TX-5796 Whitt Cemetery

Marker text: WHITT CEMETERY

The town of Whitt was officially established in 1877, but permanent settlement in this area had been taking place since about 1855. Originally a farming community, Whitt became a stagecoach stop for people traveling between Weatherford and Jacksboro. It later developed into a regional education center with the presence of two colleges, Whitt Seminary and Parker Institute, which operated here between 1881 and 1990. Between 1876 and 1879, Oscar Grantham donated land to the community for burial purposes. The graveyard has served as a community burial ground since at least 1879. The oldest marked burial, that of Margaret A. Gipson, dates to that year, but the presence of more than 100 unmarked graves suggests that the cemetery was active prior to that time. J.N. and M.L. Johnston made additional land donations over the years to enlarge the cemetery. Now over eight acres in size, the cemetery has more than 1,000 graves. Among those buried here are pioneer settlers and veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and II, Korea, and Vietnam. Since 1990, the graveyard has been maintained by a cemetery association. It is an important cultural resource in the area. (1992)