TITLE: Commemorating the dedication of a Texas Historical Marker for the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark Cemeteries in Denton County.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the dedication of a Texas Historical Marker for the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark Cemeteries in Denton County.

FULL TEXT:
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.