Smith Cemetery

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way back in 1846, a woman named Mary M. Long, though most folks knew her as Polly, received 640 acres in this part of Texas straight from the State itself.

That's a substantial piece of ground, and Polly held onto it for a good while. Then in 1852, she deeded half of it to her son, Richard B. Long.

Half of 640 acres. Richard's to do with as he saw fit. And he sat on it for nearly three decades before, in 1881, he finally sold that tract off.

Now, here's where Richard Long showed you something about his character. When he made that sale, he held one acre back. Just one.

He reserved it specifically to preserve a cemetery that was already there, already in use, already holding the people his family had known and loved. That cemetery had been used as early as 1857 by local settlers, many of them Long's relatives or neighbors. The earliest marked grave they can point to dates to 1862.

One acre, set aside so the dead wouldn't be forgotten when the land changed hands. The cemetery takes its name from the numerous members of the Smith family buried there, and when you walk those grounds, you find the names telling the whole story of a community. Polly Long herself is buried there, the woman who started it all with that original 640-acre grant.

So is William Green, an early County Commissioner. And there are the graves of Civil War veterans F.Y. Smith and James Dark.

Neighbors, relatives, commissioners, soldiers. One acre of Texas, held back from the sale, holding all of them still.

What the marker says

In 1846, Mary M. "Polly" Long received 640 acres in this area from the State of Texas. She deeded half to her son, Richard B. Long, in 1852. He sold this tract in 1881, reserving one acre to preserve the existing cemetery, which was used as early as 1857 by local settlers, many of whom were Long's relateives or neighbors. The earliest marked grave dates to 1862. The cemetery takes its name from the numerous members of the Smith family buried here. Other graves include those of "Polly" Long, early County Commissioner William Green, and Civil War veterans F.Y. Smith and James Dark.Historic Texas Cemetery