John and Eliza Jackson were patriarchs of the extended Jackson family.
Hidden off Audelia Road behind the AT&T data center and the alley to Estate Lane sits a little-known neighborhood gem. Founded in 1866 on a hilltop of vast prairie, McCree Cemetery is the final resting place of members of many of the community’s founding families, and it draws restoration specialists, dedicated preservationists, learned historians and curious neighbors each year.
I was among the curious last week, enjoying a twilight tour led by Robin Moss Norcross, board president of the McCree Cemetery Association, Peggy and Gene Helmick-Richardson, storytellers at Twice Upon a Time, Sarah Crain, executive director of Preservation Dallas and Michelle Wurtz, board member of Preservation Dallas.
Here’s just a bit of what I learned.
McCree Cemetery sits on land which was part of 640 acres granted in 1850 to the McCree family, farmers who arrived in Texas with the Peters colonists. Mahuldah Bonner McCree deeded 1.5 acres for public use as a post-civil war burial ground in 1866 and later gave another acre for the burial of Little Egypt residents. The cemetery has expanded over time to cover more than 3 acres.
Over the years, many of the headstones were vandalized or stolen, but multiple restoration and cleanup projects have had a significant impact on the educational and historical value of the cemetery — not to mention the pure enjoyment factor. Most markers are now upright, mended, clean and readable.
John Henry Jones and Elizabeth McCullough, relatives of previous owners in the McCullough family, were already buried on their family’s homeplace before the cemetery was officially dedicated. Jones was the first, buried in 1862 after returning from the Civil War and succumbing to his injuries.
Jeff Hill, born 1839
Little Egypt sits on the east side and is named for the community of freed slaves who settled just off Northwest Highway between Ferndale and Audelia after the Civil War. Founders Jeff and Hannah Hill named the area Little Egypt because their neighbors had come out of bondage to freedom, and they gave their section of the cemetery the same name. It was originally separated from the west side by a chain link fence, but vegetation loves a fence, and it became difficult to maintain due to the invasion of roots and vines.
Not all headstones remain, but the cemetery appears to contain veterans from five wars. Veterans from the War of 1812 include John Jackson, who came to the Garland area with his family in 1846, and Henry Kyle, who arrived in Texas in 1860. In addition to John Henry Jones, Robert Dowdy and Benjamin Prigmore were Civil War veterans who served in the cavalry. Prigmore and Andrew Jackson served in the Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers during the Mexican-American War, and Gene Douglas Lamar served in Korea. There are few details remaining about World War I-era burials.
Individuals interred at McCree came from virtually every walk of life — there was a garage owner, a physician, a truck driver, two seamstresses, a park laborer, a barber, a shoe repairer, a postmaster, an investor, an aircraft worker, a carpenter, a cook, a bank clerk, a courthouse janitor, a corn mill owner, hotel porters and dozens of farmers.
1900 Sam Street Map of Dallas County.
If you thought Church Road was named after all the churches clustered nearby, think again. The Church family was prominent in this area in the 1880-1900s, and at least four of their members are buried at McCree. The Dixon Branch of White Rock Creek is named for the Dixon family, which has at least eight pioneers at McCree, and the Goforths, known as owners of the land which became Flag Pole Hill, have at least four. It’s not easy to count an official tally, since many of the families are tied together by marriage. For instance, Benjamin Prigmore arrived in Dallas County at age 14 with his father Joseph and his mother Mahala Dixon Prigmore. He married Nancy Lucinda “Lucy” Jackson, daughter of John and Eliza Jackson, creating a giant family quilt of connections.
The Jackson Family. Courtesy of the Dallas Municipal Archives.
The Jackson Branch of White Rock Creek is named for the Jackson family, among the earliest settlers in our community with at least 23 family members at McCree. John and Eliza Jackson arrived in 1845, and Richland College now sits on a portion of their homeplace. They had ten children, and one of their many grandchildren was Ellen Ardelia Jackson West, who married John F. West and owned a general store with her father. The store and the community around it were called Ardelia, but somehow the name morphed into Audelia over time. That’s how the long, straight road from Forest Lane and Audelia to Flag Pole Hill got its name.
Ellen Ardelia Jackson West
McCree Cemetery received a Texas Historical Marker in 1986 and a landmark designation from the City of Dallas in 2018. Descendants of Jeff and Hannah Hill hosted a family reunion and held a cleanup of the Little Egypt side to honor their ancestors in 2023.
McCree Cemetery
To get the full story, you’ll want to join or arrange a tour for your organization. If you’d like to host or participate in a clean up day, you may contact the McCree Cemetery Association here or Preservation Dallas here.
McCree Cemetery is at 9920 Audelia, but it remains closed to visitors except during official tours.
