Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Members of First National Bank of Granbury Jake Caraway, left, and John Henry Luton, far right, present a new lawnmower to Joe Perkins, second from left, and Joseph Perkins, second from right, to help them maintain The Colony Cemetery located off U.S. Highway 377 West between Granbury and Tolar.
The Colony Cemetery was once part of a Black community founded around 1859 by ex-slaves after the Civil War. The official Texas state historical marker near the cemetery states that residents of The Colony were early Hood County settlers who came to this area as slaves with their white southern owners as early as the 1850s.
The First National Bank of Granbury is working diligently to preserve a piece of Hood County history that deserves to be remembered.
Five miles west of Granbury lies a cemetery that — unbeknownst to some — represents the memory of a community long gone, but never forgotten.
HISTORY
The Colony Cemetery, located off U.S. Highway 377 West between Granbury and Tolar, was once part of a Black community founded around 1859 by ex-slaves after the Civil War.
According to a Hood County News article published in 2010, the official Texas state historical marker near the cemetery states that residents of The Colony were early Hood County settlers who came to this area as slaves with their white southern owners as early as the 1850s.
After emancipation, the all-Black community known as The Colony was formed, complete with its own school and church.
Today, all that remains of The Colony is a cemetery containing approximately 100 graves.
For years, the cemetery has survived through various upkeep and restoration efforts made by long-term supporters, including R.D. (Ruben Daniel) Edwards.
Edwards, who was the great-grandson of The Colony founder and slave Simon Hightower, cared for the cemetery until his death in 1991.
“He worked for the bank until he died,” said Jake Caraway, vice chairman of the board and senior vice president of First National Bank of Granbury. “He was a neat old man. We called him ‘The Custodian,’ and when he got too old to clean, we let him come in and just empty the trash, just so he'd have some money and just to be good to him because he had been so faithful to us."
Since Edwards death, longtime Granbury residents Joe and Joseph Perkins have taken over the upkeep and refurbishing efforts of the cemetery.
PRESERVATION CONTINUES
A few weeks ago, John Henry Luton, chairman of the board of First National Bank of Granbury, learned that The Colony Cemetery was in need of a new lawnmower.
Luton suggested to Caraway that they purchase the lawnmower as an honor to the bank’s former employee, Edwards, who is also buried at The Colony Cemetery.
"We've always had a spot for that area, because we knew so many of the people,” Caraway said. “John Henry and I, our babysitters are buried out there, and people who worked for his grandfather and my grandfather are buried out there. We just want to help keep the cemetery and the history going.”
The Hood County Texas Genealogical Society also has an account at the bank for individuals who wish to donate money to the cemetery's maintenance.
“The last time I was out at the cemetery, I remember we went in our pickups to take R.D.’s body out there to bury and it’s very peaceful,” Caraway added. “It has a very special meaning to both of us and to a lot of people around here."
To donate to the upkeep of The Colony Cemetery, call First National Bank of Granbury on Bridge Street at 817-573-2655.
