Stephen F Austin State University - Stone Fort Yearbook (Nacogdoches, TX)

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Nacogdoches High School Nacogdoches High School ' s new loca- tion is a sign of the rapid growth of the city. The growth of Nacogdoches shows a gra- dual shift of East Texas to an urban society. Even though the city is old in tradition, it reflects modern changes such as the build- ing of the new high school and the SFA campus. This new school represents the future lifeline of Nacogdoches. The students that pass through its halls today are the future leaders of Nacogdoches. Just as Oak Grove Cemetery is a remin- der of past leaders who shaped the city, Nacogdoches High School serves as a be- ginning for the leaders who will shape its future. 5

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Oak Grove Cemetery This historical Nacogdoches site is lo- cated on land that was granted to Hayden Edwards, an emprasario, by the Spanish government. The original part of the cemetery lies directly north and south of the main gate. The old Catholic Ceme- tery, which consists of the extreme north- ern portion of the original cemetery, was purchased by Bishop Odin for the sum of $25 from Hayden Edward ' s heirs. Buried in the cemetery are four signers of the Texas Declaration of Indepen- dence: Thomas J. Busk, Charles Stanfield Taylor, John S. Boberts and William S. Clark. Also here are the graves of men and women who helped form the destiny of Texas and of Nacogdoches. Oak Grove Cemetery stands as a re- minder of Nacogdoches history and of the men who worked to make it prosper. It remains as a symbol of Nacogdoches ' great past.

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Old North Church The Old North Church was first known as the Union Church because several de- nominations gathered at its site to worship as early as 1836. The church, a small frame building, was originally built in 1838 on 10 acres of land donated by Dr. John M. Sparks. Its present structure was built in 1852. In front of the church stands a huge old oak tree. Under the old oak stands a marker which reads: Under This Tree , the first Baptist prayer meeting was organized in 1835 by A unt Massy Sparks Millard. Isaac Reed in 1835 preached the first Baptist sermon. Isaac Reed and Elder R.G. Green organized the first Baptist Church in the State of Texas the first Sunday in May, 1838. The church is known today as ' Old North Church. ' The first Protestant School in Texas was taught in a one room log house in the shadows of the old oak tree. Remem- ber, God alone can make a tree. ' In the church ' s graveyard are many of the leading settlers of Nacogdoches County. A place as quiet and serene as Old North Church holds the key to understanding a part of Nacogdoches ' history and lifestyle.