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Sowell's Bluff Cemetery
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it sustained a large amount of damage and even tombstone removal. I have heard many
bits of information on this cemetery over the years. One story heard many times is that
the cemetery had its tombstones bulldozed off the bluff into the river by a farmer. Another that the
tombstone that was erected sometime in the 50's by the Mason's was taken and no one knew
where it was until lately when it showed up down near Dallas. Unable to substantiate this I can
only add that Joseph Sowell who was killed by indians in 1841 was known to be buried there.
He was a member of the Fannin County Militia 1839-1841
There are quite a few people supposed to be buried there.
Joseph Sowell had settled near Ft.Warren
Today's bridge across the Red River on hwy 78 marks Sowell's Bluff
May 2004 I received this note from Jeff Gunter of Fannin County.
"My great grandfather John Preston Bozeman was given the task to erect a large headstone/marker on the site or approximate site of the Sowell's burial. And yes, he was a Mason and performed this as a task from the Mason's. I am unable to confirm the year that it was erected but I was told it was in the 1930's or 40's.It was also told to me by my grandfather that cattle had been on the property of the original cemetery site and that the original headstones in fact had been knocked over, broken, and often enough had been trampled into the ground. When a group of Masons made a trip after hearing the story of the destroyed headstones, all had been removed and it was rumored that they had been dumped into one of the ravines just east of the cemetery.
One of the last wishes my grandfather had before his death was that we locate the headstone he had erected because he had been unable to find it in its original location. The farmer had told him that he had moved the marker again east of the original site , near to the ravine next to "the biggest stand of Bois de Arc trees you have ever seen".
My grandmother and I set out to find the marker but were unable to locate it and were asked to leave the property as "tresspassers".
We again attempted years later in 1987, taking a metal detector and shovels. We spent most of the day looking, finding peices of white/grey chipped marble but no marker or original headstones. We never did find the stand of big Bois de Arc trees but we did find an area further east and north of the original erection site that contained wagon rims, clumps of square headed nails, a antique bed frame, stacked horse shoes, and several other items in mass that looked as if they had been stored in some way, all burried in 2-3 feet of soft sand. My grandmother said that this was the approximate location of the house and trade store that had been burned by indians.
I have not been back since but would welcome a chance to be a party for a search of the area."
Best regards,
Jeff Gunter
Lamasco, Tx
© 2002
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