84R20787 CJM-D
 
  By: Fallon H.R. No. 2281
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, An Official Texas Historical Marker is being
  dedicated at the site of the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark
  Cemeteries in Denton County on May 2, 2015; and
         WHEREAS, Today, these three separate, historically African
  American graveyards occupy 1.77 acres bordering Lloyd Road in the
  northeast part of the county; the Harrington Cemetery remains in
  its original location, while the Cassady and Clark Cemeteries were
  moved to adjacent sites by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1953;
  because of the construction of the Garza-Little Elk Dam, their
  original locations are now covered by Lewisville Lake; the Texas
  Historical Commission named all three burial grounds Historic Texas
  Cemeteries in 2011; and
         WHEREAS, The Harrington Cemetery likely served Lloyd, an
  early farming community dating back to 1850; the land occupied by
  the cemetery was initially owned by the Harrington family, but it
  belonged to E. L. Lugrand, the property's only African American
  owner, between 1913 and 1914; the graves are marked with headstones
  of marble, granite, sandstone, and concrete; and
         WHEREAS, The Cassady and Clark Cemeteries were established
  outside the nearby community of Garza on land owned by African
  Americans; both burial grounds feature fieldstone and funeral home
  steel plate markers; a family resting place, the Cassady Cemetery
  was initially situated on a 30-acre plot purchased by Jacob Cassady
  in 1872, and it includes the graves of Mr. Cassady and his wife,
  Melinda; in 1876, former slaves George Clark and Zack Rawlings
  bought 80 acres of land and deeded half an acre to the county for
  both a public school and a graveyard; in addition to the Clark
  family and a relative of Mr. Rawlings, many former neighbors were
  buried in the Clark Cemetery, an indication of the close-knit
  communal ties in the area; and
         WHEREAS, These three burial grounds provide an irreplaceable
  link to African American communities that emerged in North Texas
  following emancipation, and the installation of this marker will
  serve to inform and enlighten current and future generations about
  the area's rich history; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas
  Historical Marker for the Harrington, Cassady, and Clark Cemeteries
  and extend to all who helped to bring this project to fruition
  sincere gratitude for their contribution to preserving the heritage
  of the Lone Star State.