Beneath our feet lies more than just earth. It holds stories of pioneers and their struggles. We are standing at the Merrifield Cemetery Plaque. This site marks the final resting place of John Merrifield and his family.
John Merrifield was born in 1792. He hailed from Harden County Kentucky. Merrifield was first cousins twice removed of the famous Daniel Boone. He served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. He was even wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista in Mexico.
Merrifield migrated to Dallas County in the late 1840s. In 1851 he purchased a farm. This farm included the very ground we stand on. This plot became the Merrifield Cemetery.
The Merrifield Cemetery was first used in the late 1860s. John Merrifield died in 1873. His second wife Elizabeth died in 1869. Their marked graves are the only ones visible today. It is estimated that over twenty unmarked graves exist here.
One tragic story surrounds Benjamin F. Merrifield. He was John Merrifield’s son. In 1868 at the young age of 23 he passed away. One night he joked with a girl that this would be a nice place to be buried. A week later he was killed at a dance. A Frenchman shot him during an argument. The Frenchman disappeared. Benjamin was the first to be buried in the Merrifield Cemetery. His mother Elizabeth grieved herself to death over her son’s death. She was laid to rest next to him that following autumn.
Originally, the Merrifield property was much larger. It included Sunset High School. It ran south on Hampton to Clarendon. John Merrifield enlarged the two-room log house on the property. He added a third room. He lined the walls with cedar panels from the Texas coast.
The Merrifield Cemetery is a vital link. It connects us to the pioneers. They were among the first to settle the Dallas region. It serves as a reminder of their lives. Though time has passed the Merrifield Cemetery remains. It stands as a testament to those early families. Today the cemetery has only two tombstones that stand erect. How many people are buried in the Merrifield Cemetery is not certain. Some sources say as many as 80 people are buried here. Other sources say it could be about 40. Regardless of the number, the Merrifield Cemetery is a forgotten historical area of Old Oak Cliff. It is within the Sunset Hill Addition.
As we leave this place let us remember the Merrifield family. Let us remember their contributions to Dallas.