Ferris Cemetery, Dallas, Texas

To Dallas County Archives main page
(Updated September 24, 2003)

      

     New York Native, Warren Angus Ferris (1810 ­ 1873), spent six years as a trapper and chronicler of the American West before moving to the Republic of Texas in late 1836. As official surveyor for Nacogdoches County, he surveyed the Three Forks of the Trinity Area and helped set the boundaries for Dallas and other nearby counties. He wrote many articles for early Dallas newspapers.


Texas Historical Marker

     In 1847, upon the death of his son, Warren Ferris, Jr., this cemetery was established on the family farm.  Five Ferris children are buried in this family plot, as well as Warren Angus and his second wife, Frances Moore (d. 1869).  Other early Dallas settlers interred in this cemetery are, Benjamin Dye (d. 1852) and his wife, Sarah (d. 1879); Wesley Chenault (d. 1886) and two of his wives, Elizabeth (d. 1858) and Lucy Sage (d. 1863). Many other members of the Sage family as well as the Atwood, Bell, Boyette, Chendell, Grace, Herndon, Kirby, Pemberton, Ryan, Tabor, and Tucker families are buried here.

     One of the last interments was that of the Rev. R. F. Taylor in 1901.  Due to vandalism, his gravestone was the only remaining marker by 1970.  It is estimated that the cemetery contains over 100 graves.

Texas Historical Marker (1988)



Wooded Area on Cemetery Grounds


FERRIS Cemetery is located just off the 1700 block of St. Francis Street, which is between the dead end of San Benito Street and Alex Sanger School in the Old Forest Hills Section of East Dallas, on a tributary of White Rock Creek (Ash Creek). (SW corner of intersection of St. Francis & San Leandro)

FERRIS, Warren Angus, Jr. d. 1847 First person buried here.

FERRIS    child (Emily, 1 year old in 1850 Dallas County
Census, not in 1860 Census)
b. 16 Aug 1848 d. 15 Apr 1853 (4 yr. old)

FERRIS    child

FERRIS    child [Wm. (William) 9 year old, Charles (Drake)
7 year, Mary (Catherine) 6 year, Henry 5 year,
Robert 4 year, Louise (Louisa?) 3 year, Edward (P.)
1 year old]. These listed children are on the 1860 Census, Dallas County, TX. Wm. b. 13 Dec 1850 d. 12 Jul 1866 (15 yr. old)
[Charles (Drake) 18 year old, Mary C(atherine) 17 year, Henry
15 year, Robert (E.) 13 year, Louisa (J.) 12 year, Edward (P.)
9 year, (Sarah) Ellen (Ella) 5 year, "Fannie" (Frances Laura)
1 year old]. These listed children are on the 1870 Census,
Dallas County, TX.

(James 9/12 year old in 1850 Dallas County Census, 11 year old in 1860 Census)

FERRIS    child (Price F. is not in the 1860 or 1870 Census, Dallas County, Texas) b. 25 Mar 1862 d. 5 Jul 1867 (5 yr. old, kicked in the stomach by a mare)

FERRIS    child (Frances Laura "Fannie" b. 7 Mar 1869 d. 30 Sep 1875) (6 yr. old) is buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Smith County, TX

FERRIS, Warren Angus
b. 1810
d. 1873

FERRIS, Frances MOORE

d. 1869
Wife of W. A. FERRIS

DYE, Benjamin
d. 1852

DYE, Sarah
d. 1879
Wife of Benjamin DYE

CHENAULT, Wesley
d. 1886

CHENAULT, Elizabeth
d. 1858

First wife of Wesley CHENAULT

SAGE, Lucy d. 1863
Second wife of Wesley CHENAULT

SAGE family members

ATWOOD family members

BELL family members

BOYETTE family members

CHENDELL family members

GRACE family members

HERNDON family members

KIRBY family members

PEMBERTON family members

RYAN family members

TABOR family members

TUCKER family members

TAYLOR, R. F., Rev.
b. 22 Aug 1867 d. 11 Apr 1901
(The last standing marker in 1970)
All markers gone in October 1998.

(The preceding information from the Texas Historical Marker)

Visited and Noted by Cecil Morgan on 7 Oct 1998
No grave markers are left in this cemetery.

    Lost Known Markers in red.  This info comes from "Early Dallas County Cemetery Records" by Willie Flowers Carlisle (Mrs. George F.)   Additional information in blue)

BOYETTE, G. T.
10 Jun xxxx ­ 29 Jul xxxx

BOYETTE, Infant of G. T.
1886 ­ 1886

CHENAULT, Elizabeth
9 May 1820 ­ 12 Sep 1858

DYE, Benjamin
b. 1792 or 1793 in VA d. 20 Jul 1852

DYE, Sarah (Sally)
b. 1801 or 1802 in VA d. 24 May 1879

The DYE'S had 16 children (9 girls & 7 boys).
In 1892, four of their children were living in Dallas:

Jane DYE married Harrison GAGE,

Miranda DYE married Dr. John MITCHELL,

Adley DYE married Bill McDERMETT,

Martha DYE married William Hunnicutt BEEMAN.

Enoch DYE married Elvira A. KEEN,
daughter of Rev. Abner KEEN,

Benjamin DYE, Jr. never married,

Wm. H. DYE never married and settled near Plano, Texas,

Joseph F. DYE went to California in 1853,

George DYE lived in Dallas but know nothing about him.

HERNDON, Jennie Allis
24 Jul 1880 ­ 16 Jun 1899

PEMBERTON, Clarangel
25 Oct 1867 ­ 26 Jul 1899

xxxx xxxx Died 1860

TABOR, C. T.
10 Nov 1873 ­ xx Oct xxxx
Son of xxxx



Wooded Area on Cemetery Grounds



Serene Scene, Wildflower Area


1850 Census, Dallas County, Federal Census

Page 83B

161 165 W A FERRIS 37 M farmer $2000 NY
Frances 21 F TN
Emily 1 F TX
James
9/12 M TX
Wm Laytham 70 M millright England
Timothy Colwell 21 M farmer ?
Nancy 16 F IL

Page 85B

201 206 Westley CHENAULT 32 m farmer $640 Va
Elizabeth 29 f PA
Ardelia 12 F ?
Janetta 11 F ?
John W 9 M ?
Mary E 7 F ?
Lucy M 4 F ?
Sarah 1 F TX

Page 75B

39 40 Benjn DYE 57 M farmer $640 VA
Sarah 52 F VA
Enoch 28 M carpenter VA
Benjn 21 M farmer KY
Joseph 19 M farmer KY
George 12 M KY
Ennis M 23 F VA
Sarah A 16 F KY
Meranda 14 F KY
Adilla K 11 F KY
William Dye 43 M farmer VA

Page 100B

403 418 Daniel SAGE 47 M farmer KY
Jane 34 F VA
Sarah E 13 F KY
Lucy J 11 F KY
Mary K 8 f KY
Hariett E 6 F KY
William H 4 M KY
Benjamin F 3 M KY
James A 1 M KY

404 419 Thomas DYE 44 M carpenter PA
Mary 41 F VA
John 18 M farmer VA
Elizabeth 14 F VA
Eliza J 12 F VA
Thomas 8 M KY
James R 3 M KY


Wild flowers (close-up)