Official Texas Historical markers are awarded by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). There are three types of historical markers – subject markers, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark markers, and Historic Texas Cemetery markers. Subject markers are education and highlight local history aspects that are important to a community or region. Examples of these markers are those honoring church congregations, schools, communities,
businesses, events, and individuals
Hopkins County – This marker was placed in a roadside park about five miles east on US 67. It has been moved to the Spence Cemetery between the service road and I-30 a few miles east of the original location. The placard reads “Hopkins County formed from Lamar and Nacogdoches Counties created March 25, 1846 and organized July 13, 1846. Named in honor of the pioneer Hopkins family which came to Texas from Kentucky and Indiana. County seat Tarrant 1846-1858, Sulphur Springs since.”
General W.H. King – Home county of Texas Confederate General W.H. KING 1839-1910. He was a Georgian who moved to Texas 1861, rose to rank of Colonel, 18th Texas Infantry. He was Texas Adjutant General 1881-1891. Marker located on courthouse lawn.
Confederate Refugees in Texas – In the vicinity of Old Tarrant, the Civil War refugee family of Mrs. AMANDA STONE of Louisiana was shown great kindness when rescued by Hopkins Countians after a road accident. The Stones saw the Texans share the little they had, even cooking he last tough old farm hen to feed them. In Texas they endured poverty, loneliness, and sorrow at deaths of two sons in the war. Marker erected 1965 and located in roadside park on State Highway 19 five miles north of Sulphur Springs.
Early Sulphur Bluff, first settlement in Hopkins County – First known settlers in the area were family of JOHN GREGG. Their cemetery two miles north has marker dated 1837 in Republic of Texas era. Other early settlers were the brothers HEZEKIAH and ROBERT HARGRAVE from Indiana. They built brush roofed homes three miles north on a high bluff above the Sulphur River offering protection from Indians and providing abundant game. A post office was built in 1849 and the early school was founded in 1852. Marker erected in 1968 on southwest corner of the Sulphur Bluff Cemetery on FM 71
site of the mercantile section of town.
Mt. Zion Churches and Cemetery – Mr. Zion Methodist Church was organized before the creation of Hopkins County in 1846. In 1849 also at Mt. Zion the Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized with 13 members by the Rev. ANTHONY TRAVELSTEAD. After years of worship in oak groves, brush arbors and homes the church edifice was built jointly in 1861. The site was given by DAVID FINDLEY and NICOLAS HARLOW. More land was given in 1904 by J.A. RAINS and CHAS. E. BROWN. In 1901 Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian Church became Mt. Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church and continues to function. Methodists moved away in 1914. Marker erected 1967.
Townsite of Tarrant — ELDRIDGE HOPKINS, for whose family Hopkins County was named in 1846, donated this site for the county seat. Named for Gen. EDWARD H. TARRANT (1796-1858), Texas Ranger and Mexican War Veteran. Tarrant post office was established in March 1847. A two-story frame courthouse was begun in 1851, but lack of funds delayed completion for two years. Encircled by creeks, the town was difficult to reach in bad weather. The inconvenience of travel to Tarrant led Capt. THOMAS M. TOLMAN in 1868 to transfer county records to Sulphur Springs where federal troops under his command were stationed after the Civil War to enforce reconstruction laws. Despite local protests, county government remained there until civilian rule was restored in 1870. The return to Tarrant was brief because the state legislature in 1870 named Sulphur Springs as permanent county seat. Soon Tarrant began to decline. A rural community and old cemetery now mark the site of the first Hopkins County seat. Marker erected 1975 on the right-of-way of state highway 19 about 4.5 miles north of
Sulphur Springs.
Hopkins County Courthouse – The third Hopkins County courthouse, built in 1882, was destroyed on Feb. 11, 1894 by a fire that also burned the jail and several nearby structures. Plans were soon made for a new court building to be erected on this corner rather than the middle of the block where the first
edifice stood. The site is unusual because most Texas courthouses are located in the center of the public square, not facing it. The new structure was designed by James Riely Gordon (1864-1937), popular courthouse architect from San Antonio, and constructed by the Dallas firm of Sonnefield and Emins. Austin architect A. O. Watson was hired to inspect the work. The building was completed on Aug. 22, 1895 at a final cost of $75,000. Made of red granite with contrasting sandstone trim, the Hopkins County courthouse is a fine example of the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style which Gordon often used. The quarter-circular porches at the northwest and southwest corners mark entrances to the three-story edifice. Marker recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark and erected in 1975. It was entered in the national register of historic places in 1977.
Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Bell of 1889 – Volunteer fire fighters, organized soon after Sulphur Springs was incorporated in 1870, used a “bucket brigade” and hand drawn equipment to control blazes before the city purchased a steam fire engine in 1888. To summon firemen this 500-pound brass bell was bought in 1889 and hung in the tower of the engine house. Marker erected in 1975 at 627 Church Street in Sulphur Springs.
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church – Episcopal Missionaries preached in Sulphur Springs as early as the 1860’s. This church was founded in 1872 after Bishop ALEXANDER GREGG and Father FRANCIS R. STARR visited the community. For over 20 years the small Episcopal congregation worshiped in the Presbyterian church building. In 1887 C.M. HOUSTON (1809-1896) and his wife Nancy (1823-1890) donated the land for a church site. The original portion of the present church structure was erected about 1895. Marker erected 1978 at 400 W. Houston. The church building and marker have recently been relocated to Heritage Park on Jackson Street in Sulphur Springs where it is maintained by the Hopkins County Historical Society.
North Liberty Baptist Church – No records date the founding of this church but a meeting led by Elders B.H. ELDER and G.L. SMITH in the nearby township of Tarrant resulted in reorganization of the fellowship in 1875. This church building was erected in the 1890’s about one mile from here. Then called Liberty Baptist Church, the congregation added “North” in 1946 to avoid confusion with another church of that name in the area. The structure was moved to this site owned by DANIEL DEBORD in 1952. DALBY DEBORD, grandson of Daniel, and his wife Pat donated the land to the church in 1966. Marker erected in 1976 five miles north of Sulphur Springs on FM 1537.
Dr. Josiah Smith House – This is a site important to Texas History. The house was built in 1853 by Dr. JOSIAH SMITH who purchased the land in 1851 near Weaver on what is now the frontage road for I-30. A certificate recognizing the house as a recorded Texas Historical Landmark was presented Sunday, Dec. 1, 1974 to current owners Mr. and Mrs. N.D. Ricco of Farmers Branch. The landmark was 123 years old. Later that afternoon fire destroyed the structure. The pillar for the marker is made of bricks originally in the structure. Marker erected 1976.
Stewart Cemetery – Located on land originally belonging to early Hopkins County settler ZACHARIAS BIRDWELL (1801-1880) the nearby cemetery was first known as Birdwell’s graveyard. The land was deeded by his widow to nephew W.A. STEWART and became known as Stewart Cemetery. Last used in 1915 it has 23 graves. Marker erected 1983 on FM 2643 about 2.5 miles north of Ridgeway.
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Sulphur Springs – In the 1850’s disciples in the pioneer town of Bright Star also known as “The Sulphur Springs”, gathered for religious meetings at neighbors’ homes and in a vacant store. Two evangelists, the Rev. CHARLES CARLTON and the Rev. J.M. BAIRD, organized this congregation in 1870. Joseph Hooten, a church elder, acted as interim pastor until the arrival of the first full-time minister, the Rev. LAWRENCE W. SCOTT, who served 1871-1879. The Disciples constructed a church to accommodate the growing membership. This was a clapboard building in the gothic style with a steep roof, tall arched windows and a central bell tower and spire. Under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. CAFES SHELBURNE, a larger white brick sanctuary was completed in 1914. Classrooms were later annexed and a two-story house on a lot adjoining the church property was purchased for an education building. In 1962 a new sanctuary replaced the old church structure. Marker erected in 1977 at 207 North Davis Street.
Cumby – The grove of black jack trees which gave this town its original name was near an Indian camping ground. The trees stood atop the highest point in present Hopkins County. An Indian trail that crossed the grove later became a major wagon freighting route. Black Jack Grove post office opened. By 1860 Black Jack Grove was a thriving settlement. To avoid confusion with another Black Jack post office the town was renamed in 1896 for legislator and Confederate veteran ROBERT H. CUMBY. One of Cumby’s best known citizens was the noted author BEN K. GREEN (1912-1974). Marker erected in 1979 at Cumby City Park.
First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs – Established in 1850 by the Rev. PLEAS B. BAILEY, this Methodist congregation erected the first church building about 1852. The present edifice was the fifth building occupied by this fellowship constructed in 1917. This congregation supported Central College, a Methodist Institution which operated 1886-1895 in Sulphur Springs. Marker erected in 1979 at 301 Church St.
Greenview Community and Cemetery – In 1839 the Rev. GREEN WEAVER (1795-1863) a prosperous merchant and slave holder from Illinois and Iowa settled here with his four sons. The first burial in 1848 was that of the Weavers’ five-month-old daughter Martha. The family cemetery was opened to the public in 1878. In 1884 JOSEPH WEAVER gave land for a church. The cemetery was renamed Greenview in memory of GREEN WEAVER and the “view” for the sight from the old homestead. Marker erected 1979 at church off FM 1567 twelve miles south west of Sulphur Springs.
Oakland Cumberland Presbyterian Church – In 1882 W.A. AND NANNIE STEWART came to Hopkins County from Rising Star, Alabama. Church services were first held in Oakland School and a meetinghouse erected in 1896. Marker erected 1979 twelve miles northwest of Sulphur Springs on FM 2653.
Union Stockade – Federal troops were brought to Sulphur Springs in 1868 to restore order and control outlaws following the Civil War. After the hotel where officers were staying was set on fire a stockade was built and occupied until 1870 when the troops withdrew. Marker erected 1979 at 303 Connally Street.
First Presbyterian Church of Sulphur Springs – Organized in 1852 a sanctuary was erected jointly by this congregation and the Cumberland Presbyterians on Connally Sreet. After it was destroyed by fire in 1873 a frame building was erected in 1882. The present sanctuary was built in 1920. Marker erected 1982 at 129 College Street.
Black Oak Baptist Church – Named for the black oak trees surrounding it, the Black Oak Community was settled in the 1850’s. The Baptist congregation was organized in 1856. The current sanctuary replaced the original log building in 1909. The oldest marked grave in the adjacent cemetery in dated 1857. Marker erected 1984 located on FM 69, 17 miles southeast of Sulphur Springs.
Forest Academy Cemetery – Settlement of the area began in 1847 and the first known marked grave was 1858. By 1910 the families had moved leaving only the Methodist Church building and this cemetery as reminders of the early settlement. Marker erected 1984 about 7 miles South-southeast of Sulphur Springs.
Hopkins County Echo – Daily News-Telegram – The “Texas Star” newspaper was published in Hopkins County as early as 1854 in Tarrant and the equipment was purchased and moved to Bright Star in 1855 to found the “Independent Frontier” newspaper. It was renamed the “Sulphur Springs Gazette” in 1864. “The Echo” was founded in 1878 and two other newspapers were acquired and merged into the Daily News Telegram”. “The Echo” continued as a weekly publication. A central printing company, Echo Publishing Co. purchased both publications in 1951. Marker erected at 401 Church Street in 1985.
Union Community – This settlement was called Union after the Pioneer Union Church that served as the focal point of the rural community. The church was founded in 1850 as a non-denominational church and became officially a Baptist church in 1885. The community had a school, general store, post office and cemetery. Marker erected 1985 seven miles south at the cemetery east of State Highway 154 on County Road 1444.
Shooks Chapel Methodist Church – Area settlers organized a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1886 and named it in honor of Rev. W.A. SHOOK who held the first revival there. The second sanctuary was built in 1916 and replaced by a new structure in 1974 located next to a community cemetery begun in 1889. Marker erected in 1988 three miles south on State Highway 154.
Pine Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cemetery – Organized in 1864 the church has occupied several buildings, the latest constructed in 1954. The adjacent cemetery dates to 1873. Marker erected in 1989 about eight miles northwest of Winnsboro on CR 2381 off of FM 3019.
City National Bank – This is the oldest banking institution in Sulphur Springs organized in 1889. It was a two-story brick building on the town square and the new structure was built in 1968. Marker erected in 1989 at 201 Connally Street.
Atkins House – Prominent businesswoman SARAH HAMILTON CROUCH married JOSEPH ATKINS in 1873 and had this house built in the late 1870’s. Believed to be the first brick structure in the town it was designed in a unique four-point star configuration. In 1986 the house was moved to Heritage Park under the care of the Hopkins County Historical Society. Marker erected in 1991.
Site of Plunkett School – County School District no. 30 established in 1867 became known as Plunkett School in 1903 when a new schoolhouse was built by JAMES W. PLUNKETT. The school closed in 1945 and the building was razed. Marker erected 1991 four miles east of Cumby on I-30.
Miller Grove Methodist Church – Circuit-riding ministers held worship services for Methodists in Miller Grove one Sunday a month as early as 1860. The church was formally organized in 1870 and completed the church building in 1900. Marker erected 1992 eight miles south of Cumby on FM 275 at County Road 1142.
Harmony Methodist Church and Cemetery – The congregation was organized in 1879 and a sanctuary built and cemetery established by 1880. According to local tradition it was the aura of goodwill and harmony during construction of the sanctuary that was expressed in the naming of the church and cemetery. The newest sanctuary was erected in 1951 and the church dissolved in 1963. The Harmony Cemetery Foundation maintains the cemetery and church building. Marker erected in 1993 about 3 miles southeast of Pickton on County Road 2397.
Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association – Chartered on August 13, 1890 the association is the oldest surviving savings association in the state of Texas. The present building was erected in 1961 a block south of the square on Davis Street. The marker was erected in 1994 and within the last few years the association dissolved and the property sold to Alliance Bank.
Pine Forest Church and Cemetery – Founded about 1855 in the Stout Creek neighborhood the Pine Forest Methodist Episcopal Church South had an adjacent cemetery with the first recorded burial in 1856. It contains more than 600 graves. Marker erected in 1999 twelve miles east of Sulphur Springs on County Road 3310 off of FM 269 from I-30 at Weaver.
JAMES SELEN STOUT – Born in Arkansas in 1818 he served in the Republic of Texas cavalry in 1836 and received a land grant in 1838. He was a frontier scout and explorer who settled here and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil war. Marker erected 2000 near the Pine Forest Cemetery on CR 3310.
Richland Cemetery – In 1872 Richland Baptist Church bought the cemetery about the same time the Richland School was established. The graveyard is maintained by the Richland Cemetery Association although the school and original church are both gone. Marker erected 2002 seven miles east on FM 69.
Sunny Point Cemetery – The cemetery property was deeded in 1881 along with land for a school which later consolidated with Cumby. The cemetery is maintained by a formal association. Marker erected in 2003.
Long Cemetery – JAMES AND MARY LONG settled along Turkey Creek in a small community known as Crossroads south of Black Jack Grove (now Cumby). They set aside land in 1860 for the burial of a girl who died when her family passed through the area. Others are likely buried in unmarked graves although JOHN M. WEBB who died in 1869 is the oldest gravestone. Marker erected in 2005.
Woodland Cemetery – The Woodland community began in the mid-1800’s by pioneer families of brothers RICHARD AND JOHN ASKEW. The earliest tombstone in 1858 is for one of the Askew children. Adjacent to the cemetery the community built a school and Primitive Baptist Church building. The community became known as Bethel. Marker erected 2005.
Morning Chapel Missionary Baptist Church – This church has been in continuous existence for more than 141 years. It began in 1868 with the original site in Old Tarrant near the North Caney Community. In 1876 church members relocated to Sulphur Springs on Front and Fuller Streets. Several church buildings have been constructed and the present building was completed in 1975. This marker erected in 2011 recognizes one of the largest predominantly African-American churches in Northeast Texas.
Miller Grove Cemetery – Dating back to the first grave marker in 1869 this cemetery is operated by the Miller Grove Cemetery Association formed in 1965. Additional land has been acquired in recent years. Marker erected in 2011.
Miller Grove School – This marker recognizes the impact the school has had on the community for more than 150 years. Organized educational activities date back as early at 1856 and several buildings have been utilized commonly as a school and church. The school district celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2011. Marker erected in 2013.