Weeping Mary, Texas | |
---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
Location within the state of Texas | |
Coordinates: 31°35′49″N 95°9′35″W / 31.59694°N 95.15972°WCoordinates: 31°35′49″N 95°9′35″W / 31.59694°N 95.15972°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | Cherokee |
Government | |
• Type | Unincorporated Town |
Elevation | 226 ft (69 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 40 |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-6) |
GNIS feature ID | 1370986 |
Weeping Mary is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. It is located on Texas State Highway 21 about 12 miles from the nearby town of Alto. Although Weeping Mary is little more than a ghost town, it has a small significance in Texas history as it is closest community to the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site.
Weeping Mary was founded by recently freed slaves shortly after the Civil War. The community later founded a baptist church. A local school was run for the black kids in 1896 and had a record of 40 pupils. The town (like many others) was all but forgotten by the time World War II had begun. The population was 40 in 2000.
There are 2 known legends on how Weeping Mary got its name. The first (obvious) one is referring to Mary Magdeline crying at Jesus' tomb. But another one involves a former slave crying after losing her land after it was promised it wouldn't get taken away.
Any students living in Weeping Mary are within the Alto Independent School District.