PERRY,
Texas, was a small community
located two miles north of Moody, Texas in southwestern McLennan
County. In 1852 and 1853, pioneers decided to build a village
on land that straddled James Clement and
Edward McClain preemption claims. Perry post
office was established in 1855; McClain was postmaster. Perry
had several stores, horse-powered gin, and a community
building used as a school and church.
Old Perry Cemetery was established in 1852.
The oldest
recorded death in the cemetery was Isaac McClain, who died
August 20, 1861. The oldest recorded date in the cemetery is
Silas Witt, who was born May 28, 1790. Jane Leach, town school
teacher was buried there in 1854.
A cyclone partially
destroyed Perry in 1873. Some moved to a new location about
two miles east of the cemetery. Perry was then bypassed by the
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in
the early 1880s. The pioneers moved their homes and businesses
to the new town of Moody leaving only
the little cemetery as reminder of the town.
The post office was moved from Perry to Moody in November
1881, the year Moody was established. On April 25, 1981 a
Historical Marker was dedicated. August 2, 1984 the Old Perry
Cemetery Association was formally organized. Summarized from
the book “Perry in
McLennan County 1852-1881” by Hazel Alexander
Potter and Annette Sebastian Swenson.
Posted 4/13/01
Old
Perry Cemetery Veterans listing... Old Perry Cemetery
Dedication held May 6, 2001, at the cemetery... Abraham Buck Moody, 3rd Cpl, Co |
