Hopkins County,  Texas Archives

Submitted by: June E. Tuck

Infant Willie Graham

The grave site for infant Willie Graham was found on land that was owned by Mr. Roy Herman, at old Tarrant, when I visited this site in the 1970's and made this picture. This Herman land was joined to what use to be the town site of Old Tarrant. There was no other signs of other graves in this site, but one must think there were others buried there. This burial site lies west of Hwy 19, while the Old Tarrant cemetery lies east of Hwy. 19. I was shown this cemetery by Mr. M. D. Sewell who’s farm was part of the old town site of Tarrant. Walking to this area we passed a site that looked to be two grave sites, as each one was outlined in daffodils. Mr. Sewell said that he often wondered if someone was buried there.

The stone reads, " Willie Graham, the infant son of L. R. & T. E. Graham, died May 1876." L. R. Graham married T. E. Blythe 25 August 1874 in Hopkins County. Theodocia E. was the daughter of William T. and E. A.(Amanda) Blythe. In the 1860 census Theodiocia is listed as seven years old. She and her parents were living in the town of Tarrant. Her parents are buried in the Sulphur Springs City Cemetery.

In the 1880 census, Leonidas Robert and Thoedocia E. Graham were living in Wood Co., Texas, and he listed his occupation as Tie Contractor. Did he supply the railroads their ties? They had one child, M. B., female, b. February 1880. Leonidas married Ella Sparkman 15 Nov. 1882, in Wood County, Texas. In 1900 he was a cotton weigher, in 1910 in the grocery wholesale business, and in 1920 he was Justice of Peace in Mineola, all in Wood County, Texas.

A small stone, long forgotten, in the middle of a pasture, broken off base, with no protection. When Willie died in 1876, the town of Tarrant was still a small village, but no longer the county seat, as Sulphur Springs became the county seat on July 1, 1870. People there knew of this small grave site. Today, Tarrant is just open pasture. The stone was there in the 1970's. Is it still there? A picture maybe all we have today.