Cooper Creek Cemetery

This burial ground is one of the last remaining remnants of a small rural community that dates back to before the Civil War. Settlers, including the Farris and Skaggs families, came to northeast Denton County in the 1860s. Like many rural areas, as the number of farms grew, the community found the need to establish a cemetery, school, and churches. A deed from 1878 evidences the establishment of the Cooper Creek Cemetery on this site. The graves in Cooper Creek Cemetery chronicle the history of the community. The earliest marked grave is of Richard Kale, who died February 9, 1872. Local residents, civic leaders and early settlers are buried in the cemetery. Cooper Creek School’s first trustees, James Farris, J.A. Templeton, and David Argo, are buried here. The cemetery also includes veterans of war. David Payne, who served in the 29th Texas Cavalry during the Civil War, and Lieutenant L.H. Owen, an Air Medal and Oak Cluster recipient of World War II, are both honored here. Unlike many cemeteries, the Cooper Creek Cemetery is not segregated by race or religion. The graves of Hispanic residents, such as Tiburcio Menchaca and the Villanueva family, lie close to their Anglo neighbors. Cooper Creek Community has taken much pride in overseeing the cemetery for more than a hundred years. Residents have preserved important features of the cemetery, such as fencing and concrete curbing around family plots, through decoration days and fundraisers. Today, the Cooper Creek Cemetery Association cares for and maintains the cemetery, which continues to serve area residents.

Cooper Creek Cemetery is a historical marker in Denton, Denton County, dedicated in 2012. It is one of 110 historical markers documented in Denton County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 174 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.2409, -97.0804 near Denton. The nearest cataloged historic site is Cooper Creek School (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Cooper Creek Baptist Church, Trinity Cemetery, and Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017150. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.