Colored Graveyard in the Old Town of Hearne

Wheelock St., Hearne, TX, USA

Texas, USA

MARKER

TICKETED:

PARKING:

RESTROOMS:

EST. 1879

1879

HISTORIC PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE

0 HISTORIC PRESERVATION at Colored Graveyard in the Old Town of Hearne.

The Texas Historical Commission Atlas records this marker as in situ at the listed location. It remains part of the state marker inventory; the placement description and coordinates in this row follow the current official Atlas record and should be field-verified before publication.

About Colored Graveyard in the Old Town of Hearne

This graveyard was a burial site for African American residents of Hearne, reputedly originating as a farm or slave cemetery, with burials recorded from 1879 to 1912. In 1947 developers bought the land and relocated most graves. The children of Hollie Tatnell, a former slave, refused to move her remains, forcing builders to work around the grave.

HISTORY HAPPENED HERE at Colored Graveyard in the Old Town of Hearne

This cemetery, now represented by a single grave, was a burial site for African Americans residents of the area. According to folklore, it originated as a farm or slave cemetery. The earliest known burial here dated in 1879, and residents used the graveyard until 1912. In 1947, developers purchased this property; descendants of the interred were forced to move and rebury relatives. However, the children of Hollie Tatnell (d. 1911), a former slave, refused to reinter their mother, forcing developers to build around her grave. Today, this single grave serves as a reminder of the area’s early African-American community and of the sanctity of burial grounds. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2007 Source: https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/Details/5507014329