Oakville Historic Texas Cemetery
Oakville Cemetery is among the oldest cemeteries in Live Oak County and the first to receive the Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion. Photo courtesy Sherry Kosarek, Live Oak County Historic Cemetery Chairperson.
With the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) Designation by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) comes a certificate. Receiving this certificate is a long process made much simpler since Oakville Cemetery has had a Texas Historic Subject marker since 1968, the first of only two in the county. Once a cemetery with a Texas Subject marker procures an HTC certificate, and it is received by the local County Historical Commission, a Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion application can be made. The Oakville Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion is to be unveiled on December 15 at 1:00 PM and will be portrayed here following that ceremony.
The unveiling will be followed by Oakville Cemetery's participation with Wreaths Across America, a national project which honors veterans all across America. 39 Oakville veterans will have wreaths laid on their graves at that time. 9 more veterans resting in cemeteries across the county will also receive wreaths this year. Peggy Skoruppa, the contact for WAA hopes to have more next year.
Thanks to Peggy Scoruppa, Bernard Lemley-President of the Oakville Cemetery Association, Pryor Brown, and other members of the association for working with LOCHC Cemetery Chair, Sherry Kosarek, to receive the HTC honor for Oakville and Live Oak County. Thanks to Peggy Skoruppa for spearheading these two projects in honor of those who rest in Oakville Historic Texas Cemetery. Photo courtesy Sherry Kosarek.
Oakville Historic Texas Cemetery Entrance at Oakville, Texas. Photo courtesy Sherry Kosarek.
Live Oak County Judge: Honorable Harry L. Hinton
Live Oak County Historical Commission and Marker Chair: S.T. Brown, Jr.
Oakville Cemetery Texas Subject Marker Sponsor: S.T. "Tige" and Charlie Reagan Brown
Oakville Cemetery Narrative: Thelma Pugh Lindholm [In 1968, the Oakville Cemetery was under the management of Live Oak County Commissioners' Court because of its unique connection to Live Oak County.]
Date Subject Marker Unveiled: 1968
Date Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion Unveiled: 2018
Oakville Subject and Historic Texas Cemetery Text:
OAKVILLE CEMETERY
DONATED IN 1857 BY THOS. WILSON, WHO ALSO GAVE LAND FOR MAIN TOWN SQUARE. THE PROPERTY WAS ORIGINALLY PART OF THE 1831 McMULLEN-McLOIN LAND GANT FROM MEXICO. AMONG GRAVES ARE THOSE OF J.T. JAMES, THE FOUNDER OF OAKVILLE; EARLY PIONEERS; AND ORGANIZERS OF LIVE OAK COUNTY. (1968)
APPLICATION NARRATIVE FOR OFFICIAL TEXAS HISTORICAL SUBJECT MARKER IN 1967 ALSO USED FOR MEDALLION APPLICATION IN 2018:
The Oakville Cemetery was originally part of the 1831 McMullen-McGloin Land Grant from Mexico. The land grant (written in Spanish) is from the States of Coahuila and Texas to James McGloin. This consisted of a league of land on the Nueces River. The deed stated the land was to be settled and cultivated.
In 1844, McGloin sold this land to Thomas A. Wilson. Then, in 1857, Mr. Wilson donated the land for a main town square, cemetery and two churches – Methodist and Baptist. J.T. James, the founder of Oakville, was commissioned to go to Port Lavaca to see Thomas Wilson who owned considerable acreage around the settlement of the Sulpher [Creek], later named Oakville.
Oakville was founded on June 22, 1856. J.T. James is buried at the Oakville Cemetery. The oldest known grave is dated June 1851. The Oakville Cemetery Association was founded around 1950.
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