Homage to Strangers: Littig, Texas

Tugged by the tiny sign, I made the turn to the Littig Cemetery. I pulled over and noticed that the gate was closed and chained, so I walked along the fence to see what was inside. I was curious, and looked more closely at the chain and noticed there was not lock, so I opened the gate and entered the hallowed space.

At first glance, the cemetery looked like many other small, rural Texas cemeteries, surrounded by lush blackland prairie fields. There were trash cans strategically placed around the grounds, and even a plastic chair for people to sit with their loved ones. Silk flowers decorated many of the grave sites.

I was soon drawn into the lives of many people I had not met.Take for example the Carters.

Notice the dates on their headstones. Jane was born in 1840 and Benjamon was born in 1834. The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865. Since the people in this cemetery were African Americans, Jane and Benjamon were most likely born into slavery. Maybe they moved to Littig after being freed. Littig was created when a freed slave, The town of Littig was created in 1883 on land donated by a former slave, Jackson Morrow. A railroad ran through town, so the town was named for an official of the railroad company.

According to Wikipedia, by 1900 Littig included a general store, two cotton gins, three churches, and 168 residents. There were three one-teacher schools for black students and one one-teacher school for white students.

During the 1930s, the population declined so that by 1940 the population was only 35. The population has remained about 35 since then even though it is only 18 miles east of Austin.

Charles Morrow and Marshall Johns were children during the civil war. I wonder what their lives were like, most likely born into slavery, then experiencing the war, then being freed. Maybe Charles Morrow was a son or brother of Jackson Morrow. His sophisticated headstone suggests that he was relatively prominent in the community.

The following headstones really touched my soul with their stories. Of course I can only guess what was happening as these headstones were created, but my best guess is that people wanted to make sure that their loved ones had proper headstones, and lacking money, they had to pour their love into the task of making their own headstones. 

More recently, when someone couldn't afford a headstone, more mundane solutions were found with cinder blocks and the funeral home markers.

But, perhaps the most interesting resting place is marked with blue boots. What was Sylvester Lewis like? I think the boots give us a clue.

More recently, the headstones contain pictures of the person.

By the time I left Littig Ceremony, my heart was full of affection for the Littig community and its history that I discovered through the cemetery.