Sue Hamm next to remaining doorsteps of Mt. Zion Church, which is no longer standing
Sue Hamm next to monument of J.B. Covington
William Clarence and Rosie Vaughan Wallis monument next to rock markers
Brush around monuments.
Top section of T.B. Massey’s monument on the ground.
The Wood County Historical Commission’s featured cemetery is Mt. Zion Cemetery. This abandoned pioneer cemetery is in a secluded overgrown area off CR 4545 near present day Perryville and located southeast of the Coldwater Community. This woodland area, filled with native rocks and natural foliage, is near the old Merrimac area of northeast Wood County. Mt. Zion Cemetery is no longer visible from the county road due to heavy brush and fallen trees. Being in a sad state of neglect, most of the graves and markers are completely hidden, with only a few headstones and old rock markers showing. The cemetery is located at the site of the old Mt. Zion Church, which is no longer standing, with only the doorsteps remaining. Sue Hamm, member of the Wood County Historical Commission and chair of the WCHC Cemetery Committee, has spearheaded the project to obtain a Historic Texas Cemetery marker from the Texas Historical Commission for Mt. Zion Cemetery.
Sue has devoted many long hours of research, having interviewed descendants of those interred there and current landowners and neighbors in the area as well as researching old deeds to gain more insight into the history of Mt. Zion. Land surveying of the 5-acre cemetery area was completed at no charge by a local surveyor to determine the boundaries as “much interest has been expressed in clearing and reclaiming Mt. Zion Cemetery from nature’s encroachment. Many have expressed an eagerness to restore the historic site to the respect a resting place for Wood County pioneers and their descendants deserve.”1 (Hamm) The ultimate goal for this project is to reclaim, restore, preserve, and maintain this cemetery. Acquiring a Historic Texas Cemetery marker will certainly aid in achieving this goal as it will forevermore be identified as a historic site in Wood County history. Sue is currently in the application phase for obtaining the Historic Texas Cemetery marker, having revived much interest in Mt. Zion and gathered her facts for the 5-10 page historical narrative.
Additionally, Ron Schell, local cemetery enthusiast and genealogist, has researched Mt. Zion and discovered some additional facts. Research indicates that Mt. Zion was on the original 30-mile Autumn Trails tour. The church was located on the highest point in Wood County at 640 ft. Revivals and regular church services were held at Mt. Zion at least through the 1980s. About 1990, Satanic graffiti was noted as happening for the second time at the church, with vandalism being an issue for several years. Descendants of the Dudley and Ruby Vaughn family have recalled the significance of Mt. Zion in their lives, particularly noting that their mother, Ruby, had been a preacher at Mt. Zion for many years. Vaughn family members have attempted throughout the years to maintain and protect the area.
The history of Mt. Zion Cemetery can be traced back to the ancestors of local resident and Poe descendant, Carolyn Cater Newton, whose grandparents were Joe Mack and Jo Ella Massey Poe, founders of the Mt. Zion Community. In fact, Carolyn was born at the old Poe homeplace in Mt. Zion and has retained ownership of some of the Poe property. Joe Mack and Jo Ella were married in Appleton, Pope County, Arkansas, on June 26, 1892. No written family records exist to explain why the young Poe couple came to Wood County, Texas, from Arkansas, but they apparently arrived here shortly after their marriage as their first child, infant daughter, Audra Poe (June 14, 1893-Aug. 5, 1894) is buried at what was later to be named Mt. Zion Cemetery. Deeds, dated August 5, 1902, show that J.M. Poe purchased 100 acres from R.G. Andrews for $140 in the Polly Tier Survey. Seventeen years after Audra’s death, on March 3, 1911, Joe Mack Poe and wife, Jo Ella Massey Poe, for the sum of $1.00, deeded the church and cemetery grounds to the trustees of the church and cemetery, thus formerly establishing the name of Mt. Zion Cemetery. The document was witnessed and signed at Merrimac. Trustees at this time were W.W. Saxon, J.M. Poe, and W.J. Shannon.
Myrtle M. Rash, infant, (Oct. 18, 1892-Nov. 4, 1892) and Robert F. Walsh, Jr. (Mar. 21, 1866-Oct. 19, 1893) were the first known burials at Mt. Zion Cemetery. Other relatives of Joe Mack and Jo Ella Massey Poe are possibly buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery. One grave is T.B. Massey, born in 1880 and maybe a younger brother of Ella. Another grave, the oldest recorded birth date in Mt. Zion, is for William Scott Poe, born in Pope Co. Arkansas in 1861 and maybe an older brother of Joe Mack. The Wallis family has the most burials in Mt. Zion Cemetery, having had a vested interest throughout the years, like the Vaughns and the Poes, in trying to maintain Mt. Zion. The most recent burial is that of Hubert Howard Wallis (Oct. 21, 1935-Jan. 24, 1999). “Findagrave notes that there are thirty-eight burials in Mt. Zion Cemetery,”2 (Mount Zion, Findagrave) but Tonjia Clarke, another Poe descendant, noted that there are “many more graves in Mt. Zion Cemetery than you will find stones for…many graves are unmarked and many stones are lost, destroyed, or have sunk in the ground.”3 (Hamm)
The long-term goal of the Wood County Historical Commission is to obtain permission to locate and restore other abandoned pioneer cemeteries in Wood County such as Mt. Zion Cemetery. The following quotation from the Texas Historical Commission regarding the importance of cemetery preservation is directly reflected in the work of our local Wood County Historical Commission: “Cemeteries are among the most valuable of historic resources. They are reminders of various settlement patterns, such as villages, rural communities, urban centers, and ghost towns. Cemeteries can reveal information about historic events, religions, lifestyles, and genealogy. Names on gravemarkers serve as a directory of early residents and reflect the ethnic diversity and unique population of an area. Cultural influence in gravemarker design, cemetery decoration, and landscaping contribute to the complete narrative of Texas history. Established in large part for the benefit of the living, cemeteries perpetuate the memories of the deceased, giving a place character and definition.”4 (Cemetery Preservation, Texas Historical Commission.)
If you’d like to visit Mt. Zion Cemetery, the directions are as follows: Beginning in Winnsboro at red light at intersection of St. Hwy 37 and FM 515, travel east on FM 515 for 1 mile. Turn right at red light at intersection of FM 515 and FM 852. Travel east 3 miles on FM 852. Turn right on Wood County Road 4560 and travel 3 miles to Wood County Road 4545. Turn right and travel 1 mile on 4545 to Mt. Zion’s 5-acre plot. Cemetery entrance is approximately 50 yards from this point on a dirt/gravel lane.
Works Cited:
“Cemetery Preservation.” Website, Texas Historical Commission, www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/cemetery-preservation
Hamm, Sue. “The History of Mt. Zion Cemetery.” Research Notes and Findings, 2021.
“Mount Zion Cemetery, Wood County.” Website, Findagrave, www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2252250/mount-zion-cemetery
Toppled Woodmen of the World Monument for T.B. Massey
Entrance to Mt. Zion Cemetery
Unknown rock marker.
Old photo of Mt. Zion Church, which is no longer standing.