The following history of the cemetery was compiled and written by Nana Lou Dudley, Past Board Member of the BRSHS. It was the official submission of the Boren-Reagor Springs Historical Society to the Texas Historical Commission to qualify the cemetery for a historical marker, which was awarded in 2001. The Boren Cemetery was further honored with a Historic Texas Cemetery designation in 2005.
BOREN CEMETERY, ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Boren Cemetery in Ellis County, Texas is the final resting place for many of the early settlers who migrated to Texas during the 1800's. By learning about the lives of the people buried there and about the community, one may recapture a part of Texas' past.
Boren Cemetery is located in the Reagor Springs community, which is midway between Waxahachie and Ennis, Texas. It is on a I.84acre tract, carved out of the acreage purchased by Michael Boren when he came to Ellis County in 1847. It is located approximately 400 feet from the banks of Waxahachie Creek in a beautiful wooded area. Numerous large trees are within the cemetery as well as several areas of antique roses. According to Cooke family history, the red roses are from cuttings of the rose bush Henry Lechmere Cooke and his wife, Martha Burdeshaw Cooke, brought from Mississippi to Texas in a covered wagon in 1856. Iris, or flags as they were called by the early settlers, grow among the grave stones. The cemetery is enclosed by a newly installed chain link fence and gates.
While "The Springs” were named for Captain John Reagor, who came here in 1849, the first settler was Sutherland Mayfield who came to Texas in 1837 and served the Republic under the celebrated Colonel Smith. Returning to Tennessee the same year, he moved his family to Texas the next year. After living in various counties, the Sutherland Mayfield family settled at Reagor Springs in February 1844. Captain Reagor, a veteran of the War of 1812, and a participant in the Battle of New Orleans, brought his family from Mississippi by wagon train.
Michael Boren was born in Warren County, Kentucky; later moved with his family to Miller County, Arkansas where his father died. In 1828 Michael's mother, Nancy Boren, and seven of her children and their families, including Michael 611d his wife, Bettie Morrow Boren, moved to Milam County, Texas in covered wagons pulled by oxen. They lived near old Washington-on-the-Brazos. Michael served as a Colonel under Sam Houston in Sterling W. Roberson Co., Army of the Republic of Texas and was honorably discharged, receiving 320 acres of land for his service. Michael and Bettie lived in Austin County, Texas where their first three children were born, William M., Rhoda, and George Riley. They settled in Burleson County, Texas a few years afterward and had two more children there, Martin V. and Albert F.; Bettie died and is buried in Burleson County, Texas.
Michael Boren and his second wife, Mary Ann Ridgeway moved to Ellis County in l847and settled two miles east of Reagor Springs, Texas. It was Navarro County at this time. He paid 50 cents an acre for the uncultivated land and brought several Negros with him, the first slaves in the area. Michael and Mary Ann had nine children, five born in Reagor Springs. The 1850 Ellis County Census, Navarro District, shows Michael Boren living with his wife, Mary Ann and five of their children, Riley, age 16, Albert, age 11, John, age 6, J.H. Lerina, age 3 and Joseph, age 1. Mary Ann Ridgeway Boren died in 1857 and is buried ill Boren Cemetery. The same census shows Michael's brother, Joseph Boren, living nearby with his wife, their four children and ninety-six year old Nancy Boren, mother of Michael and Joseph Boren.
Michael's third marriage was to Mary Elizabeth Cooke Carter on 06 Sept 1860. They had one child, Anna. Mary Elizabeth died 03 June l880 and is also buried in Boren Cemetery. Michael Boren served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He died 11 July l875 and is buried in Boren Cemetery. He was a Methodist all his Me. Written on his marker is; "Here lies a Texas Veteran and Christian".
Michael Boren had 15 children and several settled around him at Reagor Springs. The land for the cemetery and for the Antioch Church of Christ was donated by Michael Boren and his son, George Riley Boren, for the communities of Reagor Springs and Bethel. Per deed dated February 25, 1941, conveyance from E.H. Boren (son of Riley Boren and grandson of Michael Boren) and wife, Ollie Boren to H.C. Dunkerley and wife, Eugenia Dunkerley recorded in Vol. 349, p. 450, Deed Records, Ellis County, Texas states exclusive of the graveyard. Deeds after this date state the same. On May 12, 1970,deed recorded in Vol. 543, p. 217, described 51.68 acres, more or less, which metes and bounds described the outer lines of the grave yard. Several homes have been built on farmland purchased from Boren descendants that is adjacent to the cemetery and is called Boren Acres.
The earliest burial date on a stone marker is that of Sidney T. Boren, 5-year-old grandson of Michael Boren. His parents were William and Martha Boren. The child choked to death on a plum seed 10 July 1868. Using this date the cemetery is at least 132 years old. The next earliest markers are those of T.J. and A.J. Hartsfield's three young children. The Hartsfields buried their infant son on 28 Dec 1870, their six year old daughter, Delia on 21 October 1871 and two year old Florence on 03 April 1874. Ora Belle Wheatley, infant daughter of Pierce Henry and Mary Elizabeth Wheatley, was born in Tennessee but after the trip to Texas was buried in the cemetery 06 February 1878.These are but a few of the many young children's graves found in the cemetery. Most of the children's markers are engraved with inscriptions suitable for the very young who were greatly loved and grievously missed after their deaths. The last known burial in this cemetery was that of Georgia Shofner, buried in 1951.
The earliest birth records shown on any of the markers is that of Michael Boren, born 10 March 1806, died 11 July 1875 and Henry Lechmere Cooke, born at Newbern, North Carolina on 22 December 1809, died 11 October 1885. Mr. Cooke was a schoolteacher who taught in a log cabin behind Little Bethel Church.
Several veterans who served the Confederate States of America in the Civil War are buried in the cemetery. William Boren fought in the Spanish-American War in 1845 as well as the Civil War. His brother, George Riley Boren served with Parson's Brigade during the Civil War. William Boren and George Riley Boren, sons of Michael Boren, are both buried in Boren Cemetery.
Surnames of settlers who came to Ellis County before 1900 which are marked with stones in the cemetery are: Battles, Bell, Bottles, Boren, Cooke, Crews, Cummings, Davis, Deavers, Dyess, Fields, Flowers, Fry, Gann, Godfrey, Griffin, Hartsfield, Holbert, Holland, Hughes, Hunter, Jackson, Jeffrey, Jenes, Layton, Lewis, McDaniel, McDowell, McKinsey, McNeely, Minor, Odom, Painter, Parchman, Parker, Piland, Prestidge, Rodgers, Sansom, Shaw, Shivers, Shofner, Splawn, Stevenson, Tums, Twilligear, Wheatley, Williams, and Yerby. These early settlers represented merchants, farmers, homemakers, ranchers, doctors, preachers, elected officials and other occupations necessary to make a community viable. Using the surnames to track the history of these settlers, you find they supported the churches, schools and other endeavors of a growing Ellis County.
Through oral history interviews with those who had family living at Reagor Springs at the turn of the century you can hear stories of the early cemetery cleanings, funerals and religious camp meetings. Families would spend the day at the cemetery, adults cleaning and the children playing with their cousins and friends. Food was brought from home for a picnic that was enjoyed by all. Reagor Springs was noted for its religious camp meetings. They were held under the large trees along the creek. They could last two or three weeks with families camping out.
Through the organization of Boren-Reagor Springs Historical Society in 1998, (Charter #01511476), efforts have been underway to preserve the cemetery and its history. Some of the accomplishments include the new fence, cleaning and straightening of markers, clearing the undergrowth and brush from the cemetery and documenting the 180 markers in the cemetery. Work is being done to document unmarked graves using funeral home records and family histories. Plans are being made to purchase a new sign with the name, Boren Cemetery, that will be installed above the front gate.
The early settlers were the new Texans in the 1800's. Future generations were to become native Texans who are teachers, farmers, merchants, politicians, lawyers, doctors, housewives and each in their own way have left their mark on Ellis County and the great state of Texas. It would be most fitting that we should commemorate the contributions the early settlers made through the dedication of a historical marker noting the final resting place of many Ellis County pioneers.
