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HICKORY HILL CEMETERY
AVINGER, CASS COUNTY, TEXAS
This old Historical cemetery is located on the East side of
Avinger, just off Hwy 49. .
Printed in Citizens Journal, Wednesday, February 17, 1993.
"CASS COUNTY COUSINS"
by Audrey Rankin, CCGS. ’
Resident helps renew interest on old Hickory Hill Cemetery.
Recently I was in the old Hickory Hill Cemetery in Avinger when
a resident of the area came by. He told me some things about
the history of the cemetery and town that renewed my interest.
So...I did a little research.
According to accounts left by Ellie B. Cloninger, Hickory Hill
post office was established at the old Pattillo place on the
Jefferson—C1arksville road a few years before the Civil War.
Mr. Pattillo was postmaster for many years.
Then Davis Hendrix had it moved to another location and served
as postmaster for several years. Then his brother, George
Hendrix, served until it was moved to Avinger.
Old Hickory Hill boasted a school house, Presbyterian church,
store and graveyard. There were several residences and the road
leading through it was much traveled.
While I was there in the cemetery, Mr. Rhodes showed me where
the Presbyterian church had stood. He said the first person
buried there was the wife of the Presbyterian minister. It was
raining when she died and wouldn't slack off so they could dig
a grave. They waited as long as they could, for they had no way
to embalm back then. Finally, in desperation, they took out a
section of the floor and buried her under the church. _
Back then, Jefferson was the third largest city in Texas,
supplying much of western Texas with necessities. Freight was
hauled mostly by ox team. .
During the Reconstruction days, many Federal soldiers were
stationed at Jefferson and adjacent camps. Three of these
soldiers were at Young's Chapel, near Avinger, nursing a sick
comrade, who died. These three men were accused of abusing some
southern women in Mt. Pleasant. The Confederates hunted and I
found them just as they were lowering the dead comrade into the
grave. Dr. Avinger, Jake Rhyne, Mr. Little and another man were
assisting in the burial. Without warning, and just at dusk,
they began firing at the Yankees. One was killed, one jumped on
his horse and escaped, and the other feigned death and fell
into the grave upon his dead comrade. The Confederates came up
and at close range shot and wounded the one in the grave, but
he lay still until they had gone. Then Dr. Avinger and the _
others aided him in escaping.
A messenger rode to Jefferson and reported that Dr. Avinger and
the others with him had done the shooting. They were arrested,
taken to Jefferson and tried. Near the conclusion of evidence,
the wounded soldier rushed in with arms uplifted and asked to
be heard. He told the facts and said these men were doing a
neighborly deed during the shooting. They were freed and the
next day concluded the burial. The dead soldier was buried in
the same grave over the body of the other corpse. (Mr. Rhodes
showed me where the soldiers were buried in the Hickory Hill
Cemetery and said that he had tried to get a monument or
memorial placed there, but had failed because he had been
unable to provide their names.)
During 1876, the East Line & Red River Railroad, a narrow
gauge, reached Avinger. Ellie said that when the first train
came in about midnight, snorting and puffing pine sparks high
in the air, he was at his grandmother's boarding house near the
track and it was mighty scary. The next year the railroad was
built in Daingerfield, and Hughes Springs was born in an old
cotton patch which surrounded a sweetgum thicket, sending
mineral water from a gum spring. At the time, Sardis was quite
a village, with stores, a school, Masonic Hall, Presbyterian
church, and residences.
Ellie Benton Cloninger was the first child of Moses Lee Roy and
Nettie Eubanks Cloninger, born 12 September 1871, 3 miles
northeast of Hickory Hill. He married Emma Belle Gillham on 21
November 1897 in Floyd. He was a school teacher for 35 years,
teaching in many of the early schools in Cass County.
His account of parts of this story was told to him by his
mother and cousin, A. M. Rhyne. Jake Rhyne, mentioned in the
article, was married to Lee Cloninger's sister, Ellie's aunt.
Cemetery was read 30-APR-1995 by Audrey Rankin
The oldest known graves
COWAN William J. 1812 1859
COWAN Harriet Evans only date 1859
Much more information and a list of internments can be found in
THE CEMETERIES WITH CASS COUNTY CONNECTIONS VOLUME 3
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