89R22161 BPG-D
By: Walle H.R. No. 830
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Westcott Cemetery Association and Harris County
Historical Commission are celebrating the dedication of the
Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion and name plaque for the McDaniel
Street Cemetery on April 19, 2025; and
WHEREAS, In the 1850s, Richard Westcott, a future Harris
County commissioner, bought nearly 700 acres of land and
established a homestead; following the death of his wife, Almira,
in 1869, he began to give parcels from that property to his
children; Jennie Gammon Westcott Kendall was eventually given the
land on which the family cemetery was located, and four years later,
she made the graveyard available for community use; and
WHEREAS, Jennie Kendall eventually sold some of the land from
her parcel to a small group of neighbors, including the McDaniel,
McDonald, Cours, Farmer, and Schuller families; the remainder of
her land became part of the cemetery; John Farmer, who owned the
property just west of the cemetery, added another three quarters of
an acre of burial grounds, and McDaniel Street became the southern
boundary of the cemetery; in order to fund cemetery upkeep,
Mr. Farmer ultimately sold other land that he owned; and
WHEREAS, In the 1960s, the cemetery became inactive, but
volunteers continued to maintain it until at least 2005; Pastor
David L. Smith of New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church led
cleanup efforts between 2013 and 2018, when the Westcott Cemetery
Association was formed by three descendants of the early settlers;
the nonprofit organization received legal conservatorship in 2021
and the name McDaniel Street Cemetery was adopted; the group has
since undertaken such conservation measures as mapping graves,
repairing markers, and installing fencing, and it has partnered
with the Texas Historical Commission and the Harris County
Historical Commission in its endeavors; and
WHEREAS, The McDaniel Street Cemetery is the final resting
place for settlers who braved many hardships while forging a
close-knit community, and this marker is a fitting tribute to the
resilience of these men and women and to the commitment of their
descendants who have worked to preserve this site; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of the Historic Texas
Cemetery Medallion and name plaque for the McDaniel Street Cemetery
and commend all those involved in securing this designation.