BRADLEY CEMETERY - McKINNEY
Wilson
Creek Parkway
N33.1858
W96.6236
BRADLEY CEMETERY
WRITER REVISITS OLD BURYING GROUND AFTER FORTY YEARS
AND FLOOD OF MEMORIES SWEEP HIS MIND; OLD CITIZENS RECALLED
McKinney Democrat, November 24, 1921 (Clint Thompson in
the McKinney Examiner.)
Sunday was one of those beautiful November days when
the sun shines bright and the air is laden with the harvest perfume
and its tang of approaching winter – when one who had caught the
spirit of roaming can walk for miles without fatigue with every moment filled
with sweetest joy. We walked through fields of corn and cotton,
pastures of richest hay, down thin ravines where the rabbit scurried at our
approach; along the hedges where birds were twittering and flitting;
under trees where walnuts and pecans were dropping, watched the crows,
homeward bound, and the buzzards lazily sailing in the blue vault of
heaven. We were in no hurry. We took our time. We walked when we wished and
we rested by the wayside as we desired. We communed with nature – at
peace. On our return we found our self near an old abandoned graveyard. Did
you know we had an old abandoned graveyard almost, if not quite, within
the city limits? Yes? No? Well, we have. Many of us know of it. But more
of us do not. It had been perhaps 40 years since the writer, as a
barefooted boy, was in that graveyard. It lies about four hundred yards a
little southwest of Finch Park. It is on top of the hill. A beautiful (or
was) location for a "silent city." It is the (or what is left)
Bradley graveyard. In it was buried members of the Ed and T. T. Bradley families
and many others of the early settlers, who died prior to 1876. But it
is abandoned now.
All the bodies except about half a dozen that could be
located, or who had relatives to move them, were taken up about 20
years ago and re-interred in Pecan Grove cemetery. We do not think
anybody has been buried there since that of Uncle Tom Bradley, who died
in 1876. The Bradleys owned hundred of acres of land in and
adjoining our city. And if you will look at your deed, you will perhaps note
that it is out of our original Ed Bradley or T. T. Bradley survey. Well,
these were pioneers. Long have they been sleeping and their bodies
have returned to the dust of mother earth. We remember Uncle Tom
Bradley. He lived just west of the late home of Mayor Finch in an "old
timey" house, which as the property of Mrs. S. H. Buck was torn down several
years ago after having stood the blasts of 60 winters.
As we walked slowly along the dust road we happened to
catch a glimpse of what looked like a tombstone. Then the flood of
memories of the long ago went through our mind and we recalled that that was
the old graveyard that we had visited with companions over 40
years ago. The laying out of the streets, and building of homes, and
Interurbans, and pikes had changed the topography of the land. But the
thicket looked familiar, and we decided to investigate. Tired and
homeward bound. But we were in the bond. So we climbed that hill and ?
slope within the sacred precincts. It is a grass and cow pasture now. No
fence protects the graves. Here and there (were graves?) long since
opened graves now about filled. An occasional wrecked yard fence that had
protected someone's grave and half a dozen tombstones roughly
hewn from sandstone and discolored with age – fallen partly or entirely
down and in some instances broken off. We took from the inscriptions,
verbatim, as follows.
"In memory of Sallie Ellender Bell. Was born June
17, 1823 – Died Dec. 3, 1858." Hence was 35 years of age. That was 63
years ago.
T. T. Bradley. Born Oct 13, 1824. Died Feb 19, 1881.
Aged 57 years." That was 40 years ago and was perhaps the last one to
be buried in that graveyard.
"In memory of Louise Bradley. Born Sept. 19, 1832.
Died Oct. 16, 1865." Hence was 56 years old.
"In Memory of Edwin Bradley, who departed from
this life in the 68th year of his age, September the 24th 1855." That
was 66 years ago.
"Sarah Jane Bradley, wife of T. T. Bradley; born
Oct. 14, 1845. Died July 19, 1876. Aged 31 years."
" A. M. Avern, Born Feb. 15, 1826. Died April
10th, 1856." Hence was 30 years old at time of his death.
"In memory of David Maclay, M. D. Died Aug the
24th, 1858. Aged 33 years." At bottom of the tombstone was a Masonic
square and compass.
"Samuel H. Dews. Born in Nelson county, Kentucky.
Aug 26, 1820. Died Nov 3, 1869 Was 40 years of age." That was 52 years
ago.
"In memory of Susan R., wife of M. R. Parrish,
Born June 14, 1836. Died July 19 1861. Aged 25 years." By the side of this grave was a little stone on which
was inscribed: "In memory of Charlie D., son of M. R and S. R. Parrish
born July 8, 1861 Died Oct 11, 1861." The young mother had given her
life to the babe whose little body soon follow her to the lonely
graveyard on the hill.
"My mother, Charlotte Cooper, Born Feb 1st, 1798.
Died May 13, 1871. Aged 73 years, 3 months, 12 days." By her side was
the grave of "Milton Cooper. Died Dec 18, 1855; aged 53 years."
If there are other bodies sleeping there, no headstones
mark their last resting place. It is a lonely forsaken spot, and as we
quietly left the sacred precincts of this abandoned home of the dead the
lines of an unknown poet came to us:
Oh, why should the sprit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift fleeting meteor, a fast flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
Man passes from life, to his rest in the grave.
The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade.
Be scattered around and together be laid.
And the young and the old, and the low and the high,
Shall moulder to dust and together shall lie."
BRADLEY CEMETERY
All these in old cemetery in Waide pasture, 1965
Milton Cooper d Dec 18, 1855
Charlottee Cooper b Feb 1, 1798 d May 13, 1871
Madison B. Bullion b Oct 16, 1862 d May 4, 1863
Edward Bradley d Sept 24, 1855 Age 68
David Maclay d Aug 21, 1858 Age 33
Samuel H. Dews b Aug 20, 1820 Nelson Co., Ky d. Nov 3,
1869
Susan R., wife of M. R. Parrish b June 14, 1836 d July
19, 1861
Baby Parrish b July 9, 1861 d Oct 11, 1861
Sary Elendor Bell b June 1823 d Dec 30, 1863
Sarah Bradley, wife of T. T. b Oct 14, 1845 d July 19,
1876
T. T. Bradley b Oct 15, 1824 d Feb 19, 1881
Wm. B. Johnson, son of Wm. & Rachel b Dec 4, 1841
KY d March 18, 1863 McKinney
“In memory of Edward Bradley who departed from this
life at the 68 year of his age September the 24, 1855"
Cemeteries of Collin County, Texas, Joy Gough
This cemetery is about 1 mile east of McKinney High
School. At present there is no pullover for the cemetery and historical
marker. The cemetery is shown on Plat map F-366 and is for .6 acres
in the Park Place subdivision. It is not shown on Rand McNally
maps.
The Bradley Cemetery is one of the first ones in the
city of McKinney. It was started in 1855 with the burials of Edwin
(Edward) Bradley and Milton Cooper. The cemetery is fenced and covers 150' x
200'. There are relatively few marked graves. It is said that there are
about 100 graves. According to the historical marker, several
graves were marked with wooden stakes and there was a slave cemetery in a
wooded area with the graves marked by bois d'arc stakes. The land is
referred to at various times as Kirkpatrick's pasture, Waide's
pasture, and Schubert's pasture. The cemetery was neglected for many years. It
is currently being maintained by descendants of the Bradleys.
In 1906 the Texas, New Mexico, and Pacific Railway was
supposed to construct a track through the cemetery connecting
McKinney with the west. Eleven bodies were exhumed. The railroad was
never built. Four of the people who were moved were Milton Wilkerson, his
daughter - Mrs. Laura Hocker, and 2 of his grandchildren - children of
Mrs. Pack O'Brien. They were re-interred next to another
daughter, Mrs. J. A. Massie, in Pecan Grove Memorial Park.
From a newspaper article in the McKinney Democrat
written November 24, 1921, and from a list made by Capt. Roy Hall in 1965,
the following additional people are known to be buried in the
cemetery.
Sary Elendor Bell June 17, 1823 December 3 or 30, 1858
Louise Bradley December 19, 1832 October 16, 1865
A. M. Avern February 15, 1826 April 10, 1856
Madison B. Bullion October 16, 1862 May 4, 1863
When Wilson Creek Parkway was built, several people met
to try to determine the boundaries of the cemetery. It was
unclear how large it was and there were no bois d'arc posts standing.
Boundaries were established for the known part of the cemetery. Several
black officials met to see if there was a way to determine the
boundaries of the slave portion of the cemetery. The boundaries could not be
determined and the city was given the go-ahead to build the Parkway. It
was agreed that it was sufficient to mention the slave portion on the
historical marker. I have heard that remains have been uncovered outside the
fence when the housing project expanded there.
TAKING UP DEAD BODIES
In Old Cemetery South West of McKinney
ALONG SURVEY T. M. M.& P. R.R.
Some Have Been Buried Over Forty Years. Bones in Fairly
Good State of Preservation.
McKinney Democrat, April 26, 1906 Tuesday’s Daily.
The work of taking up dead bodies along the survey of
the T. N. M. & P. railroad which runs through the old cemetery in
Kirkpatrick’s pasture, southwest of McKinney, was commenced this morning by
Humphrey Barbour and a force of workmen, in the employ of Fry &
Luttergarding the contractors. Eleven bodies were removed, only four of
which were identified. They were those of Milton Wilkerson, on of
Collin county’ oldest settlers, and his daughter Mrs. Hacker and two
children of another daughter Mrs. Pack O’Brien formerly of this
city but now living in California. Mrs. O’Brien is the widow of Pack O’Brien
a brother to D. W. O’Brien of this city who superintended the taking
up of the bodies which will be re-interred in Pecan Grove cemetery by
the side of Mrs. J. A. Massie, stepmother of Burl, Sam and Tom Massie,
another daughter, of Mr. Wilkerson and her daughter, Mrs. O. M. Calhoun. The
bones of all of the bodies taken up were in fairly good state of
preservation. Mrs. Hacker had some gold filled teeth at the time of her
death 38 years ago, and the gold was still bright, as was also the
inscription plates on several of the coffins which were pretty well decayed.
Mr. Wilkerson had been buried 41 years....
Historical marker
Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986
BRADLEY
CEMETERY
EDWARD BRADLEY AND WIFE NANCY, AND THEIR FAMILY
CAME TO THIS AREA FROM KENTUCKY IN THE 1840s AS
MEMBERS OF THE PETERS COLONY. THEY BUILT A LOG HOME
ON A BRANCH OF WILSON’S CREEK IN THE SOUTHWEST PART
OF PRESENT McKINNEY. A HILLSIDE NEAR THE BRADLEY HOME
BECAME THE SITE OF A FAMILY GRAVEYARD.
THE ORIGINAL CEMETERY COVERED ABOUT AN ACRE OF LAND.
THOUGH BEGUN AS A FAMILY CEMETERY, OTHER MEMBERS OF
THE SMALL COMMUNITY WERE EVENTUALLY INTERRED HERE.
ELEVEN ORIGINAL HEADSTONES REMAIN IN THE CEMETERY.
THERE ARE BELIEVED TO BE A NUMBER OF UNMARKED
GRAVES, AS WELL. SOUTH OF THIS PLOT A SLAVE
CEMETERY WAS LOCATED IN A WOODED AREA, THE GRAVES
MARKED WITH BOIS D’ARC WOOD MARKERS.
THE OLDEST DOCUMENTED GRAVE IS THAT OF EDWARD
BRADLEY (1787-1855). NANCY BRADLEY (D.1880), AND THEIR
SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, THOMAS T. (D.1881) AND SARAH J.
(D1876) BRADLEY, ARE ALSO BURIED HERE. OTHERS INTERRED
IN THE CEMETERY INCLUDE DR. DAVID MACLAY (D. 1859),
SIX-MONTH OLD WILLIAM B. PULLIAM (D.1863), AND SUSAN R.
PARRISH AND HER CHILD, WHO DIED WITHIN MONTHS OF
EACH OTHER IN 1861.
THE HISTORIC BRADLEY CEMETERY SERVES AS A REMINDER
TO COLLIN COUNTY RESIDENTS OF THEIR AREA’S HERITAGE.
Edward
Bradley
CEMETERY INDEX
Recommended citation:
Bradley Cemetery - McKinney, "CEMETERIES OF COLLIN COUNTY." Collin
County, Texas History and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano
Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004 ].
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