Chisholm Cemetery

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's what happened out here in Rockwall County. Enoch P. Chisholm was a circuit-riding Methodist minister, the kind of man who didn't stay put long enough to wear a groove in the floor.

He brought his family to this area in the 1860s, and the community that grew up around him took his name. That's the kind of impression a man can make just by showing up and staying. In 1871, Chisholm donated the land for a graveyard.

Now, a preacher donating ground for the dead is a generous thing. What nobody could've guessed then is that in 1875, Enoch P. Chisholm himself would become the first person interred in it.

That same year, a chapel was built on the cemetery grounds; also named for Chisholm. So the man gave the land, gave his name, and then gave himself to the place. That's a commitment most folks don't make.

At its peak, the town of Chisholm was something to see: a school, a post office, a Masonic Lodge, a cotton gin, and stores. The kind of small town that felt like it would go on forever. Many early pioneers found their final rest in the Chisholm Cemetery, and some of their descendants still reside in the area today.

The man who rode in on horseback, preaching circuit, ended up the cornerstone of the whole thing, buried at the center of a town that carries his name.

What the marker says

Enoch P. Chisholm, a circuit-riding Methodist minister, brought his family to this area in the 1860s. The community which grew up here was named in his honor. Chisholm donated land for this graveyard in 1871, and in 1875 he became the first person interred in it. A chapel, also named for Chisholm, was built that same year on the cemetery grounds. At its peak, the town of Chisholm boasted a school, post office, Masonic Lodge, cotton gin, and stores. Many early pioneers were interred in the Chisholm Cemetery, and some of their descendants still reside in the area. (1990)