Our Great City

The first white settlers to arrive in now-Southlake. Veterans of the Civil War (some Rebels, some Yankees) and every war after that. A woman who was at Parker's Fort when Cynthia Ann was taken by the Indians. A boy whose mother carved his name on a stone with his brother's new jacknife.

These are some of the many people buried in Tarrant County's oldest cemetery, Lonesome Dove Cemetery, located next to Lonesome Dove Baptist Church, 2380 Lonesome Dove Road in Southlake. Their descendants and kinsfolk will gather at the church at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, for the cemetery association's annual meeting. Anyone with an interest in the historic cemetery is also invited to attend.

After a potluck dinner, the meeting will be called to order at 7 p.m. by the cemetery's longtime caretaker, Jack Cook. The spry 93-year-old says he's related to "most everyone out there." After a short business meeting, columnist Dave Lieber will share the latest developments on fraud among the elderly -- why it happens, how to stop it and how to help others. Lieber has been a member of the cemetery association since the 1990s.

Also, Kathy Bigham of Grapevine, a descendant of the oldest of T.J. Foster's 24 children, will tell how she's putting "Trek to Texas" online (trektotexas.com) and how she found long-lost boxes of Pearl Foster O'Donnell's research (actually, they found her). Unfortunately, though, several other boxes were sold at an auction and are still missing.

Anita Robeson, president of the Southlake Historical Society, will give an update on the 1919 Carroll School, which will be demolished if it is not moved.

For more informaiton, contact Jack Cook at 817-488-0028. To learn more about Carroll School, see www.southlakehistory.org.