Drew'sLandingCem
Drew's Landing Cemetery
Submitted by Cannon Pritchard


    The town of Drew's Landing in Polk County was named in honor of an early entrepreneur
Monroe Drew who came to the area in 1839. He traded with a group of Coushatta Indians
living in the opposite bank of the Trinity River from Drew's Landing which was located on the
eastern shore. Drew attracted a large share of Trinity riverboat traffic by operating a store,
owning a boat landing, ran a ferry and established a small sawmill. The Post Office was
opened from 1860-1867.  It was reopened in 1871 and the name of the town was changed
to Marianna.
    The Drew's Landing Cemetery was located on the east side of the Trinity River about one
mile from the town on a red clay hill. By 1883-1884 the cemetery was enclosed by a white
picket fence. Today, there is no list or record of all the burials in this cemetery.
    On June 24, 1964 Mrs. Olive Davison Henry, age 93, of San Jacinto County wrote a letter
to the Polk County Museum providing her comments on the cemetery and a list of those she
could remember who were buried there. She stated "I know there are many graves there. There
were never any markers, but many graves were fenced with nice white pickets as late as 1884.
When I was a child I walked among them. People passed the word on who was buried there.
The cemetery was very old when I was a young girl.  In 1889, the Post Office was discontinued
and the two Davison families moved to Shepherd, (Texas), so the community of Marianna was
no more. I was born in San Jacinto County, August 25, 1871, about one mile from Drew's
Landing on the Miller Davison farm. My parents were Miller and Julia Davison. They are buried
in the family plot on the farm."

Location: The exact location of this cemetery today is unknown. It may be under the spillway
        of the dam at Lake Livingston or on the adjoining hill east of the spillway. Without any
        grave markers the cemetery became lost with the creation of Lake Livingston in 1968.

Listed below are the names of those persons that Mrs. Davison remembers who were buried there.
(Additional research information on the individuals is added after the names):

Alexander, Alice,   born: 1856  died: prior to 1870; (daughter of J.T.D. Alexander &
        Harriet Ann (Chandler) Alexander (later Newsom)
Alexander, Ellen Elizabeth "Eliza",   born: 1852  died:  1870;  (daughter of J.T.D. Alexander &
        Harriet Ann (Chandler) Alexander (later Newsom)
Alexander, James "Jim",  born:  1853  died:  ca. 1874;  (son of J.T.D. Alexander &
        Harriet Ann (Chandler) Alexander (later Newsom)
Alexander, William "Bill",  born:  1851  died:  1875;  (son of J.T.D. Alexander &
        Harriet Ann (Chandler) Alexander (later Newsom)
(The Alexanders later moved to Livingston and are buried in the Old City Cemetery).
Armitage, Lillian Pearl,  born:  Mar. 10, 1888  died:  Jan. 8, 1892,
        daughter of W.W. & Martha R. Armitage.
Armitage, James,  born:  Sept. 26, 1882  died:  Sept. 26, 1882,
        son of W. W. & Martha R. Armitage.
Armitage, Martha (Ray),  born:  Oct. 1851 England   died:  Apr. 11, 1918,
        married W. W. Armitage on Mar. 8, 1876 at Hudderfield, England.
Armitage, Willis Wilson (Willson Willett),  born:  Apr. 1848  died:  May 3, 1920,
        husband of  Martha (Ray) Armitage.
Drew, Christopher Columbus,  born: 1835, NY  died: ca. 1875,  brother of
        James Montgomery Drew and Albion Drew
Drew, Lewis Carr,  born: 1851  died: 1877,  son of Monroe & Martha Jane Drew
Drew, Melissa,  born: 1849  died: 1868,  daughter of  Monroe & Martha Jane Drew
Drew, Monroe,  born:  1815  N.Y.    died:  1860
Drew, Martha Jane (Thomas),  born:  1829 Va.  died:  1879
Gleishman,  Fred,  "A German refugee from military service. An old man who drifted down
        the river in a house boat in 1884."
A small child named Myrtle.
Ray,  Matthew,  born:  1853 England   died:  prior to 1900,
        brother of Martha (Ray) Armitage.
Smith, Mr.,  "Tutor for the O.M. Wheeler family. Shot himself in a deep depression."
Sansom, Elizabeth "Betty", Third wife of Frank M. Sansom, and their infant daughter
        are buried beside each other.
Sansom, Josephine (Augustine),  died: 1866,  First wife of  Frank M. Sansom whom she
        married on Mar. 25, 1858. Daughter of H. W. Augustine, Texas Rev. hero and Mother
        of Lucy Sansom who married Ralph Leggett and Jennie Sansom who married Bob Cubley.
Sansom, S. E. (Darden),  died:  1868,  Second wife of Frank M. Sansom whom she married
        on Oct. 10, 1867. She is buried beside her infant child.
 
 


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