Blair
Fannin, the Chapter Publicist, welcomed those in attendance and served as
master of ceremonies for the dedicatory ceremony. George Nelson, Chapter President, provided an
invocation and John Hick, Chapter Vice President, lead those in attendance in
the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Texas Flag. That was followed by the singing of “Texas,
Our Texas.” Mervin Peters, the Chapter
Secretary, provided remarks on the historical significance of Richardson Perry
to Brazos County and to the Republic of Texas.
Following these brief remarks, the Cenotaph was unveiled and the
ceremony concluded with a benediction.
The
Steep Hollow Cemetery is located on land that was originally part of the
Richardson Perry League. Perry, born in
Hancock County, Mississippi, in 1817, came to Texas with his father, Burwell
Perry, an early settler. The younger
Perry was single and received a land grant in Brazos County on October 10,
1835.
Perry
took part in the siege of Bexar and later served in the Alamo garrison as a
private in Captain William R. Carey’s artillery company. He died in the battle of the Alamo on March
6, 1836.
The
Steep Hollow Cemetery has been designated a Historic Texas Cemetery by the
Texas Historical Commission. According
to the historic marker provided by the State of Texas:
This burial ground was part of
the Steep Hollow community, named for the valley of the Steep Hollow Branch, a
tributary of Wickson Creek. Residents
were ranchers and farmers, and the community had a general store, cotton gin, gristmill,
and schoolhouse. Saint’s Rest Baptist
Church (later Steep Hollow Baptist Church), organized in 1873, was associated
with the cemetery, which first served as a private family burial ground. In 1874, Charles and Evaline Peters conveyed
property for the cemetery and surrounding land to the church.
The earliest interments were
those of James Peters, (died 1870) son of Charles and Evaline, and Robert
Martin (died 1871), son of Sarah Ann (Cheshire) and Rev. Samuel Crawford Martin
(died 1902), the first pastor of Saint’s Rest Baptist Church. The Martins are also buried here with four
other ministers of the church. Other
burials include teachers, businessmen, farmers, ranchers, and veterans of
military conflicts dating to the Civil War. The cemetery is located in a naturalistic
setting and features curbing, interior fencing, vertical stones, obelisks, and
Woodmen of the World grave markers.
In its early years, family
members cared for grounds. By 1926, the
Steep Hollow Cemetery Association (SHCA) had formed to maintain the cemetery. In 1966, the church officially transferred
ownership of the burial ground to the cemetery association. Today, Steep Hollow Cemetery continues to
serve the area and persists as a reminder of the pioneering men and women whose
hard work and sacrifice contributed to the establishment of the Steep Hollow
community.
Found
in the accompanying Smilebox are photographs of the ceremony and parts of the
cemetery.
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Additional
information about Richardson Perry and the Steep Hollow Cemetery may be
accessed at the following links: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpe77;
Thank you to the William Joel Bryan Chapter No. 14 of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, for remembering and dedicating this beautiful marker honoring the memory of my ancestor Richardson Perry. His brother, Orville Perry, was my ggg grandfather.
ReplyDeleteRichardson Perry was my 4th great uncle. His father, Burrel Perry was my 4th great grandfather. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteRichardson Perry was my 3rd great uncle. He and his father left Mississippi to go to Texas. His father, Burrell Perry left his wife, Mary Ann Rainwater, and 14 children behind in Mississippi. Their last child together was born in 1834. Burrell married Jane Botts in 1838 in Washington Texas, but I don't think they had children.
Delete