Our Story

Excerpt from “A Resting Place Known as Mixon Cemetery “ by Dr. Deborah L. Burkett:

1853, Josiah Thomas set aside 9.7 acres of land intended for the churches and for religious purposes on the western side of his 2/3 of a league of headwright in the Pine Springs Community, later to be called Mixon. Over the years the land changed hands several times, the last owners were S.A. Braly and F.M. Braly. A deed dated May 22, 1883 conveyed the 9.7 acre tract from S.A. Braly and F.M. Braly to three trustees for the local churches-the Methodist Episcopal South, the Cumberland Presbyterian, and the Missionary Baptist. The trustees were S.K. Braly, Moses Langston, and L.T. Willingham.

The oldest grave site is of Octavio Braly, daughter of S.A. and M.K. Braly, born April 11, 1853, died June 12, 1854. Many of the oldest burial sites are still marked with native rock while others are identified with modern replacement headstones. Indians were living in the county at the time and some say there are unmarked Indian graves in the Mixon Cemetery however the Musick family tells of an ancestor's grave that is marked. Stories passed down through many generations indicate they have a Native American ancestor buried in Mixon. Mrs. Navoleine Roddy shared, "I've always heard and recently found information indicating that my great-great grandmother, Kesiah Musick, was the daughter of a Cherokee Chief. Kesiah was born in South Carolina in 1819. She married Ranson M. Musick, and they came to the Mixon Community in 1860s. Ranson died in 1883; Kesiah in 1891; both are buried here."

There are over 125 veterans buried in marked graves in the Mixon Cemetery; one is a veteran of the War of 1812, Isaac Blanton, born in Tennessee in 1784 and died in 1865. Twenty two of these marked graves are of confederate soldiers, many of which served in Company G, 22nd Regiment Texas Infantry such as Moses Langston, John M. Langston, Honley V. Langston, James M. Talliaferro and Andrew J. Francis. There are also many marked graves for soldiers who served in WW I, II and other international conflicts as well.

The last category of this brief history focuses on education and the settlers who "saw to it their children were schooled". According to the 1850 U.S. Census, Cherokee County had the highest enrollment in the state of Texas, 986 students attended 17 schools. Quite an accomplishment for Cherokee County at the time; when you consider that a mere six years earlier there was no state of Texas and Sam Houston was President of the Republic. These early settlers cared about education. They knew if their communities were to thrive; their children needed quality schools run by dedicated teachers.

Many of those early schools in Cherokee County were one room structures; some made of logs built by families in the communities. Records show that in 1856 school was being held in Mixon in a one room log cabin. This school was built on church and cemetery property that had been deeded and donated by the Braly family. The school stood on ground which is now the picnic area next to the current day Mixon First Baptist Church.

For almost 100 years school was held continuously in Mixon, when in the late 1950s a phase-in consolidation began to occur with Troup. Throughout its history many dedicated teachers graced the halls of this country school. Spearheaded by Aaron Langston, a monument to teachers and the old school bell were erected on the site of the first school building. Carved in stone are the names of 30 teachers who were born in, who also attended Mixon school and then came back to teach there! What a record for such a small community! The trustees were wise to offer future jobs to those Mixon graduates who had successfully completed the necessary requirements to become teachers.