Bagdad, Texas History

Part of the material used in this report was based on an article written by M. James Faubion, which was written for the Sun (the Williamson County Sun) in June 1921. Mrs. T. M. Wiley Fred Henry

One mile west of Leander on Ranch Road 2243 is the Bagdad Cemetery.

The cemetery is visible for nearly one-half mile as you leave Leander. It is surrounded by a chain-link fence. As you approach it, you can see on the slight upgrade high headstones and tall spiked monuments in and about the several small groves of large live oak trees. In the northwest corner, a small group of white stone crosses mark the old Mexican and Negro cemetery, which is now a part of the well-kept grounds. Midway on the upgrade is a large shed built of limestone for special services. Beyond this building to the south is the newer grave sites end further to the west in a flat is the newest part with only a few graves. Further south in an undeveloped area among large Live Oak trees is the large open shed built for homecomings.

The Bagdad Cemetery has not always been this way.

Even though it was not in total disorder, the need was seen early enough to turn the tide. In order to take a close look at how this all came about, it would be well to look at the development of Bagdad and Leander.

It was in 1844 that Thomas Hornsby moved into the area, which is now known as Bagdad.

Hornsby was of the family of Hornsbys from Travis County and Hornsby Bend on Colorado. It was Hornsby that built the first cabin on the prairie around this area. The Smelsers and Dawsons came next from Missouri in 1845. The Dawsons built nearby but did not remain long. Fiery D. Edwards and his wife, the former Miss Mary Smelser, settled shortly after the Smelsers.

Later about 1846, Nicholas Branch and his brother, James Branch, moved into the area from Mississippi, coming formerly from Tennessee. A little later, Uncle Charlie Babcock and others came from Illinois to settle.

Judge Greenleaf Fisk moved here in 1848 and settled with his family on the South San Gabriel.

Judge Fisk was the chief justice for the area at the time that Williamson County was formed, and he became the county judge thereafter.

Other early settlers were John Faubion, Thomas Huddleston, J.W.S. Williamson, Col. C. C. Mason, John Heinatz, the Bittick and Taylor families, James B. Knight, and B. F. Dalton.

Colonel Mason applied for a postmastership and received it.

There was, however, a question as to what the name of the town would be. Thomas Huddleston suggested that they call it Bagdad after a hamlet near where he lived in Tennessee. There was no objection to the town officially became known as Bagdad. Mason being a stockman, turned the post office over to John Heinatz, who is the blacksmith, afforded a central location where people gathered. John Knight opened the first store in Bagdad in 1855.

A small grave with a tall limestone marker and a limestone cover stone seems to tell the story of the beginning of the Bagdad Cemetery.

For it was only three years after his birth in 1854 that John L. Babcock was buried. It was the acre on which little John Babcock's grave was located that Charlie Babcock donated for a church and burying ground.

Five years later, in 1862, Mr. Babcock gave 2.9 acres more for a church and burying ground.

It is believed that during this time, a brush arbor was built. Mr. Babcock and his family moved to Burnet after the Civil War, but he gave one more acre in 1904.

The graves in the older part of the cemetery show some of the pains borne by the Civil War. One such grave is that of John Haile. Mr. Haile was wounded in the Civil War and was tied to his horse and sent home. He went from camp to camp and finally arrived home in February 1864. He died a few days later, on February 21, 1864. He was buried near the grave of John Babcock.