DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in the 1840s, three families all sharing the name Fitzgerald made their way to Texas and put down roots at Mound Prairie Creek, eleven miles north of Palestine. Three families, same name — you can imagine how the mail situation worked out.
The land they settled on took on their name too, and the area came to be known simply as Fitzgerald. As more families drifted in and the community filled out, folks started thinking about something more than just neighbors — they wanted a church. So in 1871, fifteen charter members gathered at the Fitzgerald schoolhouse and formed a Baptist congregation right then and there.
It is believed they named it Concord, after a community back in Louisiana that some of those founding members had once called home. A little piece of the old place, carried west and planted in East Texas soil. For a stretch of years the congregation made do, and by 1883 they were holding services in their own church building.
Then in 1901 and into 1902, a wooden frame sanctuary went up right here on this site — and it served that community faithfully for nearly four decades. Then 1940 came along and fire destroyed it. Just like that, gone.
But here's what you need to know about a congregation that's been rooted somewhere since 1871 — they didn't go anywhere. That same year, 1940, they began building again, this time in brick. The church and the cemetery both sit on land that had been owned by pioneers William A. and Michael R.
Fitzgerald, the very family names that started this whole story. Out in that cemetery, the oldest marked grave belongs to Joel Kelley, dated 1872 — though it is believed the site was already in use before that time, which means some of the earliest souls of this community rest here without a stone to say so. Among those buried at Concord are early settlers, their families, and three Confederate Civil War veterans.
And the place hasn't stopped. The site still serves the Concord community today, kept and cared for by a cemetery association — proof that what those fifteen people started in a schoolhouse more than a hundred and fifty years ago is still very much alive.
What the marker says
Three families named Fitzgerald moved to Texas in the 1840s and purchased land at Mound Prairie Creek, eleven miles north of Palestine. The area in which they settled became known as Fitzgerald. As other families moved to the area, interest grew in organizing a church. Fifteen charter members met at the Fitzgerald schoolhouse in 1871 and formed a Baptist church. It is believed they named it Concord for a community in Louisiana, the former home of some members of the church. By 1883 the congregation was holding services in its own church building. A wooden frame sanctuary was erected at this site in 1901-02 that served the congregation until 1940 when it was destroyed by fire. A brick structure was begun in 1940. The cemetery and church were located on land previously owned by pioneers William A. and Michael R. Fitzgerald. The oldest marked grave is that of Joel Kelley in 1872, although it is believed the site was in use before that time. Among those buried here are early settlers and their families and three Confederate Civil War veterans. The site continues to serve the Concord community and is maintained by a cemetery association.