Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery

Mt. Tabor Starr Studded Event - April 9, 2005

The Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery
(Mount Tabor Indian Cemetery)
Rusk County, Texas

Buried there are mostly Cherokees, some Choctaws, some Chickasaws, and some Creeks

Latitude - Longitude
3219531N - 09454202W

A five-acre cemetery circa 1845 - 1866 that was destroyed by oil men in the 1950/60s

Created 2/27/2005
Updated 8/15/2013

by Paul Ridenour

After trying to find this cemetery since 2/13/2003, I finally found it on 2/27/2005. For Mt. Tabor Indian Community history, my journey in finding the cemetery, and a list of who is buried there, go to Mount Tabor Indian Cemetery

Update 2/27/2005

Bettie Rhodes and Gerald Cubine met Dottie Ridenour, Gary Malone, and myself at the Laird Hill Post Office. We followed them to the Mount Tabor Indian Cemetery.

I am not sure what town it is located in but it is between Laird Hill and Leverett's Chapel.

Before I give directions, I want to thank a number of people who helped me, encouraged me, emailed me, returned phone calls, and gave me good information:

Frank Williamson of Oklahoma - the one who first told me about it and peaked my interest
Gary Malone - for two trips with me to the area and documenting everything
Dottie Ridenour - for being there when we found it
Jerry Charles "JC" Thompson of Seattle, now Oklahoma, and soon to be Texas - someone I hope to meet soon who put together a webpage of who was buried there. He also said that two other cemeteries deserve historical markers - Laird-Thompson Cemetery and Asbury Cemetery. Jerry Charles Thompson verified that I did find the Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery.
Bettie Rhodes of Laird Hill - whose father-in-law lived by the cemetery and whose husband Ray Dan Rhodes went out to the cemetery in 1969 and the experience was recorded in the book Genealogy of "Old and New Cherokee Indian Families" by George Morrison Bell, Sr. I could not have found it without you and I really appreciate the time you took to show us.
Gerald Cubine of Laird Hill - friend of Bettie Rhodes who did not know about this cemetery until recently. Gerald has relatives named "Fears" and so do I.
Jay Hannah of Oklahoma - secretary-treasurer of the Cherokee Nation and a Starr descendant
Helen Hahn of Ft. Worth - a Starr descendant who sent many emails and put me in contact with Bettie Rhodes
Linda Laminack of Longview - Longview Public Library
Darla Hair of Tyler
Nancy Brown of Southwest City, MO
Gloria B. Mayfield of Rusk County
Virginia Knapp of Henderson
Paul Harrison - married to Foster Bean's daughter
Mrs. Bean - spouse of Jack Starr Bean
Franz Spear - son of Mrs. Bean
Lee Richardson of California
Larry W. Ward of Ft. Worth
Colleen Chronister of Oklahoma

Jay Hannah and Helen Hahn have Starr ancestors buried there and have both been there when they were young.

Update 3/29/2005

Patti Haskins, archeological steward with the Texas Historical Commission, sent me the E. Hobson and M. Y. Y'Barbo surveys (see survey below)
Lynda Jones, a member of the Board of Directors of the Rusk County Historical Commission and research volunteer, along with Patti Haskins are presently working on securing a cemetery designation and historical marker for Mt. Tabor

Directions and Map

A = Dick Wells "B" Well #5 [from here you can see the water tower at Leveretts Chapel High, B = Where John Bell's house used to be, C = White oil separator tank, D = Dick Wells "B" #6, E = Mt. Tabor Cemetery, F = Dick Wells "B" Well #18

Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery was exactly as others have described, especially J.C. Thompson.

If all pictures do not appear, click on Refresh

Mt. Tabor Indian Cemetery according to Bettie Rhodes - two small pine trees at the road
Latitude - Longitude from the driver's door
3219531N - 09454202W