DUANE
Duane's take
Now, I'm givin' you the story as the official marker tells it — so let's set a spell and talk about a place where Texas history doesn't just rest, it's buried deep in the ground. Morton Cemetery, Fort Bend County. You might drive past it without a second glance, but that patch of earth holds some of the biggest names the Republic of Texas ever produced.
Start with the land itself. It sits on Labor No. 1 of a Mexican land grant that went to a man named William Morton — a 1822 settler who came in the advance party of Austin's Old 300 colonists. That's about as early as Anglo settlers get in Texas.
Morton was here before the dust had even settled on the whole notion of a Texas. Now, the cemetery was founded in 1825, and here's where the story gets its first dark turn. Morton buried a man named Robert Gelaspie — recorded also as Gillespie — a brother Mason who, the marker says plainly, had met with foul play.
Morton didn't just put him in the ground and walk away. He went and built a handmade brick tomb over the man — the first known Masonic landmark in Texas. Think about that.
Out here on the Texas frontier, in 1825, a man fashioned brick with his own hands to honor a fallen brother. That tomb is the seed this whole cemetery grew from. But William Morton's own story ends hard.
In an 1833 flood on the Brazos, Morton himself met death — and his body was lost to the water. The river that shaped this land took the man who helped shape it. His widow Nancy inherited Labor No. 1, and she sold it to Handy and Lusk, promoters of the Richmond townsite.
Then in 1854, the parcel of land encompassing the cemetery was acquired by a man named Michael DeChaumes — and for a while, folks called it DeChaumes Cemetery. In the 1890s, Morton Lodge No. 72, A. F. and A.
M., gained possession of the place and operated it as the Richmond Masonic Cemetery on into the early 1940s, when it was turned over to the newly-formed Richmond Cemetery Association. That association was later retitled the Morton Cemetery Association — probably, the marker tells us, to have its name conform to Morton Cemetery, the name in use ever since the era of Lodge ownership. The name circled back to the founder, the way good stories tend to do.
And what a place to rest for eternity. Among the illustrious pioneers buried here: Mirabeau B. Lamar, born 1798, died 1859 — President of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1841.
And Jane Long, also born 1798, died 1880, known as the Mother of Texas, recognized as one of the state's first women settlers. Two giants of early Texas, lying in ground consecrated by a Masonic brick tomb built by a man whose own body the Brazos River refused to give back. The marker says it plainly and the land confirms it: Morton Cemetery has become a memorial to its founder.
William Morton came early, built something lasting, and then disappeared into the flood. But the ground he consecrated is still keeping its dead — and telling their stories — to this very day.
What the marker says
Burial place of illustrious pioneers, including 1838-1841 Republic of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar (1798-1859) and one of State's first women settlers, Jane Long (1798-1880), known as "The Mother of Texas." On Labor No. 1 of Mexican land grant to William Morton, 1822 settler in advance party of Austin's "Old 300" colonists; founded 1825 when Morton buried Robert Gelaspie (Gillespie), a brother Mason who had met with foul play. Later he erected a handmade brick tomb, the first known Masonic landmark in Texas. In an 1833 Brazos flood, Morton himself met death and his body was lost. His widow Nancy inherited Labor No. 1 and sold it to Handy & Lusk, promoters of the Richmond townsite. In 1854 the parcel of land encompassing the cemetery was acquired by Michael DeChaumes. In the 1890s Morton Lodge No. 72, A. F. & A. M., gained possession of "DeChaumes Cemetery" and operated it as Richmond Masonic Cemetery until the early 1940s. It was then turned over to the newly-formed Richmond Cemetery Association, which later was retitled Morton Cemetery Association, probably to have its name conform to "Morton Cemetery" -- the name in use ever since the era of Lodge ownership. The cemetery has become a memorial to its founder.