Lincolnville historical marker dedication set for Saturday

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

 

The small town of Lincolnville in northern Coryell County will receive its official historical marker on Saturday during a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. at Coryell Community Church, located at 115 N. Levita Rd. in Gatesville.

Speakers will include Rebecca Sharpless with Texas Christian University; Coryell County Judge John Firth; Geraldine Hoover; and Jim Ed Snow.

Sharpless is a TCU history professor who has conducted research and recorded oral history of Lincolnville. The descendants of the original settlers will be recognized. The ceremony will be held inside the church for the ease of older attendees, with a video unveiling of the marker to be shown, with refreshments following. Those who attend may also drive the short distance to the site.

The Coryell County Historical Commission submitted an application to the Texas Historical Commission, stating the significance of the community of Lincolnville as part of Texas history, and the THC agreed, granting the CCHC’s request.

The community of Lincolnville was founded shortly after the end of the Civil War and was located approximately four miles west of Gatesville, and received its name in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. According to Danny Corbett with the Coryell County Historical Commission, the town was located near the Moccasin Bend area along the Leon River.

The town contained a church and a school, notable due to the fact that its residents were not permitted to openly practice religion nor attend school.

“Despite racial strife and the harsh conditions of the frontier, Lincolnville was a testament to the efforts of the citizens who founded the community,” Corbett state in a press release. “A few descendants of the founding families remain in the area today. Extensive research for the Lincolnville marker was conducted by local historian Wanda Waite.”

In the state of Texas, there are approximately 15,000 historical markers, with the Texas Historical Commission reviewing more than 300 applications for markers each year.

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