For centuries, those who traveled to and resided along the Neches River eventually expired, and their offspring laid them to rest, usually on a bluff because it was the highest land they could find, and it was safe from flooding. The original residents—the Atakapa, Karankawa, and Nacazils—made their homes on bluffs, along what is now the Port Neches area. During the 1,500 years of history that these tribes lived here (archaeological records go back between 10 and 12 thousand years), six burial mounds were built along the bluffs. According to a W. T. Block article, these burial mounds were 60 feet (18 m) wide, 20 feet (6.1 m) tall, and 100 yards (91 m) long.

When Joseph Grigsby arrived in 1827 (we’ll talk about Grigsby Cemetery later), he tore down one mound to build slave quarters and other structures on his farm. According to W. T. Block, “between 1841 and 1901, all six of the mounds disappeared due to human actions.” At least two of the clam-and-sea-shell burial mounds ended up on the muddy Beaumont streets. There is no mention of where the seven-foot Indians they pulled out of the mounds were reinterred (because they weren’t). Good or bad, history is messy.

One note: The Native tribes of our area take me to the writings of Mrs. Bruce Reid, as Florence Stratton would introduce her. Bessie Reid from Port Arthur was a birder who wrote extensively on Native American tribes. She was the primary researcher on Florence’s last book, When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends. Bessie also wrote the legendary story of Kisselpoo, which was published on July 1, 1923, in The Port Arthur News. This story was a compilation of what you can find in the abovementioned book, with a twist. Reid took many tales and myths from around Texas and used them to create one of her own. This story, or legend, lived for many decades, but fact and fiction tend to become fuzzy after many years, and history gets lost in time—until someone points it out (I digress).

Over the years, I’ve discussed several stories of cemeteries that have reached the “whereabouts unknown” status, but once you start delving into an area’s history, you find more questions than answers. God help those at the state level (I’m referring to you, Texas Historical Commission!), but I’m at the county level (the Jefferson County Historical Commission) or, actually, at the multicounty level, so I may be of help in some ways. Free of charge, by the way. You’re welcome! No taxpayer dollars were spent or harmed during my research. It’s called volunteering.

For the past 18 months, the Texas Historical Commission has been updating its Texas Historical Sites Atlas and reaching out to all county historical commissions and the public for help. This is needed especially when it comes to cemetery sites. Luckily, in Jefferson County, we had a trooper who compiled a lot of information on the county’s cemeteries and put them in three books, which you can download for free on the website of the Jefferson County Historical Commission. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog.

The trooper in question was Mildred Wright, who was known as the Cemetery Lady because of her years of hard work researching on the county’s cemeteries as cemetery chair on the commission. Her work gives those who came after her a head start, but still not all the answers. I’ll reference Lewis Cemetery here, which is in Mildred’s books. We have a general idea of where it was located—between 19th Street and 23rd Street in Beaumont. I also know this cemetery because I went through the files of the historian Bill Quick, which are kept at the Sam Houston Center in Liberty, Texas. Quick had an article from the 1930s about a cemetery located on the Lewis tract, around 200 yards from the end of Calder Avenue. At the time, Calder Avenue ended on 11th Street (remember, there was no interstate back then!).

Here in Mid-Jefferson County, along the Neches River, there are a few modern, uncharted cemeteries that have been forgotten or just blatantly desecrated. I say “modern,” but the time frame is 200+ years. Joseph Grigsby died in September of 1841, and he is supposedly buried at the end of Grigsby Avenue, where his house was. In terms of research, this is hearsay and legend. We can’t confirm where he is buried, but we do know that many pioneers were interred along the banks of the Neches River.

The headstone of Sebron Berry is the only one located at Sunoco Partners Marketing and Terminals, but there are other possible burials in the vicinity. The company reached out to the Jefferson County Historical Commission before running a pipeline through this unknown area. Thanks to those on this project for caring and taking the time to tell us, as well as for moving their project away from a cemetery. There are many other stories with no happy endings like this one.

Remly-Hillebrandt Cemetery is a site W. T. Block wrote about. I’ll link his article at the bottom of this blog. When you read it, you can tell that he was ticked off. The cemetery, located on the southeast corner of the Dearing and Rachford Streets intersection, was bulldozed and concreted in the 1940s. W. T. discovered this after he returned from serving in the army during World War II.

Another Port Neches cemetery that is lost is the original Block Cemetery. It may have also been called the Block-Merriman Cemetery because—I believe—the Merriman family purchased the land. W. T. mentions that his grandfather and his uncle Earnest died the same year and were buried there in 1893. The cemetery was located somewhere between Llano and Merriman Streets, which run parallel to each other. I’ve added a map to show where this cemetery would have been, or might still be, because in 1905, when the Merriman family “began building streets and surveying their property into town lots, Dad and Uncle Martin (fearing the original Block Cemetery would not survive) had Grandpa Albert’s and Uncle Earnest’s bodies disinterred and re-buried in the new Block Cemetery, now Oak Bluff.”

That quote was from W. T.’s autobiography. I’m glad he mentioned his uncle Martin because I have a spiritual connection to him. As I’ve said before, I live under the oaks on Ye Olde Block Farm, where Martin was the first farmer. I thank him for planting these beloved live oaks before 1908. I love these trees!

Hoppy Easter to those who celebrate! Until next time . . .

Bessie Reid and the Story of Kisselpoo:

Bessie Reid and the story of Kisselpoo; Sorry for ruining your childhood stories; Iron Eyes Cody was Italian; Gremlins in the courthouse; Old Roy

THC Texas Historic Sites Atlas:

https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/Map

History of Jefferson County – Cemeteries: Mildred Wright

https://jeffersoncountytx.gov/Historical_Commission/Jeffco_History_Cemeteries.html

Southeast Texas Indian Homeland:

The Burial Mounds of Old Port Neches

http://www.wtblock.com/wtblockjr/indian.htm

History of the Neches River Bluffs in Jefferson County:

http://www.wtblock.com/smith.htm

W.T. Block Autobiography:

http://www.wtblock.com/AutoBiography.htm