Center Point Cemetery

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker at Center Point Cemetery has to say — and friend, this one's got layers worth unwinding. The story of this ground starts in 1852, when the earliest known settlers in the area arrived: Mrs. Elizabeth Denton, her children, and her slaves.

They came first, and for six years they had this stretch of Texas Hill Country largely to themselves. Then in 1858, the family of Dr. Charles Ganahl rolled in, and Dr.

Ganahl — being a man who apparently carried his homeland with him wherever he went — named the new community Zanzenberg, after his hometown in Austria. Now there's a detail worth sitting with for a moment. Right here in the Texas Hill Country, a little settlement answering to an Austrian name.

That's the kind of thing that reminds you how wide and strange and layered this state really is. The name Zanzenberg didn't hold forever. By 1872, the community had become known as Center Point.

And that same year — 1872 — land was purchased right here on this site for a church and a cemetery. The roots went down fast and deep. Nine years later, in 1881, two acres were added to enlarge the cemetery.

The church eventually moved off the property, and then in 1901, another land acquisition brought the cemetery up to five point three acres. Today, approximately one thousand four hundred and fifty-two graves have been located here. One thousand four hundred and fifty-two.

That number has weight to it. Each one a life, a family, a story of somebody who came to this part of Texas and stayed — one way or another. The oldest marked burial belongs to Lydia Burney, born in 1795, died in 1875.

She lived through times most of us can barely picture, and she rests here on ground that was still new settlement when she arrived. Many early pioneers and community leaders are buried in this cemetery. But there's one particular count that tends to stop people cold: thirty-two Texas Rangers.

Thirty-two. Men who rode hard country and are now at rest in it. Their names are on the marker — W.

D. C. Burney, N.

Coldwell, J. A. Gibbens, H.

T. Hill, F. L.

Holloway, R. J. Irving Senior, R.

J. Lange, J. H.

Lane, S. T. Lane Junior, T.

Lane, M. A. Lowrance, J.

L. McElroy, S. G.

McElroy, A. S. Moore, F.

M. Moore, G. K.

Moore, G. R. Moore, G.

W. Moore, H. C.

Moore, James Moore, J. T. Moore, M.

F. Moore, D. C.

Nowlin, J. C. Nowlin, R.

W. Nowlin, P. Alonzo Rees, N.

O. Reynolds, W. H.

Rishworth, J. L. Sellars, A.

J. Sowell, W. H.

Witt, and S. G. Wray.

That's a lot of Rangers for one cemetery in one small community. Whatever Center Point was — and whoever it drew — it clearly drew men who'd ridden toward trouble for a living. Now the ground holds them all equal: settlers, leaders, Rangers, and the woman who got here first and outlasted just about everything.

Five point three acres. Fourteen hundred and fifty-two graves. And an Austrian name that gave way to a Texas one.

That's Center Point Cemetery, and it's been doing its quiet work since 1872.

What the marker says

The earliest known settlers in this area were Mrs. Elizabeth Denton and her children and slaves, who arrived in 1852. They were joined in 1858 by the family of Dr. Charles Ganahl, who named the new community Zanzenberg, after his hometown in Austria. The town became known as Center Point in 1872, and settlers continued to moved into the area. In 1872 land was purchased for a church and cemetery on this site, and in 1881 two acres were added to the property to enlarge the cemetery. The church was moved off the property, and another land acquisition in 1901 increased the cemetery property to 5.3 acres. Approximately 1,452 graves have been located here. The oldest marked burial is that of Lydia Burney (1795-1875). Many early pioneers and community leaders are buried here, as well as 32 Texas Rangers, whose names are: W. D. C.Burney; N. Coldwell; J. A. Gibbens; H. T. Hill; F. L. Holloway; R. J. Irving, Sr.; R. J. Lange; J. H. Lane; S. T. Lane, Jr.; T. Lane; M. A. Lowrance; J. L. McElroy; S. G. McElroy; A. S. Moore; F. M. Moore; G. K. Moore; G.R. Moore; G. W. Moore; H. C. Moore; James Moore; J. T. Moore; M. F. Moore; D. C. Nowlin; J. C. Nowlin; R. W. Nowlin; P. Alonzo Rees; N. O. Reynolds; W. H. Rishworth; J. L. Sellars; A. J. Sowell; W. H. Witt; S. G. Wray. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986