84R20787 CJM-D
By: Fallon H.R. No. 2281
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, An Official Texas Historical Marker is being
dedicated at the site of the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark
Cemeteries in Denton County on May 2, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Today, these three separate, historically African
American graveyards occupy 1.77 acres bordering Lloyd Road in the
northeast part of the county; the Harrington Cemetery remains in
its original location, while the Cassady and Clark Cemeteries were
moved to adjacent sites by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1953;
because of the construction of the Garza-Little Elk Dam, their
original locations are now covered by Lewisville Lake; the Texas
Historical Commission named all three burial grounds Historic Texas
Cemeteries in 2011; and
WHEREAS, The Harrington Cemetery likely served Lloyd, an
early farming community dating back to 1850; the land occupied by
the cemetery was initially owned by the Harrington family, but it
belonged to E. L. Lugrand, the property's only African American
owner, between 1913 and 1914; the graves are marked with headstones
of marble, granite, sandstone, and concrete; and
WHEREAS, The Cassady and Clark Cemeteries were established
outside the nearby community of Garza on land owned by African
Americans; both burial grounds feature fieldstone and funeral home
steel plate markers; a family resting place, the Cassady Cemetery
was initially situated on a 30-acre plot purchased by Jacob Cassady
in 1872, and it includes the graves of Mr. Cassady and his wife,
Melinda; in 1876, former slaves George Clark and Zack Rawlings
bought 80 acres of land and deeded half an acre to the county for
both a public school and a graveyard; in addition to the Clark
family and a relative of Mr. Rawlings, many former neighbors were
buried in the Clark Cemetery, an indication of the close-knit
communal ties in the area; and
WHEREAS, These three burial grounds provide an irreplaceable
link to African American communities that emerged in North Texas
following emancipation, and the installation of this marker will
serve to inform and enlighten current and future generations about
the area's rich history; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas
Historical Marker for the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark Cemeteries
and extend to all who helped to bring this project to fruition
sincere gratitude for their contribution to preserving the heritage
of the Lone Star State.