Our History
	The following is the history of Chilton Cemetery, Big Sandy, Tx., as I know it.  Many years ago there was a family and town named Chilton located at the present cemetery site.  With the invention of the railroad, the city moved their town to its' present location and named it Big Sandy for Big Sandy creek.  The Chilton family donated the present acreage to serve as the cemetery.  I am including a list of all those known buried there.  This is in no way a complete list since there were some graves with markers.  Many records were lost in the court house fire in Upshur County.  Perhaps those of you who are interested in this area may be able to fill in some blank spots.  Please contact me if you know of any one buried here that is not listed. Big Sandy S&H Journal #29, Oct. 10, 1957 I remember By H.E. Speer Because we have loved ones and many friends resting in Chilton Cemetery, my wife and I often visit this place.  It is restful just to linger beside the graves of those whom we have loved and lost. A short time back we drove out there and Mr. Whitlock and family were hoeing the grass and weeds off the ground and trimming the shrubbery making the premises look very pleasing.  There was a time, fifty years or more ago, when we would have an all day "clean-up" get-to-gether and clean out the briar, sassfras, shoemake, buckeye bushes so we could read the inscriptions on the tombstones for the next year or so. About twenty five years ago the members of the several churches selected a lady from each to form a cemetery committee.  Mrs Ruth Phelps, Mrs Lena Beck, Mrs Clyde Gorman, Mrs Luda Mings, and Mrs Katie Speer were elected and they have kept the place very attractive ever since, installing rock posts and cyclone fence across the front and barbed wire on the other three sides. The committee, with the exception of Mrs. Clyde Gorman, who passed away in March of this year, are still on the job and are very much interested in its beautification.  the expense of maintaining is met by contributions, annually. from those who have loved ones there. As I stood by the grave of W.H. Farrar, who died May 3, 1948, I thought of the forty five years we had worked together, he as an agent and I as a telegraph operator, in storms, wrecks, and washouts, picking up the remains of those who were the unfortunate victims of the speeding trains.  As deacons, we sang, prayed, worshipped and worked together in the First Baptist Church for many years.. I am sure he has God's green light of safety on the highway to the Great Beyond. I remember Mr. J.M. Dorroh, who, when I came here in 1898 was the general merchant for this neck of the woods, furnishing many families for an 8 mile radius one cotton season to the next. The rest of the column has been lost. The work first started by these mentioned ladies and the other men and women is still taking place.  The cemetery is now governed by a Board of Directors(listed on another page) who as volunteers, try to keep the peace and serenity in tact.  A burial pavilion, gazebo, and other additions have been made to further improve the cemetery.  Perpetual care in now in place and the cemetery is kept as needed by a maintainence man. Mr Speer, the author of the article has since died and is buried at Chilton as is the remainder of his family.