Sachse Cemetery, Sachse

A native of Prussia, William Sachse (1820-1899), sailed to America as a stowaway landing in New York in 1840. He made his way to Philadelphia, then Pittsburg, and to Missouri where he lived until 1844. He joined a group coming to Texas that arrived in Dallas/Collin County in January 1845. William met a young widow with two children, Elizabeth McCulloch Straly (1815-1852). She had received a Peters Colony certificate for 640 acres and she patented 320 acres in Dallas County and 320 acres in Collin County. She also acquired other lands in Dallas County. Her survey No. 1324 was just west of the Isaac Ramsey Survey that William Sachse had acquired.

William and Elizabeth were married May 23, 1845 in Lamar County. Family history tells that they at first lived in a dugout and grew crops of corn and wheat and raised pigs.

From the beginning, Sachse acquired more land, employed farm laborers to help to plant and harvest, and was generous with his neighbors. Sachse erected a cotton gin and mill powered by oxen and horses. The Huffines who lived west of White Rock Creek came to Sachse’s gin to get the cotton seed they needed.

After Elizabeth died in 1852 the children were cared for by slaves until William met and married Martha Ann Frost in 1855. Martha Ann (1833-1916) was one of the daughters of Peter Colonist Benjamin and Catherine Frost who came to Texas before 1848 with their seven children all born in Alabama. 

William and Martha Ann had ten children. At one time the Sachses owned over 5000 acres of land, some in downtown Dallas. One resource mentions that in 1880s William Sachse agreed to be a bondsman for the Collin County Tax Collector. The county official fled with a large sum of money, leaving Mr. Sachse heavily obligated. He had to sell some of his holdings to settle the debt. They were still able to give each of their children large farms. They also donated right of way for the Santa Fe Railroad when it came to Dallas. The depot was constructed here and since the railroad was so significant to the founding of the town this is the current office of the Chamber of Commerce.

Sachse set aside one and one eighth acres for a cemetery and his is the first marked grave. There are many family members buried in this original section. He donated a block of land adjoining the townsite for “God’s Acre “on which the Christian Church was built.” In 1907 Frank Marion, youngest son and his wife, signed the deed giving the cemetery to the Sachse Christian Church. Frank had obtained the property from the probate records of William Sachse Trust.

The late Mayor of the City of Dallas, Jack Evans, and his wife Gene are buried in this cemetery. Jean/Gene (Imogene) was a great, granddaughter of William and Martha Ann Sachse. The graveyard has always been considered a public burying ground and is still active. It has been enlarged and is now under the auspicious of the Charles W. Smith and Sons Funeral Homes.