Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery Plaque

Deep in the heart of Texas, nestled amidst the gentle slopes and whispering trees, lies the Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery Plaque. This unassuming marker holds within it a story of accidental death, community spirit, and the enduring legacy of those who rest beneath the Texas soil. The Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery Plaque, erected in 1995, stands as a testament to the rich history of this sacred ground. The story begins in the winter of 1859. A young man named John Davis, just 23 years old, joined a wagon train heading to Bastrop County for work. One night, startled by a skunk, John ran through the camp. In the confusion, he was mistaken for a Comanche intruder and tragically shot. His father, Jenkins Davis, laid him to rest on a 2.3 acre plot near Boggy Creek. This marked the first recorded burial in what would become Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery. Jenkins Davis, a member of the Onion Creek Masonic Lodge No. 220, later donated this land to the lodge in 1876. The site transitioned from a family burial plot to a community graveyard. Initially known as Boggy Creek, then Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery, it eventually became simply Masonic Cemetery by the 1960s. The Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery Plaque commemorates not only John Davis’s unfortunate demise, but also the evolution of this now 6.6-acre cemetery. Over 1,200 souls are buried here. They represent a cross-section of early Texas life. Pioneers and their descendants, members of fraternal organizations like the Masons and Woodmen of the World, and veterans of conflicts from the Civil War to the Korean War all share this final resting place. The Onion Creek Lodge No. 220 continues its stewardship of the Boggy Creek Masonic Cemetery, ensuring that the stories etched in the stone, and on this plaque, are never forgotten.