Creagleville

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Creagleville, out in Van Zandt County. Now, some communities plant themselves on a map and hold on. Others rise up slow, do their work for a good long while, and then quietly step back.

Creagleville is that second kind of story — and it's worth every mile. The rural community traces its beginnings all the way back to the 1840s. And right at the heart of it was one Henry Creagle, a German native born in 1826, who settled in Van Zandt County about 1847.

The place would eventually carry his name. Now Henry didn't just settle anywhere. His land survey sat right along the Dallas-Shreveport Road — a major east-west thoroughfare cutting across the north portion of the county.

That road bisected his land, which means the whole wide world, in a manner of speaking, was passing right through Henry Creagle's front yard. Farmers, immigrants, freight wagons, stock drovers — all of them rolling through, kicking up dust on that road. By 1854, the community had itself a school, and a schoolhouse was built near the Creagle home.

Then, the way these things tend to go, one thing led to another. Homes went up. A church was established.

A cotton gin and a gristmill were erected. And a cemetery was established to receive the ones who wouldn't be moving on. Now about that cemetery — a man named B.

F. Wheeler deeded three acres for the original grounds in 1879, though the marker is careful to note that burials had taken place even earlier than that. Henry Creagle himself was gone by 1872, well before that deed was signed.

The community kept on without him, farmers working the land, generations settling in. But communities, like people, don't always hold their shape forever. Citizens moved away.

The school was consolidated with Grand Saline in 1941. The church closed in 1991. The buildings and the bustle faded.

What remains is the cemetery — still active — holding the burials of more than fifty Civil War veterans, early settlers to the area, and their descendants. The road still runs. The marker stands.

And the cemetery keeps its quiet vigil out there in Van Zandt County, long after the last cotton gin fell silent.

What the marker says

The rural community of Creagleville traces its beginnings to the 1840s. It was named for German native Henry Creagle (1826-1872), who settled in Van Zandt County about 1847. The community was located on the Dallas-Shreveport Road, a major east-west thorough-fare across the north portion of the county. The road, which bisected Henry Creagle's land survey, was used by Creagleville farmers, immigrants, freight wagons, and stock drovers. A school was founded in Creagleville by 1854, and a schoolhouse was built near the Creagle home. As the agricultural community of farmers grew, homes were built, a church was established, a cotton gin and gristmill were erected, and a cemetery was established. Three acres were deeded for the original cemetery by B. F. Wheeler in 1879, although burials had taken place earlier. The community eventually declined as citizens moved away; the school was consolidated with Grand Saline in 1941, and the church closed in 1991. The cemetery remains active and contains burials of more than 50 Civil War veterans, early settlers to the area, and their descendants. (1997)