Damascus Cemetery is one of the early historic cemeteries of Titus County.
It was founded, most probably in the 1850s, in the Northwest part of the rural
county. An article published in the Baptist Monitor perhaps has the most
factual description of the origin: "History records that Dr. and Mrs. Riddle
(Dr. Isaac Rogers Riddle) has buried a child on what they thought was their
land, but was actually on land belonging to Josh Stevens. Upon learning of
this, Mr. Stevens deeded two acres of land for the church and cemetery on April
8, 1869. In 1889 J. W. And Florence Edmonds donated an additional one and
one-half acres to the church. The Edmonds had lost a child and buried the child
outside the cemetery on land belonging to them. When they sold out and moved,
they gave the land to the church". Another historical document (source unknown)
states: "On 12th August 1869 Joshua Stephens deeded one acre of land to 'The
Missionary Baptist Church of Christ called Damacus' for the love of
Christianity. This came about, according to stories from an "old timer,"
because a family had buried their children on what the thought was church
property and later found out it was Mr. Stephens land. Mr. Stephens, instead of
having them move the graves, just gave an acre for the purpose of a graveyard
to be used for that purpose 'Forever'! These deaths & burials may have been as
early as 1857.
The cemetery is blessed with a beautiful setting, peaceful and isolated, however
it has been surrounded by the Texas Utility mining operation. A perpetual care
fund assures the continued excellent maintenance of the fenced and landscaped
grounds. While we are talking this cache is tied to a lanyard wrapped around a
cedar tree branch.
The routine maintenance of the cemetery, no doubt, has resulted in some grave
sites being lost but there remain many ways of marking known sites.
A concentrated effort has resulted in the placement of at least 193 concrete
slabs. Additionally, there was one native rock with an unreadable inscription,
3 concrete blocks, 2 concrete slabs with granite chips embedded spelling
"HOBBS", 7 native stones, a brick cairn, 3 concrete rounds, 3 petrified rocks,
a concrete monument that was inscribed "Rest while friends in sorrow", 1 brick,
2 slope-faced concrete blocks which appears to have been inscribed, five
manufactured concrete markers on which the glass was broken and data missing, a
broken flower pot that had the name "Annie May Denny" and rocks and concrete
blocks, 2 concrete slabs approximately 2 ft. X 3 ft. that marked one grave site,
and 2 red clay forms mounted in concrete that had on them: "In God we trust"