Detmold, Texas, St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery, Milam County German settlement. (original) (raw)

St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008

History in a Pecan Shell

An exact date for settlement might be hard to find but by 1903 there was a school here for 38 pupils (taught by a single teacher). The community may have been hampered by its proximity to larger Thorndale, but it had enough people to maintain its own identity, even though there are no population figures available. The school merged with those in Thorndale shortly after WWII.

St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery
Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2008

Historical Marker: 3 miles N of Thorndale on CR 437

St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery

The small agricultural community of Detmold was settled near the turn of the century by German immigrants. In 1900, local residents Carl Fick, August Boening, and Ernst Richter deeded land at this site for the establishment of a Lutheran church and cemetery. The oldest recorded grave, that of Gottfried Eschberger, dates to 1903. Over 175 graves are located here, many with tombstones bearing German surnames and inscriptions. In 1963, the church congregation relocated to Thorndale, but the cemetery remains as a tangible reminder of the small community.
1991

Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.