Cactus Hill

Cactus Hill Cemetery

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   Cactus Hill Cemetery was located where Hunt’s Creek met the West Fork of the Trinity River. When Lake Bridgeport was built in the early 1930’s the graves where moved to East Bridgeport Cemetery. They are marked by a single large headstone near the west fence.

 

 

 

    A new Historical Marker was placed at this headstone in 2009. There's also a new elementary school to the west of East Bridgeport cemetery now.

 

(The following is taken from Pioneer History of Wise County by Cliff D. Cates – Published 1907 and available for purchase at the Wise County Heritage Museum)

    In early Wise County history (1855) Colonel William Hudson Hunt had more land holdings than anyone in the state of Texas. His land included the western half of Wise County and his large ranch house was called Cactus Hill. He was regarded as one of the "great cattle barons of the region".
  
Col. Hunt and his wife, Catherine Cordelle Hunt, had several children and lived at Cactus Hill for several years. Because of frequent Indian massacres in the area of their ranch, the family moved to Decatur around 1859. Catherine Hunt died in 1861, and Col. Hunt was killed in a dragging accident between Decatur and Bridgeport in 1864.

       

    Belle Hunt, daughter of Col. Hunt, was the first white child born in the western part of Wise County (picture above). She became a nationally known poet and lived in New York. Her body was returned to Cactus Hill to be buried.
   
The poem, below, is engraved on the back of the "Hunt" headstone.

The headstone has information on 5 family members. See very bottom of page.

Unfinished.

        Fain would I sleep!

I know not if the day
Will bring unlighteded grief or gladdest joy.
I only know – in some unhappy way –
Which e’er it be it will have its ar
oy.
If grief should come unglamoured of fair hope
Then might the fretted soul make good its flight
If joy should come unshadowed of revoke.
Then might the burthetied heart take up the fight
Day has its clouds obscuring perfect light,
Night has its moon denying utter shade,
Some hint of frost lurks in a summer
night,
And cold winds find the most sun-brasiered glade.
Youth halts and dreads the coming of old age,
Old age looks back and yearns departed youth
Success is but Ambition’s flattering page,
And every decade bends the line of Truth
Ghosts, dreams, shadows! – web and
woof of life
The shifting eons lift the ocean sands
And pile up mountains where the sea ran rife
And scoop out oceans where the green hill stands
Fleet slips the present to the stagnant past:
On comes the future with relentless sweep
Today is yesterday e’er we can cast
Tomorrow’s horoscope! –


         I fain would sleep!

Belle Hunt

189

Crutchfield

Elizabeth Hunt

Dec 12, 1872

Headstone with Hunt's

190

Hunt

Lansing

May 5, 1887

Buried at Los Angeles CA

191

Shortridge

Belle Hunt

Nov 24, 1893

Wife of Samuel A

192

Hunt

William Hudson

Jan 13, 1864

Headstone with Lansing & Catherine Hunt & Elizabeth Hunt Crutchfield & Belle Hunt Shortridge

193

Hunt

Catherine

Apr 5, 1861

Wife of W.H.