Home     County Contacts     Contact Me     Site Map

Chisum Cemetery, Lamar County, Texas

LOCATION:	Chisum Cemetery is in Block 203 in the City of Paris of the Lamar County Road Map produced by American Drafting and Services revised December 1993.
DIRECTIONS:	The cemetery is in the 1100 block of West Washington St. between two railroad tracks. It is on the south side of the street across from Amsan Company.
GPS COORDINATES:	33° 39' 13.36 N, 95° 34' 01.05 W. (33.6536444 Latitude and -95.5669417 Longitude)
OLDEST KNOWN BURIAL:	The oldest inscribed grave is that of of Lucinda Armstrong Chisum who died 31 Oct 1837.
NUMBER OF GRAVES:	There are 3 known graves in the cemetery but probably several more family members are buried here. (July 2017)
SIGNS/MARKERS:	There is a sign for the cemetery. Historic Texas Cemetery: Yes    Texas Historical Commission Marker: Yes(1967) The following is the inscription on the Texas Historical Marker located at the cemetery: Burial Site of John S. Chisum (1824-1884) - Cattle baron whose herds, moving from east to west Texas and into New Mexico, expanded into one of the greatest cattle spreads in the west. Coming from Tennessee to Paris, 1837, Chisum joined S. K. Fowler in a cattle venture in Denton County, 1854. During the Civil War, he supplied beef to Confederate troops west of the Mississippi and his cowboys guarded the frontier against Indians. After moving in 1864 to the Concho River, then to 'Bosque Grande' on the Pecos, he finally located his spread at South Spring near Roswell, New Mexico, 1873. His enormous herds--60,000 to 100,000 head--pounded trails across Texas into New Mexico. His name and fame led to confusion with Jesse Chisholm, blazer of the historic Texas-to-Kansas cattle trail. Chisum's onetime partner, famous cattleman Charles Goodnight, said that Chisum, who could correctly tally three grades of moving cattle at once, was the best counter he knew. Chisum's distinctive 'long rail' brand and 'jinglebob' ear-notch defied alteration. A disastrous packing house deal and involvement in the 1876 'Lincoln County War,' in which Billy the Kid and various cattle factions figured, ultimately led to Chisum's financial ruin. (1967)
LAST ENUMERATION:	Not applicable.
ADD'L INFORMATION:	The cemetery has only three marked graves that lie in this early cemetery within the city limits of Paris. The following persons are known to be buried here: Claiborne C. Chisum 22 Jun 1802 - 21 Oct 1852, John Simpson Chisum 16 Aug 1824 - 22 Dec 1884, Lucinda Armstrong Chisum 21 Oct 1804 - 31 Oct 1837. From LOOSE LEAVES OF THE HISTORY OF LAMAR COUNTY, By Ed. H. McCuistion, Saturday, June 25, 1921: 'The Chisums... The last vestige of the old Chisum home has long since disappeared. It was located just west of the Frisco-Santa Fe round house and the old family burying ground is in the railroad yards near the round house.'
PICTURE(S):

View pictures of the headstones.
Search for names in this and other cemeteries.
Return to the map page.
Return to the list of cemeteries.
Return to the main Lamar County, TX page.