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GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 30.49531,
Longitude: -97.49442
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Kimbro Family
Cemetery
Historical Narrative by Rpy H. Bland,
On January 9, 1871 Daniel Kimbro joined with
E.B. Turner to sell their equal interests in the
tract of land upon which the Kimbro Family
Cemetery now sits to Daniel's oldest son, Euclid
Union Kimbro. (1) There was not then nor have
there been since in subsequent recorded
transfers of the land any reservation of a
cemetery plot lying thereon. However, it is
considered probable, that at that time the
nucleolus of the cemetery existed near the old
site, which was to become Miss Kate Kimbro's
rural domicile some years later. It is believed
that the remains of an unnamed infant of Daniel
and his wife could have already have been buried
there [2] as well as the remains of some family
slaves [3].
The said property and cemetery site passed by
descent and deed to E.U. Kimbro's wife, Lucinda,
and his children until December 11, 1885 when
the widow joined by the other children &
spouses, granted by a Partition Deed the "south
side" of said tract (139.25 ac.) to E.U.'s
daughter, Kate, a feme sole. [4] By that date
Daniel had also been interred there, his grave
marked by a large limestone head marker. The
whole marker, including the inscription portion
being observed there and duly recorded during a
survey made by a researcher for the Williamson
Co. Historical Commission during the 1960s. [5]
It should be noted that by then the cemetery had
already been disturbed, was weed over grown and
probably the limestone inscription was not fully
legible. The first date (birth) was therefore
inaccurately recorded as 1838, though the death
date is correct, 1882. An more likely birth date
is 1808, which would have made him 24 at the
birth of his first son, who accompanied him to
Texas.[6] Though there is no hard evidence of
the fact it is reasonable to assume that
Daniel's wife, Mary Polly nee'Gilbert Kimbro,
who predeceased him in 1851 [7] was also buried
at this site. Her Limestone marker being lost or
not readily evident at the time of the first
research. Again though no hard physical evidence
exists, family relatives state that the infant
son of G.M. Kuykendall and Josephine nee' Kimbro
Kuykendall, was also buried there. His name was
Eddie Kuykendall and he died on Dec. 28,
1885.[8]
Until sometime in the 1950s, Miss Kate Kimbro,
assisted by others, [9] Mr. Henry Pumphrey Being
one (11), maintained the cemetery followed in
turn by Mrs. Bernice Gates, a granddaughter of
E.U. Kimbro, from Houston. However, in spite of
their efforts and the protests of other
relatives, for a period of probably over a
decade field laborers desecrated the burial site
while working the crops planted around it. Thus
many of the stones and small markers were
broken, plowed under or carried off. A couple of
years ago, when Mr. Dan Cervenka, one of the
current owners, and this author, Roy H. Bland,
Jr., joined in a limited restoration and
preservation venture for the site. By this time
all that remained was the disassembled granite
centopath markers of E.0 & his wife Lucinda
Avery Kimbro, dated 11/20/33 to 8/6/95 & 1839 to
5/14/97 respectfully and the white marble
headstone of their young son, Edwin T. Kimbro,
3/27/68 to 3/21/83. There are also two
rectangular limestone bases for headstones. The
largest of these being hand tooled and scored in
a decorative manner. It is presumed that these
were for Daniel Kimbro and his wife, since
according to E.U. Kimbro's biographical sketch
[10] other adults in the family had either
married outside family or moved away by 1893
except Miss Kate who also moved away later.
Currently the inscribed markers have been
propped upright, the site cleaned & covered,
with crushed stone and a fenced enclosure with
gate erected. Mr. Dan Cervenka uses chemical
weed control at the site as needed. An
historical sketch of the subject Kimbro family,
its activities and contributions to the State
and the area's development and history follows.
Daniel Kimbro's parents were natives of South
Carolina and Ohio, respectively. The paternal
father of his father and his mothers grandfather
both fought in the 1776 War of Independence.
[11] At the age of four, Daniel moved from So.
Carolina with his father to Tennessee, where he
was reared and where he was to marry Mary Polly
Gilbert. While there he engaged in the mechanics
trade. In 1836, Texas' Independence year, he
came via New Orleans to San Augustine Co. man
along the Sabine River. After about a year there
he took his, then four year old, son, Euclid
Union, down to settle in the town of Bastrop in
Central Texas. He made the move there with other
pioneering families, among who were John
Glasscock and Taylor Smith who later lent their
surnames to Texas sites. In Bastrop he erected
its first shop, in which he made looms, spinning
wheels, chairs, wagons & etc. The town built a
fort for protection against the Indians and
Daniel went on many expeditions against the
enemy.
In 1846 he moved to an area near Taylor on the
Brushy Creek, previously settled by the Averys.
The community of Avery later became known as
Roman's Crossing. [12] An early school in the
area bore the Kimbro name until it later became
Walnut Springs and was incorporated into the
Hutto I.S.D. [13]
Initially he stayed in a pole and deer hide tent
along the banks of the Brushy Creek where he
trapped and hunted deer, He used the deer hides
to make clothing and harnesses, selling the
surplus production to retail merchants of
Austin.[14] Later he was engaged in farming and
resumed his mechanics trade. Daniel also resumed
his wood working becoming quite noted for his
version of saddle stirrups and ox yokes. He was
considered one of the best shots with a rifle in
the state. Daniel served in the Mexican War,
rising from Sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant in Capt.
Calhouns Co., 2nd Brigade.[15]
Being one of the first settlers in the area, he
participated in the areas development. He was
one of the joint signers of the petition to
create a new County out of a portion of what was
then Milam County. The Bill creating Williamson
County was signed by Gov. George T. Wood on
March 13, 1848. [16] Shortly after the formation
of the County, Daniel served on its first Grand
Jury for the District Court to hear Cause 1, a
case to try title against Mr. Rice of Blue Point
Crossing. (later renamed Rices Crossing) [17].
His death occurred at his home along the Brushy
Creek in 1852, his wife having predeceased him
in 1851.
Daniel Kimbro and his wife had six children: an
unnamed infant; Garett and Verney, both of whom
reached maturity, dying before 1893; Nethera,
wife of John Price of Austin; C.M. of Arkansas;
and Euclid Union of Williamson Co. [18]
By the age of 10, E.U. Kimbro probably already
had encounters with the Indians during their
raids around Bastrop and had learned to use a
gun to defend himself against both this danger
and the roaming wild animals. At the age of 18
while still living with his parents on the
Brushy, he undertook the job of hauling lumber
to help build Texas second Capital building at
the new site, Austin. At 21 years and after the
death of his Mother, he became engaged in
raising cattle and horses. In 1857, at the age
of 25, he married Lucinda Avery the daughter of
[19] Willis and Elzana Weeks Avery. (Willis, a
veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, was
honored in 1936 by reburial, together with his
wife, in the State Cemetery in Austin.) [20] In
1861 at the age of 28 he moved to near where
Taylor now stands. The following year he joined
Col. Easilys Company and served with the Calvary
regiment of Col. W.L. Mann on Galveston island
during the Civil War. He surrendered there at
Warts end and returned home to find about half
of his livestock gone.
Mr. & Mrs. E.U. Kimbro had five children: Edwin
T. a son dead at 15 years; Kate, a feme sole,
whom after residing in Taylor moved to Austin,
dying there; Haydee Fridonia, wife of R. Beal
Pumphrey; Joephine, wife of G.M. Kuykendall also
of Taylor and another Old Trail Driver as was
Pumphrey; H.T. Kimbro , a charter officer of the
City National Bank of (2*. Taylor, whom later
moved to Lubbock, Texas, where he was
instrumental in locating the site of Texas Tech
College there and served on its first Board of
Directors. Active politically he was also
appointed to two Administrative Executive
positions in the State Government in Austin.
[21] He died in Lubbock but is buried with his
wife, Harriet Hoke, in Taylor.
For a brief time E.U. Kimbro moved to Austin
then to Georgetown but eventually returned to
Taylor. Making his hoe on the corner of what is
now Kimbro and Cecelia streets. There the proud
owner of three farms with 450 acres in
cultivation, died on August 6, 1895 . His wife
followed him in death on May 14, 1897 to be
buried with her husband, young son and other
ancestors in the family cemetery seven miles
South of Taylor near the Brushy Creek almost at
the junction of Farm Rd. 32i9 (Frame Switch Rd.)
off highway 79 and Farm Road 1660, which links
Rices Crossing with Normans Crossing, running
East & West.
Kimbro_Family_Cemetery_footnotes.pdf
From the Taylor Daily press -
Article
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