Gordon, Texas

We have some wonderful little towns in our county, and for the next several months, I intend to concentrate on the genealogy of the different towns.

Believe I'll begin with Gordon as we go down there quite a lot to the Clinic. It is a lovely community with friendly folks. Gordon was named from H. L. Gordon who was an engineer for the Texas and Pacific Railroad during its construction in 1880. The Gordon Post Office opened in 1883, and in the 1920's the town was incorporated. It was the site of one of outlaw Rube Burrow's train robberies, when in January of 1887, he successfully stole $4,200 from an express car.

There are many interesting stories of the area. David Monroe Benson of Oklahoma married Willie Lee McElhaney, daughter of Columbus Luther McElhaney. Evidentally David was also known as Homer, and when Willie Lee's father died at her home on 28 June 1925, the death certificate states he died at the home of Homer Benson in Gordon. David-Homer was divorced, died, or disappeared before the 1930 census, and after April 1926 Willie Lee moved to Ventura County, California, where she is listed as a widow on the 1930 census. It is speculated that David-Homer was a Creek Indian. Anyone have any ideas about the Benson/McElhaney family? Let us know if you do!

The next genealogical tidbit concerns the Barrett-Young family. Andrew T. Barrett was born 6 October 1853 in Tennessee. He married Mary Frances Young on 30 September 1871, and he died in Palo Pinto County, Texas, on 14 May 1939. He is buried beside Mary Frances in the Old Gordon Cemetery in Gordon. Mary Frances Young was born 25 January 1853 in Tennessee and died 21 September 1946, in Palo Pinto County, Texas. They had a son named Aubra Morton Barrett. Andrew was the son of Andrew Barrett and Nancy Ward (1820-1911). Nancy Ward Barrett is buried in Bastrop County, Texas. Anyone have any more information on this family?

There are quite a few cemeteries in the Gordon Area.

The Doty Cemetery is on McQueary Road just outside of Gordon. To get there, exit from Interstate Highway 20 onto Highway 193, travel about one mile to Doty Cemetery Road which is next to the power plant. Turn left and continue to where the road makes a "T" at McQueary Road. Turn right and go about .2 mile to a gate on the left. The cemetery is on private property inside the gate. It can be seen from the road. The property owners ask that you please close the gate when you enter and leave to ensure the cattle do not get out.

There are 176 graves in the Doty Cemetery. The cemetery was first begun as the Doty Family Cemetery. Later Tisdel Gilbert Doty donated the land for a public cemetery. The first known burial is Emaline Reasoner Doty, Tisdel's first wife, who died 11 February 1879.

The new Gordon Cemetery is on Cemetery Road in Gordon. To get there exit from Interstate Highway 20 onto Highway 193 and follow the signs to Gordon. At the top of the hill coming into Gordon, Cemetery Road is the first street to the right. Turn right and go about 1/4 mile. The new Gordon Cemetery is on the left hand side of the road. The old Gordon Cemetery is about 1/2 mile further out on Cemetery Road. It is also on the left side of the road.

There are 1254 graves in the New Gordon Cemetery. The first known burial in the New Gordon Cemetery is reported to have been Jesse B. Colvard, born 15 March1829, died 17 January1906, who fought in 33 battles under General Robert E. Lee.

The earliest death recorded on a marker in the cemetery is that of Rex Goble who died 21 September 1901.

The Old Gordon Cemetery is on Cemetery Road in Gordon, as well. Use the same directions as above.

Thomas A. Snider donated the land for the cemetery to be used free of charge by anyone who could not afford to be buried. Later a trust was established by J. W. Conway to maintain the cemetery. The trust is administered by the heads of three churches in Gordon, the Baptist, Methodist, and Church of Christ. The cemetery has no official burial records and occasionally a casket will be found in a spot that was previously supposed to be vacant. The cemetery is laid out randomly with no real order to the rows.

There are 683 graves with markers and a number of graves marked only with sandstones or not marked at all. The oldest burial was Jasper N. Cox on 7 March 1885.

The next "cemetery" is the grave of A. E. Robbins, 1895, in the pasture of the Hardman place about 2 1/2 miles southwest of Gordon. This person may be related to the Hardman, High, or Eddin families who left the Gordon area in the 1930s and went to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The Blue Family Cemetery is located southeast of Gordon. There are 28 graves, 10 of which are unmarked. The oldest grave is an infant of P. Lister who died 7 September 1874.

Blue Flat Cemetery is also located close to Gordon. Some of the graves include Almira Sanders Davis, 31 May 1834 to 08 April 1918, wife of Robert Harrison Davis; Robert Harrison Davis, 18 September 1830 to 29 February 1892; Tarley Afallon Cody Davis, 07 June 1871 to 07 November 1942; William Jefferson Davis, 18 March 1861 to 27 March 1931; Lidia Margret "Maggie" Jackson, 13 April, 1861 to 27 November 1906; and William Andres Wolfe, 23 March 1851 to 20 January 1933.

The Gibson Cemetery is located southeast of Gordon on the Haus place, southwest of Mt. Zion Church. The oldest grave is James Lee who died 14 May 1880. He was the son of W. R. and J. Barley.

Driving directions for the Hammon or Swank Cemetery start at the school Gymnasium in Gordon. Drive north 3 2/10 miles, turn right and drive 1 4/10 miles to a house on the right. The cemetery may be seen on a rise of land across a small field on your right. It has a chain-link fence and is kept mowed. It has about 32 graves, 20 with markers. The oldest grave with a marker is John Blackwell born in 1862 and died August 1865.

The McSpadden Cemetery is located northwest of Gordon on Dairy Farm Road. There are 108 graves, 63 with markers and 45 unmarked. The oldest grave is M. M. Houx, born September 1821 and died 3 August 1877

The Woodman Cemetery is located off Highway 193 between Gordon and Mingus. There are 35 marked graves and may be more that are unmarker. The oldest grave with a marker is Walter E. Wells born 14 November 1893 and died10 June 1914.

The McFadden Cemetery is located about 8 miles north of Gordon. There are 11 marked graves, the oldest is of Lucy D. Wofford, born 8 October 1841 and died 10 December 1883

You can find transcriptions of these for these cemeteries on the internet by going to a search engine, such as Google, and entering the name and place of the cemetery.

So, that is a little genealogical glimpse of Gordon. If any readers in Gordon, or elsewhere in the county, would like to contribute information, please contact me, Sue Seibert, at P. O. Box 61, Mineral Wells TX 76068-0061 or email me at siouxcitysue@cox-internet.com . And until next time, you all take care!