SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 684

WHEREAS, Residents of Smith County are gathering at Mason Cemetery on June 4, 2023, for the dedication of an Official Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, the commission named the burial ground a Historic Texas Cemetery; further documentation was provided to the commission, including photographs, maps, research, and written documented accounts, in order to qualify for this even more prestigious designation affirming the graveyard's significance in Texas history; and

WHEREAS, The cemetery was established by early pioneers who settled in southeastern Smith County, and the oldest recorded headstone dates back to 1855; it served the community known as Canton, then Omen, and in modern times, Arp; through the years, it has expanded to make room for 1,800 marked graves; and

WHEREAS, Among those buried in the cemetery in the 19th century are some members of the extended Mason family, as well as Civil War veterans; the tombstones also reflect associations with the Woodmen of the World, the Masons, and the Order of the Eastern Star; and

WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Mason Cemetery has served as a final resting place for the tenacious men and women who braved many hardships to forge a community, and this marker is a fitting tribute to the perseverance of those early settlers as well as to the contributions of all those who are interred there; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, hereby commemorate the dedication of the Official Texas Historical Marker for Mason Cemetery and commend all those involved in securing this recognition.

Hughes

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 26, 2023.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate