and their infant daughter, Mary Lou, in 1873. Their graves are the first marked. Others buried in the cemetery include Uriah C. Harless, Confederate veteran and son of H. C. Harless; physician and minister J. L. Brockman; and several other community leaders. The graves of numerous Masons and Woodmen of the World are indicated by Fraternal Symbols on headstones. During the history of the burial ground, various groups, including the Empire Masonic Lodge, now located in Nevada, as well as an area Boy Scout troop, have cared for the site. Although Empire once boasted a boarding school and the Bear Creek Church, by the turn of the 21st century only the cemetery and the Masonic Lodge served as reminders of the early community. Historic Texas Cemetery (2005) |
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