SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 684
WHEREAS, Residents of Smith County are gathering at Mason
Cemetery on June 4, 2023, for the dedication of an Official Texas
Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, the commission named the burial ground a
Historic Texas Cemetery; further documentation was provided to
the commission, including photographs, maps, research, and
written documented accounts, in order to qualify for this even
more prestigious designation affirming the graveyard's
significance in Texas history; and
WHEREAS, The cemetery was established by early pioneers
who settled in southeastern Smith County, and the oldest recorded
headstone dates back to 1855; it served the community known as
Canton, then Omen, and in modern times, Arp; through the years,
it has expanded to make room for 1,800 marked graves; and
WHEREAS, Among those buried in the cemetery in the 19th
century are some members of the extended Mason family, as well as
Civil War veterans; the tombstones also reflect associations
with the Woodmen of the World, the Masons, and the Order of the
Eastern Star; and
WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Mason Cemetery has served
as a final resting place for the tenacious men and women who
braved many hardships to forge a community, and this marker is a
fitting tribute to the perseverance of those early settlers as
well as to the contributions of all those who are interred there;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby commemorate the dedication of the Official
Texas Historical Marker for Mason Cemetery and commend all those
involved in securing this recognition.
Hughes
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 26, 2023.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate