Weeping Mary, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Weeping Mary, Texas
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Country | United States |
State | Texas |
County | Cherokee |
Government | |
• Type | Unincorporated Town |
Elevation | 226 ft (69 m) |
Population
(2000)
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• Total | 40 |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (CDT) |
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. Founded by freedmen shortly after the American Civil War, Weeping Mary is little more than a sparsely populated town in the 21st century but there are some families still living there and an active community church. It is significant as the community closest to the ancient Caddo Mounds State Historic Site.
History
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.
Urban Legends on the name
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.
Education
Students living in Weeping Mary are within the Alto Independent School District.