In 1854, Ezekiel J. Billington came to this area of Texas from Kentucky with his wife, Kitty Ann, and their three children. Billington organized a Baptist church the following year and named it Mt. Antioch. The six charter members of the Mt. Antioch Baptist Church were Ezekiel and Kitty Ann Billington, Nancy Billington, Houghton Hughes, Medina Hughes, and M. J. Billington. The nearby spring was a favorite camping spot for travelers in the area. As early as 1846, this site was used for the burial of those who died while passing through, and the graves of these persons remain unmarked. The first marked grave in what became the Mt. Antioch Cemetery was that of George Kimmel (d. 1860), the infant son of early settler James Kimmel. Between 1860 and 1875 the community that developed around the Mt. Antioch Baptist Church and cemetery grew and prospered. About 1874, however, members of the church began moving to the town of Mt. Calm (2 mi. N), where they organized a new congregation. The cemetery continues to be used and maintained by the local residents and descendants of the early settlers. A good example of a pioneer graveyard, Mt. Antioch Cemetery stands as a reminder of the early heritage of this part of Limestone County. 1985
This page last updated: 7/15/2008 |
Mt. Antioch Cemetery Historical Marker Location Map, Mount Calm, Texas
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