Historical Markers in Center, Texas

Shelby County · 1936

Part of the neutral ground, 1803–1819. Settled by Anglo-Americans, 1824–1836. In 1833 a district of the Municipality of Nacogdoches, known as Tenehaw. In 1835 became municipality of Tenehaw with Nashville as the seat of…

The First Battle · 1936

Between bands of Regulators and Moderators led by Ephraim Daggett and Ned Merchant, which occurred in this vicinity, led to an unorganized war, 1841-1844, by Regulators, under the leadership of Watt Norman, and…

Eva Taylor Lane Home · 1963

RTHL medallion only

C. S. A. Texas Muster · 1965

Held on this spot April 4, 1964, to honor Texans who made up the greater part of forces fighting in the Civil War Red River Campaign of 1864-1865, that prevented a Federal invasion of Texas. Descendants answering to…

Shelby County Courthouse · 1969

Built to resemble Irish castle (1883-1885) by architect J. J. E. Gibson, from Ireland. Style is, in part, "Romanesque revival." In 1866 county records were held at this site after being secretly taken from Shelbyville…

First Christian Church of Center · 1975

Formed in 1856, this congregation is one of the oldest in Shelby County. Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Day, Mr. and Mrs. George King, Major and Mrs. Alfred Truitt, Mr. and Mrs. Leggett, P. F. Southern, Council Billingsley, Alfred…

Sardis Methodist Church · 1989

Neighbors in a small rural community in this area gathered together in 1872 to organize a church congregation. The need for a house of worship was met when members of the community worked together to cut trees and built…

John Joseph Emmett Gibson · 1999

(November 4, 1849 - September 14, 1931) John Joseph Emmett (J. J. E.) Gibson was born in Dublin, Ireland. Because of an illness, he was left behind with an aunt when his family immigrated to the United States about…

Milton Irish · 1999

(May 7, 1812 - July 15, 1869) Born in Maine in 1812, Milton Irish came to East Texas in 1835 at age 23. His service in the Texas Army in 1835 and 1836 included action with Capt. John English's Company of Shelby County…

Strong Cemetery · 2000

Sardis School · 2002

Sardis School Students in this area attended the Hughes School (2.1 mi. Ene) until 1917. That year, the W.R. Pickering Lumber Co. donated four acres to trustees C.L. Fowler, R.C. Hughes and R.C. Squyres for Sardis…

Shady Grove Cemetery · 2002

Shady Grove Cemetery Shady Grove Cemetery began with the interment of Anna Sparks Ramsey in September 1878, 13 months before a two-acre tract of land here was deeded as a cemetery. Although Ramsey's husband, George…

Patroon Cemetery · 2004

Settlers began moving to the Patroon area by the 1830s. Tennessee natives William and Elviry Nethery brought their family to this area from Alabama in the early 1840s. Their son A.M. established this cemetery on his own…

Old Salem Cemetery · 2012

The first settler on this land was Tennessee immigrant A.D. Fountain. The land in which the cemetery sits originated as a school for the rural community of Old Salem. Old Salem’s settlers began arriving from Alabama and…

John May Cemetery · 2014

JOHN MAY CEMETERY John May Cemetery, also known as the May-Hooper Cemetery, holds the graves of the May and Hooper families dating back to the 1850s. Pioneers began to settle Shelby County around 1836, including the…

Excelsior Common School No. 47 · 2017

Approximately 12 miles west of the town of Center, Texas on State Highway 7 West in the community of Aiken

Fairview Cemetery · 2017

Established in 1901, Fairview Cemetery was added as the City of Center's second oldest cemetery to augment burial plots for the first cemetery, the First United Methodist Church Cemetery (est. 1866). Fairview Cemetery…

First United Methodist Church Cemetery · 2017

The First United Methodist Church Cemetery, one of the oldest in Shelby County, is located in the Nancy Smith survey of land deeded by Judge M.W. Wheeler and Sam Samford to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The…